Best Age To Retire To Thailand

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I'm also not going to judge or flame or criticize...

But speaking objectively, there's a lot in that spending list that's purely discretionary and could be eliminated or reduced...if one had the desire to do so...

The financial health of a family isn't just one person's job... It's the entire family's job...including the wife... If family members can't be made to understand that and share in the responsibilities... then you're headed for problems.

Gardner? Part-time housekeeper? Cable AND satellite TV? International mobile phone calling? 7,000 a month on electricity? 8,000 a month just on wine???

For starters, perhaps you could learn to like Leo instead? That alone would pay for some travel back to the home country.

Use Skype and your internet connection for international calling... Reduce your cable and/or satellite service plans.... Use over-the-air TV for the Thai channels. Take up gardening as your new hobby. Get the wife to chip in for housekeeping. Etc etc etc.

[Bkkorupcountry]

I'm also not going to judge or flame or criticize...

But speaking objectively, there's a lot in that spending list that's purely discretionary and could be eliminated or reduced...if one had the desire to do so...

The financial health of a family isn't just one person's job... It's the entire family's job...including the wife... If family members can't be made to understand that and share in the responsibilities... then you're headed for problems.

Gardner? Part-time housekeeper? Cable AND satellite TV? International mobile phone calling? 7,000 a month on electricity? 8,000 a month just on wine???

For starters, perhaps you could learn to like Leo instead? That alone would pay for some travel back to the home country.

Use Skype and your internet connection for international calling... Reduce your cable and/or satellite service plans.... Use over-the-air TV for the Thai channels. Take up gardening as your new hobby. Get the wife to chip in for housekeeping. Etc etc etc.

Yes, this would seem the obvious first steps. So coming back to the OP's question, assuming that you don't have significant monthly outgoings (alimony, child support etc), I would definitely take the plunge and retire at 50. There are hundreds of ways to keep yourself occupied and entertained and stimulated (and none of these require sitting on a bar stool) and also lots of business opportunities as well, to supplement the pension income. For starters, do something that involves your hobby - what can be more motivating?

[ludditeman]

What do your wife and MIL do all day, that you need to pay for a housekeeper as well?

Come to think of it, why give wife an allowance? I like my gf having to ask me for money, reminds her where it comes from!

Why give MIL 7k?

1k for internet, the 630bht service is just as good

7k for electricity, teach people to turn lights off when they are not in the room.

2k for sat, there are alternatives at 300bht

2.5k on car insurance, you don't own a home, so you can't lose it through being sued.

(First class car insurance can be had for 15k a year, you pay 30k a year, my car insurance is 900bht a year)

7.5k for a gardener ??????????

2k for phone bills, mother is overseas, she sounds very wealthy, could she help you out with some bills?

You have been done up like a kipper!

Sounds like my joke post was near the truth.

The wife must be a stunning supermodel, to make the outlay worth it.

Edited October 18, 2011 by ludditeman

[n2ojones]

"Done up like a kipper". LOL.

Do you really feel you have enough information about this poster's family situation to make such a statement?

A great and informative thread (until peni$ envy reared it's ugly head).

[Pingis]

I'm also not going to judge or flame or criticize...

But speaking objectively, there's a lot in that spending list that's purely discretionary and could be eliminated or reduced...if one had the desire to do so...

The financial health of a family isn't just one person's job... It's the entire family's job...including the wife... If family members can't be made to understand that and share in the responsibilities... then you're headed for problems.

Gardner? Part-time housekeeper? Cable AND satellite TV? International mobile phone calling? 7,000 a month on electricity? 8,000 a month just on wine???

For starters, perhaps you could learn to like Leo instead? That alone would pay for some travel back to the home country.

Use Skype and your internet connection for international calling... Reduce your cable and/or satellite service plans.... Use over-the-air TV for the Thai channels. Take up gardening as your new hobby. Get the wife to chip in for housekeeping. Etc etc etc.

Exactly. If I understood the topic starter corect, he isn't married. A thai wife can be a disaster or "a good investment" ) depending of her economic skill and moral.

I told an example above how litle (=8k totaly per month) my ex needs to live at an ok farang level.

Several farangs tell they send their wife to buy things to avoid have to pay "farang prices". (If you need. If thai like the farang enough, then they start asking same as from thai.)

Other farangs have told examples when their thai wifes have SAVED A LOT OF MONEY for the farang un estate businesses, nice houses build for less than 1 mill baht (excluding land, which some of the wife's families have allready. Farangs can get some money protection by have long term lease contracts - usifrut . or how to spell it

NOTE! If thai wife has government/amphur employment, then whole family (she, children, parents and HUSBAND) get free hospital care. (I asume that goes for farang husbands too, I haven't heared of any exception rule.) Perhaps farangs want to insure more than what theese hospitals can do, but they can rather much. I asume there can be local differences, but in a well handled amphur even the village hospital can handle one type of cancer and some surgeries e g do part of sex change (=Adam's apple).

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

For the matter at hand, I don't think it matters much whether a couple is legally married, or just living together...

The point is, they're a household, a family together, including the MIL and whomever else is involved.

