I'm back (i lasted 3 weeks)

[whaleboneman]

11 hours ago, Dexlowe said:

The expert on frugal living is the much missed canarysun -- do a search for his moniker and read his posts. Some people derided him for his efforts to live on sweet beggar all (actually, he had no choice), but he did so with great humor, and great enjoyment, which he passed on to us all. He taught us how you don't need a lot of money to appreciate this country.

What happened to him? I miss his positive posts.

[whaleboneman]

12 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

yes no problem

Well if that's your photo, I can understand.

[smokie36]

I budget 100k Baht a month and have no rent to pay.

[pattayahenry]

12 minutes ago, mcfish said:

Yes it is but in the big picture getting from there to anywhere else on the planet is a nightmare. Pattaya just needs a 2 hour drive to Bangkok airports and your on your way to any destination on earth

 

not at all a nightmare, only if you take the cheapest option, 26 dollar sihanukville-pattaya, it takes about 12 hours. if you take the vip bus to phnompenh, 4-5 hours, very comfortable, 9 dollars, then either fly to bkk, or bus to angkor wat, 6 hours, then poipet,casino,  4 hours, then pattaya 5 hours. all busses very comfortable.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

I budget 100k Baht a month and have no rent to pay.

Hey smokie, what's up?

[smokie36]

8 minutes ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

 

Hey smokie, what's up?

 

 

 

The good life as always....you?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

17 hours ago, cheapskatesam said:

seems excessive.. even when i'm in holiday mode i struggle to spend 2000 baht.. most days its less than 1000 baht with a spluge at the weekend partying. and im not a cheapskate on holiday

 

How much were you paying per might in BKK to stay at the Dream Hotel, room rate only?  I'm assuming those weren't among your less than 1,000 baht days.

 

 

[theguyfromanotherforum]

 
 
The good life as always....you?

Ahhh...reading this fine forum from a Canadian train. 10 more days in winter wonderland and I'll be back to los and posting you know where.

[mcfish]

not at all a nightmare, only if you take the cheapest option, 26 dollar sihanukville-pattaya, it takes about 12 hours. if you take the vip bus to phnompenh, 4-5 hours, very comfortable, 9 dollars, then either fly to bkk, or bus to angkor wat, 6 hours, then poipet,casino,  4 hours, then pattaya 5 hours. all busses very comfortable.

Goodness me it sounds like a nightmare with border crossing thrown in.
Im not saying it's not cheap there if you're happy to not travel frequently but the capital airport gives you extremely limited routes unless you want to pay a huge fee in airfares and tack on countless extra hours in layovers as your traded over to partner airlines many times in long trip


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[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 hours ago, geisha said:

I don't spend a 1000 B a day . What on ? I shop, eat at one or two nice clean restaurants practically every day, buy tons of lovely fruit. I don't go to bars ,I rarely have a drink, because of health, not because I'm against it. I have a proper massage twice a week, and use the beauty salons. Though I do pay a lot of rent, as I like a super clean modern condo with great pool. The day when I can rent on a yearly basis will cost me much less. I have no real budget, and do as I like really, but spending over 5 to 7  hundred a day for me is the max.ps, not including trips to Bangkok and islands where I obviously spend much more.

 

The budgeted amounts most people here are discussing is a daily average including everything, including rent/housing expenses and everything else. Not just what you spend out of your pocket on a day to day basis.

[louse1953]

16 hours ago, cheapskatesam said:

 

Not much but at least a toilet with a flush.. the place i looked at had a bucket of water.. and a little ladle inside.. repulsed me...

You are not ready for Thailand yet.You need an attitude adjustment.You want to live like a king on a peasants wages.

[smokie36]

11 minutes ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

 

Ahhh...reading this fine forum from a Canadian train. 10 more days in winter wonderland and I'll be back to los and posting you know where.

 

 

 

I'm arriving 2 days after you....make sure the beer is ice cold for my arrival lol!

[smokie36]

16 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

How much were you paying per might in BKK to stay at the Dream Hotel, room rate only?  I'm assuming those weren't among your less than 1,000 baht days.

 

 

 

The Dream is about 2500 Baht a night....perhaps a little less.

 

There are reasonable hotels in the Suk area for 1000 Baht less in my opinion.

 

Truth is his research wasn't great but he will know a little better next time.

 

My minimum including rent would be 60k a month...then you can enjoy yourself a bit.

[louse1953]

13 hours ago, chiang mai said:

 

So a westerner can easily live In Bangkok on THB 30k a month!!!!

Yes,off course,but you have to live and eat like a Thai.Many seem incapable of doing this.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just now, smokie36 said:

 

The Dream is about 2500 Baht a night....perhaps a little less.

 

There are reasonable hotels in the Suk area for 1000 Baht less in my opinion.

 

Truth is his research wasn't great but he will know a little better next time.

 

My minimum including rent would be 60k a month...then you can enjoy yourself a bit.

 

Yes, the question about the Dream Hotel rates was more of a rhetorical one... It's right down the street from me!

 

For under 1,000 per day in that general area, "reasonable" gets to be a question of definitions. Though that used to be my general hotel target per night many years ago as a tourist. I think it was easier then than it is now/today.

