pkspeaker Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) You were (unlucky) there is a tracking number so use it, I had never had a serious issue with thai post as long as there is a registered #, even if it's not full tracking you should get/receive it .. years ago (like 15 or more)the thai post had issues when receiveing un-tracked standard airmail, but latly its very reliable.. sending mail to western countries and japan and australia has always been reliable, even when useing standard airmail. Are you not getting just a little bit silly with your dislike for Thailand Neversure------ no one would expect it to be up to the standards of some western countries. but if this place irks you that much....why do you live on the forum..... I sent mail by Express Thai post and it never made it to the destination. Considering that I sent only a few letters from Thailand, I must have been very unlucky. Edited February 18, 2015 by pkspeaker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHP87 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_result.jsp?country1=Thailand&country2=United+States You can customize the pull down menus to fit your needs. For me, it's not even close as I live in the SF Bay Area. I will be returning to CM in 18-24 months for good. I'm 55 years old, don't drink or smoke and will have a monthly income of a little under $1800 a month USD That would be tough to live on in the US and it would not be in a good area. In CM, I can live on that amount per month and live quite well. A nicely furnished, western style Condo north of the Moat will run about $275 on average. Check out Doi Mansion and other places like it. I will also have a couple of three Million Baht in the bank as well. I would burn thru that money in two/three years, if that, here in the states. I plan to live in CM for one year minimum to get a handle on my real world expenses and then perhaps, move further South but I like CM except during burning season. I can also afford to take "mini vacations" every few months for a week or two to the tourist areas in Thailand, or even just leave CM for a couple of months during burning season. Either way, Thailand is by far one of the best "bang for the buck" retirement destinations in the world. . I'm 55 years old, don't drink or smoke and will have a monthly income of a little under $1800 a month USD That would be tough to live on in the US and it would not be in a good area. In CM, I can live on that amount per month and live quite well. Well, I guess if you have lived and worked forty years and have only the $1800 per month, and no assets or savings, yes, it could be tough. 40 years? Are you including the paper route I had when I was 15? Facts are, it's difficult to save money living in one of the world's most expensive markets and without any help from family or anyone else (San Francisco/SF Bay Area) while also taking care of my Mother who eventually succumbed to Cancer after 4 years which cost me quite a bit out of pocket. And I do have about 65k in savings and will have about 100k USD in savings and will be able to retire about 5 years before age 62 when SS kicks in. Next time, know all of the facts before sticking your foot in your mouth. I guess it's hard to ask for specifics when your head is stuck in a certain orifice. Edited February 18, 2015 by PHP87 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkspeaker Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) I remember having this discussion in another thread a few months ago "Thai-quality will only las 15-20 years" are you talking about! In Thailand all houses are built using steel re-inforced concrete, OR your living in a high or low rise condo-and thats only going to last for 20 years ! I don't know about Australia, but in the US all houses are built of wood and plasterboard, you have to insure them against floods, fires, and storms because the building material is fragile.. Here almost no-one insures their Thai house because its fire and flood proof, you might have a fire or flood but it will not destroy the house, only damage it and the repairs are usually pretty easy, especially considering contractors are cheap here.. anyways i think the writing is on the wall regarding the advantages of living here, recently the governments policy has been to kick foreigners outa here because too many people wanna live here.. and obviously the cost of living is a big reason for the influx.. You can build a house here for $20,000. That's Thai quality, which will probably last 15 - 20 years. Or go with Western standard plumbing and kitchen, up to $100,000 for a large 3 bedroom home.. A townhouse in Australia will be $150,000 minimum. A condo apartment in Chiang Mai, fully furnished 46 sq with swimming pool can be rented for $350/ month. You'll pay more than that per week for an unfurnished apartment in Sydney or Melbourne. Thai massage, 1 hour $70 in Australia. There's a temple in Chiang Rai that does a 1 hour massage for $5, although $8 is the norm in Chiang Mai. Edited February 18, 2015 by pkspeaker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWorldwide Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 . I'm 55 years old, don't drink or smoke and will have a monthly income of a little under $1800 a month USD That would be tough to live on in the US and it would not be in a good area. In CM, I can live on that amount per month and live quite well. Well, I guess if you have