How my bills in Thailand are ฿8000 baht a month or about (£150, $230)

[smokie36]

I hate to break it to you but I could live in Bangkok for the cost of my Krapow Moo for lunch.

Yes I could survive for months on 60 Baht per day and enjoy a wonderful lifestyle surpassing the digital nomad existence....swimming each day in the pool....enjoying the gym and sitting on my 30th floor balcony enjoying some camomile tea.

Ahh its wonderful to have options though!

But isnt this the crux of the whole question ?....

why would you if you dont have to ?

Could i live on the cheap ? Yes...but why should i ?

Yes I prefer my "go anywhere do anything I like" lifestyle which has a budget somewhere north of 100k a month.

[yacobm8]

Rent 1250 /month?

Is that for an air con rabbit hutch?

You can get a furnished fan room for 2000 baht in Phuket, if you would bother to look around properly. This is on the complete opposite side of the spectrum location wise.

That's good to know. We could of got a fan furnished room for 1600 baht here but opted for the air room.

[Craig krup]

Could i live on the cheap ? Yes...but why should i ?

Google stoicism.

Most of the money that most people spend springs from bad motives, feeds those motives and (by reducing wealth) prevents spending from better motives.

An awful lot of spending is motivated by laziness, greed, superficiality, and a desire to make de facto servants of other people. Read Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. The Greek needed enough property to fully participate in civil life. He needed the armour of a Hoplite soldier so that he could fight those perky Persians. But they desire for more than that was generally inspired by a concern for "the opinion of those whose opinions don't matter".

Look at the number of women who spend a fortune on clothes and make-up and who never think about controlling the appetites that make them look like a well-clothed and painted sofa.

As the great Samuel Smiles said, never treat lightly matters of money. Money is character. What you fritter away would save the life or sight of someone less fortunate.

[Craig krup]

You can get a furnished fan room for 2000 baht in Phuket, if you would bother to look around properly. This is on the complete opposite side of the spectrum location wise.

I'm guessing that you need to be Thai, or a fluent Thai speaker and pretty streetwise, to get that price.

[Craig krup]

I have to disagree with you, 5 years ago I moved from super tight budget as i was stingy and than a huge transformation happened to me, I suddenly started to earn 6 figure income since i was getting more when I was investing more, living cheap is very dangerous for the moral.

it will make an individual poorer with time as his quality will start to degrade by living isolated among the poor and get less con acts and less social powers, my brother s insisting on living frequently in Singapore paid off as he s extremely wealthy now, if he chosen to live tightly and cheaply somewhere he would get the level of success he had now.

living in a wealthy condominium building in Bangkok brought me an immense success because I met 3 of my business partners there and had a neighbor who became a very valuable customer, the 40K rent I was paying which I considered an investment was too low comparable to the benefits I managed to make meeting all those valuable investors and customers.

You have got a point when it comes to being young and on the make. Spending money in the ways likely to bring advantages can be an excellent investment. Dressing like your boss is the classic piece of advice. But in most lines of work the full-bore willingness to do that says some pretty horrible things about a persons agenda, character and likely fate. Organisations and countries are brought low by people who say, "Here's a system, how do I play it for my own advantage?" Sociopaths often don't know that they're sociopaths. They constantly interpret every situation in terms of "How does this affect me?", rather than "What does this actually amount to?", or "How does this affect everyone?". People who think like that imagine that their house on a mortgage and their BMW on monthly payments really matter. The fact that you could buy what they have for cash, and choose not to, really hits them. It shows that they must have some insight into their condition. The fact that you don't, but could, forces them to face the fact, "Maybe the things I value really are as sh*t as this person's words and actions imply?"

If someone says, "I'm a self-made man", it's almost always appropriate to say, "It's nice of you to take responsibility".

[Soutpeel]

Could i live on the cheap ? Yes...but why should i ?

Google stoicism.

Most of the money that most people spend springs from bad motives, feeds those motives and (by reducing wealth) prevents spending from better motives.

An awful lot of spending is motivated by laziness, greed, superficiality, and a desire to make de facto servants of other people. Read Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. The Greek needed enough property to fully participate in civil life. He needed the armour of a Hoplite soldier so that he could fight those perky Persians. But they desire for more than that was generally inspired by a concern for "the opinion of those whose opinions don't matter".

Look at the number of women who spend a fortune on clothes and make-up and who never think about controlling the appetites that make them look like a well-clothed and painted sofa.

