My Planned estimated monthly budget for Thailand

[JLCrab]

Cheap hookers are readily available ... expensive hookers are readily available as well.

[Chittychangchang]

I think the Op should take a vow of celibacy on entering the Kingdom for a period of 6-12 months and commit to a temple for spiritual enlightenment .

If he truly wants to experience Thailand in a positive way then that is my advise.

Buddha be with you in your travels.

CCC

[glegolo]

OP may be aware that alcolism is not getting better by drinking a lot of alcohol both during the week, as well as weekends... It will get worse, and so that will also the habit of spending money on drinks.

So what is descibed here is just a strong downhill battle from a young lad, that should be aware of these things... It is not a matter of being young and stupid, because 34 years old is not young, it is close to middle aged, and in that age more wisdom should appear.

Please try to find a lifestil that contain other things than just drinking..... Maybe try to find a hobby of some kind. Because you can easily survive on those money you have... no problem.

For what it is worth, just my thoughts

Glegolo

[crazykopite]

Don't be silly and 40,000 baht will last you a month if ur out every night wooing the girls forget it you will need at least 240,000 baht per month as they say in Thailand " UP TO YOU "

[Suradit69]

Your £900 equates to roughly 44 thousand baht per month at todays exchange rate, IMO if your careful and don't go overboard then you'll have enough, you might even have enough for the odd night of carnal lust...Good luck..

You might be £60 quid down in April due to a 28 day month, but you should be okay as there will be plenty of free water coming your way...

"down in April due to a 28 day month"

Use a different calendar in Chiang Mai, do they?

[Suradit69]

Thailand's currency is the Thai baht. Most people in Thaivisa think in THB for their daily expenses. You should try to do the same.

The sooner the OP starts thinking in baht, the better.

Yes, especially when the exchange rate goes south and we have 9 threads running simultaneously whining/whingeing about packing it in after XX years in Thailand or how to survive on an exchange rate 80% of what it was 5 years ago with inflation running rampant or discussing where's the cheapest place to buy week-old bread and offal.

Some of those same people now mysteriously think it's no problem staying in Thailand on a barebones budget while others never seem to realize they're staying in Thailand at all... comparing everything to a faulty recollection of the utopian life they had back in farangland.

Edited August 19, 2013 by Suradit69

[Sydneycraig]

Don't be silly and 40,000 baht will last you a month if ur out every night wooing the girls forget it you will need at least 240,000 baht per month as they say in Thailand " UP TO YOU "

some punctuation may make your post understandable ... 200k increase if wooing girls ?! That would be some serious wooing ... Or is that an overall monthly average of what a guy may loose when he marries his bar girl, lady of the night sweetheart ...?!

[maxman71]

Some data points: The Thai gov't requires 65K THB/mo. minimum monthly income for a retirement visa or THB 800K in the bank.

You will eventually meet at least one girl of your dreams...count on it...they will not cavort with a chap who is not going to show them some "style" and for most Thai women, that costs.

Then there are unexpected expenses; suppose you need to catch a quick flight home for some sort of emergency? And you should always keep at least 6 months living expenses in the bank, preferably a year or more.

I'd double what you are planning on needing.

[biplanebluey]

I am a retiree.Got a house a car and a scooter and a lovely lady.Wish I had your income though.I would live like a king !!!

[Minnehaha]

Budget does not account for everything. It has already been pointed out.

You might be able to live on something close to that in CM.... but I would not want to try it. I would need more.

You definitely would never survive on that budget in BKK.

[poanoi]

Unless your question was directed specifically to UK citizens,

its better to do the conversion into thai baht in the post

[paulward75]

Give it a try! Why not ? Just make sure u keep enough saved for the flight back if it all goes wrong. In my experience wherever you are in the world - what you earn is what you spend! I guess it's a balancing of quality of life versus budget! Just don't be one of those who come to Thailand and are so tight with money they forget to enjoy life. In this country it's probably a good thing not to have too much money though - over indulgence is the downfall for many expats. All the best and I hope it works out great for you!

