2013 Living Cost Comparison Gpb Vs Thb

[davejones]

Rent 3 bed house (I realise this is area dependant but outskirts of Chiang Mai is comparable to outskirts of Brighton, if you want cheap tup north or in baanok then obviously prices will be lower and proportionally for both)

Thai - £400

UK - £1300

Ellectric to run my 3 bed house, (2 adult 2 children):

Thai - 1350bht (£30)

UK - £200

Gas to heat and cooking

Thai - almost nothing, just a £10 gas canister every 3 or 4 months for the stove

UK - £80 (averaged by the utility company the balance highs and lows of winter and summer)

Full tank of petrol

Thai - £30

UK - £70

I take it that the average Brit earns +2500 Pound a month after taxes these days, otherwise every Brit must be broke or living under a bridge. OP ?

Average earnings in UK is £26,500. Many households have at least two earners. Many well-off people in UK, and many not doing so well.

I don't see why you say every Brit must be broke. Maybe you're referring to rental figure above. Most people own their properties with or without a mortgage. A large percentage own their properties outright. The average person with a mortgage has around 50% equity. The average property purchaser puts down a 40% deposit. So housing costs aren't so bad, especially with ver low interest rates at the moment. Those renting often share the rent with husband/wife or friend(s). But yes, it's still tough for many.

Yes I was just counting up the numbers of the items I added in my post.Those numebrs are only the start, at that point you haven't eaten once a month or paid taxes.

And when you say that the average property purchaser outs down 40%, I say again that the average Brit most be very wealthy as I " hear " that an average house in London goes for +500.000 Pounds.

The average purchaser is probably 40-50 years old, so have built up lots of equity. Many in London bought for under £100K 20-30 years ago. They may now have houses worth up to £1m. It's not that people are cash rich, it's just that they have lived a long time in houses that have increased in value. UK has an aging population. They have a huge amount of equity built up. But many are asset rich and cash poor. I know plenty of people in my area of London that live in apartments worth over £500K, but they have jobs where they earn £40-50K and don't feel rich at all. In 1995 you could buy an apartment in Notting Hill for under £50K. You didn't need to be rich. If you stayed there, you now have an apartment worth at least £400K. And these are just average people.

My mum does ok, but has below average income. But she only paid £7K for her house. It's now worth £250K. Some people (you maybe) wonder how people like my mum can afford to live in a £250K house. Well the simple answer is that she bought it for next to nothing. Times have changed. The older generation are very asset rich. The younger generation find it very tough to get a start on the housing ladder. But many will eventually inherit their parents assets. First time buyers are the ones that are the worst off these days. Very tough for many of them.

[MAJIC]

You forgot the main costs in Thailand against UK which are as follows

Schools .

Thailand = 10000 baht a month for International school

UK = Free

Hospitals. Thailand expensive for Emergency treatment.

Uk = Free

This is when all the UK haters come back with the begging bowl, and realise its not that bad,

And its far more then 10000BHT, double that and that is where prices start from.

Correct! friend of mine had 4 days in a so called Intensive Care ward,with no Surgery needed,and came out with a 100,000 Baht bill.

[jbrain]

Yes I was just counting up the numbers of the items I added in my post.Those numebrs are only the start, at that point you haven't eaten once a month or paid taxes.

And when you say that the average property purchaser outs down 40%, I say again that the average Brit most be very wealthy as I " hear " that an average house in London goes for +500.000 Pounds.

The average purchaser is probably 40-50 years old, so have built up lots of equity. Many in London bought for under £100K 20-30 years ago. They may now have houses worth up to £1m. It's not that people are cash rich, it's just that they have lived a long time in houses that have increased in value. UK has an aging population. They have a huge amount of equity built up. But many are asset rich and cash poor. I know plenty of people in my area of London that live in apartments worth over £500K, but they have jobs where they earn £40-50K and don't feel rich at all. In 1995 you could buy an apartment in Notting Hill for under £50K. You didn't need to be rich. If you stayed there, you now have an apartment worth at least £400K. And these are just average people.

My mum does ok, but has below average income. But she only paid £7K for her house. It's now worth £250K. Some people (you maybe) wonder how people like my mum can afford to live in a £250K house. Well the simple answer is that she bought it for next to nothing. Times have changed. The older generation are very asset rich. The younger generation find it very tough to get a start on the housing ladder. But many will eventually inherit their parents assets. First time buyers are the ones that are the worst off these days. Very tough for many of them.