lived and worked forty years and have only the $1800 per month, and no assets or savings, yes, it could be tough. I could easily blaze through 4-5K USD a month here in Pattaya, probably double that in BKK but lets give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he's happy to live the quiet life. Surely that sort of money still buys a reasonable standard of living in Chiang Mai while allowing enough for visa requirements and health insurance ? He did mention that he has more than 3 million baht in addition to that figure - again, not hard to chew through when you start buying cars etc, but ultimately that's up to him. Still have no idea how anyone survives on 30k a month in Bangkok, but with the current exchange rate he's looking at almost double that figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHP87 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) . I'm 55 years old, don't drink or smoke and will have a monthly income of a little under $1800 a month USD That would be tough to live on in the US and it would not be in a good area. In CM, I can live on that amount per month and live quite well. Well, I guess if you have lived and worked forty years and have only the $1800 per month, and no assets or savings, yes, it could be tough. I could easily blaze through 4-5K USD a month here in Pattaya, probably double that in BKK but lets give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he's happy to live the quiet life. Surely that sort of money still buys a reasonable standard of living in Chiang Mai while allowing enough for visa requirements and health insurance ? He did mention that he has more than 3 million baht in addition to that figure - again, not hard to chew through when you start buying cars etc, but ultimately that's up to him. Still have no idea how anyone survives on 30k a month in Bangkok, but with the current exchange rate he's looking at almost double that figure. I won't be living in Bangkok, nor will I be living on 30k per month but apparently, some people can do it. I plan to live in CM on about 55k Baht per month. I will only need to deposit about 5k USD in a Thai bank to meet the requirements for a Retirement Visa as a combination of my Pension and the 5k in the bank will meet the requirements. 55k Baht for a single guy that doesn't drink is easily doable in Chiang Mai. I don't plan on buying a car as it is easy to get around CM and will also have a scooter. During lean times, I've lived in the SF Bay Area, with a car, on just $2,500 a month. Not sitting on a bar stool saves a lot of money. If I can live in SF/SF Bay on 2,500 USD per month as I've had to do at times, then living in CM on 1800 USD/55k Baht without a car will be easy. Rent here alone can eat up 2500 USD a month. In CM, 250 a month will get you a decent place like View Doi Mansion or any of the other numerous condos like it. It's not like I'm going to be spending 20 hours a day at home, so no sense in renting an expensive place that I don't want or need. Been there and done that. Edited February 18, 2015 by PHP87 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarryP Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Thailand: Property taxes = 0 baht auto registration = 1025 baht 5 year driver's license = 700? baht parking fees = 0 baht parking tickets = 0 baht weedcutter repair = 40 baht lawnmower repair = 100 baht countertop oven repair = 40 baht refrigerator repair (change freon) = 900 baht haircut = 50 baht 10 gallon bottle of water = 12 baht pork = 140/kl chicken breast meat = 80 baht/kilo large shrimp = 260 baht/kilo squid = 140-180 baht/kilo home grown mangos in season = free home grown bananas year round = free home grown lamut in season = free home grown papayas year round = free bamboo shoots in season = free electric bill (no air) = 1200 baht/month cell phone = 300 baht/month mail letter within Thailand = 3 baht mail letter overseas = 19 to 28 baht dental checkup and cleaning = 800 baht dental crown and root canal = 10,000 baht vet bill for neutering = 900 baht vet bill for infected bite wound = 900 baht 3.5 hour bus trip = 165 baht No way living in the US is cheaper that Thailand. Property taxes = 0 baht In the States, we don't have to pay for the school, and our roads don't destroy our expensive vehicles in two years. auto registration = 1025 baht got tags for my '66 chevy for $18, but yes, the tags for my new Honda were just over $270. 5 year driver's license = 700? baht 6 year Texas license renewal: $22 parking fees = 0 baht Trat charges 20 baht; lots of places have fees parking tickets = 0 baht say what? weedcutter repair = 40 baht my Husqvarna never broke down lawnmower repair = 100 baht same countertop oven repair = 40 baht mine's built-in, never broke down refrigerator repair (change freon) = 900 baht never needed that either, Sub-Zeros don't leak haircut = 50 baht got me there, but my wife is a stylist 10 gallon bottle of water = 12 baht I've seen the filtering system they use for those. No thanks. pork = 140/kl loin on sale today at Smith's $2.19/pound (146 baht) chicken breast meat = 80 baht/kilo whole chicken for .99/pound large shrimp = 260 baht/kilo jumbo (7-10/pound) t Smith's on sale every week $6.99. And they are wild caught, not farmed in toxic waste. squid = 140-180 baht/kilo you win home grown mangos in season = free peaches, same home grown bananas year round = free pears and peaches and apples and cherries, same home grown