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[letitbe]

Why can the retired brigade accept that people raising a family have greater expenses?

As someone who is both retired and raising a family.

Raising a family using government hospital and government schools is incredibly cheap.

(Teenager costs around 1,000bht a month, lunch money and school bus being most of that cost, baby about the same nappies and cereal food mix)

When you are short of money, stop using expensive private options and your money goes a lot further.

Why can the retired brigade accept that people raising a family have greater expenses?

As someone who is both retired and raising a family.

Raising a family using government hospital and government schools is incredibly cheap.

(Teenager costs around 1,000bht a month, lunch money and school bus being most of that cost, baby about the same nappies and cereal food mix)

When you are short of money, stop using expensive private options and your money goes a lot further.

and you think they are getting an education wake up man have you even bothered to look into your kids school please do you will get a shock *** you must live in some *** hole place and have some very low expectations of what your kids will do later on sorry again *** and like another poster said im off to cool sparkling wine and check on fillet steak (im poor). Totally fed up with the I live on 2 baht a day brigade. Our maid hardly survives with 3 working on 30,000 a month with no debt or mortgage and also growing a lot of her own food and she would not be seen dead around here in a government ward.

Edited June 26, 2012 by tombkk
: Vocabulary. Please read the forum rules.

[harryfrompattaya]

Why can the retired brigade accept that people raising a family have greater expenses?

I think that they are usually addressing the claim that Thailand is not affordable anymore when international schools and imported food have always been expensive.

With all due respect, in the past 3 years, my Thai related costs have increased overall by 15% and that's being conservative. My investment income has fallen significantly, while my salary and benefits have remained constant. 3 years ago, I was still getting 4-5% on my investments. Now I am getting close to 1%. Most people are in the same boat as me. If I want to maintain some consistency in my standard of living it's going to cost me much more now. I don't eat out at expensive restaurants like I used to and I have shaved much of my discretionary spending. I'm one of the fortunate members of society that comes out at the upper end of the income scale and I feel the increased costs of Thailand. It is much worse for those with a fraction of my income and investments. People that were comfortably above the danger line 3 years ago, are now at the danger line.

I am afraid that it cost so much more in Thailand because we are asked to and support to many other people.

Just support the wife or GF no hanger ons

[TommoPhysicist]

and you think they are getting an education wake up man have you even bothered to look into your kids school please do you will get a shock <deleted> you must live in some shit hole place and have some very low expectations of what your kids will do later on sorry again <deleted> and like another poster said im off to cool sparkling wine and check on fillet steak (im poor). Totally fed up with the I live on 2 baht a day brigade. Our maid hardly survives with 3 working on 30,000 a month with no debt or mortgage and also growing a lot of her own food and she would not be seen dead around here in a government ward.

My step-daughter intends to train as a doctor, grades are already in line for acceptance. Please explain how you think private school would improve her chances?

Your listed expenses are totally ridiculous, you are surely trolling.

10k a month for house repairs ...... yours must be falling down.

50k for food ???????

Edited June 26, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[robblok]

I am living quite ok on 50k a month. But i live outside of BKK so housing is cheap. GF pays part of the housing and other costs (has her own income) so basically i am only paying 60% of those costs (i pay more because i make more). I save loads of money every month because i make a lot more then i spend. I have a health insurance and a car and 2 motobikes. No kids.

[tombkk]

A few off-topic posts have been removed.

[Soutpeel]

What a lovely positive thread (apart from the idiot with ridiculous living expenses - including his wife's rather large debts!), I almost thought I'd ended up in the wrong forum...

Love and peace...

*** and im not boasting. We live IMO a normal good life here and if you think 120k baht a month is ridiculous I really dont know how you live. Ive always had around same standard of living only before I had large surplus when living in UK or USA and now our income does not quite match our expenses mainly due to education costs. However we do try and economise as much as possible and cant get it below around 200,000 baht a month without seriously affecting our living standards. Of course we could live if we had to in some dump, eat mama noodles, send kids to some crap Thai school, suffer without any air con and travel by moterbike although how I would do that at 86 with a wife and 2 teenage kids takes some imagination. Break down of how we spend a ridiculous 200,000 baht a month :-

2 X kids school fees plus outings and things 40-50,000 pm

My medical costs 10-15,000 pm

My families medical costs 5,000 pm

food household 40-50,000 pm

2 x cars tax insurance repairs 5- 8,000 pm

Petrol (LPG to save costs) 8- 10,000 pm

Maid and help 10,000 pm

Going out entertainment 5,000 pm

My personal expenses (mostly booze) 5,000 pm

My wifes personal expenses (clothes, makeup ....) 8,000 pm

Maintenance for house (repairs ........ ) 10,000 pm

Rest is holidays here and abroad

So I just cant imagine life some of you who say we live great on peanuts are having. Sorry it just baffles me and always has

You do know now you have left yourself open to all the TV George Soro's' to start piping in about your expenditure and how they can live on some twigs they get from the roadside, a box of mama noodles a month and drinking the rain water they collect..

