Live On 300 Usd A Month?

[bendix]

He can buy all the cooking supplies he needs at Tesco for a couple thousand baht. He can get an electric wok, kettle, toaster oven etc very cheap. Lack of built in cooking facilities in cheap apartments isn't a problem.

This is just my point - you say a couple of thousand baht. Fine, but by the time he has lived in a hotel for a few weeks looking for his room (and he hasn't even worked out which part of Thailand he is going to live in yet), travelled around finding somewhere and then 'equipped' himself, inlcuding buying all this stuff and paying rental deposits etc, he will have spent three months of his allowance as a minimum.

Let's not even get onto the point that he has a disability - he hasn't alluded to what it is, but that is hardly going to make life easier or cheaper.

I repeat - this is an accident waiting to happen. I just hope Jingthing is right and the guy hasn't even worked out what his visa situation is.

[Moonrakers]

He can buy all the cooking supplies he needs at Tesco for a couple thousand baht. He can get an electric wok, kettle, toaster oven etc very cheap. Lack of built in cooking facilities in cheap apartments isn't a problem.

Buying many 'cheap' items soon turns out to be not cheap at all. Just more and more things to buy on a low budget and is the OP aware that he will be cooking almost exclusively fried food?

What's he going to do for entertainment at home? TV? That's another purchase. He won't be staying in a place that has western channels, Thai TV only. Will he want to watch Thai TV, methinks he'll need a DVD player. Another purchase. What's he going to watch on his DVD player? He's going to have to buy some movies and quite a few unless he wants to watch the same movies all the time. Perhaps he's happy reading instead. Whoop, that'll mean he has to buy books.

Bed sheets. Toiletries. Towels. Cleaning equipment and many other things that I can't think of right now......... there's always something(s) we overlook. Oh, and he'd probably need to pay a deposit on accommodation.

His first monthly budget has almost gone before he even leaves his own country.

[ludditeman]

What's he going to do for entertainment at home? TV? That's another purchase. He won't be staying in a place that has western channels, Thai TV only. Will he want to watch Thai TV, methinks he'll need a DVD player. Another purchase. What's he going to watch on his DVD player? He's going to have to buy some movies and quite a few unless he wants to watch the same movies all the time. Perhaps he's happy reading instead. Whoop, that'll mean he has to buy books.

The place I mentioned includes free wi-fi and WETV, you do need your own Tv and computer, but they are cheap.

Eating out costs 30-40bht a meal. He could do it, he's used to being poor, but I wouldn't find it any fun.

Some of you nay-sayers are just used to a different lifestyle. MY MIL lives very happily on 3500bht a month.

Interestingly the usually 'apologists' are all saying you can't do it, but many Thais manage on this amount and seem fairly happy.

Edited February 18, 2012 by ludditeman

[ljerams]

I don't think any of the naysayers who have replied actually have the experience of costs outside Bangkok, Pattaya etc.

In fact, the prices for Accommodation in particular, eating out and so on are considerably less than the Bangkok scene. Some commodities are slightly more expensive.

The OP could succeed easily in provincial Towns for sure and enjoy a pleasant life..

The only problem I can see are the Visa issues.

[pxlgirl]

The 300 bucks per month are not even the problem, what's much more worrying is the fact that the the OP obviously has done zero preparations beforehand, at least that's what it seems reading the post. He wants to go to another country with zero preparation, no knowledge about the culture, housing, cost of living and many other things one can easily find out about beforehand. From what he describes about his current situation in the US, it looks like he already failed to get his stuff done. Disability is not the issue, otherwise he'd just get a pension for disabled people and would not be able/allowed to work.

Edited February 18, 2012 by pxlgirl

[endure]

The place I mentioned includes free wi-fi and WETV, you do need your own Tv and computer, but they are cheap.

Eating out costs 30-40bht a meal. He could do it, he's used to being poor, but I wouldn't find it any fun.

Some of you nay-sayers are just used to a different lifestyle. MY MIL lives very happily on 3500bht a month.

