Urgent advice needed about life on Koh Samui

[AngThong]

books are most certainly not free, i spend about 5k per month on books alone

I have an e-book reader and access to a more or less unlimited online library, mostly classics though. Although I would need to pay if I wanted to read new books (the library stretches to the 1980's or so), I'd need several lifetimes to read everything in the library.

Edited October 21, 2013 by AngThong

[Rooo]

Near the post office?

No , on the ring road near the Buddy Complex, big signs he is set back from the road.

His name is Paul & works on the same principle, except he has been here for ever , as I long as I remember. He has an amazing collection of books in several languages too.

[waynerooney]

what is the minimum wage required to get a work permit?

[Gulfsailor]

what is the minimum wage required to get a work permit?

No minimum. But if one wants to get extension of stay based on a B visa and work permit from immigration, there is a minimum based on nationality. 50,000 for most Westerners. Teachers may have different rules though.

[yorkie100]

One very good book exchange is Island Books in Lamai , there is also another book store in Nathon on the roiad leading to the middle road from the old pier, just before the new Irish Pub.

A good read with a couple of pints of Guinness at Murphys....bliss

[oldsailor35]

1) How long is a piece of string.

2) Yes

3) Yes

Just get here and look for yourself. Its a lovely island with plenty of ex-pats from everywhere.

[oldsailor35]

then the cost of food if you eat in could save you money.

True enough. Have a friend here who has a nice kitchen in his place but never uses it. He spends 13-15k a month on food because he eats out all the time. I cook almost exclusively at home and spend +-4k. Two rather extreme examples though.

There are enough regular posters on this forum who have good kind hearts and wealth of local knowledge so the OP could embark on a crash course of how to not blow money. However, if the OP were to be unable to cook or unwilling to cook then 30k a month could simply be out of reach.

I know I'm a rare exception, but as we discussed in that other thread a while back, I don't cook and I live on ~20 - 25K a month. I usually eat out about once a day, 70 - 160 baht / meal. The rest is fresh fruit. I could knock off another 3K by downgrading my scooter (3K -> 2K) and house (10K -> 8K), and maybe another 2K if I only dined at the cheapest places. (Of course, I live on Phangan, but the islands are comparable.) My life is fulfilling and serene, but then I get my kicks from silence, nature, books and meditation, all of which are free.

books are most certainly not free, i spend about 5k per month on books alone

Thats about 300 books a month from where i get mine. You might as well stay in UK and do nothing else but read books !

[smokie36]

Also worth considering that you will likely be offered private after school tuition which can bump up your monthly salary considerably.

As a life experience at your age I would say go for it!

I thought after 28 years of private tuition you have finally grasped the language smokie.

I understand Rooo....its not cricket is it thankfully!

[notmyself]

Near the post office?

No , on the ring road near the Buddy Complex, big signs he is set back from the road.

His name is Paul & works on the same principle, except he has been here for ever:D , as I long as I remember. He has an amazing collection of books in several languages too.

The market for printed books is dying out. Ereaders such as Kindle are huge and will only get bigger. Saves a fortune. Most can be charged via a USB which is an international standard so no worry about adaptors. Many books are free because there is very little overheads such as paper and ink. As someone mentioned earlier, there are more books (free) than someone can read in a lifetime. Edited October 22, 2013 by notmyself

[AngThong]

The market for printed books is dying out. Ereaders such as Kindle are huge and will only get bigger. Saves a fortune. Most can be charged via a USB which is an international standard so no worry about adaptors. Many books are free because there is very little overheads such as paper and ink. As someone mentioned earlier, there are more books (free) than someone can read in a lifetime.

...not to mention easier on the eyes (you pick your desired font size), handier (they remember the page you're on for however many books you read parallelly, have built-in dictionaries to quickly explain the odd unfamiliar word, carry hundreds of books in a tiny format, some, like Kindle paperlight, have a built-in, eye-friendly reading light, I could go on). However paper books are far from dying and continue to vastly outnumber e-books. But in a decade or two...

