What's your monthly cost to live in Thailand?

[bobthomas]

There always seems to be a propensity for people to exagerate how, "Great it is in Thailand", compared to the west.

It's not what you pay per month but rather the quality of life you have, in what is unremarkably ....the third world.

Most people downplay, (or simply aren't aware of) the actual quality of life they have here.

They are too busy running off to the soapy massage or local watering hole.

We complain about taxes in the west but have servicable roads, good schools, an effective Police force, Fire department, Libraries, etc. etc.

If you don't mind falling into a hole in the road or walkway, eating, drinking, and breathing pollution and toxic air, overcrowding, poor sanitation, poor quality products and services, inflated prices for Farangs and a whole list of other deficiencies- then this is the place for you!

but if something happens?- your bird takes your house, car accident, (including a taxi ride), your house gets robbed, you get food poisoning, defective products, overcharged, etc. etc. Your house falls on your <deleted> head.

Your pretty much just jacked! It's Thailand!!

You are actually paying a lot more than you think- but in the daze of your bohemian lifestyle-

it's just not convenient to contemplate the true price of living in Thailand.

I really like the part of your post where your talking about something happening in Thailand .....like..."your bird takes your house,....etc"

First off ....my ex-wife's DID get the house ....OH MY but that was in America....

I was in a head on car accident .got sued...almost lost everything.....OH MY that was in America

House was robbed........OH MY ....that was in America

Food Poisoning.........OH MY.....That was in America......etc,

(And all that happened in "Sunny Callifornia")

NONE of the above has happened to me here in Thailand .......

So you want to talk about quality of life........Get a clue ....Most expats move to GET a better life not a crapper one!

You are gonna have to do better than that. All you proved here is that you weren't even smart enough to live in America. I got a divorce under my belt in the US and I never lost a cent. I was more clever with my assets, and just told the broads, "look, things are gonna go my way or I will drag out the divorce as long as the law permits and ya get nothin". My divorce cost me $387. and the ex paid half. Head on crash?, almost lost everything? Were ya drunk? I had lots of crashes, and a brutal head on one too. Fast reflexes and clever follow up. I was robbed several times. Had good insurance, came away with new, better stuff (courtesy of the Ins. company) and a fat check each time for the stuff I didn't want to buy again.

and if living in a shop house in the City of squalor on 20 K Baht/month is a "better life". I tremble at the thought of the worse one.

[khunPer]

One aspect that has not been touched in this thread is exchange rate pressure. It has already driven many expats out of Thailand as they no longer meet the visa extension requirements and / or inflation has caught them out and they had to go elsewhere. I won't beat this to death, but the west is in for a serious currency / monetary system crisis in the near future. If your income is dependent on western fiat currencies, part of your risk profile should be how to exist if your income is cut in half, or worse.

Yes, you are absolutely right, but in reply to “monthly costs to live in Thailand” it may be presumed being the expenses in bath.

Income in foreign currency from abroad may go both ways. At the moment some countries/currencies have suffered more than others. I often hear British folks and some Americans complain, whilst about ten years back there was around a year I got some 25 per cent less bath than now for my currency (Danish kroner). If I had based my life in Thailand and budget on that exchange rate, I shall be happy right now. I will get a problem with my budget if it goes the other way (again) – or spend my savings way too fast.

If you are sure you are going to stay in Thailand for long time – or for ever – you may wish to move some of your saving to here, to keep them in Thai baht; the currency you are going to spend your savings in. Not arguing about risk and all those you will say: »No, don’t…!« Thai banks may give as good – or better – interest as in your homeland. Fund Book is another option, more risky of course, but so is speculation everywhere. I have done some savings in Fund Books (stocks) for my GF and daughter, and so far it has been very good. Also try with a (very) small portion for myself to check, if works fine and I may begin to move some of my savings to here.

The 400k or 800k needed for extension of stay may be a problem, if based on monthly income only. I will always recommend just keeping the amount in a Thai bank; you may get some good interest bargains from time to time, up to 3% pa or more. However, if you do not have savings, that makes it complicated. And will the required amount raise, for example one day Immigration wish you to have 1 million or more, or minimum 85,000 baht a month?

What shall we do if it is double up to 1.6 million, to compensate for the raising living costs in Thailand?

