How much money does a thai family need minimum a month to pay the bills?

[benalibina]

Living in a central northern provincial city in thailand.

2 adults and, lets say, 2 young kids of 4 and 5 years old

Renting a house of 4 k

Owning a car

Thanks for the input of your calculations and thoughts.

[chrisinth]

Do they have air conditioning, how many units?

Do they have Sat. TV, which package?

Do they have internet, which package?

How often do they use the car?

Do they have motorbikes as well?

How many fridges/freezers are in the house?

Eat in or out?

Just a couple of points towards the main money spending trends................... Until you know the 'extras', you can't calculate.

[i claudius]

How long is a bit of string?

[krisb]

About 10k a month food, power and water. Then rent, car and whatever else on top. Not using air cons.

[krisb]

How long is a bit of string?

twice the length of its half point.

[justben]

How much debt do they have and how many expensive things they can't afford do they own? Not including debts it's probably around 15,000 to not be miserable. With debt on the car, the house, the 1/2 rai swamp they bought on mortgage coz it was such a great deal and whatever else, they require infinite amounts of cash. In comes whitey lol

[cooked]

Too many variables. No insurance, no special school, no airc., no car no beer, eat Thai: B15 000 ok. I don't do without any of these things and would scrape through on B45 000 if only I wasn't building and renovating our paid for home.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[kikoman]

The minimum wage in Thailand is 300 baht a day or about $300.00 per month, so to live the lifestyle the OP presented, just to afford car payments and upkeep, insurance and the 4 K monthly rent would leave about 9000 baht for all the other household expenses, would require an income of about $900. to $1000.per month to barely afford that lifestyle, 30,000 baht per month.

My guess-ta-mit.

Cheers: :

[Bluetongue]

Making a budget and sticking to it usually is not part of the equation. The car might be 10,000 a month or it might not, it could be in hock that not everyone knows about. The answer is though, in most cases, whatever is given will be spent and before the next month starts. So I agree somewhere between 15 and 30k sounds in the ball park, but there could be people living in the situation described on a lot less or a lot more. A clue, if they have annual bills for the various things mentioned, car insurance for one, these would take a huge chunk out of 30k. If they have 4 or 5 of these commitments 30k would probably not be enough.

[chrisinth]

The OP stated that they own the car. I am assuming (oh-oh) that it is paid off?? The property is being rented @ 4,000 baht a month, so no payments there.

In addition to the points mentioned earlier, what type of school will the kids be going to?

Is the family insured and if so, what sort of package?

Not trying to berate the OP but all these factors should be taken into consideration as a matter of course.

[boosta]

Both adults working would earn around say B14,000 at the low end, so after rent leaves 10,000 without the car, nothing special for the kids education.

I've been told total car expenses can be kept under B10,000 but depends on the terms of the bank loan of course.

Starting to look like B30K's the minimum for any kind of decent lifestyle doesn't it.

[NanLaew]

Electric varies from 1800 to 4500 baht depending on who is home and if the a/c is being used.

Water is invariably less than 100 baht unless one has some serious lawn care.

The newest internet/TV packages are less than 1000 baht.

Mobile phone service... depends on (ab)user.

Land line phone (if needed) is also around 50 baht.

So now it comes down to feeding and 15,000 should cover Thai food, dining out (street vendor and shophouse style) and the market purchases for the cook up at home. If they start buggering about with McDonald's, ice creams, fizzy drinks and farang food, it can go astronomical.

School can be anywhere from 5000 to 8000/term/child in a government school.

Not including car notes and such fripperies but you need a crotch rocket so that will be 800 baht for go juice assuming that it's bought and paid for already. You can get them on finance but I never have.

So, how does 25k baht/month tops sound?

[boosta]

Electric varies from 1800 to 4500 baht depending on who is home and if the a/c is being used.

Water is invariably less than 100 baht unless one has some serious lawn care.

The newest internet/TV packages are less than 1000 baht.

Mobile phone service... depends on (ab)user.

Land line phone (if needed) is also around 50 baht.

So now it comes down to feeding and 15,000 should cover Thai food, dining out (street vendor and shophouse style) and the market purchases for the cook up at home. If they start buggering about with McDonald's, ice creams, fizzy drinks and farang food, it can go astronomical.

School can be anywhere from 5000 to 8000/term/child in a government school.

Not including car notes and such fripperies but you need a crotch rocket so that will be 800 baht for go juice assuming that it's bought and paid for already. You can get them on finance but I never have.

So, how does 25k baht/month tops sound?

-

He did specify the family needs to support a car in the calculations.

Aircon is a definite luxury, unheard-of for low-income Thais, even ones with cars, most Thais' bills are well under B1000 unless they're running a business out of the bottom floor.

And B15,000 a month is also ridiculous for a small family, that's nearly double my own farang budget with at least seven in the house.

[whiteman]

If you are not one of the Adults in this equation why are you paying for her ex or the granny you married her did they not tell you b4 you hitched up with her that this was part of the deal and if so why did you not ask b4 instead in this forum seems strange to me.

[boosta]

If you are not one of the Adults in this equation why are you paying for her ex or the granny you married her did they not tell you b4 you hitched up with her that this was part of the deal and if so why did you not ask b4 instead in this forum seems strange to me.

-

He purposefully didn't give any of the relationship details because of exactly this kind of response so common here.

