Cost of living in Thailand

[rott]

On 11/29/2016 at 1:17 AM, anotheruser said:

I am considering going back to the USA but to a smaller market city. My take on it is you can live as cheaply in a small town or small city as anywhere I would want to live in Thailand.

 

I spend around 150,000 Baht on a normal month. Probably more like 250,000 on a month 
if I go on a short vacation. I don't need lectures on how to do it cheaper I know you can. My point is for some people a place like the USA works out reasonable. Not everybody is holed up in Thailand because it is cheaper.

 

The food I eat i way cheaper in the USA I probably spend around 9,000 a week at Villa and another 5,000 from Passiondelivery. Yes, it includes a couple of bottles of wine. The price for the quality of which is atrocious. 

 

Weekend trips about the same. Probably cheaper in the states as higher end resorts are not much different in price in either place. 

 

In the USA I would  buy a house so yeah it is a bit different but I can own it there so hard to put a price on that. 

 

So I like drinking wine, eating nice meals mostly at home. The occasional trip maybe every 2 or 3 months for a long weekend. A holiday once a year that is more major. So for me I can live the same at home as I can here without altering my life. 

 

Though the quality of many things would be much higher back home. For Villa prices back home you are shopping at a higher end supermarket. The stuff in Villa is considered junk back home. Even the bottom end American supermarkets have Villa out gunned by a country mile. 

 

The 50K a month on a decent condo in Bangkok would pay all of my basic expenses in the USA. If I own a house it does anyway. So that would leave around 3,333 Baht a day for eating out and recreation etc. The types of recreation I enjoy may change but it is plenty. 

 

I would probably save money in the USA actually.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You obviously do not care about comparing like with like. If you buy all your food (imported ) from Villa then buying the same or similar in small town USA will be much, much less. You are seemingly here under protest, with no intention of adapting to Thai life, you compare an above average condo rent in Central Bangkok with living rent free in small town USA............

 

You are comparing one extreme with another.

[anotheruser]

Just now, rott said:

You obviously do not care about comparing like with like. If you buy all your food (imported ) from Villa then buying the same or similar in small town USA will be much, much less. You are seemingly here under protest, with no intention of adapting to Thai life, you compare an above average condo rent in Central Bangkok with living rent free in small town USA............

 

You are comparing one extreme with another.

 

I do not wish to change my entire diet just because I live over seas. So for me to live the way I normally do is a valid comparison. I sometimes also buy from tops. lol Not everybody has the time to run around comparing prices at the wet markets. Often times my partner does the shopping on the way home from work.

 

Can you imagine I tell him that lettuce is 2 Baht cheaper at the market at Klong Toey. Believe it or not some people don't have the time to run around the city. He would be better of taking the extra half an hour or whatever it would take and just staying at work for that time.

 

Again it is somebody who is working and as such puts a monetary value on their time. Highly doubt we would save enough on a chicken breast to pay the hourly rate he would get being more productive at the office. For a retiree who has all day to wait for buses and chase bargains it is a little different.

 

My comparison to BKK is just for my personal circumstances as this is exactly what I will be doing. Yes it would be more fair to compare it to maybe other places in Thailand. Probably somewhere like Pattaya. Not because of the girls and bars but because a relatively small American city has all of the shopping and cinemas and attractions somewhere like Pattaya has. 

 

Even then you won't get a fair comparison because they are different places. The nightlife would be okay in a college town but not like Pattaya. Then again you have access to sporting events, a symphony orchestra, a good choice of art museums, a decent pizza, walkable pavements, good traffic conditions, public parks and clean beaches you can swim in, etc. 

 

So some things you can't compare because some of the best attractions are actually free. There are many bike trails in the area so I would get a bike. I don't have one in Thailand so does that make the USA more expensive for me? Is that a quantifiable cost? Suddenly I begin to live longer because of living in an area of better air quality.

 

For some people the weather in Thailand is one of these intangibles. I personally hate it being hot most the year and rainy the rest. 

 

So do I need to tabulate life expectancy in it as well? The variables are endless I simply showed one example that I am actually in the process of doing. So yes, I certainly can give my example of how I am doing it that can make my life the same cost as living in Bangkok currently.