So looking at your post I take it that no people are born anymore in the UK and everyone is 40 years age up ?

Edited March 28, 2013 by jbrain

[MAJIC]

Paying 40% tax if I stay in the UK, no contest.

Very true. Just the tax saved is enough for many to live on in Thailand. Best thing I did was leave the UK.

But the UK gave you the ability to live the life you do.

Id say overall its a little cheaper to live in a westernised part of Thailand then it is to live in England if you are childless.

One comparison you should make is the wages people earn in Thailand compared to those made in the UK.

A British uneducated monkey can fairly easily earn £70K on the rigs, in Thailand someone with a degree from one of the mills out there gets 300-600K BHT per annum for the same job.

Your first line hit the nail on the head,they have to learn the hard way,Thailand will not finance them in any way.

[mccw]

Paying 40% tax if I stay in the UK, no contest.

Very true. Just the tax saved is enough for many to live on in Thailand. Best thing I did was leave the UK.

But the UK gave you the ability to live the life you do.

Id say overall its a little cheaper to live in a westernised part of Thailand then it is to live in England if you are childless.

One comparison you should make is the wages people earn in Thailand compared to those made in the UK.

A British uneducated monkey can fairly easily earn £70K on the rigs, in Thailand someone with a degree from one of the mills out there gets 300-600K BHT per annum for the same job.

Your first line hit the nail on the head,they have to learn the hard way,Thailand will not finance them in any way.

Shame the UK can't take such a common sense aproach to all the foreigners on our shores too.

I went to see lawyer today about my getting Thai residency - its possible - but I ask about citizen one day and she joke like only if I'm tiger woods or win the Nobel prize or something. What a contrast! No citizen = no responsibility or liability. Live, work and take care yourself - and quite right too.

[Tomtomtom69]

Enjoyed the ex-GF who wouldn't eat brown rice. That was brilliant.

I enjoyed the "it's not healthy" comparisons. Looking around some Thai towns, healthy living doesn't seem to top the priority chart.

3 questions.

1. How much does it cost in the UK for a 23 year old Asian woman to spend the night with a 64 year old man?

2. How much for a viagra tablet?

3. So with all the perks - healthier food in larger quantities and better quality at less cost, free health care, free tv, free bus rides, free rent, then..... what in the hell are all these fat, gray haired horny old retired guys doing in Thailand?

A fake viagra or real viagra tablet? A fake one is probably much cheaper than the UK, hell what am I saying...there are no fake viagra tablets in the UK, are there? Real ones more expensive in Thailand than the UK, because Thailand loves taxing the hell out of all imports, right?

[Tomtomtom69]

You forgot the main costs in Thailand against UK which are as follows

Schools .

Thailand = 10000 baht a month for International school

UK = Free

Hospitals. Thailand expensive for Emergency treatment.

Uk = Free

This is when all the UK haters come back with the begging bowl, and realise its not that bad,

And its far more then 10000BHT, double that and that is where prices start from.

Yes, but who in their right mind travels to a foreign country without insurance?! It doesn't matter how much the "real" cost of emergency medical treatment is in Thailand or any other country, because with travel insurance all your expenses will be covered!

[Tomtomtom69]

A couple more comparisons-

1hr Thai massage uk £35

Thailand £3

Ladies wash and cut

UK £30 up

Thai £10 up

Manicure & pedicure

UK £30 each

Thai- tenner the two together

Nice coffee and cake

Thai about half price UK

(My missus loves it here too)

I used to pay £50-85 for Thai massage in London.

Coffee in CM 70p-£1. In London around £2.

UK - moody grumpy stone faces

Thai - happy smiling good vibes

UK - cold and wet

Thai - warm and sunny

Priceless

I'd pay more to live here just for those benefits. It's really grim in some parts of the UK.

I'm not sure about the UK, but I just paid 115 Baht for an S&P iced coffee at the new Tesco Lotus Extra in Mae Sot! I just realised that this is almost A$4 which is no cheaper than the equivalent kind of coffee from any similar coffee shop or restaurant in Australia. You definitely need to be a rich local in Thailand to afford things like an S&P iced coffee. Of course not many Burmese migrant workers (illegal or not) can be expected to afford a coffee from a place like S&P. Indeed I was the only customer there at the time.