[Jasun]

You'll need deep pockets. Not for money, but for the sawdust. Sounds like you're stepping onto a slippery slope.

[travelman]

Wow mate.

900 pound sterling is a good amount every month. I have seen many many expats living on 100 Baht/day on the food. 1000 Baht for the accommodation and 200 on the bills. Maximum 6000-6500 Bath every month (All inclusive) and that equals to 135 pound sterling..To cut it short. My little piece of advice is to save money for the rainy season. And donate money to poor always. God will always keep you in safe hands.

Cheers

[thinkingofhow]

I moved to Thailand when I was 38. I was lucky as I sold off my house and all belongings and had a good lump of cash. At first I did a budget like yours and moved to Bangkok. After two years I got tiried of all the traffic, congestion, people and dirty air. I also wanted to lower my rent expense. So when I met a drop dead georgeous Thai girl, much younger than me I up and moved to her small town up in Issan, bought a small farm (in my name-compnay) where I live to day - 10 years later. I grow most all my own food, raise my own chickens for daily organic eggs, ducks, turkey and I practise Permaculture farming, which is basically high quality sustainable living at low need for money.

The move was the best thing I ever did, the small town country life is great.

Some friends tried it and have ended up doing the same. If you want to get a feel for this before you do it, try www.wwoofthailand.com they got farms all over Thailand and you can stay for free if you help out arounf the farm 4-5 hours a day, while you size up the area and the lifestyle.

Your budget looks fine as long as you got the work, but lots of young people are crowding into writing for the net, so it will become competitive like everything else. This is a way to lower your budget. Mine is 30,000 Baht a month for three people!

[NoshowJones]

And for the girl of my dreams? well, there'll be a bit left in the pot for any of that carry on. I've still got a minimum of £206 left for anything like that.

£51.50 a week to woo the Lucky girl of your dreams.

Cheap Charlie

CCC

Not everyone has to buy women.

Absolutely correct. Its easy enough to get some hot thai girls without paying for it. Thats why i mentioned that i rarely barfine and prefer to hit the clubs.

[F4UCorsair]

Sigh... If you have to ask on a public forum then you cannot afford it. Stay at home and be the best you can be

I agree. If you have to budget to that degree, I think you're running a bit close to the wind. I couldn't live like that, but no doubt some can.

You allow 30 days work a month at 30 quid a day, that's only 5 days off a year!! Admittedly, earning 30 quid shouldn't take up much time, but.............

Did you allow for medical expenses, health insurance? There's a link here on TV about foreigners becoming destitute in Thailand, so keep an untouchable account in case you have to bail out and go home.

Good luck.

[CNXTim]

Going out on the town every other day and all weekend?

Your 30 quid writing gig must demand very little creativity from you.

First bit of advice is, get used to THB, that is what the good purveyors on Loi Kroh will be extracting from you, at 1,000 THB - note by note..

If you think you can live the lads own life in Thailand on ANY sort of planned budget you are truly off with the pixies.

As for that income - identifying that you plan to stay and work illegally without a work permit or business visa -, is perhaps not the smartest way to kickstart your big adventure.

"The best laid plans of mice and men"

maepenrai.

[JLCrab]

Its easy enough to get some hot thai girls without paying for it = Oxymoron?

[DiscoPete]

Cheers for the info, i think maybe some of you have missed the point. The budget was based on worst case scenario. In the UK now i'm making £75 a day and have been told that the work will remain available for the next few years. Even if it doesn't there are other clients out there. What i was essentially asking was, is the budget set out realistic? Obviously a lot of you think i might struggle on that which is fine, thats good to know and i will adjust the budget accordingly. Like mentioned, I have ample savings but i wouldnt want to dip into them if necessary as every 60 days i'll be flying to Phils for a week or two of very hard partying.

When i'm in Chiang Mai I will be concentrating on work and having a good blow out at the weekend, Thats enough for me as i'll be looking forward to a fortnight in Phils every couple of months.