As such, it should be their joint undertaking to manage the family's finances so that funds are used in a responsible way, and everyone contributes their fair share, in whatever manner they are capable of doing.

[JAFO]

I live 8km from the centre of one of the main tourist towns in Thailand.

8k from the center of many tourist towns (including mine) could put you in the jungle or a small Thai village.

I absolutely don't get it. You own your house, so no rental. You own both your cars, so no hire purchase / loan. You eat at home, you don't smoke. What are you spending your money on????

Ok, here's a partial list. I know I will get flamed for this, but remember, I said it is subjective on how you want to live. I wanted to keep up the same standard of living I had before retirement. If you're willing to go backwards, that's up to the individual.

6k per month to the missus as an allowance (no woman wants to come begging to her husband for money)

7k per month to support the missus Mom

2.5k per month on car insurance and road tax (I get first class insurance as I don't want to lose my home in a lawsuit)

5k approximately per month medical even though I don't have insurance (that will be another expense for most. My 5k goes for some expensive maintenance meds and an annual checkup.

2k per month for satellite TV

1k per month for a reliable internet connection

2k average per month for gasoline for both cars and lawn equipment

3k per month on a part time housekeeper

7.5k per month for a full time gardener (we have a rai and a half of garden, less the footprint of the home.

7k average electric bill. That's only using one aircon (or none, out of eight) at a time as I only aircon the room I'm in at the time and only if it's hot enough that I start to sweat. The rest is pumps I guess (we have 5 of them for various purposes) and yard lighting (the low wattage fluorescent type) that I leave on all night for security reasons

.5k average for water to water the garden, higher in dry season lower in wet season.

2k average per month phone bill (cell and land line) the missus likes to talk to her mother and daughter (overseas).

1k per month cable tv. I have satellite in one room and cable in all the others for the Thai family and visitors

1k per month for pest control

5k per month estimated for general maintenance and upkeep on home, garden, and cars

1k per month estimated for the care, medical, and feeding of two dogs

8k per month estimated alcohol as I like to drink wine and it is expensive here.

15k estimated per month for groceries including anything we buy at a supermarket like cleaning supplies, soap, detergent, powders, lotions, etc., etc.,

That's close to the 80k and I'm sure I forgot something. And we have no health insurance or home insurance as we can't fit either into the budget. We also make a trip to Bangkok to buy my meds (cheaper there) or for other medical reasons about 4 times a year, 3 days at a time at a cost of an annual average of at least 2k per month. We go to Issan once a year to visit relatives at a cost of around 12k or average 1k per month (half of which is gasoline).

So there you have it... over 80k per month with no international travel and no dining out. I realize all people will not need all or maybe even most items on my list and that is why I said it is subjective and depends on the lifestyle you want to live.

To continue the above, plus get health insurance on my family, homeowner's insurance on my home, and travel internationally at least once a year I would need a minimum of 120k per month income.

But as the girls here say, "Up to you".

^ WOW is all I can say.

I moved here under the exact opposite premise and that was to enjoy life with less material and western needs. My GF and I rent a very nice house in a beach area, eat out every night and neither have any desire for western food or needs. We enjoy a stellar quality of life and for 2/3rds less then whats posted above. I appreciate the "To each his own"

As for retirement age. I got out of the rat race in my late 40's and it was the best thing I ever did. I was in great health and even better now. Still full faculties. No meds. I do not drink or smoke and love life.

On Edit, I am fully retired and living off investments. I have a long way to go to get to IRA and SS. Although my GF has a newer car, we choose to travel around Thailand by use of Bus's and other forms as it keep costs to a very low level. The trip is more enjoyable and very fun watching from the top deck of a throwdown scandia bus.

Edited October 18, 2011 by JAFO

[Bkkorupcountry]

Ok, here's a partial list. I know I will get flamed for this, but remember, I said it is subjective on how you want to live. I wanted to keep up the same standard of living I had before retirement. If you're willing to go backwards, that's up to the individual.

6k per month to the missus as an allowance (no woman wants to come begging to her husband for money)

7k per month to support the missus Mom

2.5k per month on car insurance and road tax (I get first class insurance as I don't want to lose my home in a lawsuit)

5k approximately per month medical even though I don't have insurance (that will be another expense for most. My 5k goes for some expensive maintenance meds and an annual checkup.

2k per month for satellite TV

1k per month for a reliable internet connection

2k average per month for gasoline for both cars and lawn equipment

3k per month on a part time housekeeper

7.5k per month for a full time gardener (we have a rai and a half of garden, less the footprint of the home.

7k average electric bill. That's only using one aircon (or none, out of eight) at a time as I only aircon the room I'm in at the time and only if it's hot enough that I start to sweat. The rest is pumps I guess (we have 5 of them for various purposes) and yard lighting (the low wattage fluorescent type) that I leave on all night for security reasons

.5k average for water to water the garden, higher in dry season lower in wet season.

2k average per month phone bill (cell and land line) the missus likes to talk to her mother and daughter (overseas).

