Words sentences that are offensive

[Kerryd]

http://www.reuters.com/video/2013/09/19/western-homeless-population-up-in-thaila?videoId=273806492 (short video news report - see anyone you know ?)

I had it costed out a few years ago that if I really needed to, I could squeak by on $500 US/month (about 15,000 THB). That included rent for a Thai-style little room, electricity, water, internet and maybe 300 baht/day for food.

Wow, that was actually about 10 years ago now. I based this on the little "apartment" I was originally renting back in 2004 (I was renting it by the year though I was only in it for couple months each year. I never cut the electricity/internet when I'd leave because it was a royal pain in the butt to get it reconnected again.)

I spent some time living like my friends in the area did. Eating from the vendor carts, cutting back on the air-con, staying away from the bars. I could get a decent meal (rice, 3-4 skewers of chicken/pork, some fruit and a coke) for about 50 baht. If I ate that much 3 times a day I'd get fat ! (The restaurant we got the rice from would give us enough to feed 2-3 people for 10 baht !).

Granted, that lifestyle would be very spartan and wouldn't leave much room for "extras". Little things like visa runs, clothes, medical, etc. But you could get by decently. When I wasn't socializing with my (Thai) friends, I could watch TV or surf the net. 3 meals a day, roof over my head. Not a grand lifestyle but beats living on the street or in an abandoned house full of "male sex workers and their clients".

Even now, living in a house in a different part of town, I've sat back after a lazy few days and realized that I hadn't actually spent a single baht in like, 3 days (of course, I had a kitchen and fridge full of food, doing my own laundry, not hitting the bars all day everyday, etc). I've been "down and out" when I was in my mid-teens and don't plan on ever being there again. I can get by living a frugal life if need be, but have been spending the last 10 years trying to make sure that'll never happen.

Of course, if I keep riding my chopper or scooter around Pattaya, I may not have to worry about that for long !

(edit - just noticed that video says "Sept 19" so I'm guessing that was probably from 2013. Not sure why that just popped up in my news feed.)

Edited May 4, 2014 by Kerryd

[champers]

Kerryd. You seem like one contented human being to me. From what you say, you have had some bad life experiences in the past and they look like they have helped you make good judgments for the present and the future. Whether you are living a frugal or a luxurious lifestyle, happiness is all. If you are happy with the life you lead, you are one of the lucky few. Too many people down on their luck act first and think (and regret) later; looks like you have done things the other way round.

[swissie]

Frugal life, nothing wrong with it. But if living in a Thai-Tourist Hub it would be like the poor child looking at the window display of a store around Christmas

, but not having the money to buy anything.

I hope OP has no plans to reside in a Tourist-Hub.

Cheers.

[KittenKong]

....... beats living in an abandoned house full of "male sex workers and their clients".

I know people who would pay good money to do that.

Even for me it would beat watching Sophon TV.

[kiniyow]

Pattaya is a tough town to start out in...It can eat you up and spit you out in warp speed if not very careful~~

[zierf1]

There's a big difference between living cheaply like a local and being homeless. Homeless usually means you have absolutely no access to any money whatsoever. I think that's what happens to these guys. They don't plan their finances properly so they can have backups in case something goes wrong.

[Chang_paarp]

Kerry, I think this was produced just after the death of a homeless falang late last year.

Once you have the basics covered, shelter, food, and so on, it is easy to live a frugal lifestyle if you are not in party mode. It not necessarily because you have to but because you choose to, not everyone has to go out drinking every day to enjoy life, as to other entertainment it can come your way if you want.

[PattayaPhom]

Even with Western food treats it can still be cheap if cooked at home

[Card]

Makes me wonder how you manage to pay the costs for visas, visa runs, hospital charges, 800,000 baht for a retirement visa, or whatever.

[KittenKong]

Makes me wonder how you manage to pay the costs for visas, visa runs, hospital charges, 800,000 baht for a retirement visa, or whatever.

Visa extensions are really quite cheap in Thailand. I pay under 5000B/year, including my re-entry permit. There aren't many countries where it would be this cheap and easy to prolong a visa for a year.

If you have a retirement extension then you dont need to do visa runs.

If you have a (suitable) pension then you dont need to make the 800K deposit.

And if you arent ill then you probably wont be spending money in hospitals.

Of all of those the only problem might be the hospital charges, if you are unfortunate to have to go there.

[oxo1947]

"I had it costed out a few years ago that if I really needed to, I could squeak by on $500 US/month (about 15,000 THB)"

Yet many of the girls I met when I lived in Pattaya for 6 years (8 years ago) who were not sex workers were getting by on one third of that 5,000--6,500 a month (5,000 base wage & "sometimes--1,500 tips) yet when I look at how he was living, I wouldn't know what other cuts to make in that.

Thanks for the post Kerryd

[Benmart]

Frugal life, nothing wrong with it. But if living in a Thai-Tourist Hub it would be like the poor child looking at the window display of a store around Christmas

, but not having the money to buy anything.

I hope OP has no plans to reside in a Tourist-Hub.

Cheers.

It doesn't matter what I hope. If the OP is happy, that's fine by me. If he's not happy, that is his business as well.

If i see a "poor child" looking at a window display, I can either help by buying food or clothing for the kid, or like so many do, just keep on walking.

Edited May 5, 2014 by Benmart

[Frank James]

I can't believe Reuters pays someone to do a superficial, anecdotal "report" like that, calling the city "pah-TIE-yuh." Ridiculous.

