I Want To Live In Hua Hin

[JannoDL]

Keep 50k in the bank, interest will give you about 5000baht per month. £600 a month = 29000baht

Total income about 34000 per month.

5000baht interest per month on 50k principle is 1% per month. Where are you getting that?

Am pretty sure the 50k he is talking about, is most of the 60k savings the op has.

Those savings are not in Baht... which makes quite a difference.

[indyuk]

Hello Mr. Ting Tong,

Let’s cut to the chase; In my view You simply do not have enough money to settle down permanently in any of Thailand's resorts. I will not add to the many examples of cost here in because some of the amounts stated are accurate. Suffice to say that my income is more than you say you have and I have to run a very tight budget.

After twenty years in Thailand there are other things I believe you need to know that may be more important. 1. Foreigners in Thailand are second class citizens. 2 You will have to report to immigration office every 90 days forever. 3. Each year you will have to apply for a new visa. 4. If you are not able to prove your income at 65,000 baht per month after you have spent your capital you will be deported. 5. There are ways around this but they are illegal. You can reduce your financial guarantee by registering your wife with immigration. However the immigration police have the right to inspect your home at any time to ensure that you do have a wife (Legally Married to you) in residence. 6. We foreigners a overcharged for everything we buy. 7. When you settle in Thailand any home you own will become your wife's property. (in the sense that you cannot sell it without her formal approval). Once you have bought your house your money is very likely lost. The property market in Thailand's resorts is in a mess. In Phuket house prices are falling now and are expected to fall more sharply next year. If you and your wife have children you will lose them if your marriage fails. 6. From the moment you settle down here your wife's family will be working out how to optimize their income from you, and how much they will get when you die. Corruption is rife in Thailand extending downwards from ministers in government, and the Army and the Police force all the way down through society to your mother-in-law who will be voting for the politician that gives her the most money. Corruption will affect your life if you live in Thailand.

All of this may wash over you and you'll come anyway. So finally I must tell you of my mistake. When I was planning to move to Asia Thailand and Indonesia were my joint first choices because I had already lived in both countries. However during the course of my research my solicitor suggested that I include Malaya in the analysis. I did so yet for emotional reasons I chose Thailand. Now I wish I lived in Malaya but no longer have the funds to relocate.The Malaysia deal for retiring Brits is very good. If it hasn't changed it is simply this. Bring in 50,000 GBP's to invest and you can buy anything you want in your own name including a house which you can sell at a profit when you leave and take said capital and profit with you. What a breath of fresh air that is compared to attitude of the Thai authorities.

So I guess you'll come to Thailand anyway. OK then do this leave your money safely in a British Bank. Apply for your OA Retirement Visa or Business Visa before you leave England. You can have your financial guarantee set there and then. Keep any property you own in England and rent it out. Come to Thailand and live in a rural area and see if you have what it takes to build a business there. Buy nothing. Rent what you need. After and you are making a profit buy your house on a mortgage in your wife's name. I swear that this is the only way that you can make your future boiler proof if you want to spend the rest of your natural in Thailand.

Whatever you do I wish you the best of luck.

Edited August 8, 2012 by indyuk

[navara]

Hello Mister,

It all depents on what you aspect from life. It also depents on what your wife can do. 3 million bath can be gone like snow for the sun.

Try to live as cheap as possible, stay away from places like Hua Hin, Pattaya or even the big cities. Live at the country side, live with her mother. Know about Thai life.

Goodluck

[blazes]

Hello Mr. Ting Tong,

Let’s cut to the chase; In my view You simply do not have enough money to settle down permanently in any of Thailand's resorts. I will not add to the many examples of cost here in because some of the amounts stated are accurate. Suffice to say that my income is more than you say you have and I have to run a very tight budget.

