Can't afford to live in Thailand anymore

[mogandave]

I thought heath care was great in the UK and that it was free for everyone, no?

I know that income taxes in the US are significantly lower than Thailand, although that is subject to change.

[chiang mai]

I thought heath care was great in the UK and that it was free for everyone, no?

I know that income taxes in the US are significantly lower than Thailand, although that is subject to change.

I think you need to look again at the difference between US and Thai tax bands, what you claim is not correct.

[Oceanbat]

I thought heath care was great in the UK and that it was free for everyone, no?

I know that income taxes in the US are significantly lower than Thailand, although that is subject to change.

I think you need to look again at the difference between US and Thai tax bands, what you claim is not correct.

Top tax rate (35%) kicks in here at THB 4mln or USD122k. The 35% rate doesn't kick in until USD 400k in the US. Which ones are you looking at?

OB

[chiang mai]

I thought heath care was great in the UK and that it was free for everyone, no?

I know that income taxes in the US are significantly lower than Thailand, although that is subject to change.

I think you need to look again at the difference between US and Thai tax bands, what you claim is not correct.

Top tax rate (35%) kicks in here at THB 4mln or USD122k. The 35% rate doesn't kick in until USD 400k in the US. Which ones are you looking at?

OB

Now that I've looked at it in detail I have to retract what I wrote, US income tax is slightly lower than Thai income tax, assuming all the bands look similar to below. But using the example below, given the overlap in the amounts being compared, the likely 3% difference can hardly be called "significant".

AT 32 baht per USD:

In Thailand: more than 2,000,000 Baht ($62,500) but less than 4,000,000 ($125,000) baht is taxed at 30%

In the USA: more than $73,801 (2,361,632 Baht) to $148,850 (4,763,200 Baht) is taxed at 25%

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/tax-brackets.aspx

http://www.rd.go.th/publish/6045.0.html

[mogandave]

I thought heath care was great in the UK and that it was free for everyone, no?

I know that income taxes in the US are significantly lower than Thailand, although that is subject to change.

I think you need to look again at the difference between US and Thai tax bands, what you claim is not correct.

Top tax rate (35%) kicks in here at THB 4mln or USD122k. The 35% rate doesn't kick in until USD 400k in the US. Which ones are you looking at?

OB

Now that I've looked at it in detail I have to retract what I wrote, US income tax is slightly lower than Thai income tax, assuming all the bands look similar to below. But using the example below, given the overlap in the amounts being compared, the likely 3% difference can hardly be called "significant".

AT 32 baht per USD:

In Thailand: more than 2,000,000 Baht ($62,500) but less than 4,000,000 ($125,000) baht is taxed at 30%

In the USA: more than $73,801 (2,361,632 Baht) to $148,850 (4,763,200 Baht) is taxed at 25%

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/tax-brackets.aspx

http://www.rd.go.th/publish/6045.0.html

Now look at the standard deductions, and you'll see that taxes are much lower for that bracket.

It is worth noting that about half the people in the US pay no income tax.

[White Christmas13]

So how many people pay income tax in Thailand? Every banana seller or street food seller pay income tax ?

[chiang mai]

Less than 2% of the population of Thailand pay income tax.

http://asiancorrespondent.com/110344/income-tax-equality-and-the-thai-budget/

Edited February 15, 2015 by chiang mai

[chiang mai]

I think you need to look again at the difference between US and Thai tax bands, what you claim is not correct.

Top tax rate (35%) kicks in here at THB 4mln or USD122k. The 35% rate doesn't kick in until USD 400k in the US. Which ones are you looking at?

OB

Now that I've looked at it in detail I have to retract what I wrote, US income tax is slightly lower than Thai income tax, assuming all the bands look similar to below. But using the example below, given the overlap in the amounts being compared, the likely 3% difference can hardly be called "significant".

AT 32 baht per USD:

In Thailand: more than 2,000,000 Baht ($62,500) but less than 4,000,000 ($125,000) baht is taxed at 30%

In the USA: more than $73,801 (2,361,632 Baht) to $148,850 (4,763,200 Baht) is taxed at 25%

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/tax-brackets.aspx

http://www.rd.go.th/publish/6045.0.html

Now look at the standard deductions, and you'll see that taxes are much lower for that bracket.

It is worth noting that about half the people in the US pay no income tax.

There are personal deductions on both sides of that coin and I have glanced at both sides, nothing there convinces me that one side or the other changes the picture that much. Sorry but I can't be bothered to dig too deeply into that aspect, my point now is to reaffirm that I don't believe there is a significant difference.

[CaptHaddock]

I thought heath care was great in the UK and that it was free for everyone, no?

I know that income taxes in the US are significantly lower than Thailand, although that is subject to change.

I think you need to look again at the difference between US and Thai tax bands, what you claim is not correct.

Top tax rate (35%) kicks in here at THB 4mln or USD122k. The 35% rate doesn't kick in until USD 400k in the US. Which ones are you looking at?

