What's your monthly cost to live in Thailand?

[zydeco]

http://www.huaykaewresidence.com/?huaykaewname=reservation.php&sound=son

next door to a large shopping complex in chiang mai.studio thb 3500/month long term.

seems to me to be a lot of FAT farang on here with all the aircon needed. admittedly i've lived in the tropics for most of my life. occasionally i get a room that has aircon when nothing else is available and even then dont turn it on. i prefer formaldehyde-free fresh air thanks.

Well, the heat is one thing. I come from a place where for five months of the year, it's hotter than Thailand at its hottest. I lived, worked, and played out in that weather for many decades. But in Thailand, I absolutely die with the humidity. I need the a/c just to dry out the air. I would rather it be 35 or 36 and drier than 28 and 70-80 percent humidity,

[tsigane]

To stick to the topic, I can have same or better quality of life in TH on about 20000 B per month than I had in the US on 2-3k USD (this does not take into account non-material perks like not having to spend 9-11 hours a day at work and being able to travel whenever I want and for as long as I want, climate, etc). So the ratio is about 4:1 without all those other advantages (priceless, BTW).

I'm not blind lover of LOS by any means, financial advantage IS one of the main reasons for being here, hands down. Are there disadvantages - YES, plenty of them. But when it comes to bang for the buck, no comparison. I suspect it's the same for any "developed" country (US is probably one of the cheaper countries in this category).

Not sure about other countries, but health care in the US is dysfunctional. Even with my employer paying 90% of the premiums (total $1000 per month, while I was in my late twenties and early thirties) my copays/deductibles/limits were higher than paying full amount for health care here, even in the best hospitals (with latest equipment and western-trained doctors). I don't have insurance here because I won't go bankrupt even if I need a major surgery.

Those who prefer eating sirloin steak (instead of fresh seafood), seeing clean sidewalks (without one single pedestrian on it), paying 10-20k for a private school (no point in comparing private schools here with public schools elsewhere), having trophy bimbo wife for 100's of thousands (v.s. virtually free ones), paying hundreds of $ in traffic fines (v.s. 200 baht), etc., are probably not living in Thailand but in one of the developed countries. Life of those who crave for those western things but live in Thailand for other reasons must be terrible.

Edited October 30, 2013 by tsigane

[maccaroni man]

Koh Samui running cost is on par with USA

[4evermaat]

I never did respond with a more itemized cost of living here, although I wrote about it in a different thread previously as part of a more comprehensive guide to navigating chumphon town. Better late than never.

- Rent: 2500 + water (which was flat 200 baht but now we have a meter which it works out to be cheaper now). I stay in a single-story shop house near the beach. 2br/2bath. 1 kitchen. 1 room. the rest is a large open area something like 12m x 18m + outside covered area. wash clothes about every other day or so.

- electric: gov't rate, avg about 2200 baht a month, running the air con unit for customers or for the baby...about 3-8 hours a day. The fans are on 12-24 hours a day depending on the room. Shower has hot water.

- food: around 8000-12,000, including diapers and other toiletries.

- transportation: 300-500 in gas for motorbike to go everywhere, or hop with someone who goes into the town.

- visa: 1 year non immigrant visa is 6000 baht + appx 18-30k in travel expenses to obtain + 90 day visa runs 1200 baht x 4. I could cut the travel expenses down significantly if I were married to a Thai. I usually get 14.5 -15 months total stay per 1 non-o visa. So that works out to be about 2700 baht/mo on the high end, 2000/mo on low end, and 1000/mo to obtain the visa closer to home. Extensions would be even cheaper, but there are paperwork hassles and temporary monetary tie-ups to consider.

8,000-15,000 a month single; 15k+ with a family. It does depend greatly on what you want and how western you want to go; we aren't living in rags.

The older expats tend to have either townhouses, or detached houses / bungalows designed to attract foreigners. These can vary from 7,000-15,000 + electric + water. Gas and sometimes internet is included with cleaning once per week. Away from the beach there are cheaper options as well.

The studio bungalows and studio rooms at the guesthouses with a balcony were 3000-8000/mo + electric. Again, cheaper as you go away from the beach.

Try finding a place in Hawaii (Oahu, Big Island) for those prices.....even during low season.