1k per month cable tv. I have satellite in one room and cable in all the others for the Thai family and visitors

1k per month for pest control

5k per month estimated for general maintenance and upkeep on home, garden, and cars

1k per month estimated for the care, medical, and feeding of two dogs

8k per month estimated alcohol as I like to drink wine and it is expensive here.

15k estimated per month for groceries including anything we buy at a supermarket like cleaning supplies, soap, detergent, powders, lotions, etc., etc.,

That's close to the 80k and I'm sure I forgot something. And we have no health insurance or home insurance as we can't fit either into the budget. We also make a trip to Bangkok to buy my meds (cheaper there) or for other medical reasons about 4 times a year, 3 days at a time at a cost of an annual average of at least 2k per month. We go to Issan once a year to visit relatives at a cost of around 12k or average 1k per month (half of which is gasoline).

So there you have it... over 80k per month with no international travel and no dining out. I realize all people will not need all or maybe even most items on my list and that is why I said it is subjective and depends on the lifestyle you want to live.

To continue the above, plus get health insurance on my family, homeowner's insurance on my home, and travel internationally at least once a year I would need a minimum of 120k per month income.

But as the girls here say, "Up to you".

^ WOW is all I can say.

I moved here under the exact opposite premise and that was to enjoy life with less material and western needs. My GF and I rent a very nice house in a beach area, eat out every night and neither have any desire for western food or needs. We enjoy a stellar quality of life and for 2/3rds less then whats posted above. I appreciate the "To each his own"

As for retirement age. I got out of the rat race in my late 40's and it was the best thing I ever did. I was in great health and even better now. Still full faculties. No meds. I do not drink or smoke and love life.

On Edit, I am fully retired and living off investments. I have a long way to go to get to IRA and SS. Although my GF has a newer car, we choose to travel around Thailand by use of Bus's and other forms as it keep costs to a very low level. The trip is more enjoyable and very fun watching from the top deck of a throwdown scandia bus.

Very very good points, particularly about enjoying life with less material and Western needs. Sometimes, I think we forget about what is the real recipe for happiness. However, I'm not giving up the idea of a very nice Bht30,000 BBQ I've seen on TV, despite HER protestations

[JAFO]

Ok, here's a partial list. I know I will get flamed for this, but remember, I said it is subjective on how you want to live. I wanted to keep up the same standard of living I had before retirement. If you're willing to go backwards, that's up to the individual.

6k per month to the missus as an allowance (no woman wants to come begging to her husband for money)

7k per month to support the missus Mom

2.5k per month on car insurance and road tax (I get first class insurance as I don't want to lose my home in a lawsuit)

5k approximately per month medical even though I don't have insurance (that will be another expense for most. My 5k goes for some expensive maintenance meds and an annual checkup.

2k per month for satellite TV

1k per month for a reliable internet connection

2k average per month for gasoline for both cars and lawn equipment

3k per month on a part time housekeeper

7.5k per month for a full time gardener (we have a rai and a half of garden, less the footprint of the home.

7k average electric bill. That's only using one aircon (or none, out of eight) at a time as I only aircon the room I'm in at the time and only if it's hot enough that I start to sweat. The rest is pumps I guess (we have 5 of them for various purposes) and yard lighting (the low wattage fluorescent type) that I leave on all night for security reasons

.5k average for water to water the garden, higher in dry season lower in wet season.

2k average per month phone bill (cell and land line) the missus likes to talk to her mother and daughter (overseas).

1k per month cable tv. I have satellite in one room and cable in all the others for the Thai family and visitors

1k per month for pest control

5k per month estimated for general maintenance and upkeep on home, garden, and cars

1k per month estimated for the care, medical, and feeding of two dogs

8k per month estimated alcohol as I like to drink wine and it is expensive here.

15k estimated per month for groceries including anything we buy at a supermarket like cleaning supplies, soap, detergent, powders, lotions, etc., etc.,

That's close to the 80k and I'm sure I forgot something. And we have no health insurance or home insurance as we can't fit either into the budget. We also make a trip to Bangkok to buy my meds (cheaper there) or for other medical reasons about 4 times a year, 3 days at a time at a cost of an annual average of at least 2k per month. We go to Issan once a year to visit relatives at a cost of around 12k or average 1k per month (half of which is gasoline).

So there you have it... over 80k per month with no international travel and no dining out. I realize all people will not need all or maybe even most items on my list and that is why I said it is subjective and depends on the lifestyle you want to live.

To continue the above, plus get health insurance on my family, homeowner's insurance on my home, and travel internationally at least once a year I would need a minimum of 120k per month income.

But as the girls here say, "Up to you".

^ WOW is all I can say.

I moved here under the exact opposite premise and that was to enjoy life with less material and western needs. My GF and I rent a very nice house in a beach area, eat out every night and neither have any desire for western food or needs. We enjoy a stellar quality of life and for 2/3rds less then whats posted above. I appreciate the "To each his own"

As for retirement age. I got out of the rat race in my late 40's and it was the best thing I ever did. I was in great health and even better now. Still full faculties. No meds. I do not drink or smoke and love life.

