Living in Chiang Mai on $500 a month?

[Sheryl]

A number of derogatory and/or flaming posts have been removed.

Any further may lead to a loss of posting rights.

[Dante99]

Nancy L,

You state that hml367 and uptheos have insulted you. What words did you find insulting?

You state that they suggested that a Lisu village was an option for end of life care for westerners. What words indicated that to you?

It is understandable that you would not want to go live in a Lisu village to learn about it given your perviously stated views and preconceived notions. I would recommend you do not try it. You have enough to do here within the structures and systems you can function in and understand more easily.

Best of luck.

Edited November 25, 2014 by Dante99

[onthedarkside]

A number of derogatory and/or flaming posts have been removed.

Any further may lead to a loss of posting rights.

Even more posts removed. If this continues then for sure posting posting rights will be removed. You have been warned.

[Sheryl]

Yet another baiting post has been removed.

Note that there have been a large number of posts deleted from this thread. All were off topic and either flaming or baiting.

Further baiting and off topic posts will absolutely NOT be tolerated.

The topic, for those who seem to be unclear on it, is cost of living in CM.

[BritManToo]

I've found the cost of living in CM to be very reasonable.

Loads of housing around, condo or house rents are from 5k and up.

Western food is very cheap, especially if you are prepared to cook it yourself.

If you can manage without much air-con, utils are a bargain.

And still plenty of Thai food in the 30-50 bht a meal range.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Just as a heads-up, we're in the final days of the months so good discounts to be had, as well as generally less expectation of the availability of money. (Helps deflecting drink-requests 'until pay-day'.)

On the below promotion it's probably not necessary but I dress up like a teacher just in case.

It goes a long way to keeping to that $500 budget.

Edited November 26, 2014 by WinnieTheKhwai

[LawrenceChee]

Thailand or Chiang Mai for that matter offers a lot of in betweens

I think for some, $500 is doable and probably better than home. I don't think it's impossible ...I just think it is a lot of grief trying to ration every baht and thinking careful where one can or cannot do with that amount.

If you add the general healthcare issues, visa runs etc it makes it vulnerable and that is not a good sense of being at retirement years

I have personally thinking of the $3000-$4500 range per month when I eventually retire here.

There are a lot of stuff I enjoy doing, I like my occasional trips , I like my occasional luxury visits to good restaurants / hotels and I like to eat my KFC with my 59 baht fish fingers.

I also like to stay in a moo baan where I don't have to spend 15 minutes trying to explain the landmarks to the Mcd delivery guy

I am not a high so ...I just like to be comfortable and that is my budget I think that will give me that sense of mind.

[pomchop]

If anyone here bothered to read the original article it is about rent of $500 or less a month. It is not about total budget but rent.

Throat is correct. The article says:

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

--Cayo, Belize

--Cebu, Philippines

--Chiang Mai, Thailand

--Cuenca, Ecuador

--Granada, Nicaragua

--Hoi An, Vietnam

--Medellin, Colombia

The fact that the article says $500 a month RENT and a TOTAL living expense of $1100 a month has been pointed out over and over yet seems to have gone right by most posters who are still arguing about living on $500 a month TOTAL.....in my opinion you can easily rent a decent place for $500 a month leaving you another 600 a month to live on...it won't be luxury , it won't be eating and drinking imported stuff or supporting bar girls or Thai families, but it is certainly more than possible.

[northernjohn]

Thailand or Chiang Mai for that matter offers a lot of in betweens

I think for some, $500 is doable and probably better than home. I don't think it's impossible ...I just think it is a lot of grief trying to ration every baht and thinking careful where one can or cannot do with that amount.

If you add the general healthcare issues, visa runs etc it makes it vulnerable and that is not a good sense of being at retirement years

I have personally thinking of the $3000-$4500 range per month when I eventually retire here.

There are a lot of stuff I enjoy doing, I like my occasional trips , I like my occasional luxury visits to good restaurants / hotels and I like to eat my KFC with my 59 baht fish fingers.

I also like to stay in a moo baan where I don't have to spend 15 minutes trying to explain the landmarks to the Mcd delivery guy

I am not a high so ...I just like to be comfortable and that is my budget I think that will give me that sense of mind.

Well I agree with you on what you say in principal the one part I agree but disagree on is

I think for some, $500 is doable and probably better than home. I don't think it's impossible ...I just think it is a lot of grief trying to ration every baht and thinking careful where one can or cannot do with that amount.

While it can be done I really have a hard time believing some one is considering living that way for the rest of their life.

Let's face it, it is virtually imposable to live here legally with only that amount of money for an extended period of time. Immigration is not that easy any more. They are tightening up the regulations and from what I have seen in other situations rather than tighten them up for a day they have come back several times to make sure they are followed.

