How low can you go, monthly budget cost

[JASON THAI]

A set of Mach 3 razor blades and 3 days of your food budget is gone already. Socks have gone up from 5 for 100b to 3 for 100b in the blink of an eye.

I hope any budget people are making isn't based on foreign income. When I came here 10 years ago people I met with income from the UK were getting around 70b to the pound. There were probably a few 65 yr olds coming over then with their pension, 1000 quid equalling 70k p/m in a cheap ol' Thailand. Paradise retirement.

10 years later and they're 75 yrs old only getting 53b to the pound in an expensive Thailand. Bet that isn't a nice unless their pension is at least 3000gbp p/m.

Well that's easy just don't were socks you will save 100 baht lol

[Ulic]

When ever I make up a budget I do my very best to be through and concise, then add 20%

because there is always the forgotten and unexpected. Best of luck.

[howerde]

eat street food and get your lazy 22 yr old to get a job and support him or herself. You might just then survive on that money but I doubt it. good luck

If you read the other posts you may find out that she is already working and will pay her own way

Sorry to burst your bubble, once you are there, paying her way will not be happening, extended family will not be paying, you mentioned charging sister in laws children english, they will not be paying, you do not seem to understand what living with an extended rural family entails. Your budget looks good on paper but i can not see how a family can live on that. sorry if this is not what you want to hear.

i hope i am wrong, and wish you all the best. please keep us informed, maybe a blog or whatever the latest thing is,

[Notable]

It's hardly enough for one backpacking temporary teacher to live on, let alone somebody with dependents. Living the dream, or just dreaming about living here. I'm sorry but it'll end in tears.

[Griffo63]

What a miserable future you have on your 26k baht per month.

Village life with 2 kids and an extended family. No money beyond basic living. £500 a month is nothing even here. Get yourself a decent job at home. Send your wife the £300 per month - she'll be delighted. Come over every 3 months to visit. Get a proper life

[Notable]

Agreed.

[howerde]

The other thing is most buildings are poor quality/ fittings cheap and nasty, expect continous repair bills, arn't air -con units around 30 000b for anything decent, again nothing is built to last, it's just patched up or another cheap replacement bought, and you can guess who is going to be expected to pay.

Edited February 9, 2014 by howerde

[glegolo]

Only time, and your own discipline, will tell if the budget will work.

I did not see any figures for capital items - there will always be something you need or something that needs replacing.

Your visa fees seem high @ 36k. You also don't have the income, or Thai bank balance, to support a married extension. What visa do you have ?

I agree with the comments about the motorcy - it gives you certain freedom.

How will your (and your families) lifestyle compare to what you had in the UK.

What family is around you and what attitude do they have - to your money.

Overall. you have thought this through better than most and you know that your finances improve in 9 years. 9 years is a long time but if YOU and your family, have the right attitude then you can make it work. I have friends who get by on similar figures but they don't have kids.

Another great post thanks Jip99, yes i agree 100% with discipline and that is what I have done for the last 5 years with my wife in the UK and now she understands that the money we make it not all that much after you pay all the bills and now understands we are not all walking ATM's, she understands now why people work hard and save to go on holiday and enjoy there holidays for a sort period and then back home to work whilst most Thai's who have never stepped foot outside of there own country think we all have unlimited funds LOL.

I have some item in the house in Thailand now but 95% of this is now in Enland and has been brought brand new or a year old, I will nev

goods in my wife's name to save on import tax, yes things may need replacing but if I think like that I will never end up getting to live the dream !

I can not get a married extension as I do have the 400,000 baht in the bank for 3 months which I do not want, as I get a good return on my Stocks & Shares ISA so I would lose out in interest, but there are ways to get around this remember you are in LOS, also remember that the 36,500 cost includes travel & hotel for the year

I cannot ride a motorbike so it's no use to me, but I can find other means to get away.

I know my family will be happy to get out of England and live in Thailand, they miss Thailand and hate England apart from the snow LOL, If I could take them back tomorrow I would. !

My wife's family have been very good and have only asked for money once in the last 12 years which they paid back, took them about 5 though LOL, but they are a good bunch, I liked the way my wife's sister asked me what nickname I would like to call her daughter, all that i could think of was the normal Thai names, Chang, Leo A,B,C.D and so on, then I looked up at the beautiful clear sky and said SKY that is what they named her !

It's going to be hard for 9 years, I think my money will last for 6 but I will give it a go, I will still have a house to come back to in the UK & money so it's not the end of the world

What about selling your house in England?? Wouldn´t that give you funds for a marriage extension and funds for the missing 6 years....why not????