Presumably your MIL is Thai and thus speaks the language, knows where stuff is cheap and doesn't need a visa.

[Jingthing]

...

Disability is not the issue, otherwise he'd just get a pension for disabled people and would not be able/allowed to work.

You don't know his actual situation as far as ability to qualify for any additional disability benefits. I have known people who fought for years to get SSI benefits. (Requiring lawyers.)

http://www.social-security-disability-claims.org/

Edited February 18, 2012 by Jingthing

[maprao]

I look forward to reading how he got on after his arrival!

Please keep us informed.

[Jingthing]

Assuming he makes it to Thailand and where he is living here, maybe some people want to take up his case as kind of pet project? Help out your poor f-rang brother. Prove he can live the 300 dollar a month dream with a little help.

I have always depended on the kindness of strangers

Blanche DuBois (not a real person)

[janverbeem]

What's he going to do for entertainment at home? TV? That's another purchase. He won't be staying in a place that has western channels, Thai TV only. Will he want to watch Thai TV, methinks he'll need a DVD player. Another purchase. What's he going to watch on his DVD player? He's going to have to buy some movies and quite a few unless he wants to watch the same movies all the time. Perhaps he's happy reading instead. Whoop, that'll mean he has to buy books.

The place I mentioned includes free wi-fi and WETV, you do need your own Tv and computer, but they are cheap.

Eating out costs 30-40bht a meal. He could do it, he's used to being poor, but I wouldn't find it any fun.

Some of you nay-sayers are just used to a different lifestyle. MY MIL lives very happily on 3500bht a month.

Interestingly the usually 'apologists' are all saying you can't do it, but many Thais manage on this amount and seem fairly happy.

Yeah yeah,I remember from another thread that you are also the one who manage a night out in the town with 100 Baht.

[DP25]

I look forward to reading how he got on after his arrival!

Please keep us informed.

He can use the free internet at Gulliver's to post his updates

[ludditeman]

Yeah yeah,I remember from another thread that you are also the one who manage a night out in the town with 100 Baht.

I usually spend 200-250bht on a night out so you must be confusing me with someone else.

As for a Visa

As an American, he can just go along to an American Consulate, swear he has an income of 65kbht a month, get the document then apply for a 1 year retirement extension of stay. Immigration seem to only check some people out.

[janverbeem]

Yeah yeah,I remember from another thread that you are also the one who manage a night out in the town with 100 Baht.

I usually spend 200-250bht on a night out so you must be confusing me with someone else.

As for a Visa

As an American, he can just go along to an American Consulate, swear he has an income of 65kbht a month, get the document then apply for a 1 year retirement extension of stay. Immigration seem to only check some people out.

Oops,my mistake you should change your username to BigSpender in that case.

[Jimi007]

Yeah yeah,I remember from another thread that you are also the one who manage a night out in the town with 100 Baht.

I usually spend 200-250bht on a night out so you must be confusing me with someone else.

As for a Visa

As an American, he can just go along to an American Consulate, swear he has an income of 65kbht a month, get the document then apply for a 1 year retirement extension of stay. Immigration seem to only check some people out.

No where did he mention his age. His military disability pay seems rather low and he mentions nothing about any retirement funds. So I have my doubts he is of retirement age. I wish the OP good luck, but I really don't see how he could live here legally for any extended period of time. Thailand can't take care of their own, so they certainly won't take kindly to a foreigner that doesn't meet their visa requirements.

[granuaile]

I look forward to reading how he got on after his arrival!

Please keep us informed.

Indeed... I hope he can manage it - if it is really what he wants. Who knows when we might end up in the same situation. My son back in the US will soon be attending college, who knows what my situation will be then. Maybe I will have to manage on $300 for those 4 years ...

[poanoi]

I do know of an american who has a paltry $600 pension and have survived for years here, but he does some illegal work to

make it doable.