[MAJIC]

UK - moody grumpy stone faces

Thai - happy smiling good vibes

UK - cold and wet

Thai - warm and sunny

Priceless

Thai - People who tolerate you at best, and see you as a cash cow.

UK - More genuine people and you are accepted as one is amongst his/her own.

Thai - A culture and a people that i will never fathom.

UK - Honest straightforward people.

Thai - Cant cross the road without fearing for ones life, for a significant proportion no problem to run someone over.

UK - Civilised folk driving.

I think if most of you could get a slim attractive bird in England, youd like the place a lot more ... though IMHO most farang get the dregs of Thai society just a bit younger and slimmer then back home.

I have a slim attractive bird and she would live with me in England if I wanted to live there, but I don't want to. I think it's the same for me. Much better life out here in the sun.

Also, 3-5 million retired UK couples (both farangs) have left to live in warmer places like Spain. Leaving for a better climate is what many do. Attractive birds (as you so eloquently call them) is an added bonus here. For millions, a life in the sun is preferable to life in the UK, even if they take their 60-70 year old overweight wives with them. I think you misunderstand the motives of the vast majority of people that leave the UK.

Jeez! can't you look up some proper researched facts,before you go posting the first thing that comes into your head???

The figures at the end of 2012,for ExPats resident in Spain are 390,880,and nowhere near your silly "3-5 million retired UK couples"

[Naam]

Enjoyed the ex-GF who wouldn't eat brown rice. That was brilliant.

I enjoyed the "it's not healthy" comparisons. Looking around some Thai towns, healthy living doesn't seem to top the priority chart.

3 questions.

1. How much does it cost in the UK for a 23 year old Asian woman to spend the night with a 64 year old man?

2. How much for a viagra tablet?

3. So with all the perks - healthier food in larger quantities and better quality at less cost, free health care, free tv, free bus rides, free rent, then..... what in the hell are all these fat, gray haired horny old retired guys doing in Thailand?

A fake viagra or real viagra tablet? A fake one is probably much cheaper than the UK, hell what am I saying...there are no fake viagra tablets in the UK, are there? Real ones more expensive in Thailand than the UK, because Thailand loves taxing the hell out of all imports, right?

it's not Thailand taxing the hell on imports but the hundreds of million profits Messrs. Pfizer are making on their overpriced product.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Yes, but who in their right mind travels to a foreign country without insurance?! It doesn't matter how much the "real" cost of emergency medical treatment is in Thailand or any other country, because with travel insurance all your expenses will be covered!

Travel insurance is for holidaymakers, if you live in Thailand you can't use it.

I'm

not sure about the UK, but I just paid 115 Baht for an S&P iced coffee at the new Tesco Lotus Extra in Mae Sot! I just realised that

this is almost A$4 which is no cheaper than the equivalent kind of coffee from any similar coffee shop or restaurant in Australia. You

definitely need to be a rich local in Thailand to afford things like an S&P iced coffee. Of course not many Burmese migrant workers (illegal

or not) can be expected to afford a coffee from a place like S&P. Indeed I was the only customer there at the time.

You can buy overpriced items anywhere in the world, in Thailand a very nice iced coffee can be had most places for a very reasonable 35bht.

A fake viagra or real viagra tablet? A fake one is probably much cheaper than the UK, hell what am I saying...there are no fake viagra tablets in

the UK, are there? Real ones more expensive in Thailand than the UK, because Thailand loves taxing the hell out of all imports, right?

As Naam has already pointed out, 'fake' is not the correct word, 'generic' is the one you should have used.

Edited March 29, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[davejones]

Paying 40% tax if I stay in the UK, no contest.

Very true. Just the tax saved is enough for many to live on in Thailand. Best thing I did was leave the UK.

But the UK gave you the ability to live the life you do.

Id say overall its a little cheaper to live in a westernised part of Thailand then it is to live in England if you are childless.

One comparison you should make is the wages people earn in Thailand compared to those made in the UK.

A British uneducated monkey can fairly easily earn £70K on the rigs, in Thailand someone with a degree from one of the mills out there gets 300-600K BHT per annum for the same job.

Your first line hit the nail on the head,they have to learn the hard way,Thailand will not finance them in any way.

Very true, but I don't need financing. I make my own way in life, and work. I've worked hard to get where I am. For me, true freedom is important. Relying on other, especially the state, is not a good option. For the vast majority that rely on the state, what will they do if if no longer exists. Many in the UK already can't get the medical treatment they need because the state doesn't have enough money. This will only get worse as the population ages. I don't want to rely on something like that.