Dont you dare to give it a 100% chance.... or you like to have both belt AND braces in this experiment in life!

I wish you all the best, but sometimes it takes 100% dedication and not just 80%..

Glegolo

[NeverSure]

You have nothing in your budget for emergencies. What kid grows up without breaking an arm or needing dental care?

Your budget assumes that nothing will go wrong with anyone's health and that there will be no other emergencies.

I don't think it will work, but good luck if you do it.

[floriamo]

Only time, and your own discipline, will tell if the budget will work.

I did not see any figures for capital items - there will always be something you need or something that needs replacing.

Your visa fees seem high @ 36k. You also don't have the income, or Thai bank balance, to support a married extension. What visa do you have ?

I agree with the comments about the motorcy - it gives you certain freedom.

How will your (and your families) lifestyle compare to what you had in the UK.

What family is around you and what attitude do they have - to your money.

Overall. you have thought this through better than most and you know that your finances improve in 9 years. 9 years is a long time but if YOU and your family, have the right attitude then you can make it work. I have friends who get by on similar figures but they don't have kids.

Another great post thanks Jip99, yes i agree 100% with discipline and that is what I have done for the last 5 years with my wife in the UK and now she understands that the money we make it not all that much after you pay all the bills and now understands we are not all walking ATM's, she understands now why people work hard and save to go on holiday and enjoy there holidays for a sort period and then back home to work whilst most Thai's who have never stepped foot outside of there own country think we all have unlimited funds LOL.

I have some item in the house in Thailand now but 95% of this is now in Enland and has been brought brand new or a year old, I will nev

goods in my wife's name to save on import tax, yes things may need replacing but if I think like that I will never end up getting to live the dream !

I can not get a married extension as I do have the 400,000 baht in the bank for 3 months which I do not want, as I get a good return on my Stocks & Shares ISA so I would lose out in interest, but there are ways to get around this remember you are in LOS, also remember that the 36,500 cost includes travel & hotel for the year

I cannot ride a motorbike so it's no use to me, but I can find other means to get away.

I know my family will be happy to get out of England and live in Thailand, they miss Thailand and hate England apart from the snow LOL, If I could take them back tomorrow I would. !

My wife's family have been very good and have only asked for money once in the last 12 years which they paid back, took them about 5 though LOL, but they are a good bunch, I liked the way my wife's sister asked me what nickname I would like to call her daughter, all that i could think of was the normal Thai names, Chang, Leo A,B,C.D and so on, then I looked up at the beautiful clear sky and said SKY that is what they named her !

It's going to be hard for 9 years, I think my money will last for 6 but I will give it a go, I will still have a house to come back to in the UK & money so it's not the end of the world

[dagling]

I have paid off house and car, but uses between 50 to 75 thousand bath in months here in Khon Kaen.

But I like to enjoy myself a bit;-)

[howerde]

I would re think your plans, re your sons education, to take a 9 year out of the UK schooling system, and plant into the thai system, for the fees you are talking, i would be amazed if he left school even semi literate, have a look on the forum and see what a decent school would charge.

Edited February 9, 2014 by howerde

[howerde]

I have paid off house and car, but uses between 50 to 75 thousand bath in months here in Khon Kaen.

But I like to enjoy myself a bit;-)

You mean you can afford heiniken rather than chang

[KarenBravo]

How is the young boy going to take to growing up in a Thai village after growing up in the UK?

I see trouble brewing in that department.

[mrfaroukh]

It seem to be quite difficult to live like this. You always have to be careful about how you spend. Do you have lots of shoes, clothes, soap, shampoo etc etc? I don't see you put them in your budget.

[alex8912]

eat street food and get your lazy 22 yr old to get a job and support him or herself. You might just then survive on that money but I doubt it. good luck

Like 4 pages and finally some real good advice, the brats should both work.

[ChiangraiTony]

From my experience the estimate for cost of water usage is too low. It should be closer to 350-400 bath per month for 4-people. Also the food cost for 1-month looks low to me unless you plan on always searching for the lowest prices. I didn't see any thing mentioned such as the cost to purchase cooking items such as pots and pans. And I wasn't sure if you included drinking water cost when you mentioned "drinking" cost or did you mean alcohol? Most everything else appears to be spot on. Good luck!