I suppose private int'l school would be a much larger chunk if I opt not to do any homeschooling or a private school with a religions affiliation. That's something to consider as I get older.

[Myshkin]

Hi everyone,

First post on this forum, but I've been a regular reader for 2 years.

Just ended my first month in Chiang Mai and the total expenses were:

condo rent 13k

bike (mtb) rent 1,5k

food, utilities, internet, laundry, misc. 13,5k

Total 28k

In the future, I still need to get health insurance which will add 5k p/m and I'll do some trecking and travelling, so I guess it will be in the range of 40-50k per month. Where i come from (Switzerland) I would spend 170-200k for an equivalent lifestyle.

[amykat]

My set costs ( electric ,water ,insurance ,gasoline , daughters school fee ,internet ,tv etc ) are about B12,000 a month living in Chiang mai ,with house paid for .Food ,Visas ,travel ,and drink on top of that .

Hi Anto ...I'm not meaning to attack you, but when I see comments like this, and some that followed (like "how awesome CM must be, I always heard it was cheaper" sort of thing) ....I just feel obliged to comment.

It is NOT this cheap for most people and you might want to declare exactly how you get by on this amount of money. For example, my guess based on your budget is that you are probably only supporting you and the child (not another adult spouse). That "school fee" means your child goes to free Thai schools, and the only fee is really for uniforms and a few things like that? Maybe only uniforms, (and until recently, the government paid for that then traded for the laptop thing, so what is that $50-100 a year?). Gasoline, must mean you drive a motorbike? TV ...at best cable WE TV at about $12 a month, or $10 if you pay a year in advance ...or maybe just free TV? Meaning virtually no TV. Internet, maybe the cheapest plan that exists. Not so great for farangs who use more international bandwith? But maybe I am just being scammed into paying more for that?

Electric, no aircon for sure! Ever! Food? Would have to be the cheapest on the planet and not so healthy overall. Water ..well maybe here, you can use as much as you want without regard to your budget.

And you say you have money for travel??? Visas? Does that mean you pay 1900 a year for your visa, and NEVER travel outside the immediate area, or that you must travel for visas, so you do spend a lot for that, which I think you cannot DO on your budget. Plus you drink ..I hope not often and it must be cheap? The cheapest.

I mean, overall, you are saying that you have about 3000 a month, or $100 more than a MINIMUM wage worker here, and you support yourself and a child on this money? With your house paid for ..I understand, and probably your motorbike too.

It must be possible because some Thais do it, but I think you are in such a small minority of Western people who can do that. Congrats on doing that, it must be really hard!! I am hoping that you are some kind of secretly rich person who has gone on a tangent of savings or something, and is forcing himself to live this dire lifestyle ...that you have loads of cash somewhere! But if you are not, can't you find some job, some kind of anything that will provide you with a bit of income?

I hope you didn't get "stuck" here in Thailand due to having a child and are living this way due to that ...if so, I really congratulate you and respect your choices and the fact that you can get by like this!

And what insurance do you have? Medical, motorbike, house, what? Just wondering, for the sake of this thead, and people who read this and think they too, can get by on such a small amount of money.

[amykat]

The basics:

Food and utilities (electric, garbage, etc) - $400 a month (12000baht/month?)

I have not rent. Again - that's the bare bones minimum. I should also add that food is pretty cheap for me since I don't pay (much) for rice (family farm) and veggies (farm again) and often eggs, chicken, fish, and pork (farm/family). That's life in Korat (Isan).

I can spend much more if I feel.

Here is an example, to support what I said in my above post, about costs and 12000 a month!!

[anto]

Between 30-40,000B per month depending on visa extensions and runs etc.

Live in central BKK in a good area walking distance to 2 major BTS stations (depends which way you walk) andthe main shopping malls with plenty of bars, restaurants, shops etc around.

Apartment has all mod cons, free Wifi, free cable TV, pool with poolside bar, gym, restaurants, mini mall, massage and salon on site.

No complaints.

I could SURVIVE on the same amount in the UK per month but it wouldn't be a fun existence just enough to cover rent, bills and expenses and nothing more.

you own or rent?

I rent. 8k per month + 1k for bills.