On Edit, I am fully retired and living off investments. I have a long way to go to get to IRA and SS. Although my GF has a newer car, we choose to travel around Thailand by use of Bus's and other forms as it keep costs to a very low level. The trip is more enjoyable and very fun watching from the top deck of a throwdown scandia bus.

Very very good points, particularly about enjoying life with less material and Western needs. Sometimes, I think we forget about what is the real recipe for happiness. However, I'm not giving up the idea of a very nice Bht30,000 BBQ I've seen on TV, despite HER protestations

^ Duly noted. I see them and start to waver and go Hmmmmmm..Then I BBQ some big prawns on a Thai coal type BBQ I have and it set me back ~550 baht. 29,500 bht can go a long long way................ But I hear you in my other ear....

[Bkkorupcountry]

^ WOW is all I can say.

I moved here under the exact opposite premise and that was to enjoy life with less material and western needs. My GF and I rent a very nice house in a beach area, eat out every night and neither have any desire for western food or needs. We enjoy a stellar quality of life and for 2/3rds less then whats posted above. I appreciate the "To each his own"

As for retirement age. I got out of the rat race in my late 40's and it was the best thing I ever did. I was in great health and even better now. Still full faculties. No meds. I do not drink or smoke and love life.

On Edit, I am fully retired and living off investments. I have a long way to go to get to IRA and SS. Although my GF has a newer car, we choose to travel around Thailand by use of Bus's and other forms as it keep costs to a very low level. The trip is more enjoyable and very fun watching from the top deck of a throwdown scandia bus.

Very very good points, particularly about enjoying life with less material and Western needs. Sometimes, I think we forget about what is the real recipe for happiness. However, I'm not giving up the idea of a very nice Bht30,000 BBQ I've seen on TV, despite HER protestations

^ Duly noted. I see them and start to waver and go Hmmmmmm..Then I BBQ some big prawns on a Thai coal type BBQ I have and it set me back ~550 baht. 29,500 bht can go a long long way................ But I hear you in my other ear....

Download Weber On The Grill for your iPad and you will hear me with all ears . It will be impossible NOT to purchase a proper BBQ after that.

[hhfarang]

"What do your wife and MIL do all day, that you need to pay for a housekeeper as well?"

If you'll recall, I said part time housekeeper. We have a very large house with a lot of outdoor living area, terraces and such. The housekeeper comes three times per week and cleans only the outdoor parts (230 sq mt). My wife keeps the inside part (350 sq mt) spotless and like a show home. She also cooks and is now in the process of repainting the entire inside of the house. She never sits down. I can't even get her to watch a TV show with me because she is always busy cleaning, cooking, laundering, etc. She worked and earned almost as much as my pension for a couple of years selling real estate but that market has dried up now so she quit and takes care of me, the dogs, and the home. My mother in law, or MIL as you call her does not live with us. She lives alone in her family home in a small village in Issan. The money I give her is her total means of support and about half of it goes for medicines as she is recovering from cancer. I guess that answers the question of this entire thread. If you can live like my "MIL" then you only need 7k per month.

"Come to think of it, why give wife an allowance? I like my gf having to ask me for money, reminds her where it comes from!"

That's because you're a selfish pig. It is embarrassing for a woman to have to come groveling to her husband for every baht and explain why she needs it. I love my wife and we've been married for 15 years and she deserves to have some money of her own and that she doesn't have to explain how she uses it. If you ever find a woman who'll marry you, I'd be interested to see just how long that marriage lasts with your chauvinistic attitude.

"Why give MIL 7k?"

I explained that above, she lives in Issan and that is her only means of support. She is in her late 70's and is recovering from cancer so needs chemo meds. She is a wonderful woman and I love her very much. What is wrong with supporting her. She never asks for anything else and is very appreciative of the way I treat her and her daughter.

"1k for internet, the 630bht service is just as good"

Evidently you live in a place that has better lines or fewer users. Even my faster (actually it's 950k, I rounded so sue me ) slows to a turtle crawl on weekends and in the late afternoons and evenings when the kids are out of school. I tried the cheaper version and it was like dial up.

"7k for electricity, teach people to turn lights off when they are not in the room."

That one is a mystery to me too. When I lived in my home country in a similar climate I air conditioned the entire house (same size as this one) with two giant central air conditioning units 24/7 during the 7 or 8 hotter months and kept the thermostat at or below 72f or 22c all the time and never had an electric bill as large as the ones I get here. I've had the company out to change the meter once and to check to make sure no one else is tapping in. We usually have one aircon running from about noon each day until 8 a.m. the next morning, but I set the thermostat to 25c and use fans as supplementary cooling along with the aircon. As I said I do leave a lot of lights on outside the home for security all night long (many neighbors have been burgled) and I do mean a lot as our garden is 1.5 rai and I keep it all (dimly) lit, but I do use the 9 watt fluorescent type bulbs. We do have all western appliances such as a built in microwave, oven, dishwasher, and we have a clothes washer and dryer along with three TVs a couple of fridges, the computers, and other electrical appliances... and we do turn lights off when we leave the room. I think it is the pumps that create such an electric bill. We have a Koi pond with a waterfall that has to run 24/7 to aerate and keep the water clear, plus we have two large demand pumps, one for the house and one for watering the garden and that one runs continuously for about six hours on days that it doesn't rain just to water the big garden (with hand sprinklers, 2 at a time moved around the yard). I changed the waterfall pump from an inefficient Chinese one to a much more efficient one from Australia and that made some difference. We also have another water feature that we used to run 24/7 but now we only run it when we are outside in the evenings enjoying it.