[ChiangraiTony]

Well i have been living on a budget of 15,000 baht a month( " all in " ) which for myself living on my own is " more than enough"

Monthly Outgoings:

Rent 6,500 ( lovely condo with pool )

Water/ Elec 500

Daily Food etc 3,100 (100baht X 31 days)

Train Trips etc 2,000

Visa costs 1,300

Misc extras 1,500 ( mobile,supermarket etc )

Its so easy to live a cheap life in Thailand.I am out walking and on the beach in the sun most afternoons which is " FREE " and i travel quite a lot around Thailand on the train every month ( BKK to Hua Hin only 44 baht ) BUT i dont drink or smoke and have " no interest " in Bars.I eat fresh Thai food from the market every day.I have loads of hobbies and never get bored.but the great thing about Thailand is " The Outdoor lifestyle " .....

M

[poweratradio]

Very interesting post. Wish it was from a Canadians or Americans perspective so I could understand all the UK acronyms

[JASON THAI]

eat street food and get your lazy 22 yr old to get a job and support him or herself. You might just then survive on that money but I doubt it. good luck

If you read the other posts you may find out that she is already working and will pay her own way

Sorry to burst your bubble, once you are there, paying her way will not be happening, extended family will not be paying, you mentioned charging sister in laws children english, they will not be paying, you do not seem to understand what living with an extended rural family entails. Your budget looks good on paper but i can not see how a family can live on that. sorry if this is not what you want to hear.

i hope i am wrong, and wish you all the best. please keep us informed, maybe a blog or whatever the latest thing is,

What so you know my daughter lol she will pay her way and has done so in the past it won't be much but it's something & yes she even buys food for the family once in a while, yea I don't seem to understand what living with an extended family is like 5555 maybe you need to change your family as it looks like they are taking you for a ride and using you for all your money , you need to put your foot down and stop being a yes man and say NO lol not all Thai families are bad there are some good ones

[khunPer]

26 to 30k Seems like a bit tight budget for four persons, but depending of life-style, and as many Thais can live for less it should be possible. However a few comments:

Electric:

2500 baht/month equals some 500 kWh. You may be able to save some 500+ bath reducing the use of aircon, the money may be nice in the other end, when you live on a tight budget. There should be other places you also can save electric, may be worth changing bulbs or some appliances.

Phone Card:

Think you shall count 300 baht/month.

Internet:

Think market price is 699 baht/month.

Food:

300 baht/day average with Western breakfast. I would think a bit in the low end for four people, as many food prices has gone up over the past few years – for example bacon 300/kg, 30 egg 90, pack of toast 35, ½kg butter 90, pork meat 200/kg, rice 30/kg, milk 40-45/l – however possible.

Drink:

A question of life-style, however 2600/15 is 175/day, a post I would look at for the benefit of others.

Travel etc.

I noted some poster mentioned a motorbike, may be worth considering if you can replace some funds to other posts. I’m not local at the Korat or Isaan area, so cannot contribute to school costs, however uniform/books may be more than 2,500 (I pay a lot more, but for an English Programme).

Medical Insurance:

I’m not sure you can count of the government card, much discussion and only a very limited number of people got it so far for one year. Talk about it’s a mistake to include farangs, was intended for migrant workers from Burma Cambodia and Lao only; a new proposal may come up this year with a higher fee. Everything stopped due to the demonstrations in BKK. Most health insurance begins at around 7,000 to 10,000 baht/year, however with a limited coverage; alternative keep/save some money in a special account for emergency and pay-as-you-go.

Wish you good luck with plans.

[JASON THAI]

The other thing is most buildings are poor quality/ fittings cheap and nasty, expect continous repair bills, arn't air -con units around 30 000b for anything decent, again nothing is built to last, it's just patched up or another cheap replacement bought, and you can guess who is going to be expected to pay.

I have had my house for over 7 years not made of cheap fittings, I must have paid under 1k GBP over the last 7 years to keep it going , my aircon is fine and is serviced every 6 months

Looks like you need to make ground rules otherwise the family will walk over you

[JASON THAI]

How is the young boy going to take to growing up in a Thai village after growing up in the UK?

I see trouble brewing in that department.

He spent 4 years in the village and liked it and looks forward to going back

[JASON THAI]

It seem to be quite difficult to live like this. You always have to be careful about how you spend. Do you have lots of shoes, clothes, soap, shampoo etc etc? I don't see you put them in your budget.

<deleted> have you even read the OP then you will get an answer to this lol

[howerde]

Well you seem to have it covered and know it all, so good luck

The other thing is most buildings are poor quality/ fittings cheap and nasty, expect continous repair bills, arn't air -con units around 30 000b for anything decent, again nothing is built to last, it's just patched up or another cheap replacement bought, and you can guess who is going to be expected to pay.

I have had my house for over 7 years not made of cheap fittings, I must have paid under 1k GBP over the last 7 years to keep it going , my aircon is fine and is serviced every 6 months

Looks like you need to make ground rules otherwise the family will walk over you

[JASON THAI]

eat street food and get your lazy 22 yr old to get a job and support him or herself. You might just then survive on that money but I doubt it. good luck

Like 4 pages and finally some real good advice, the brats should both work.

