Just moved back to the states after 5 years. Sticker shock.

[northernjohn]

So we can conclude that while here, you lived wholly like a Thai?

No cheese or wine? No single malts or cream cheese? No Doritos? No rib-eyes? No bacon and sausage for breakfast? No tacos or burritos? All of which are still cheaper in the States.

Living "frugally" can be quite a yawn inducing existence.

I understand your sentiments, but me, I'm not interested in "getting by." I'd rather work hard and play hard. I've got five years here non-stop myself, and can't wait to go back, both to work at a very nice salary, and to eat, eat, eat.

It's all relevant.

Nothing holding you back but fear and the law of gravity.

[northernjohn]

So let me guess this straight. A new 2,000 sqft home in the USA using top notch materials will cost a minimum of $400,000 for materials before labor costs and land costs?

Nice try....but your math is right. Cost of building is going to be VERY dependant on WHERE you build. I built in the San Francisco Bay Area (San Carlos, Belmont Redwood city area).

And the $400,000 dollar figure includes materials, labor costs and Pre build costs (Architect fess, Engineering fees, Water Hookup, Electric Hookup, Permits,School fess etc...which go for minumum $50,000)

Just to get the whole story. You are claiming you built a 2,000 sq. ft. home in that area for $400,000. How much was the property and how much a year for property taxes.

[northernjohn]

-snip- Their garbage collection bills and power bills would make your eyes water compared to here.

It's not the garbage collection in the US. It's the safe, proper handling of the garbage after they pick it up that costs money.

There's a news item running here right now about how horrid and polluting, even of ground water not to mention air, that the landfills are in Thailand.

In the US all would be sorted into recyclables, much would be burned cleanly, and what couldn't be burned would be put into an engineered landfill that was sealed so it couldn't leak into ground water. As new garbage was put into it it would immediately be covered by earth to assure no air pollution or fires.

Have you seen a velocity separator? I'll bet Thailand hasn't.

Power bills. First, the Thai government subsidizes them meaning you pay for them somewhere else, perhaps in the price of cheese or VAT or import taxes or other taxes. Next the people up North such as near Lampang are getting blasted with pollution from coal burning. In the US all the would come out of the "smoke stacks" would be steam.

If you want to pay 3rd world prices and live literally in filth that's hazardous to your health, up to you. I don't think you're living like a Thai in the US or your costs would be similar. I'm convince the US is the cheapest 1st world country there is to live in. Maybe by a wide margin.

Well what you say is partially true. But the scene you paint that you would have the whole world believe all of Thailand is a little stretch of the imagination.

You may be right about the States being the cheapest country to live in out of the first world countries. How ever having lived in Canada for 30 years. There was times when it was far cheaper especially when you take in the cost of medical. Be that as it may it is still cheaper to live in Thailand. Unless you want to go 1st class every where.

If you want to pay 3rd world prices and live literally in filth that's hazardous to your health, up to you.

If your opinion of Thailand is so low why do you even bother posting about it. Why don't you find a forum about the country you live in?

[Thongkorn]

Yes, well that is exactly why so many foreigners decide to stay in Thailand. That and the weather of course :-)

You can only stay in Thailand because you have a western income or pension,

I live in the UK and prices 5 years ago where a lot cheaper here to, Time and prices are moving on.

Edited September 2, 2014 by Thongkorn

[bendejo]

Here's one in San Francisco where prices are outrageous for under $60,000

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/542-North-Pt-San-Francisco-CA-94133/2105362436_zpid/

Something not right about that. That house was built in 2005? Maybe a zero is missing from the price. If not, there has to be some sort of caveat.

[pomchop]

Here's one in San Francisco where prices are outrageous for under $60,000

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/542-North-Pt-San-Francisco-CA-94133/2105362436_zpid/

Something not right about that. That house was built in 2005? Maybe a zero is missing from the price. If not, there has to be some sort of caveat.

if you can buy that SFO house for less than 750,000 you'd be doing very well...something definitely amiss with that...NO WAY will you get it for 54 k.....even if Charles manson lives downstairs it would be way way more than that.

[beechguy]

I can understand you not believing me. You have no point of reference never having been to Thailand except on the INTERNET.

