I spend so little money in Thailand that it's hard to open my wallet

[returnofthailand]

I have always lived in a studio. even when my parents or else gave me the whole house, I stayed in my room.

later when I studied, I rented a room.

then I moved to Thailand and again I live in a 28sqm room.

the big difference is I spend 5 to 8x less than back in Europe. I spend around 170'000 bahts a year.

I have developed the syndrome of a cheap Charlie maybe.

just the idea to go back to Europe and spend so much money for a train or a bus ticket make me sick.

think about, a bus from Gatwick to Heathrow is around 15£, for this money I can have a hotel room in Thailand or food for 5 days or 6 bus trips from bkk to Pattaya.

so each time I see people spending so much money in Europe I ask myself why this society need all this money for so little. are they became nut?

a friend bought a condo in Europe and he is still broke. condo is 1 million euro in a big capital and has a excellent job but still complain.

I have all you can dream of: condo fridge, TV, scooter, fruits, good food, sea, beautiful gf...

with 1 month of a salary in Europe I live much better here in Thailand the whole year. at the end, I just have problem to spend money like these people in farangland.

what about you?

[beachproperty]

One reason to live in Thailand

[daveAustin]

Comparing prices 'back home' with prices here is classic newbie. Consider the bus price from Gatwick to Heathrow; it is relative when one is earning real money.

[shirtless]

Your not living mate your existing, good luck with that it can have its down side

[Don Mega]

450b per day is excessive and living the high life. If you tried you could cut that figure in half.

[colinneil]

If the OP is happy with his life, its no business of anybody else.

Enjoy your life mate, be happy.

[Diplomatico]

If the OP is happy with his life, its no business of anybody else.

Enjoy your life mate, be happy.

Well, until he posts about in a public discussion forum.

[baneko]

Did you add visas or visa runs to your spending?

[impulse]

I could live even cheaper in Scorched Acres in Nevada or Fish Shack in East Texas.

I'm pretty sure I could find a living situation in any country that's cheaper than the one I left behind "back home". I wouldn't even had to leave the country.

Always amazes me how people move from 3+ bedrooms in suburbia with a western convenience diet- to a shack in Middle-o-Nowhere with a flavored rice cuisine, and start comparing the cost. They could have moved 50 miles back home and probably found something just about as cheap.

One thing I do like about Asia is that it's socially much more acceptable to live the Cheap Charlie lifestyle. I hope I can maintain that attitude when I repatriate after my current assignment. I'd love to get back even a tiny percentage of the status money I spent pissed away before I saw how some of the rest of the world lives quite happily. Sigh.

Edited May 21, 2016 by impulse

[Broken Record]

Condo's paid for, Car's paid for, I don't drink Alcohol or smoke.

If I chose to, I could live on very little money per month if I had to.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Broken Record

[Broken Record]

I'd love to get back even a tiny percentage of the status money I spent pissed away before I saw how some of the rest of the world lives quite happily. Sigh.

[lovelomsak]

That is the beauty of Thailand . Can live as cheap as you desire and still stay healthy. Or can spend like there is no tomorrow and go through money like water.I feel Thailand is great for the cheap charlie's great savings and good life can go hand in hand. For the high roller I feel they get short changed. There are many other countries and places in the world that cater to high rollers much better.Many places more caucasian orientated as far as food and comforts For example.can get better beef,sea food etc.and cooked more to caucasian tastes.

After more than 25 years of holidaying here I realized,a single man can live his life out here and live every day and not just exist on very little.The old guys who go to the mall in North America can come here and be out every day have a vast social life and never do with out. Once a person knows how to get things done every thing is cheap. Doctors and,hospitals,plus every day life is very affordable and accessible with a little effort

Edited May 21, 2016 by lovelomsak

[gt162]

I wonder what OP do for fun?

[Don Mega]

I wonder what OP do for fun?

Most likely sitting in front of a pedestal fan playing with his pet rock as after paying rent/electric/water/visa/food etc etc there will be bugger all left over for the purposes of entertainment.

[bubba1]

Just back from the supermarket.

Cheese, sausage, slab of cider and a 4 pack of Heinz Beans. About 5 times the cost of the UK.

[CharlieH]

I wonder how the OP would cope with a spill on that scooter, or bitten by the wrong mosquito and lands in hospital. Yes you can live very cheaply here, but some unforseen things ? Like illness and accident can be very costly.

[Koosdedooes]

I wonder what OP do for fun?

Trolling on TV ?

Managing his CB empire ?

