I am surprised that no one mentioned health insurance. it's a must and can ding the budget at least 20K per annum if not more.

Living costs will be higher if you can not acclimatize to the heat, i.e. running the AC all the time is going to give you one whopper of an electricity bill.

One piece of biased advice: Don't live in Patong unless you have to. If I could stay in Karon or up towards the Laguna I would. The whole area up near Laguna is such a different place and people are nicer. In fact, the further away you are from Patong the better off you may be.

Best of luck.

I am surprised that no one mentioned health insurance. it's a must and can ding the budget at least 20K per annum if not more.

Post #16, but maybe you missed it as it was wrapped in humor.

.

I think it would be pretty easy on 39k ...

7k for accommodation which in my experience is easy to find.

1k for electric

3k for bike

1k for petrol

1k internet

Health insurance I dont know?

still leaves 26k per month....6.5k per week..over 900 baht per day for food and drink

If you like Thai food then I cant see any problem at all.

I think it would be pretty easy on 39k ...

7k for accommodation which in my experience is easy to find.

1k for electric

3k for bike

1k for petrol

1k internet

Health insurance I dont know?

still leaves 26k per month....6.5k per week..over 900 baht per day for food and drink

If you like Thai food then I cant see any problem at all.

No allowance for 'entertainment' which is often a major portion of many guy's budget. And 7K for accomodation is hardly going to offer any sort of home style environment. Sure a basic room is possible for that money in the low season.

I think it would be pretty easy on 39k ...

7k for accommodation which in my experience is easy to find.

1k for electric

3k for bike

1k for petrol

1k internet

Health insurance I dont know?

still leaves 26k per month....6.5k per week..over 900 baht per day for food and drink

If you like Thai food then I cant see any problem at all.

No allowance for 'entertainment' which is often a major portion of many guy's budget. And 7K for accomodation is hardly going to offer any sort of home style environment. Sure a basic room is possible for that money in the low season.

I think 'entertainment' should be classed as a luxury or perhaps the op would like to get 'entertainment' without paying?

Accomodation wise there are loads of rooms, apartments and small houses available from 3-10k per month many of which are perfectly decent. Just need to look around....I have posted some links and info on this before.

I think 'entertainment' should be classed as a luxury or perhaps the op would like to get 'entertainment' without paying?

I don't think LIK was necessarily referring to entertainment with a pulse PR.

I agree though, it's more than doable, especially knowing you have qualifications that could get you work if it didn't pan out, or you felt you weren't able to enjoy yourself enough. (Although it's a fine line, getting the balance between needing more money to have fun, and sacraficing being a man of leisure to get it. I've always prefered freedom and time to money myself)

I've lived in Phuket on a very small budget before, and have lived reasonably comfortably as well. I t doesn't take a genius to work out the latter is a lot more fun. But given the choice of being comfortable in the UK or less than comfortable in Phuket, I would take Phuket all day long.

Relaxing on the beach cost nothing. Going for walks through the jungle, going on picnics, reading a book, keeping fit, all cost nothing, and are things we seldom get the time for in the West.

Given you example of 900 baht per day. The way I look at that is, two days of the week you do nothing that cost money, just eat great food from the market, 300 baht will get you a banquet. Then one day a week you have 2100 baht which is more than enough to have a few beers and decent western meal in a tourist restaurant etc etc. The other days you have 900, which is enough to a bit of both.

The key here is two things. The OP has a fixed regular income, so isn't going to be left in a position where he can't take care of himself. Secondly, he's qualified, and could probably find work quite easily. To me, that's a pretty cool position to be in, no worries at all. Wish him all the best.

P.S Nice to see a nice normal thread. All the obsessive Phuket haters have really dropped their game.

I guess my comment was influenced by the fact that OP was not sure if Phuket was the place for him, and wanted to explore beaches and different neighborhoods.

I still maintain that motorcyling on the island is the most cost-effective way of checking out the scene for a newbie - despite the inherent hazards.

Admittedly this recommendation assumes the OP is fit and sober, has experience on a motorcyle, has driven in a country where the traffic comes from the right, and is a good defensive driver.

That said, it appears that OP has chosen "taxi" as his preferred mode of transport.

Then "good luck" on 39,000 baht a month -- at least if you want to see much of the island during that time.

He doesn't have enough income to get a retirement visa and 3 month visas are not free anymore.

Add to that that the embassies in SE Asia limit the amount of back to back visas and I see a rather large, expensive problem ahead.

, I would recommend you apply for a multi entry tourist visa for starters,

Multi entry TR ???? Single Double or Triple - never heard of multi TR

, I would recommend you apply for a multi entry tourist visa for starters,

Multi entry TR ???? Single Double or Triple - never heard of multi TR

Quite right. Triple is the max. Discussed in the visa forum

I think 'entertainment' should be classed as a luxury or perhaps the op would like to get 'entertainment' without paying?

I don't think LIK was necessarily referring to entertainment with a pulse PR.

I agree though, it's more than doable, especially knowing you have qualifications that could get you work if it didn't pan out, or you felt you weren't able to enjoy yourself enough. (Although it's a fine line, getting the balance between needing more money to have fun, and sacraficing being a man of leisure to get it. I've always prefered freedom and time to money myself)

I've lived in Phuket on a very small budget before, and have lived reasonably comfortably as well. I t doesn't take a genius to work out the latter is a lot more fun. But given the choice of being comfortable in the UK or less than comfortable in Phuket, I would take Phuket all day long.