Another question when comparing costs – and where to place our savings – is taxation, which may be quite different between the countries we come from. Seems like US citizens complain about not being able to avoid taxation (I do not know much about it). In Thailand we only pay 15% tax on high interest and dividend. In Northern Europe we may pay a lot more, however in some cases double-taxation-rules may be used and only 15% tax paid. That is important in the overall picture, also about where to place our money and the risk factor. In other treads at Thai Visa the question about investment in Thailand has been discussed, and some members stated that it is save enough and with a good outcome.

The real problem is retirement pension – or other fixed income from home – which cannot be secured in Thai baht. I have heard British folks complain about their public pension not being indexed, because they live abroad, and with some 20% loss in exchange and raising prices for food and other daily needs in Thailand over the last decade, they feel quite depressed being depending on a (small) pension only. A lot of us may face similar problems with pensions. What can we do?

[Spaniel]

I haven't lived in the USA since August 1967 so I can't really make a comparison of living expenses. I have lived here in Bangkok for many years and monthly expenses for me and (Thai) wife is around B 70,000. Our house here in Bkk and condo in Pattaya are both paid for as are both autos. We travel around Thailand, mostly in the north, several times a year and spend about a week a month in Pattaya. I doubt if I could have the same standard of living in the USA on B 70,000 a month.

[smotherb]

"Point being is that it's much more expensive to live in America (or Europe for that matter) than it is to live in Thailand"

Well YES ! Thats hardly rocket science or in need of an accounting genious is it ! Why do you think there are so many and ever increasibg number of foreign retiree's here, must be the weather....lol

As for Thailand it is entirely dependent on indiviidual circumstances, lifestyle and more importantly location.

Thank you CharlieH, a little wisdom and logic brought to the fold. I know a falang couple who spend $5k US dollars a month living here in Thailand and they do not live in luxury. They have a comforatble rented house, a Harley and a Toyota Pick-up, both paid for. They go to most bike events and regularly travel not only around Thailand, but to neighboring Southeast Asian countries visiting friends. They take trains instead of planes, eat in local restaurants half the time, stay in unpretentious but nice hotels, but still manage to go out to eat and party10-12 times a week, spend every other weekend away, spend a month in a neighboring country every six months. I think they do real well for only $5k/mo. Imagine what a lifestyle like that would cost in the US or Europe.

[JaiLai]

A friend of mine is a BKK based oil and gas manager, he laughed and said that his rent and school fees for his two kids are 240k p/m.

Fortunately both are paid by the company.

I would guess his salary on top would be in the 500-800k range.

He can't wait to leave the place as he considers the country and its people to be a joke.

I politely offered to take over his position any time he wants.

I think you'd find a lot of long time residents of the same opinion.

It's becoming more and more a joke all the time.

[Khonper]

Electric (air)............2500ish baht

Water.................................................................180 baht

Internet...............................................................1000 baht

TV....................................................................1700baht

Transportation (fuel, insurance, tax etc for 2 cars).................6000baht

Food (eating out).......................................................30000 baht

Groceries (incl diapers, formula etc).....................10000baht

Common area fee for moo baan (28000 yearly)........... 2000ish baht

Facility fees (incl golf course and waterpark 50 000 yearly) 4000ish baht

Maid......... ...............................................................8000baht

Early years school for 1 kid (120 000yearly)..............10000ish baht

Medical insurance (50 000+ yearly)......................................................4000ishbaht

Probably forgetting something but still this is far more then I would pay in Sweden (Europe) where health care and school is FREE.

In Sweden the maid would cost u more than your monthly total in thailand.

Not true. With the tax deductions of the alliance government of the last years you can now have house cleaning for about 350sek (1 hour) per time wich is about 1600baht.

And that is 160hoursx1600bht > 256.000baht

[HardenedSoul]

Water, electric, internet? 1,000 a month??!!

Yeah, pull the other one.

The wifi is free with the apartment as well as cable TV.

My electricity and water is not more than 1,000B per month total and I pay double the Government rate.

I spend a good part of the day in the coffee shop and my apartment is rarely that hot so aircon isn't needed most the time.

You're very brave conducting your internet business over communal wi-fi

[Naam]

One of the reasons I brought this topic up AGAIN......is when I left the states .....(and I owned a home) my expenses were as follows.