After twenty years in Thailand there are other things I believe you need to know that may be more important. 1. Foreigners in Thailand are second class citizens. 2 You will have to report to immigration office every 90 days forever. 3. Each year you will have to apply for a new visa. 4. If you are not able to prove your income at 65,000 baht per month after you have spent your capital you will be deported. 5. There are ways around this but they are illegal. You can reduce your financial guarantee by registering your wife with immigration. However the immigration police have the right to inspect your home at any time to ensure that you do have a wife (Legally Married to you) in residence. 6. We foreigners a overcharged for everything we buy. 7. When you settle in Thailand any home you own will become your wife's property. (in the sense that you cannot sell it without her formal approval). Once you have bought your house your money is very likely lost. The property market in Thailand's resorts is in a mess. In Phuket house prices are falling now and are expected to fall more sharply next year. If you and your wife have children you will lose them if your marriage fails. 6. From the moment you settle down here your wife's family will be working out how to optimize their income from you, and how much they will get when you die. Corruption is rife in Thailand extending downwards from ministers in government, and the Army and the Police force all the way down through society to your mother-in-law who will be voting for the politician that gives her the most money. Corruption will affect your life if you live in Thailand.

All of this may wash over you and you'll come anyway. So finally I must tell you of my mistake. When I was planning to move to Asia Thailand and Indonesia were my joint first choices because I had already lived in both countries. However during the course of my research my solicitor suggested that I include Malaya in the analysis. I did so yet for emotional reasons I chose Thailand. Now I wish I lived in Malaya but no longer have the funds to relocate.The Malaysia deal for retiring Brits is very good. If it hasn't changed it is simply this. Bring in 50,000 GBP's to invest and you can buy anything you want in your own name including a house which you can sell at a profit when you leave and take said capital and profit with you. What a breath of fresh air that is compared to attitude of the Thai authorities.

So I guess you'll come to Thailand anyway. OK then do this leave your money safely in a British Bank. Apply for your OA Retirement Visa or Business Visa before you leave England. You can have your financial guarantee set there and then. Keep any property you own in England and rent it out. Come to Thailand and live in a rural area and see if you have what it takes to build a business there. Buy nothing. Rent what you need. After and you are making a profit buy your house on a mortgage in your wife's name. I swear that this is the only way that you can make your future boiler proof if you want to spend the rest of your natural in Thailand.

Whatever you do I wish you the best of luck.

This is one of the best posts in this whole thread....realistic, down-to-earth and telling it like it is. (Don't know about Malaysia.)

Perhaps the most telling point is the reminder that all farangs, all of us second-class citizens, have to go cap in hand to Immigration every 3 months to tell the nice man where we are now living. Makes you feel like a criminal.

But the sun shines and most things are cheap-ish. And so nice to see SLIM female bodies rather than the Angela Merkel types in the West. (However, I think - another thread, surely - that Thai women are beginning to put on weight as they succumb to corporations like Mac and KFC and so on.)

[darrendsd]

My advice is forget what everyone above is saying, come over, try your best and if it doesn't work out so what, better than staying in the cold and rain in the UK wondering what might have been,

I moved to Ko Samui about 9 years ago, opened a business got ripped off and was back in the UK within a year, stayed there for 2 years then moved back to Hua Hin where I have been ever since and I came here the 2nd time with 8K Sterling

It didn't work out the first time I tried to live here but it did the 2nd, my point is unless you try it you will never know, what's the alternative? Staying home every night with a Pot Noodle and a w4nk?

Go for it mate is my advice, your probably bored by now of everyone telling you not to.

Good luck and PM if you do decide to come over and we can meet up for a beer.

[blazes]

Sooner or later your Thai Wife will want you to spend the 3 million baht on a house up country for her Mother, this is typical Thai Culture. Then you will have nothing but your £600/month (B29,500). I tried living this way from 1994 to 1999, it was very hard. So for 10 years I worked overseas on a 10 week on 3 weeks off rotation earning B475,000/month. The money I saved I invested in the Thai Stock Exchange and I was able to retire in 2010 as I am earning an average of B500,000/month from investments in thai stocks paying dividends of up to 17%/year and with under value of 20 to 40%. My wife was not really happy until I bought her the mobile phone, car and house up country so that she "had face", after that she is happy that I invest our money in the stock exchange and make money that way. This is Thai tradition and the well known Thai Group, Carabao, has a famous song written about this.

