Reasons of change

[harrry]

Thank you for all the reply.

To add some more info. I was recruited, medical insurance is included, company will not pay for school for the kids, there will be a bonus but dont know how much yet, and I could probably make $70k -$90k for the same position in the states.

My father-in-law is thai and said he is willing to go with us for a little bit so we can get settled in if I decide to take this offer.

Depends upon how much you want to stay in Thailand then. Personally, if there were no family issues that made living in Thailand preferable and my choice was between 50K in Bangkok or 90K in Silicon Valley, I'd take the 90K in Silicon Valley. Yes, the cost of living is less in Thailand, but in your income bracket, unless by going to Thailand you're going to be on a fast-track program that leads to multiple promotions, you'r enot going to be able to save as much as you would if yo had almost 2X the salary in the US.

You will also lose current skills here because of lack of training oportunities and networking which will affect you when you return.

[PattayaParent]

Just to give you a warning- i have 2 kids almost same age as yours (2 and 5)- their school fees this year are 31,000US$ in total (9K$ for 2 yr old, 22K$ for 5 yr old), the good international schools charge outrageous fees. I basically had to insist that my wife starts working too to help cover costs!

ExpatJ, now you are scaring me with those numbers for your kids school. That is some outrages prices because I can send my kids to private school here in the States for far less than $22k year.

I wont be sending my 3 year old to school until he turns 5 and are there any reasonable price school that are just as good in thailand.

I wont know what area of Thailand I will be in until I get fully hired on

Well that's an important thing to know first off, especially in terms of schooling for the kids.

In Pattaya area you can reckon on US$12,000 a year for the 5 year old.

In Bangkok if the other posts are accurate, even more, especially for the best.

Outside the other tourist / expat areas (Chiang Mai, Phuket) you're pretty much limited to local Thai or Thai private schools.

[maccaroni man]

No, I wouldn't take a job in Thailand on 50K plus housing, not if you have a family with kids. Far too low with kids as Thai schools are crap, so you would HAVE to pay for your kids to go to private schools and like someone else said, they're outrageous here.

I've lived here more than 10 years and, thankfully, don't have kids. If I did, on the salary I make here, I'd have no choice but to go back to the US where I could get my kids an education actually worth something.

Plus, Thailand is no longer the cheap place it was to live in only four or five years ago,. Cost of living of many things, including food, is up 15-20% in the last five years. At this point, I wouldn't recommend hardly anyone moving to Thailand with kids. Too backward a country, terrible education system and too discriminating to westerners.

Minimum amount for a decent lifestyle in Bangkok with kids would be 75K plus housing. Anything less than that, and you will regret it.

imho one of the main reasons to work abroad is to have a higher standard of living than i could afford at home. I have 2 children and with all things considered, i.e. savings, running cost, tuition, vacations, visa, etc... 200k per month is a push. why move to the other side of the world to place where you dont read or write the language for less than you can earn in the comfort of your own developed country?

[janverbeem]

For Thailand, yes...that's a good offer.

You will find that living costs are lower here in Thailand than the U.S. (probably you already guessed that).

Your biggest expenses will be for rent and to send your daughter to an international school if you choose to do that. I would reccomend you do that, also.

I'm retired, living here in Bangkok and I get about $1700 a month from Social Security retirement.

I support 7 people...6 in my Thai family and myself...on that income.

There are 3 grown children who work so some income comes in from them.

I don't pay rent because about 5 years ago I bought a Thai house in my Thai wife's name and renovated it to my U.S. standards. That's where we live now.

Even factoring the need to pay rent, and education expenses for you daughter, I can't see you not being able to live comfortably...even in Bangkok...on $50,000 in Bangkok...and Bangkok is more expensive than most other cities in Thailand.

Of course, a lot of it depends on what you consider a "reasonable standard of living" here in Thailand.

I'm quite happy with mine now...and even with rent and education expenses factored in...I don't see why 50K dollars in Bamgkok wouldn't be adequate.

There are endless debates on this forum about what is required to live "comfortably" in Thailand. Much on that depends on the definition of "comfortably". Really it is a silly debate, because what is "comfortable" depends so much on how you define "comfortable".

Just so you know...the current dollar/baht exchange rate is about 3o baht for one dollar. So 50K dollars is ($50K times 30 baht) or (500K times 3 baht) = 1,500,000 Baht annually.

I'm sure there are expat English teachers here in Bangkok would probably be willing to kill you for 1.5 milliom Baht a year.