"2k for sat, there are alternatives at 300bht"

I'm not aware of those except the illegal ones where you have to lay out a large sum in the beginning for installation and equipment and since they are illegal they could be shut down any day.

I get the TrueVisions Platinum package because TV is about the only form of entertainment I have left. I had to give up golf because of the expense. The cost of month of my satellite package would not even pay for one round of golf where I live so I consider it a bargain.

"2.5k on car insurance, you don't own a home, so you can't lose it through being sued.(First class car insurance can be had for 15k a year, you pay 30k a year, my car insurance is 900bht a year)"

You haven't been reading (again). I do own a home and two cars, and you are correct. The first class insurance is about 15k per car, the road tax is another couple of thousand per year on each car. And yes, we don't need two cars, but we did when my wife was working so we ended up with two and it is convenient when we want to go separate ways. We also live in the edge of town where there is no access to any form of public transportation and I refuse to ride a motorbike here because I see a person splattered on the road at least once a week.

"7.5k for a gardener ??????????"

You try to maintain 1.5 rai of grass and shrubbery in this climate and tell me how long you last. It is a full time job to keep it looking good and my wife does it on the two days per week the gardener is off. He's full time, 40 hours per week approximately 22 days per month. That means I pay him 340 per day for back breaking work in this heat. The new minimum wage is 300 per day for unskilled labor and this guy is a real gardener who knows how to do the job.

"2k for phone bills, mother is overseas, she sounds very wealthy, could she help you out with some bills?"

You're not reading carefully (yet again), "daughter is overseas" and believe it or not she does not own a computer. We have recently purchased a magicjack where you can make overseas calls from computer to mobile phone so I expect that bill to drop, but a lot of that is Thailand calls. Like TV for me, that is the missus one bad habit. She talks on the phone way too much. My bill is 300 to 400 per month (12Call) so I estimated hers at around 1600. Could be less (or more) some months. It's her one vice as she doesn't drink or smoke so I give her a break on that one. She has an AIS package but always exceeds it early in the month and it only covers calls to other AIS customers. Maybe I should see if there is a better package out there.

Someone mentioned that if I cut back on wine I could make a trip to my home country once in a while. Even if I stopped drinking altogether that would take a while indeed. Most of you live closer to Thailand but my home country is on the other side of the world. Airfare alone (for 2 people, cattle class) is over 100k baht. Then you have to stay somewhere and eat while you are there, not to mention land transport like renting a car. The cost of a one week trip would exceed 200k baht.

As I stated in nearly every post, the amount of money one needs to live here is totally subjective and depends on the lifestyle, health, number of family members, hobbies, desires for travel, alcohol and cigarette consumption, eating habits, etc. I know people here, mostly Brits, by the way, (and that's not a jab, but maybe people from the UK are willing to make the move on less to get away from that awful weather) who are able to live in a small flat in a Thai neighborhood and take public transport or walk everywhere and manage on 30 or 40k per month and seem to be happy. At the other end of the spectrum, I know people here who play golf four times a week go out most nights drinking and enjoying the other things Thailand have to offer who spend 200k per month.

I've listed what I spend my 80k on so the OP can decide which of those things are unnecessary for him. Why don't one of you people who live happily on 30k per month describe where you live and give a similar list of your expenditures so he can make a really informed decision.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I was the one who addressed a variety of comments to you without any personal criticism, but you responded to only a few of them...

Re the airfare, yes, I presumed your home country was somewhere that far away...same as mine... At 8,000 baht per month for wine, times 12 months per year, you'd be hitting almost 100,000 baht for the year... That's enough, as you said, for one person, one trip. My flights to the U.S. are 30,000 to 35,000 RT economy airfare only, plus the various other traveling expenses... 100,000 saved goes a long way. As I said before, learn to like Leo..

Really, what are your real priorities... Honoring the connections/obligations you have with your own family members abroad... Or drinking 8,000 baht of wine per month?.

As for phone calling, yes, the MagicJack is a great device... Free, unlimited phone calling from Thailand, using an internet connected PC and a regular phone, to any phone number in the U.S. or Canada... anytime, for as long as you want... $40 to buy and $20 per year in subsequent years for service. I've had mine for 3-4 years continuous now... Saves a ton of money on phone calls, including avoiding Thai mobile expenses for calling abroad.

Re TV, there are Thai cable TV services in various cities, other than TrueVisions, that are much less expensive, and actually not that different in terms of channel offerings... And there's nothing illegal about them... They're regular, normal, above-board businesses. I'm not talking about illegal satellite TV boxes or decoder cards and such.

