How much do I need to retire in Thailand with a fairly high standard of living

[Soutpeel]

Average salary for a lawyer in London is £60881 p.a. therefore think your numbers may be little out on the USD 150 p.a your premise is correct the numbers maybe out

[thaibeachlovers]

You sad person living on 20 quid a week. Get a life.

Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds nought and six, result misery.

How about a gesture of acknowledgement to Charles Dickens?

I had assumed people would know of Wilkins Micawber and this famous quote.

Wow! You assumed wrong.

[MJP]

Posters are surely aware of the Micawber principle?

Now this leads me to ask what is a fairly high standard of living? Because to me, a high standard of living is pottering about the garden without a care in the World. Afford that and in my opinion you've "made it!"

[khunpa]

I think, it depends very much about you life style when you get here.

If you are only into expensive girlfriends and Hi-So restaurants/night life etc., then you income will not take you far. If you live a "normal" life and hang out with normal women/friends, then you have plenty of money.

I think your biggest problem will be getting bored. Some years ago, I took nearly a year off work and just relaxed here in Thailand. After a few months of enjoying the weather, women, nightlife etc., I got extremely bored. Now when I e.g. go out, I can still not believe that I manage to survive doing nothing here for nearly a year. Must have been the alcohol that made me hang on for that long :-) For sure the women-thing quickly gets very boring.

[thaibeachlovers]

I think, it depends very much about you life style when you get here.

If you are only into expensive girlfriends and Hi-So restaurants/night life etc., then you income will not take you far. If you live a "normal" life and hang out with normal women/friends, then you have plenty of money.

I think your biggest problem will be getting bored. Some years ago, I took nearly a year off work and just relaxed here in Thailand. After a few months of enjoying the weather, women, nightlife etc., I got extremely bored. Now when I e.g. go out, I can still not believe that I manage to survive doing nothing here for nearly a year. Must have been the alcohol that made me hang on for that long :-) For sure the women-thing quickly gets very boring.

Marry a girl from the poor side of town and you'll never be bored. I've spent years pottering about her and her mother's properties, rewired two houses, tidied up big disaster areas outside the house, installed shelving, built tables and generally kept busy. Even if I hadn't done that, gardening would have kept me occupied.

The above not to your liking- hobbies are the answer. Photography and photoshop are a real time user. Travel is also great to pass the time, and Thailand has lots of really great destinations.

In the end, it comes down to the individual as to being bored or not- NOT the country.

[amykat]

Thanks. I was hoping to get some helpful responses from people who know better than I do.

Fortunately it looks like I got a couple of helpful responses (as well as a few not so helpful ones).

Thanks for all for your comments. This was my first post and I have learned a couple of things from it.

Assuming you're genuine, dont take any of this too seriously : we do get trolled on a regular basis, often by longtimers reinventing themselves under a different board name and having some fun at our expense. Most here would kill to have access to anything resembling 200k baht a month to live on in Thailand - your only enemy will be the nightlife but I expect that's the same in London / Hong Kong / most US cities.

"Most here would kill to have access to anything resembling 200k baht a month to live on in Thailand"

To be honest, I can't think how I'd be able to spend that much, for both me and my wife. When we're in Thailand, even when we're staying in Bangkok, eating out every meal, staying in a hotel (we don't do 5 star, just comfortable), taxis, BTS and metro, shopping etc etc etc, I don't think I get through much more than 40K Baht in a month. And that's in holiday mode, when you spend more freely than when you're resident mode. Ok, we don't do nightlife, but even when I was single and doing that stuff, I don't remember it being that expensive.

200K? I'd have to be buying expensive cars, expensive women and always eating in top restaurants to even approach that sort of expenditure.

So, when WAS the last time you were in Thailand ?? Was it during this century? You have trouble spending 1333 baht a day, for two people, including hotel ...etc... etc ...that is just CRAZY talk!!

[amykat]

I am a 19 yr. resident of Thailand. I use a factor of 0.285 when comparing prices here with my home country,Canada. Or, expressed the other way, prices there are 3.5x Thai prices. I think for someone from London, you could probably use a factor of 0.2 to 0.25. Think about health insurance costs, if you will need to buy that here.

what you on , I can live for a 1000baht a week easy, but i can live Thai, it depends on what you want out of life try moving after you have your Visas sorted out, Then try living in-Thailand first, Thats what most people do then they get an idea on what they want out of Thailand.

