Living in Chiang Mai on $500 a month?

[CMfoodie]

Here is an interesting article that states one can live here on $500 a month.... I suppose you could, but would you?

In the following top choices for retirement overseas you could rent a comfortable, convenient and pleasant place to live for $500 per month or less:

http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/moving-overseas-cuts-retirement-costs-154455609.html

[trainman34014]

This subject has been thrashed to death in these pages but yes; you can live on 500 Bucks a month if you really HAVE to. However; you won't exactly be living it up as your main diet will be Noodles of the 'Mama' variety, there won't be any massage treatment going on ( of any sort ) and Beer will be a once a year special treat !

[FolkGuitar]

Out two biggest monthly expenses (other than food) are housing and my daily ice tea... We chose to live in a larger sized apartment (2 bedrooms so one could be a den/desk space) withing walking distance of everything in the Old City. That expense could be cut in half if we moved outside the ring roads. I love ice tea, but it costs me 60 baht a day to order two glasses of it with my lunch. That's more than I pay for the food itself! A 10-baht bottle of water would save $50 a month just on tea...

Sure, one 'could' live in Chiang Mai on $500 a month. But I wouldn't want to.

[Ulysses G.]

If you lived in a really cheap room with no aircon and only ate in the 20 baht vegetarian restaurants all over town, you could do it, but it would not be fun.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[Madoff Soros]

If you lived in a really cheap room with no aircon and only ate in the 20 baht vegetarian restaurants all over town, you could do it, but it would not be fun.

perhaps you could mark all these 20 baht veg restaurants on a map because i have never seen any of them. rest is BS too.

[ignis]

retirement visa alone is 65,000 baht month or a Thai Bank deposit of 800,000 baht... As you cannot live in Thailand without some sort of Visa, why is this never mentioned ?

[Ulysses G.]

If you lived in a really cheap room with no aircon and only ate in the 20 baht vegetarian restaurants all over town, you could do it, but it would not be fun.

perhaps you could mark all these 20 baht veg restaurants on a map because i have never seen any of them. rest is BS too.

Nonsense. You are just not very observant. They are all over the place. 2 vegetarian dishes and brown rice for 20 baht. Most of the places on this link fit the bill and there are maps too.

http://www.happycow.net/gmaps/searchmap.php?distance=25&list%5B%5D=vegan&list%5B%5D=vegetarian&list%5B%5D=friendly&list%5B%5D=store&address=chiang+mai&lat=&lon=&image2.x=24&image2.y=11

[NancyL]

Oh please, not another on-line article on this subject! Yes, we all agree -- you CAN live here on $500 a month. But SHOULD you be here if your ONLY source of income is $500 a month and you have no savings or backup plan? Absolutely Not! Especially if you're retired. Yet these articles target the elderly -- the very people who should stay in their home countries where they have access to social services to assist elderly low-income folks. The programs here to assist elderly low income barely exist for Thai people and are non-existent for elderly low income foreigners.

Yet these people still keep a-coming. No-No-No. Sigh -- I'm off to write yet another strongly worded email to Kathleen Peddicord, the author of this article. She makes her living selling books, newsletters and seminars to eager low-income wanna-be retirees. I wish I could contact her the next time a 84-year old resident foreigner turns up at Suan Dok hospital with a broken hip, unable to pay for the care, totally disoriented because of dementia. Maybe she'd like to come and help the poor guy get his life back on track. After all he came here because he read one of her books about how great it is to retire in Chiang Mai!

Edited January 22, 2014 by NancyL

[Madoff Soros]

If you lived in a really cheap room with no aircon and only ate in the 20 baht vegetarian restaurants all over town, you could do it, but it would not be fun.

perhaps you could mark all these 20 baht veg restaurants on a map because i have never seen any of them. rest is BS too.

Nonsense. You are just not very observant. They are all over the place. 2 vegetarian dishes and brown rice for 20 baht. Most of the places on this link fit the bill and there are maps too.

http://www.happycow.net/gmaps/searchmap.php?distance=25&list%5B%5D=vegan&list%5B%5D=vegetarian&list%5B%5D=friendly&list%5B%5D=store&address=chiang+mai&lat=&lon=&image2.x=24&image2.y=11

thanks for that link and yes they are in the area i pad the streets but dont even see them as they are of the expensive decore type which translates to overpriced food anyhow will take a closer look but can absolutely guarantee before looking that your are not going to get out the door having paid just 20 baht in anything like recent times. these days just a plastic bag of takeaway plain cooked rice from the cheapest thai market will set you back 10 baht. (somphet market, or chuang phueak market )

Edited January 22, 2014 by Madoff Soros

[NancyL]

retirement visa alone is 65,000 baht month or a Thai Bank deposit of 800,000 baht... As you cannot live in Thailand without some sort of Visa, why is this never mentioned ?