Again, thanks for the input, i'm happy that 44,000 baht seems to be realistic if a bit tight, it assures me that what i will probably earn will be ample.

Cheers

Have you been to the Phils? If so, fine. If not, you might find that accommodations in Thailand suit you better. To each his own as they say, and you'll decide.

Yeah, have been to Phils plenty of times. Wouldnt live there but my god its good for 2 weeks of fun. Done the islands like Boracay, Bohol and Palawan aswell as spending some time in cebu but i'll probably just thrash Angeles city as bkk do cheap, easy flights to clark. Usually stay in the ABC Hotel, the pool parties are top notch!!

You state earlier that you did not 'want to dip into your savings, as you will be going to Philippines every couple of months, for a fortnight of hard partying'. Is the money you will spend on this trip coming out your budget? Your flight to Clark from BKK will cost approx 6,000 baht (125GBP), your accommodation in ABC Hotel will set you back 72,000 Pesos (1060GBP), and 2 weeks 'hard partying' minimum 2000 Pesos (30GBP per day = 420GBP). In all, your bi monthly trip is gonna set you back around 1600GBP, approximately 78,000 baht. This is gonna make a hell of a dent in your budget methinks!

[MartinBKK]

Yawn, some green eyed monsters on here. None of you know my situation, the topic is about being self sufficient as mentioned in the opening post. I'm a chemical engineer by trade, worked all over the world, most recently in south africa and dont have any money worries whatsoever but it doesnt hurt to be prudent. Wherever i go i like to be self sufficient hence the reason for posting. I also mentioned that the £900 was minimum when in fact i'll be expecting nearly double that. Didnt realise there were so many bitter old farts in Thailand. Carry on lads.

For those with constructive advice, cheers, taken on board. Have just secued a lease on a nice house on the outskirts of chiang mai. PAID 18000 per month reduced from 21000 as payed the lot up front. That will save on my rent and free up some money. Looking forward to the trip.

Regards

I'm afraid there are a lot of "bitter old farts" in Thailand and for some reason most of them seem to end up in CM. I'm also 34 having lived in CM for 6 years (previously BKK) my advice would be to live in BKK where you can meet more like minded, professional people your own age.

[davidst01]

''Cheers for the info, i think maybe some of you have missed the point.''

OP sounds a bit clueless and clearly has grammar issues with his writing. But he is a POM so what can one expect.

I think OP will find that THB44,000 a month is not sufficient to live on unless you are eating street food and not having much fun at night. If you are into the girls / partying you will need double that budget taking into account all the other expenses

[F4UCorsair]

I've gone through much of this thread, and there's a lot that just doesn't add up, I'm afraid.

30 days work at 30 quid a day, but a couple of weeks of 'hard partying' in the Phils every couple of months, presumably not 'writing', so 900 quid a month needs to be generated in 20 days not 30. By DiscoPete's reckoning, the budget is seriously blown by the two weeks of hard partying. B50,000 of the B78,000 hard partying budget after six weeks, equates to a month's partying, and that plus the monthly rental of B18,000 is B68,000 with a budget of B44,000??

4 houses for 350,000 quid, 90% of savings, so only about 40K mortgage, 390,000 quid total of which 3000 a month/36000 pa represents over 9% and he doesn't say whether that's net or gross, but presumably net if it's available to him. If net, then he'd need 11%+ gross (AND that's before income tax!!) and I have no idea of rents in the UK, but residential rents are hard put to reach 5% gross in Australia. I hear what you say about using minimum monthly income and maximum monthly expenditure for your calculations, but 3000 quid is roughly B145,000, plus your writing B44,000 = B189,000, so why use B44,000, less than 1/4 of projected income? That's a wildly extravagant under declaration of income.

Sorry if I appear doubtful.

Mmmmmm!!

Edited August 19, 2013 by F4UCorsair

[poanoi]

 

Wow mate.