As another example, my Thai wife does a lot of the cooking in the house. We go to the local Tops, Carrefour, etc stores 3 or 4 times a month. She buys in bulk and stores it in the house until she uses it. Two refrigerators and a "pantry" room to store the food. Even with 4 trips each month, and 5000 Baht for food on each trip, that only comes to 20,000 Baht for food a month. Someone else said 50,000 Baht a month for food. He/she must be buying all steaks and foriegn food.

As a U.S. taxpayer you should be eligable for the overseas tax exclusion...by which the first $90,000 of income is tax free as long as you reside outside the U.S. and do not return to the U.S. for a visit(s) totaling more than 30 days in that tax year. I just filed my U.S. taxes...so I know that law quite well. This applies whether your salary is paid to you in the U.S. or overseas. You can find the rules and forms to download on the IRS web site.Bottom line...you may get more in the U.S. for that position...but I don't see why you can't live well on that salary here in Thailand. For Thailand that is a good salary.

In Thailand the cost of living is indeed lower than in the US,that is if you want to adjust your living standard to Thai standards.

If you are sent out from your home country to work abroad it is expected that you can live in that country at the same standards as in your home country plus some extra's because you have to leave friends and family behind.

In this case, with two childen that need to be educated to international standards 50.000 $ a year is an alms.Only the education of his kids will eat more than half of his salary.

Then we haven't talked yet about living at the same standard as in the US.Going to eat with four people 1 once a week at a restaurant at a standard similar to his homecountry will set him back 7-800$ a month that is 10.000$ a year,and there are 26 more days every month.

I would like to advise the OP that if he was offered the double in pay he might take it in consideration but I would still negotiate to have the school for my children paid by the company.

[PattayaParent]

No, I wouldn't take a job in Thailand on 50K plus housing, not if you have a family with kids. Far too low with kids as Thai schools are crap, so you would HAVE to pay for your kids to go to private schools and like someone else said, they're outrageous here.

I've lived here more than 10 years and, thankfully, don't have kids. If I did, on the salary I make here, I'd have no choice but to go back to the US where I could get my kids an education actually worth something.

Plus, Thailand is no longer the cheap place it was to live in only four or five years ago,. Cost of living of many things, including food, is up 15-20% in the last five years. At this point, I wouldn't recommend hardly anyone moving to Thailand with kids. Too backward a country, terrible education system and too discriminating to westerners.

Minimum amount for a decent lifestyle in Bangkok with kids would be 75K plus housing. Anything less than that, and you will regret it.

imho one of the main reasons to work abroad is to have a higher standard of living than i could afford at home. I have 2 children and with all things considered, i.e. savings, running cost, tuition, vacations, visa, etc... 200k per month is a push. why move to the other side of the world to place where you dont read or write the language for less than you can earn in the comfort of your own developed country?

I agree, with one child in school I've averaged around 130,000 Baht a month for the last 2 years, not including holiday airtickets paid on CC in another currency.

[p_brownstone]

1) What about annual leave and - more importantly - Airfares?

2) As already mentioned Education is going to be a major expense, I have no idea what the current rates are but when my daughter was at ISB here in 12th Grade - 8 or 9 years ago - it was costing me at least Baht 850,000.- a year, if one includes Tuition Fees, Transport plus all the "extras" such as Overseas school trips etc..

The last I heard Fees have been index linked to the US $ : Baht Exchange rate for several years - so I imagine even Elementary School Fees are in that range (i.e. US $ 24,000,- per year) now.

3) If your Posting is not in Bangkok, the Eastern Seaboard or Chiangmai your choice of Schools will be VERY limited and far inferior to what you desire if you have any regard for your childrens' future.

4) I most definitely do not agree with your opinion that schooling until 9 years of age is not important; these are formative years where a child learns to either love or hate school / education - a bad, uncaring or indifferent teacher at that stage will definitely lay the foundation for the childs future attitude towards learning in general. You should be planning to find - and pay for - the best possible school at the earliest stage of your childrens educational experience.

Patrick

Edited May 28, 2011 by p_brownstone

[WarpSpeed]

No, I wouldn't take a job in Thailand on 50K plus housing, not if you have a family with kids. Far too low with kids as Thai schools are crap, so you would HAVE to pay for your kids to go to private schools and like someone else said, they're outrageous here.

I've lived here more than 10 years and, thankfully, don't have kids. If I did, on the salary I make here, I'd have no choice but to go back to the US where I could get my kids an education actually worth something.

Plus, Thailand is no longer the cheap place it was to live in only four or five years ago,. Cost of living of many things, including food, is up 15-20% in the last five years. At this point, I wouldn't recommend hardly anyone moving to Thailand with kids. Too backward a country, terrible education system and too discriminating to westerners.

Minimum amount for a decent lifestyle in Bangkok with kids would be 75K plus housing. Anything less than that, and you will regret it.