To put things in perspective his gaff in Thailand is exactly the same regulation size of 5 jail cells in the UK

Edited May 21, 2016 by Koosdedooes

[Koosdedooes]

If the OP is happy with his life, its no business of anybody else.

Enjoy your life mate, be happy.

Thats right he should keep it his own business then, one suspects the only reason for this post has been started to start the usually, cheap charlie versus everyone else, where in the resident cheap charlies slag others off for spending their own money the they see fit..

The trolls are not being very creative and need some new material me thinks

Edited May 21, 2016 by Koosdedooes

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Your not living mate your existing, good luck with that it can have its down side

What a bunch of nonsense.

How do you know he's existing?

I posted a similar thread a while back being a cheap Charlie and all. I find it challenging to spend 30k a month. I don't have any accommodation expenses and stay in nice hotels about 8 times a month (posting this from millenium hilton). Most stays paid with credit card points.

Find a woman that doesn't expect you to build her a house or even better that owns one like in my case and you'll be saving a bunch of money in Thailand without "existing".

[manfredtillmann]

i don't think that enjoying life is a matter of spending money. it might help, but.

i do get my biggest 'kicks' out of nature, the birds and butterflies, the many faces of the mighty river flowing past my place, my little garden, my roses, my loving gf, good and healthy food cooked from the produce that surrounds us or we buy from the market.

i do spent about the same as the poster on real living expenses (not counting alcohol) even though i rent two small houses.

[Lannig]

I wonder how the OP would cope with a spill on that scooter, or bitten by the wrong mosquito and lands in hospital. Yes you can live very cheaply here, but some unforseen things ? Like illness and accident can be very costly.

Exactly.

That's precisely one of the main reasons why I left Thailand. I had a good job (100K++) and I really felt much richer than I feel today back in Europe. But then I realised that I was getting older and that if I were to get sick or have an accident I could end up on the streets within months. No safety net at all. Well, unless you are wise enough to save most of what you earn. I'm not.

[tom21]

I wonder how the OP would cope with a spill on that scooter, or bitten by the wrong mosquito and lands in hospital. Yes you can live very cheaply here, but some unforseen things ? Like illness and accident can be very costly.

he said he was living on little money he did not say he only had a little money. he may have plenty in reserve if things go belly up

[ThaiKneeTim]

Just back from the supermarket.

Cheese, sausage, slab of cider and a 4 pack of Heinz Beans. About 5 times the cost of the UK.

All imported! I'm guessing the OP isn't living off imported farang food.

I also find it cheap living in Thailand, but then her indoors *is* miss Thrifty. Even if we eat food from the street vendor just down the road it's still cheaper than buying a tin of beans back home.

I can do more with my money in Thailand than I could ever do back home.

[bubba1]

Just back from the supermarket.

Cheese, sausage, slab of cider and a 4 pack of Heinz Beans. About 5 times the cost of the UK.

All imported! I'm guessing the OP isn't living off imported farang food.

I also find it cheap living in Thailand, but then her indoors *is* miss Thrifty. Even if we eat food from the street vendor just down the road it's still cheaper than buying a tin of beans back home.

I can do more with my money in Thailand than I could ever do back home.

I don't see how any Western expats live on only Thai food. You wont see the Thai expats in Europe only eating western food...they eat mostly Thai food

[Lannig]

Indeed.

I've managed to stay away from any place selling western food for about a year when I settled in Thailand. And I really felt like I would never have too.

After this, my genome and eating habits from early childhood kicked in. This has nothing to do with liking Thai food or not. I love it.

[ThaiKneeTim]

Just back from the supermarket.

Cheese, sausage, slab of cider and a 4 pack of Heinz Beans. About 5 times the cost of the UK.

All imported! I'm guessing the OP isn't living off imported farang food.

I also find it cheap living in Thailand, but then her indoors *is* miss Thrifty. Even if we eat food from the street vendor just down the road it's still cheaper than buying a tin of beans back home.

I can do more with my money in Thailand than I could ever do back home.

I don't see how any Western expats live on only Thai food. You wont see the Thai expats in Europe only eating western food...they eat mostly Thai food

I'm often offered the chance to have a steak, even though her indoors won't eat beef, but I've not felt the urge for western food, and the last thing I'd eat, either in Thailand or farangland, is a burger from a fast food restaurant.

I do occasionally get a pork chop, mainly because her indoors wants to try cooking farang food, I don't have the heart to tell her that, while it looks like the food she sees on the internet, it most certainly doesn't taste like it. The chop is okay but the raw vegetables don't compliment the meat, so I'm glad to get back to Thai food.