As the great Samuel Smiles said, never treat lightly matters of money. Money is character. What you fritter away would save the life or sight of someone less fortunate.

Philosophic psychobabble me thinks....did you study the liberal arts at University ? Edited October 15, 2015 by Soutpeel

[Saastrajaa]

The room rent of 1250 doesn't sound right, being it has a decent air cond.

You're absolutely right, that does not sound possible, even in Ubon.

[HampiK]

what Stingy life style mode, unimaginable for me, I spent more then 150K a month when I was in Thailand and now I m spending 90K in Cambodia.

But I doubt you are there for a longer period. You can't compare 2-3 weeks holiday with living there.

And who says, that he will live like that forever? He is studying and in future when he have a better income he probably will move on to 15'000, 25'000, .......

Are you born as a rich? There are people who have to make money first before they can enjoy.

Edited October 15, 2015 by HampiK

[Craig krup]

Could i live on the cheap ? Yes...but why should i ?

Google stoicism.

Most of the money that most people spend springs from bad motives, feeds those motives and (by reducing wealth) prevents spending from better motives.

An awful lot of spending is motivated by laziness, greed, superficiality, and a desire to make de facto servants of other people. Read Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. The Greek needed enough property to fully participate in civil life. He needed the armour of a Hoplite soldier so that he could fight those perky Persians. But they desire for more than that was generally inspired by a concern for "the opinion of those whose opinions don't matter".

Look at the number of women who spend a fortune on clothes and make-up and who never think about controlling the appetites that make them look like a well-clothed and painted sofa.

As the great Samuel Smiles said, never treat lightly matters of money. Money is character. What you fritter away would save the life or sight of someone less fortunate.

Philosophic psychobabble me thinks....did you study the liberal arts at University ?

Methinks. One word. Indeed, you can't begin to imagine what it is that you can't begin to imagine.

New shoes. Seriously, you need new shoes. Socrates apparently stood for twenty four hours staggered by the reality of a universe that knew itself to be a universe through his act of understanding. The silly old fool should have gone and bought some new shoes. Honestly, this minute: more shoes. Don't stand on the rim of the universe contemplating the form of the good. SE Asia's no place for contemplation, not while it has shoe shops. Socrates (honestly, I'm not being insincere or patronising) knew less than Imelda Marcos. That's what you have to hang onto.

New shoes!!!!

[icare999]

So what. If people only have that sort of misery money then thats all they can spend. Its hardly a good life is it ?? I might as well list how we live on 200,000 baht a month and many would say crazy but we cant afford to eat out at nice restaurants much. Ok for flamers here it is:-

school fees 60,000 baht a month (good but not most expensive international school)

Electricity 8000 per month (ok mostly n zircons)

charity etc 10,000 per month

cars/travel 10,000 perm month

Replacement costs for large items average 15,000 a month (car every 10 years, air cons, fridges THings go wrong)

Maid and gardener 25,000 per month

food 30-40,000 a month for 4

entertainment drinks eating out 10,000 per month

clothes for 4 people around 10,000 perm onto

Incidentals 5000 per month

holidays trips for 4 10,000 per month (average 120,000 per year)

so what does that prove I'm sure many spend more.

Stupid all this see how little i can live on. Well i can live for 0 baht am otnh simple become a monk Pathetic post

[Craig krup]

So what. If people only have that sort of misery money then thats all they can spend. Its hardly a good life is it ?? I might as well list how we live on 200,000 baht a month and many would say crazy but we cant afford to eat out at nice restaurants much. Ok for flamers here it is:-

school fees 60,000 baht a month (good but not most expensive international school)

Electricity 8000 per month (ok mostly n zircons)

charity etc 10,000 per month

cars/travel 10,000 perm month

Replacement costs for large items average 15,000 a month (car every 10 years, air cons, fridges THings go wrong)

Maid and gardener 25,000 per month

food 30-40,000 a month for 4

entertainment drinks eating out 10,000 per month

clothes for 4 people around 10,000 perm onto

Incidentals 5000 per month

holidays trips for 4 10,000 per month (average 120,000 per year)

so what does that prove I'm sure many spend more.

Stupid all this see how little i can live on. Well i can live for 0 baht am otnh simple become a monk Pathetic post

I'm impressed. Jesus. I feel faint thinking about it. I've been so tightfisted for so long I've left open the possibility of being very charitable, but I guess it'll be when I actually die. I gave (the equivalent of) 55,000 baht once, and I'm not sure I ever entirely recovered.