Why? No law says he has to stay here and his kids are young and over the next few years he should be getting increases and even still he has no obligation to stay indefinitely.. That's plenty enough to provide a comfortable life if he can't do it he's not a very good money manager and you're living too high a life if you thin it's not possible either. Besides the off shore taxable income deduction is potentially as much as $92,000 per annum if he stays off shore for at least 330 days and it's also likely with his children he also gets additional tax breaks..

[WarpSpeed]

No, I wouldn't take a job in Thailand on 50K plus housing, not if you have a family with kids. Far too low with kids as Thai schools are crap, so you would HAVE to pay for your kids to go to private schools and like someone else said, they're outrageous here.

I've lived here more than 10 years and, thankfully, don't have kids. If I did, on the salary I make here, I'd have no choice but to go back to the US where I could get my kids an education actually worth something.

Plus, Thailand is no longer the cheap place it was to live in only four or five years ago,. Cost of living of many things, including food, is up 15-20% in the last five years. At this point, I wouldn't recommend hardly anyone moving to Thailand with kids. Too backward a country, terrible education system and too discriminating to westerners.

Minimum amount for a decent lifestyle in Bangkok with kids would be 75K plus housing. Anything less than that, and you will regret it.

imho one of the main reasons to work abroad is to have a higher standard of living than i could afford at home. I have 2 children and with all things considered, i.e. savings, running cost, tuition, vacations, visa, etc... 200k per month is a push. why move to the other side of the world to place where you dont read or write the language for less than you can earn in the comfort of your own developed country?

200k per month ? You people are snobs and are out of your mind, you couldn't manage a budget if your life depended on it..

[WarpSpeed]

No, I wouldn't take a job in Thailand on 50K plus housing, not if you have a family with kids. Far too low with kids as Thai schools are crap, so you would HAVE to pay for your kids to go to private schools and like someone else said, they're outrageous here.

I've lived here more than 10 years and, thankfully, don't have kids. If I did, on the salary I make here, I'd have no choice but to go back to the US where I could get my kids an education actually worth something.

Plus, Thailand is no longer the cheap place it was to live in only four or five years ago,. Cost of living of many things, including food, is up 15-20% in the last five years. At this point, I wouldn't recommend hardly anyone moving to Thailand with kids. Too backward a country, terrible education system and too discriminating to westerners.

Minimum amount for a decent lifestyle in Bangkok with kids would be 75K plus housing. Anything less than that, and you will regret it.

Yes, I agree completely, only because of your kids, that money is not good when you deduct school fees, and Thai women have to have the best schools if only for face saving..

You would need them to cover school fees..

Face saving ??? <deleted> ?? Gawd what whipped boys there are here ... It seems it's YOUR face that your worried about saving..

Edited May 28, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[Soutpeel]

200k per month ? You people are snobs and are out of your mind, you couldn't manage a budget if your life depended on it..

You are being a bit harsh.....someone just as easily suggest you are a cheap charlie...

What one person considered an acceptable standard of living may not be acceptable to another...at the end of the day....its that persons life and money...its up to them what they do with it...and not for someone else to decide who is out of their mind...

FYI...having lived in Thailand for 10 years and seeing the price increases and of the opinion that to live a "normal" life Thailand is not cheap anymore.....I am in agreement with the THB 150k to 200k/month

Everyone to their own...

[Soutpeel]

200k per month ? You people are snobs and are out of your mind, you couldn't manage a budget if your life depended on it..

You are being a bit harsh.....someone just as easily suggest you are a cheap charlie...

What one person considered an acceptable standard of living may not be acceptable to another...at the end of the day....its that persons life and money...its up to them what they do with it...and not for someone else to decide who is out of their mind...

FYI...having lived in Thailand for 10 years and seeing the price increases and of the opinion that to live a "normal" life Thailand is not cheap anymore.....I am in agreement with the THB 150k to 200k/month

Everyone to their own...

[samran]

No, I wouldn't take a job in Thailand on 50K plus housing, not if you have a family with kids. Far too low with kids as Thai schools are crap, so you would HAVE to pay for your kids to go to private schools and like someone else said, they're outrageous here.

I've lived here more than 10 years and, thankfully, don't have kids. If I did, on the salary I make here, I'd have no choice but to go back to the US where I could get my kids an education actually worth something.

Plus, Thailand is no longer the cheap place it was to live in only four or five years ago,. Cost of living of many things, including food, is up 15-20% in the last five years. At this point, I wouldn't recommend hardly anyone moving to Thailand with kids. Too backward a country, terrible education system and too discriminating to westerners.