Ha ha ha you can live on 4000 baht a month easy...............are you sleeping on the street and begging to get your food ?

I think he might be a prisoner of his wife, locked in a small room, having some rice thrown in a window, while she is out spending the pension. He might need to be rescued like that poor Sun Bear who was locked up at a temple the other day. Thongkorn ...send us a location so we can come save you!!

[mogandave]

Posters are surely aware of the Micawber principle?

Now this leads me to ask what is a fairly high standard of living? Because to me, a high standard of living is pottering about the garden without a care in the World. Afford that and in my opinion you've "made it!"

While it can't make you happy, money does a lot of things in life easier. That said, if you can't be happy on $20K a year, you're not going to be happy on $200K a year.

[Wasa]

OP, listen to Uncle NeverSure. Wise words.

Perhaps a change in the way you work is needed, perhaps even a different career or at least a bit of change in direction. You will get bored out of your mind stuck in some dull backwater living hand to mouth, believe me. At the same time the hole in your CV will be getting bigger and bigger and no one knows what the future holds, financial or otherwise (apart from Naam).

GuestHouse also made valid points, especially that the Devil makes work for idle hands. A lot of people seriously <deleted> up in Thailand, particularly when they're not there for any real purpose other than to do nothing.

I highly recommend not flogging oneself to death at work, having long breaks and going to interesting places around the World. But going to Thailand to do nothing in particular is not something I would recommend.

Op, I agree with these cautionary sentiments. The way each individual reacts and copes over here can be attributed in part to their background and past lifestyle.

Being a pom and coming from London, you're gonna find the eternal sunshine and warmth over here a big attraction. Hitting the Go Go bars, watching beautiful girls dance all night and then being able to pick and choose which one to take home is also going to be a novelty. But after a while, as with most things that novelty will wear off and these nights begin to slow down. Being in your mid-forties, unless you're very strong willed and determined to stay single, it's almost inevitable you will find a girlfriend here and your life can and will take many different paths from that point.

If you have been an active and involved person back home, perhaps one who participates in clubs or associations, one who has a lot of hobbies, or you've been busy working around your house renovating etc you may find it hard over here. There simply isn't that much to do (apart from chasing ladies) and there are only so many days one can lie on the beach working on their tan. As a foreigner you can't buy a house here, however, you could buy an older condo and maybe you can spend time ripping that apart and renovating it if you're that way inclined.

I'm from Brisbane, near the water. Enjoyed a busy sub-tropical lifestyle, boating, working on the house, member of the Coastguard etc. But one thing missing there is female company. I mean of the type that isn't 85kgs and nagging you about every little issue in life. So I started coming here for a few years on frequent holidays, then on FIFO rotations for 10 days every month, then I was offered a job here so I relocated and worked here full time, that role finished last year and I have just had an eleven month break since here in Pattaya. Have had a fabulous time and after having many both long and short relationships with the local girls, I met a great girl and we have been together for the last eight months. But it’s still easy to get bored sometimes. The Thais are not big on doing stuff. And sometimes (not all of the time!) I miss the challenge and stimulation that a western lifestyle can provide. Of course not everyone is the same, I'm just giving you my experience. That's what happened with me, so at 55, I have just accepted another 18 month FIFO role which will give me 3-4 months off a year in Thailand, the rest in Australia on a remote work site and also top up the bank account to help with my eventual aim of being able to live in either country.

My advice, with your age and income potential, is to set yourself up financially in such a manner that you can live in both countries when it suits. Spend maybe 6-7 months in the UK and when that horrible winter that you poor buggers in the UK, USA, Europe etc suffer through every year comes along, come down here to Thailand and escape the worst of it.

You're too young to fully retire. Someone here said why work, you're a long time dead, but really, you're a long time retired as well.

[mogandave]

Yes, having indiscriminate sex with a wide variety of attractive young women gets boring after a while.

(just kidding)

Edited March 17, 2015 by mogandave

[Mcffee]

US$75k a month would be sufficient for a fairly high standard of living. I guess.

[Petchou]

I am a 19 yr. resident of Thailand. I use a factor of 0.285 when comparing prices here with my home country,Canada. Or, expressed the other way, prices there are 3.5x Thai prices. I think for someone from London, you could probably use a factor of 0.2 to 0.25. Think about health insurance costs, if you will need to buy that here.

Are you serious? How did you come up with 3.5 times the price in Canada

Few examples.

