Financial Expectations Of A Thai Women

[HidyHo]

Hey, I also want a hookup for those below 10K places near Suk BTS line (although I don't count 30 baht moto taxi ride as being close). PM me with details!!!

[DP25]

Regarding your car statistics, note that at the high end, the lifetime of such a car is easily ten years on average - my grandfather drove his Mercedes for 25 years, and then my father imported it to the US and kept it in good repair for another 10. So including second-hand and other brands, going by your stats I would guess there are maybe half a million high-end cars running around Thailand.

Yeah they're great cars and last a long time but I bet your grandfather didn't pay $200,000 for his Mercedes like many Thai people do. Taxes here on these cars are insane. A middle class person can buy a Mercedes at home but it is out of reach in Thailand. Even many Thai people that do have enough money think it's stupid to spend so much on a car.

Half a million is way too high for the total number of these cars around though. Mercedes and BMW are by far the largest brands, and they are selling more now than in the past. I found an article that says in 2010 the total luxury car market was only 7,700 cars. Brands other than Mercedes and BMW only sell a few hundred cars each at best. Even if the market was 7,700 for the past 20 years that would be a total of 154,000 of these cars. But they weren't selling nearly as many in the past as not as many Thais could afford them, so that number is probably way too high.

Regardless it is clear that people who can afford these kind of cars are a very small minority and are in the top 1%.

[JurgenG]

Maybe it's a problem of definition. Upper middle class doesn't mean big money. For me, in Thailand it's university education, senior management, household earning 100-200k a month, big japanese car or small German car, a 10-20M house ... People who are comfortable but no big money.

In Asia it's crazy how people spend on designer brands. Back home I don't know many people who have a Louis Vuitton bag. In Asia, I don't know any woman who don't have at least one, and of course not fake.

A 20 million baht home, and an imported 3-5 million baht car is upper middle class to you? How many people do you think could afford this kind of stuff?

According to the Revenue Department, there are 9 million people registered to pay taxes in Thailand. Of these only 2.3 million pay income tax, because the rest earn under 20k per month. Of course, 20k per month isn't enough to afford a 10-20 million baht home and a 3 million baht BMW. I don't think 100-200k is either after taxes. Lets say 4 million per year, or 330k per month, could afford it after taxes. How many of these people making 4 million per year are there in Thailand? According to the government, there are only 60,000 people in the entire country that are earning a salary at that level or higher and paying taxes on it. 60,000 out of 9 million registered taxpayers. 0.66% of taxpayers make enough to afford what you consider to be 'upper middle class'. Of course many Thais do not pay income taxes because they have businesses in the grey economy, so there are more that could afford it, but the number is still very small. 20 million baht house and a 3 million baht car is the 1% in Thailand

My source for salary and tax information

http://www.nationmul...s-30164639.html

The country's tax revenue is provided by only a small group of people. According to statistics released last year, only 2.3 million people nationwide pay personal income tax to help finance public spending for the country's population of more than 64 million. Some 9 million people file personal income tax returns each year, but the majority are exempt from tax liability as they earn less than Bt20,000 per month.

In the meanwhile, middle-income earners have been squeezed between the rich and poor. Some 60,000 people each year pay taxes in the highest bracket of 37 per cent, which applies for an annual income of more than Bt4 million per year. This group of 60,000 accounts for as much as 50 per cent of total personal income tax collected each year. And a full one-third of income tax collected is paid by just 2,400 people in the country who earn over Bt10 million per year. The richest 20 per cent of the population accounts for 54 per cent of total income, while the poorest 20 per cent accounts for just 4.8 per cent, according to the Finance Ministry.

Lets now look at the number of people per year who are buying BMWs and Mercedes. Small German cars some people think the middle class can afford.

Last year, BMW sold a grand total of 3,800 cars. It's highest total ever

http://www.nationmul...k-30176881.html

Mercedes sold a total of 2,710 cars.

http://www.mercedes-...ce_Q4_2011.html

That's a total of 6,510 cars. In the entire country of 65 million people. Out of 800,000 total cars sold. 0.8% of cars sold last year. And lets remember that most people still drive motorbikes because cars are too expensive for them.

Some of you people are completely out of touch with how much it costs to live here and how much average people make. The people you consider to be just 'upper middle class' are in fact the 1% in Thailand. There is an even smaller mega rich category above these people who own the large corporations, but that should not take away from the fact that in Thailand these people are wealthy and in the top 1%.

I don't know the statistics and you may be right but it's definitively not my feeling. I live (used to live actually but still have a house) in one of the community I described in my post and I definitively not have the feeling to live among the 1% of Thailand.

Anyway I thing it's an interesting subject and instead of high jacking this thread, lets start a new thread about the middle class in Thailand.

[wana]

Regarding your car statistics, note that at the high end, the lifetime of such a car is easily ten years on average - my grandfather drove his Mercedes for 25 years, and then my father imported it to the US and kept it in good repair for another 10. So including second-hand and other brands, going by your stats I would guess there are maybe half a million high-end cars running around Thailand.

Yeah they're great cars and last a long time but I bet your grandfather didn't pay $200,000 for his Mercedes like many Thai people do. Taxes here on these cars are insane. A middle class person can buy a Mercedes at home but it is out of reach in Thailand. Even many Thai people that do have enough money think it's stupid to spend so much on a car.