Minimum amount for a decent lifestyle in Bangkok with kids would be 75K plus housing. Anything less than that, and you will regret it.

imho one of the main reasons to work abroad is to have a higher standard of living than i could afford at home. I have 2 children and with all things considered, i.e. savings, running cost, tuition, vacations, visa, etc... 200k per month is a push. why move to the other side of the world to place where you dont read or write the language for less than you can earn in the comfort of your own developed country?

200k per month ? You people are snobs and are out of your mind, you couldn't manage a budget if your life depended on it..

A useful excercise then would be for your to outline how you'd budget it instead. Try:

Accomodation

Transport

-Car

- Fuel

- Public transport

Groceries

-Schooling (native English speaking, international standard)

-Utilities

-Electricity

- Water

- Gas

Entertainment

- Eating out

- Cable

- misc

Insurance

- Health

- Car

- Home and contents

Other

- Maid

- ???

Edited May 29, 2011 by samran

[Lancelot]

200k per month ? You people are snobs and are out of your mind, you couldn't manage a budget if your life depended on it..

You are being a bit harsh.....someone just as easily suggest you are a cheap charlie...

FYI...having lived in Thailand for 10 years and seeing the price increases and of the opinion that to live a "normal" life Thailand is not cheap anymore.....I am in agreement with the THB 150k to 200k/month

I agree with Soutpeel. The OP is considering a move to Thailand to earn money. Why shouldn't he want a premium?

[OriginalPoster]

200k per month ? You people are snobs and are out of your mind, you couldn't manage a budget if your life depended on it..

You are being a bit harsh.....someone just as easily suggest you are a cheap charlie...

FYI...having lived in Thailand for 10 years and seeing the price increases and of the opinion that to live a "normal" life Thailand is not cheap anymore.....I am in agreement with the THB 150k to 200k/month

I agree with Soutpeel. The OP is considering a move to Thailand to earn money. Why shouldn't he want a premium?

Premiums over a US wage are a lot easier to get if the company that you'd be working for in Thailand wants you more than you want them, or if you're working for a MNC who has a well established expat compensation policy and has decided to transfer you to Thailand. Not everyone is lucky enough to be in a situation like that. And once a company senses that you want to be in Thailand for reasons that are unrelated to salary, your bargaining power goes way down.

Edited May 29, 2011 by OriginalPoster

[Soutpeel]

200k per month ? You people are snobs and are out of your mind, you couldn't manage a budget if your life depended on it..

You are being a bit harsh.....someone just as easily suggest you are a cheap charlie...

FYI...having lived in Thailand for 10 years and seeing the price increases and of the opinion that to live a "normal" life Thailand is not cheap anymore.....I am in agreement with the THB 150k to 200k/month

I agree with Soutpeel. The OP is considering a move to Thailand to earn money. Why shouldn't he want a premium?

Premiums over a US wage are a lot easier to get if the company that you'd be working for in Thailand wants you more than you want them, or if you're working for a MNC who has a well established expat compensation policy and has decided to transfer you to Thailand. Not everyone is lucky enough to be in a situation like that. And once a company senses that you want to be in Thailand for reasons that are unrelated to salary, your bargaining power goes way down.

I was already in Thailand when I was hired on an expat package, and I am on almost double what I would get in either Europe or the US in the same position (If you factor in the advantagous tax structure you can set up here)....so where do you think my bargaining power was ?....

[WarpSpeed]

200k per month ? You people are snobs and are out of your mind, you couldn't manage a budget if your life depended on it..

You are being a bit harsh.....someone just as easily suggest you are a cheap charlie...

What one person considered an acceptable standard of living may not be acceptable to another...at the end of the day....its that persons life and money...its up to them what they do with it...and not for someone else to decide who is out of their mind...

FYI...having lived in Thailand for 10 years and seeing the price increases and of the opinion that to live a "normal" life Thailand is not cheap anymore.....I am in agreement with the THB 150k to 200k/month

Everyone to their own...

Maybe not for me to decide what they do with their money but I am certainly entitled to let them know my impressions. Cheap Charlie is no problem for me in fact makes me proud to SAVE money and pay less then you and others did for the same item just because I was thorough about shopping it and not buying the first one off the shelf just to show I can, don't have an ego that big in spite of those who don't know me thinking I do.. It's a lot more to be proud of then pretentiously flaunting my income like a peacock in heat..

JFYI I'm no cheap Charlie I just don't waste money on frivolous, materialistic items that serve no other purpose except to make me look ostentatiousness, I tip generously for services most probably don't tip for at all (especially those with money who I've known over my life to be the cheapest Charlie's of all) and anytime I get more service then was expected it is also monetarily and verbally acknowledged as are all other things that REALLY matter..