I don't expect Thailand to finance me.

And yes, I am very grateful for the start I got in life, but I don't think that gives the state the right to tax me excessively. If the money was being used wisely I wouldn't mind so much, but the vast majority is simply wasted. Why should I stay in a country that takes my hard earned money and gives it away to bad causes?

[davejones]

UK - moody grumpy stone faces

Thai - happy smiling good vibes

UK - cold and wet

Thai - warm and sunny

Priceless

Thai - People who tolerate you at best, and see you as a cash cow.

UK - More genuine people and you are accepted as one is amongst his/her own.

Thai - A culture and a people that i will never fathom.

UK - Honest straightforward people.

Thai - Cant cross the road without fearing for ones life, for a significant proportion no problem to run someone over.

UK - Civilised folk driving.

I think if most of you could get a slim attractive bird in England, youd like the place a lot more ... though IMHO most farang get the dregs of Thai society just a bit younger and slimmer then back home.

I have a slim attractive bird and she would live with me in England if I wanted to live there, but I don't want to. I think it's the same for me. Much better life out here in the sun.

Also, 3-5 million retired UK couples (both farangs) have left to live in warmer places like Spain. Leaving for a better climate is what many do. Attractive birds (as you so eloquently call them) is an added bonus here. For millions, a life in the sun is preferable to life in the UK, even if they take their 60-70 year old overweight wives with them. I think you misunderstand the motives of the vast majority of people that leave the UK.

Jeez! can't you look up some proper researched facts,before you go posting the first thing that comes into your head???

The figures at the end of 2012,for ExPats resident in Spain are 390,880,and nowhere near your silly "3-5 million retired UK couples"

I said warmer places like Spain. I didn't say 3-5 million live in Spain. 3-5 million live abroad, mostly in warmer countries. But I meant 3-5 million people, many of which are couples. So total of 3-5 million not 6-8 million.

No need to shout.

Edited March 29, 2013 by davejones

[Naam]

Enjoyed the ex-GF who wouldn't eat brown rice. That was brilliant.

I enjoyed the "it's not healthy" comparisons. Looking around some Thai towns, healthy living doesn't seem to top the priority chart.

3 questions.

1. How much does it cost in the UK for a 23 year old Asian woman to spend the night with a 64 year old man?

2. How much for a viagra tablet?

3. So with all the perks - healthier food in larger quantities and better quality at less cost, free health care, free tv, free bus rides, free rent, then..... what in the hell are all these fat, gray haired horny old retired guys doing in Thailand?

A fake viagra or real viagra tablet? A fake one is probably much cheaper than the UK, hell what am I saying...there are no fake viagra tablets in the UK, are there? Real ones more expensive in Thailand than the UK, because Thailand loves taxing the hell out of all imports, right?

it's not Thailand taxing the hell on imports but the hundreds of million profits Messrs. Pfizer are making on their overpriced product.

for what it's worth, the cost of raw "Sildenafil" (the one and only ingredient of Viagra) was some months ago in India US-Dollars 680 per kilogram. the latter is sufficient to produce 10,000 (ten-thousand) doses each 100milligrams.

in Europe a single dose is sold for €UR 12-15 (445-560 Thai Baht)!

[davejones]

Yes I was just counting up the numbers of the items I added in my post.Those numebrs are only the start, at that point you haven't eaten once a month or paid taxes.

And when you say that the average property purchaser outs down 40%, I say again that the average Brit most be very wealthy as I " hear " that an average house in London goes for +500.000 Pounds.

The average purchaser is probably 40-50 years old, so have built up lots of equity. Many in London bought for under £100K 20-30 years ago. They may now have houses worth up to £1m. It's not that people are cash rich, it's just that they have lived a long time in houses that have increased in value. UK has an aging population. They have a huge amount of equity built up. But many are asset rich and cash poor. I know plenty of people in my area of London that live in apartments worth over £500K, but they have jobs where they earn £40-50K and don't feel rich at all. In 1995 you could buy an apartment in Notting Hill for under £50K. You didn't need to be rich. If you stayed there, you now have an apartment worth at least £400K. And these are just average people.

My mum does ok, but has below average income. But she only paid £7K for her house. It's now worth £250K. Some people (you maybe) wonder how people like my mum can afford to live in a £250K house. Well the simple answer is that she bought it for next to nothing. Times have changed. The older generation are very asset rich. The younger generation find it very tough to get a start on the housing ladder. But many will eventually inherit their parents assets. First time buyers are the ones that are the worst off these days. Very tough for many of them.