I give it 5 minutes before someone tells me at 8k per month in BKK I must live in a rat infested shit hole in the slums with no aircon.

You probably live in a quite nice basic studio Condo and may even have one a/c .The Complex may even have a Pool You are not within a short walk of Skytrain ,or underground but within a short bus ride .

[amykat]

25 baht can do you for 3 days of food.

After eating a 25b roadstall dish where the plates are washed on the sewer rat infested drain next to it on day 1, you'll be too sick to eat for days 2 and 3.

Even for this, I think you are quoting 2009/2010 prices or so. Most all dishes in CM cost at least 35-45 baht ...but they don't make me sick. But if I only ate 3 of these a day (the old 100 baht a day is enough ...I think I would lose weight and a lot of health ... and 3 times a day would cost let's say the high side of 135 baht a day), so a 35% increase, and for most of us, an exchange rate decrease of many percent as well, costing at least double?

I understand you were joking, but just for the newbies who believe this ...well also they do/did make portions smaller in order to keep the "same" price as if that is the "same".

Some of us might notice that some Thai people, all the ones I know, order more than one dish of this price, mostly adding up to around 100 baht per meal, per person, at street stalls, noodle stalls, etc.

[TheSpade]

You probably live in a quite nice basic studio Condo and may even have one a/c .The Complex may even have a Pool You are not within a short walk of Skytrain ,or underground but within a short bus ride

You're wrong.

Takes me approximately 8 minutes to walk to the closest BTS station and around 10-15 minutes to walk to the other (never timed that walk but it's longer). Airport rail link is within spitting distance.

If you're a fat b*stard or Thai it will take probably double that time to walk. A few of the Thai's I know have no problem walking from / to the BTS to my apartment so you know it's not far when a Thai is willing to do it.

Of course I only have 1 aircon. It's a studio apartment I don't need anymore than one.

For the people banging on about the guys TV package...really is it important to have 3,0000 channels which you never watch?

My TV package comes free with the apartment and I've no idea if it's the basic one or not and I don't care. There are about a dozen English speaking channels but the only ones I watch are BBC News, AXN, Fox Movies.

Better things to do in Thailand than watch TV. Going outside is 10x better than any TV show, place is a f*cking madhouse.

Internet, maybe the cheapest plan that exists. Not so great for farangs who use more international bandwith? But maybe I am just being scammed into paying more for that?

I would imagine this is some sort of b*llshit charge. International bandwith charge for farangs? Seems suspect.

Something else I get free from my apartment and it works just fine, no idea if it's a basic package or not.

Some of us might notice that some Thai people, all the ones I know, order more than one dish of this price, mostly adding up to around 100 baht per meal, per person, at street stalls, noodle stalls, etc.

When they go to restaurants and eat with friends they usually do this but when ordering something from a food stall a lot of people round here that I see just seem to get one dish, often the stall might only do one or 2 dishes anyway.

Edited October 31, 2013 by TheSpade

[amykat]

Wow, where do you live? Is it in Thailand? Because I do use aircon 80% of the time, and to be comfortable I would use it 98% of the time. And I live in an area that is supposed to be cooler than most. In fact, most of the time that I DO use aircon, I am still not comfortable, as my aircon cannot seem to really cool down my house to a temp I would like. For example, like now, it is somewhat cool at night, but my house is still much hotter, and even with aircon going 20 hours of the day/night, I cannot get my bedroom to be the same cool temp as the low nighttime temp, due to the cement holding the heat.

You must have picked an excellent building and city as well! Good for you! Or you just happen to comfortable with 35 C and humidity or more?

I live in Bangkok and I originally come from a not so warm country but I find I acclimatize to the heat quite quickly and my apartment somehow manages to stay cool by just keeping the balcony doors open throughout the day.

Everyone who comes into my apartment comments how cool it is, just got lucky didn't search out one like this.

I only really put the aircon on when I have friends or women over. I find it can be hot when I first get in from outside and I've been waking around a bit but if I strip down to a pair of shorts within 5 minutes I no longer notice the heat.

Plus not sitting around in aircon all the time means when I go back outside I don't notice the heat much.

You have a problem with your aircon. When I put mines on the room is freezing and anyone in the apartment asks it to be turned off after 30 minutes.

