Costs Is Issan Village Life For A Thai?

[chris1dna]

My wife went home to stay with her aging Mom with our four year old son. They will be staying there for the next two months. Baring any complications that will inevitably arise, what is the expected amount of money they would need to live there in the normal Thai lifestyle? Any advice welcome. They are staying about halfway between Sakon Nakhon and Udon Thani. Thanks in advance.

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Edited November 8, 2012 by chris1dna

[jonas1234]

Well I not know...

Noddles 30 baht.....

Maybe....

1000 a day.....

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[IsaanAussie]

Whatever you provide will be almost enough.

[David48]

My wife went home

A few more details please ...

Is there rental involved?

Are you also supporting the MIL?

[chris1dna]

My wife went home

A few more details please ...

Is there rental involved?

Are you also supporting the MIL?

To respond to the statement about almost enough, yeah...whatever. Not all of us marry into the Thaivisa nightmare. They have plenty and it's enough.

David,

Thank you for your considered response. To your question, no rent. They are staying in family home. Been giving the mil baht4000 every month for the last 12 years. Part of that was to pay my sil to stay at home and care for her parents. Father passed away two years ago. She left to go south to be with her bf. Wifey is there to take care of her and figure out what to do next. I'm mainly concerned with the additional expense of my wife and son staying there. I will be joining them right after Christmas so I'm just trying to calculate what her needs might be till then. Even though we have been together over 12 years she still is shy to ask for anything. Good woman and the best mother on earth. IMHO.

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[englishinsiam]

Send another 5000 a month and that will be plenty.

I used to live that way and a family can buy food from the markets for around 100 baht. Enough food for a family of 4.

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[gk10002000]

Whatever you provide will be almost enough.

He he, now that is funny.

[IsaanAussie]

Whatever you provide will be almost enough.

He he, now that is funny.

Thanks I thought so. To the OP sorry if I stepped on a nerve, I definitely didnt step into any nightmares and after 11 years of marriage my wife doesn't have to ask nor do I. Re-read your post, if it wasnt inviting an attempt at humour it sure looked like it. Honestly, why don't you ask your wife, surely she is in a much better position to tell you than we are.

[jamescollister]

OP your wife is Thai and can live on next to nothing, but your 4 year old is westernized I guess, if so he will cost more in food, milk etcJim

[MrRed]

12 Years and you have to ask on Thai visa what you should give your Mrs! and only for 2 months until you arrive..... You should be ashamed of yourself.

[KunMatt]

12 Years and you have to ask on Thai visa what you should give your Mrs! and only for 2 months until you arrive..... You should be ashamed of yourself.

Yeah I thought the same. He should also save some money for a sense of humour transplant if he's so sensitive about a witty post.

Life in the village can be cheap but obviously it depends how you live, what's going on etc. If you want them to stay at home and rice and BBQ fish every day then they will get by on a pittance, if that's really how you want them to live. Most Isaan people here are pretty self sufficient, they grow their own rice which is also basically used as a currency and savings, they catch their own fish which they also trade at the morning market etc. I have rarely ever seen my gf's parents use any cash in 2 years since I've been here cuz there is nothing they really need to buy every day, drinking water and electric are the 2 biggest outgoings I guess.

For me however, I live quite a Western quality lifestyle in a way and we can easily spend 20k a month not including any major purchases.

Only you know your family and you should be the one to gauge what they need. If it was me I would give my wife and child much more than I thought they needed in case of any emergencies and whatever she didn't spend she would come back with. You've already said your wife is a good woman so why are you being so fugral with her and your child's welfare?

[bunnydrops]

I don't live it that area so I can't say for sure.10,000 should do it unless there is some "other" cost not mentioned (medical, transportation). I lived with my wife, her sister, mother and the sisters two girls for just a little over that including gas for the truck.

[patongphil]

After 12 years of marriage you have to ask these questions - tut tut tut

[SlyAnimal]

Not sure which of the following will apply, but it should give you a rough estimate if you take out what isn't required:

Electricity 500 Baht

Cellphones 200 Baht per adult

Drinking Water 150 Baht per adult

Water 200 Baht

Food 1800 Baht per adult

Baby's food can come out of the adult's budget (Especially if still breastfeeding).

So you'd be looking at around 5000 (Around 5500 if they have the internet) as a minimum.

However, you should give them more than this, as that would be a minimum, and a very basic lifestyle. Around 10,000 Baht would be a nice round number as well as being sufficient without extravagant. It would also have enough of a surplus to cover doctors visits, pharmacy costs, petrol, temple donations and maybe an occasional Leo as well. Since these are all necessary parts of life, even if they aren't "regular expenses" soto speak.