[northernjohn]

^{Here is a copy of the of the original OP}

 
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:

It was followed up by an article that spoke of rent in other countries. Nothing to do with the cost of living there. Big difference between renting and living.

I personally think to just wonder about renting for $500 a month would be a troll topic. But the OP said live not rent.

Edited November 26, 2014 by northernjohn

[uptheos]

^{Here is a copy of the of the original OP}

 
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:

It was followed up by an article that spoke of rent in other countries. Nothing to do with the cost of living there. Big difference between renting and living.

I personally think to just wonder about renting for $500 a month would be a troll topic. But the OP said live not rent.

It must be about living, because everyone knows a person could rent three half decent rooms for $500 a month.

There are many people here who rent very nice houses for under $250 a month.

[Saan]

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If you want to live like a Thai no problems with $500 per month.

We live like any other Thai family in the same income group and we spend a lot more than $500.

But if you must link income to ethnicity then you may get closer (on average) with Burmese/Shan people.

I think what balo was saying that if you live like the average Thai family then you can get along on $500/mo, not like any other Thai family in "your" particular income group as you put it I didn't read any prejudice or ethnic slight to Thais in his post, it was more a statement of fact, perhaps you need to lighten up a little

I'm perpetually lightened up. But the average Thai family lives on more than $500 a month.

Especially in urban areas in and around Chiang Mai, which is presumably where this budget applies. (Retirees would live in/around urban Chiang Mai)

I wonder if the average Thai family does live on more than $500 a month. For example a government servant of middling ranking earns about 12000 baht a month, about $400. Many are married and the only money earner in their family. Others, of course, do have wives that also work and they would bump the family income to well over $500 mark.

[Dante99]

I wonder if the average Thai family does live on more than $500 a month. For example a government servant of middling ranking earns about 12000 baht a month, about $400. Many are married and the only money earner in their family. Others, of course, do have wives that also work and they would bump the family income to well over $500 mark.

What the "average Thai family" lives on is not too relevant because the very high income people skew that number up. Take out the top 30% and look at the bottom 70% and you will find more meaningful numbers, just my opinion.

[Loaded]

I think it's not too difficult to live on $500/month; but as many have pointed out, without a financial safety net, medical care to extend life through illness and to make life more bearable as it comes to an end may be out of reach. This seemed obvious to me anyway.

[BritManToo]

If you add the general healthcare issues, visa runs etc it makes it vulnerable and that is not a good sense of being at retirement years

Healthcare is an obsession with a few with an agenda/obsession/nationality (choose any 1 of 3 to suit you).

Not a problem for most of us (from the EU), we have accident insurance and few long term health problems, along with free healthcare in our home countries.

If you're that sick, best to stay in your home country (just my opinion).

Very few doing VISA runs either, most of us have long term extensions.

Just noticed E20 is down to 31bht/l and 91 at 33bht/l.

That's back down to the prices 5+ years ago.

Edited November 26, 2014 by BritManToo

[LawrenceChee]

If you add the general healthcare issues, visa runs etc it makes it vulnerable and that is not a good sense of being at retirement years

Healthcare is an obsession with a few with an agenda/obsession/nationality (choose any 1 of 3 to suit you).

Not a problem for most of us (from the EU), we have accident insurance and few long term health problems, along with free healthcare in our home countries.

If you're that sick, best to stay in your home country (just my opinion).

Very few doing VISA runs either, most of us have long term extensions.

Just noticed E20 is down to 31bht/l and 91 at 33bht/l.

That's back down to the prices 5+ years ago.

Agree with you .,.we Chinese are healthy with our green tea and tofu diet and the healthcare insurance we buy in either NZ or Singapore works internationally for me.

I agree with you those living on $500 would have aplenty to sorry about if you don't have solid arrangements made at home or in Thailand prior

Edited November 26, 2014 by LawrenceChee

[amexpat]

Healthcare is an obsession with a few with an agenda/obsession/nationality (choose any 1 of 3 to suit you).

I choose agenda. What does it mean - to you?

[hmficc]

$500. You can do it. For end of life bring a copy of " Final Exit" to help you into the abyss .

[puukao]

I've met a number of people who tell me how inexpensive it is for them to live in CM, but the numbers usually work out to be between 400-1000 a month. I tell them, "OK, let's say you can do it for $500 (not including airfare home), that is still $6000 a year. You are 35, hopefully live until 80......that is $270,000. do you have that?" They laugh.....so then I ask if they have $60,000 for 10-years of living cheap. They laugh. I say, "how about $30,000?" Of course they don't answer.

Even "cheap" cannot be sustained if you plan to stay for a long-time without an income stream. I would not rely on teaching to cover this expense every month.