My impression stands and it's <deleted> to say 150 to 200k per month is required to live comfortably especially with children the age of his as I live comfortably with 2 children of similar age for a third of that per month and that was the OP's question, not what it takes for you or others to live comfortably high up on your pedestal...

[WarpSpeed]

Sorry, <deleted> Internet!!! Multi quote..

Edited May 29, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[WarpSpeed]

It said this reply didn't go through, It lied!! Another duplicate post..

Edited May 29, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[WarpSpeed]

No, I wouldn't take a job in Thailand on 50K plus housing, not if you have a family with kids. Far too low with kids as Thai schools are crap, so you would HAVE to pay for your kids to go to private schools and like someone else said, they're outrageous here.

I've lived here more than 10 years and, thankfully, don't have kids. If I did, on the salary I make here, I'd have no choice but to go back to the US where I could get my kids an education actually worth something.

Plus, Thailand is no longer the cheap place it was to live in only four or five years ago,. Cost of living of many things, including food, is up 15-20% in the last five years. At this point, I wouldn't recommend hardly anyone moving to Thailand with kids. Too backward a country, terrible education system and too discriminating to westerners.

Minimum amount for a decent lifestyle in Bangkok with kids would be 75K plus housing. Anything less than that, and you will regret it.

imho one of the main reasons to work abroad is to have a higher standard of living than i could afford at home. I have 2 children and with all things considered, i.e. savings, running cost, tuition, vacations, visa, etc... 200k per month is a push. why move to the other side of the world to place where you dont read or write the language for less than you can earn in the comfort of your own developed country?

200k per month ? You people are snobs and are out of your mind, you couldn't manage a budget if your life depended on it..

A useful excercise then would be for your to outline how you'd budget it instead. Try:

Accomodation

Transport

-Car

- Fuel

- Public transport

Groceries

-Schooling (native English speaking, international standard)

-Utilities

-Electricity

- Water

- Gas

Entertainment

- Eating out

- Cable

- misc

Insurance

- Health

- Car

- Home and contents

Other

- Maid

- ???

Rather not, my budget is my privacy and that type of consultation should carry a fee.. You'll just have to be content with taking my word for it, I do it on a third of that budget.. But for one thing my wife and I aren't too good to clean our own house and car and I do ALL the car upkeep my self and all of the handy work around the house as that's the only way to guarantee it being done right.

My biggest pet peeve is paying someone else to do a job I can do ten fold better myself and then being twice dissatisfied, once with quality and the second time with paying for it in the first place..

I'm also not a drinker, nor a smoker, nor a womanizer so you can throw all of that wasted portion of budget out the window too..

[WarpSpeed]

200k per month ? You people are snobs and are out of your mind, you couldn't manage a budget if your life depended on it..

You are being a bit harsh.....someone just as easily suggest you are a cheap charlie...

FYI...having lived in Thailand for 10 years and seeing the price increases and of the opinion that to live a "normal" life Thailand is not cheap anymore.....I am in agreement with the THB 150k to 200k/month

I agree with Soutpeel. The OP is considering a move to Thailand to earn money. Why shouldn't he want a premium?

But the OP didn't say that, he said he wanted to be closer with his Thai wife and family and inquiring if the money would be sufficient to do that and still provide for his family..

It's all realitve as he can still earn plenty and live ok but with his personal goals met.. And oh by the way nothing is cast in concrete if it doesn't work out or his kids get older and it gets too expensive to school them here.

Planes fly both ways and it's a rare opportunity for himself and his family to experience another culture and life style which provides his children with priceless life lessons and cross cultural experiences.. Not everything is about money..

Edited May 29, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[maccaroni man]

200k per month ? You people are snobs and are out of your mind, you couldn't manage a budget if your life depended on it..

You are being a bit harsh.....someone just as easily suggest you are a cheap charlie...

What one person considered an acceptable standard of living may not be acceptable to another...at the end of the day....its that persons life and money...its up to them what they do with it...and not for someone else to decide who is out of their mind...

FYI...having lived in Thailand for 10 years and seeing the price increases and of the opinion that to live a "normal" life Thailand is not cheap anymore.....I am in agreement with the THB 150k to 200k/month

Everyone to their own...

Maybe not for me to decide what they do with their money but I am certainly entitled to let them know my impressions. Cheap Charlie is no problem for me in fact makes me proud to SAVE money and pay less then you and others did for the same item just because I was thorough about shopping it and not buying the first one off the shelf just to show I can, don't have an ego that big in spite of those who don't know me thinking I do.. It's a lot more to be proud of then pretentiously flaunting my income like a peacock in heat..