 

We are very much comparing apples to oranges. I am adding quality of life and opinions based upon perceived value for money. The people that seem to think Thailand is extremely cheap seem to be fixated on what is available at the very low end of the spectrum.

 

The only thing in the USA for me that is more expensive would be housing. This can be solved by owning a house anywhere except where taxes are through the roof. To buy the condo I live in here it would be 12 million Baht. You can find a place to live in almost any city in the USA. In NYC that might be a broom closet in Booklyn. The condo I am in isn't exactly huge either though.

 

So I guess i would say it this way Thailand is cheaper but I find America to be a better value. This is part of the reason there is not one correct answer. It isn't one size fits all.

 

It sounds like Naam's maid probably has it better off than i do regardless of where they live. :)

 

Oh Ahab our insurance is around the same as what you are looking at. It is some ex pat health scheme. I will ask about it later when I have time.

 

Hahaha this was a longer post than I intended it to be.

 

 

 

 

 

[rott]

I apologise for not reading all of it but promise to catch up later.

 

My not very well put point was that you are describing a very specific lifestyle in Thailand and another very different one in the USA. The thread was more meant to be a comparison of the cost of similar or comparable lifestyles here and elsewhere.

 

Yes Central Bangkok is an expensive place to live and always has been. And yes Thailand is mainly only cheap if you live to a greater or lesser extent like a Thai. If you live in a tin shack and live on somtam and rainwater it will be cheap. If you live on imported delicacies from Villa and in a decent condo it will not. Most of us are somewhere in between.

 

Whisper it quietly but I do not go round comparing prices and when in Bangkok or Pattaya I generally go into Tops, also Friendship in Pattaya. Here my only choice is BigC or Tesco, can't be arsed with markets.

 

I don't make the comparison of a large beer in a bar here for 70 or 80 baht and between 4 and 5 quid a pint in Central London. Bit pointless.

 

I am looking at that 70 baht for 630 ml and wondering why I am not going out for one, but I did promise myself no drink today.

 

Have a good day now.

Edited December 1, 2016 by rott

[JAFO]

25 minutes ago, anotheruser said:

So I guess i would say it this way Thailand is cheaper but I find America to be a better value. This is part of the reason there is not one correct answer. It isn't one size fits all.

 

^That is pretty spot on. I find that while I enjoy living in Thailand, clearly the US has far more things to do but they usually come at a premium. This is why I enjoy "Visiting" the US now.

 

But to be fair, I am at a different spot in my life now where those things I used to like to do I simply stopped doing for one reason or another. Likely because once you have done them enough they become boring. Moving here is a nice change of pace with a whole new list of unknowns and things to learn and try. To that point, not all of what one does is because its cheaper. I remember I told my wife that if this doesn't pan out as planned we can sell and go buy a fat ass houseboat on Lake Shasta or Trinity Lake and just chill and only have slip dues. Interestingly she was game.

 

Clearly there is no one size fits all here or anywhere for that matter. I, like anotheruser, posted our specific costs as did the poster from Hawaii. I would never expect someone to say "Hey that's exactly what I am doing".  I am certain there will be a guy who moved from the midwest to Chiang Mai and his comparison will be totally different. The idea is to offer a cross section for informational purposes only, not to fire off a debate about who is living it right or wrong.

 

To the OP's question; its totally dependent on the individual and what they expect and want.  

[transam]

2 minutes ago, JAFO said:

 

^That is pretty spot on. I find that while I enjoy living in Thailand, clearly the US has far more things to do but they usually come at a premium. This is why I enjoy "Visiting" the US now.

 

But to be fair, I am at a different spot in my life now where those things I used to like to do I simply stopped doing for one reason or another. Likely because once you have done them enough they become boring. Moving here is a nice change of pace with a whole new list of unknowns and things to learn and try. To that point, not all of what one does is because its cheaper. I remember I told my wife that if this doesn't pan out as planned we can sell and go buy a fat ass houseboat on Lake Shasta or Trinity Lake and just chill and only have slip dues. Interestingly she was game.