Property tax...........................................................................450/month

Electric...................................................................................200/month

water......................................................................................100/month

garbage......................................................................................75/month

gardener.....................................................................................85/month

medical ins,.................................................................................750/month

cable tv........................................................................................100/months

telephone......................................................................................75/month

Food.........................................................................................500/month

Transportation (gasoline, car insurance, and car payment)......800/month

miscelaneous............................................................................300/month

Federal Income Tax................................................................1500/month

So an average life in America ....I believe I was middle class.....cost $4935/month.....

Never heard of anyone spending 75 bucks a month on garbage collectIon.

you hear it now. in many areas of my home country Germany you pay a flat rate for garbage collection whether you dispose of garbage or not. on top of that you are charged by weight whatever garbage you want to be collected. average for a four-person household (depending on their life style) between €40 and €60 ($55-83) a month.

the latest craze is that you are forced to pay a "communication fee" (€18/$25 a month) for Radio and TV reception even if you don't own any of the gadgets.

[Naam]

Electric (air)............2500ish baht

Water.................................................................180 baht

Internet...............................................................1000 baht

TV....................................................................1700baht

Transportation (fuel, insurance, tax etc for 2 cars).................6000baht

Food (eating out).......................................................30000 baht

Groceries (incl diapers, formula etc).....................10000baht

Common area fee for moo baan (28000 yearly)........... 2000ish baht

Facility fees (incl golf course and waterpark 50 000 yearly) 4000ish baht

Maid......... ...............................................................8000baht

Early years school for 1 kid (120 000yearly)..............10000ish baht

Medical insurance (50 000+ yearly)......................................................4000ishbaht

Probably forgetting something but still this is far more then I would pay in Sweden (Europe) where health care and school is FREE.

In Sweden the maid would cost u more than your monthly total in thailand.

Not true. With the tax deductions of the alliance government of the last years you can now have house cleaning for about 350sek (1 hour) per time wich is about 1600baht.

in Sweden an hour has only 350 seconds?

[soomak]

You own your own home, but in reality housing is the largest expense of most people, weather renting or paying the mortgage.

In Israel I paid 29,000 thb for rent + 3,000 for municipal taxes and common fees.

In bkk I pay 18,000 thb, and have no municipal taxes and no common fees (common fees are paid by the owner).

So on rent alone I save 14,000 thb per month, while my apartment is newer, and the building has a gym, pool, security, all of which I did not have back home.

Overall my expenses in bkk range from 50,000 - 70,000 per month, depending on how much I spend on entertainment or buying stuff.

And I don't own a car, which would add at least 10,000 per month.

[beachproperty]

There always seems to be a propensity for people to exagerate how, "Great it is in Thailand", compared to the west.

It's not what you pay per month but rather the quality of life you have, in what is unremarkably ....the third world.

Most people downplay, (or simply aren't aware of) the actual quality of life they have here.

They are too busy running off to the soapy massage or local watering hole.

We complain about taxes in the west but have servicable roads, good schools, an effective Police force, Fire department, Libraries, etc. etc.

If you don't mind falling into a hole in the road or walkway, eating, drinking, and breathing pollution and toxic air, overcrowding, poor sanitation, poor quality products and services, inflated prices for Farangs and a whole list of other deficiencies- then this is the place for you!

but if something happens?- your bird takes your house, car accident, (including a taxi ride), your house gets robbed, you get food poisoning, defective products, overcharged, etc. etc. Your house falls on your <deleted> head.

Your pretty much just jacked! It's Thailand!!

You are actually paying a lot more than you think- but in the daze of your bohemian lifestyle-

it's just not convenient to contemplate the true price of living in Thailand.

I really like the part of your post where your talking about something happening in Thailand .....like..."your bird takes your house,....etc"

First off ....my ex-wife's DID get the house ....OH MY but that was in America....

I was in a head on car accident .got sued...almost lost everything.....OH MY that was in America

House was robbed........OH MY ....that was in America

Food Poisoning.........OH MY.....That was in America......etc,

(And all that happened in "Sunny Callifornia")

NONE of the above has happened to me here in Thailand .......

So you want to talk about quality of life........Get a clue ....Most expats move to GET a better life not a crapper one!

