£10,000 / $16,000 how long personally...

[Soutpeel]

A year sounds right (for me!).

Is about Baht 40k/mth.

Studio apt: 10000 Baht (near mrt/bts - w gym/pool)

Utilities/Inet/mobile: 2000 Baht

Transport: 3000 Baht (no home leaves - but trips to beach Incl.)

Health insurance/vitamins/OTC meds/dental: 2000 Baht

Groceries: 5000 Baht (Incl. foreign luxuries)

Above basic costs adds up to 23k/mth

Other: sports, sports gear, PC/phone repairs/upgrades, clothes all vary from month to month but let's say 5k to cover all and leave some buffer.

Remaining 12k is for entertainment, eating out, gifts and so forth. Heck - maybe even some savings!

Cheers!

5000 baht for groceries your having a laugh.. Double that food bill and add a few more thousand baht.. 175 baht for food per day is living like a homeless person..

maybe he means THB 5000 a week

As always with these sorts of posts we are back to defintions, in this case the question posed "living relatively comfortably in Thailand"

one person defintion of comfortably will be very different from another....if the question was could you live on $16k a year in Thailand if you had to, then my answer would be yes I could...but right now in my life I dont want to, I have established a certain "comfort" level which is akin to what I am used to in farangland and thats what i want

Edited October 10, 2013 by Soutpeel

[I knew this would happen]

You can exist about one 14-15 month, or live around 6 month.The correct calculations are made already in other post.

The only interesting thing is that the average Thai would have to live with that amount of money exactly 3 years (14k is still the average income?)

[Soutpeel]

You can exist about one 14-15 month, or live around 6 month.The correct calculations are made already in other post.

The only interesting thing is that the average Thai would have to live with that amount of money exactly 3 years (14k is still the average income?)

but on your average Thai calculation of 14k/m = 3 years assumes this is the "salary" they have coming in, not the amount they need to live on, in most cases at this sort of income level people are taking out loans/borrowing money off people to top up this amount to live on.

your assuming the "books" balance at the end of every month, but we know this is not the case, lets pose this question, if you gave the "average Thai" $ 16k cash money how long do you think it would really last ?.....my bet 6 months or less..

[Tolley]

About 4 months.

[advancebooking]

around 7 to 8 months

[nottocus]

5-6 months

[benalibina]

You can exist about one 14-15 month, or live around 6 month.The correct calculations are made already in other post.

The only interesting thing is that the average Thai would have to live with that amount of money exactly 3 years (14k is still the average income?)

but on your average Thai calculation of 14k/m = 3 years assumes this is the "salary" they have coming in, not the amount they need to live on, in most cases at this sort of income level people are taking out loans/borrowing money off people to top up this amount to live on.

your assuming the "books" balance at the end of every month, but we know this is not the case, lets pose this question, if you gave the "average Thai" $ 16k cash money how long do you think it would really last ?.....my bet 6 months or less..

On your last sentence; positive outlook !!

[Lammbock]

16hrs in a NANA aGoGo Bar.

[rct99q]

hate these threads always the same argument but for me...and I am not a "cheap'o" probably 2 years. I do not drink or smoke, own our own house (paid for, no bills), pay vehicle insurance and tax, family of four in Isaan.

We buy fresh from the market every day and supplement from our farm for food. With young children we spend most "weekends" at nearby parks, villages or national parks for days out (fishing, canoeing, swimming etc), use cloth diapers(not pampers), and do not extend credit ask for credit or use credit!

[NBD]

500,000 THB. If I was living as I am in Bangkok and going to work every day I could probably squeeze 7 or 8 months out of it. If I sold my car and moved to rural Isan or out in the sticks somewhere it would be comfortable for a year.

[FarangKino]

God! What a lot of Cheap-Charlies on this site! That's only 300,000 baht!

For me 2-months tops!