The problem you guys have in these debates is actually the opposite. We have been to Thailand and we know that these lines about 2k baht/month apartments and healthy fulfilling 30 baht meals are bullshit. Save that crap for the friends back home on Facebook.

Actually, it works both ways, a lot of us make it back to the U.S. every year or two, and see how things are there, so don't try to Bullshit us. Unfortunately, I'm here(U.S.) now. I'm not one to claim to get by on 10K baht per month, but generally, I don't feel like I'm being deprived or missing anything from the U.S. If I do want something from there, I buy it on one of my trips, or have someone send it over. But, I suppose that would be the difference between thinking like a tourist, versus an expat.

Edited September 2, 2014 by beechguy

[bendejo]

"I wrote, "My dollar goes 6 times further here. I'm just telling you about me. I didn't say anything about you. I spent $120,000 in the States for the same lifestyle I'm spending $20,000 for here. ""

I. Flat. Out. Do. Not. Believe. You.

That's impossibly ridiculous. Of course you won't share your "secrets" because they aren't true, and I don't want to hear the BS anyway.

End of.

New point: Even if you spent $120k in Thailand you'd still have 3rd world filth, litter, rats, lack of sanitation... No amount of money can replace the USA with Thailand.

A few years back I was walking up Suk Soi 3. Just off the canal there was a building selling condos starting at 16 million baht. Imagine that, half a million bucks for a place spitting-distance from the Grace Hotel and the rest of the Soi 3 zoo, not to mention the perfume of the khlong and the favela across the street.

A US$10k/month lifestyle in the states to be had for US$1,500 in Thailand? Only if you were being heavily overcharged in the US, or replacing $500 per night hookers with beer bar girls. Or if that $10k was income before taxes...

I've bounced around SEA countries for 10+ years, expenses vary from less than 20k baht/month to slightly over 40k, so I guess the average would be 30k/month. My luxuries are good coffee (note: I like Maccona), fresh milk (Meiji, mostly for the coffee), corn flakes, 7Up. Just about everything else is local. If I have to pass through Bangkok I may stay an extra day or two and eat my fill of things like Scandinavian smoked salmon and good french bread.

And that's it. Of all the things I see I'm getting what I want, I don't think "oh, I wish I had more $$ to get ____" though with way hotel prices are getting ridiculous in Penang -- decent accommodation is getting scarce in the sub-US$50 bracket -- I've considered busting the budget on a better room. I don't have a moto because I don't want to drive in these countries.

Street food: you have to get familiar with your local carts. I'm very skeptical of restaurants in Thailand, especially ones that cater to foreigners.

Edited September 2, 2014 by bendejo

[choochoo]

So we can conclude that while here, you lived wholly like a Thai?

No cheese or wine? No single malts or cream cheese? No Doritos? No rib-eyes? No bacon and sausage for breakfast? No tacos or burritos? All of which are still cheaper in the States.

Living "frugally" can be quite a yawn inducing existence.

I understand your sentiments, but me, I'm not interested in "getting by." I'd rather work hard and play hard. I've got five years here non-stop myself, and can't wait to go back, both to work at a very nice salary, and to eat, eat, eat.

It's all relevant.

I lived like a Thai but I had plenty of money for "entertainment". 40,000 baht a month goes much further in Thailand than here. There is a lot of cheap food in the US but it is very unhealthy as you already know. I personally prefer Thai food to farang food. I seldom paid more than 30 baht for a good meal in Pattaya or northern Thailand.

Bargirls? you sure got your priorities right....................lol.

[spidermike007]

OP you lived in thailand did you work in thailand and earn thai wages?

Because of the exchange rates between the USD and bht the costs would seem much cheaper for you.

I got by on about 40,000-50,000 baht a month from my internet biz. I had TONS of money for fun. There was never a dull night. I lived like a Thai and blew the rest on vice. Could never do that here.