You are gonna have to do better than that. All you proved here is that you weren't even smart enough to live in America. I got a divorce under my belt in the US and I never lost a cent. I was more clever with my assets, and just told the broads, "look, things are gonna go my way or I will drag out the divorce as long as the law permits and ya get nothin". My divorce cost me $387. and the ex paid half. Head on crash?, almost lost everything? Were ya drunk? I had lots of crashes, and a brutal head on one too. Fast reflexes and clever follow up. I was robbed several times. Had good insurance, came away with new, better stuff (courtesy of the Ins. company) and a fat check each time for the stuff I didn't want to buy again.

and if living in a shop house in the City of squalor on 20 K Baht/month is a "better life". I tremble at the thought of the worse one.

I find it SAD Mr Bobthomas that you have to revert to name calling to try to win your case.....(saying I was not smart enough to live in America!)....Which by the way is WRONG (In America I was in the highest 1% of income and wealth) ....

Not everyone's life is based on what "possession" they have (nor is that the point of this thread).

AND "quality of Life" is not base on such shallow assumptions either.

FACT IS ...for me.....moving to Thailand save me....I will not go into the details ....but suffice it to say that if not for moving to Thailand I would have been dead 5 years ago....(Thanks to the health system in America.....oh you have a pain....take a pill!)

I live on less because I CHOOSE to......that's what quality of life is ....being ABLE to make choices....To live our life the way we want....

Sadly though many people cannot make those choices because to SURVIVE in America is just getting TOO expensive and they are LOCKED into their miserable job...which creates a miserable life for them....(sounds like maybe you fit into this group???)

All be Told....MY point of view is that Thailand is Cheaper to live....and more certainly, for me, the quality of life is higher for the same price!

Edited October 28, 2013 by beachproperty

[Jasun]

I think it depends on your circumstances:

If you're dirt poor and desperate, you're better off in the West with free health, subsidised transport and financial assistance from the government.

If you're young, single or retired and healthy, you're better off in Thailand where it's cheaper across the board to live comfortably.

If you're middle class, working and have with kids, it's pretty much a dead heat once you add private or international school fees, health insurance and the also factor in lower salaries.

If you want a more generous lifestyle then Thailand wins again, as anything that requires labor (maid, gardener, tutor, driver, massage therapist, babysitter, pool cleaner, personal trainer) is way cheaper.

I have a mate who claims it's cheaper to come live in Thailand for 3 months than to heat his European home in winter.

[AYJAYDEE]

There always seems to be a propensity for people to exagerate how, "Great it is in Thailand", compared to the west.

It's not what you pay per month but rather the quality of life you have, in what is unremarkably ....the third world.

Most people downplay, (or simply aren't aware of) the actual quality of life they have here.

They are too busy running off to the soapy massage or local watering hole.

We complain about taxes in the west but have servicable roads, good schools, an effective Police force, Fire department, Libraries, etc. etc.

If you don't mind falling into a hole in the road or walkway, eating, drinking, and breathing pollution and toxic air, overcrowding, poor sanitation, poor quality products and services, inflated prices for Farangs and a whole list of other deficiencies- then this is the place for you!

but if something happens?- your bird takes your house, car accident, (including a taxi ride), your house gets robbed, you get food poisoning, defective products, overcharged, etc. etc. Your house falls on your <deleted> head.

Your pretty much just jacked! It's Thailand!!

You are actually paying a lot more than you think- but in the daze of your bohemian lifestyle-

it's just not convenient to contemplate the true price of living in Thailand.

I really like the part of your post where your talking about something happening in Thailand .....like..."your bird takes your house,....etc"

First off ....my ex-wife's DID get the house ....OH MY but that was in America....

I was in a head on car accident .got sued...almost lost everything.....OH MY that was in America

House was robbed........OH MY ....that was in America

Food Poisoning.........OH MY.....That was in America......etc,

(And all that happened in "Sunny Callifornia")

NONE of the above has happened to me here in Thailand .......

So you want to talk about quality of life........Get a clue ....Most expats move to GET a better life not a crapper one!

You are gonna have to do better than that. All you proved here is that you weren't even smart enough to live in America. I got a divorce under my belt in the US and I never lost a cent. I was more clever with my assets, and just told the broads, "look, things are gonna go my way or I will drag out the divorce as long as the law permits and ya get nothin". My divorce cost me $387. and the ex paid half. Head on crash?, almost lost everything? Were ya drunk? I had lots of crashes, and a brutal head on one too. Fast reflexes and clever follow up. I was robbed several times. Had good insurance, came away with new, better stuff (courtesy of the Ins. company) and a fat check each time for the stuff I didn't want to buy again.

and if living in a shop house in the City of squalor on 20 K Baht/month is a "better life". I tremble at the thought of the worse one.