It just so happened, today I had the cable guys out to my house in BKK to install one of the local providers here, Happy Home Cable, for two point outlets in my home... 1,700 baht total (283 per month) including free install for 6 months service... That compares to what was almost 1,000 per month with TrueVisions for their Knowledge package and two service points.

Now, Happy Home Cable is just in Bangkok... But a lot of other cities/areas around Thailand have their own local cable systems. Obviously I don't know whether an alternative to True is available in your area. And even if they're not, I'm familiar with all of True's cable offerings... Take your Platinum packages and downgrade them to Silver... You won't lose that much in programming content, but you'll save a lot of money each month. How many years old foreign TV shows and endless repeats does anyone really want to watch on True?

And if you want to save on electricity, how about phasing out your 24-hour a day electrically powered koi pond and waterfall for starters? Does that really fall under the "essentials" category? More important that keeping in touch with your own family abroad and various other things?

I'm not raising any issues about the wife or MIL... But seriously, if you really wanted to save money or have more to spend for other things, you have a ton of choices available to you...given your current spending habits... It just seems that you're not particularly interested in pursuing most of them.

[expatdreamer]

Hi everyone.

Sorrry, have been off line for a couple of days. Thanks again to everyone for contributing. I appreciate hhfarang for his detailed breakdown of his expenditure, but as I said earlier I dont really need to know how much I need to live and know I could make it work at 50, but am leaning more towards 55 to be safe and in case I get hitched.

I want to be the guy hhfarang refers to as playing golf four times a week, going out most nights and enjoying the things Thailand has to offer, without having to watch every penny.

The thread looks to be going down the path of criticising someone's budget - each person's budget is a matter for them. So thanks again, and Mods if you would prefer to close this thread, happy for you to do so - I have gained all the info I need for now.

cheers

[ludditeman]

That's because you're a selfish pig. It is embarrassing for a woman to have to come groveling to her husband for every baht and explain why she needs it. I love my wife and we've been married for 15 years and she deserves to have some money of her own and that she doesn't have to explain how she uses it. If you ever find a woman who'll marry you, I'd be interested to see just how long that marriage lasts with your chauvinistic attitude.

"Why give MIL 7k?"

I explained that above, she lives in Issan and that is her only means of support. She is in her late 70's and is recovering from cancer so needs chemo meds. She is a wonderful woman and I love her very much. What is wrong with supporting her. She never asks for anything else and is very appreciative of the way I treat her and her daughter.

I completely admit to being selfish, I do dispute the 'pig' part.

As for 'embarrassed to ask for money', so she should be, I'm embarrassed that in this modern world where women have equality, that so many women still think it is OK to live off a man.

Do I care how long my gf stays with me, not really, up to her, plenty more around prepared to give me a go (I'm thinking that 5 years would be an appropriate time to trade in for a newer model, 15 years seems a bit long).

I'm old, I'm selfish, I have money, I don't have to put up with anything I don't like and I would certainly have no worries about the future of a lady that just loved me for the cash I gave her (and her mother).

Yes, I could do the love thing, but that would have to be with my equal, someone that had their own money, someone who could support their own mother.

Edited October 19, 2011 by ludditeman

[ludditeman]

Anyway back to your original post, where you were advising people they needed 80k a month to live in Thailand.

If you remove the 'leeching' factor from your budget, that saves 20k a month

Next remove the Carp ponds electricity, saving another 5k a month

Then reducing the excessive car insurances, another 2.5k a month

And furthermore, with the expectation that others are not all heavy wine drinkers, saving 8k a month

No maintenance fees needed for a rented house, deduct another 5k

Your recommended budget would be reduced to under 40k a month, the same as I recommend.

(assuming the money to buy a house, you can never own, was wisely invested to produce enough income to cover rent)

I didn't even have to sack the housekeeper!

As most forum readers are not chronically ill, or need two cars, I think many could live quite happily with another 10k of cuts from your proposed budget. (2k petrol, 5k meds, investing the 1million baht from the sale of the cars)

PS

1.5 rai of land is about half an acre, not that big an area, I have had gardens twice that size that were fairly easy for a single person to maintain in their spare time if planted wisely, as a nice little hobby.

Edited October 19, 2011 by ludditeman

[Naam]

-send your dogs hunting for their food or train them to steal from the neighbour's dogs,

-water down your Lao Khao (50:50 ratio) which is also good for your liver,

-rob a wine shop once a month (don't forget to wear a mask),

-become a vegan, lower your cholesterol and forego steaks and pork chops,

-stop smoking Marlboro, grow tobacco in your back garden and make a pipe (use a corn cob and bamboo),

-buy a fishing rod instead of frequenting the seafood market,

-shoot all the sick buffaloes of your outlaws; dead buffaloes don't need expensive medication.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

-shoot all the sick buffaloes of your outlaws; dead buffaloes don't need expensive medication.

Usually, I think Naam's advice on various matters is pretty much full of self-righteous c**p... But in this rare case, I think he might be onto something...

Only thing is, he forgot to follow-through on his idea... Once the buffaloes have been put down, he forgot the part of butchering them and then selling off the meat... That ought to bring a tidy sum all by itself...