JFYI I'm no cheap Charlie I just don't waste money on frivolous, materialistic items that serve no other purpose except to make me look ostentatiousness, I tip generously for services most probably don't tip for at all (especially those with money who I've known over my life to be the cheapest Charlie's of all) and anytime I get more service then was expected it is also monetarily and verbally acknowledged as are all other things that REALLY matter..

My impression stands and it's <deleted> to say 150 to 200k per month is required to live comfortably especially with children the age of his as I live comfortably with 2 children of similar age for a third of that per month and that was the OP's question, not what it takes for you or others to live comfortably high up on your pedestal...

well it just goes to show how a person can put a foot in their mouth when speaking without knowing the facts, I live on koh samui, i have 2 children and I SAVE money for the future, my wife works and she drives our 5 yr old suv i stay at home and i drive our 11 yr old truck. typically i by things at a price that i can resale, break even or make a profit on, my house is nice but it is an investment property, on samui clothing is not about flash, but school fees and i go send my children to the least costly an that still runs 100k a term, air fares, health insurance, vacations and simply providing my family with comfort means that yes, 200k is a push. no flash nor face taken into consideration.

[samran]

200k per month ? You people are snobs and are out of your mind, you couldn't manage a budget if your life depended on it..

You are being a bit harsh.....someone just as easily suggest you are a cheap charlie...

What one person considered an acceptable standard of living may not be acceptable to another...at the end of the day....its that persons life and money...its up to them what they do with it...and not for someone else to decide who is out of their mind...

FYI...having lived in Thailand for 10 years and seeing the price increases and of the opinion that to live a "normal" life Thailand is not cheap anymore.....I am in agreement with the THB 150k to 200k/month

Everyone to their own...

Maybe not for me to decide what they do with their money but I am certainly entitled to let them know my impressions. Cheap Charlie is no problem for me in fact makes me proud to SAVE money and pay less then you and others did for the same item just because I was thorough about shopping it and not buying the first one off the shelf just to show I can, don't have an ego that big in spite of those who don't know me thinking I do.. It's a lot more to be proud of then pretentiously flaunting my income like a peacock in heat..

JFYI I'm no cheap Charlie I just don't waste money on frivolous, materialistic items that serve no other purpose except to make me look ostentatiousness, I tip generously for services most probably don't tip for at all (especially those with money who I've known over my life to be the cheapest Charlie's of all) and anytime I get more service then was expected it is also monetarily and verbally acknowledged as are all other things that REALLY matter..

My impression stands and it's <deleted> to say 150 to 200k per month is required to live comfortably especially with children the age of his as I live comfortably with 2 children of similar age for a third of that per month and that was the OP's question, not what it takes for you or others to live comfortably high up on your pedestal...

well it just goes to show how a person can put a foot in their mouth when speaking without knowing the facts, I live on koh samui, i have 2 children and I SAVE money for the future, my wife works and she drives our 5 yr old suv i stay at home and i drive our 11 yr old truck. typically i by things at a price that i can resale, break even or make a profit on, my house is nice but it is an investment property, on samui clothing is not about flash, but school fees and i go send my children to the least costly an that still runs 100k a term, air fares, health insurance, vacations and simply providing my family with comfort means that yes, 200k is a push. no flash nor face taken into consideration.

I agree. I'm speaking with perhaps 13 years of experience living in BKK...have moved from a single guy living in a one bedroom apartment to a family man with 2 kids. Our last car was a 1996 Suzuki Vitara and we weren't hoity toity by any means which cost about 20,000 baht per year to service from top to toe. Our next car will be a 3 to 4 year old Fortuna...I hate paying for depreciation.

Living on 50 to 70K per month is always possible in BKK but you'd be not paying for a few things. I'd be surprised if one would be getting a level of medical insurance even close to what is needed, nor would you be getting anywhere near a western level of educational facility. For me, these two things are non-negotiable in Thailand. Housing, food and the rest of it is very variable and choosable in Thailand (one of the benefits of the place I guess).

Sure, if warpspeed is saying he has 30-baht health care for him and his kids(or a low level BUPA or Thai health with very low limits) and he sends his kids to the local 'international' school where there is nary a native english speaking child then he should say so, as they are huge cost savers so his 50 to 70K is perhaps do-able...but is it what the OP wants...I'm not so sure...

But I guess we aren't going to get those information without 'consulting fees'

[PattayaParent]

200k per month ? You people are snobs and are out of your mind, you couldn't manage a budget if your life depended on it..

You are being a bit harsh.....someone just as easily suggest you are a cheap charlie...

FYI...having lived in Thailand for 10 years and seeing the price increases and of the opinion that to live a "normal" life Thailand is not cheap anymore.....I am in agreement with the THB 150k to 200k/month

I agree with Soutpeel. The OP is considering a move to Thailand to earn money. Why shouldn't he want a premium?