[canarysun]

So what. If people only have that sort of misery money then thats all they can spend. Its hardly a good life is it ?? I might as well list how we live on 200,000 baht a month and many would say crazy but we cant afford to eat out at nice restaurants much. Ok for flamers here it is:-

school fees 60,000 baht a month (good but not most expensive international school)

Electricity 8000 per month (ok mostly n zircons)

charity etc 10,000 per month

cars/travel 10,000 perm month

Replacement costs for large items average 15,000 a month (car every 10 years, air cons, fridges THings go wrong)

Maid and gardener 25,000 per month

food 30-40,000 a month for 4

entertainment drinks eating out 10,000 per month

clothes for 4 people around 10,000 perm onto

Incidentals 5000 per month

holidays trips for 4 10,000 per month (average 120,000 per year)

so what does that prove I'm sure many spend more.

Stupid all this see how little i can live on. Well i can live for 0 baht am otnh simple become a monk Pathetic post

I'm impressed. Jesus. I feel faint thinking about it. I've been so tightfisted for so long I've left open the possibility of being very charitable, but I guess it'll be when I actually die. I gave (the equivalent of) 55,000 baht once, and I'm not sure I ever entirely recovered.

Maid and Gardener : 25,000 baht a month!!!???

why can't you do your own cleaning or weeding? lol

F.J x

[theguyfromanotherforum]

So what. If people only have that sort of misery money then thats all they can spend. Its hardly a good life is it ?? I might as well list how we live on 200,000 baht a month and many would say crazy but we cant afford to eat out at nice restaurants much. Ok for flamers here it is:-

school fees 60,000 baht a month (good but not most expensive international school)

Electricity 8000 per month (ok mostly n zircons)

charity etc 10,000 per month

cars/travel 10,000 perm month

Replacement costs for large items average 15,000 a month (car every 10 years, air cons, fridges THings go wrong)

Maid and gardener 25,000 per month

food 30-40,000 a month for 4

entertainment drinks eating out 10,000 per month

clothes for 4 people around 10,000 perm onto

Incidentals 5000 per month

holidays trips for 4 10,000 per month (average 120,000 per year)

so what does that prove I'm sure many spend more.

Stupid all this see how little i can live on. Well i can live for 0 baht am otnh simple become a monk Pathetic post

Simple. You're being ripped off

[balo]

So what. If people only have that sort of misery money then thats all they can spend. Its hardly a good life is it ?? I might as well list how we live on 200,000 baht a month and many would say crazy but we cant afford to eat out at nice restaurants much. Ok for flamers here it is:-

school fees 60,000 baht a month (good but not most expensive international school)

Electricity 8000 per month (ok mostly n zircons)

charity etc 10,000 per month

cars/travel 10,000 perm month

Replacement costs for large items average 15,000 a month (car every 10 years, air cons, fridges THings go wrong)

Maid and gardener 25,000 per month

food 30-40,000 a month for 4

entertainment drinks eating out 10,000 per month

clothes for 4 people around 10,000 perm onto

Incidentals 5000 per month

holidays trips for 4 10,000 per month (average 120,000 per year)

so what does that prove I'm sure many spend more.

Stupid all this see how little i can live on. Well i can live for 0 baht am otnh simple become a monk Pathetic post

This is probably a troll post . 8000 in electricity ? 40000 per month in food ? Not even in my native home country Norway , we spend that much. Edited October 16, 2015 by balo

[Nice Boyd]

So what. If people only have that sort of misery money then thats all they can spend. Its hardly a good life is it ?? I might as well list how we live on 200,000 baht a month and many would say crazy but we cant afford to eat out at nice restaurants much. Ok for flamers here it is:-

school fees 60,000 baht a month (good but not most expensive international school)

Electricity 8000 per month (ok mostly n zircons)

charity etc 10,000 per month

cars/travel 10,000 perm month

Replacement costs for large items average 15,000 a month (car every 10 years, air cons, fridges THings go wrong)

Maid and gardener 25,000 per month

food 30-40,000 a month for 4

entertainment drinks eating out 10,000 per month

clothes for 4 people around 10,000 perm onto

Incidentals 5000 per month

holidays trips for 4 10,000 per month (average 120,000 per year)

so what does that prove I'm sure many spend more.