lamut in season = free bleeech home grown papayas year round = free avocados, same bamboo shoots in season = free got me there electric bill (no air) = 1200 baht/month 3 bdrm/2 bath house $62 last month, but I'm guessing it's more because it does not go out for hours at a time? cell phone = 300 baht/month I pay ten $15/month at T-Mobile and all my calls to Thailand (and 65 other countries) are free mail letter within Thailand = 3 baht mail letter overseas = 19 to 28 baht dental checkup and cleaning = 800 baht in seven years I had a cleaning every three months, only one was worth having. The rest were a waste of money. Yes, yes, I know, all yours were outstanding. dental crown and root canal = 10,000 baht yep, much cheaper vet bill for neutering = 900 baht pick up a pet at the Humane Society, it's $10 (300 baht) pick a pet up at many county animal shelters, it's often free vet bill for infected bite wound = 900 baht not typically necessary in the States, as dogs don't roam free and get in fights 3.5 hour bus trip = 165 baht yes, but a good life insurance policy will add quite a bit to that cost No way living in the US is cheaper that Thailand. I had a good laugh at the post by Gecko123 as well. Unfortunately they will beleive what they want, but many things (not everything) in the US really are cheaper than Thailand. Especially if you have families. Cars, Gasoline, School costs, baby foods and necessities in addition to what you have mentioned. Also USA has many free things that thailand either doesn't have or charges for like public libraries. Of course, if you live in a flea ridden studio apartment in Thailand, don't own a car, don't have children. eat street food, desperatetly need to eat tropical fruits and only purchase the poorer quality of stuff. Then yes, Thailand is cheaper. But who wants to live their life like that? You might as well move to Karachi if you cheapness interests you that much. Moved here when I was 19. Done the kids bit. Only one left and grown up, wife passed away last year. 3 bedroom house paid for. Don't miss the things you mention as I stopped living that life more than 30 years ago. I am still working, earn a decent wage and am able to save well for retirement. Live life very comfortably by Thai standards, which have become my standards as I have nothing else to compare them with through my life's experience. So while it is a fun topic, some people make Thailand their home, not to recreate their home country in warmer climes, but to leave their home countries behind. God, if I wanted to move outside the UK to a warmer country but stay within walking distance of a chippy or pub I would move to the Costa Bleedin' Del Sol. Understand that somethings will be better quality overseas or lower priced, but what you have never had you do not miss. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anon999 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 We have 4 bed and 3 bath. Providing my wife doesn't use the mains water for the garden the bill is 120 baht/mth and 200-240 baht if used for the garden too. Electricity 2,500 to 3,000/mth but that's down to all the electrical appliances, mainly the oven/grill. However, 7 a/c's 2 fridge freezers, 2 front loading washers, dishwasher and extractor fan are the main items but have many other small appliances too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anon999 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) groceries can be VERY expensive in Thailand if you want something that is not part of the basic needs of Thai people. And I am not talking about imported goods, I am talking about products made in Thailand. one example, a 225 gr block of (local) butter costs double of what I would pay in my home country. And yes, sorry, while I do eat Thai food too, butter is still part of MY daily basic needs. A tiny cup of (locally made !) cottage cheese costs 4 times as much as in my home country. On the other hand, I don't get a 1$/ lunch in my home country when eating out.... A lot of people here don't like Thai $1 food, but at that price they learn to love it. Because someone lives in Thailand doesn't mean they should eat Thai food if they don't like it. Go abroad and see how many Thai's eat the local foods. I know many Thais in the UK and most tend to eat Thai food most of the time. There are exceptions, those who have a full time job may well go to the pub for lunch or buy something from a bakers shop. Depends on your circumstances. Personally we eat both Thai and western food both at home in Isaan and at restaurants and we don't eat street food with few exceptions like fried bananas. Edited February 18, 2015 by Anon999 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taff33 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 you can't get a haircut for 50 baht in Bkk these days, it's 60 baht, bloody outrageous . My hair cut 30baht,always has been for last12 years.UK £6/300baht. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louse1953 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Our Australian electricity bill tops $1000 for the summer quarter. Maybe $600 each other quarter. My gas bill is average $250 a quarter. That's for 3 of us but our daughter is only 2 . Shopping food bill is about $300 a week. We eat pretty well. But nappies are in that and they're expensive. Water bill is around $200 a quarter. Add mortgage and cars and the rest of life costs in its crazy really. Just a comparison for you. That's outrageous. I believe you but I've never heard of such a thing. My big occasional splurge is to go out for steak and lobster. That's choice grade American beef and a big Maine lobster done right. Cost about $25 with a salad and dessert. I mention it only because I miss things like that in Thailand. zx.jpg You better believe it.That's why i rent my house out and live comfortably in LOS. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louse1953 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Oh not forgetting the price of beer in Australia! Minimum $40 a carton. That's cheap compared to front bar prices and forget drinking in restuarants. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louse1953 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 My electric here is 6000 a month in the usa closer to 4500 with better ac coverage and of course edible sirloin steak here is at least 2000 a kg as opposed to 500. Restaurants are way cheaper here and so are most labor services 6 f........ thousand,how do you do that.Mine is 400 baht,no ac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louse1953 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Our Australian electricity bill tops $1000 for the summer quarter. Maybe $600 each other quarter. My gas bill is average $250 a quarter. That's for 3 of us but our daughter is only 2 . Shopping food bill is about $300 a week. We eat pretty well. But nappies are in that and they're expensive. Water bill is around $200 a quarter. Add mortgage and cars and the rest of life costs in its crazy really. Just a comparison for you. How about comparing the average wage in Australia to the average wage in Thailand. Then perhaps you might have a better understanding ! It's not about comparing wages,it's what you have left at the end of the month.I would suggest the same,SFA. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 you can't get a haircut for 50 baht in Bkk these days, it's 60 baht, bloody outrageous . My hair cut 30baht,always has been for last12 years.UK £6/300baht. The real difference between a haircut done here and one done in the UK is that the UK one doesnt make you look as though a blind man did it. So I would say GBP6 in the UK is money well spent. Thai barbers I have used have absolutely no idea at all of how to cut hair; they only know how to manipulate an electric trimmer very badly. Filipino barbers cost no more than here but they actually know how to use scissors. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostoday Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 That's outrageous. I believe you but I've never heard of such a thing. My big occasional splurge is to go out for steak and lobster. That's choice grade American beef and a big Maine lobster done right. Cost about $25 with a salad and dessert. I mention it only because I miss things like that in Thailand. zx.jpg American restaurants don't offer big Maine Lobster with steak because the price would be obscene. Portland's Hawthorne lobster house 2 pound lobster $80. A decent steak at Morton's or Cris"s $50. So steak and big Maine lobster would be $130. with no drink or tip. Now if you mean grass fed beef from down under and slipper tails imported from Thailand the price is more in your range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgemandm Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Our Australian electricity bill tops $1000 for the summer quarter. Maybe $600 each other quarter. My gas bill is average $250 a quarter. That's for 3 of us but our daughter is only 2 . Shopping food bill is about $300 a week. We eat pretty well. But nappies are in that and they're expensive. Water bill is around $200 a quarter. Add mortgage and cars and the rest of life costs in its crazy really. Just a comparison for you. Are you joking me were do you live in Australia and you pay so much money for your bills , or are you one who levers things on all the time , yes it is a lot dearer then thailand but look how much money you make in thailand and how much money you make in Australia a shit load more . And one more thing not sure if you are living in thailand or Australia but if you are living in thailand it is because you made all your money in Australia . 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1BADDAT Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 That's outrageous. I believe you but I've never heard of such a thing. My big occasional splurge is to go out for steak and lobster. That's choice grade American beef and a big Maine lobster done right. Cost about $25 with a salad and dessert. I mention it only because I miss things like that in Thailand. zx.jpg American restaurants don't offer big Maine Lobster with steak because the price would be obscene. Portland's Hawthorne lobster house 2 pound lobster $80. A decent steak at Morton's or Cris"s $50. So steak and big Maine lobster would be $130. with no drink or tip. Now if you mean grass fed beef from down under and slipper tails imported from Thailand the price is more in your range. You can get surf and turf and MANY places in the US and it sure doesn't cost $130. Using Morton's as a benchmark for choice grade American beef cost is ridiculous. What is the equivalent cost of a "decent steak at Morton's" here in Thailand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anon999 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 you can't