Been away for 3 years and all I hear is Thailand has become much more expensive compared to a several years ago.

Will be back soon and doing some planning, to start with location/orientation and condo search (love compact 25sqm is enough, 1 bed, no garden) but prefer nice location with sea view or nearby sea anyway.

Income: 1500usd (retired)

Needs:

Visa: tourist I guess

Will buy a new motorbike cash

Need the best available internet

Entertainment: not into drinking with friends that much more occasionally, usually stay home work/socialize on the internet

Sport: daily fitness (only cross trainer) and walking

Food: sidewalk food and self cooking

Drinking: no beer (must sound weird for many guys here) no daily liquor

Girls: Occasionally a bar girlie let's say once a month

But I love a 2hrs massage about 2x per week, no happy ending

Other expenses: gasoline, insurance, moto tax, electric, water, ?

Also want to add some to savings account and for the rest have a modest life

So the question is what is the max I should spend on condo rent, roughly? Any suggestions?

Don't think you can afford to spend more than 10,000 a month - but hope you also have savings and are not relying solely on 48k Thai Baht retirement. One medical issue and you are screwed.

I recommend the minimalist lifestyle. Perhpas not doing the monthly bargirl and taking the matters in your own hands..hahahaha!

Don't think you can afford to spend more than 10,000 a month - but hope you also have savings and are not relying solely on 48k Thai Baht retirement. One medical issue and you are screwed.

Having a good worldwide medical insurance. Not relying on a Thai insurance!

Don't think you can afford to spend more than 10,000 a month - but hope you also have savings and are not relying solely on 48k Thai Baht retirement. One medical issue and you are screwed.

Having a good worldwide medical insurance. Not relying on a Thai insurance!

How about this. One non-medical issue and you are screwed!

What your answer?

Just your visa issues will eat up a chunk of your income.

Edited February 13, 201511 yr by Rajhulmaheesh

Condo rentals are currently two a penny.

Just get a guesthouse somewhere first, take your time and you should be able to find somewhere within your budget.

We're coming out of high season into smokey hot season, so you'll have no problem negotiating a deal.

Edit: Sorry, for some reason I thought this was in the Chiang Mai forum.

As Langsuan Man said, where will make a difference.

Edited February 13, 201511 yr by uptheos

Where ?

It's a big country and the prices can range quite a bit depending upon where you want to relocate

Don't think you can afford to spend more than 10,000 a month - but hope you also have savings and are not relying solely on 48k Thai Baht retirement. One medical issue and you are screwed.

Having a good worldwide medical insurance. Not relying on a Thai insurance!

How about this. One non-medical issue and you are screwed!

What your answer?

Just your visa issues will eat up a chunk of your income.

Pretty dumb reply.

Don't think you can afford to spend more than 10,000 a month - but hope you also have savings and are not relying solely on 48k Thai Baht retirement. One medical issue and you are screwed.

Having a good worldwide medical insurance. Not relying on a Thai insurance!

How about this. One non-medical issue and you are screwed!

What your answer?

Just your visa issues will eat up a chunk of your income.

Pretty dumb reply.

Not dumb. What if he had to go home? $1500 a month is not a lot of moeny, esp for a guy into bargirls-even a little bargirl ie stuff.

Don't think you can afford to spend more than 10,000 a month - but hope you also have savings and are not relying solely on 48k Thai Baht retirement. One medical issue and you are screwed.

Having a good worldwide medical insurance. Not relying on a Thai insurance!

How about this. One non-medical issue and you are screwed!

What your answer?

Just your visa issues will eat up a chunk of your income.

Pretty dumb reply.

No actually its a smart reply. You think visas are cheap? You think a medical issue is cheap?

How much do you have saved up currently? Do you have insurance already? Do you want to be in a coastal area with expats, or somewhere with mainly Thais around and less infrastructure? That make a difference in costs. Lots of unanswered questions need to be answered, but if you have minimal savings and no insurance, good luck to you.

My budget is the same as yours exactly. I budget 4k monthly for rent. 1k for utilities. Rest is blown on women(including wife), food, and beer. lol.

Another issue. Is it wise for an elder man to be riding motosais. And then do thai insurance companies cover these (im not poloitically correct so tough weenies) nimrods.................hahahaha?

In anwer to your specific question,

7000 + (total savings/1000) / month.

e.g. your total savings are 100,000 dollars

7000 + ( 3260000/1000) = 10260.

This is a maximum amount. You can pay 5000 Baht / month if you want.

Just under 50k a month and single I would rent somewhere in the 10k range that has a kitchen so you can do a lot of home cooking. You will have lots of time on your hands and I would advise for your own health to take a pass on the street food and instead go to the local market gets lots of produce and cook for yourself. You don't want to be retired and lying on a bed in some shitty 4k/ month room, get something decent.

How does cooking at home save money if you only have one mouth to feed. Theres a reason thais eat on the street. Its so freaking cheap.