If you have or are contemplating having children then you need at least B100,000/month to live reasonably and B200,000/month if the children are going to International Schools or Universities. If married, I suggest you open a Bangkok Bank 5 month Term Deposit Account with B400,000 at 3.25% interest to use for your visa after aging the sum for 3 months and roll it over to a new fixed term deposit on a permanent basis. Do not open a joint account, keep your money in your name only. Invest 2 million in the Thai Stock exchange in shares with a good dividend that are safe. Since January last year, Advance Info Services (ADVANC) paid 23% in dividends and the share value increased from B85.00 to B210.00. So 2 million baht invested would now be worth B5,455,166 after deduction of the 10% withholding tax on the dividends (there is no capital gains tax in Thailand). Currently DTAC is well undervalues with a 44% upside to real value ( and more after winning the up and coming 3G auction) and pays >7% annual dividend twice yearly.

You will probably have to use the remaining B200,000 to buy furniture, TV refrigerator, aircon etc.

Suggest you also consider teaching English which pays around B30,000/mth ( you will need to get a qualification such as "Teach English As A Foriegn Language".).

This has to be the most absurd response in this whole thread!! What planet are you calling from?

To suggest that a guy looking to spend 29k baht per month put his life savings into the stock market (especially at this time of extreme volatility) is utterly irresponsible.

And if there are loads of companies paying that kind of dividend, you can be sure there is something radically wrong. High dividends (anything in double digits) are extremely vulnerable to cuts, especially in a country that faces increasing competition from its neighbours in almost all areas of life.

[blazes]

Take it slow. Learn the language. Language is the key.

Learn the language???????? Good luck on that....

why does he need luck to learn a language many others have already done so successfully?

I second that. I learnt Thai in 5 days using a book called " Easy Thai". Then I could read the menus in a Thai restaurant and the bus destinations written on the side of the buses in Thai only and road signs. You can learn to speak basic Thai very easily and quickly. After that you find you survive on much less being able to communicate in Thai. For instance if you can read Thai you would be able to get on the free buses and go all over Bangkok for free.

"Learnt Thai in five days"!!!!! Well done, Einstein. I guess that means learning to say "sawasdee kap" and "mai pen rai" and counting to a 100?

No mention of your effortless control of TONE here?

Try telling your Thai gf/wife she is "suaii" (when you mean 'beautiful") and it is possible, using the wrong tone, that you will be telling her "you are bad luck". (Well, ok, you are brilliant and have a perfect ear, so this won't have happened to you.)

But hey, you can easily learn these tonal differences in five days or less.

[cheeryble]

So my advise is this PLAN, BUDGET and most importantly, RETAIN ABSOLUTE CONTROL of your finances.

Make sure that WHATEVER happens, you retain and keep control of your money, your wealth and you NEVER lose your grip or control over that.

Good Luck !!

Wiser words were never spoken Sugarnob I'm with you retain absolute control!

What's more, when you retain absolute control don't ever justify yourself or have discussions over it. Just do it with few words and be clear. Leave no wiggle room and it will be accepted.

On a gentler note obviously don't live in HH go to CM or CR.

I often remember the words of the marvellous David Hume. He decided

"to make a very rigid frugality supply my deficiency of fortune, to maintain unimpaired my independency, and to regard every object as contemptible, except the improvement of my talents in literature."

The fact is you can adjust to anything. Money is highly overrated as a source of happiness. I spent a year living on five bob, 25p, a day sharing a little cottage in Cornwall in the early 70s and it was one of my happiest times.

If you can find a way to make more do so. If not you will still be earning the same as a moderately well paid Thai.

If not paying insurance, retain at least a million for health, preferably two.

Edited August 8, 2012 by cheeryble

[OriginalPoster]

Sooner or later your Thai Wife will want you to spend the 3 million baht on a house up country for her Mother, this is typical Thai Culture. Then you will have nothing but your £600/month (B29,500). I tried living this way from 1994 to 1999, it was very hard. So for 10 years I worked overseas on a 10 week on 3 weeks off rotation earning B475,000/month. The money I saved I invested in the Thai Stock Exchange and I was able to retire in 2010 as I am earning an average of B500,000/month from investments in thai stocks paying dividends of up to 17%/year and with under value of 20 to 40%. My wife was not really happy until I bought her the mobile phone, car and house up country so that she "had face", after that she is happy that I invest our money in the stock exchange and make money that way. This is Thai tradition and the well known Thai Group, Carabao, has a famous song written about this.