Edited November 26, 2014 by puukao

[vagabond48]

I've met a number of people who tell me how inexpensive it is for them to live in CM, but the numbers usually work out to be between 400-1000 a month. I tell them, "OK, let's say you can do it for $500 (not including airfare home), that is still $6000 a year. You are 35, hopefully live until 80......that is $270,000. do you have that?" They laugh.....so then I ask if they have $60,000 for 10-years of living cheap. They laugh. I say, "how about $30,000?" Of course they don't answer.

Even "cheap" cannot be sustained if you plan to stay for a long-time without an income stream. I would not rely on teaching to cover this expense every month.

Your premise assumes that these individuals did not have any saved money which probably will might be true for many.

If someone was a very thrifty back home with a great paying job, they could have saved at least US $100K over 10 to 15 years which is now invested earning them between 4% and 8% or 125kbaht to 250kbaht annually. Now add a teaching job earning them 140Kbaht annually (20K x 7 months). Of course, if they were that thrifty to save $100K and aren't driven by their small brain, they'll be smart not to tell their girl friend's/wife's about their supporting lifeline nest egg.

[LawrenceChee]

I've met a number of people who tell me how inexpensive it is for them to live in CM, but the numbers usually work out to be between 400-1000 a month. I tell them, "OK, let's say you can do it for $500 (not including airfare home), that is still $6000 a year. You are 35, hopefully live until 80......that is $270,000. do you have that?" They laugh.....so then I ask if they have $60,000 for 10-years of living cheap. They laugh. I say, "how about $30,000?" Of course they don't answer.

Even "cheap" cannot be sustained if you plan to stay for a long-time without an income stream. I would not rely on teaching to cover this expense every month.

Your premise assumes that these individuals did not have any saved money which probably will might be true for many.

If someone was a very thrifty back home with a great paying job, they could have saved at least US $100K over 10 to 15 years which is now invested earning them between 4% and 8% or 125kbaht to 250kbaht annually. Now add a teaching job earning them 140Kbaht annually (20K x 7 months). Of course, if they were that thrifty to save $100K and aren't driven by their small brain, they'll be smart not to tell their girl friend's/wife's about their supporting lifeline nest egg.

I have to say while this is viable I have not met many o that premise...most are rather clueless about retirement planning

[uptheos]

I've met a number of people who tell me how inexpensive it is for them to live in CM, but the numbers usually work out to be between 400-1000 a month. I tell them, "OK, let's say you can do it for $500 (not including airfare home), that is still $6000 a year. You are 35, hopefully live until 80......that is $270,000. do you have that?" They laugh.....so then I ask if they have $60,000 for 10-years of living cheap. They laugh. I say, "how about $30,000?" Of course they don't answer.

Even "cheap" cannot be sustained if you plan to stay for a long-time without an income stream. I would not rely on teaching to cover this expense every month.

Your premise assumes that these individuals did not have any saved money which probably will might be true for many.

If someone was a very thrifty back home with a great paying job, they could have saved at least US $100K over 10 to 15 years which is now invested earning them between 4% and 8% or 125kbaht to 250kbaht annually. Now add a teaching job earning them 140Kbaht annually (20K x 7 months). Of course, if they were that thrifty to save $100K and aren't driven by their small brain, they'll be smart not to tell their girl friend's/wife's about their supporting lifeline nest egg.

I have to say while this is viable I have not met many o that premise...most are rather clueless about retirement planning

There are sooo many retired people in Chiang Mai, I doubt that anyone can really gauge if most are clueless or not.

[vagabond48]

As I wrote probably most 35ish guys may not had the foresight to save enough money but there are many foreigners in there 40s to 60's that probably saved a decent nest-egg that they are living on through investment and additional Thai income.

Besides if you asked anyone if they have $???,000 saved, unless they are naive and answer you truthfully, you probably might get a flippant reply or "it's none of your business"

[puukao]

I've met a number of people who tell me how inexpensive it is for them to live in CM, but the numbers usually work out to be between 400-1000 a month. I tell them, "OK, let's say you can do it for $500 (not including airfare home), that is still $6000 a year. You are 35, hopefully live until 80......that is $270,000. do you have that?" They laugh.....so then I ask if they have $60,000 for 10-years of living cheap. They laugh. I say, "how about $30,000?" Of course they don't answer.

Even "cheap" cannot be sustained if you plan to stay for a long-time without an income stream. I would not rely on teaching to cover this expense every month.