[Naam]

BuffaloRescue, on 2011-10-16 22:28:50, said:

The Thai stock market has done 10% a year for the past 10 years.. plus dividends tax free:). Until recently anyway...

that is correct. but correct is also that the Thai stock market overall index has done ZERO for the past 21 years and those who got in 15-16 years ago are sitting on a huge loss :jap:

[Naam]

Usually, I think Naam's advice on various matters is pretty much full of self-righteous c**p...

a comment containing nothing but the usual self-righteous cràp presented as usual without any shred of evidence by my usually self-righteous critics who hate it when they see their usual [not so] righteous reflection in the mirrors i am sometimes holding up.

[Ulysses G.]

-shoot all the sick buffaloes of your outlaws; dead buffaloes don't need expensive medication.

Usually, I think Naam's advice on various matters is pretty much full of self-righteous c**p... But in this rare case, I think he might be onto something...

I concur on both points.

Edited October 19, 2011 by Ulysses G.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

a comment containing nothing but the usual self-righteous cràp presented as usual without any shred of evidence by my usually self-righteous critics who hate it when they see their usual [not so] righteous reflection in the mirrors i am sometimes holding up.

Critic???? Not hardly... You need new reading glasses...

I was PRAISING you for your good buffaloes idea... Even you deserve credit for pitching in a good idea every now and again. There's always the exception to the proven rule.

Edited October 19, 2011 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Zampan0]

Depends on when you are going to die.

I'm thinking we all live untill we die and better late than never.

[PattayaParent]

Anyway back to your original post, where you were advising people they needed 80k a month to live in Thailand.

If you remove the 'leeching' factor from your budget, that saves 20k a month

Next remove the Carp ponds electricity, saving another 5k a month

Then reducing the excessive car insurances, another 2.5k a month

And furthermore, with the expectation that others are not all heavy wine drinkers, saving 8k a month

No maintenance fees needed for a rented house, deduct another 5k

Your recommended budget would be reduced to under 40k a month, the same as I recommend.

(assuming the money to buy a house, you can never own, was wisely invested to produce enough income to cover rent)

I didn't even have to sack the housekeeper!

As most forum readers are not chronically ill, or need two cars, I think many could live quite happily with another 10k of cuts from your proposed budget. (2k petrol, 5k meds, investing the 1million baht from the sale of the cars)

PS

1.5 rai of land is about half an acre, not that big an area, I have had gardens twice that size that were fairly easy for a single person to maintain in their spare time if planted wisely, as a nice little hobby.

But you could just as easily 'criticise' his lack of expenditure in some areas, like ONLY 2k a month for petrol for 2 cars? He must spend most of his time pushing the cars.

And I'm sure Naam spends more than 8k a month on wine, port and brandy?

Not to mention only 15k a month on food? He and the missus must be on a diet.

Edited October 20, 2011 by PattayaParent

[ludditeman]

Not to mention only 15k a month on food? He and the missus must be on a diet.

I spend about 300-400bht a day on food, 9-12k a month

That feeds five of us and includes eating out.

He did say they didn't go out much, so that won't be much petrol.

I'm spending about 2k a month on diesel for the truck and petrol in 2 m/cs, and we go out a lot.

Edited October 20, 2011 by ludditeman

[JAFO]

^ WOW is all I can say.

I moved here under the exact opposite premise and that was to enjoy life with less material and western needs. My GF and I rent a very nice house in a beach area, eat out every night and neither have any desire for western food or needs. We enjoy a stellar quality of life and for 2/3rds less then whats posted above. I appreciate the "To each his own"

As for retirement age. I got out of the rat race in my late 40's and it was the best thing I ever did. I was in great health and even better now. Still full faculties. No meds. I do not drink or smoke and love life.

On Edit, I am fully retired and living off investments. I have a long way to go to get to IRA and SS. Although my GF has a newer car, we choose to travel around Thailand by use of Bus's and other forms as it keep costs to a very low level. The trip is more enjoyable and very fun watching from the top deck of a throwdown scandia bus.

Very very good points, particularly about enjoying life with less material and Western needs. Sometimes, I think we forget about what is the real recipe for happiness. However, I'm not giving up the idea of a very nice Bht30,000 BBQ I've seen on TV, despite HER protestations

^ Duly noted. I see them and start to waver and go Hmmmmmm..Then I BBQ some big prawns on a Thai coal type BBQ I have and it set me back ~550 baht. 29,500 bht can go a long long way................ But I hear you in my other ear....

Download Weber On The Grill for your iPad and you will hear me with all ears . It will be impossible NOT to purchase a proper BBQ after that.

Actually LMAO...I have a Weber small rectangle Gas BBQ here. My Gf really likes it as do I. We use it frequently. I actually brought it on a flight back with me as a carry on. I got a few raised eyebrows but it was all sealed and brand new. I brought some spare parts in my checked luggage. It is perfect size for us as we only cook for 2. Does an awesome job on a pork tenderloin. But I still use the Thai Charcoal deal to grill whole fish.