So looking at your post I take it that no people are born anymore in the UK and everyone is 40 years age up ?

You obviously didn't read my post properly. Nowhere does it say, or suggest, that no people are born in the UK any more. UK is an aging population with a lot more older people, so they have property from when they were young. Plenty of young people, but not enough to counter the older ones, which is why there are big problems on the way regarding pension affordability, and why the pension age is being moved further out, and will continue to be moved.

Expensive property tends to make people poorer, not richer, because most of their money is tied up in the property.

[taninthai]

Many good posts here but I think David jOnes is not looking at the bigger picture not every got such a good start as he did not many average people probably none are earning 120k month(1 million Gbp year) David seems to be from an extremely rich area of London which is a different story all together,i think he needs to look at the bigger picture get out to the suburbs around greater London and the whole country many people living in council flats living of their week to week wage.Not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouth as for giving paying 40% tax a reason for not liking living or returning there I'm sure if all your investments went tits up you would soon be running back there to start bringing the money back in.

[davejones]

Many good posts here but I think David jOnes is not looking at the bigger picture not every got such a good start as he did not many average people probably none are earning 120k month(1 million Gbp year) David seems to be from an extremely rich area of London which is a different story all together,i think he needs to look at the bigger picture get out to the suburbs around greater London and the whole country many people living in council flats living of their week to week wage.Not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouth as for giving paying 40% tax a reason for not liking living or returning there I'm sure if all your investments went tits up you would soon be running back there to start bringing the money back in.

LOL. I was brought up on a not-so-nice council estate. What I have I worked hard for all my life. No silver spoon. Just got off my backside and got on with it. Others in the same situation sat around and complained, and are still doing the same.

I won't be running back to the UK under any circumstances. If I lost everything (which won't happen), then I would start again. I'm not like the masses that think it's ok to sponge of others. I rather take care of myself (and family). I don't expect others to take care of me. I would help out those really in need (and I do), but most complainers need to get out there and do some work. If they spend as much time working as they do complaining, then they'd be a lot better off. I've lived in plenty of areas of the UK, and know what it's like. Most areas do ok. Plenty of nice places to live in the UK.

To save 40% tax is a great reason to leave. Why should I give all that money to spongers? And I don't mean poor people on the dole, I mean rich bankers. That's we gets much of taxpayers money these days. QE = giving taxpayers money to banks and bankers. And their cronies. I'm well out of that.

Suppose you went on holiday and had a choice two countries. One was nice and sunny and was free. The other was cold and dark and charged £40K a year entry fee. Which would you choose? The first is Thailand, the second is UK. I don't see why someone would pay £40K for the privilege of living there. Free world, so people leave. UK government is driving people away with their high-tax, high-debt policies.

This is very valid for this thread, because it's about costs. Tax is a cost, and a big one for many. Even if cost of living in Thailand was more, tax saved can completely cover the cost. Many don't realise this.

Edited March 29, 2013 by davejones

[taninthai]

How are you saving 40% tax by moving to Thailand are you earning the same money in Thailand compared to what you were in the uk,

You are simply not paying 40% tax because the money to be earned here is on a completely different level,you were paying 40% tax because you were a high earner you giving the Job up saved you 40% tax not moving to Thailand where the option to earn that sort of money are extremely limited.

If you are now in Thailand and earning 6 million bht a month and not paying any tax then yes I agree with you that moving to Thailand saved you paying 40% tax but I very much doubt that Is the actual scenario.

Edited March 29, 2013 by taninthai

[AnotherOneAmerican]

How are you saving 40% tax by moving to Thailand are you earning the same money in Thailand compared to what you were in the uk,

You are simply not paying 40% tax because the money to be earned here is on a completely different level,you were paying 40% tax because you were a high earner you giving the Job up saved you 40% tax not moving to Thailand where the option to earn that sort of money are extremely limited.

Not everyone is an employee, working and living in the Uk.

You could be an off-shore oil worker, changing your home country will change your tax.

Then there are miners, working 5 on 3 off, working PNG, off in home country.

You could be an International consultant or computer programmer, same tax advantages.

Etc.