If you have or are contemplating having children then you need at least B100,000/month to live reasonably and B200,000/month if the children are going to International Schools or Universities. If married, I suggest you open a Bangkok Bank 5 month Term Deposit Account with B400,000 at 3.25% interest to use for your visa after aging the sum for 3 months and roll it over to a new fixed term deposit on a permanent basis. Do not open a joint account, keep your money in your name only. Invest 2 million in the Thai Stock exchange in shares with a good dividend that are safe. Since January last year, Advance Info Services (ADVANC) paid 23% in dividends and the share value increased from B85.00 to B210.00. So 2 million baht invested would now be worth B5,455,166 after deduction of the 10% withholding tax on the dividends (there is no capital gains tax in Thailand). Currently DTAC is well undervalues with a 44% upside to real value ( and more after winning the up and coming 3G auction) and pays >7% annual dividend twice yearly.

You will probably have to use the remaining B200,000 to buy furniture, TV refrigerator, aircon etc.

Suggest you also consider teaching English which pays around B30,000/mth ( you will need to get a qualification such as "Teach English As A Foriegn Language".).

It's very nice to hear that you are doing so well financially but it's irrelevant to the question at hand.

The guy is 52 years old and has savings on order of 3 million baht and you think it's useful advice to tell him to go out and get a job for 475,000 baht per month? I have even better advice for him, instead of working part-time for 475,000 baht per month, write some hit songs and tour the world performing concerts.

Edited August 9, 2012 by OriginalPoster

[dasboot]

Hi I have read with great interest the above posts, I own a home within 30 k of the Mynamar border, ok it's in the middle of nowhere but it's very beautiful and the locals first rate. Anyway before I decided on my future plans I did the holiday thing, meeting my wife in a cooking school in Chaing Mai,that's another story.

Anyway we settled down together and built a tradional Thai wooden home, do no expensive aircon,the interior I have dry lined so at least it's not like living in a large shed,we have a gas cooker Sony tv sat dish etc. I lived there for 15 months before coming home to top up the savings and our fixed running costs for the month were,

1710 for the motor bike,

500 Electricity

3000. Beer, a couple of bottles watching the tv

Food not sure but we would spend 150 at the market plus whatever else we needed,

We still went out, saw friends etc, I know when I live there full time there will be extra bills, health care, Internet etc but 20000 is comfortable the extra we can save, being away from the bright lights won't suit everyone but it does me, I never felt so centred and relaxed, can't wait to go back.

[Blueskyramblinman]

Has anybody actual compared what the cost differences are between living in Chiang rai region versus Cha-am region.

I have read why someone can not live in one area based on a $$$ amount but as of yet I have not seen a cost basis comparison.

Thanks

[2probedeep]

Its going to be difficult for the 2 of you on £600(B30,000) month

I am single 54 living in Jomtien/Pattaya for the same amount of money and its tight, but better than the uk

My advice is to rent first, make sure you really want to live here

Decide what you want from life, make a plan and stick to it, don't start a business unless you are absolutely sure, most lose more money than they make

For me I rent a nice condo, everything supplied, with a great swimming pool, just needed to move in with my suitcase.

Rent- B11,000 ADSL/cable tv included,

Electric(goverment rate) B850

Water B120

Laundry B600

Transport: I use Baht bus B10 per trip, cheaper than renting bike

That leaves me B18,000/month or just B600 a day, its tight but ok, live in a nice place and you will be happy at home, eat thai cheaply, or cook at home I do.

Visa personally I fly home every 12 months and get multiple O visa(yes guys I know I could extend it to 15 months BUT I book a return ticket(12month) with emirates Uk-Thai-Uk cheaper than flying from here, But you could get a marriage visa

[williamlevin]

It can be done, but I'd recommend a less expensive area of Thailand at the beginning. You can have a comfortable, but not opulent, life style here. Maybe supplement your rental income with some part-time work, consulting, teaching English, etc..