OB

Now that I've looked at it in detail I have to retract what I wrote, US income tax is slightly lower than Thai income tax, assuming all the bands look similar to below. But using the example below, given the overlap in the amounts being compared, the likely 3% difference can hardly be called "significant".

AT 32 baht per USD:

In Thailand: more than 2,000,000 Baht ($62,500) but less than 4,000,000 ($125,000) baht is taxed at 30%

In the USA: more than $73,801 (2,361,632 Baht) to $148,850 (4,763,200 Baht) is taxed at 25%

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/tax-brackets.aspx

http://www.rd.go.th/publish/6045.0.html

Why is it that most discussions of US tax rates ignore completely state income tax and even city income tax in a few cases? For example, New York State has a top tax rate of about 9% while New York City has an additional 4.5%. 44 of the 50 states have an income tax.

[CaptHaddock]

Less than 2% of the population of Thailand pay income tax.

http://asiancorrespondent.com/110344/income-tax-equality-and-the-thai-budget/

But they all pay the regressive VAT tax which pays 40% of the cost of the Thai government.

[Thai at Heart]

Deluded and seriously misguided, have you ever been to the real Thailand, the one outside of BKK CBD, a rhetorical question of course.

If you had kids would you seriously want them to attend the local up country EP programming of rote learning. What he writes is true. If you want to set your life up as a young single bloke in Bangkok or outside you can't do it on 25k.

You can exist.

"If your company takes care of the school and housing, 200k is sufficient".

THB 200k is THB 2.4 mill a year, that's £48k a year! Is this the new norm for average citizens!

Do you know how much tax u pay on 200k baht a month. Then pay rent, then pay utilities, then pay for your car, then health insurance, then school fees and tell me if someone on 48k in is that much better of than someone on 48k in uk, particularly if you throw in schooling.

I reckon my cost of living is less now I am back. My rent went up, my tax bill went down, my education cost went way down and no more health insurance.

Schooling alone was costing me 600k in Thailand for very ropey quality.

Yes, you would pay about 22% in total which is significantly less than what you would pay in the UK:

http://www.rd.go.th/publish/6045.0.html

Utilities and transportation costs are also much cheaper than the UK although I agree that schooling costs can be much more expensive but I don't know sufficient about the latter to comment constructively. Rents in Bangkok are cheaper or on par at least with UK costs, £750/THB 40k month.

Finally, health insurance (for use in Thailand only), purchased in Thailand for people under age 45 years is very good value, certainly nowhere near UK costs.

Problem is that to have a job that pays that much, all roads lead to bangkokk and probably cbd. Been there done it, done the traffic and pollution.

Won't be doing it again

[chiang mai]

Less than 2% of the population of Thailand pay income tax.

http://asiancorrespondent.com/110344/income-tax-equality-and-the-thai-budget/

But they all pay the regressive VAT tax which pays 40% of the cost of the Thai government.

Please explain, I'm seriously interested?

[Thai at Heart]

Less than 2% of the population of Thailand pay income tax.

http://asiancorrespondent.com/110344/income-tax-equality-and-the-thai-budget/

But they all pay the regressive VAT tax which pays 40% of the cost of the Thai government.

Please explain, I'm seriously interested?

Well vat is only mostly everything. But the poor don't pay it so much because they are shopping in markets.

I like the car tax system. The rich evade taxes but shell out for mercs big time.

[mogandave]

Why is it that most discussions of US tax rates ignore completely state income tax and even city income tax in a few cases? For example, New York State has a top tax rate of about 9% while New York City has an additional 4.5%. 44 of the 50 states have an income tax.

If you don't earn enough to pay federal income taxes , odds are you are not going to have to pay any state income taxes.

State taxes probably do not come up as Americans living in Thailand that that have no state income or residence do not have are not pay state income taxes.

A better question would be why no one brings up SS & Medicare.

[NeverSure]

People with lower incomes in the US don't pay income taxes. In fact, many get an income tax credit for taxes they never paid. It's called the earned income tax credit. It's backdoor welfare - Merry Christmas in April from the IRS.

"The EITC is a refundable tax credit. This means taxpayers may get money back, even if they have no tax withheld. Nationwide last year, over 27 million eligible individuals and families received more than $63 billion in EITC." IRS.gov

[Baa_Mango]

sifted through a few of this drivel; something about normal thai girls wanted to stay but messed up ones wanting to live abroad ? Oh please - tons of educated Thai people want out as they realize the limitations their home country has.

[Xircal]

When the USA dollar is paired with other dollars also ,with the Thai baht , I still don't understand why the exchange rate also to other dollar is lower? When the U.S. Dollar goes up the Thai Bhat also more strong! But the dollar loose against the Bhat is nothing like the euro loose 20 Procent last week , for next 3 year when draghi not change his master plan nothing will be change, my only hope is that the Thai Bhat goes down also when Thai exports slow down because of strong baht! Here the price go up around 10 Procent need now 12000 Bhat more each month because of bad 36 exchange rate!

Welcome in peng mag ma Thailand !