Edited March 29, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[davejones]

taninthai, on 29 Mar 2013 - 14:50, said:

How are you saving 40% tax by moving to Thailand are you earning the same money in Thailand compared to what you were in the uk,

You are simply not paying 40% tax because the money to be earned here is on a completely different level,you were paying 40% tax because you were a high earner you giving the Job up saved you 40% tax not moving to Thailand where the option to earn that sort of money are extremely limited.

If you are now in Thailand and earning 6 million bht a month and not paying any tax then yes I agree with you that moving to Thailand saved you paying 40% tax but I very much doubt that Is the actual scenario.

I have already done the work, so I an not working at the moment. But I get royalty and other payments that are paid to me in the UK. I'm non-resident there for tax purposes, so those payments aren't taxed. They aren't taxed in Thailand either because i don't work here, or get paid. here. So the money I receive that I used to pay tax on is no longer taxed. So I get 100% of the money I worked hard for, and the taxman gets 0%.

You only need to be earning just over 2 million baht (not 6 million) to put you into the 40% tax band. 40% tax band starts at £32,011 for 2013-14. So anything over that and you're saving the 40% you would have paid.

Edited March 29, 2013 by davejones

[taninthai]

The comment that most people are putting 40-50% down On deposit for property is ridiculous,yes middle aged people that are moving house having sold their original property do this but they are also extending their mortgage terms and the mortgage is also going up.the average workIng man is struggling to get a 15-20% deposit together and for the younger generation some of the deposit is coming from mummy and daddy's savings.

[davejones]

The comment that most people are putting 40-50% down On deposit for property is ridiculous,yes middle aged people that are moving house having sold their original property do this but they are also extending their mortgage terms and the mortgage is also going up.the average workIng man is struggling to get a 15-20% deposit together and for the younger generation some of the deposit is coming from mummy and daddy's savings.

The average deposit is around 40% or more. Many pay 100% cash. Just look it up yourself. It's generally only first time buyers that have close to 100% mortgages. Property prices are around double what they were a decade or so ago. So anyone who bought before then has at least 50% equity in their property. And that covers most property owners. So if they now move, they have plenty for a big deposit.

Many people have trouble understanding how people can afford to live in property costing so much. These people generally don't understand the market at all, and think everyone gets a near 100% mortgage. That is not how it works at all. If you don't believe me, then just ask some mortgage brokers, estate agents, etc.

My mum is getting old and will probably move to a smaller place, so she'll pay cash - no need for a mortgage. All my mum's friends are in this situation.

Check the figures yourself. I don't know why you find them so hard to believe. Just sit down and think about it.

UPDATE - I did some work for you...

The estimated average outstanding mortgage for the 11.3m households that carry mortgage debt stood at £112,071 in January. See http://www.creditaction.org.uk/helpful-resources/debt-statistics.html.

So average property prices is around £250K I think, so most have £140K equity. If they move they have (on average) £140K to put don as a deposit on the new place.

BUT - the figures above don't include the millions that own their houses outright. Add those in and teh average debt is low, and equity higher.

Are you starting to understand?

Middle-aged and older people are the ones that own most property. So MOST are in this position. The young aren't, and I'm not claiming they are.

Edited March 29, 2013 by davejones

[taninthai]

Please stop property prices have not any where near doubled in the last decade,I bought my property 81/2years ago it's probably gone up by 30-40k maximum.

Statistics and facts are two completely different things according to your links average owed on mortgage is 112,000 and you conclude an average property price of 250k from this,well none of this is the case for me I owe 109,000 on the mortgage and the property is worth around 170k if I'm lucky.

Please show me 1 property that has doubled in price in the last decade I honestly don't know how you can make that claim there would be a lot of average people becoming pretty well off in the uk if that was the case.

[davejones]

Please stop property prices have not any where near doubled in the last decade,I bought my property 81/2years ago it's probably gone up by 30-40k maximum.

Statistics and facts are two completely different things according to your links average owed on mortgage is 112,000 and you conclude an average property price of 250k from this,well none of this is the case for me I owe 109,000 on the mortgage and the property is worth around 170k if I'm lucky.

Please show me 1 property that has doubled in price in the last decade I honestly don't know how you can make that claim there would be a lot of average people becoming pretty well off in the uk if that was the case.

This is getting off topic, so my last post. You have 170k property and 109k mortgage, so 61K equity. Move to a 200k property, and even you have 30% deposit.