Terminal 21 food court. Rice and 2 side dish is 35 baht. Bring your own cup and use bathroom water and you eat for 35 baht.

How does cooking at home save money if you only have one mouth to feed. Theres a reason thais eat on the street. Its so freaking cheap.

Terminal 21 food court. Rice and 2 side dish is 35 baht. Bring your own cup and use bathroom water and you eat for 35 baht.

And after drinking the water you can use the cup to beg with

With 1500 usd live in America Cheap than Thailand Did you ever heard of Las Vegas

How does cooking at home save money if you only have one mouth to feed. Theres a reason thais eat on the street. Its so freaking cheap.

Terminal 21 food court. Rice and 2 side dish is 35 baht. Bring your own cup and use bathroom water and you eat for 35 baht.

Street food is cheap, but cooking for yourself is freaking cheaper!

You think visas are cheap?

I am over 50 and in total I pay 1900B per year for my visa extension. Even allowing for one re-entry permit per year at 1000B I still call this cheap.

In fact I think it must be one of the cheapest in the world.

A basic visa is ok cheap. Yours is a retirement once a year. But this guy is talking about getting multiple "tourist" visas. The logistics involved traveling, staying overnight in outside countrys etc will add up quick. Think about that for a moment

Look.

I'm on a retirement extension living here in Bangkok.

I do not stay in a condo, although there are such available for rent nearby .... perhaps more expensive, however.

I live in a "partially serviced residence".

Basically means I have a one-room flat, weekly maid service. air-conditioned, in room cable television (some English movies and programs also), a free laundry service. and internet access.

Internet not free with my 3 month contarct, I pay 450 Baht monthly for unlimited internet access.

Can sign 3 month, 6 month, or one year contract.

Does require security deposit on inital contract..... refundable if you leave when your contract expires.

I currrently have a 3 month contract .... about 18K Baht monthly.

Probably going to 6 month contract soon, will reduce monthly to about 16K Baht. Internet access will be free however, if I upgrade to a 6 month contract..

Restaurant downstairs with most meals 100 to 200 Baht. Good food.

Quiet place, 24 hour security, off main road in a small Soi 50 meters or so from road.

My pension is about $1700 a month (U.S.) .... my lifestyle is "quiet" like yours.

Even with occasional "splurge" expenses i find it relatively easy to enjoy live on .... oh let's say $1200 a month.

Leaves me approx $500 monthly to bank.

Last year my "splurge" trips were trips to Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Yes, it can be done. Just keep your eyes open, you'll find places like this.

It took me two years in Bnagkok to find the place where I am now..... just look around and keep yoir eyes open.

Edited February 13, 201511 yr by IMA_FARANG

I think a quarter of your monthly income is about the average.

Look at the "minimalist thread" in the Pattaya section.

But easy to rent here in Pattaya..small room 4k a month even though theres no Acon...it is a bit of a walk from the beach however,but i live near third road.

you can very very easily live on that.

Best plan for you is use the 1500usd to get a nice condo.

Then get a hot rich thai wife and she can support you.

There are many of them according to this forum.

Pretty dumb reply.

No actually its a smart reply. You think visas are cheap? You think a medical issue is cheap?

He said "One non-medical issue and you are screwed!" The OP has medical insurance.

Pretty dumb reply.

No actually its a smart reply. You think visas are cheap? You think a medical issue is cheap?

He said "One non-medical issue and you are screwed!" The OP has medical insurance.

Dude next time how about quoting the whole post vs what you want to argue about. Part of the quoted original post was about visa part about medical insurance. i read his statement about having medical insurance. I stated that obtaining visas could get expensive. And who knows if his medical insurance would be accepted? What if he had to pay out of pocket and then be reimbursed 3-6 months later? Does he know if his coverage is valid in Thailand or any hospital around the area he is staying.

Rules bro rules.

I am living quite comfortable and the way I want. the cost is 35,000 bht a month. so I can not see the op having any problems. if he is happy living in a 25sqm place great. just make sure you have space to cook. street food is cheap but I am sure you like it cooked a bit different

How does cooking at home save money if you only have one mouth to feed. Theres a reason thais eat on the street. Its so freaking cheap.

Terminal 21 food court. Rice and 2 side dish is 35 baht. Bring your own cup and use bathroom water and you eat for 35 baht.

I didn't say anything about saving money, I am talking about staying healthy and being comfortable which are surely fairly important concerns for a retired person? Living in a 4kroom where you can't cook for yourself, without aircon and where your bed is doubling as a sofa is a ridiculous position to be in for any retiree.

Staying on tourists visas like that is going to work about at about 10-15k every six months so make sure to tuck away a bit of money every month for it .

Best of luck with your adventure just make sure to look after your health and you will have a blast

If you can't afford to put 800k in the bank to get a proper visa then I would be looking at Cambodia. Doing visa runs will get old and is dangerous.

Age & Insurance. I was 64 when I bought my CBR 250 and had no problem with 1st Class insurance. If I remember right, I paid a little more, but nothing outrageous.