I find it SAD Mr Bobthomas that you have to revert to name calling to try to win your case.....(saying I was not smart enough to live in America!)....Which by the way is WRONG (In America I was in the highest 1% of income and wealth) ....

Not everyone's life is based on what "possession" they have (nor is that the point of this thread).

AND "quality of Life" is not base on such shallow assumptions either.

FACT IS ...for me.....moving to Thailand save me....I will not go into the details ....but suffice it to say that if not for moving to Thailand I would have been dead 5 years ago....(Thanks to the health system in America.....oh you have a pain....take a pill!)

I live on less because I CHOOSE to......that's what quality of life is ....being ABLE to make choices....To live our life the way we want....

Sadly though many people cannot make those choices because to SURVIVE in America is just getting TOO expensive and they are LOCKED into their miserable job...which creates a miserable life for them....(sounds like maybe you fit into this group???)

All be Told....MY point of view is that Thailand is Cheaper to live....and more certainly, for me, the quality of life is higher for the same price!

very well put. some people seem unable to understand that there is so much more to life beyond material possessions. they miss so much of what thailand has to offer.

[bunnydrops]

I won't go into numbers but I lived single, small town, Or. USA. Here, married, no children, rural. I spend about !/3 here than I did in the States.

[MrWorldwide]

I won't go into numbers but I lived single, small town, Or. USA. Here, married, no children, rural. I spend about !/3 here than I did in the States.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Kaczynski

When asked if he was afraid of losing his mind in prison, Kaczynski replied:

No, what worries me is that I might in a sense adapt to this environment and come to be comfortable here and not resent it anymore. And I am afraid that as the years go by that I may forget, I may begin to lose my memories of the mountains and the woods and that's what really worries me, that I might lose those memories, and lose that sense of contact with wild nature in general. But I am not afraid they are going to break my spirit

Kaczynski has been an active writer in prison

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

U.S. News and World Report had this article a couple weeks back on the best places to retire in the U.S. on $75 or less per day, which works out to about $2250 per month. I'm not endorsing their suggestions, but they do provide some alternatives to Thailand for consideration. A lot of cities in the southeast, a few in the midwest and elsewhere.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/best-places-retire-75-day-180521228.html

The full article has a description and details for each city. But here is just a list of the cities they mention. At least, as an American, you don't have to worry about visas and 90-day reports to live there.

Akron, Ohio

Augusta, Ga.

Chattanooga, Tenn.

Des Moines, Iowa

Greenville, S.C.

Little Rock, Ark.

Louisville, Ky.

Pittsburgh

San Antonio

Syracuse, N.Y.

[AYJAYDEE]

U.S. News and World Report had this article a couple weeks back on the best places to retire in the U.S. on $75 or less per day, which works out to about $2250 per month. I'm not endorsing their suggestions, but they do provide some alternatives to Thailand for consideration. A lot of cities in the southeast, a few in the midwest and elsewhere.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/best-places-retire-75-day-180521228.html

The full article has a description and details for each city. But here is just a list of the cities they mention. At least, as an American, you don't have to worry about visas and 90-day reports to live there.

Akron, Ohio

Augusta, Ga.

Chattanooga, Tenn.

Des Moines, Iowa

Greenville, S.C.

Little Rock, Ark.

Louisville, Ky.

Pittsburgh

San Antonio

Syracuse, N.Y.

so, about 70,000 baht a month. far more than i need to enjoy thailand

[MrWorldwide]

The upside of life in Chattanooga is that you should have no problems logging onto TV

http://chattanoogagig.com/

The downside is that I wonder how long folks can continue to live in a hi-tech town for '$75 a day'.

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=United+States&city=Chattanooga%2C+TN

Bill Bryston drove all over the US about 20 years ago and decreed Savannah, GA to be his pick for the town that best embodies his idealised vision of 'small town USA'. I wonder if he would be happy or sad to see that his own hometown still makes the above list all these years later ?

[NeverSure]

I won't go into numbers but I lived single, small town, Or. USA. Here, married, no children, rural. I spend about !/3 here than I did in the States.

I don't even need to know specifics. If you are living in rural Thailand and now married for 1/3 what you spent as a single in The States you are nowhere near living the same lifestyle surrounded by the same amenities.