Relaxing on the beach cost nothing. Going for walks through the jungle, going on picnics, reading a book, keeping fit, all cost nothing, and are things we seldom get the time for in the West.

Given you example of 900 baht per day. The way I look at that is, two days of the week you do nothing that cost money, just eat great food from the market, 300 baht will get you a banquet. Then one day a week you have 2100 baht which is more than enough to have a few beers and decent western meal in a tourist restaurant etc etc. The other days you have 900, which is enough to a bit of both.

The key here is two things. The OP has a fixed regular income, so isn't going to be left in a position where he can't take care of himself. Secondly, he's qualified, and could probably find work quite easily. To me, that's a pretty cool position to be in, no worries at all. Wish him all the best.

P.S Nice to see a nice normal thread. All the obsessive Phuket haters have really dropped their game.

LOL maybe i got the worng idea about the entertainment...but I guess it could be a consideration?

Anyhow I agree with what you say...live some days on a budget and then go wild on others...pretty much what i do anyhow...

I think 'entertainment' should be classed as a luxury or perhaps the op would like to get 'entertainment' without paying?

I don't think LIK was necessarily referring to entertainment with a pulse PR.

I agree though, it's more than doable, especially knowing you have qualifications that could get you work if it didn't pan out, or you felt you weren't able to enjoy yourself enough. (Although it's a fine line, getting the balance between needing more money to have fun, and sacraficing being a man of leisure to get it. I've always prefered freedom and time to money myself)

I've lived in Phuket on a very small budget before, and have lived reasonably comfortably as well. I t doesn't take a genius to work out the latter is a lot more fun. But given the choice of being comfortable in the UK or less than comfortable in Phuket, I would take Phuket all day long.

Relaxing on the beach cost nothing. Going for walks through the jungle, going on picnics, reading a book, keeping fit, all cost nothing, and are things we seldom get the time for in the West.

Given you example of 900 baht per day. The way I look at that is, two days of the week you do nothing that cost money, just eat great food from the market, 300 baht will get you a banquet. Then one day a week you have 2100 baht which is more than enough to have a few beers and decent western meal in a tourist restaurant etc etc. The other days you have 900, which is enough to a bit of both.

The key here is two things. The OP has a fixed regular income, so isn't going to be left in a position where he can't take care of himself. Secondly, he's qualified, and could probably find work quite easily. To me, that's a pretty cool position to be in, no worries at all. Wish him all the best.

P.S Nice to see a nice normal thread. All the obsessive Phuket haters have really dropped their game.

I agree entirely that Phuket on a small budget is far preferable to the UK on a small budget.

However.... relaxing on a beach costs nothing as long as you are happy to lie on the sand and, anyone who lives here for a while spends little time "relaxing on the beach".

"Going for walks through the jungle" ??? Where???? Presumably somewhere on the North of the island, and few Westerners live in that area or, even if they do, spend much time walking through the "jungle"!

"Keeping fit" costs nothing as long as you are happy to exercise in the heat. If you need a cooled gym, it will cost you as much as it costs in the UK.

The food from the market is rubbish (IMO).

Having said all that, I end as I started - Phuket on a budget is far better than the UK on a budget .

Edit - 7-10k baht p.m. is going to get you basically a room nowhere near the beach.

Edited July 12, 201115 yr by F1fanatic

I agree entirely that Phuket on a small budget is far preferable to the UK on a small budget.

However.... relaxing on a beach costs nothing as long as you are happy to lie on the sand and, anyone who lives here for a while spends little time "relaxing on the beach".

"Going for walks through the jungle" ??? Where???? Presumably somewhere on the North of the island, and few Westerners live in that area or, even if they do, spend much time walking through the "jungle"!

"Keeping fit" costs nothing as long as you are happy to exercise in the heat. If you need a cooled gym, it will cost you as much as it costs in the UK.

The food from the market is rubbish (IMO).

Having said all that, I end as I started - Phuket on a budget is far better than the UK on a budget .

Edit - 7-10k baht p.m. is going to get you basically a room nowhere near the beach.

I would go as far saying that Phuket on a low budget is better than the UK on a fairly high budget. If you have to spend all week at work, just have a comfortable life at the weekends, then what's the point. Like I said before, some people value their free time, especially family time, more than a bank account full of money that never gets spent.

Do you not have Google Earth on your computer. 80% of Phuket is fields farms and mountains, which is why it makes me laugh when people say it's to over developed. They're normally saying that, based on what they can see from their bar stool in Patong. Kahtu has some lovely mountain walks, and that isn't in the North!

I only live in Phuket 9 months of the year, but I normally got to the beach about 3 or 4 times a week. Sometimes only for a couple of houres between 5 and 7 ish, watch the sun go down, and don't have to worry about my son getting burned. I don't make a lot of sun rises, being a night owl, but I make the most of sun sets almost every day on Phuket. I have no idea how often others go to the beach, but I think you have underestimated it.

As for market food being rubbish I think you'll be in the minority on that one.

Edited July 12, 201115 yr by BangTaoBoy

Edit - 7-10k baht p.m. is going to get you basically a room nowhere near the beach.

I'm going to politely disagree here. Thai house next to me (upstairs/downstairs/yard) is 7,000 p/mo and I'm 5 minutes from Nai Harn Beach, Yannui and Rawai beaches. 25 minute walk to Nai Harn if one were to take that route.