Here are some articles show property prices have double in last decade, or close enough.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/blog/2011/jan/31/house-prices-doubled-decade

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-197693/House-prices-138-decade.html

I don't think this makes people rich. If they are still living in the same house, have the same job, etc, then the money is tied up in the house, so not really available to them. But they are asset rich in a way. Even you have £61,000.

I didn't conclude from the mortgage owed figures that the average property is worth £250K. I just remember reading that it's around that. I could be wrong.

Anyway, things to do, end of thread for me.

You made £61K. Well done.

By 2015, over 50% of UK homeowners will own their homes outright i.e. no mortgage. See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2206964/Majority-homeowners-UK-mortgage-free-THREE-years.html.

Edited March 29, 2013 by davejones

[taninthai]

Them links are a load of crap do you believe everything you read in the newspapers ,that could have been written by a real estate agent.

The headline reads house prices nearly doubled in 10 years, then right under Neath that it's says latest news house prices fall for the 4th consecutive month.

As for 50% owning there property byb2015 I'd say impossible Many people have hit hard times and moved to interest only mortgage so what they owe is not even being payed off.

I have not made 61,000 your forgeting about the deposit I put down as said you are not looking at the bigger picture any way yes way of topic now thanks for the discussion

Edited March 29, 2013 by taninthai

[Naam]

Many good posts here but I think David jOnes is not looking at the bigger picture not every got such a good start as he did not many average people probably none are earning 120k month(1 million Gbp year) David seems to be from an extremely rich area of London which is a different story all together,i think he needs to look at the bigger picture get out to the suburbs around greater London and the whole country many people living in council flats living of their week to week wage.Not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouth as for giving paying 40% tax a reason for not liking living or returning there I'm sure if all your investments went tits up you would soon be running back there to start bringing the money back in.

LOL. I was brought up on a not-so-nice council estate. What I have I worked hard for all my life. No silver spoon. Just got off my backside and got on with it. Others in the same situation sat around and complained, and are still doing the same.

I won't be running back to the UK under any circumstances. If I lost everything (which won't happen), then I would start again. I'm not like the masses that think it's ok to sponge of others. I rather take care of myself (and family). I don't expect others to take care of me. I would help out those really in need (and I do), but most complainers need to get out there and do some work. If they spend as much time working as they do complaining, then they'd be a lot better off. I've lived in plenty of areas of the UK, and know what it's like. Most areas do ok. Plenty of nice places to live in the UK.

To save 40% tax is a great reason to leave. Why should I give all that money to spongers? And I don't mean poor people on the dole, I mean rich bankers. That's we gets much of taxpayers money these days. QE = giving taxpayers money to banks and bankers. And their cronies. I'm well out of that.

Suppose you went on holiday and had a choice two countries. One was nice and sunny and was free. The other was cold and dark and charged £40K a year entry fee. Which would you choose? The first is Thailand, the second is UK. I don't see why someone would pay £40K for the privilege of living there. Free world, so people leave. UK government is driving people away with their high-tax, high-debt policies.

This is very valid for this thread, because it's about costs. Tax is a cost, and a big one for many. Even if cost of living in Thailand was more, tax saved can completely cover the cost. Many don't realise this.

This is very valid for this thread, because it's about costs. Tax is a

cost, and a big one for many. Even if cost of living in Thailand was

more, tax saved can completely cover the cost. Many don't realise this.

i mentioned this fact not only in this but since a few years in

half a dozen other threads. in my case not only my total expenses

are covered but taxes i'm saving exceed my total expenses by

a nice additional bundle.

living in my home country Germany i would have to pay:

-income tax.........................................42.00%

-solidarity tax (5% of income tax)..........2.10%

-church tax............................................7.00%

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

total.....................................................51.10%

====================================

there's talk raising the present maximum to 53%;

then it would look like this:

-income tax.........................................53.00%

-solidarity tax (5% of income tax)..........2.65%

-church tax............................................7.00%

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

total.....................................................62.65%

====================================

[cloudhopper]

Church tax?

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Solidarity tax?

[chiang mai]

The German equivelent of the UK chancel repair I would guess.

Edited March 29, 2013 by chiang mai

[taninthai]

Let's look at this way ok your saving high tax bracket but your income has dropped hugely and earning potential more or less disappeared ,so you have saved on tax but moved to a nigh on 3rd world country with no free health care ,no free schooling so your health care and schooling fees will soon cancel out any savings you think you made through not paying tax ....swings and roundabouts.