[SantiSuk]

A bit like asking how much nookie? Always depends on what has gone on before, whats the current state of play, how popular do you want to be? Then down to negotiation, then the answer ....... which is rarely the right one for both parties!

Edited November 9, 2012 by SantiSuk

[chris1dna]

Thanks for all the responses guys. Maybe my humor could use a makeover. Sorry for my abrasive response.

I don't live there so I really didn't know for sure how cheap it was to just live there. I just wasn't sure is all. Just because we've been married all this time doesn't really figure into it as I see it. I am not ashamed at all.

Maybe I'm having a bit of separation anxiety and worry too much is all. Really am attached to my Son now. At four years old he has really got me good. Hate being apart from the little guy. Wife too but well, you know..its different.

We have always traveled together before during the 10 or so times we've returned to Thailand and I paid for everything. We would stay for at least a month each time. Those trips always included going south to Phuket or Koh Tao for live board dive trips and trips to Chiang mai with some trips into laos and cambodia as well. This always included a week or more in her village. We'd have a party and fix up some stuff at her parents house and go make some minor repairs on the farm etc. We were always in vacation mode then. This time is different.

I gave her $1500 cash before they left this time so that should more than cover them for this amount of time. We do pretty well considering only I work and we live in a very very expensive part is the US. We do quite well in spite of some rough times financially through this deep recession we've been through here. So it looks like we've got it covered. Thanks again for the responses . Even the funny ones. You guys are great. Cheers.

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[NeverSure]

I gave her $1500 cash before they left this time so that should more than cover them for this amount of time.

Good man. That is generous. If she is anywhere near being frugal, and hides it, she will be in tall cotton. If on the other hand she decides to fund wants of relatives and the partying of the relatives and villagers and make an impression, you will be sending more.

If I was parked in a village with a roof and essentials over my noggin, and still had more that 20k BHT to spend per month and no girlfriend, I could be the toast of the village if Id didn't mind it being about money.

[cooked]

My wife reckons that we could survive as a couple on ฿10 000.- a month but that means no health insurance, no internet and NO BEER. She got

฿20 000.- from rice before I told her to stop working in the fields. A year. Rice, fish garden, all the weird stuff that they take from the hedge rows...

I guess that ฿10 000.- is plenty in absentia, when you get there it's you that decides how much will be spent. My wife doesn't have a purse and asks me for money if she wants to buy something.

Ignore the rather rude post above and decide for yourself.

[Lickey]

the novelty of beeing with a pretty thai wife will wear of soon, specially when your money has gone.

[chris1dna]

the novelty of beeing with a pretty thai wife will wear of soon, specially when your money has gone.

After twelve happy years together and a four year old son and that she's an American citizen now should make it fairly clear we are in it for the long haul.

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[IsaanAussie]

OP, I now understand your position better than before and I doubt I am alone in seeing some parallels in my own life. Lickey's point is perhaps a little lost on you but is all too well known by those of us who have lived here for a number of years. Rural Thailand, well Isaan at least, is not an easy place to live for a Westerner once you become part of daily life rather than a Father Christmas figure who comes for a holiday showering cash and gifts.

For a Thai, like your wife, returning after so many years on "Easy Street" it would be much more challenging. The villagers as well as the family will put enormous pressure on her and my advice would be to listen very carefully to her and look for signs that she is feeling it. You mentioned she was an unassuming person who didn't ask for much, so much the harder. The villagers will not be as soft, some will be demanding, self centred, jealous and childish. If she doesnt satisy their whims, the rumour mill will start against her, and you.

My point is that she will need your support. If the only way she can feel at ease is to walk up and down the village throwing handfuls of cash in the air, then you have to let her do that without question or complaint. Letting her fit in again is the biggest "cost" of all.

[puchooay]

If she walks into her village the same sort of person as she walked out there will be no problem. If she walks in and starts to show off then the problems above may arise.

She has gone home to take care of a parent. <deleted> give her, and the people around her some credit.

[DILLIGAD]

If she walks into her village the same sort of person as she walked out there will be no problem. If she walks in and starts to show off then the problems above may arise.

She has gone home to take care of a parent. <deleted> give her, and the people around her some credit.

I disagree and IsaanAusie has raised some valid points.

Simple Isaan farming folk will have made up thier own conclusions long before she has any village dust on those western shoes. Rumour/Gossip/Lies and especially Jealousy are rife in every village IMHO. I am very sorry to say this, but the worst offenders are those others married to farangs.

Please warn her that she will be looked upon in a very different way now no matter what or how she looks/does.