[Strangebrew]

I can live very comfortable on just my SS if I choose too. But I do enjoy a roof over head secure safe place to live movies tv shopping tripsout of country The ladies Which I don't have to pay for. But with my pension and SS I make more than most who come for work. Plus do have nice nest egg put aside speed eating out on average 1000 baht a day including drinks nothing hard no beer. Stateside that would be living in ghetto cockroach infested dump paying Ombamacare. So I love Thailand can live good cheap and still save.

[Nielsk]

Makes me wonder how you manage to pay the costs for visas, visa runs, hospital charges, 800,000 baht for a retirement visa, or whatever.

Visa extensions are really quite cheap in Thailand. I pay under 5000B/year, including my re-entry permit. There aren't many countries where it would be this cheap and easy to prolong a visa for a year.

If you have a retirement extension then you dont need to do visa runs.

If you have a (suitable) pension then you dont need to make the 800K deposit.

And if you arent ill then you probably wont be spending money in hospitals.

Of all of those the only problem might be the hospital charges, if you are unfortunate to have to go there.

You are absolutely right KittenKong in Your statements. Further, I supose there is no chance of cheap Health Insurance in Thaiand ?!?

[Kerryd]

I didn't say I was living that cheap, but that I could live that cheap. Then again, I do have the retirement visa money locked away in a term deposit, and a small pension. One of the reasons I did the "exercise" to see how cheaply I could live, was to see if I could get by on just my pension if need be. I realized that if I had to, I could get by and not be totally miserable. I would actually be able to bank some $$ every month to use for those other expenses but again, it would be a quiet, unexciting life (and yes, I live in Pattaya). Back then it was in South Pattaya but now I've gone over to the Dark Side.

I'm guessing a lot (not all) of those "homeless" people are the result of underestimating the costs of having a good time in Pattaya (or like-minded places). More than a few people have been having the time of their lives and for whatever reason decide to drain their bank accounts, max their credit cards and sell their return plane tickets in order to let the good times keep rolling. If you want a good deal on high end camera or electronic equipment, try checking the pawn shops.

If I remember the next time I see him, I'll ask a friend of mine that owns a hotel in Jomtien about how many guests do a runner on average. I'm sure that is probably a huge problem in Pattaya. I know on my very first trip (back in '93), the deposit I got back from my hotel rental was all the money I had and most of that went to the taxi that got me back to the airport. Back then I didn't have a credit card, and no ATM machines and IIRC, the exchange booths closed at night and wouldn't exchange Hungarian or Croatian currency anyways (I was on holiday from a peace-keeping mission in Croatia at the time). When I boarded the plane I had exactly 35 baht left.

(Lesson learned and on the next trip 5 years later I was better prepared.)

Meanwhile, I've seen a few foreigners in Pattaya that aren't homeless, yet, but are a short change in exchange rates away from being there themselves. I've also encountered people that were only squeaking by by borrowing money from friends (and then blowing it on booze and tawdry tattoos and such). I'm sure most people here have heard/seen the stories of people trying to borrow money to meet their visa requirements because they can't actually afford to be here (by the standards set by Immigration).

Not to mention the stories of people on long overstays that can't afford to pay the fine but need to get out of the country. And the ones that are always looking for ways around the rules (like the Ed Visa types that have no intention of ever setting foot in a classroom).

Lots of potential future homeless types, just waiting for that one straw that breaks their financial back.

I often wonder though, if these people are having a hard time getting by in Thailand, how the **** would they ever survive back in their home countries ? I'm sure more than a few of them are living "frugally" and barely getting by at that. If they went back "home" what would they do ?

Like the one guy in the video said - he's better off homeless in Pattaya than he would be back home.

....... beats living in an abandoned house full of "male sex workers and their clients".

I know people who would pay good money to do that.

Even for me it would beat watching Sophon TV.

Personally, If I was in that situation I would be looking for a way to try and cash in on it. Clean the place up a bit. Organize the in/out flow of traffic. Get a "tip" jar. Run errands if need be.

Who knows ? Maybe work your way up to "papasan" status one day ! Then sell the book/movie rights to your story and retire to a life of luxury !

[smudger1951]

Having spent more than the last 5 years mostly in Pattaya I've seen a lot of guys who have fallen on hard times and ended up sleeping on the beach. Have you noticed the new beach walk does'nt have any where to sleep now. Your'e either a victim or a survivor in Pattaya and only the strong and diciplined survive.

[MobileContent]

I have seen those stories 17 years back in Pattaya.

[KittenKong]

Further, I supose there is no chance of cheap Health Insurance in Thaiand ?!?

Some farangs have been successful in signing up for the Thai health care scheme.

[Chang_paarp]

Some find places to sleep where they can.

[mrfaroukh]

Is the situation in your country that bad that you prefer this hard living style?

[louse1953]

"I had it costed out a few years ago that if I really needed to, I could squeak by on $500 US/month (about 15,000 THB)"

Yet many of the girls I met when I lived in Pattaya for 6 years (8 years ago) who were not sex workers were getting by on one third of that 5,000--6,500 a month (5,000 base wage & "sometimes--1,500 tips) yet when I look at how he was living, I wouldn't know what other cuts to make in that.

Thanks for the post Kerryd

3-4 in a room,cook on the balcony,no internet.

[Emster23]

Brings to mind "a fool and his money are soon parted". You are no fool. Usually I am not also. I live in Jomtien, do what I like whenever I want. I could spend alot more each month, but I see no reason to. Like Buddha said, cause of suffering is attachments, be it booze, women, tattoos, Harleys... whatever. I like to keep in mind the question "Do you own your things and wants, or do they own you?"