Kathleen Peddicord rarely mentions retirement visas in her books and never in these short, breathy articles.

It's as irresponsible as writing -- "you should come to Thailand because while the financial requirements for a retirement visa are high, there are numerous visa agents who can show you ways around those requirements and once you find yourself becoming too frail to handle the physical challenges of frequent border runs -- don't worry, just go on overstay! The Thai authorities are loathe to deport elderly foreigners who have been in the country for a long time. But you'll probably die prematurely of conditions that are entirely treatable -- if you'd had the money to seek treatment. But don't worry. They won't charge an overstay fine to ship your ashes back to your home country." Because that's the reality of what happens.

Edited January 22, 2014 by NancyL

[Ulysses G.]

anyhow will take a closer look but can absolutely guarantee before looking that your are not going to get out the door having paid just 20 baht in anything like recent times.

Bodhi Zen is much more expensive that most of the others, but I assure you that there are plenty of places that one can get a decent vegetarian meal for 20 baht in Chiang Mai and they are on that link. I eat in them every day.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[CMfoodie]

Oh please, not another on-line article on this subject! Yes, we all agree -- you CAN live here on $500 a month. But SHOULD you be here if your ONLY source of income is $500 a month and you have no savings or backup plan? Absolutely Not! Especially if you're retired. Yet these articles target the elderly -- the very people who should stay in their home countries where they have access to social services to assist elderly low-income folks. The programs here to assist elderly low income barely exist for Thai people and are non-existent for elderly low income foreigners.

Yet these people still keep a-coming. No-No-No. Sigh -- I'm off to write yet another strongly worded email to Kathleen Peddicord, the author of this article. She makes her living selling books, newsletters and seminars to eager low-income wanna-be retirees. I wish I could contact her the next time a 84-year old resident foreigner turns up at Suan Dok hospital with a broken hip, unable to pay for the care, totally disoriented because of dementia. Maybe she'd like to come and help the poor guy get his life back on track. After all he came here because he read one of her books about how great it is to retire in Chiang Mai!

Nancy, comments like yours are hopefully read by those who begin their search based on articles like this one. More information and personal feedback can help those contemplating a move here or other foreign destinations.

[beau thai]

Saw the title and thought 'oh no here we go again on the cheap charlie stories'

But then I thought US$ = 16400bht. Cheapo room = 3000bht. 13400/30 = 446 bht a day.

Unless there is something wrong with my math (always possible) , surely that isnt a major challenge, even without argument/discussion over 20 bht meals?

Breakfast at home -20bht, lunch and dinner out - 200bht total , 226 baht left over for 'luxuries' (!!)- or 1600bht a week.

Where am I going wrong?? Have I got a zero in the wrong place??

[Madoff Soros]

yes you do need to be reasonably health to start because "environmental obstacles" are much more frequent than the west. if i have gastro-intestinal issues in the west once a year is probably more than i would get while here food delivered issues will be at least weekly. then also there is toxic air and respiratory things which will knock you frequently too. eg moz eradication bi-monthly. rice and garbage burning including toxic cooking burning fuels. extreme drain stench etc.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Madoff Soros

[CMSteve]

I fail to see the issue with this article and its author. It specifically states: " you could rent a comfortable, convenient and pleasant place to live for $500 per month or less" and "When you're spending $500 a month or less on rent, you've got lots of flexibility with other, smaller expenses like nights out, new clothes and cable TV packages"

With today's Fx, thats 16000+THB. - That's a nice condo/house inside or very close to town.

Another issue is that there are a few posters reading their own issues into the article. Visa? Why is the assumption that if someone is living off of $500/month, would not have anything else? Wouldn't it be safe to assume that they have 800,000B stowed away as an emergency fund or nest egg?

[searcher22]

In a recent article, Kathleen Peddicord stated that expats of all ages living in Ecuador could now get full medical coverage under the country's government health plan (social security) for only $70 per month. Pre-existing conditions are covered too. Let's hope Thailand can do the same in the near future so elderly expats living in Thailand can get the care they deserve.

The OP may want to investigate Ecuador if insurance costs and/or pre-existing conditions are a concern for him.

[elektrified]

Oh please, not another on-line article on this subject! Yes, we all agree -- you CAN live here on $500 a month. But SHOULD you be here if your ONLY source of income is $500 a month and you have no savings or backup plan? Absolutely Not! Especially if you're retired. Yet these articles target the elderly -- the very people who should stay in their home countries where they have access to social services to assist elderly low-income folks. The programs here to assist elderly low income barely exist for Thai people and are non-existent for elderly low income foreigners.