[MrRed]

The Green monster in Thailand is a disease out of control.

[KunMatt]

If she walks into her village the same sort of person as she walked out there will be no problem. If she walks in and starts to show off then the problems above may arise.

She has gone home to take care of a parent. <deleted> give her, and the people around her some credit.

I disagree and IsaanAusie has raised some valid points.

Simple Isaan farming folk will have made up thier own conclusions long before she has any village dust on those western shoes. Rumour/Gossip/Lies and especially Jealousy are rife in every village IMHO. I am very sorry to say this, but the worst offenders are those others married to farangs.

Please warn her that she will be looked upon in a very different way now no matter what or how she looks/does.

That's very true. The day we started to build a house in my gf's hometown, like the very first morning, certain other people in this village started giving my gf's parents shit and gossiping about me and my gf, even though they had never even seen me let alone spoken to me. And like you say, the only people who gossiped were families who were already farang supported. I guess if you have nothing then you have nothing to lose and 99% of people here were wonderful, but when you have a little bit then these are the people who are most nervous about the prospect of losing their place in the village hierarchy which is why their spread some pretty malicious gossip about us.

It was really pathetic teenage girl stuff and I just told my gf to ignore them and the only reason they are talking shit is because they are jealous.

[DILLIGAD]

It was really pathetic teenage girl stuff and I just told my gf to ignore them and the only reason they are talking shit is because they are jealous.

KunMatt

Its lucky you have just experienced pathetic teenage girlie stuff!

Unfortunetly I have seen down right evil stuff done to my lady because of jealousy. My lady was in crippling pain on an A&E bed and this farangs wife came to get her sisters phone number. We thought (stupidly) she was informing her family in Thai of our problem.

NO!....... She phoned her sister to try to get 20,000b for introducing her to a farang. the funny thing is she is renting out the SAME American farang to guillable stupid ladies searching for Mr ATM!

Whats sad is the American husband is living in denial of all this and many more evil goings on.

Edited November 10, 2012 by DILLIGAD

[manxninja]

10,000 baht a month is plenty for thais to live very comfortably.

The wife sends money to her familly in Buriram.

The first time i went daddy came out smoking away on western cigarettes.

I told him if he can afford to smoke then he doesnt need any money from my wife.

He gave up smoking that day .

If the familly deserve some money now and again fine give them some. But why give lazy people that are not prepared to work your hard earned cash.

I see farangs in the Big C and Tescos following their teeruks round like lost sheep its pretty sad to watch.

Saying that ive never had a problem buying beers for thais in the village im friendly with, they always repay the favour.

Act like a mug you will be treated like one in any country in the world.

[bunnydrops]

If she walks into her village the same sort of person as she walked out there will be no problem. If she walks in and starts to show off then the problems above may arise.

She has gone home to take care of a parent. <deleted> give her, and the people around her some credit.

I disagree and IsaanAusie has raised some valid points.

Simple Isaan farming folk will have made up thier own conclusions long before she has any village dust on those western shoes. Rumour/Gossip/Lies and especially Jealousy are rife in every village IMHO. I am very sorry to say this, but the worst offenders are those others married to farangs.

Please warn her that she will be looked upon in a very different way now no matter what or how she looks/does.

That's very true. The day we started to build a house in my gf's hometown, like the very first morning, certain other people in this village started giving my gf's parents shit and gossiping about me and my gf, even though they had never even seen me let alone spoken to me. And like you say, the only people who gossiped were families who were already farang supported. I guess if you have nothing then you have nothing to lose and 99% of people here were wonderful, but when you have a little bit then these are the people who are most nervous about the prospect of losing their place in the village hierarchy which is why their spread some pretty malicious gossip about us.

It was really pathetic teenage girl stuff and I just told my gf to ignore them and the only reason they are talking shit is because they are jealous.

Thai like to gossip, The first thing my wife did when we moved to her village was to go to a local monk and get some "magic water" in a bottle so she could not be harmed by "bad thoughts" of us.

[ALFREDO]

I gave her $1500 cash before they left this time so that should more than cover them for this amount of time.

That is ok and well done.

Half way, between Udon Thani and Sakhon Nakhon, can be somewhere around,Nong Han and Sawang Den Ding, I stay not far from there.

[ALFREDO]

Rural Thailand, well Isaan at least, is not an easy place to live for a Westerner

If the only way she can feel at ease is to walk up and down the village throwing handfuls of cash in the air

1st sentence, -No, is easy, I had no big problems. Live since more than 10 years mostly in Isaan with GF and children.-

2nd sentence, -Never saw that, from a woman who stays a decade+ in EU or USA with her Falang husband-.