And btw I noticed your sarcasm but just because YOU can't handle the heat doesn't mean other people cannot.

Hey Mr. Spade, I wasn't being rude as far as I know?? I was just curious, and YES, other people can handle the heat better than me!! It isn't really a character defect ...I happen to have a chronic illness I will have until I die, that makes heat more uncomfortable for me, and stressful for my body, than a regular person. Sounds weird I know, but it is true! I didn't know this when I moved here or I would have chosen differently.

I realize "other" people can feel better than I do ...I could only wish I was one of those people! Anyway, good for YOU!!

[FiftyTwo]

And what insurance do you have? Medical, motorbike, house, what? Just wondering, for the sake of this thead, and people who read this and think they too, can get by on such a small amount of money.

Bangkok bank do a decent accident insurance for 2,400bht a year, as many claims up to 30k per incident to any hospital in CM (including m/c accidents).

You can now sign on for the government hospital scheme for under 3,000bht a year.

So that's a pretty comprehensive package for about 5,000bht a year.

But as for other insurance, pretty much an American obsession.

I only pay for insurance that I'm forced to take out.

Car and m/c insurance, Thai government minimum.

House insurance, 6k a year for buildings, that the home loan bank force me to pay.

Edited October 31, 2013 by FiftyTwo

[anto]

>>your wrong <<

More right than wrong .You did not mention a pool so i take it you dont have a pool in the complex .

Edited October 31, 2013 by anto

[amykat]

You probably live in a quite nice basic studio Condo and may even have one a/c .The Complex may even have a Pool You are not within a short walk of Skytrain ,or underground but within a short bus ride

You're wrong.

Takes me approximately 8 minutes to walk to the closest BTS station and around 10-15 minutes to walk to the other (never timed that walk but it's longer). Airport rail link is within spitting distance.

If you're a fat b*stard or Thai it will take probably double that time to walk. A few of the Thai's I know have no problem walking from / to the BTS to my apartment so you know it's not far when a Thai is willing to do it.

Of course I only have 1 aircon. It's a studio apartment I don't need anymore than one.

For the people banging on about the guys TV package...really is it important to have 3,0000 channels which you never watch?

My TV package comes free with the apartment and I've no idea if it's the basic one or not and I don't care. There are about a dozen English speaking channels but the only ones I watch are BBC News, AXN, Fox Movies.

Better things to do in Thailand than watch TV. Going outside is 10x better than any TV show, place is a f*cking madhouse.

Yes, you might not need TV, you might be new here, or have a job, or whatver, but many of us, retired people, like to have TV, and no I do not need 3000 channels, but I need more than 3 channels in English, the more the better!

Internet, maybe the cheapest plan that exists. Not so great for farangs who use more international bandwith? But maybe I am just being scammed into paying more for that?

I would imagine this is some sort of b*llshit charge. International bandwith charge for farangs? Seems suspect.

Something else I get free from my apartment and it works just fine, no idea if it's a basic package or not.

Well I guess you don't know, if it is included in your rent?

Some of us might notice that some Thai people, all the ones I know, order more than one dish of this price, mostly adding up to around 100 baht per meal, per person, at street stalls, noodle stalls, etc.

When they go to restaurants and eat with friends they usually do this but when ordering something from a food stall a lot of people round here that I see just seem to get one dish, often the stall might only do one or 2 dishes anyway.

Most people I KNOW, do order more than one dish, it doesn't mean different dishes, it means, that ONE dish at 35-45 bath is not enough food for their meal. So they order fish noodle soup, two orders and one order of extra fish balls, or fish things, whatever ...and one water or one drink which will easily add up to 100 baht. Or they order an extra large size, with an extra egg, and extra meat, and a drink. Maybe you don't always realize this or you go out with extremely slim, poor people, who can't order more, but it doens't mean that the standard "dish" 3 times a day, is enough calories or nutrition for most people.