Stupid all this see how little i can live on. Well i can live for 0 baht am otnh simple become a monk Pathetic post

This is probably a troll post . 8000 in electricity ? 40000 per month in food ? Not even in my native home country Norway , he spend that much.

my GF eats about 20,000 baht a month, EZ, she's 47 kilo, Wat a metabolism she has, and 1 month in apt, pinoy rip me off for 9,000 in Electric

[pistachios]

I cannot comprehend how it is possible to only spend 4500 per month on food. You buy a fricking loaf of bread and some yogurts and you've already spend half of your daily food budget.

[Craig krup]

I cannot comprehend how it is possible to only spend 4500 per month on food. You buy a fricking loaf of bread and some yogurts and you've already spend half of your daily food budget.

Well, there's your two immediate mistakes! 800g of good wholemeal bread in the UK 20 baht (36p). 500g of terrible bread in Thailand 40 baht. 500g of brilliant natural yogurt in the UK 22 baht. Three times that in Thailand for a worse product.

However..............brown rice in the UK 93 baht, versus 15 baht in Thailand.

You can't buy apples, it has to be mango. Of course, if you rebel against anything that seems like a forced choice - and it's really just prudence - then you can spend a lot of money.

[taiwangirl]

I go out for a real farang drink maybe 2-3 times a month and meet farangs in farang area's (not tourist area's, but longterm farang area's), always the same people. Since I might be there only 3 times a month, but I always see them, it is fair to say they are daily there and most always pissed or going out to girly bars and get more pissed (and viagra).

Dear Ronthai - I know what you are saying but a funny thought crossed my mind. There is probably the person on the other side of the bar saying - "I only go out 2-3 times a month, and every time I am in here, I see Mr. RonThai. He must be in here all the time!!" (Just teasing you)

[taiwangirl]

For me, it is interesting to read this thread. I enjoy reading about the different lifestyles of people here in Thailand.

Everybody has different levels of comforableness, but I dont think anyone wants to be poor. If someone spends 10000 baht/month because they want to, great. Give the excess to charity or save for the future. It is those that spend 10000 baht/month because they have to, that is a problem.

[juice777]

I cannot comprehend how it is possible to only spend 4500 per month on food. You buy a fricking loaf of bread and some yogurts and you've already spend half of your daily food budget.

I lost my credit card once and had to watch evey bhat till a new one came in the post from the uk

This is what I ate everday more or less for about a week

2 boiled egg sandwich 20b

A portion of oats with milk about 20b

Tin sardines with brown rice 20b

A bunch of bananas 26b

A apple 15b

Water 3b

All that comes 2 about a 100b a day and I actually like all those meals so it want to hard for me

Some days I ate in a Thai restaurant for about 50b even if you do that once a day your food bill would be still under 4500b a month

So it can be done if you need to

And apart from the bread what I am sure is crap everthing is healthy

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Edited October 16, 2015 by juice777

[balo]

I agree, the food budget in Thailand can be very low if you avoid the western places and bars.

My daily diet consist of fruit and vegetables , 2 slices of bread with cheese/tomato or eggs, one thai dish at my local restaurant 50-70 baht.

Total around 150-200 baht daily . Of course I can spend more if I like too , but I stay slim and healthy , many expats here not only spend a lot of money but they eat way too much and live an unhealthy lifestyle..

Edited October 16, 2015 by balo

[Seizetheday]

So what. If people only have that sort of misery money then thats all they can spend. Its hardly a good life is it ?? I might as well list how we live on 200,000 baht a month and many would say crazy but we cant afford to eat out at nice restaurants much. Ok for flamers here it is:-

school fees 60,000 baht a month (good but not most expensive international school)

Electricity 8000 per month (ok mostly n zircons)

charity etc 10,000 per month

cars/travel 10,000 perm month

Replacement costs for large items average 15,000 a month (car every 10 years, air cons, fridges THings go wrong)

Maid and gardener 25,000 per month

food 30-40,000 a month for 4

entertainment drinks eating out 10,000 per month

clothes for 4 people around 10,000 perm onto

Incidentals 5000 per month

holidays trips for 4 10,000 per month (average 120,000 per year)

so what does that prove I'm sure many spend more.

Stupid all this see how little i can live on. Well i can live for 0 baht am otnh simple become a monk Pathetic post

This is probably a troll post . 8000 in electricity ? 40000 per month in food ? Not even in my native home country Norway , he spend that much.

my GF eats about 20,000 baht a month, EZ, she's 47 kilo, Wat a metabolism she has, and 1 month in apt, pinoy rip me off for 9,000 in Electric

My electric is 6,500 a month and I live by myself, most of the time.