Edit - sorry; converted the wrong figure - 500,000Baht! Okay - 3 months if I'm careful

Edited October 10, 2013 by FarangKino

[ryro88]

300,000 baht? Please tell me what bank your using so I know to avoid it!

[NeverSure]

It depends entirely on your lifestyle. Many retired guys who don't smoke or drink much or use bar girls would make that last well over a year. They'd have a small studio for less than 10k baht, and if lucky they'd get internet with it. They wouldn't have a car or scooter.

School teachers from other countries manage on around 30k, but that doesn't leave anything for luxuries.

If you have a girlfriend, depending on her expectations, that will add. I will say that I wouldn't let a girlfriend move in with me if I signed the lease. I'd live with her where she signed the lease. Where you are responsible for the lease, it can be very hard to get rid of a nasty girlfriend, and if she refuses to leave and you have to, you're stuck big time.

I wouldn't want to do it, but it could be done on your budget for a year easily if you don't have expensive habits.

Don't forget setup costs. There's the flight, the visa costs, maybe you need to renew a passport first, the cost of maybe a cab to hunt for an apartment, the deposit on an apartment, the odds and ends you need to make the apartment liveable such as maybe a hotplate and some dishes, or you might find a fully furnished apt. with all of that.

Still, if one had to, a year or even a little more is very possible, but you'd have to watch every satang and not blow it in bars and restaurants except for the occasional 500 baht date.

Edited October 10, 2013 by NeverSure

[Firefan]

A year sounds right (for me!).

Is about Baht 40k/mth.

Studio apt: 10000 Baht (near mrt/bts - w gym/pool)

Utilities/Inet/mobile: 2000 Baht

Transport: 3000 Baht (no home leaves - but trips to beach Incl.)

Health insurance/vitamins/OTC meds/dental: 2000 Baht

Groceries: 5000 Baht (Incl. foreign luxuries)

Above basic costs adds up to 23k/mth

Other: sports, sports gear, PC/phone repairs/upgrades, clothes all vary from month to month but let's say 5k to cover all and leave some buffer.

Remaining 12k is for entertainment, eating out, gifts and so forth. Heck - maybe even some savings!

Cheers!

5000 baht for groceries your having a laugh.. Double that food bill and add a few more thousand baht.. 175 baht for food per day is living like a homeless person..

maybe he means THB 5000 a week

As always with these sorts of posts we are back to defintions, in this case the question posed "living relatively comfortably in Thailand"

one person defintion of comfortably will be very different from another....if the question was could you live on $16k a year in Thailand if you had to, then my answer would be yes I could...but right now in my life I dont want to, I have established a certain "comfort" level which is akin to what I am used to in farangland and thats what i want

Good point Southpeel. I read it as having room for a bit of fun but nothing extravagant - others read it differently for sure!

As for groceries - more groceries in my above split - would hopefully mean a reduction in the 12000 Baht entertainment budget as then eating less out.

While above is not my personal actual split (I own my condo) - I would have no problem living with it - and I DO grocery shop for about that amount - mostly chicken,veggies, fruits, oatmeal, brown rice as base but also salami, pate, dark breads Etc. too. We are talking only ONE person here, and eat out quite a bit too. (as entertainment budget explains ). Cheers!

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

4-6 months

[I knew this would happen]

You can exist about one 14-15 month, or live around 6 month.The correct calculations are made already in other post.

The only interesting thing is that the average Thai would have to live with that amount of money exactly 3 years (14k is still the average income?)

but on your average Thai calculation of 14k/m = 3 years assumes this is the "salary" they have coming in, not the amount they need to live on, in most cases at this sort of income level people are taking out loans/borrowing money off people to top up this amount to live on.

your assuming the "books" balance at the end of every month, but we know this is not the case, lets pose this question, if you gave the "average Thai" $ 16k cash money how long do you think it would really last ?.....my bet 6 months or less..

Of course i have to calculate with balanced books, though reality may be different. But if the average 14k are enough or not depends on the individual, taking loans will not change anything. It will only take away more of the available income in the long term. You have 14k, so you need to deal with it.