An equivalent condo here is almost same price as in Montreal or Ottawa.

Coffee is same price or close

Wine is more expensive here

Beef meat more expensive in Thailand

Vegetables and fruits (excluding tropical fruits) are more expensive

Cars are more expensive in Thailand

I can give tens of examples.

Prices in Canada are not same depending on provinces and cities, you can't compare Toronto or Vancouver to Moncton or Regina....

The 3.5 factor has no sense. You are 19, you haven't managed a salary or done grocery or bought a house yet .....

[MJP]

^^The difference is you have the freedom to be poor in Thailand. By that I mean it is possible to live hand to mouth, rents being low, as well as consumption taxes and wotnot. I do however agree that if you want any sort of material lifestyle, in my opinion, many goods and services are cheaper in Western countries.

Much if this has to do with competition in the supply chain.

Edited March 17, 2015 by MJP

[theslime]

Thanks. I was hoping to get some helpful responses from people who know better than I do.

Fortunately it looks like I got a couple of helpful responses (as well as a few not so helpful ones).

Thanks for all for your comments. This was my first post and I have learned a couple of things from it.

Assuming you're genuine, dont take any of this too seriously : we do get trolled on a regular basis, often by longtimers reinventing themselves under a different board name and having some fun at our expense. Most here would kill to have access to anything resembling 200k baht a month to live on in Thailand - your only enemy will be the nightlife but I expect that's the same in London / Hong Kong / most US cities.

"Most here would kill to have access to anything resembling 200k baht a month to live on in Thailand"

To be honest, I can't think how I'd be able to spend that much, for both me and my wife. When we're in Thailand, even when we're staying in Bangkok, eating out every meal, staying in a hotel (we don't do 5 star, just comfortable), taxis, BTS and metro, shopping etc etc etc, I don't think I get through much more than 40K Baht in a month. And that's in holiday mode, when you spend more freely than when you're resident mode. Ok, we don't do nightlife, but even when I was single and doing that stuff, I don't remember it being that expensive.

200K? I'd have to be buying expensive cars, expensive women and always eating in top restaurants to even approach that sort of expenditure.

So, when WAS the last time you were in Thailand ?? Was it during this century? You have trouble spending 1333 baht a day, for two people, including hotel ...etc... etc ...that is just CRAZY talk!!

Hmmm, crazy talk I suppose means not true, I could find a great place in BKK for 10,000 x30 days , and have 1000 a day to do what ever I LIKE. Drugs, sex, booze, Am wonder if I am crazy too, that was in another time, but the soi s are still there and friends.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

I am a 19 yr. resident of Thailand. I use a factor of 0.285 when comparing prices here with my home country,Canada. Or, expressed the other way, prices there are 3.5x Thai prices. I think for someone from London, you could probably use a factor of 0.2 to 0.25. Think about health insurance costs, if you will need to buy that here.

You are very wrong, my friend.... especially with these exchange rates.

When was the last time you were in Canada?

For a western lifestyle Canada comes out a lot cheaper than Thailand.

[NeverSure]

I am a 19 yr. resident of Thailand. I use a factor of 0.285 when comparing prices here with my home country,Canada. Or, expressed the other way, prices there are 3.5x Thai prices. I think for someone from London, you could probably use a factor of 0.2 to 0.25. Think about health insurance costs, if you will need to buy that here.

You are very wrong, my friend.... especially with these exchange rates.

When was the last time you were in Canada?

For a western lifestyle Canada comes out a lot cheaper than Thailand.

We had a thread some time ago where I claimed that it was just as cheap to live in the US in the less expensive areas as it is in Thailand. I was surprised how many didn't seem to believe me. In my experience the US in that way is cheaper than Canada.

The OP has a choice work or retire. I think he'll be sorry if he retires at his young age and has no challenges in that regard, but that's another subject.

IMHO the only reason to move to Thailand with that income is for the seedier side. It's a nice place to vacation for a change of pace and for people who want to escape a hard winter, but the actual living and living conditions are better in the West and he can move to rural Florida for the same price and not put up with a third world country.

I hope that if the OP is going to retire to Thailand, he doesn't go all in and buy things like condo, car etc. I hope he keeps his options open so he has the option to pick up where he left off, or retire to the US and visit Thailand as he wishes.

[blazes]

I am a 19 yr. resident of Thailand. I use a factor of 0.285 when comparing prices here with my home country,Canada. Or, expressed the other way, prices there are 3.5x Thai prices. I think for someone from London, you could probably use a factor of 0.2 to 0.25. Think about health insurance costs, if you will need to buy that here.