What you expect a 9 year old to work, <deleted> start to read the topic and not jump in half way with crap advice

[JASON THAI]

26 to 30k Seems like a bit tight budget for four persons, but depending of life-style, and as many Thais can live for less it should be possible. However a few comments:

Electric:

2500 baht/month equals some 500 kWh. You may be able to save some 500+ bath reducing the use of aircon, the money may be nice in the other end, when you live on a tight budget. There should be other places you also can save electric, may be worth changing bulbs or some appliances.

Phone Card:

Think you shall count 300 baht/month.

Internet:

Think market price is 699 baht/month.

Food:

300 baht/day average with Western breakfast. I would think a bit in the low end for four people, as many food prices has gone up over the past few years – for example bacon 300/kg, 30 egg 90, pack of toast 35, ½kg butter 90, pork meat 200/kg, rice 30/kg, milk 40-45/l – however possible.

Drink:

A question of life-style, however 2600/15 is 175/day, a post I would look at for the benefit of others.

Travel etc.

I noted some poster mentioned a motorbike, may be worth considering if you can replace some funds to other posts. I’m not local at the Korat or Isaan area, so cannot contribute to school costs, however uniform/books may be more than 2,500 (I pay a lot more, but for an English Programme).

Medical Insurance:

I’m not sure you can count of the government card, much discussion and only a very limited number of people got it so far for one year. Talk about it’s a mistake to include farangs, was intended for migrant workers from Burma Cambodia and Lao only; a new proposal may come up this year with a higher fee. Everything stopped due to the demonstrations in BKK. Most health insurance begins at around 7,000 to 10,000 baht/year, however with a limited coverage; alternative keep/save some money in a special account for emergency and pay-as-you-go.

Wish you good luck with plans.

WOW thank you a great post

The living budget of 30K is only temp as I want to learn more Thai & other bits so I can fit in better without having to work, this should go up to 40K after a year or 2 when I go for a PT teaching position hopefully

I have an emergency budget of 15K GBP which I will use 1K on import tax for goods when I arrive and a short hol for the family, 4k doing up the house and buying stuff, this will leave me a budget of 10K GBP for emergencies (500K Baht) I will not be telling the UK that I am living in Thailand so I will be able for free NHS treatment for any serious issues and other benefits which I am not going into details about.

The 4k for doing up the house includes changing the ceiling tiles to a plaster board ceiling with low watage LED bulbs, we are currently using 18w bulbs for are light fittings so I agree there is money to be saved in th long run regarding electric, plus my body should get used to the heat and we can reduce the amount of use of the AC

As reagrds to the phone card I will still keep it at 250 Baht as we use a less than this sometimes

Internet 700 Baht yes I agree and will adjust my budget thank you

As reagrds to food this will be hard and somethng I need to still work on, 9K is fine if you only eat Thai food but throw in some Western food can make a big difference

I should be able to make some saving on drinks as you said 175 baht per second day which is enough for 3 big bottles which I will not be doing all the time

Thanks for taking the time to post

J

[SeabagsFull]

With no other bills (e.g., house or car payment, loan. etc.), Jason Thai, you can definitely survive on 26,000 baht monthly. May I offer my thoughts on a few of your budgeted categories? In my opinion, your biggest unknown will be your 22-year-old's expenses.

Phone Card. 250 baht seems low. Will your wife &/or children have phones?

Water. 250 baht seems low. Do you have a lawn that needs watering during non-rainy seasons? Have a hot water tank? If no to both, then perhaps 500 baht a month will work. If you have a large yard (i.e., 75 sq. wa or more) with bushes & flowers & trees to maintain, I'd plan for 1,000 baht per month with the occasional 1,200 baht bill.

Internet. I doubt you'll get even a poor package for 650 baht, unless dial-up is still an option. 1,000-2,000 baht is the range you'll probably be dealing with.

Food. 9,000 baht per month is way high, unless by "western food" you mean to say you'll be eating breakfast at a restaurant. The first couple of years I lived in Thailand, we spent about 1,000 baht a month on food by buying everything at a local market (stay away from Tesco Lotus where prices are geared toward rich farang, except for things you can find nowhere else). My wife prepared me an omelet every morning; after adding ketchup & rice, I wanted nothing else. Of course, when my financial situation got a little better, she started adding ham & cheese. I do understand that you have a larger family, but I believe you can make do for 5,000 baht monthly if necessary.