Then they will tell you how bad you are spending all that money and you should be ashamed of the way you spend "YOUR" money.

If somone is happy living in a hovel and spending THB 20,000 a month...good for you....but please dont start judging other people because they are spending more money in a month, than you send in year..everyone to their own..

I am of the opinion that the vast majority of these people are making these comments purely out of jealousy, when they realise there are actually farangs living in Thailand who can afford to live a reasonable/good life in Thailand.

with that being said, have to answer the door as my new shipment of Beluga has just arrived...

[Soutpeel]

and you think they are getting an education wake up man have you even bothered to look into your kids school please do you will get a shock <deleted> you must live in some shit hole place and have some very low expectations of what your kids will do later on sorry again <deleted> and like another poster said im off to cool sparkling wine and check on fillet steak (im poor). Totally fed up with the I live on 2 baht a day brigade. Our maid hardly survives with 3 working on 30,000 a month with no debt or mortgage and also growing a lot of her own food and she would not be seen dead around here in a government ward.

My step-daughter intends to train as a doctor, grades are already in line for acceptance. Please explain how you think private school would improve her chances?

Your listed expenses are totally ridiculous, you are surely trolling.

10k a month for house repairs ...... yours must be falling down.

50k for food ???????

Why is this ridiculous ? thats your opinion, one could have an opinion your a cheap charlie ?

If he is trolling...I had better not post my outgoing every month then...and I can assure you I am not trolling and the total number is about the same...

[Soutpeel]

and you think they are getting an education wake up man have you even bothered to look into your kids school please do you will get a shock <deleted> you must live in some shit hole place and have some very low expectations of what your kids will do later on sorry again <deleted> and like another poster said im off to cool sparkling wine and check on fillet steak (im poor). Totally fed up with the I live on 2 baht a day brigade. Our maid hardly survives with 3 working on 30,000 a month with no debt or mortgage and also growing a lot of her own food and she would not be seen dead around here in a government ward.

My step-daughter intends to train as a doctor, grades are already in line for acceptance. Please explain how you think private school would improve her chances?

Your listed expenses are totally ridiculous, you are surely trolling.

10k a month for house repairs ...... yours must be falling down.

50k for food ???????

My case rests...

Why is this ridiculous ? thats your opinion, one could have an opinion your a cheap charlie ?

If he is trolling...I had better not post my outgoing every month then...and I can assure you I am not trolling and the total number is about the same...

[robblok]

and you think they are getting an education wake up man have you even bothered to look into your kids school please do you will get a shock <deleted> you must live in some shit hole place and have some very low expectations of what your kids will do later on sorry again <deleted> and like another poster said im off to cool sparkling wine and check on fillet steak (im poor). Totally fed up with the I live on 2 baht a day brigade. Our maid hardly survives with 3 working on 30,000 a month with no debt or mortgage and also growing a lot of her own food and she would not be seen dead around here in a government ward.

My step-daughter intends to train as a doctor, grades are already in line for acceptance. Please explain how you think private school would improve her chances?

Your listed expenses are totally ridiculous, you are surely trolling.

10k a month for house repairs ...... yours must be falling down.

50k for food ???????

Why is this ridiculous ? thats your opinion, one could have an opinion your a cheap charlie ?

If he is trolling...I had better not post my outgoing every month then...and I can assure you I am not trolling and the total number is about the same...

I can put some milionaires here who would pay more then you. Thing usually spend in accordance to their income. I spend a lot less as my income but im a minority.

[Soutpeel]

and you think they are getting an education wake up man have you even bothered to look into your kids school please do you will get a shock <deleted> you must live in some shit hole place and have some very low expectations of what your kids will do later on sorry again <deleted> and like another poster said im off to cool sparkling wine and check on fillet steak (im poor). Totally fed up with the I live on 2 baht a day brigade. Our maid hardly survives with 3 working on 30,000 a month with no debt or mortgage and also growing a lot of her own food and she would not be seen dead around here in a government ward.