900 pound sterling is a good amount every month. I have seen many many expats living on 100 Baht/day on the food. 1000 Baht for the accommodation and 200 on the bills. Maximum 6000-6500 Bath every month (All inclusive) and that equals to 135 pound sterling..To cut it short. My little piece of advice is to save money for the rainy season. And donate money to poor always. God will always keep you in safe hands.

Cheers

 

I never heard of any expat paying 1000 baht for accommodation, i suspect that is only in your imagination.

There was one totally broke english chap that wanted to downgrade from 3000 to 2000 per month.

I know of one american that survived on 15.000 per month pension, but he worked illegally to add.

IMO 20.000 baht for basics, and 10.000 baht for beer and gogo

[surfinglife]

Yes, of course one can live like that......but why??? If you need to use the term "budget" isn't it better to stay put for now? Please read the recent post about the homeless / destitute foreigners in Thailand. I don't think Thailand needs any more "low budget" foreigners so I suggest to get some more money behind you before you move and can live normally on 100 -150 thousand baht a month. Btw no girls of our dreams in Thailand so no need to budget for that, just rentals.

[Straight8]

And for the girl of my dreams? well, there'll be a bit left in the pot for any of that carry on. I've still got a minimum of £206 left for anything like that.

£51.50 a week to woo the Lucky girl of your dreams.

Cheap Charlie

CCC

Not everyone has to buy women.

obviously CCC does and he pays way more than 51.50 UK pounds..

[ChangMaiSausage]

I say good luck if you can live and play on that type of money great, not everyone has the same tastes / requirements.

Not sure if I could live on a limited budget like that, maybe in the future i might have too.

Good Luck.

[ttthailand]

44k a month is enough for the normal stay at home guy but tight for anyone who is single and wants to party at bars and have lady friends. Drinks at other than the cheap Thai street stands will be costing a bit more than you think. You will be dropping at least 1,000 baht for a bottle and setup at a disco or bar. Also, you will get sick of those 30 baht noodles 3 times a day. I think a food budget of around 300 a day is more the norm for even the tightest farang budget... But not all. I don't pay girls for their company but you still have to pick up most of the bills when you are with them. Movie and popcorn will set you back 500 baht. A night out for dinner and drinks with a lady can set you back 3,000 baht easy. I live in Bangkok but have also been to Chang Mai a few times..... Unless you are cheap by nature I think you will have a hard time telling the lovely girl to pay her own bill. Even Thais making 15k a month pay for their gf's drinks. You won't see her a second time if you don't. It's a small city really and the local girls will learn quickly to keep away. Just saying.... Good luck!

[abrahamzvi]

I think you'll find it really tight for a young man. A retired man who didn't drink or hit the bars could take your 300 pounds for entertainment and spend the first 60 renting a scooter and buying gas. I have a way to keep my US health insurance in effect, but I have to get to US soil to use it. That means that if I have a serious problem including an accident that needs care in Thailand it's out of pocket.

Then that retired man would have 240 quid + your 206 for "other things" left for "other things." That's 446 quid left, or more than 20,000 baht. That would handle visas, the occasional date, and so on. It would still be tight because there's always something like clothes, laundry, you name it.

I also don't think you'll eat well on 4 quid per day unless you like street food and cheap restaurants, which is fine for those who do, 24/7.

All I can say is that living on app.Baht 44,000 a month, paying rent, eating reasonably well, not sitting in one's condo every evening, is rather difficult. How can you get around for Baht 50 a day? Apart from the local cheap beer (there are locally brewed beers which are not cheap, take Heineken for example) and local Whiskey, alcohol is rather expensive in Thailand. My view, based on experience, is, that if you wish to live reasonably well, and at your age I assume you do, you may have difficulties sticking to your budget

[nosatisfaction]

Your £900 equates to roughly 44 thousand baht per month at todays exchange rate, IMO if your careful and don't go overboard then you'll have enough, you might even have enough for the odd night of carnal lust...Good luck..

You might be £60 quid down in April due to a 28 day month, but you should be okay as there will be plenty of free water coming your way...

April=28days, in what country?