Bangkok is really expensive..Some tips how to save more money?

[thaichalina]

Living here and making about 20.000baht a month i'm practically struggling every month.And i really do nothing special.

Rent+utilities are 7k, food( mostly thai food,i cook myself) about 3000baht a month. I'm using mrt bus and bts as taxies are too damn expensive,

eating a piece of cake in central mall+some fruit shake can cost 150baht+. Not to mention eating some kfc and similar.

Everything feels so expensive,am i the only one who thinks that? For example,few days ago i went to cinema with my GF, 2 tickets +popcorn pepsi combo were 600 baht.

Makes me wonder how the hell some thais with 12-14.000 baht can live through all month? Also any tips how to save more money would be welcome

[Crazy chef 1]

i rather suggest to ask for some tips how to MAKE more money...

[beachproperty]

Living on 20k/month is pretty much poverty level....but guess what, you're not alone. Of the 67 million people who live in Thailand officially there are 10 million people living at that level.

Per Capita income in Thailand was in 2012 $5,210.

http://www.th.undp.org/content/thailand/en/home/countryinfo.html

But take heart....Thai people are communal in nature so families live together .....ie ...Grandpa, Grandma, Ma, and Pa and all the children often live under the same roof contributing.

good luck though living on that amount of money as my electric bill alone last month was 10,000 baht.

Edited June 27, 2015 by beachproperty

[lopburi3]

A Thai only making that amount is not going to spend money at KFC or Malls to any extent and likely living with a combined income of more or at home with family. Costs are not high in Bangkok for most things (and taxis are included in that - very cheap in relation to most countries). 20K is a very small income, especially if an expat without family support options. At 100 baht a day for food you cook yourself expect it is not what most Thai would be eating (they could likely eat out every meal for that amount).

As mentioned a higher income might be first priority - Chiang Mai might be a bit cheaper for living as an alternative.

[weegee]

This is what I suggest.....

Go to an out of the way backwater, erect a Tin Shed, buy a 45yr old partly complete motorbike, and eat leaves from trees around you...

Stop wasting money on Popcorn....

[NickJ]

As long as this a short term experience in your youth....cool. could learn a lot. Eye of the Tiger kinda thing.....HOWEVER, if you are sqaundering your highest income years on being here, Well......then your an idiot.

[smokie36]

As said above your income is not enough.....time to find a better paying job.

[Stan42]

Your problem is not spending, your problem is income.

As others have stated: 20k is simply not enough to lead an expat life

[GotR1GHT]

20.000 isn't THAT bad.Poverty level would be 10.000 baht, With 20k you can still afford decent condo and eat pretty well.And still have 10k to spend through the month.Many farang teachers here are living with 20-25k a month. I have 30k a month and i have decent life with my gf. I'd say you have to aim for at least 25k a month.

[h90]

heck......what is this....lots of people live on 6000-9000 Baht and don't complain.

Rent 7K? Is this a palace? Before we rent a complete building in which we had a large office, stock and living and it was 6500 Baht.

My staff rent something in the range of 1000-1200 Baht, but some share it to save money.

Central mall is for rich people....if you aren't rich don't go there.

KFC and similar.....think what Thai food costs in your country.....Beside it is extreme unhealthy, drop it.

And I think your GF also earns some money, or?

[shaggy851]

Move away from bangkok. 20k isnt enough. Or u could always rent an empty lot and throw up a bamboo box to live in.

[zurgos]

Surprised nobody has offered you any better advice...allow me to save you 440 baht....go to the cinema on Wednesday...half price day, tickets for 2 people = 160 baht. Avoid popcorn and the junk food/drinks totally.

You can now use that 450 baht to buy some great street food several times!

Edited June 27, 2015 by zurgos

[FritsSikkink]

heck......what is this....lots of people live on 6000-9000 Baht and don't complain.

they do complain and have a lot of debts

[Crazy chef 1]

another suggestion: safe the money for the TOT internet ...

[bamukloy]

If you are the sort of person that buys the popcorn at the movies, im sorry, but you have a long way to go to get your head around how to save money.

All cinemas everywhere have extortionate prices on snacks.

buy a packet of nuts at bigC or something.

Also if you must eat cake why not buy from tops and take home?

If you are prone to waste money like this, there are probably many other things you should look at to save money.

[bamukloy]

Actually i dont monitor my spending, dont need to. But just thinking about the basics as i spend:

Condo total: 7500

basic groceries 6 000

Some days even have to add beer to make it up to the minimum credit card purchase of 200baht.

Meat and veg at markets not much more than 150 a day for 2 people.

That would still leave 5,500 on your budget.

Shouldnt be that hard, although addmittedly i probably easy drop 8000 on a few nights out.

man, I donate my missus 5k a month pocket money and can still do it all under 30k.

A single guy should be living in luxury on 20k

[GotR1GHT]

Actually i dont monitor my spending, dont need to. But just thinking about the basics as i spend:

Condo total: 7500

basic groceries 6 000

Some days even have to add beer to make it up to the minimum credit card purchase of 200baht.