Half a million is way too high for the total number of these cars around though. Mercedes and BMW are by far the largest brands, and they are selling more now than in the past. I found an article that says in 2010 the total luxury car market was only 7,700 cars. Brands other than Mercedes and BMW only sell a few hundred cars each at best. Even if the market was 7,700 for the past 20 years that would be a total of 154,000 of these cars. But they weren't selling nearly as many in the past as not as many Thais could afford them, so that number is probably way too high.

Regardless it is clear that people who can afford these kind of cars are a very small minority and are in the top 1%.

i went to the motorshow last week and had a look at the merc's on sale in thailand for 2012

the family saloon was around 6-8 million if i recall correctly

the AMG model i liked was 14 million i think and the mid ranged models were priced in between

anyone driving one of those with red plates is certainly NOT an "averagely paid thai person "

Edited May 2, 2012 by wana

[Longbow212]

Obviously a wide range of living standards and expectations here, really opened my eyes to what some people here view as standard living expenses. I am of the camp that believe 20k a month is sufficient to get by on. Sure, it's easy to spend that, as it is easy to spend any amount here if you really want but it is also possible to live within your means and do OK on it. Times when I have been hard up I have gotten by on as little as 400bht a day;

rent and bills - 200bht a day (6k a month).

food 90 bht day (3 x 30bht meals - 2700bht a month)

BTS monthly card and bus/motocy 60bht a day (1800bht a month)

total = 10500bht

Sure this is merely surviving and not living the high life, but yes you can get by on it if you really need. Then again, I am very comfortable eating kow man gai or pad gra pow at the side of the road and living in basic accommodation. Some people I know need to eat western food every night and have a few beers in expensive bars and are only interested in nice condo's fitted out with the whole works.

Thanks for all your input guys. My concluding opinion is that I will not handout any "salary". However, if she needs help with for this or that I will be willing do what I can in terms of giving a couple of thousand here and there if she is struggling. These are my values and I will stand by them, if thats not cool with her perhaps we are not suitable for each other. In addition I will of course continue to pay for everything when we go out etc as I have a much larger disposable income.

Edited May 2, 2012 by Longbow212

[vreemd13]

Hey, I also want a hookup for those below 10K places near Suk BTS line (although I don't count 30 baht moto taxi ride as being close). PM me with details!!!

Who tell you it is Sukhumvit? (BTW: just have your own motorcy, like a normal person in Thailand)

name of building and addy?

Of course, Thai only (not advertised as far as my knowlegdement), nice quiet clean place,

Sure, not luxury western grand place (no swimming pool, no gym - BTW who need a gym),

But suits me to sleep, watch television, buy food outside, etc.

Just 30thb motorcy from BTS (a distance I will walk, if I am pissed off even at 40'C - BTW better exercise than a gym),

PS: it was rated as a 3k-3.5k apartment by another Thai friend, so for 5k it would be expensive for natives, which proves I don't think many will have regular 30k-42k room rent

what is the name and address of the building? thanks.

I think my elaboraton was clear, if it suits me to be living among normal thai people, the majority of thai will even have more happy living circumstances at same location.

I not wish to be ridiculed by TV members (if you wish information, you just PM me together with your sincere explanation).

I don't understand the wish of any-one (thai or farang) to act as 'hi-so' individuals, just for show by spending unnecessary money (to gain face or whatever other reason)

Edited May 2, 2012 by vreemd13

[KeyserSoze01]

Yeah they're great cars and last a long time but I bet your grandfather didn't pay $200,000 for his Mercedes like many Thai people do. Taxes here on these cars are insane. A middle class person can buy a Mercedes at home but it is out of reach in Thailand. Even many Thai people that do have enough money think it's stupid to spend so much on a car.

Another case of Thai short-sightedness. If they lowered the import duties on cars, more people would buy them, thus raising tax revenues. Whereas today the duties are so ludicrous that it prevents people from purchasing new and they turn to the grey market.

[softgeorge]

An ex of mine, a smart and switched on lady from a wealthy background, the sheer size of her families home astonished me, she also worked for an international company and I'd guess her salary was in excess of 100,000 Baht.

She expected me to pay for everything (we never lived together BTW) - Thats every meal, every drink, every shopping spree. Meals and drinks etc I was ok with, I laughed at the handbags etc and just refused. For example, she never once expected to buy me dinner.

The issue is, she was well off, from a very wealthy family but expected me to pay for everything. When we discussed this she was open in her expectations that men pay. I was open in my expectations that I can then find someone with a better attitude and kicked her into touch.

The simple point is that you shouldn't have to pay for another lady if you are in a mutually respectful relationship. But, there are normal and healthy exceptions, i.e. thats if you earn a lot more, pay for more meals and more of the house stuff etc. My wife still takes me out for dinner, but I pay for the flight tickets etc... When we have children and she has to stop work I'll have to be more financially supportive, as normal couples do in the UK.

If the expectation is to much it can be discussed and often solved, its not culture that causes these issues, its greed.

I think that the notion that men pay for everything is what is instilled into the female population from birth and it is worldwide. It's not exactly something that the feminist movement want removed from thier alledged entitlements. It's not just in the human world either, it also occures in the animal kingdom. Take the Bowerbird for instance the only cock who is going to be getting any booty is the one with the best nest and the most trinkets (diamonds for women) scattered around. Hugh Hefner is not exactly getting laid for his charm or boyish good looks.

Edited May 3, 2012 by softgeorge