Yes, every time I go back there I am astonished at how little value I get for the money I spend. It is so easy to drop $50 on a meal, and then I get attitude if I leave less than a $10 tip, for mediocre service. I have been followed outside by aggressive waiters, because I left a poor tip, for terrible service. My reply was that you only gave me a dollars worth of service, with a surly attitude, and nothing but indifference, and you cannot expect to be rewarded for that. You have a fairly simple job, and you fail to do it well. So, get out of my face this instant, and get back inside your restaurant.

Movies for $13.50, bottles of water for $4, 12 mile taxi rides for $70, ugly hooks for $140 and up, $60 for a mediocre one hour massage, $40 for a mediocre Thai meal, $3 to $6 per hour for street parking, $65 for an expired meter ticket, etc, etc. I kind of have to suspend my sense of belief while there, and repeatedly remind myself I am there to earn some cash, and so what if I blow crazy amounts of money on nothing?

Of course the flip side is that I get access to an incredible selection of foreign and independent film, that the booking agents here have never even heard of, much less would consider booking at the incredibly conservative and dull Major or SF Cinema chains. Not to mention the 99 seat theaters, live jazz, whole foods, trader joes, the local farmers markets, a real fish taco, that nobody in Thailand has any idea how to make, great wine at silly prices, due to a progressive system (lacking the extraordinary ignorance and stupidity related to Thai wine import policy), alternative foods such as rice dream, reasonable goat cheese, Paul Newman pretzels, etc. etc.

So, there are two sides to this equation, but having a choice in the matter, I would pick Thailand over the US, any day of week!

[beachproperty]

So let me guess this straight. A new 2,000 sqft home in the USA using top notch materials will cost a minimum of $400,000 for materials before labor costs and land costs?

Nice try....but your math is right. Cost of building is going to be VERY dependant on WHERE you build. I built in the San Francisco Bay Area (San Carlos, Belmont Redwood city area).

And the $400,000 dollar figure includes materials, labor costs and Pre build costs (Architect fess, Engineering fees, Water Hookup, Electric Hookup, Permits,School fess etc...which go for minumum $50,000)

Just to get the whole story. You are claiming you built a 2,000 sq. ft. home in that area for $400,000. How much was the property and how much a year for property taxes.

Never said I built a "2,000 sq ft home" .....some other poster came up with that number as I was just saying building costs in the year 2000 were $200 sq ft... (14 years ago, last home I built in the US ....so I'm sure today's cost's are highter!).......

Land costs for that project was $350,000........ Property taxes $6,500. ...Hope that helps whatever thoughts are going thru you head.

Whole point of posting that info is that building costs in the US are WAY more than Thailand .....probably due to difference in labor costs (US ....$50-$100/hr vs

Thailand ...$1.25 -$2.00/ hr.)

[lovetotravel]

I'm going to take a wild guess here......either you never built anything or you know nothing about building.

As someone who has built custom homes in the US and am now building here in THailand I can emphatically say you are WRONG!

Quality homes can be built. I am in the process of building now and am only using topline specs .....#16 steel (in place of #12) ....320 concrete premix delivered (in place of the workers mixing on site) .....12 mm double pane windows (Thai's use 6-8mm single pane).....double wall construction with foam insulation.....granite tile thruout....etc.

Cost $35 sq ft. vs $200 and UP in the US (basic materials.....Labor WAY more expensive in US)

I will concede that many of the homes (if not most) are crap and built the cheapest way possible......That's why I am building myself and supervising EVERYTHING...to make sure it gets done right....

It's really difficult to compare the two. Many materials and supplies available in the US are just not available here. And if you do find them, they are 30-100% more. If you can find them.

A walk through Lowes or HomeDepot is a great time in the US. Here, HomePro/Works has beds, furniture, kitchenware, etc. The selection of true construction equipment and materials is poor. Go to HomeDepot and ask the staff in the electrical department a tough question and you'll find out many use to be journeymen electricians. Here? You know the answer.

I've seen many homes here. The best build quality was one that was purchased for 35M Baht a few years ago. Truly a quality build. But if you ask the UK owner, he'll tell you all the problems he's had, and still having. The home was built by the best you can find in this area. And it's still not the same quality.

It does sound like you are doing a great job with your build. Doing it yourself is the way to go. And constant supervision is a must.

Again, almost impossible to compare apples to apples.