OP is actually considering taking a pay cut of 50% to move to Thailand.

[Naam]

200k per month ? You people are snobs and are out of your mind, you couldn't manage a budget if your life depended on it..

there... there... people do exist who have no children and therefore no freaking high education expenditure, but inspite of this spend much more than 200k a month. they are not snobs and manage quite well within the budget limits they set for themselves. by the way, it's not rocket science to spend 200, 300, 500k or more a month.

[PattayaParent]

Maybe not for me to decide what they do with their money but I am certainly entitled to let them know my impressions. Cheap Charlie is no problem for me in fact makes me proud to SAVE money and pay less then you and others did for the same item just because I was thorough about shopping it and not buying the first one off the shelf just to show I can, don't have an ego that big in spite of those who don't know me thinking I do.. It's a lot more to be proud of then pretentiously flaunting my income like a peacock in heat..

JFYI I'm no cheap Charlie I just don't waste money on frivolous, materialistic items that serve no other purpose except to make me look ostentatiousness, I tip generously for services most probably don't tip for at all (especially those with money who I've known over my life to be the cheapest Charlie's of all) and anytime I get more service then was expected it is also monetarily and verbally acknowledged as are all other things that REALLY matter..

My impression stands and it's <deleted> to say 150 to 200k per month is required to live comfortably especially with children the age of his as I live comfortably with 2 children of similar age for a third of that per month and that was the OP's question, not what it takes for you or others to live comfortably high up on your pedestal...

My fixed costs with a kid in international school is 75k a month before I even have a beer or a bowl of rice, and I don't have rent to pay.

[harrry]

If the OP wanted to come to Thailand as an experience for a couple of years and to gain knowledge of the culture it may be enough. His standard of living may end up being less than at home but he gains experience of culture.

The OP though is in a fast changing field which needs constant retraining. He is wanting to come to live better than at home. I doubt that it is worth it either financially or career wise for him

[WarpSpeed]

200k per month ? You people are snobs and are out of your mind, you couldn't manage a budget if your life depended on it..

You are being a bit harsh.....someone just as easily suggest you are a cheap charlie...

What one person considered an acceptable standard of living may not be acceptable to another...at the end of the day....its that persons life and money...its up to them what they do with it...and not for someone else to decide who is out of their mind...

FYI...having lived in Thailand for 10 years and seeing the price increases and of the opinion that to live a "normal" life Thailand is not cheap anymore.....I am in agreement with the THB 150k to 200k/month

Everyone to their own...

Maybe not for me to decide what they do with their money but I am certainly entitled to let them know my impressions. Cheap Charlie is no problem for me in fact makes me proud to SAVE money and pay less then you and others did for the same item just because I was thorough about shopping it and not buying the first one off the shelf just to show I can, don't have an ego that big in spite of those who don't know me thinking I do.. It's a lot more to be proud of then pretentiously flaunting my income like a peacock in heat..

JFYI I'm no cheap Charlie I just don't waste money on frivolous, materialistic items that serve no other purpose except to make me look ostentatiousness, I tip generously for services most probably don't tip for at all (especially those with money who I've known over my life to be the cheapest Charlie's of all) and anytime I get more service then was expected it is also monetarily and verbally acknowledged as are all other things that REALLY matter..

My impression stands and it's <deleted> to say 150 to 200k per month is required to live comfortably especially with children the age of his as I live comfortably with 2 children of similar age for a third of that per month and that was the OP's question, not what it takes for you or others to live comfortably high up on your pedestal...

well it just goes to show how a person can put a foot in their mouth when speaking without knowing the facts, I live on koh samui, i have 2 children and I SAVE money for the future, my wife works and she drives our 5 yr old suv i stay at home and i drive our 11 yr old truck. typically i by things at a price that i can resale, break even or make a profit on, my house is nice but it is an investment property, on samui clothing is not about flash, but school fees and i go send my children to the least costly an that still runs 100k a term, air fares, health insurance, vacations and simply providing my family with comfort means that yes, 200k is a push. no flash nor face taken into consideration.

Live on Kho Samui!!! Who is it that put their foot in their mouth??? You don't do irony do you?

[WarpSpeed]

You are being a bit harsh.....someone just as easily suggest you are a cheap charlie...

What one person considered an acceptable standard of living may not be acceptable to another...at the end of the day....its that persons life and money...its up to them what they do with it...and not for someone else to decide who is out of their mind...

FYI...having lived in Thailand for 10 years and seeing the price increases and of the opinion that to live a "normal" life Thailand is not cheap anymore.....I am in agreement with the THB 150k to 200k/month

Everyone to their own...