Are you serious? How did you come up with 3.5 times the price in Canada

Few examples.

An equivalent condo here is almost same price as in Montreal or Ottawa.

Coffee is same price or close

Wine is more expensive here

Beef meat more expensive in Thailand

Vegetables and fruits (excluding tropical fruits) are more expensive

Cars are more expensive in Thailand

I can give tens of examples.

Prices in Canada are not same depending on provinces and cities, you can't compare Toronto or Vancouver to Moncton or Regina....

The 3.5 factor has no sense. You are 19, you haven't managed a salary or done grocery or bought a house yet .....

No no no no!!!!! The poor guy is not 19 -- he has been LIVING here for 19 years. Classic case of not reading alertly.

Generally speaking, a smartish (90m) condo in Thailand will cost you about 6 million baht, which (for convenience sake) I would translate into Can$200,000.

I don't know about small towns in Canada like Ottawa, but in Vancouver $Can200,000 would hardly buy you a doss house on skid row.

[beachproperty]

Costs in Thailand vs. the West has been done to death

Personally I agree that Thailand overall is cheaper...Have a 6 unit beachfront place (just finishing now) ...all in when done 10,000,000 Baht ($330,000 USD). AND no property tax ....yet.

[mogandave]

Costs in Thailand vs. the West has been done to death

Personally I agree that Thailand overall is cheaper...Have a 6 unit beachfront place (just finishing now) ...all in when done 10,000,000 Baht ($330,000 USD). AND no property tax ....yet.

Actually, I think you can still you can get beach front property in Southern California for less than that if you shop around, although probably not in LA, Orange or SD counties.

Edited March 18, 2015 by mogandave

[beachproperty]

Costs in Thailand vs. the West has been done to death

Personally I agree that Thailand overall is cheaper...Have a 6 unit beachfront place (just finishing now) ...all in when done 10,000,000 Baht ($330,000 USD). AND no property tax ....yet.

Actually, I think you can still you can get beach front property in Southern California for less than that if you shop around, although probably not in LA, Orange or SD counties.

WOW!!! ....if you really believe that California has beach front property with 6 rental units (6 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and 6 kitchens) for less than $1,000,000 USD (let only $330,000 USD) ...PM me NOW with the details!...Otherwise I've got a bridge to sell you

Mogandave....classic case of either not reading my post correctly as to prices or you are totally misinformed. .....

There are very few homes (let along 6 units ON the beach) in the whole of the state of Calif for less than $330,000 USD

Oh ...and by the way, I'm referring to Land with buildings on them....NOT condos where you're only buying the air space.

I await you informing me of specific examples of beachfront property available.....Thanks (won't hold my breath though)

Edited March 18, 2015 by beachproperty

[mogandave]

Costs in Thailand vs. the West has been done to death

Personally I agree that Thailand overall is cheaper...Have a 6 unit beachfront place (just finishing now) ...all in when done 10,000,000 Baht ($330,000 USD). AND no property tax ....yet.

Actually, I think you can still you can get beach front property in Southern California for less than that if you shop around, although probably not in LA, Orange or SD counties.

WOW!!! ....if you really believe that California has beach front property with 6 rental units (6 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and 6 kitchens) for less than $1,000,000 USD (let only $330,000 USD) ...PM me NOW with the details!...Otherwise I've got a bridge to sell you

Mogandave....classic case of either not reading my post correctly as to prices or you are totally misinformed. .....

There are very few homes (let along 6 units ON the beach) in the whole of the state of Calif for less than $330,000 USD

Oh ...and by the way, I'm referring to Land with buildings on them....NOT condos where you're only buying the air space.

I await you informing me of specific examples of beachfront property available.....Thanks (won't hold my breath though)

Google Salton Sea...

[lovelomsak]

This question is so diffcult to answer. Costs chxnge,exchange changes so many variables. When I first came to Thailand the exchange for Canadian dollar was 18 baht.Those who retired and based their retiremnet on 18 baht are laughing now. !0 years ago the dollar was over 30 baht.Those who based their finances on that are hurting now. To answer a question like this is delicate to say the least. What ever standard of living you choose I feel your income must greatly exceed your expenses. what I am saying is donot max out your income. Donot retire on a fixed income and max it out. Time will defeat you. Saving even in retirement is a must.