[FiftyTwo]

Most people I KNOW, do order more than one dish, it doesn't mean different dishes, it means, that ONE dish at 35-45 bath is not enough food for their meal. So they order fish noodle soup, two orders and one order of extra fish balls, or fish things, whatever ...and one water or one drink which will easily add up to 100 baht. Or they order an extra large size, with an extra egg, and extra meat, and a drink. Maybe you don't always realize this or you go out with extremely slim, poor people, who can't order more, but it doens't mean that the standard "dish" 3 times a day, is enough calories or nutrition for most people.

On the other hand,

I'm a keep fit fanatic and so are all my friends. They are all slim, but not poor.

Nobody I know would dream of ordering more than one normal sized portion, most of us don't eat before lunch time.

We drink free water with out meals (sometimes with electrolytes).

Another 'American' problem, overeating, very bad for your health, only eat what you need, stay fit and healthy, and no need to waste money.

Are your friends by any chance American?

Edited October 31, 2013 by FiftyTwo

[amykat]

Hi Fifty Two,

No, I am talking about Thai people eating like that, but they eat no food at home. I am American, and I have always just ordered one dish of whatever, but I eat at home too, and am not depending on that food for all my meals. Just once in a while, a lunch usually.

[TheSpade]

>>your wrong <<

More right than wrong .You did not mention a pool so i take it you dont have a pool in the complex .

No you were totally wrong. You said I had to take a bus to the BTS when I infact live within walking distance to the BTS - 8 minutes walk.

If you think 8 minutes walk is too much then you need to stop being so lazy. Like I say even a few Thai's I know will walk to / from my place to BTS and Thai people on the whole hate walking even a few hundred yards.

I have a pool, pool side bar & restaurant, gym, 3 restaurant, mini mart, massage shop, salon, 2 on site laundry shops and more.

8,000B per month in the centre of Bangkok with free wifi and cable.

You're going to tell me it's impossible though, right? Even though I am doing it and know a dozen other farangs doing it in various parts of town living with all mod cons close to the BTS some only paying 4-5k p/m.

Maybe you don't always realize this or you go out with extremely slim, poor people, who can't order more, but it doens't mean that the standard "dish" 3 times a day, is enough calories or nutrition for most people.

I don't know any poor people. Some are slim, some not so slim. They tend to order one dish unless at a restaurant and there's a few people eating and numerous things are ordered to share.

Even most farang I know just eat one standard meal at a time. Often one dish is more than enough to satisfy my hunger and I tend to only eat 2 meals a day most times.

[metisdead]

Nonsense pointless bickering posts and replies have been removed.

[seasia]

I never did respond with a more itemized cost of living here, although I wrote about it in a different thread previously as part of a more comprehensive guide to navigating chumphon town. Better late than never.

- Rent: 2500 + water (which was flat 200 baht but now we have a meter which it works out to be cheaper now). I stay in a single-story shop house near the beach. 2br/2bath. 1 kitchen. 1 room. the rest is a large open area something like 12m x 18m + outside covered area. wash clothes about every other day or so.

- electric: gov't rate, avg about 2200 baht a month, running the air con unit for customers or for the baby...about 3-8 hours a day. The fans are on 12-24 hours a day depending on the room. Shower has hot water.

- food: around 8000-12,000, including diapers and other toiletries.

- transportation: 300-500 in gas for motorbike to go everywhere, or hop with someone who goes into the town.

- visa: 1 year non immigrant visa is 6000 baht + appx 18-30k in travel expenses to obtain + 90 day visa runs 1200 baht x 4. I could cut the travel expenses down significantly if I were married to a Thai. I usually get 14.5 -15 months total stay per 1 non-o visa. So that works out to be about 2700 baht/mo on the high end, 2000/mo on low end, and 1000/mo to obtain the visa closer to home. Extensions would be even cheaper, but there are paperwork hassles and temporary monetary tie-ups to consider.

8,000-15,000 a month single; 15k+ with a family. It does depend greatly on what you want and how western you want to go; we aren't living in rags.

The older expats tend to have either townhouses, or detached houses / bungalows designed to attract foreigners. These can vary from 7,000-15,000 + electric + water. Gas and sometimes internet is included with cleaning once per week. Away from the beach there are cheaper options as well.

The studio bungalows and studio rooms at the guesthouses with a balcony were 3000-8000/mo + electric. Again, cheaper as you go away from the beach.

Try finding a place in Hawaii (Oahu, Big Island) for those prices.....even during low season.