Meat and veg at markets not much more than 150 a day for 2 people.

That would still leave 5,500 on your budget.

Shouldnt be that hard, although addmittedly i probably easy drop 8000 on a few nights out.

man, I donate my missus 5k a month pocket money and can still do it all under 30k.

A single guy should be living in luxury on 20k

I agree. After paying 10k on condo and food he would still have 10k to go. My advice to OP is,stop eating in tourist shopping malls where you pay 300-400baht meal unless it's 1 time a month to take out your gf.Instead of buying cakes in malls just buy it somewhere else,paying 20-30 baht vs 150baht isn't the same.Stop eating 400 baht popcorn+pepsi combo in movie theaters,and go to movies on wednesday when it's 80baht a ticket. And many other small things like that maybe wouldn't matter on the first but believe me you pay for those things without even realizing what you payed for and you end up wondering where the hell did the money went.You can buy a coconut in Siam Square for 50 baht and somewhere else for 10baht.So decision is yours.

Remember that minimal salary in thai 8000-9000 baht,and you have double of that.So that isnt too bad,you just need a self control where to spend and on what.

I live in Eastern Europe country where the average salary is 600euro.And you have cca 500 euro while living in Thai.So don't tell me it isn't possible.

Edited June 27, 2015 by GotR1GHT

[fishbrando]

If you're on a limited budget, you should skip going to places like KFC or boutique cake shops in malls.

The Terminal 21 food court is a really good deal; you can get a good meal there for 30-50b. There's a water dispenser so you don't have to buy water, but water is only 7b IIRC. Not bad for an air-conditioned eating space. They have desserts and fruit as well.

Sometimes I go to Central World to see movies on Wednesday. As mentioned above, Wednesday is half-price day. You can go to Gourmet Market which is right next to the theaters and stuff your girlfriend's purse full of snacks and small drinks, or bring a backpack and put the snacks/drinks in there. Of course you can do this at other malls, but none are as convenient as Central World.

[bkkgooner]

If you are only earning 20k and I am assuming that you are a Filipino if you are only earning 20k, if you are a proper farang then you need a new job.

I don't think you should be spending 7k a month on a condo that's nearly half of your salary

[Thai at Heart]

Living on 20k/month is pretty much poverty level....but guess what, you're not alone. Of the 67 million people who live in Thailand officially there are 10 million people living at that level.

Per Capita income in Thailand was in 2012 $5,210.

http://www.th.undp.org/content/thailand/en/home/countryinfo.html

But take heart....Thai people are communal in nature so families live together .....ie ...Grandpa, Grandma, Ma, and Pa and all the children often live under the same roof contributing.

good luck though living on that amount of money as my electric bill alone last month was 10,000 baht.

Helpful. I suppose he will import his grandpa, grandma and children to share the wealth with.....

[dddave]

B7000 p/m including utilities (I assume you use ac maybe 30-40% of the time? Hard to get lower than that, really. I lived 3 years in Bangkok without ac, fans only. It wasn't easy but it can be done. There are B2000 to 3000 rooms in outlying areas but then that would be counterbalanced by increased transportation costs. Is there a possibility you could find a reasonable place within walking distance of your workplace, thus eliminating a portion of transportation? If you are already cooking most of your meals, then the only way to shave off costs of that is what you buy and where you buy it. I find the vegetables and fruits at wet markets to be fresher and cheaper than supermarkets by far. If you like fish, the fish killed when you buy it can't be fresher. Most wet market pork sellers are pretty careful and because pork can be cooked well done, I've never had a problem. I avoid the beef because it is always very tough and unlike pork, even worse well done. If poultry looks fresh and smells fresh and is kept on a bed of ice. it is probably OK...just wash it thoroughly and cook it thoroughly as well.

I've had times in my life when I have to live on a super tight budget. I found keeping a money log, detailing every penny spent really can show where you can save. Often I found that I was spending a lot more monthly on something I thought was insignificant.

Check the Bangkok Post and some of the free magazines such as BK. They have many listings of free events, some of which are really entertaining and fun and better than a movie.

As the majority here have pointed out: a better paying job is the best overall solution.

[Sviss Geez]

20.000 isn't THAT bad.Poverty level would be 10.000 baht, With 20k you can still afford decent condo and eat pretty well.And still have 10k to spend through the month.Many farang teachers here are living with 20-25k a month. I have 30k a month and i have decent life with my gf. I'd say you have to aim for at least 25k a month.

Actually i dont monitor my spending, dont need to. But just thinking about the basics as i spend:

Condo total: 7500

basic groceries 6 000

Some days even have to add beer to make it up to the minimum credit card purchase of 200baht.

Meat and veg at markets not much more than 150 a day for 2 people.

That would still leave 5,500 on your budget.

Shouldnt be that hard, although addmittedly i probably easy drop 8000 on a few nights out.

man, I donate my missus 5k a month pocket money and can still do it all under 30k.