[thailiketoo]

If a US builder comes to Thailand and builds a house or an airport it is the same as the US builder building the house or airport in the USA. Home pro is very much like Home depot. I didn't say on the beach. I said by the beach. I live close to the beach above the floodplain. I have a kitchen with stove and cook tops and kitchen cabinets even a grease trap.

Home Pro is full of junk Chinese products. Again no comparison with Home depot not even slightest. I cant even begin to get into all the flaws with the Burmese workers and building. It would take up way too much time and effort. Suffice to say they are terrible. Foundations incorrectly poured, not a level in use anywhere, building extra floors on buildings that were not originally built for them. Brand new house with foundations, floors, walls cracking before they are sold. Electrical wiring that 8th grade shop students can do better at. Its just plain junk! But like everything here, you get what you pay for. Just dont compare quality of Thailand and US. Its not comparable. You want to live in a cheap place you will get what you pay for.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

http://www.directtoshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/th/directtoshop

Homepro carries all the major Japanese and Korean brands.

I came to Thailand and built an airport in 1968 and it's still in great shape.

My house is fine no cracks. INTERNET is good and cable works great.

Quality comparison for me? Thailand 100% better than the US. I've got a good wife, dog, house, TV's, health care, and enough money left over at the end of the month to splurge on whatever. But that's only me. I live in Thailand. If I wanted a cut in my standard of living I'd move back to the USA but I don't. You can have it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You may not like my wife or dog or house or shopping at Homepro. Don't let the door hit ya.......

[lovetotravel]

It never ceases to amaze me that people who make bad choices in life or try to figure out a shortcut to avoid education or career come to LOS to live Thai native existence. When they get a little long in the tooth and are not marketable, or too lazy, or they need to move back to their home countries for whatever reason then the excuses and crying start. " My home country is full of morons or whatever. Everything is too expensive. The food is processed, Everything I try to buy is made in China..etc. etc. etc."

Why don't you just look in the mirror and figured out how you F*cked up your life that you need to live in a third world country as cheaply as possible in order to survive.

Im sure you get little pity from people who worked 9 to 5 and built up a retirement or work to get ahead in a career. They don't take shortcuts and when they want to holiday or if they want to retire to Thailand or whatever, they have a nest egg, insurance, etc. and can live like a first-worlder.

And wait til I'm 60+ years old to start living? No thanks. I have watched my father work 60 hour work weeks in America. He was never able to take any vacations. Fine if you want that kind of life but not me.

FYI, I am educated and have my own small internet biz which provides me with a decent middle class income in Thailand. In America we get maybe 2-3 weeks vacation per year at our jobs if we're lucky. That is why you never see Americans traveling abroad. And if you do they are usually old because nobody else has enough time to live or travel abroad. I made the decision to sacrifice money for a life. If you don't like it, tough. I will live my life as I please thank you very much.

Hmmm...my father worked 40 hours a week and had 6 weeks vacation. Ended up retiring at 50 with a fantastic pension. My brother is working 40 hours a week with 5+ weeks holiday a year. As a contractor.

My last job gave me 5 weeks holiday. Though I did work 50 hours a week.

A huge reason Americans don't travel here is the journey. It's a long way. Go to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South American and they are the #1 tourist you'll see. Go to Europe and they are all over. Also, the opportunities to visit almost any type of climate you desire is available in the US or very nearby. Snow, mountains, lakes, beaches, forests. Many just don't feel the need to travel great distances to see these things. Now if you are talking Japanese, then you are right! 1-2 weeks vacation per year. That'd be terrible!

[thailiketoo]

It's really difficult to compare the two. Many materials and supplies available in the US are just not available here. And if you do find them, they are 30-100% more. If you can find them.

A walk through Lowes or HomeDepot is a great time in the US. Here, HomePro/Works has beds, furniture, kitchenware, etc. The selection of true construction equipment and materials is poor. Go to HomeDepot and ask the staff in the electrical department a tough question and you'll find out many use to be journeymen electricians. Here? You know the answer.

I've seen many homes here. The best build quality was one that was purchased for 35M Baht a few years ago. Truly a quality build. But if you ask the UK owner, he'll tell you all the problems he's had, and still having. The home was built by the best you can find in this area. And it's still not the same quality.