Yet these people still keep a-coming. No-No-No. Sigh -- I'm off to write yet another strongly worded email to Kathleen Peddicord, the author of this article. She makes her living selling books, newsletters and seminars to eager low-income wanna-be retirees. I wish I could contact her the next time a 84-year old resident foreigner turns up at Suan Dok hospital with a broken hip, unable to pay for the care, totally disoriented because of dementia. Maybe she'd like to come and help the poor guy get his life back on track. After all he came here because he read one of her books about how great it is to retire in Chiang Mai!

Ah, I was just about to comment on the text that NancyL had quoted from this author but I as I began to write, suddenly it disappeared. I guess she edited it out. Any way - yes this lady - Kathleen Peddicord is an incredibly irresponsible author. And anyone who recommends people to visit Romania or calls it a "European haven" should have their head examined!

[elektrified]

retirement visa alone is 65,000 baht month or a Thai Bank deposit of 800,000 baht... As you cannot live in Thailand without some sort of Visa, why is this never mentioned ?

Kathleen Peddicord rarely mentions retirement visas in her books and never in these short, breathy articles.

It's as irresponsible as writing -- "you should come to Thailand because while the financial requirements for a retirement visa are high, there are numerous visa agents who can show you ways around those requirements and once you find yourself becoming too frail to handle the physical challenges of frequent border runs -- don't worry, just go on overstay! The Thai authorities are loathe to deport elderly foreigners who have been in the country for a long time. But you'll probably die prematurely of conditions that are entirely treatable -- if you'd had the money to seek treatment. But don't worry. They won't charge an overstay fine to ship your ashes back to your home country." Because that's the reality of what happens.

hmm....TV acting strange today...there is the text I was referring to.... Is she [Kathleen Peddicord] for real? How does she get jobs writing such trash?

[mimithewoof]

Nancy,

Lanna Care Net is providing a much-needed service to those who fall by the wayside in this community. However, as regards my home country, the UK, one only has to visit the media pages online to realise that the elderly are a forgotten sector of society nowadays. The state pension is £455 a month - the average utilities and council tax bill total - please remember that heating is an absolute necessity - eats away at this amount, with many thousands of pensioners needing to choose between an adequate diet and warmth for the majority of the year. Add to that the deplorable state of our National Health Service, staffed these days by migrants who often do not have much English and care less, and you have a recipe for disaster for our senior citizens.

I suspect that, given the choice, a large number would rather be here, where living on a minimum is quite possible and far more comfortable as long as immigration's financial requirements are satisfied. It's also a mental challenge, which is a good thing for the elderly.

Reading this forum as I have for some eight years now, I can't fail to notice that a good number of expats from Western countries arrived here with plenty enough to sustain themselves until they fell foul of financial scams, wives or partners with only one thing in mind and other such features of LOS. Some may think that it's their own fault for being less than careful, but that doesn't wash with me. Scams are scams, and those who perpetrate them are disgusting, to put it mildly.

As in the rest of the world, the saying 'how to make a small fortune - start with a large one' applies, but not everyone is that wise. None of us know how our latter years are going to progress as regards our physical and mental health, and I suspect Lanna Care Net provides a more sympathetic and caring service than almost anything found locally in the UK.

As regards the misconceptions peddled by authors of articles and books on retirement here - why has a 'tell-it-like-it-truly-is' Chiang Mai manual not yet been written and placed online? The media here, as well as the Expats' Club and others such don't mention the common sense approach to retirement, it's all advertorials and sponsors selling upscale everything. The person you mention is just one of many doing the same job and dismissing any objectivity along the way.

We reap what we sow, and Lanna Care Net does a great job, but telling retirees not to come here isn't going to stop them - especially those who, according to posts on this forum, are here for the beer and the cheap sex - no-one's going to stop them arriving in droves.

[NancyL]

In a recent article, Kathleen Peddicord stated that expats of all ages living in Ecuador could now get full medical coverage under the country's government health plan (social security) for only $70 per month. Pre-existing conditions are covered too. Let's hope Thailand can do the same in the near future so elderly expats living in Thailand can get the care they deserve.

The OP may want to investigate Ecuador if insurance costs and/or pre-existing conditions are a concern for him.

Haven't checked out the health insurance program in Ecuador specifically, but I know that a similar program is offered in Mexico for foreigners to buy into their gov't health care for a very reasonable price. What isn't mentioned is that the foreigner has to have a valid retirement visa and the financial requirements for a retirement visa in Mexico are fairly similar to those here in Thailand.

Again -- it's a real disservice for these articles to fail to mention the financial requirements for visas right up front and point out the need for savings to discourage people from spending their last pennies for a plane ticket to paradise for their golden years.

[Madoff Soros]

yes glad you mentioned that. one also needs far greater skills at sifting through propaganda, blatant advertising, and just plain BS than in farang land where the are at least some limits imposed. here its a scammer free zone.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Madoff Soros

[vagabond48]

The title of the post was misleading.