That said come give it a try and perhaps in a few years you can post to others, on how much they will need.

[blazes]

Costs in Thailand vs. the West has been done to death

Personally I agree that Thailand overall is cheaper...Have a 6 unit beachfront place (just finishing now) ...all in when done 10,000,000 Baht ($330,000 USD). AND no property tax ....yet.

Actually, I think you can still you can get beach front property in Southern California for less than that if you shop around, although probably not in LA, Orange or SD counties.

WOW!!! ....if you really believe that California has beach front property with 6 rental units (6 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and 6 kitchens) for less than $1,000,000 USD (let only $330,000 USD) ...PM me NOW with the details!...Otherwise I've got a bridge to sell you

Mogandave....classic case of either not reading my post correctly as to prices or you are totally misinformed. .....

There are very few homes (let along 6 units ON the beach) in the whole of the state of Calif for less than $330,000 USD

Oh ...and by the way, I'm referring to Land with buildings on them....NOT condos where you're only buying the air space.

I await you informing me of specific examples of beachfront property available.....Thanks (won't hold my breath though)

Google Salton Sea...

Yeah, that was a good laugh!!! Salton-on-Sea (to give it a British tone) is sitting proudly astride the San Andreas Fault.

Now the price of real estate quoted in your post makes total sense!!

[Soutpeel]

Yeah, that was a good laugh!!! Salton-on-Sea (to give it a British tone) is sitting proudly astride the San Andreas Fault.

Now the price of real estate quoted in your post makes total sense!!

Soon to be know as Salton-in-sea ?

[Sharp]

Costs in Thailand vs. the West has been done to death

Personally I agree that Thailand overall is cheaper...Have a 6 unit beachfront place (just finishing now) ...all in when done 10,000,000 Baht ($330,000 USD). AND no property tax ....yet.

Actually, I think you can still you can get beach front property in Southern California for less than that if you shop around, although probably not in LA, Orange or SD counties.

WOW!!! ....if you really believe that California has beach front property with 6 rental units (6 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and 6 kitchens) for less than $1,000,000 USD (let only $330,000 USD) ...PM me NOW with the details!...Otherwise I've got a bridge to sell you

Mogandave....classic case of either not reading my post correctly as to prices or you are totally misinformed. .....

There are very few homes (let along 6 units ON the beach) in the whole of the state of Calif for less than $330,000 USD

Oh ...and by the way, I'm referring to Land with buildings on them....NOT condos where you're only buying the air space.

I await you informing me of specific examples of beachfront property available.....Thanks (won't hold my breath though)

PM me too.!!!

[thaibeachlovers]

Thanks. I was hoping to get some helpful responses from people who know better than I do.

Fortunately it looks like I got a couple of helpful responses (as well as a few not so helpful ones).

Thanks for all for your comments. This was my first post and I have learned a couple of things from it.

Assuming you're genuine, dont take any of this too seriously : we do get trolled on a regular basis, often by longtimers reinventing themselves under a different board name and having some fun at our expense. Most here would kill to have access to anything resembling 200k baht a month to live on in Thailand - your only enemy will be the nightlife but I expect that's the same in London / Hong Kong / most US cities.

"Most here would kill to have access to anything resembling 200k baht a month to live on in Thailand"

To be honest, I can't think how I'd be able to spend that much, for both me and my wife. When we're in Thailand, even when we're staying in Bangkok, eating out every meal, staying in a hotel (we don't do 5 star, just comfortable), taxis, BTS and metro, shopping etc etc etc, I don't think I get through much more than 40K Baht in a month. And that's in holiday mode, when you spend more freely than when you're resident mode. Ok, we don't do nightlife, but even when I was single and doing that stuff, I don't remember it being that expensive.

200K? I'd have to be buying expensive cars, expensive women and always eating in top restaurants to even approach that sort of expenditure.

You'll be hard pressed to find an hotel under 1,000 a night in Bkk now, so that makes your 40,000 a month even in Bkk a bit erroneous.

even when I was single and doing that stuff, I don't remember it being that expensive.

Depending on how long ago you're talking about, it really was cheap back then, but not now.

[billd766]

Thanks. I was hoping to get some helpful responses from people who know better than I do.

Fortunately it looks like I got a couple of helpful responses (as well as a few not so helpful ones).

Thanks for all for your comments. This was my first post and I have learned a couple of things from it.