It does sound like you are doing a great job with your build. Doing it yourself is the way to go. And constant supervision is a must.

Again, almost impossible to compare apples to apples.

America saw two great booms in infrastructure spending in the past century, the first during the Great Depression, when the Pulaski skyway was built, and the second in the 1950s and 60s, when most of the interstate highway system was. Since then, public infrastructure spending as a share of GDP has declined to about half the European level.

Take a look at the rust belt in the US and then at Bangkok. Theaters and malls and hotels are world class in Bangkok and 3rd world in Detroit, Cleveland and St. Louis.

America has dangerous roads and bridges and better decide to start spending some maintanance money soon or the place is going to fall apart.

http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21605932-country-where-everyone-drives-america-has-shoddy-roads-bridging-gap

I agree it is difficult to compare. I'd rather not pay top dollar to live in a rusting tribute to yesteryear. JIm Rogers moved to Hong Kong and Marc Faber lives in Chiang Mai.

[lovetotravel]

It's really difficult to compare the two. Many materials and supplies available in the US are just not available here. And if you do find them, they are 30-100% more. If you can find them.

A walk through Lowes or HomeDepot is a great time in the US. Here, HomePro/Works has beds, furniture, kitchenware, etc. The selection of true construction equipment and materials is poor. Go to HomeDepot and ask the staff in the electrical department a tough question and you'll find out many use to be journeymen electricians. Here? You know the answer.

I've seen many homes here. The best build quality was one that was purchased for 35M Baht a few years ago. Truly a quality build. But if you ask the UK owner, he'll tell you all the problems he's had, and still having. The home was built by the best you can find in this area. And it's still not the same quality.

It does sound like you are doing a great job with your build. Doing it yourself is the way to go. And constant supervision is a must.

Again, almost impossible to compare apples to apples.

America saw two great booms in infrastructure spending in the past century, the first during the Great Depression, when the Pulaski skyway was built, and the second in the 1950s and 60s, when most of the interstate highway system was. Since then, public infrastructure spending as a share of GDP has declined to about half the European level.

Take a look at the rust belt in the US and then at Bangkok. Theaters and malls and hotels are world class in Bangkok and 3rd world in Detroit, Cleveland and St. Louis.

America has dangerous roads and bridges and better decide to start spending some maintanance money soon or the place is going to fall apart.

http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21605932-country-where-everyone-drives-america-has-shoddy-roads-bridging-gap

I agree it is difficult to compare. I'd rather not pay top dollar to live in a rusting tribute to yesteryear. JIm Rogers moved to Hong Kong and Marc Faber lives in Chiang Mai.

100% agree. But you are comparing some of the worst cities in the US. Compare San Diego. Atlanta. Dallas. Infrastructure is great. Living there is really good. No holes in the road (like I saw here yestarday. A HUGE hole right in the middle of the road with a stick that had a rag tied on it stuck in it for a warning. Not the first time I've seen this). No mess of wires everywhere. You should see how they've done the phone wiring in our village. Terrible. I had some phone work done in my house in the US before we moved here. The guy who came had proper equipment, dressed properly, used the right supplies, and did things up to spec. All underground. Won't happen here.

As for construction here, the stories are legion about the problems. Bridges collapsing. Malls collapsing. Didn't a building just collapse in Bangkok killing quite a few? Apples to oranges.

But yes, Detroit, St Louis and Cleveland wouldn't be anywhere on my list of places to live. But then again, neither would Klong Toey, Samut Prakan, Map Ta Phut, etc.

[2fishin2]

So let me guess this straight. A new 2,000 sqft home in the USA using top notch materials will cost a minimum of $400,000 for materials before labor costs and land costs?

This is interesting since everything of quality in Thailand costs more than the USA but I guess building materials are an exception since you are saying the same top notch materials are 83% cheaper in Thailand than the USA.

First off .....building sytles very different.....