My step-daughter intends to train as a doctor, grades are already in line for acceptance. Please explain how you think private school would improve her chances?

Your listed expenses are totally ridiculous, you are surely trolling.

10k a month for house repairs ...... yours must be falling down.

50k for food ???????

Why is this ridiculous ? thats your opinion, one could have an opinion your a cheap charlie ?

If he is trolling...I had better not post my outgoing every month then...and I can assure you I am not trolling and the total number is about the same...

I spend a lot less as my income but im a minority.

so do I..... so its all relative...the point i am getting at is everyone to their own, just because someone spends 20k and someone spends 200k...people should not be getting on their high horse if someone does spend a fair chunk of money every month and judging people..

I know this is hard for the vast majority of TV posters not to judge...

[Murgatroyd]

Hello letitbe,

I'm not going to get into a detailed description of my budget, nor of the exact circumstances of my wife's illness and the associated costs. There is a line of privacy that I'm not going to cross.

Suffice to say that you seem to be living comfortably, whereas my income has fallen below the level required to gain a further extension of permission to stay in Thailand based on marriage to a Thai national. That is to say, below 40,000 baht per month.

I will say that schooling, uniform, school bus, and extra lessons costs have risen to the extent that they absorb over 10% of my income, and that these costs will only increase as my stepdaughter gets older. (She's 9 currently).

[norrona]

I returned back to the U.K after 8 years of living out there...was tough at first but within a year I was kind of settled and now I can fondly look back on my time in Thailand with nothing but good happy memories...it takes guts to do it and as they say 'it is better to love and lost than to never have loved at all'

besides I prefer Thailand as holiday destination these days anyway!

and yes once upon a time I could have been quoted as one of those people who said 'England...i'm never going to live back there'

not only do circumstances change but us mortals do as well....

Best of luck

stop kidding yourself you would jump at the chance to move back to Thailand if you could.. who in their right mind would want to live in England

oh really....like you know me and what I want?

I stand by my original post

[ANTIRACIST]

UK is to me always better than my country Thailand,sometimes i wonder what people sees in Thailand that attracts them to come live here, more facilities are there in UK than here,i do not want to believe my friends who told me that most farangs here have criminal records in their countries or are on MOST WANTED LIST thats why they are here to settle,when i read post like this i feel sad that a fellow man comes to a country in hope of a better life yet can not find it returning home empty handed,i feel for you dear,May God be with you and open doors for you in UK.

After all there is no place like home.

[transam]

UK is to me always better than my country Thailand,sometimes i wonder what people sees in Thailand that attracts them to come live here, more facilities are there in UK than here,i do not want to believe my friends who told me that most farangs here have criminal records in their countries or are on MOST WANTED LIST thats why they are here to settle,when i read post like this i feel sad that a fellow man comes to a country in hope of a better life yet can not find it returning home empty handed,i feel for you dear,May God be with you and open doors for you in UK.

After all there is no place like home.

Where is home ? Home is what you make it. You talk that where you were born is No1, so why are half the planet trying to get into Europe. ?

[Gweiloman]

Murgatroyd,

Sorry about your predicament. While I sympathise with you and understand the logic behind your thinking and planned action, I just can't see how you can believe that this is the best (only) course of action. Leaving your family here while you return to the UK to hunt for a job is too emotionally gut wrenching for me to consider. Effectively, you are laying your relationship on the line for the sake of "potential" future financial security.

Another poster suggested to look at it as working abroad for a few years. The difference is that is a guaranteed job, with a normally high enough income to guarantee financial security for some time at least. You are returning to the UK in the hope of earning enough to come back to Thailand to retire. What happens is it doesn't pan out? Just imagine what 4 years of separation (with no visits in between I would imagine) would do to any relationship.

I wonder if you have had the opportunity to discuss and brain storm with some good friends, whether here or in the UK as to what options are open to you? Apart from your bonds, do you have any other assets, either here or in the UK (such as property)? How about working "gray", like leasing a minivan and offering lifts from your part of Thailand to Bangkok? (there's a guy from my wife's mooban who operates two such minivans and I believe that he routinely clears 20-30k a month.

With regards to renewing your visa, apart from having to show a monthly income of 40k, the other option is to have 800k in the bank right? Again, if you or your wife owns some property, there must be a way of raising this amount of money in the short term (if you know what I mean).