Travel. IMO, you'll spend more than the 1,400 baht you've budgeted per month, unless you skip one of your trips to Korat. For one thing, sam-law prices are not set by law & vary greatly from moment-to-moment. E.g., if it's getting dark when you decide to head back home, you may find you have to spend 1,000 baht give-or-take, depending on the availability of tuk-tuks & their owners' needs/compassion.

Holiday trips. I have under-budgeted on virtually every holiday trip I've ever taken, always leading to my having to use my credit card.

Medical Insurance. I had a yellow book & it did nothing toward lowering my expenses at the local hospital. Not sure of your insurance quote since I didn't have any. I had major back surgery at Udon Thani Hospital; cost me about 130,000 baht. I was fortunate that seven months later the VA's FMP reimbursed me for all of it. Most routine care, however, is very inexpensive. You can get your own blood tests done at a lab in a major city (Korat, e.g.) for pennies, then buy your drugs at a local pharmacy (disclaimer: you obviously have to understand your or your family's needs to go this route). E.g., I have Hypothyroidism & need to monitor my levels: when my values are high or low, then I adjust my dosage of Synthroid (i.e., I know how to do this from experience).

Other. You & your wife are obviously excited about your plans & look forward to being on Thai soil (again?). After a while however, your wife will no doubt begin to yearn for more. She'll make friends & want to go out with them, see movies, maybe even do some karaoke-bar-hopping, give gifts at weddings & money at funerals, etc. It would help if your income is projected to grow with time. If not, she will start feeling stress from being "poor" which can lead to unfortunate problems down the road.

Finally, I have to point out the obvious. 26,000 baht a month may be enough to survive, not-with-standing any unseen catastrophes, but it won't qualify you for any kind of visa that I know of. Meaning: you & your family must either be Thai citizens or have connections that'll legally allow you to circumvent the normal rules.

[little mary sunshine]

"Impossible" to LIVE on this amount with one child and one adult child and someone that drinks

every other day......I would say to LIVE you need to add 25K to you monthly budget....To just

get by.......add 10K per month.

[Mike45]

Hi guys & girls just wondering if you think I will be ok with my budget when I come over to live here next year, I have a budget of around 26,000 Baht per month, I have a little brat (9 years old), grown up brat (22 years old) & wife to look after, here's what a rough idea is of my budget for a month this is for living in Non Sung in a village and not the city of Korat.

Rent (free) have 3 bedroom house already built.

Electric 2500 Baht, I have worked this out to be an average over 12 months, use 1 AC all the time with the other only used occasionally but in the cold season will just use fans.

Water 250 Baht per month.

Gas Bottles 1600 Baht a year, so about 150 Baht a month.

Phone Card 250 Baht a month.

Internet 650 Baht per month, hopefully can get air net package for 7mb or 10mb for the house

Food 9000 Baht per month, Eat western food for breakfast and Thai in the evening.

Drink 2600 Baht per month, Do not drink everyday just every second day

Travel 1400 Baht per month, Do not have a bike or car but just use the taxi service in the morning to go to the market to buy food (60 Baht per week) also do a couple of trips to Korat City in the month with a cost of 600 Baht per trip

Visa fees & Runs Yearly cost including travel & hotel 36,500 Baht, so 3050 Baht a month

4 Holiday Trips Travel costs are included in the visa runs, Hotel & spending money works out at around 13,500 Baht per trip (5 Nights per trip) so leaving 2500 Baht spending money per day after paying for hotel, I have also added the money I would spend per day in the village to the 2500 Baht budget above, this should work out to around 4500 Baht a month to cover the yearly cost.

School Fees, books & uniform 11,500 Baht per year so about 950 Baht a month, my son have been with me & the wife in the UK for nearly 5 nears now and can read & write English so I will not be putting him into an English program school, he can speak Thai so I just want him to learn to read Thai & learn Chinese, looking at 4500 per term for a school in Non Sung, with the remaining 2500 Baht going towards his uniform & books. I am not sure about this figure so if you guys do the same can you let me know how much you pay ?

School Travel 500 Baht per month for school bus to pick him up and bring him back, total cost for year 4500 Baht based on 9 months a year schooling.

Medical Insurance Looking at getting the yellow house book and getting insurance from a government hospital, 2200 Baht a year, so about 200 Baht a month.

So looking at coming in at around 26,000 Baht a month, do you think this can work ?

I know I have not added anything for extras like clothing and so on, but the wife will have extra income coming in of around 3500/4000 Baht per month so this should cover this.

I've heard that my wife's friend had to pay 60,000 Baht fee to get her kid into a school in Ubon Ratchathani. Probably not applicable to a village situation but something to consider when living in a city.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app