USA...STick build (lumber) Thailand (concrete frame with block infill)

Labor....USA....$50 to $100 hr depending on the profession Thailand ....500 baht a day for the skilled laborers and 300 Baht a day for grunt laborers

So Don't really use the same materials....Increase in costs mainly attributable to Labor.......NIce try though

Treated lumber, professional built house with standards and inspection requirements to ensure safety and security will win my votes hand down everyday. USA wins

Concrete frame Thai house. Ha thats serious laughable. First it isnt real concrete frame. Its a pole with chicken wire inside. There is no foundation poured just a shallow hole with a form put inside. Then a bunch or unskilled labor mix concrete by hand on the ground outside and then pour that into the form by hand with buckets. That "frame" is crap work. Then let me help you with this, they take either mud red bricks or chalk "concrete" blocks line them up between the frames and a very haphazard manner then mud over it. Both bricks and blocks can be broken by hand they are poop.

And in the end you get what you pay for. An unprofessional job by unskilled labor with no inspections or over site to ensure safety or building standards are followed.

Id gladly pay for skilled labor. You get what you pay for like ive said over and over. And materials used in houses here are substandard.

Typical house here are crap. Everybody knows it.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[2fishin2]

Today just for s.h.its and grins look up at the power and telephone poles and the jumbled mess of lines going everywhere. Look at a power junction box on a main pole or house/building. Safe? NO. Secure? NO. Standards? NO. Professional? NO. And you guys want to talk crap about US infrastructure? You want to say how much better Thai houses and builders/laborers are? Give me efn break. You are kidding only trying to kid that person who stares back at you in the mirror everyday.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Treated lumber, professional built house with standards and inspection requirements to ensure safety and security will win my votes hand down everyday. USA wins

Concrete frame Thai house. Ha thats serious laughable. First it isnt real concrete frame. Its a pole with chicken wire inside. There is no foundation poured just a shallow hole with a form put inside. Then a bunch or unskilled labor mix concrete by hand on the ground outside and then pour that into the form by hand with buckets. That "frame" is crap work. Then let me help you with this, they take either mud red bricks or chalk "concrete" blocks line them up between the frames and a very haphazard manner then mud over it. Both bricks and blocks can be broken by hand they are poop.

And in the end you get what you pay for. An unprofessional job by unskilled labor with no inspections or over site to ensure safety or building standards are followed.

Id gladly pay for skilled labor. You get what you pay for like ive said over and over. And materials used in houses here are substandard.

Typical house here are crap. Everybody knows it.

I have a house in CM built last year by KKN

No concrete frame, the entire building is poured concrete.

Foundations, a concrete slab poured on concrete pilings.

Concrete, arrives ready mixed in a large mixer lorry.

Crane with bucket pours the concrete into molds.

No bricks or blocks used.

So you were wrong on just about everything in your post.

Not to mention,

your treated lumber house will burn nicely, my poured concrete house is fire proof.

Your treated lumber house needs toxic poison sprayed all over it every year else the termites eat it.

[beachproperty]

So let me guess this straight. A new 2,000 sqft home in the USA using top notch materials will cost a minimum of $400,000 for materials before labor costs and land costs?

This is interesting since everything of quality in Thailand costs more than the USA but I guess building materials are an exception since you are saying the same top notch materials are 83% cheaper in Thailand than the USA.

First off .....building sytles very different.....

USA...STick build (lumber) Thailand (concrete frame with block infill)

Labor....USA....$50 to $100 hr depending on the profession Thailand ....500 baht a day for the skilled laborers and 300 Baht a day for grunt laborers

So Don't really use the same materials....Increase in costs mainly attributable to Labor.......NIce try though

Treated lumber, professional built house with standards and inspection requirements to ensure safety and security will win my votes hand down everyday. USA wins

Concrete frame Thai house. Ha thats serious laughable. First it isnt real concrete frame. Its a pole with chicken wire inside. There is no foundation poured just a shallow hole with a form put inside. Then a bunch or unskilled labor mix concrete by hand on the ground outside and then pour that into the form by hand with buckets. That "frame" is crap work. Then let me help you with this, they take either mud red bricks or chalk "concrete" blocks line them up between the frames and a very haphazard manner then mud over it. Both bricks and blocks can be broken by hand they are poop.