Edited October 22, 2013 by AngThong

[smokie36]

Near the post office?

No , on the ring road near the Buddy Complex, big signs he is set back from the road.

His name is Paul & works on the same principle, except he has been here for ever:D , as I long as I remember. He has an amazing collection of books in several languages too.

The market for printed books is dying out. Ereaders such as Kindle are huge and will only get bigger. Saves a fortune. Most can be charged via a USB which is an international standard so no worry about adaptors. Many books are free because there is very little overheads such as paper and ink. As someone mentioned earlier, there are more books (free) than someone can read in a lifetime.

Good post mate and its not a decade or more from the truth either.

Might end up 70/30 for ebooks or more.....

[notmyself]

Near the post office?

No , on the ring road near the Buddy Complex, big signs he is set back from the road.

His name is Paul & works on the same principle, except he has been here for ever:D , as I long as I remember. He has an amazing collection of books in several languages too.

The market for printed books is dying out. Ereaders such as Kindle are huge and will only get bigger. Saves a fortune. Most can be charged via a USB which is an international standard so no worry about adaptors. Many books are free because there is very little overheads such as paper and ink. As someone mentioned earlier, there are more books (free) than someone can read in a lifetime.

Good post mate and its not a decade or more from the truth either.

Might end up 70/30 for ebooks or more.....

More environmentally friendly which is not always the case when things change but this is going off topic.

This is an example of what I posted about earlier in the thread in that learning how not to blow money can result in people being able to be live how they wish for less money. There was a BT advert some years back which promulgated that people should work smarter, not harder. I agree.

You often see so called 'cheap Charlie' accusations in the general section of TV but many times the people who are branded as such are in fact people who have managed to get to such a position because they have knowledge of how to not waste money.

Edited October 22, 2013 by notmyself

[BigC]

what is the minimum wage required to get a work permit?

Mr Rooney

U shall need to declair tax on 50000 baht per month for work permit. used to be 30 k now they have upped it.TThat is baht not pounds either wau it should not be a problem for you mr rooney

[BigC]

Normally i have only been called a cheap charlie by a cheap charlie. Normally the people that call me that want me to give them something instead of buying it themselves which makes that person a cheap charlie.

I have seen people give their misses 10 k or 20 k and still get called a cheap charlie lol.

Normally when someone calls me cheap charlie or key neio. i have nothing to do with them anymore.

Probably opened myself for a load of jokes by saying that. come on thenzzzzz..............

[MantisMan]

you can live her for less than 10.000 Baht per month, if you can live here for less than 10.000 per month. If you can't, you can't.

This is true.

My Condo and scooter is fully paid off, so you can get by on 5000 bt a month, believe it or not.

That means NOT going out drinking in Chaweng or Lamai every night.

It does mean:

-eating what the locals eat like 40, 50 or 60 bt dishes at local hole-in-the-walls

-going to SEVEN BAR (7/11) to buy 35 bt beer as opposed to 70/80 bt at pubs. People will try to convince you that you're paying for the "atmosphere".

Nonsense. Buy the 30 bt beer, sit down on the front steps of FM or 7/11 and watch the traffic go by.

-going to the local open wet markets and order pre-cooked food and heat it up at home.

Some great curries in plastic packs and deep fried fish. Yummy!

Buy a big pack of rice noodles to go with that and a 5 kilo bag of rice.

Rice cooker needed as well.

-Pay 15 bt for the 20 liter bottle of water. Forget the 1LT X 8 bottles at Makro going for 55 bt a pack. Nonsense.

-Take up a hobby like surf fishing. Put down about 2000 or 3000 on a pole and ?real?. Will last a life time.

-For exercise, take walks depending on where you live like Fishermans Village, Lamai or Chaweng.

Be sure to hit the open street festivals. Friday nights in Fishermans Village.

Saturday and Sunday in Lamai.

You can get 50 bt cocktails there.

-Explore the island on your scooter by going on the "road less traveled".

In other words, just hit any left side road and explore it.

-hit the beaches for an hour or so.