[Naam]

And I'm sure Naam spends more than 8k a month on wine, port and brandy?

not a single Baht on Brandy Your Honour! and as far as the expenses for wine and port are concerned my lawyer advised me to take the fifth amendment

[OZEMADE]

Ok, here's a partial list. I know I will get flamed for this, but remember, I said it is subjective on how you want to live. I wanted to keep up the same standard of living I had before retirement. If you're willing to go backwards, that's up to the individual.

6k per month to the missus as an allowance (no woman wants to come begging to her husband for money)

7k per month to support the missus Mom

2.5k per month on car insurance and road tax (I get first class insurance as I don't want to lose my home in a lawsuit)

5k approximately per month medical even though I don't have insurance (that will be another expense for most. My 5k goes for some expensive maintenance meds and an annual checkup.

2k per month for satellite TV

1k per month for a reliable internet connection

2k average per month for gasoline for both cars and lawn equipment

3k per month on a part time housekeeper

7.5k per month for a full time gardener (we have a rai and a half of garden, less the footprint of the home.

7k average electric bill. That's only using one aircon (or none, out of eight) at a time as I only aircon the room I'm in at the time and only if it's hot enough that I start to sweat. The rest is pumps I guess (we have 5 of them for various purposes) and yard lighting (the low wattage fluorescent type) that I leave on all night for security reasons

.5k average for water to water the garden, higher in dry season lower in wet season.

2k average per month phone bill (cell and land line) the missus likes to talk to her mother and daughter (overseas).

1k per month cable tv. I have satellite in one room and cable in all the others for the Thai family and visitors

1k per month for pest control

5k per month estimated for general maintenance and upkeep on home, garden, and cars

1k per month estimated for the care, medical, and feeding of two dogs

8k per month estimated alcohol as I like to drink wine and it is expensive here.

15k estimated per month for groceries including anything we buy at a supermarket like cleaning supplies, soap, detergent, powders, lotions, etc., etc.,

That's close to the 80k and I'm sure I forgot something. And we have no health insurance or home insurance as we can't fit either into the budget. We also make a trip to Bangkok to buy my meds (cheaper there) or for other medical reasons about 4 times a year, 3 days at a time at a cost of an annual average of at least 2k per month. We go to Issan once a year to visit relatives at a cost of around 12k or average 1k per month (half of which is gasoline).

So there you have it... over 80k per month with no international travel and no dining out. I realize all people will not need all or maybe even most items on my list and that is why I said it is subjective and depends on the lifestyle you want to live.

To continue the above, plus get health insurance on my family, homeowner's insurance on my home, and travel internationally at least once a year I would need a minimum of 120k per month income.

But as the girls here say, "Up to you".

^ WOW is all I can say.

I moved here under the exact opposite premise and that was to enjoy life with less material and western needs. My GF and I rent a very nice house in a beach area, eat out every night and neither have any desire for western food or needs. We enjoy a stellar quality of life and for 2/3rds less then whats posted above. I appreciate the "To each his own"

As for retirement age. I got out of the rat race in my late 40's and it was the best thing I ever did. I was in great health and even better now. Still full faculties. No meds. I do not drink or smoke and love life.

On Edit, I am fully retired and living off investments. I have a long way to go to get to IRA and SS. Although my GF has a newer car, we choose to travel around Thailand by use of Bus's and other forms as it keep costs to a very low level. The trip is more enjoyable and very fun watching from the top deck of a throwdown scandia bus.

Very very good points, particularly about enjoying life with less material and Western needs. Sometimes, I think we forget about what is the real recipe for happiness. However, I'm not giving up the idea of a very nice Bht30,000 BBQ I've seen on TV, despite HER protestations

You may want to check out this site.

This mob are selling BBQ in Thailand, click onto the BBQ you like and up comes the price etc. There are other places that sell in Thailand as well.

For your info

http://www.bbqthaila...arcoal_BBQ.html

[Zampan0]

For the matter at hand, I don't think it matters much whether a couple is legally married, or just living together...

The point is, they're a household, a family together, including the MIL and whomever else is involved.

As such, it should be their joint undertaking to manage the family's finances so that funds are used in a responsible way, and everyone contributes their fair share, in whatever manner they are capable of doing.

That's the spirit! Well said!

[Zampan0]

Not to mention only 15k a month on food? He and the missus must be on a diet.

I spend about 300-400bht a day on food, 9-12k a month

That feeds five of us and includes eating out.

He did say they didn't go out much, so that won't be much petrol.

I'm spending about 2k a month on diesel for the truck and petrol in 2 m/cs, and we go out a lot.

I like your style. The guy that started this thread said: "Now I know 100k baht / month should be enough from what I have read and experienced, but I guess the question is - for those that made the move as soon as they could, any regrets?" This guy must be a trust fund boy. Regrets? I don't think one has to retire or go anywhere to have regrets. In fact, studies have shown that most elderly people regret the things they didn't try. He states that at age 50 he would have approx. $3,300 a month, @55 -$,6000.00 a month and at age 60 close to $10,000.00 a month. Maybe he should wait untill he's 90 and have $100,000.00 a month, that would probably make him feel secure. Then again..