get a haircut for 50 baht in Bkk these days, it's 60 baht, bloody outrageous . My hair cut 30baht,always has been for last12 years.UK £6/300baht. The real difference between a haircut done here and one done in the UK is that the UK one doesnt make you look as though a blind man did it. So I would say GBP6 in the UK is money well spent. Thai barbers I have used have absolutely no idea at all of how to cut hair; they only know how to manipulate an electric trimmer very badly. Filipino barbers cost no more than here but they actually know how to use scissors. My haircut in the UK was £10 some 10-12 years ago and here it is now 200 baht, however, as it is mainly a ladies hairdresser she knows how to use a pair of scissors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarryP Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) All this info got me interested in how things are back in the UK in terms of salaries. I was shocked to learn that I am earning more than the average British MP. My deductions are probably much lower too. Further, indication that choosing Thailand all those years ago was the right thing to do. Edited February 18, 2015 by GarryP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Christmas13 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Our Australian electricity bill tops $1000 for the summer quarter. Maybe $600 each other quarter. My gas bill is average $250 a quarter. That's for 3 of us but our daughter is only 2 . Shopping food bill is about $300 a week. We eat pretty well. But nappies are in that and they're expensive. Water bill is around $200 a quarter. Add mortgage and cars and the rest of life costs in its crazy really. Just a comparison for you. Are you joking me were do you live in Australia and you pay so much money for your bills , or are you one who levers things on all the time , yes it is a lot dearer then thailand but look how much money you make in thailand and how much money you make in Australia a shit load more . And one more thing not sure if you are living in thailand or Australia but if you are living in thailand it is because you made all your money in Australia . Yeah he is just talking <deleted> food bill $300 for 3 persons the Salvation Army feeds at least 300 with that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Christmas13 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Our Australian electricity bill tops $1000 for the summer quarter. Maybe $600 each other quarter. My gas bill is average $250 a quarter. That's for 3 of us but our daughter is only 2 . Shopping food bill is about $300 a week. We eat pretty well. But nappies are in that and they're expensive. Water bill is around $200 a quarter. Add mortgage and cars and the rest of life costs in its crazy really. Just a comparison for you. Are you joking me were do you live in Australia and you pay so much money for your bills , or are you one who levers things on all the time , yes it is a lot dearer then thailand but look how much money you make in thailand and how much money you make in Australia a shit load more . And one more thing not sure if you are living in thailand or Australia but if you are living in thailand it is because you made all your money in Australia . Yeah he is just talking <deleted> food bill $300 for 3 persons the Salvation Army feeds at least 300 with that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostoday Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) That's outrageous. I believe you but I've never heard of such a thing. My big occasional splurge is to go out for steak and lobster. That's choice grade American beef and a big Maine lobster done right. Cost about $25 with a salad and dessert. I mention it only because I miss things like that in Thailand. zx.jpg American restaurants don't offer big Maine Lobster with steak because the price would be obscene. Portland's Hawthorne lobster house 2 pound lobster $80. A decent steak at Morton's or Cris"s $50. So steak and big Maine lobster would be $130. with no drink or tip. Now if you mean grass fed beef from down under and slipper tails imported from Thailand the price is more in your range. You can get surf and turf and MANY places in the US and it sure doesn't cost $130. Using Morton's as a benchmark for choice grade American beef cost is ridiculous. What is the equivalent cost of a "decent steak at Morton's" here in Thailand? Neversure said, "choice American beef and a big Maine lobster. Maine lobsters are only sold whole and a big one means 2 plus pounds (not a crappy chicken lobster - the taste is different). Choice American beef mean a decent steak house like Mortons or Ruth Cris. An average whole live big lobster at a decent restaurant in Oregon (Neversure is from Oregon I think) is around $80. http://hawthornelobsterhouse.com/main-menu/ 2.5 lb $79.95. Cheap Surf and turf is probably a cheap grassfed steak and warm water tail. For a price comparison in Thailand check out Kobe or Waygu beef. Edited February 18, 2015 by lostoday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xircal Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Lucky you jacky...here on Samui it costs me Bht 100. Haven't been to a hairdresser in 20 years. Bought one of these and have never looked back. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louse1953 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Transport is cheap in that you don't even need a car to get around. There are many places you can just walk everywhere. Saves me a bundle. Do you realize the cost of car ownership these days? In America, I must use a car to get everywhere which is very annoying and expensive. The only places with decent transport are Manhattan and some dangerous inner city areas. In Thailand, I always walk or use baht buses or tuk tuks. You can't walk where we are as you would get knocked down by a car (no pavements) or savaged by soi dogs. There is no transport so for the first time in my life bought a car, it's actually not that expensive at 25 baht a litre for petrol, gas is a lot cheaper than that. However I do refuse to drive here as it's just insane what I see every day. Today a saw a man siting half cross legged on a motor bike, madness. Meditating,not madness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loptr Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_result.jsp?country1=Thailand&country2=United+States You can customize the pull down menus to fit your needs. For me, it's not even close as I live in the SF Bay Area. I will be returning to CM in 18-24 months for good. I'm 55 years old, don't drink or smoke and will have a monthly income of a little under $1800 a month USD That would be tough to live on in the US and it would not be in a good area. In CM, I can live on that amount per month and live quite well. A nicely furnished, western style Condo north of the Moat will run about $275 on average. Check out Doi Mansion and other places like it. I will also have a couple of three Million Baht in the bank as well. I would burn thru that money in two/three years, if that, here in the states. I plan to live in CM for one year minimum to get a handle on my real world expenses and then perhaps, move further South but I like CM except during burning season. I can also afford to take "mini vacations" every few months for a week or two to the tourist areas in Thailand, or even just leave CM for a couple of months during burning season. Either way, Thailand is by far one of the best "bang for the buck" retirement destinations in the world. . I'm 55 years old, don't drink or smoke and will have a monthly income of a little under $1800 a month USD That would be tough to live on in the US and it would not be in a good area. In CM, I can live on that amount per month and live quite well. Well, I guess if you have lived and worked forty years and have only the $1800 per month, and no assets or savings, yes, it could be tough. Not only have you gone defensive on this thread, but it appears you have lost the ability to read also... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1FinickyOne Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I told a friend back home I get a great cleaning for $20 at the dentist - he told me it costs him more htan that to park his car when he goes to the dentist... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louse1953 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I do have to give credits for this to Thailand and Thai people. Thais have the skill to get a job done for real low price..Even if you compare it with other Asian countries often Thailand has the lowest price. Hair cuts,dinners,massages,hotels... Maybe somehow thais are less profit minded then farangs,as in farang countries all is heavily overpriced.. Thais have a skill to stay and maintain low on their selling prices , Thais deserve credit for this... every job done is unsatisfactory, every Thai has 2 or 3 jobs (peddling something, skimming some one) and a GF/wife milking the farangs, that's how the cope. I say that you are gunna struggle here if you can't come to terms with the lifestyle.You have a very narrow and wrong view of Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louse1953 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Minimum wage in Thailand is 300B a day, so a 30B lunch is 10% of a minimum wage workers earnings. Minimum wage in America is $58 a day, so a $5 lunch special plus tax and tip is approximately 10% of a minimum wage workers earnings. So, about the same RELATIVE TO MINIMUM WAGES. Finally,somebody who knows how to compare.My Thai mate buys 3 Archa's for 135 baht on a 400 baht wage and shares with me.For me to do the same(spend 1/3 of my daily wage) i would forking out 4000 baht,no f...... way.Admitedly,i would be getting 3 slabs of VB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samuijimmy Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 you can't get a haircut for 50 baht in Bkk these days, it's 60 baht, bloody outrageous Lucky you jacky...here on Samui it costs me Bht 100. Why are paying 100 baht when you could be paying 60 baht? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Christmas13 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Oh not forgetting the price of beer in Australia! Minimum $40 a carton. l do home brew here in wa. cost $17 for 60 small stubbies. no hangover in the morning. if l buy vb $45 for 24 stubbies I am in WA as well just made a batch of home brew yesterday ( Coopers dark ale ) I paid $ 10 for the tin of syrup $ 1 for 1 kg of sugar, water nothing,hence I do not use stubbies I reuse long neck twist top bottles. so for 30 large bottles it cost me about $ 11 or maybe a bit more depending where I buy the ingredients Try doing that in Thailand it's illegal I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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