On that sort of annual income you can live very well though it would cost more in BKK than Phuket and more in Phuket than Chiang Mai. Each of them have their own delights to offer but it really depends on how much you are willing to pay for a good meal for example. If you would prefer to rent a house or a condo, if you want to be near the beach etc.

[Griffo63]

Decent accommodation in BKK Downtown - 2 beds, 2 baths about 35-40k baht per month. HS Internet 1k, electric 2k, eating out 20k, activity - good gym 2k, golf 2x per week 20k, female company ( not the bar scene) 25k , good medical cover 1.5k, mobile phone 0.75k, day today living (shopping etc) 10k

150k baht per month will give you a really good lifestyle in BKK - can't speak for other places

Golf 20k ? Really ?

Genuine question - I play a bit of golf and always wondered what the cost was in BKK area.

Oh well I'll add it to the evergrowing list of things that are more expensive in Thailand than England (yesterday I discovered grapes are 3 times the price here than UK....!)

I play twice a week. Midweek golf is about 2000 baht - green fee, caddy fee and caddy tip; weekend golf is about 3000 baht - green fees more expensive. You can join golf clubs in BKK which will bring the cost down but there isn't the same amount of organised social golf in these clubs. There are several societies in Bangkok with weekend and mid week which offer competitive and social golf, handicaps and some weekends away. I think golf in Pattaya is cheaper btw

[Griffo63]

Decent accommodation in BKK Downtown - 2 beds, 2 baths about 35-40k baht per month. HS Internet 1k, electric 2k, eating out 20k, activity - good gym 2k, golf 2x per week 20k, female company ( not the bar scene) 25k , good medical cover 1.5k, mobile phone 0.75k, day today living (shopping etc) 10k

150k baht per month will give you a really good lifestyle in BKK - can't speak for other places

eating out 20k but sweating at home (electricity 2k)?

i prefer the other way round!

I live in a 2 bedroom house.Air-con is on all evening in the living room and most of the night in the bedroom. Use fans too. Never had a bill more than 2000 baht

[MrWorldwide]

Strange how so many on this thread consider $75,000 per annum a magnificent salary. Where I come from (white, West), this would be a rather low income for a professional person. (Especially working in a big city.) (I would expect a lawyer to be bringing in, in a big city, an absolute minimum of $150,000 in his or her mid-40s. A doctor would be on that also, and a professor, depending on the subject he teaches.)

$75k (before or after tax??) will buy you a very comfortable life in Thailand, providing you don't spend more than 50,000 baht on rent and don't risk skin cancer playing golf three times a day after meals. Also, providing you stay single or at the very least find a woman (there are many here) who is frugal and hates to spend money (even if it is yours).

The misanthropes on TV.com all imagine that it is the Thai pooying who is "stealing' their money, when in fact it is foolish farangs, falling violently "in love", who willingly give their wealth away to enjoy the "respect" they get from tossing dollars around (and being called "hansum"). I never hear any complaining male on TV acknowledging his own responsibility for his newfound poverty. No sign of acknowledging that we all make choices. And choices made with our genitalia are inevitably going to end up badly.

Even stranger that some of us cant be bothered actually reading the OP. I'm a whitey from the West too - probably further south than most here, but considered part of the 'West' - and this is my interpretation.

1. It's his self-funded 'pension' :

I am thinking about early retirement ... Would US$75k be sufficient for a fairly high standard of living in these cities ... Trying to get a general sense of whether I can quit now or whether I should do a few more years.

2. Where in this thread did he indicate that 75K USD is what he currently earns working as a lawyer ? He gave us a figure and asked if it would buy him a good standard of living - where it has gone from there is Kneejerksvile c/o Thaivisa. No argument that 75K pa wont see him driving a Ferrari down Suk, but that's not how I interpreted his post.

3. For a guy in his mid 40s to be able to rely on 75K USD a year for the next 40 or so years, presumably from his savings/investments, strikes me as a pretty decent outcome, assuming he didnt enter the workforce as a qualified legal practitioner until somewhere in his mid-twenties. No idea what his student loans came to, but he didnt just leave school at 18 and start working in the family bakery. We can ask what that number will be worth in 10-20-30 years time, but I'm willing to bet that many came here without that kind of money behind them.

Finally, as someone who thinks with his genitals, I hereby acknowledge my own foolishness and weakness as the basis for my newfound poverty. Hope this make you happy - I'm off to get another Chang and see if Nok has that 150K baht she's been promising to repay for the last year or so.