I'm sure you have considered many if not all of the above (and probably many others that I did not mention here) but imho, I don't see how this can be the only course of action open to you. The (non-financial) cost is just too great.

[Gweiloman]

Yea I know, the noodle eating and baht bus brigade will be along soon saying they can live well on 30k a month.

That's a bit high, I and my family (five of us) live on 10k a month (plus what the farm grows).

Health care, government, school, government, air-con, not on the farm, insurance, government compulsory.

Still, hope you make a quick financial recovery when back in the home country, good luck.

My 400k stays in the bank, so it can't drop.

Not everyone wants to subsist like a peasant, hand to mouth, in abject poverty.

[transam]

So you tell me how millions of natives manage on less than that ?

[TommoPhysicist]

Tell me how 5 people can "live" on 10k per month.

Assuming 3 meals a day, at 100 baht per meal (for 5 persons). That's already 9,000 baht per month. Unless, you consider 20 baht per person per meal to be extravagant?

Food is cheap in Thailand, you don't have to buy pre-cooked food, lots of food is free.

Fuel is free, we cook over a wood fire, meals work out at about 5bht per person.

Edited June 26, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[Gweiloman]

So you tell me how millions of natives manage on less than that ?

Exactly. They subsist, hand to mouth, in abject poverty. Why else would there be so many bar girls, selling their bodies for a pittance? Why so many BIB's on the take? Why so many others slaving for hours under the hot sun to grow rice? They, unlike many farangs, don't have a choice. But for a farang like TP, who openly confessed to marrying his wife for her farm, to endure the same tells me quite a bit about his character.

[transam]

So you tell me how millions of natives manage on less than that ?

Exactly. They subsist, hand to mouth, in abject poverty. Why else would there be so many bar girls, selling their bodies for a pittance? Why so many BIB's on the take? Why so many others slaving for hours under the hot sun to grow rice? They, unlike many farangs, don't have a choice. But for a farang like TP, who openly confessed to marrying his wife for her farm, to endure the same tells me quite a bit about his character.

But that isn't the point being discussed, my wife's family live on sod all, the folk around live on sod all, it can be done and is done.

[TommoPhysicist]

So you tell me how millions of natives manage on less than that ?

Exactly. They subsist, hand to mouth, in abject poverty. Why else would there be so many bar girls, selling their bodies for a pittance? Why so many BIB's on the take? Why so many others slaving for hours under the hot sun to grow rice? They, unlike many farangs, don't have a choice. But for a farang like TP, who openly confessed to marrying his wife for her farm, to endure the same tells me quite a bit about his character.

None of my family 'subsist'.

I suspect we eat a lot fresher and healthier food than anyone living in a city.

Fish and chicken come from our farm.

Our single biggest family bill is 631bht for Internet access.

Edited June 26, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[metisdead]

A profanity post has been removed.

[SunsetT]

Forgive me for being presumptious Murgatroyd, but from personal experience of the woeful lack of budgeting skills of even trustworthy Thai ladies, and hearing many horror stories about Farangs losing substantial 'lump sums' entrusted to their ladies, I would be wary of leaving your spouse such a lump sum. Maybe leaving her with a UK ATM card that you can monitor on the internet would be better. Even safer would be leaving the lump sum in a Thai bank account in your name only and then sending money to her Thai bank account as required using your Thai bank's internet banking facility. I do this using Kasikorn bank's online banking when I am in the UK and away from my lady. It is very easy and reliable to use and only costs 15 baht a transfer. But you must set up an 'Other Account funds transfer' to her account at your Kasikorn bank branch before u can use this facility. You cannot just set it up online as u can with internet banking in the UK. Please accept my apologies if your Thai lady has proved herself to be the exception to the rule when handling your money.

Good luck to you Murgatroyd, in the UK and when u return to Thailand.

[YipYipYa123]

200k a month ?

I sleep in a blanket on the beach ,it doesnt have much mod-cons but its saves me a fortune

I can catch a fish or wake up early and pick mushrooms for free from the fields

i collect scraps behind resturants before the rats ,cats and soi dogs can get them

sometimes friendly people leave a sandwich beside me when i sleeping

i can wash and shave in the big C toilets

I drink beer for 26 thb per bottle outside the 7-11 ,when im flush i eat at the local restaurant and it

costs me 25thb for a chicken drumstick and some rice soup

ive had the same clothes for years ,who needs to buy clothes EVERY month ? im the same size now as i was when i was 18

[Soutpeel]

200k a month ?