I suppose private int'l school would be a much larger chunk if I opt not to do any homeschooling or a private school with a religions affiliation. That's something to consider as I get older.

Hi

Interesting and well written, Thanks.

I`ve glanced at your older post, will read fully later

[seasia]

Even most farang I know just eat one standard meal at a time. Often one dish is more than enough to satisfy my hunger and I tend to only eat 2 meals a day most times.

You seem to be the same as me in that respect.

i would normally eat one Thai meal daytime( or merely a snack) then one other meal later.

Enough for me, I do like to eat " western food "but actually sometimes struggle to finish 2 courses.

i guess people just have different levels of appetite and absolutely nothing to do with money.

off topic but my Thai GF often cooks for me and I constantly have to ask her to make the meal smaller.

Funny really.

[amykat]

Well it is a bit late now to respond, but I wonder if some of the differences we are finding between Thai food, and how much people order, could have to do with gender? While I know most of the posters here are men, I can assume most of their dining partners are women? The few particular people I dine with, who I claim order more than one dish, are Thai men, who don't also eat at home, have no cooking at home.

Then there is also this thing posters always talk about on here, which is, how OFTEN Thai people eat per day. So let's say your friends only eat one dish, but do they eat 6-8 times per day? Some pork and sticky rice, here and there, a fish noodle dish, a jok dish, a bunch of fried snacks of whatever, some fruit, some 7-11 crap, etc., etc?

Maybe I just happen to know a few people who do this differently. But my point was mostly (in my mind) that this 100 baht a day deal, which many people liked to claim was enough, is not enough, in my opinion, now with inflation over the years. It isn't enough to feed my child, who is 8, and a girl. Not even close. Yes, I could keep her ALIVE on 100 baht a day ...but not with a varied, good, diet. Her diet would mostly be rice and eggs, or rice and pork or chicken with palm oil. Bananas would mostly be the only fruit she could eat. And her only beverage would be water for the most part. Or various rice and sugar combinations ...but even then she couldn't eat all of these things in one day ...not where I live.

Buy a roti with egg and banana, which I do sometimes, fairly okay for a dessert, is 30 baht? One sticky rice and pork sticks, that is 30-35 baht, One milk or total shit sugar yogurt drink (which personally I don't buy those but better real yogurt no sugar) is 10 bath or more ...that leaves 30 baht let us say for one noodle with chicken, or fish balls, or pork, a small serving ..and you are at 100 baht, and my kid is asking for 3-4 more snacks/meals during this day.

My kid often eats 100 baht a day just in fruits. But it may depend on where you live, it could be cheaper, and I don't just pick my fruit based on what is cheapest, but they have become a lot more expensive in the last few years. And well my kid eats Western food too, so I am totally out of this budget, I am more in the 300 bath a day as a bare minimum. As in, no matter how hard I tried, I really wouldn't/couldn't spend less than that. And I think I shop fairly carefully, but with a balanced diet in mind. More realistic is that I spend maybe 400-500 baht a day on her.

[FiftyTwo]

Buy a roti with egg and banana, which I do sometimes, fairly okay for a dessert, is 30 baht? One sticky rice and pork sticks, that is 30-35 baht, One milk or total shit sugar yogurt drink (which personally I don't buy those but better real yogurt no sugar) is 10 bath or more ...that leaves 30 baht let us say for one noodle with chicken, or fish balls, or pork, a small serving ..and you are at 100 baht, and my kid is asking for 3-4 more snacks/meals during this day.

My kid often eats 100 baht a day just in fruits. But it may depend on where you live, it could be cheaper, and I don't just pick my fruit based on what is cheapest, but they have become a lot more expensive in the last few years. And well my kid eats Western food too, so I am totally out of this budget, I am more in the 300 bath a day as a bare minimum. As in, no matter how hard I tried, I really wouldn't/couldn't spend less than that. And I think I shop fairly carefully, but with a balanced diet in mind. More realistic is that I spend maybe 400-500 baht a day on her.

Why not learn to make stuff yourself and reduce the costs dramatically.

Loaf of whole wheat bread 20bht, easy to make.

Yoghurt, 42bht/liter, entirely natural no additives or sugar.