I am a single male, 58, teach English here near Bangkok (in Pathumthani), rent a nice one bedroom/studio apartment, it costs about 8000 baht per month, including all utilities (including running air con a lot), Internet, furniture and frig rental, etc. The building has 24 hour guards, free gym upstairs, and is very conveniently located by a nice market, and across street from a major shopping mall, a 5 minute walk. But not very big, just a tiny deck, and small bathroom, a little tight for 2 people, though many are doing it.

My total income is about 35,000 baht (sometimes I supplement it), so just slightly more than yours. You can have a reasonably comfortable life style on that here if you are careful about extra expenses. I eat out almost every meal, usually Thai food, sometimes Western food, but rarely anything extravagant. No need for a car here, public transportation is very good and fairly cheap, including travel around Thailand and SE Asia.

So, if you want to enjoy life while you still can, come to THailand, but have a budget and stick to it, and try a less expensive area to live in at the beginning, including Isaan or Northern Thailand.

[Gimbo]

When I lived in Isaan for a year I gave the wife 15K a month. That covered all our living expenses. ALL of them. Except things that I may spend money on a whim for, like a new mobile phone for her son, or a motorcycle for myself..a trip to a big city, or the beach now and then to shake off the cobwebs, and stock up on some western food.

As the kids grew up we wanted to give them a European education so bye bye Thailand for a while. But I could easily have lived for years like that....as long as there was money in the bank for having fun now and then.

Anyway, I wen't to europe first and sorted myself a job, and found and appartment, so that the wife and kids could get their visa's. With those granted, it was time to send her money to buy the tickets...no need she tild me. From those 15 thousand a month, she had saved up 100 K bath. So she had spent ca 6500 a month on living costs...and saved the rest. And from what I know bills where paid, and we ate excellent food. But it was a village life out in the boonies, in a house she allready owned.

[mac1970]

100 000 - 115 000 THB/month? You guys have hell of pensions or lot of extra money from other investments/business. 3200-3650 USD per month(net), so what would be income before tax, maybe 4000-5500 USD depending on country(US&Europe)? Clearly Thailand is not for average Joe. Just wonder why it seem to be much cheaper almost everywhere else in Asia (I would live pretty well in this big Asian city paying all the same stuff without any problems, excluding car and even save some money every

single month). And looks like that it would be cheaper to rent service apartment(70sq) including electricity and water, use local self laundry, free pool and gym, buy food mainly from local restaurants away from turists and western restaurants(1500 THB per time is not even difficult) or make it by yourself. At least I have ended up much less than 100kBTH/month, including wifes shopping trips, her evenings with friends and my few bar events with local friends(western). And this is done in Bangkok, so should be comparable with HH, Phuket etc. I have seen and met lot of guys during my stay and definately they don't have 100kTHB or more every month and anyway they have managed to stay years in Thailand, so better to make good plan and stick on that and keep your safety net there, don't touch it until it's really needed.

PS. 37kTHB per month for food? You must be kidding? Same money we eat(3 persons) here(other Asian country)whole month(breakfast, lunch, dinner), eat out every weekend(Sat-Sun), having gatherings of local Thai mafia(ladies) every single week and that is not small amount of food when 5-10 ladies eat all day and evening.

[stander]

I believe that the people who live here on extremely tight budgets give no real thought to their future

At the end of the day it's up to the OP to decide if he has the financial security to live here for the next 20/30 years

[JeffreyMcCollum]

Hello Mr G.Tingtong - I hope you realise that your name means 'nuts' in Thai! - there is a lot of good advice given you in the replies to your query and I won't repeat it all. I have lived in Thailand in Bangkoka and Hua Hin for over 15 years and, setting aside Bangkok, ten years ago it used to cost me 55,000 Baht a month to live and the Baht was about 70/£, today I live in the same place (my own house) and it costs me about 80,000 Baht a month and the Baht is 48/£. The maths is not difficult; you are short of a bob or three!. Assuming you are going to come here and apply for a Retirement Visa you will also need to show either an income of 60,000 Baht a month or a deposit in the Bank of 800,000 Baht, which needs to be there at least 3 months before you apply. That figure is halved if you apply for a marriage visa (you have a Thai wife), but there are other snags to this one. Either way, you are going to find it difficult on the figures you gave. Bear in mind also that the UK tax man will still be after you if you continue to receive rental income from a property in the UK. Tthe best advice given was to come over here for a while and look at the lie of the land.