A single guy should be living in luxury on 20k

I agree. After paying 10k on condo and food he would still have 10k to go. My advice to OP is,stop eating in tourist shopping malls where you pay 300-400baht meal unless it's 1 time a month to take out your gf.Instead of buying cakes in malls just buy it somewhere else,paying 20-30 baht vs 150baht isn't the same.Stop eating 400 baht popcorn+pepsi combo in movie theaters,and go to movies on wednesday when it's 80baht a ticket. And many other small things like that maybe wouldn't matter on the first but believe me you pay for those things without even realizing what you payed for and you end up wondering where the hell did the money went.You can buy a coconut in Siam Square for 50 baht and somewhere else for 10baht.So decision is yours.

Remember that minimal salary in thai 8000-9000 baht,and you have double of that.So that isnt too bad,you just need a self control where to spend and on what.

I live in Eastern Europe country where the average salary is 600euro.And you have cca 500 euro while living in Thai.So don't tell me it isn't possible.

Make up your mind, do you live in Thailand or an eastern European country?

Edited June 27, 2015 by Sviss Geez

[TheAppletons]

OP, as you can tell from the replies so far there are a lot of asshats on Thai Visa (my electric bill is more than that, blah, blah).

You've received a couple of decent tips so far - go to the movies on half price day, eat meals at the Terminal 21 food court (if you live near there), buy fruits/veg at the markets, etc.

You could consider looking for a roommate to split living costs, might free up some money that way.

After living expenses, you have about 300 thb/day left to spend. If you don't spend it all, put whatever is left aside in a "collection" place.....do that for a few days a month and you'll have some extra pocket money as it accumulates.

Best of luck, things in Bangkok are definitely more expensive than in other parts of the country.

[bamukloy]

If you are only earning 20k and I am assuming that you are a Filipino if you are only earning 20k, if you are a proper farang then you need a new job.

I don't think you should be spending 7k a month on a condo that's nearly half of your salary

Glad you are not my accountant.

By my calculations the condo cost is closer to 30% of his income and yes, thats only slightly cheaper than what you'd expect in the west.

you can go out in the suburbs and pay 2500.

To add to your post, i think a "proper farang" should at least have some form of income stream from his own country. If your relying foot to mouth on a Thai monthly income with no backup, you have no business being here.IMO

of course, improper farangs who happen to be asian or phillipino can get away with it, but the white improper ones referred to as "farang kee-nok" living here skinflint is a pretty sad state of affairs.

edit: improper grammar :0)

Edited June 27, 2015 by bamukloy

[Sviss Geez]

You know the answer to your problem, surely? You need to be very hard on yourself , and realistic.

Stop going to the cinema, you can't afford it.

Stop shopping and buying cake and fruit shakes in Central, you can't afford it.

Stop eating at KFC and similar places, you can't afford it.

Get rid of the girlfriend, if you spend money entertaining her you can't afford it.

Do you drink and/or smoke? If you do, stop. You can't afford it.

It's easy, not particularly nice, but easy.

[DinoSabanovic]

You want truth?

Rent house outside of Bangkok .

Korat province for example.

Rent is about 2000 for decent size with parking place.

Electricity and water 1000.

Food is about 35-40 morning and 35-40 evening for Thai food. So about 160/day for you and gf.

Basic stuff, toothpaste, detergent... 300-500/month.

Clothing and other items 500/month is way enough.

You can live with 10000 if you choose.

Pluses. clean air, no pollution, no 100000000000 cars, cheap and good food on local market.

Minus. Far away from city and hard to do work.

My advice is to get decent job.

Edit: I forgot to add 90% of time it is not hot at night and even during the day and no need for air condition. This saves allot of money.

Edited June 27, 2015 by DinoSabanovic

[rethaier]

Simple. Get out of Bangkok. Move north, Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai. Please choose Chiang Mai we are already too crowded in Chiang Rai.

[Songhua]

This is what I suggest.....

Go to an out of the way backwater, erect a Tin Shed, buy a 45yr old partly complete motorbike, and eat leaves from trees around you...

Stop wasting money on Popcorn....

Absolutely. It is not necessary to be paying big bucks for the popcorn. Ladies bags are checked but it is still possible to sneak a 7/11 pack of m&m's and a milo box in your pockets.

[Soutpeel]

Surprised nobody has offered you any better advice...allow me to save you 440 baht....go to the cinema on Wednesday...half price day, tickets for 2 people = 160 baht. Avoid popcorn and the junk food/drinks totally.

You can now use that 450 baht to buy some great street food several times!

And of course one could suggest when OP goes to the cinema on a Wednesday, he could slip into the toilet and steal the toilet paper, thus saving him money that way

Further he can slip into any branch of KFC/McDonalds or similar junk food establishments and steal tomato and Chilli sauce saving additional money .

or the best sugestion, turn off the aircon at home, do not go to the cinema, but go to 7/11, buy a single Leo to share with his beloved and sit outside 7/11 all day watching the passers by and getting an occasional wiff of the aircon...

[NoshowJones]

Mr OP, you must be going to the wrong places or cinemas, I have not been to a cinema in years, but I understand it would cost around 100 Bt per ticket.

So how do you manage to pay 600 Bt even allowing for the cost of popcorn etc?