I tried to hedge my bet by saying "I've met..." so clearly not representative of all retirees. There are tons of different scenarios; One guy I met lost 100k in Thailand, another is waiting for an inheritance check, another says they make 100k a year in retirement but they are broke. You can tell relatively fast. Of course where they live, if they have a car, if they talk about cost of food, etc....and honestly I don't care if they all have a billion or nothing. One guy said if he spends less than 1k (30k baht) then he doesn't even have to remember the purchase. lol. it's a funny bunch, and there aren't many cities where grownups discuss living on less than 500 a month. When I was in my 20's I couldn't live on 500, or 1,000 a month.

Good luck my fellow TV posters, play these numbers for the lottery: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. very lucky.

[VegasVic]

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I think it's not too difficult to live on $500/month; but as many have pointed out, without a financial safety net, medical care to extend life through illness and to make life more bearable as it comes to an end may be out of reach. This seemed obvious to me anyway.

Loaded, Yours is the most logical and succinct post that I have read on this curious thread so far If the question is can someone come to Chiang Mai for 6 months or a year and try and get by on $500/mo, then the answer is yes, as long as that person didn't have any bad habits like smoking, drinking or whoreing around On the other hand if the question is can someone who has decided to retire here permanently (or semi permanently) get along on $500/mo then the answer is likely no, given the eventuality of medical/dental work needed and potential future inflation (although I don't think that inflation is in the cards for Thailand over the next few years). Now do to economies of scale, a couple could certainly retire in Chiang Mai for perhaps $1200 U.S./month ($600/mo each) with basic BUPA ins. for each of them (providing that they were not over 70 years old) and live quite decently as long as they once again didn't have any bad habits to support. This an interesting thread although in reality if someone really only had $500/mo income to live on in the U.S., Canada and certainly most of socialist Europe then they might as well stay at home and suck the teet of governmental social programs in those countries for the remainder of their lives

[Asiantravel]

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I think it's not too difficult to live on $500/month; but as many have pointed out, without a financial safety net, medical care to extend life through illness and to make life more bearable as it comes to an end may be out of reach. This seemed obvious to me anyway.

Loaded, Yours is the most logical and succinct post that I have read on this curious thread so far If the question is can someone come to Chiang Mai for 6 months or a year and try and get by on $500/mo, then the answer is yes, as long as that person didn't have any bad habits like smoking, drinking or whoreing around On the other hand if the question is can someone who has decided to retire here permanently (or semi permanently) get along on $500/mo then the answer is likely no, given the eventuality of medical/dental work needed and potential future inflation (although I don't think that inflation is in the cards for Thailand over the next few years). Now do to economies of scale, a couple could certainly retire in Chiang Mai for perhaps $1200 U.S./month ($600/mo each) with basic BUPA ins. for each of them (providing that they were not over 70 years old) and live quite decently as long as they once again didn't have any bad habits to support. This an interesting thread although in reality if someone really only had $500/mo income to live on in the U.S., Canada and certainly most of socialist Europe then they might as well stay at home and suck the teet of governmental social programs in those countries for the remainder of their lives

" suck the teet of governmental social programs "

you mean eat lobster and sushi

http://bossip.com/838664/random-ridiculousness-man-uses-foodstamps-to-buy-lobster-and-sushi-has-no-plans-of-getting-a-job/

[Ulysses G.]

I know a few people who live on $500 a months and have done so for years. They are single, don't smoke and hardly ever drink.. All their "dates" come from Thapae Gate and they are in good health.

[umbanda]

Foreigners, not so familiar with Thailand, thinks that this country is just Bangkok, Hua Hin, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Phuket....and LIFE IN THAILAND is just to be in "vacation" every day and night, and not to become active member ot its community and culture. After 4 years living here, I am thinking in write a book about RETIREMENT IN THAILAND WITH A TOTAL EXPENSE OF $500/MONTH..

Edited November 30, 2014 by umbanda

[slipperylobster]

Yes, you can.

But you will be the the loneliest person in Thailand....

Forget that gorgeous babe, winking at you from across the room, as well as the fat one next to you.

[northernjohn]

As I wrote probably most 35ish guys may not had the foresight to save enough money but there are many foreigners in there 40s to 60's that probably saved a decent nest-egg that they are living on through investment and additional Thai income.

Besides if you asked anyone if they have $???,000 saved, unless they are naive and answer you truthfully, you probably might get a flippant reply or "it's none of your business"

Depends on the amount of money you are asking about. I might be honest and tell you the truth. It doesn't matter I have more than enough coming in monthly guaranteed. I do have money put away for the wife when I die as I am 15 years older than her and chances are will pass before her. I do not feel it would be rite for her at her age to have to go back to a job that paid minimum wages with no chance for more at her age.

I believe that if the truth were known many of the Ex Pat's here are trust fund babies. No I am not a trust fund baby.

Mind you I see where you figure they have not planned well either they have to have an additional Thai income. How many of them get that income through their working wife?