65,000 baht is what is required per month and not 60,000

He said Thai wife. With my non O M visa I need only 100,000 in the bank, doesn't even need to be 3 months prior. with no proof of income, just a letter from my wife asking me to be there

[JeffreyMcCollum]

Hello Mr. Ting Tong,

Let’s cut to the chase; In my view You simply do not have enough money to settle down permanently in any of Thailand's resorts. I will not add to the many examples of cost here in because some of the amounts stated are accurate. Suffice to say that my income is more than you say you have and I have to run a very tight budget.

After twenty years in Thailand there are other things I believe you need to know that may be more important. 1. Foreigners in Thailand are second class citizens. 2 You will have to report to immigration office every 90 days forever. 3. Each year you will have to apply for a new visa. 4. If you are not able to prove your income at 65,000 baht per month after you have spent your capital you will be deported. 5. There are ways around this but they are illegal. You can reduce your financial guarantee by registering your wife with immigration. However the immigration police have the right to inspect your home at any time to ensure that you do have a wife (Legally Married to you) in residence. 6. We foreigners a overcharged for everything we buy. 7. When you settle in Thailand any home you own will become your wife's property. (in the sense that you cannot sell it without her formal approval). Once you have bought your house your money is very likely lost. The property market in Thailand's resorts is in a mess. In Phuket house prices are falling now and are expected to fall more sharply next year. If you and your wife have children you will lose them if your marriage fails. 6. From the moment you settle down here your wife's family will be working out how to optimize their income from you, and how much they will get when you die. Corruption is rife in Thailand extending downwards from ministers in government, and the Army and the Police force all the way down through society to your mother-in-law who will be voting for the politician that gives her the most money. Corruption will affect your life if you live in Thailand.

All of this may wash over you and you'll come anyway. So finally I must tell you of my mistake. When I was planning to move to Asia Thailand and Indonesia were my joint first choices because I had already lived in both countries. However during the course of my research my solicitor suggested that I include Malaya in the analysis. I did so yet for emotional reasons I chose Thailand. Now I wish I lived in Malaya but no longer have the funds to relocate.The Malaysia deal for retiring Brits is very good. If it hasn't changed it is simply this. Bring in 50,000 GBP's to invest and you can buy anything you want in your own name including a house which you can sell at a profit when you leave and take said capital and profit with you. What a breath of fresh air that is compared to attitude of the Thai authorities.

So I guess you'll come to Thailand anyway. OK then do this leave your money safely in a British Bank. Apply for your OA Retirement Visa or Business Visa before you leave England. You can have your financial guarantee set there and then. Keep any property you own in England and rent it out. Come to Thailand and live in a rural area and see if you have what it takes to build a business there. Buy nothing. Rent what you need. After and you are making a profit buy your house on a mortgage in your wife's name. I swear that this is the only way that you can make your future boiler proof if you want to spend the rest of your natural in Thailand.

Whatever you do I wish you the best of luck.

WOW

I Never have to go to immigration on my visa nor prove income

There are many ways to buy property in your name Fully legal, did you ever goto the BOI and check ?

Where I do agree with some of what you say, I wonder why you know so little living here for 20 years ?

[johnnyk]

Dead easy to own land in your own name via the BOI! Just bring 40,000,000 baht to the table.

It would have to be a nice piece of land and a very fine house to justify going that route.

Edited August 11, 2012 by johnnyk

[ThaiTony2]

I had the same concern as you but I believe you can do it, I do it now. Here is the breakdown based on 30,000 living expense per month:

Condo is paid for.

Vehicle is paid for.

Motorcycle paid for.