That's OK. There's nothing wrong with that and it works very well for some people. But there is no way that rural Thailand compares even close to "small town Oregon, USA" in any way. It can't possibly be apples and apples.

There is Nothing in rural Oregon that would remind you of rural Thailand for lifestyle. LINK TO PICTURES OF SMALL TOWN OREGON.

I enjoy small town Thailand, even Isaan so I hope you are happy and if so, good for you.

[swissman53]

I come from Switzerland. Here my calculation:

House with 3 bedroom rent 5km away from the city 3200.-

Health insurance 280.-

Food (only shopping) 600.-

Power, water garbage 200.-

Transport 400.-

Going out, clothes etc... 1200.-

-------

Sfr 5880.- (bath 204'000.-)

New house 3 bedroom, pool 8-4m rent 24000

Health insurance 3000

Food 12000

power, water 2500

Transport motobike+ amortisation 7000

Etc 15000

-------

bath 63500 ( Sfr. 1825.-)

[allucero]

There always seems to be a propensity for people to exagerate how, "Great it is in Thailand", compared to the west.

It's not what you pay per month but rather the quality of life you have, in what is unremarkably ....the third world.

Most people downplay, (or simply aren't aware of) the actual quality of life they have here.

They are too busy running off to the soapy massage or local watering hole.

We complain about taxes in the west but have servicable roads, good schools, an effective Police force, Fire department, Libraries, etc. etc.

If you don't mind falling into a hole in the road or walkway, eating, drinking, and breathing pollution and toxic air, overcrowding, poor sanitation, poor quality products and services, inflated prices for Farangs and a whole list of other deficiencies- then this is the place for you!

but if something happens?- your bird takes your house, car accident, (including a taxi ride), your house gets robbed, you get food poisoning, defective products, overcharged, etc. etc. Your house falls on your <deleted> head.

Your pretty much just jacked! It's Thailand!!

You are actually paying a lot more than you think- but in the daze of your bohemian lifestyle-

it's just not convenient to contemplate the true price of living in Thailand.

I really like the part of your post where your talking about something happening in Thailand .....like..."your bird takes your house,....etc"

First off ....my ex-wife's DID get the house ....OH MY but that was in America....

I was in a head on car accident .got sued...almost lost everything.....OH MY that was in America

House was robbed........OH MY ....that was in America

Food Poisoning.........OH MY.....That was in America......etc,

(And all that happened in "Sunny Callifornia")

NONE of the above has happened to me here in Thailand .......

So you want to talk about quality of life........Get a clue ....Most expats move to GET a better life not a crapper one!

[allucero]

There always seems to be a propensity for people to exagerate how, "Great it is in Thailand", compared to the west.

It's not what you pay per month but rather the quality of life you have, in what is unremarkably ....the third world.

Most people downplay, (or simply aren't aware of) the actual quality of life they have here.

They are too busy running off to the soapy massage or local watering hole.

We complain about taxes in the west but have servicable roads, good schools, an effective Police force, Fire department, Libraries, etc. etc.

If you don't mind falling into a hole in the road or walkway, eating, drinking, and breathing pollution and toxic air, overcrowding, poor sanitation, poor quality products and services, inflated prices for Farangs and a whole list of other deficiencies- then this is the place for you!

but if something happens?- your bird takes your house, car accident, (including a taxi ride), your house gets robbed, you get food poisoning, defective products, overcharged, etc. etc. Your house falls on your <deleted> head.

Your pretty much just jacked! It's Thailand!!

You are actually paying a lot more than you think- but in the daze of your bohemian lifestyle-

it's just not convenient to contemplate the true price of living in Thailand.

I really like the part of your post where your talking about something happening in Thailand .....like..."your bird takes your house,....etc"

First off ....my ex-wife's DID get the house ....OH MY but that was in America....

I was in a head on car accident .got sued...almost lost everything.....OH MY that was in America

House was robbed........OH MY ....that was in America

Food Poisoning.........OH MY.....That was in America......etc,

(And all that happened in "Sunny Callifornia")

NONE of the above has happened to me here in Thailand .......

So you want to talk about quality of life........Get a clue ....Most expats move to GET a better life not a crapper one!

[MrWorldwide]

I just look for a location above the waterline.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Exodus-in-full-swing-30168735.html

Another popular getaway destination was Chon Buri's Pat-taya city. Hotels in Bangkok and nearby destinations such as Pattaya and Hua Hin are gaining more business as Bangkokians escape the floods, fully booking hotels and other accommodation.