If i give 16K cash to the average Thai it will last 2 hours, that´s the time needed to buy the lastest smartphone. Food for tomorrow? We´ll see how to manage that.......i once was stupid enough to help out a poorer Thai and the outcome was kinda like that. One of our tenants with a small family restaurant hit by the flood. At that time i had quite some sympathy for the people, but that went away quickly.

Edited October 10, 2013 by I knew this would happen

[StreetCowboy]

I'm taking about living on a daily basis, not going full steam

So am I.....why is everyone fixated with me living in Pattaya...I dont live in Pattaya...

I think they're vicariously enjoying a fantasy life on your behalf.

It's a sad day when posters can't even imagine a fantasy life of their own...

To answer the OP's question, I suppose a lot of it would depend whether the period in question included an invoice from the school or not.

SC

[Dararasmi]

Three months. No whores? A year and change.

[sniffdog]

The correct question should be: ' How long would YOU be able to live on it?'.

[chrisbacke]

Why don't you give it to me and I'll find out for you

Seriously, though. No need to live like a miser. Live it up. Figure an apartment most anywhere for 20,000 baht a month, food (at 500 baht a day average, or 15,000 baht a month), travel / entertainment / alcohol (2,000 a week, more if you like paying for sex or need to impress women), and other expenses around 5,000 baht a month.

That's 48,000 baht a month, or $1,524 / month on the high end. 16,000 / 1,524 = right at 10 1/2 months.

Personally... My apartment is 13,000 a month (split in half since I'm married), food is around 250 baht a day on average, or 7,500 baht a month. Travel / entertainment / alcohol is perhaps 800-1,000 a week, and that 'other' category is probably around 4,000 baht a month.

That's 22,000 baht a month, or $698 / month. 16,000 / 698 = just under 23 months, or almost two years.

If I was trying to scrape by for as long as possible...

Cheap apartment for 6,000 baht a month (split in half since you'll have a roomie), Food is around 100 baht a day, or 3,000 baht a month. Travel / entertainment / alcohol is perhaps 500 a week, and that 'other' category is probably around 3,000 baht a month.

That's 11,000 baht a month, or $349 / month. 16,000 / 349 = just under 46 months, or almost four years.

[TheSpade]

Based on what I spend at the moment living a good life in Bangkok it would be a year or more, possibly up to 15 months assuming no major unexpected costs popped up.

I spend between 30-40,000B a month.

And here we go again with another budget thread. I'm going to try and not get involved this time.

Edited October 10, 2013 by TheSpade

[deesquared]

5 months for me in Chiang Mai. I have a family, eat nothing but farang food, and don't party.

[LivinLOS]

I did about 600k in Aug and Sept.. But it was a wild fun couple of months..

I average 150 - 180 lately.. You can do the math.

[khunPer]

Depending of your life style and if you will me mingling with the ladies.

Can last for more than a year, probably one and half, if you live a very plain life up north,

about a year if you have a “normal” modest life style,

a couple of moth or three if you are a spender,

half a month or less if you life style is more like hi-so jet-set.

Mingling (to much) with Thai ladies may drastically cut the time, you have planned money can last.

[stickylies]

+/- 2 years the way i have been living here last couple of years. that is: not pattaya, no paid-for pussy, no boose/drugs.

1 person. no thai wife/gf/bf/pets.

Edited October 10, 2013 by stickylies

[Kananga]

About 3 months with my current levels of expenditure.

[pookiki]

I live on an average of 30,000 baht per month. So, about 16 months.

[wade72]

If it's school fees season.... less then a week

[recycler]

If you meet the right girl you're on the next plane home to get back to work ;-)

[little mary sunshine]

If you purchase a really nice gold chain for lets say $5,000. Put the rest in your

wallet and pick up a 500 B hooker on Beach Road.......about 1hour at the most.