Sticky rice, 5bht, pork/chicken/liver stick 10bht each .... how can you spend 35bht for a child?

Try some real Thai dessert, cow man sang kiya (sticky rice, coconut milk, egg custard usually wrapped in a palm leaf) 10bht

400-500bht a day is more than the food for my entire family (2 adults, 1 teen, 1 ankle biter)

Edited November 4, 2013 by FiftyTwo

[amykat]

Oh, SORRY ....I don't know what I was thinking last night, I was adding other expenses in my head...I should say I think 200 is the mininum for my kid, but 300 a day more likely to be what I do really spend, due to Western foods, cheese, berries, nice desserts here and there, etc. I am kind of a health nut so try hard to avoid certain things, and add in other certain things, which isn't so cheap!

[Sealbash]

Anyone who has lived in Thailand knows the cost of living here, which can vary if you choose to simply exist, or if you choose to enjoy life spending more than 100 baht a day for food. Bragging about spending as little as possible per month makes no sense. There is a huge difference between existing and living an enjoyable quality life. I am fortunate to be able to spend the same as I would in my home country, but I enjoy a much better quality of life for the same amount in Thailand.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[umbanda]

I spend the same like you with my wife, even paying 4000thb for rent and 8000thb payment for a new Honda Jazz with 150000thb down I saved in 3 years here when I was single. But...I have a choice. With that money I probably can live well in San Diego, California...under a small free tent...on the sidewalk....8PM to 8AM...and make a line to get free supermarket leftovers thanks to the Major of the "Finest City in America".....

Ohhhh...I forgot. There I have Jack in the Box!

Edited November 6, 2013 by umbanda

[PoorSucker]

Troll post removed.

[soomak]

When they go to restaurants and eat with friends they usually do this but when ordering something from a food stall a lot of people round here that I see just seem to get one dish, often the stall might only do one or 2 dishes anyway.

Most people I KNOW, do order more than one dish, it doesn't mean different dishes, it means, that ONE dish at 35-45 bath is not enough food for their meal. So they order fish noodle soup, two orders and one order of extra fish balls, or fish things, whatever ...and one water or one drink which will easily add up to 100 baht. Or they order an extra large size, with an extra egg, and extra meat, and a drink. Maybe you don't always realize this or you go out with extremely slim, poor people, who can't order more, but it doens't mean that the standard "dish" 3 times a day, is enough calories or nutrition for most people.

You are right, one Thai dish per meal is certainly not enough nutrition and calories, certainly not for a medium size Western man.

Have asked my ex-gf how much she spends on food per day, she answered 200-300 baht, and she doesn't eat much.

I spend 500-600 per day, but I never eat street food, and rarely eat Thai food. I live in bkk, so it's probably more expensive then elsewhere in Thailand.

Many Thais make less then 10K baht per month, so they can't spend more then 100-120 per day on food, but that doesn't make it enough to be healthy, it's just enough to survive.

[AYJAYDEE]

When they go to restaurants and eat with friends they usually do this but when ordering something from a food stall a lot of people round here that I see just seem to get one dish, often the stall might only do one or 2 dishes anyway.

Most people I KNOW, do order more than one dish, it doesn't mean different dishes, it means, that ONE dish at 35-45 bath is not enough food for their meal. So they order fish noodle soup, two orders and one order of extra fish balls, or fish things, whatever ...and one water or one drink which will easily add up to 100 baht. Or they order an extra large size, with an extra egg, and extra meat, and a drink. Maybe you don't always realize this or you go out with extremely slim, poor people, who can't order more, but it doens't mean that the standard "dish" 3 times a day, is enough calories or nutrition for most people.

You are right, one Thai dish per meal is certainly not enough nutrition and calories, certainly not for a medium size Western man.

Have asked my ex-gf how much she spends on food per day, she answered 200-300 baht, and she doesn't eat much.

I spend 500-600 per day, but I never eat street food, and rarely eat Thai food. I live in bkk, so it's probably more expensive then elsewhere in Thailand.

Many Thais make less then 10K baht per month, so they can't spend more then 100-120 per day on food, but that doesn't make it enough to be healthy, it's just enough to survive.

its enough if they cook at home