If you read the article. it was only stating that you can rent an apartment for $500 or less a month NOT that you can live on $500 or less a month. In that limited context, her quote was reasonable. I think most of us pay much less than $500 (16000B) for an apartment or house. As far as additional expenses (food, transportation, health insurance, travel, entertainment etc.), your lifestyle choices will determine whether you spend from $10 to $ ??? a day.

Edited January 22, 2014 by vagabond48

[Thighlander]

It's news that you can get a place for 500 or less per month? It should be news that some are so wasteful, that they actually spend more than that. The article does make a few good points. If you can minimize or eliminate your housing costs, and get by without a car; you can do well, cheap. After I buy a condo for cash, and have an annuity to pay for health emergency coverage; I will live on what a 3500 usd deductible obamacare plan would cost me in the States: 496 usd per month. If the support systems are so great here in the US, how come there are 5000 homeless people right in Washington DC, itself? People fall through the cracks, and services for the mentally ill are limited. An 84 yo man with a broken hip? I can show you far worse cases within 1 km of the White House. Romney wanted to give seniors vouchers to get their own medical care. The taxpayers would actually save a lot of money giving people 700 per month to opt out of Medicare. Retired us military can use their coverage at RAM and I haven't heard of a single problem. These are things that really need to be looked at.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Thighlander

[Jasun]

The article says it costs $1100 per month to live a basic life in Chiang Mai, excluding transport.

[Madoff Soros]

yes you do need to be reasonably health to start because "environmental obstacles" are much more frequent than the west. if i have gastro-intestinal issues in the west once a year is probably more than i would get while here food delivered issues will be at least weekly. then also there is toxic air and respiratory things which will knock you frequently too. eg moz eradication bi-monthly. rice and garbage burning including toxic cooking burning fuels. extreme drain stench etc.

not to mention dengue, Chikungunya and bird flu

[Loaded]

As a young backpacker living on a shoestring, it wouldn't be a problem. I lived here on far less that $500 per month when I first arrived. Ate well on street Thai food and got drunk on laokao and chang 3 or 4 times each week. the other nights were early as I recovered from this abuse. I paid 2,500 baht for a room and I ran a 15 year-old honda dream. i did not want a relationship but had many 1 to 3 night stands with women who enjoyed a good time but knew they wouldn't get any money from me.

However, as a retired person I would want far more comfort. I would also need to consider medical costs. i would also like to be in a relationship which adds expense. I would want a feeling of financial security.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Loaded

[NancyL]

It's news that you can get a place for 500 or less per month? It should be news that some are so wasteful, that they actually spend more than that. The article does make a few good points. If you can minimize or eliminate your housing costs, and get by without a car; you can do well, cheap. After I buy a condo for cash, and have an annuity to pay for health emergency coverage; I will live on what a 3500 usd deductible obamacare plan would cost me in the States: 496 usd per month. If the support systems are so great here in the US, how come there are 5000 homeless people right in Washington DC, itself? People fall through the cracks, and services for the mentally ill are limited. An 84 yo man with a broken hip? I can show you far worse cases within 1 km of the White House. Romney wanted to give seniors vouchers to get their own medical care. The taxpayers would actually save a lot of money giving people 700 per month to opt out of Medicare. Retired us military can use their coverage at RAM and I haven't heard of a single problem. These are things that really need to be looked at.

The Tricare coverage available for retired career U.S. military personnel at CM Ram is great, but that 84 year old guy with the broken hip at Suan Dok wouldn't have been a career military guy.

But the chances are very good, that if he was a U.S. citizen and served in the military for even a brief period during wartime (like the Vietnam War), he would be eligible for the VA low-income pension and for admission into a VA assisted living facility or nursing home in the U.S. Those facilities don't exist here and, believe me, it's very difficult to try to find a placement for someone in one of these places in the U.S. once they've decided to pull up roots and move here. Just starting up the pension to supplement low income takes 9 - 12 months from here. Much shorter time in the U.S. when someone can go into the local VA office and talk with a real person vs. sending emails and waiting on hold on the phone for hours at a time.

Most of the guys eligible for this set of benefits have no idea, especially if they came over here before age 65.

I don't even know where to start with the rest of your post, Thighlander. Let's see -- "services for the mentally ill" (oh yeah, Thailand really outshines the west in this area) Romney giving seniors vouchers (last I heard he wasn't elected president) .... and so on.

[hml367]

NancyL,

How many people in the situation you describe, or a similar situation, do you think (or know) there are in Chiang Mai city?

[jackr]

Easy on your tod for the non-sexpat book reader who can get by on noodles/rice and a moderate amount of booze, but don't let it get around or we'll have another influx!!!

[vagabond48]

The article says it costs $1100 per month to live a basic life in Chiang Mai, excluding transport.

I must be reading a different article since I could not find any reference to your statement. Perhaps you can copy/paste that reference.