[smokie36]

3 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

Yes,off course,but you have to live and eat like a Thai.Many seem incapable of doing this.

 

No one is eating Thai food three times a day unless they have to.

 

Even the Yhais who can afford it don't!

[smokie36]

3 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Yes, the question about the Dream Hotel rates was more of a rhetorical one... It's right down the street from me!

 

For under 1,000 per day in that general area, "reasonable" gets to be a question of definitions. Though that used to be my general hotel target per night many years ago as a tourist. I think it was easier then than it is now/today.

 

 

Nana City Inn 850 Baht....I know its a bit of a flophouse but is in Soi 4 and cheap as chips....I have stayed there loads of times in years gone by and never an issue.

 

Much prefer the condo though lol.

[geisha]

@TallGuyJohninBKK, if I had a long term rent instead of a shorter time, I'd make the 30 000 limit quite easily. Not saying I'd have to, but could. Now if I was on a holiday of a month , I'd expect to spend much more money, and would .

[mcfish]

 
The budgeted amounts most people here are discussing is a daily average including everything, including rent/housing expenses and everything else. Not just what you spend out of your pocket on a day to day basis.

good point it's not just beer and girly money


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[smokie36]

3 minutes ago, geisha said:

@TallGuyJohninBKK, if I had a long term rent instead of a shorter time, I'd make the 30 000 limit quite easily. Not saying I'd have to, but could. Now if I was on a holiday of a month , I'd expect to spend much more money, and would .

 

 

How much would you expect to spend on a decent condo with pool and what area?

[louse1953]

10 hours ago, possum1931 said:

I'm sure I seen Canary Sun posting earlier this week, unless it was from a long time ago.

Yes he popped up for a 1 post cameo.He must have found a woman.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 minutes ago, geisha said:

@TallGuyJohninBKK, if I had a long term rent instead of a shorter time, I'd make the 30 000 limit quite easily. Not saying I'd have to, but could. Now if I was on a holiday of a month , I'd expect to spend much more money, and would .

 

My view is, as a resident as opposed to a tourist, about 30K is pretty much the minimum for any kind of reasonable life. Harder to do in BKK, easier to do in the sticks, and largely dependent on a person's willingness to go/live Thai style (or not).

 

But if anyone was asking my advice, depending on the person, I'd always error on the more generous side, and suggest heading toward at least the marriage extension target of 40K per month or even better, the retirement extension target of 65K per month. Now the latter, if well managed, gives one some ability to live in comfort here.

 

And I should add, I'd NEVER advise anyone to be living in Thailand without health insurance or other comparable arrangement, and that often means having to pay for it as an annual/considerable expense. Anyone not covering that base in some form or fashion here is really courting danger.

Edited November 27, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[louse1953]

9 hours ago, mcfish said:

Pattaya is still one of the cheapest places in the world especially if you like to drink. You can go to a fantastic sea view location like the beer garden and drink 50 baht tiger draft all night long

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Well that's expensive,try 50 cents in Vietnam.It was that cheap i started drinking again.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

12 minutes ago, geisha said:

@TallGuyJohninBKK, if I had a long term rent instead of a shorter time, I'd make the 30 000 limit quite easily. Not saying I'd have to, but could. Now if I was on a holiday of a month , I'd expect to spend much more money, and would .

 

Yes, one probably could, but would one really want to, especially for an extended period of time.

 

I've seen and (briefly) stayed in Thais' 4-5K a month "apartments," little more than 4 walls, a toilet, sink, shower and fan. Yes, I could, but I prefer a bit more comfortable lifestyle in my advancing years...

Edited November 27, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[louse1953]

7 hours ago, mcfish said:

Not wrong just not desirable . Living in the "burbs" here is not like the burbs from your country where you can pop down to your local and a few beers with like minded people
The burbs of Bangkok are an alien world and very few want it

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So you leave your own country to have a bit of the same in Bangkok and pay more.Where is the sense and adventure in that.

[louse1953]

5 hours ago, lostinisaan said:

 

 I'm back home. ( I lasted two hours listening to foreigners' bla bla at Bla Bla bar.)

There is/was a bar in Pai called that.Best music i have ever heard in Thialand.Bought a memory stick and the lad downloaded his whole collection for me.On reflection it was Blah Blah Bar.

[SoiBiker]

Same old discussion as ever.

 

If you like Thai food and don't pay for sex, life here can be pretty cheap. 

 

As usual, though, many posters here seem to think every farang here pays for sex and eats overpriced western food that they pretend tastes as good as the stuff back home. 

[louse1953]

39 minutes ago, smokie36 said:

 

No one is eating Thai food three times a day unless they have to.

 

Even the Yhais who can afford it don't!

Well that's where you are wrong.

[Craig krup]

Udon. City living, really nice 4,000-5,000 apartments. What's not to like? Admittedly not much use to a party animal, but for keeping body and soul together in comfort at minimal cost, with reasonable air quality and nice parks, it has a lot going for it.

[louse1953]

21 minutes ago, mcfish said:

But can you walk 10 meters either side of that bar in Vietnam and have a choice of a hundred hookers to bang on a dirty old mattress on the floor? Lol

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Well actual yes.They proposition you as they go past on their bikes.