[Koosdedooes]

Just back from the supermarket.

Cheese, sausage, slab of cider and a 4 pack of Heinz Beans. About 5 times the cost of the UK.

All imported! I'm guessing the OP isn't living off imported farang food.

I also find it cheap living in Thailand, but then her indoors *is* miss Thrifty. Even if we eat food from the street vendor just down the road it's still cheaper than buying a tin of beans back home.

I can do more with my money in Thailand than I could ever do back home.

I don't see how any Western expats live on only Thai food. You wont see the Thai expats in Europe only eating western food...they eat mostly Thai food

Its called living the dream LOL...eating Thai food every day, morning noon and night must be real crap...i do eat Thai food, but i also eat western food as well, in fact i eat what ever takes my fancy..

The interesting thing is, those farangs who claim only to eat Thai food sometimes appear to claim they are "better" than farangs who dont only eat Thai food

Besides if Thai food is do good, why do KFC, MacDonalds, dunkin Donuts, Pizza hut etc etc all do so well in Thailand and its definitely not due to farang custom, the Thai punters seem to love the sh@t as the average cheap charlie would have a conoary when he open his wallet

[manfredtillmann]

Just back from the supermarket.

Cheese, sausage, slab of cider and a 4 pack of Heinz Beans. About 5 times the cost of the UK.

All imported! I'm guessing the OP isn't living off imported farang food.

I also find it cheap living in Thailand, but then her indoors *is* miss Thrifty. Even if we eat food from the street vendor just down the road it's still cheaper than buying a tin of beans back home.

I can do more with my money in Thailand than I could ever do back home.

I don't see how any Western expats live on only Thai food. You wont see the Thai expats in Europe only eating western food...they eat mostly Thai food

perhaps we simply like it? perhaps we prefer traditional thai food over the fatty, over - ripe and over - cooked c..p we were brought up on back in the 'home country'?

the temptation of 'western' food making thais fat is clearly visible.

saturation of public venues with mc donalds, crispy creme and hungry jacks style junk food are a dis - service to thai people.

westernise them by making them sick?

if the present thai ruler was serious about looking after his people he should kick all these commercial parasites out of the country.

[lovelomsak]

I see no connection between how much money a person spends and how good of life they have. Fresh air,exercise good eating habits,that's what gives you a good life.Rich or poor that is all you need to have a good life. Bike rides last hours cost nothing.Hikes cost nothing.Go swimming very cheap. Join a gym cheap. A person can fill their time for free and be happy and healthy.In Canada you see more rich people in walking clubs,bridge clubs,dance clubs than average joes. They just want the social atmosphere. Do not need money to be social and they know it.

Now if you feel you need to drink cognac,eat caviar to have a good life,then of course you need money. But in my humble opinion you also need a priority check.

In thailand you can be outside all year everyday and stay healthy.Health is wealth my mother always told me.

I am not saying come here with nothing and live on nothing . But I am saying can live here cheap and healthy and watch your networth grow faster than in your home country,even in retirement.When back home old people are spending their networth to survive.

[ThaiKneeTim]

Just back from the supermarket.

Cheese, sausage, slab of cider and a 4 pack of Heinz Beans. About 5 times the cost of the UK.

All imported! I'm guessing the OP isn't living off imported farang food.

I also find it cheap living in Thailand, but then her indoors *is* miss Thrifty. Even if we eat food from the street vendor just down the road it's still cheaper than buying a tin of beans back home.

I can do more with my money in Thailand than I could ever do back home.

I don't see how any Western expats live on only Thai food. You wont see the Thai expats in Europe only eating western food...they eat mostly Thai food

Its called living the dream LOL...eating Thai food every day, morning noon and night must be real crap...i do eat Thai food, but i also eat western food as well, in fact i eat what ever takes my fancy..

The interesting thing is, those farangs who claim only to eat Thai food sometimes appear to claim they are "better" than farangs who dont only eat Thai food

Besides if Thai food is do good, why do KFC, MacDonalds, dunkin Donuts, Pizza hut etc etc all do so well in Thailand and its definitely not due to farang custom, the Thai punters seem to love the sh@t as the average cheap charlie would have a conoary when he open his wallet

The Thais, especially the city dwellers, love to appear westernised, this is less noticeable in smallsville Central Isaan, the only westernised eateries are in the shopping malls in the big city a 30 minute drive from my village. Even when we're in town and eating in the malls we always head for the Thai food section. Thais aren't very good at imitations, and that includes imitations of farang food.