Pay $600 USD per year for maint. fee to include internet/ swimming pool/ exercise room: 600/12= $50 per month.( 1,573 baht)

Pay $890 USD per year for vehicle insurance: 890/12=$74 per month (2,327 baht)

Electric - per month: (3,000 baht)

Water - per month: (1,000 baht)

LPG for vehicle - per month: (600 baht)

Gasoline for motorcycle - per month: (300 baht)

*********************************************************************************************************************************

1,573

2,327

3,000

1,000

600

300

---------------

8,830 Bath for expenses (not including meals and entertainment)

Remaining each month for (meals entertainment 21,170 remaining

For my wife and I, we can easily eat for 500 baht per day (eating out). Sometimes less (cooking at home) but we budget for 500. (500 x30 days =15,000 baht) per month.

Remaining balance is: $196.00 USD = approximately 6,200 baht for entertainment or other necessities.

Don't give up your dream!

[cheeryble]

I had the same concern as you but I believe you can do it, I do it now. Here is the breakdown based on 30,000 living expense per month:

Electric - per month: (3,000 baht)

Water - per month: (1,000 baht)

Don't give up your dream!

Hey Tony do you have a hot water selling business?

I've noticed a lot of people spend an awful lot on aircon.

I have no glass windows so cannot use air. I have no problem that a fan doesn't deal with.

I think needing air, and we're talking a major expense out of 30,000, is a superflous and completely unnecessary habit, especially in the North. Tony above would add nearly 50% to his disposable income after food for instance.That's a lot....

[oilreg]

imho, there are more and less expensive area in Thailand,

HH is more the upper level of expenses imho

but if you go to Chiang Dao f.e. its really lovely nature there no sea thou

you can rent a brand new built hourse 4 bedrooms for as less as 7000 THB

all other costs depends pretty much on your lifestyle, when you have a good wife which is able to save money rather then only spending it, i am sure that 30K per month will be more then enough

i have lots of friends living pretty good with traveling on less then 20K

however if you count in kids / school / and other stuff it easily gets quite expensive here, basically as everywhere else in the world when your wife goes to the market and cooks self, you can live quite cheap when you need to into a restaurant all of the time its getting very expensive but then it would be the very same in the UK

[stefb1964]

I think that adapting to the way of living of the locals and 'forgetting' the way you used to live in the UK might help you. Of course you should keep in mind that just like in your home country, there are more and less expensive places to live in Thailand.

[Kripe]

Everyone has different needs - I live in Chiang Mai, in a house that are paid, I work abroad making 300K THB/month, but save half for future retirement - I have a comfortable life on this amount of money and will not retire until my income from investments are exceeding 100K THB/month.

Electricity for this house is 2000 THB/month - used to heat the water, and for AC in the bedrooms only.

TV 1400 THB/month

Water 0 THB/month (own supply)

insurance 1000 THB/month

Internet/phone 700 THB/month

We eat 4 people at restaurant every day, cost for this is 1500 THB/day, but this can be done a lot cheaper. (Thai Breakfast is available at -local- restaurants for 20-30 THB)

I have had the same thoughts as you, if I was too loose my job - would I be able to live in Thailand? The answer is definitely yes - I would be able to live here for 30K/month, but then I would have to change my current lifestyle.

It will never be easy to change your lifestyle, I guess you will feel something is missing. A friend of mine live in Chiang Mai for only 12.000 THB/month, he live in a rented place paying 4500 THB/month - so what he has left is around 200THB/day - and he even smoke (50-70 THB/day).

I would not live here for 200 THB/day, but it is possible

You must consider your needs, and don't forget that everything is cheaper here in Thailand than it is in UK - so if you are able to live (comfortably) in UK for the money you have available, you will also be able to live in Thailand.

If you let us know your needs - I will be happy to make a detailed budget for you.

[pejoe]

I think you can do it on £600 if you own your own condo or house. There has been some good advice here. You need health insurance and enough rainy day money. Plan for the worst. When I was in Hua Hin earlier in the year an Estate Agent had an advertisement to manage new builds. As you are a self employed builder this could be a business idea for you to supplement your income. You would have minimal set up costs and would not even need a business premises. I am sure there is plenty of advice on the Forum for setting up a business. Best of luck.