Glory days for Pattaya hoteliers, and we all know BKK will never see floods like that again, dont we ?

[allucero]

beachproperty... If This Happened to you in California. Number1) You are a loser 2)You probably left your family there to avoid child support. 3) You Are A drunk 4)The police in the USA are looking for you now. 5) If you can't make it California you are a BUM!!!!

[Vo Nguyen Giap]

i rent in fan room and walk and eat at 7. comes in at under THB 15000 not including visa and visa runs.

"air on 8 hours a day everyday" noted that you posted this in october so this is just pure waste to satisfy face.

admitted i have three(3) fans going 24hrs but its included in rent. but fans are more for air quality not temp controll. thailand stinks if you havent noticed.

wifi also included in rent as is cable tv that i dont watch. not in the big smoke or a tourist ghetto by choice. been here long enough to know my way around. could easily do around THB 10000

with minimal extra effort or lifestyle change, but what the heck give cat another goldfish.

not a member of the alcohol or drug dependence groups.

Edited October 28, 2013 by Vo Nguyen Giap

[AYJAYDEE]

i rent in fan room and walk. comes in at under 15000 not including visa and visa runs.

"air on 8 hours a day everyday" noted that you posted this in october so this is just pure waste to satisfy face.

admitted i have three(3) fans going 24hrs but its included in rent. but fans are more for air quality not temp controll. thailand stinks if you havent noticed.

not where I live

[IMA_FARANG]

Let's just put it this way.

I'm a retired American living on Social Security pension.

I get about $1700 monthly.

I can live on that here in Thailand reasonably well.

I couldn't do that in the U.S.

I have relatives and friends who get a Social Security pension of $800 monthly.

Where in the U.S. can you live on that?

P.S. My brother is just retiring after over 40 years of working in construction as a mason and stoneworker.

Had his own business installing stone terraces and walls for a while.

$1050 a month Social Security.

His wife works also, so they can afford the mortgage on their house.

Otherwise, no way.

She'll be retiring soon.

In Massachusetts, near Cape Cod area.

Reality check.

They bought their house at about 200K price, now supposedly worth 350K for that house.

But no buyers, they couldn't sell if they tried to.

Edited October 28, 2013 by IMA_FARANG

[timtscott]

I currently live in the US but plan to retire to LOS in 2 years.

The united states is expensive and is getting to the point I can't afford to live here. Thank goodness I can retire in a couple of years.

I live in Cincinnati, Ohio which is a relatively inexpensive city in the US.

Rent 2 bed room apt outside the city center $815 (you can get cheaper though)

Food I eat out a lot. So maybe $700

I don't drive which is rare for the USA. I use public transportation which is cheaper but inconvenient. $105 for a monthly bus pass

If I had a car then add $200 or more to this amount.

Electric including heat and AC. $150 month

Cell phone. $130

Cable and wi fi $130 month

Entertainment - I am not a drinker but like to go to movies, sporting events etc. $200 month

Miscellaneous. $150 month

Student loan $220

Total damage. $ 2600

Needless to say I am looking forward to moving to Thailand.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Edited October 28, 2013 by timtscott

[AYJAYDEE]

I currently live in the US but plan to retire to LOS in 2 years. The united states is expensive and is getting to the point I can't afford to live here. Thank goodness I can retire in a couple of years. I live in Cincinnati, Ohio which is a relatively inexpensive city in the US. Rent 2 bed room apt outside the city center $815 (you can get cheaper though) Food I eat out a lot. So maybe $700 I don't drive which is rare for the USA. I use public transportation which is cheaper but inconvenient. $105 for a monthly bus pass If I had a car then add $200 or more to this amount. Electric including heat and AC. $150 month Cell phone. $130 Cable and wi do $130 month Entertainment I am not a drinker but like to go to movies, sporting events. $200 month Miscellaneous. $150 month Student loan $220 Total damage. $ 2600 Needless to say I am looking forward to moving to Thailand. Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

youre still paying a student loan 2 years before retirement????

[timtscott]

Yep made an expensive mistake by deciding to attend law school after the age of 40. I know, I know stupid decision! I am on a special repayment plan though that is based on income , so I will carry this debt for 15 more years or death whichever comes first. I am 52 Other than that though life is swell :-)

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Edited October 28, 2013 by timtscott