I sympathise with you since I live in the EU myself. I fear that come the end February with no deal being done to keep Greece in the eurozone, we could be looking at a Grexit before long.

If that happens, you can safely knock another couple of Baht off the current miserable FX rate.

Thailand might possibly decide to cut it's current 2% interest rate to counter the strong Baht in the not too distant future especially considering that Thailand no longer qualifies for subsidised imports (click the link to "countries which will cease to benefit") which make exports to the EU a lot more expensive.

Other than that though, I fear the worst is yet to come.

[teebe]

EU makes low exchange after years of overestimated exchange rate, USD and GPB used to be lower than expected at exchange counter because of intentionally exportation boost. This is a good new for EU, actually the reason of such is low oil prices, when your currency is devaluated your stuff go better on export but your oil bill is an hell. I think US will not allow for long time to have a Euro to USD close to 1, this will be a debacle to US export so next president will find a way to depreciate again USD or increase oil price. Only few countries can adopt these strategies, mainly depends of on weapons power and productivity factors. Time will give new assets, EU have an opportunity to show muscles now, not only diplomacy. Here we are in ASEAN area, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Filippine, Vietnam and other made something like Eurozone and I suggest to refer to ASEAN rather than USD zone even if affective purposes shows the opposite.

TB

Edited February 16, 2015 by teebe

[Gecko123]

Does anyone know any Thai nationals who have emigrated to North America or Western Europe because the cost of living there is cheaper than in Thailand?

< loud sound of crickets >

[Jip99]

Does anyone know any Thai nationals who have emigrated to North America or Western Europe because the cost of living there is cheaper than in Thailand?

< loud sound of crickets >

No, but I know quite a few who show no sign of coming back having seen that the minimum wage per hour in the UK is more than the daily minimum in Thailand.

Same work, more money, send more cash home to the family.

[mogandave]

Does anyone know any Thai nationals who have emigrated to North America or Western Europe because the cost of living there is cheaper than in Thailand?

< loud sound of crickets >

No, but I know a few that have immigrated because the higher wages they earn significantly offset the higher costs nicely. An engineer right out of school can pretty easily earn 6-10 times what they might expect here.

That said, it is pretty easy to live for free in many parts of the US.

[thaibeachlovers]

If Canada really is better, your wife ought to recognize the merit in moving there.

Give her plenty of chances to see what it has to offer, and make the decision together.

For me, leaving Thailand is hard to imagine. Once it's in your blood...and all that.

Best of luck.

It's not that simple. Depends on whether she can get that decent job back at the same wage. Costs a lot of money to relocate, which is gone forever along with that needed to move back.

He goes to live in Canada no big deal, she goes to live there, she loses her friends, her family, possibly her job and accommodation.

[shagorillaHotel]

re "Can't afford to live in Thailand anymore"

simple get the wife a second job.

[geronimo]

Its one of those questions only you can answer at the end of the day.

[MahasarakhamMitch]

Is it really cheaper to live in canada? i can't really believe that. Can you buy a detached house for $100,000? My costs living here in LoS are far below what i would pay in the UK.

Can't say about Canada but in the US, yes. LINK

In the UK that wouldn't even buy you an outside toilet. Minimum in London @$700,000 in some Muslim ghetto.

Your correct. I just had a house valued and the agent said I could sell the garage (that is separate from the house) for £25000

[jerojero]

Once you marry your GF she will qualify to have her go to Canada on a permanent resident visa

Not sure of the current costs, but that and the flight will cost only a few grand

Let her visit Canada and see if she likes it

working a tim hortons can sometimes pay more than a good job in Thailand

Just make sure she arrives in Canada during the summer months, arriving in mid-winter could be tough

And 18 months to get the Visa approval.

[kannot]

Money isn't everything. Go wherever makes you happiest.

Money gives you choices, happiness aint all its cracked up to be......and in this "buddhist" country

[Rayk]

I am from Toronto, Ontario Canada and could never imagine living back in Canada with the ridiculously high taxes, high rentals, cold, snowy and wet weather 5-6 months of the year, bureaucratic bs among other things . My dollar goes much further here than in Canada, eh. Where in Canada can you have a mortgage on a 3 bedroom townhouse with a pool and fitness center for $182.87 per month. $584.00 per year for automobile insurance. $3.18 for cigarettes and I could go on and on about how it is cheaper here than in Canada.

You must be living in one of the poorer provinces like Newfoundland,P.E.I or Nova Scotia in order to state that its cheaper to live there than here.

Edited April 12, 2016 by Rayk

[SoiBiker]

Money isn't everything. Go wherever makes you happiest.

Money gives you choices, happiness aint all its cracked up to be......and in this "buddhist" country

Quick comeback.

[fey]

unfortunately, not many choices to thailand if you need to downgrade financially and thats the main point

cambo and philips, loas are all about the same and not really serious alternatives to save money. just traveling there will eat your budget you thought you were saving.

so its very much time to clean house and work on some safety net solutions. main one being safety net back home.