[a10ams]

I enjoy reading all these reply's. My advise is u got 2 options. #1 come out for a 30-60 day holiday. 2 things will happen you will go home broke and probably in love with a new Thai lady. One that is younger and that will treat you better. Or 2 get back to work and start scratching lottery tickets mate. Lol at some of these guys telling you can make it on 30k-40k a month. Thailand is called the land of smiles and on a budget of that there's no way there smiling. Sure you wanna eat sticky rice and a piece of broccoli in some soup broth everyday for 20 baht 3 times a day. Live in a room were your toilet has the shower nozzle on top of it with no air con in some village off the beaten path. Yes buddy these guys aint living in Hua Hin or BKK or Pattaya or Phuket. There living in villages in 3rd world settings which is cool and all if thats what u like.

I been in Thailand 7 years now, lived Samui , BKK and Pattaya and in the last 3 years this country has gotten more expensive weaker Euro,Pound and dollar and a stronger Baht. You find a apartment in Bkk for under 15k today and its basically unlivable. Come on down to pattaya and lets go out for a night out, and yes i like to shag bar girls, minimum it's going to cost you 5-6k with dinner and guess what your going to have so much freaking fun that your going to want to do it again and again.

I'm on a 1 year visa which means I leave the country every 90 days, lol what you think that costs. I play golf why, because Thailand has some of the most beautiful courses in the world, I try to play every Sunday caddie tip balls green fees lunch there goes another 3k. Dinner out once a week decent bottle of wine for 2 there goes another 3k and keeps adding up. So yes if you wanna live in a shack with no aircon and eat soup in 100 degree weather everyday then come on down and all of you who say spending over 80k month is stupid then all I can say is at least I'm smiling ear to ear mate

Best advice so far. Couldn't imagine trying to 'live' on 35k a month ........... maybe a week!

Hua Hin is not cheap.

[ThaiTony2]

I had the same concern as you but I believe you can do it, I do it now. Here is the breakdown based on 30,000 living expense per month:

Electric - per month: (3,000 baht)

Water - per month: (1,000 baht)

Don't give up your dream!

Hey Tony do you have a hot water selling business?

I've noticed a lot of people spend an awful lot on aircon.

I have no glass windows so cannot use air. I have no problem that a fan doesn't deal with.

I think needing air, and we're talking a major expense out of 30,000, is a superflous and completely unnecessary habit, especially in the North. Tony above would add nearly 50% to his disposable income after food for instance.That's a lot....

Using the aircon is definetly a habit. With your comment, you have now caused me to think more about the alternative fan. Thank you for commenting and making me more aware.

[johnnyk]

I think you can do it on £600 if you own your own condo or house. There has been some good advice here. You need health insurance and enough rainy day money. Plan for the worst. When I was in Hua Hin earlier in the year an Estate Agent had an advertisement to manage new builds. As you are a self employed builder this could be a business idea for you to supplement your income. You would have minimal set up costs and would not even need a business premises. I am sure there is plenty of advice on the Forum for setting up a business. Best of luck.

Where is the work permit coming from?

[migrant]

Lots of advice to consider

I'm a CPA here in the states (chartered accountant on your side of the pond) and work with lots of retired people.

A couple things to consider

1) inflation, be careful, this, combined with exchange fluctuations, can be a killer.

2) You are retired on a shoestring, not much money for golf, fishing or travel (much less other hobbies). You are going from working daily to absolutely nothing to do. Maybe you want to garden, etc, but consider it.

On my retirement plan one of the larger items is travel since I will have time on my hands.

I see too many retired people who sit at home and watch TV all day, I'd rather sweat at work a couple more years so my retired ones are more comfortable, even knowing I could die tomorrow.

Good Luck!

[lizardtongue]

The advise you have been given is more or less 'spot on' I am fortunate enough to have almost 3 times your projected monthly budget we (wife and I) live reasonably well, but I would not consider it on 30k a month.

Perhaps you might consider renting out your UK property if you could realize an additional 50k a month from the rental you could easily live here on that, it also gives you the option of returning to the UK also in a few years time your property will probably be worth more!

Thailand is not as cheap or indeed as 'good value' as it was several years ago also I believe I am right in saying that the minimum wage goes up country wide early next year this will undoubtedly cause prices to further increase.

Hope it works out for you.