I sleep in a blanket on the beach ,it doesnt have much mod-cons but its saves me a fortune

I can catch a fish or wake up early and pick mushrooms for free from the fields

i collect scraps behind resturants before the rats ,cats and soi dogs can get them

sometimes friendly people leave a sandwich beside me when i sleeping

i can wash and shave in the big C toilets

I drink beer for 26 thb per bottle outside the 7-11 ,when im flush i eat at the local restaurant and it

costs me 25thb for a chicken drumstick and some rice soup

ive had the same clothes for years ,who needs to buy clothes EVERY month ? im the same size now as i was when i was 18

You forgot to add you collect rain water in tin cans to drink...after all have you seen the price of that fancy UV santised water in Thailand at THB 7.0 a bottle..outrageous...

I always expected one of resident cheap charlies to state they had constructed a solar still and they were condensing drinking water from their own urine....

[Gweiloman]

200k a month ?

I sleep in a blanket on the beach ,it doesnt have much mod-cons but its saves me a fortune

I can catch a fish or wake up early and pick mushrooms for free from the fields

i collect scraps behind resturants before the rats ,cats and soi dogs can get them

sometimes friendly people leave a sandwich beside me when i sleeping

i can wash and shave in the big C toilets

I drink beer for 26 thb per bottle outside the 7-11 ,when im flush i eat at the local restaurant and it

costs me 25thb for a chicken drumstick and some rice soup

ive had the same clothes for years ,who needs to buy clothes EVERY month ? im the same size now as i was when i was 18

You forgot to add you collect rain water in tin cans to drink...after all have you seen the price of that fancy UV santised water in Thailand at THB 7.0 a bottle..outrageous...

I always expected one of resident cheap charlies to state they had constructed a solar still and they were condensing drinking water from their own urine....

I suspect that YYY123 is merely taking the p*ss of some of the cheap charlie posters.

[flying]

Then they will tell you how bad you are spending all that money and you should be ashamed of the way you spend "YOUR" money.

If somone is happy living in a hovel and spending THB 20,000 a month...good for you....but please dont start judging other people because they are spending more money in a month, than you send in year..everyone to their own..

I agree to each their own but....having read many comments here I would say the judgmental knife you describe cuts both ways

After all by your own words above you have judged someone spending 20k a month as living in a hovel

Edited June 27, 2012 by flying

[Gweiloman]

So you tell me how millions of natives manage on less than that ?

Exactly. They subsist, hand to mouth, in abject poverty. Why else would there be so many bar girls, selling their bodies for a pittance? Why so many BIB's on the take? Why so many others slaving for hours under the hot sun to grow rice? They, unlike many farangs, don't have a choice. But for a farang like TP, who openly confessed to marrying his wife for her farm, to endure the same tells me quite a bit about his character.

But that isn't the point being discussed, my wife's family live on sod all, the folk around live on sod all, it can be done and is done.

So does my wife's family (MIL earns 5,000 a month and with that, supports herself, her daughter, her mother and her simpleton brother). Yes, it can be done, but why, if one has other options?

It's not the point being discussed, I know, but I was posting in response to another poster

[Soutpeel]

200k a month ?

I sleep in a blanket on the beach ,it doesnt have much mod-cons but its saves me a fortune

I can catch a fish or wake up early and pick mushrooms for free from the fields

i collect scraps behind resturants before the rats ,cats and soi dogs can get them

sometimes friendly people leave a sandwich beside me when i sleeping

i can wash and shave in the big C toilets

I drink beer for 26 thb per bottle outside the 7-11 ,when im flush i eat at the local restaurant and it

costs me 25thb for a chicken drumstick and some rice soup

ive had the same clothes for years ,who needs to buy clothes EVERY month ? im the same size now as i was when i was 18

You forgot to add you collect rain water in tin cans to drink...after all have you seen the price of that fancy UV santised water in Thailand at THB 7.0 a bottle..outrageous...

I always expected one of resident cheap charlies to state they had constructed a solar still and they were condensing drinking water from their own urine....

I suspect that YYY123 is merely taking the p*ss of some of the cheap charlie posters.

Duh...ya think so...I must have missed the subtle monty python hint...

[Soutpeel]

After all by your own words above you have judged someone spending 20k a month as living in a hovel

Fair point...I shall apologize profusely and say 20 hail Mary's to repent my sins....