[juice777]

So what. If people only have that sort of misery money then thats all they can spend. Its hardly a good life is it ?? I might as well list how we live on 200,000 baht a month and many would say crazy but we cant afford to eat out at nice restaurants much. Ok for flamers here it is:-

school fees 60,000 baht a month (good but not most expensive international school)

Electricity 8000 per month (ok mostly n zircons)

charity etc 10,000 per month

cars/travel 10,000 perm month

Replacement costs for large items average 15,000 a month (car every 10 years, air cons, fridges THings go wrong)

Maid and gardener 25,000 per month

food 30-40,000 a month for 4

entertainment drinks eating out 10,000 per month

clothes for 4 people around 10,000 perm onto

Incidentals 5000 per month

holidays trips for 4 10,000 per month (average 120,000 per year)

so what does that prove I'm sure many spend more.

Stupid all this see how little i can live on. Well i can live for 0 baht am otnh simple become a monk Pathetic post

This is probably a troll post . 8000 in electricity ? 40000 per month in food ? Not even in my native home country Norway , he spend that much.

my GF eats about 20,000 baht a month, EZ, she's 47 kilo, Wat a metabolism she has, and 1 month in apt, pinoy rip me off for 9,000 in Electric

My electric is 6,500 a month and I live by myself, most of the time.

Do you have a big house with the aircon running all the time in most of the rooms

If so you should really turn some of some of the time just to help the environment even if you can it afford it

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[HampiK]

My electric is 6,500 a month and I live by myself, most of the time.

Hi,

you pay directly to the electric company or you pay to your landlord, which ask you to pay double the price per unit?

I have a condo with 3 Aircon Units 18'000 & 24'000 MBTU, and when i let run all of them for a whole month 24 hours to a very cool degree, then I guess i can reach maybe 6'500 baht.....

[thehelmsman]

I rented a 35M condo in Jomteinfor a month and the elec. was 5300 Baht. had old piece of crap AC.

[Johnniey]

No garden, no pets, no car, no kids, no life if you ask me. Fine for a young guy for a few years or an old guy with a young bit living on a meager pension.

My electricity is half that a month. I can spend half that on a good night out!

I've done this kind of living 30 years ago and one doesn't want to be doing it long.

[Johnniey]

I rented a 35M condo in Jomteinfor a month and the elec. was 5300 Baht. had old piece of crap AC.

You are being ripped off - Ii am on the national grid and have a house with 4 air-conditioners and 4/5 people living in it an pay less than you.

[jaffacakes1]

We all live in Thailand for different reasons. Some can live like you as that's the way they lived in their home country. Personally, I have always lived an upscale life as I continue to do here in Thailand. My expenses are rarely under B100,000 a month.

100,000 BHT is budget living in Phuket. Depends on your definition of 'upscale' but a modern house in the South with a pool and an electricity bill would take care of 100k on its own.

[jaffacakes1]

So what. If people only have that sort of misery money then thats all they can spend. Its hardly a good life is it ?? I might as well list how we live on 200,000 baht a month and many would say crazy but we cant afford to eat out at nice restaurants much. Ok for flamers here it is:-

school fees 60,000 baht a month (good but not most expensive international school)

Electricity 8000 per month (ok mostly n zircons)

charity etc 10,000 per month

cars/travel 10,000 perm month

Replacement costs for large items average 15,000 a month (car every 10 years, air cons, fridges THings go wrong)

Maid and gardener 25,000 per month

food 30-40,000 a month for 4

entertainment drinks eating out 10,000 per month

clothes for 4 people around 10,000 perm onto

Incidentals 5000 per month

holidays trips for 4 10,000 per month (average 120,000 per year)

so what does that prove I'm sure many spend more.

Stupid all this see how little i can live on. Well i can live for 0 baht am otnh simple become a monk Pathetic post

Seems reasonable although only 2k a week on eating out, entertainment and drinking? I'd cut back on your charitable donations and treat yourself man!

[Seizetheday]

My electric is 6,500 a month and I live by myself, most of the time.

Hi,

you pay directly to the electric company or you pay to your landlord, which ask you to pay double the price per unit?

I have a condo with 3 Aircon Units 18'000 & 24'000 MBTU, and when i let run all of them for a whole month 24 hours to a very cool degree, then I guess i can reach maybe 6'500 baht.....

Big house and swimming pool, my own house.