Maybe not for me to decide what they do with their money but I am certainly entitled to let them know my impressions. Cheap Charlie is no problem for me in fact makes me proud to SAVE money and pay less then you and others did for the same item just because I was thorough about shopping it and not buying the first one off the shelf just to show I can, don't have an ego that big in spite of those who don't know me thinking I do.. It's a lot more to be proud of then pretentiously flaunting my income like a peacock in heat..

JFYI I'm no cheap Charlie I just don't waste money on frivolous, materialistic items that serve no other purpose except to make me look ostentatiousness, I tip generously for services most probably don't tip for at all (especially those with money who I've known over my life to be the cheapest Charlie's of all) and anytime I get more service then was expected it is also monetarily and verbally acknowledged as are all other things that REALLY matter..

My impression stands and it's <deleted> to say 150 to 200k per month is required to live comfortably especially with children the age of his as I live comfortably with 2 children of similar age for a third of that per month and that was the OP's question, not what it takes for you or others to live comfortably high up on your pedestal...

well it just goes to show how a person can put a foot in their mouth when speaking without knowing the facts, I live on koh samui, i have 2 children and I SAVE money for the future, my wife works and she drives our 5 yr old suv i stay at home and i drive our 11 yr old truck. typically i by things at a price that i can resale, break even or make a profit on, my house is nice but it is an investment property, on samui clothing is not about flash, but school fees and i go send my children to the least costly an that still runs 100k a term, air fares, health insurance, vacations and simply providing my family with comfort means that yes, 200k is a push. no flash nor face taken into consideration.

Living on 50 to 70K per month is always possible in BKK but you'd be not paying for a few things.

Of course you wouldn't be paying for few things that's the point, you might have to sacrifice a little, that's part of being a parent and also part of what's wrong with the economy these days, too many living outside their means and still wanting, wanting, wanting just to feed their ego and maintain the facade to their social network. You've got the right idea though in owning older cars like we do etc. we also don't run the A/C except at night we even bring our children into our room late and have them sleep on air mattresses to cut back only running 1 aircon.

What has happened with the economy has lot of real positives as it's going to ground a lot of people into reality, though based on this thread it seems there are still quite a few in denial. Bottom line is it's very possible to live on the OP's income in a respectable way if one can put aside their egotistical need to be the high-falutent person in their neighborhood and for that matter live in a local neighborhood and not their exclusive upscale gated community that isolates them from the real world outside. Bottom line he can accomplish his goals for much less then 150-200k per month and it's a fallacious argument to do suggest otherwise..

Edited May 30, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[tonititan]

Maybe not for me to decide what they do with their money but I am certainly entitled to let them know my impressions. Cheap Charlie is no problem for me in fact makes me proud to SAVE money and pay less then you and others did for the same item just because I was thorough about shopping it and not buying the first one off the shelf just to show I can, don't have an ego that big in spite of those who don't know me thinking I do.. It's a lot more to be proud of then pretentiously flaunting my income like a peacock in heat..

JFYI I'm no cheap Charlie I just don't waste money on frivolous, materialistic items that serve no other purpose except to make me look ostentatiousness, I tip generously for services most probably don't tip for at all (especially those with money who I've known over my life to be the cheapest Charlie's of all) and anytime I get more service then was expected it is also monetarily and verbally acknowledged as are all other things that REALLY matter..

My impression stands and it's <deleted> to say 150 to 200k per month is required to live comfortably especially with children the age of his as I live comfortably with 2 children of similar age for a third of that per month and that was the OP's question, not what it takes for you or others to live comfortably high up on your pedestal...

It always makes me chuckle when someone tries to turn having a great job, making a good income, & living a very nice lifestyle a nasty thing. Jealousy rearing its ugly head?

In general, most people seem to live a certain lifestyle because they have to. If you make one third of the 150-200k/month being discussed, you live comfortably off of that.....because you have to. The people who say they live well off of 30k/month probably do just that....because they have to. And a person making 200k/month lives within their means.....because they have to. It's all about perspective. I bet a person making 200k/month would love to make 300k/month, and a person making 300k/month would love to make 400k. Anyone who says they wouldn't gladly accept a higher income is most likely lying to himself/herself, or to others.

[WarpSpeed]

200k per month ? You people are snobs and are out of your mind, you couldn't manage a budget if your life depended on it..

there... there... people do exist who have no children and therefore no freaking high education expenditure, but inspite of this spend much more than 200k a month. they are not snobs and manage quite well within the budget limits they set for themselves. by the way, it's not rocket science to spend 200, 300, 500k or more a month.

Not rocket science but is this related to the OP's topic or is it going in other unrelated directions??