I can live very cheap, but IMO life here would be more miserable than at home with less than 30.000 baht/month,

it is the doom of sitting on a bench drinking beer chang alone with noone wanting to touch you with a 10 ft pole

[Jingthing]

Yeah yeah,I remember from another thread that you are also the one who manage a night out in the town with 100 Baht.

I usually spend 200-250bht on a night out so you must be confusing me with someone else.

As for a Visa

As an American, he can just go along to an American Consulate, swear he has an income of 65kbht a month, get the document then apply for a 1 year retirement extension of stay. Immigration seem to only check some people out.

This is horrible advice. If he does that, he'll be committing two crimes.

[Jingthing]

Yeah yeah,I remember from another thread that you are also the one who manage a night out in the town with 100 Baht.

I usually spend 200-250bht on a night out so you must be confusing me with someone else.

As for a Visa

As an American, he can just go along to an American Consulate, swear he has an income of 65kbht a month, get the document then apply for a 1 year retirement extension of stay. Immigration seem to only check some people out.

No where did he mention his age. His military disability pay seems rather low and he mentions nothing about any retirement funds. So I have my doubts he is of retirement age. I wish the OP good luck, but I really don't see how he could live here legally for any extended period of time. Thailand can't take care of their own, so they certainly won't take kindly to a foreigner that doesn't meet their visa requirements.

He could swing it on the ED visa studying Thai four hours a week. But the school might cost two months budget.

[Semper]

I do know of an american who has a paltry $600 pension

Yes, but the op is talking about $300.

[Jingthing]

I do know of an american who has a paltry $600 pension

Yes, but the op is talking about $300.

It's not a pension. Some disability benefit payouts are that small. Deal with it. Or rather, he must deal with it.

[chops]

Concerning just the two specifics you mention (accomodation and transport) here are some ballpark figures for the east side of Sukhumvit near Pattaya (the Darkside):

1. A decent sized room (4 x 5m) inc. bed and basic furniture with TV, bathroom & balcony/porch as Thai-style kitchen (outside but covered, no equipment): ~ 2000 bht/month. This would be on a Thai moo baan or apartment block. You would need assistance from locals to find and negotiate for such a place but it can be done. I know, I had one as a bolt-hole. You would have to provide your own cooking equipment, bed linen, fan and all crockery and cutlery. You would be able to shop for all these items locally.

If chosen well you could be within walking distance of a market and any shop or service you may need. If you socialise you will find similar westerners living on tight budgets who pool resources and assist one another. The local Thais are also a great bunch and very welcoming. At least, in my experience they were. I actually preferred them to my western neighbours at my main house. Depending on usage, utilities would be about 300-500 baht/month at government rates.

2. You can rent a motorbike for anything from 1500 - 2500 baht/month, depending on type, age and who you rent from. Again, you'll need local Thai knowledge even the local expats in their ghettos don't have access to. You can 'buy' a used machine but you'll need to save about 5-8K and it won't be in your name...

As for the boonies, Wayned has already given you some good tips.

Good luck.

I have no idea how somebody on 9k a month is going to be able to afford to rent a motorbike. I think his best bet is to buy a bicycle and use the 10 baht taxis in Pattaya.

My advice to him is to find a cheap Thai apartment for 2k in Central Pattaya somewhere close to a Thai market. These apartments will be extremely basic and they are not advertised(you need to search on foot). He can live super cheap this way. There would be no transport expenses. He can buy some cheap Thai food at the Thai markets. I used to live this way and I spent very little.

I can suggest this apartment. It's on Soi Boukow in Pattaya:

http://classifieds.thaivisa.com/real-estate/apartments-to-rent/room-for-rent-149462.html

[notmyself]

Assuming he makes it to Thailand and where he is living here, maybe some people want to take up his case as kind of pet project? Help out your poor f-rang brother. Prove he can live the 300 dollar a month dream with a little help.