-find the massage shops that have the OLDER women. They give the best massages. Forget the younger ladies. They've been trained in the "other" arts of giving satisfaction.

-save money by wearing your helmet.

HAVE FUN!!

[PoorSucker]

You can get 50 bt cocktails there.

You know you can mix a Mojito yourself for 8 baht and sit in Seven bar.

[samuijimmy]

you can live her for less than 10.000 Baht per month, if you can live here for less than 10.000 per month. If you can't, you can't.

This is true.

My Condo and scooter is fully paid off, so you can get by on 5000 bt a month, believe it or not.

That means NOT going out drinking in Chaweng or Lamai every night.

It does mean:

-eating what the locals eat like 40, 50 or 60 bt dishes at local hole-in-the-walls

-going to SEVEN BAR (7/11) to buy 35 bt beer as opposed to 70/80 bt at pubs. People will try to convince you that you're paying for the "atmosphere".

Nonsense. Buy the 30 bt beer, sit down on the front steps of FM or 7/11 and watch the traffic go by.

-going to the local open wet markets and order pre-cooked food and heat it up at home.

Some great curries in plastic packs and deep fried fish. Yummy!

Buy a big pack of rice noodles to go with that and a 5 kilo bag of rice.

Rice cooker needed as well.

-Pay 15 bt for the 20 liter bottle of water. Forget the 1LT X 8 bottles at Makro going for 55 bt a pack. Nonsense.

-Take up a hobby like surf fishing. Put down about 2000 or 3000 on a pole and ?real?. Will last a life time.

-For exercise, take walks depending on where you live like Fishermans Village, Lamai or Chaweng.

Be sure to hit the open street festivals. Friday nights in Fishermans Village.

Saturday and Sunday in Lamai.

You can get 50 bt cocktails there.

-Explore the island on your scooter by going on the "road less traveled".

In other words, just hit any left side road and explore it.

-hit the beaches for an hour or so.

-find the massage shops that have the OLDER women. They give the best massages. Forget the younger ladies. They've been trained in the "other" arts of giving satisfaction.

-save money by wearing your helmet.

HAVE FUN!!

best laugh all day!!.... but it's been raining and I've not been too far!

I can picture the 7-11 in BanRak at the ghost road with the people with their 30 baht beers sitting on the steps in the evening... must have the best 7-11 beer sales in all of Samui... are you one of that crowd~? !

As for the roads less traveled, that is fun! lots of interesting things to see!

And if I had not seen this myself a week or two ago, fishing from a surf board, can be rewarding... must be a fortnights worth of fish there! .... oh ..... and no pole just a line and gloves .... lots of money saved there!

To the OP, there are all kinds of people on Samui, some good some not.... it can take a while to pick your friends... but on the whole life is good and most people are good too !

[Mole]

Wow man, are you guys still at it in here?

I wonder if OP even ever returned to check out on this thread.

But who can resist helping out a damsel in need

[PoorSucker]

I can picture the 7-11 in BanRak at the ghost road with the people with their 30 baht beers sitting on the steps in the evening... must have the best 7-11 beer sales in all of Samui...

I always wonder why there are not two or more Seven bars in Bangrak.

Seems to make a fortune.

[Rooo]

Post flaming members , using foul language & justified response to it removed.

[PoorSucker]

Post in non English and response removed.

[stoffel45]

Hi Laura, good to know you are heading Samui way.

You should know that the minimum (provable) income for foreigners is 40,000 baht per month.

I would give more details of the school, the number of the Work Permit they have obtained for you.

Don't forget the type of Visa.

No it is NOT impossible to get the right job, the right visa and a Work Permit.

May I suggest you go to the Visa Forum and the Teacher's Forum.

Both have a LOT of good information and contacts to help improve your stay and keep you out of jail.

Good luck.

[PoorSucker]

You should know that the minimum (provable) income for foreigners is 40,000 baht per month.

The minimum income depends on your county of origin, 50.000 / baht for a western man.

However the minimum income does not apply for teachers.