And in the end you get what you pay for. An unprofessional job by unskilled labor with no inspections or over site to ensure safety or building standards are followed.

Id gladly pay for skilled labor. You get what you pay for like ive said over and over. And materials used in houses here are substandard.

Typical house here are crap. Everybody knows it.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Not sure why you persist in posting about "construction techniques" when you've obviously never built anything and know nothing about building other than to generalize that "ALL homes in Thailand are built like crap"....

Another Thai bashing poster living in denial and generalizing about that which he knows nothing......

If you want something done right ....Do it yourself.....OH I forget ...you know nothing so can't

good luck with that attitude......

Edited September 3, 2014 by beachproperty

[NeverSure]

OP you lived in thailand did you work in thailand and earn thai wages?

Because of the exchange rates between the USD and bht the costs would seem much cheaper for you.

I got by on about 40,000-50,000 baht a month from my internet biz. I had TONS of money for fun. There was never a dull night. I lived like a Thai and blew the rest on vice. Could never do that here.

Yes, every time I go back there I am astonished at how little value I get for the money I spend. It is so easy to drop $50 on a meal, and then I get attitude if I leave less than a $10 tip, for mediocre service.

-snip-

Let's address that by itself. I could pay $50 for a meal in San Francisco or New York, but not in Main Street USA. Right now I am in Salem, Oregon, which is the Capital of Oregon. Population, about 150,000 people.

There is no restaurant in this town that would have a $50 meal on the menu, not even including a decent bottle of wine.

Here's something you can't even get in this quality in LOS. USDA Choice beef steak, shrimp dish, baked potato with the trimmings and it will come with home made fresh dinner rolls and butter.

This is a national chain restaurant that's right down the street from me right now, and there is no better meal in town. This is not the average restaurant. This is a steakhouse. A real USA steakhouse.

There is no sales tax here so that's the price, out the door. Tip - up to you. 513 baht and that's stylin' - not an everyday outing.

Edited September 3, 2014 by NeverSure

[Upset]

Thailand not America is the land of dreams, I came to Thailand 19 years ago when I was 31 with only about a 120,000 Baht to my name and today with my Thai Bf who is 32 years old (been together for about 15 years) we have managed to build a healthy portfolio of real estate assets worth over 140 million baht, a big bank balance and three successful businesses that generate more than 400,000 baht in net profits plus getting a permanance residence status. (Mind you I only had a basic University degree.) All these I started with basic trading in consumer products that I imported in.

[Upset]

Thailand not America is the land of dreams, I came to Thailand 19 years ago when I was 31 with only about a 120,000 Baht to my name and today with my Thai Bf who is 32 years old (been together for about 15 years) we have managed to build a healthy portfolio of real estate assets worth over 140 million baht, a big bank balance and three successful businesses that generate more than 400,000 baht in net profits plus getting a permanance residence status. (Mind you I only had a basic University degree.) All these I started with basic trading in consumer products that I imported in.

[Upset]

Thailand not America is the land of dreams, I came to Thailand 19 years ago when I was 31 with only about a 120,000 Baht to my name and today with my Thai Bf who is 32 years old (been together for about 15 years) we have managed to build a healthy portfolio of real estate assets worth over 140 million baht, a big bank balance and three successful businesses that generate more than 400,000 baht in net profits plus getting a permanance residence status. (Mind you I only had a basic University degree.) All these I started with basic trading in consumer products that I imported in.

[choochoo]

Thailand not America is the land of dreams, I came to Thailand 19 years ago when I was 31 with only about a 120,000 Baht to my name and today with my Thai Bf who is 32 years old (been together for about 15 years) we have managed to build a healthy portfolio of real estate assets worth over 140 million baht, a big bank balance and three successful businesses that generate more than 400,000 baht in net profits plus getting a permanance residence status. (Mind you I only had a basic University degree.) All these I started with basic trading in consumer products that I imported in.

Power to the gay peeps!

seriously you prolly would have done well anywhere. Thailand isnt ez place to do buznit!