I know many people that are wealthy enough to sponsor families they feel are worthy with no strings attached, certainly nothing to do with paying of their SO and family.

It isn't any of our business, if you don't want to provide answers - even guesstimates - then why not just let the thread alone. . .

[uptheos]

Some people make me wonder if they are actually posting in Thailand or ever been here.

There are Thai's that are doing OK, but there are a bloody load of them, that live way below some of the ridiculous figures quoted. They have a concept that we don't have, it's called pooling their resources, hence the big truck outside the bamboo hut.

[boosta]

Some people make me wonder if they are actually posting in Thailand or ever been here.

There are Thai's that are doing OK, but there are a bloody load of them, that live way below some of the ridiculous figures quoted. They have a concept that we don't have, it's called pooling their resources, hence the big truck outside the bamboo hut.

-

Yes, but personally I'm working on the assumption that the purpose behind the question is to determine what a fair amount is for him to pay to support them, and then of course they'll have slightly higher expectations of a decent life (e.g. their own car in the OP) without being greedy.

[arthurwait]

7 pounds and 52 new pence at the exchange rate of tuesday 11th of june 2013 at 2:53 pm.

[rinteln]

Not more than 15 - 20,000 a month to live comfortable I would say.

Depends how much they have been influenced by the west I suppose !

[boosta]

Not more than 15 - 20,000 a month to live comfortable I would say.

Depends how much they have been influenced by the west I suppose !

-

With two kids you're saying give them the 100% free government school and health care options only and no more?

That will also only allow for very basic nutrition, hardly any treats or toys.

And I think you're forgetting the car?

[boosta]

Which reminds me - health care. Living out in the sticks the strictly-free health care options are bound to be very poor quality, with kids involved probably a good idea to thrown in some supplementary health insurance. Doesn't have to be expensive, if it's only to cover major catastrophes, transport to Bangkok if necessary.

[Spoonman]

I reckon they should be able to squeeze by on 50k per month so you should give em 60k to be sure.

[boosta]

I think 35-40 would be plenty, decent lifestyle but no luxury.

[uptheos]

Not more than 15 - 20,000 a month to live comfortable I would say.

Depends how much they have been influenced by the west I suppose !

Comfortable by whose standards?

My in-laws ma + pa even refused my offer of buying them a nice bed, they can't sleep on a mattress and think they are awful, so they have to sleep on the floor as they have done since they were born....that's just one example of comfort for them. They own a load of land and have no shortage of good fresh food, that;s another example of comfort for them.

However, for the sake of the thread, just give them 25K and tell them there's more from where that came.

[danielwhite532]

I would say, Not more than 20 - 25,000 a month to live comfortably.

[rinteln]

Not more than 15 - 20,000 a month to live comfortable I would say.

Depends how much they have been influenced by the west I suppose !

Comfortable by whose standards?

My in-laws ma + pa even refused my offer of buying them a nice bed, they can't sleep on a mattress and think they are awful, so they have to sleep on the floor as they have done since they were born....that's just one example of comfort for them. They own a load of land and have no shortage of good fresh food, that;s another example of comfort for them.

However, for the sake of the thread, just give them 25K and tell them there's more from where that came.

Agreed the word "comfortable" could be argued, which is partly why I said it depends how much western influence they have had.

I think for the purpose of the thread I would define comfortable at the very least as eating well, drinking well (not alcohol I mean), having adequate enough accommodation to sleep, clean and commune in. This is surely the minimum for the term comfortable in any country. If that is the minimum then surely 15 - 20,000 is enough.

[habfan]

If by monthly bills you mean the ones delivered by mail and these are the ones I get.

1. electric- 1100bht
   
2. phone/internet- 900bht
   
3. water- 100bht
   
4. truevision/6 months- 1100bht
   

I don't have air-con and my satellite package is the lowest tier (knowledge) so for my family, 2 adults 2 teenagers about 3200bht. There is of course a shit load of other expenses as detailed by other post's.

[chrisinth]

Which reminds me - health care. Living out in the sticks the strictly-free health care options are bound to be very poor quality, with kids involved probably a good idea to thrown in some supplementary health insurance. Doesn't have to be expensive, if it's only to cover major catastrophes, transport to Bangkok if necessary.

"Living in a central northern provincial city in Thailand" isn't exactly living out in the sticks..............

We actually have electricity up here in Phitsanulok and a couple of hospitals.................

But it is a good point, one that I would certainly be looking at......................

[boosta]

I believe he was asking for a total.

And a lot of people seem to be leaving that car out of the picture, total carrying costs including bank payments, insurance, petrol and maintenance. . .

Not to mention kids education and health care issues!

[ste860]

its way below what everyone is quoting , they can get by on next to nothing ,but one thing you dont say is if they have a farm or not ,if no farm they will have to buy groceries in , in my wifes village i bet most get by on less than 10000 baht a month ,thais can strech money very well ,

if its a case of how much they want from you ,its not really your job to pay for the car ,they will have two arms and legs i presume so tell them to get a job and you will contribute a little extra ,dont be a soft arse otherwise they will bleed the well dry

most thais i know have children to help support them you married the daughter not her mum,

as mentioned before im married and have been for 7 years her mum never asks for a bean and if she did i would make her work for it ,im not going to be anyones meal ticket