I have always depended on the kindness of strangers

Blanche DuBois (not a real person)

What a great idea. The guy has a ticket so he is going to come regardless. With the huge amount of knowledge that TV members have I think he could do it, for a year anyway. I would say keeping a daily log could result in quite an interesting read at the end, maybe even a book. I'm disabled myself and manage to live on 18-20k a month. It's double the amount he has to spend but I live very well though if I dumped some of the extras such as fast internet I could reduce it to maybe 14-15k a month without seriously changing my lifestyle.

[Jingthing]

I can offer a crash course in guerrilla Pattaya baht bus riding tactics!

[Pseudolus]

I have the feeling he will come, has been told that you can live here for 100 bucks a month by some 'nam vet buddy of his and thinks everyone here is trying to dissuade him so we can keep our dirt cheap paradise to ourselves. His 300 bucks will last him in the region of 4 days I reckon, and then he will be on here asking about how to get a thai credit card or a repatriation flight.

Edited February 18, 2012 by AdamBanks

[granuaile]

What a great idea. The guy has a ticket so he is going to come regardless. With the huge amount of knowledge that TV members have I think he could do it, for a year anyway. I would say keeping a daily log could result in quite an interesting read at the end, maybe even a book. I'm disabled myself and manage to live on 18-20k a month. It's double the amount he has to spend but I live very well though if I dumped some of the extras such as fast internet I could reduce it to maybe 14-15k a month without seriously changing my lifestyle.

I agree... After I pay <notorious loan shark bank 1> (credit card 1, credit card 2, credit card 3, <notorious loan shark bank 2> credit card 4, and other assorted obligations in the U.S. that is abt what I have left... In a few years I will be free from that and won't regret it. It it is quite manageable here on that, and I have not exactly been starving as evidenced by the fact I am still fat, and I have my two beers a night (alas Guinness is a rare indulgence). It is very doable... The budget that is required in Thailand to live does not have to be a lot. And Thailand is a wonderful and fantastic place to live

[granuaile]

I have the feeling he will come, has been told that you can live here for 100 bucks a month by some 'nam vet buddy of his and thinks everyone here is trying to dissuade him so we can keep our dirt cheap paradise to ourselves. His 300 bucks will last him in the region of 4 days I reckon, and then he will be on here asking about how to get a thai credit card or a repatriation flight.

Maybe not... u r assuming everyone is the same... Not everyone comes here for the same reasons or with the same needs....

[Guyz]

I have not finished thoroughly reading all of the replies, but I wanted to address some of the concerns.

I have a brain injury and headaches. I hope to achieve several things in Thailand, by gaining the time to do the following: 1) Buy a laptop, install Debian or similar Linux based OS, and learn computer programming and security. I hope this will give me a marketable job skill. 2) Learn meditation. I hope this will help with the injury and head aches, I have received some information indicating it will. I understand Thailand is a primarily Buddhist nation, and I hope to find a willing teacher (though admittedly, I'm not fond of all of the religious trappings). 3) I hope to increase my physical health through Muay Thai Kickboxing and hiking/tramping. 4) As a secondary goal, I am very interested in learning about and meeting Thai people, and also learning Thai cooking and basic language skills.

I am willing to teach English, but I do not want to do it the whole time I am there. What sort of visa would I need for teaching in Thailand? What is the best way to get it? Also, if necessary I will buy a refundable ticket out of the country. Does anyone know a cheapest way of doing that?

Thank you all for being so helpful and interested. I realize I am ill prepared, but I need a change, and I am desperately hoping this will turn out well.

[Jingthing]

Teaching English? Do you have a college degree?

So you have no visa in your passport?

Is your air ticket one way, if not, when is the return?

Want good info, give good info.

[Guyz]

Teaching English? Do you have a college degree?

So you have no visa in your passport?

Is your air ticket one way, if not, when is the return?

Want good info, give good info.

I personally know 2 people who recently left Thailand after teaching for 2 years without college degrees. They were saving money and are now traveling.

My ticket is one way. I will buy another one-way refundable ticket out of the country on Monday, as cheaply as possible.

I have no visa. I am looking for advice on the best way to do this.

[NewlyMintedThai]

Lord.