[2fishin2]

Treated lumber, professional built house with standards and inspection requirements to ensure safety and security will win my votes hand down everyday. USA wins

Concrete frame Thai house. Ha thats serious laughable. First it isnt real concrete frame. Its a pole with chicken wire inside. There is no foundation poured just a shallow hole with a form put inside. Then a bunch or unskilled labor mix concrete by hand on the ground outside and then pour that into the form by hand with buckets. That "frame" is crap work. Then let me help you with this, they take either mud red bricks or chalk "concrete" blocks line them up between the frames and a very haphazard manner then mud over it. Both bricks and blocks can be broken by hand they are poop.

And in the end you get what you pay for. An unprofessional job by unskilled labor with no inspections or over site to ensure safety or building standards are followed.

Id gladly pay for skilled labor. You get what you pay for like ive said over and over. And materials used in houses here are substandard.

Typical house here are crap. Everybody knows it.

I have a house in CM built last year by KKN

No concrete frame, the entire building is poured concrete.

Foundations, a concrete slab poured on concrete pilings.

Concrete, arrives ready mixed in a large mixer lorry.

Crane with bucket pours the concrete into molds.

No bricks or blocks used.

So you were wrong on just about everything in your post.

Not to mention,

your treated lumber house will burn nicely, my poured concrete house is fire proof.

Your treated lumber house needs toxic poison sprayed all over it every year else the termites eat it.

Lets see....first if your house was poured like that then you are an exception. A very rare exception I need to add.

"Lumber" house....I take from your wording you are not from US. Materials are far superior to what you call them.

My examples are for TYPICAL buildings in thailand not for the farang who has money.

I always chuckle at the wooden and concrete fire analogy. Both burn very well. And actually concrete is more dangerous as in a fire it will explode where wood will just politely burn.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Loptr]

I've never been to the States but what seems really incredible to me is the price of cars over there. According to Chevrolet's website, a Camaro sports car retails for $24,000 - what's the catch? Is there huge sales tax or expensive servicing? That buys you a Honda City in Thailand lol.

No one in the US with any sense buys American cars... There is a reason that the Toyota Camry has been the best selling car in the US for more than a decade...

The Ford F150 pickup is by far the #1 selling vehicle in the US. The Chevy Silverado pickup is #2. The Toyota pickup isn't even on the radar.

The Camry is the best selling car, but is outsold by the F150 by almost double. LINK

Americans love their pickups and the F150 full 4 door 4x4 is my main squeeze. I don't own a car.

The Camry sells well because it is built in America in an automated factory by non-union workers and it is cheap. People with more options buy a mid to full sized American SUV or a Beemer or a Benz.

.

Bought nothing but F-150's since 1984. Never a problem.

I've kept F-150s and F-250s for over 30 years as I've got to have something to haul the toys around... But a truck is not a car, now is it? As far as autos, I've been driving either Japanese or German for decades...

In an earlier life I turned wrenches on pretty much anything with wheels and without fail it was always the American iron that fell apart long before it's expiration date... German and Japanese engineering is still years ahead of US manufacturers... American auto engineering was a joke for decades and it was not until the Japanese and Germans handed them their arse did US manufacturers respond... The reason the Camry sells better than the big three in the US is due to engineering, not where it is built... It's the best value in it's class in the US market, pure and simple...

And since you bring up the unions, just who do you think drove US manufacturing offshore in the first place? The offshoring of US manufacturing began with the auto industry... Why do you think Detroit more closely resembles Beirut than Chase Point? You want to brag on the unions, you'll get no support from me...

[rijb]

The Japanese got a little help from Deming.

[NeverSure]

I've kept F-150s and F-250s for over 30 years as I've got to have something to haul the toys around... But a truck is not a car, now is it? -snip-

It is to me and millions of other people. It has to be driven to appreciate how stable the long wheelbase is, how high like a living room chair the seat is for comfort, the 6 way power seat, the smooth quiet ride, the power, and all that makes it the #1 selling vehicle in the US. It has 4 doors and seats 5 adults comfortably.

As for unions I agree with you. The only reason I mentioned it was that Toyota manufacturing in Kentucky, USA doesn't have to tolerate unions.

There are about 500,000 Toyotas built every year in Kentucky.

[rijb]

I miss the one I had in Texas.