 

Clearly there is no one size fits all here or anywhere for that matter. I, like anotheruser, posted our specific costs as did the poster from Hawaii. I would never expect someone to say "Hey that's exactly what I am doing".  I am certain there will be a guy who moved from the midwest to Chiang Mai and his comparison will be totally different. The idea is to offer a cross section for informational purposes only, not to fire off a debate about who is living it right or wrong.

 

To the OP's question; its totally dependent on the individual and what they expect and want.  

....Dee ma...

[anotheruser]

Ugh now we have nothing left to bicker about. \

 

 

Edited December 1, 2016 by anotheruser

[anotheruser]

38 minutes ago, rott said:

I apologise for not reading all of it but promise to catch up later.

 

My not very well put point was that you are describing a very specific lifestyle in Thailand and another very different one in the USA. The thread was more meant to be a comparison of the cost of similar or comparable lifestyles here and elsewhere.

 

Yes Central Bangkok is an expensive place to live and always has been. And yes Thailand is mainly only cheap if you live to a greater or lesser extent like a Thai. If you live in a tin shack and live on somtam and rainwater it will be cheap. If you live on imported delicacies from Villa and in a decent condo it will not. Most of us are somewhere in between.

 

Whisper it quietly but I do not go round comparing prices and when in Bangkok or Pattaya I generally go into Tops, also Friendship in Pattaya. Here my only choice is BigC or Tesco, can't be arsed with markets.

 

I don't make the comparison of a large beer in a bar here for 70 or 80 baht and between 4 and 5 quid a pint in Central London. Bit pointless.

 

I am looking at that 70 baht for 630 ml and wondering why I am not going out for one, but I did promise myself no drink today.

 

Have a good day now.

 

If you want to drive yourself crazy, next time you are shopping in England start thinking about how many bar fines it would be. :) I jest I jest.

 

As far as a small town not being comparable to BKK. Some mid size cities pack a lot of punch for their size. So not sure what to compare it to. BKK in some ways doesn't have the cultural offerings of a city like Minneapolis.  It would be more apt to compare a place like that to BKK because it offers the majority of what Bangkok does but has a fraction of the population.

 

Just to make the debate more convoluted and confusing I will offer this tidbit...

 

Cleveland would be closer to Bangkok in what it offers than Korat would be to New York.

 

We are all free to compare things however we like. As Jafo said it is the different opinions that make this thread interesting. I like these type of threads and hearing about others and what they are up to and how they do it. 

[rott]

A...U somehow most of what you say is sort of  "off the wall". Bangkok has a population of between 5 and 8 million depending on how many outer places you include. Minneapolis and Cleveland have how many? And of course Bangkok does not have the western cultural offerings of anywhere of comparable size in the west, because this is a second or third world country in S.E. Asia. People have different tastes here and a great deal less disposable income which dictates a totally different lifestyle.

 

You are saying that in your individual circumstances you would live a completely different life in the USA than you do here. So there are not really any comparisons to be made. It would be difficult for you to live more expensively here than you do already, so a bit pointless commenting on how expensive things are. 

 

But life outside of 5star is still OK you know, are you saying you never ever go out to eat or drink? There are so many places to try in Bangkok outside of the Hi-so spots for casual drinking and dining. I'll see if my mate smokie can recommend a few, I am not in town as often as I used to be and when here tend to stick to the same lowbrow places. But have you ever tried the FCCT? Well worth a look.

[Naam]

3 hours ago, anotheruser said:

I like these type of threads and hearing about others and what they are up to and how they do it. 

me too! but i don't like "others" telling me that i am stupid because i

-don't own a Learjet,

-don't drive a Honda Click,

-don't eat street food,

-don't own a smartphone,

-hardly ever socialise with Farangs,

-hardly ever socialise with Thais,

-am neither willing to learn Mandarin nor Uighur nor Thai,

-am not interested how Winchester United did in the last sunday,

-use aircondition,

-love extremely hot Thai food without sugar,

-tolerate what others call "corruption",

-am not overly interested in Thai politics,

-am not concerned if the price for chicken feed increases by 2 Baht,

and... and... and...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pdaz]

It's simple. If you have a well paying job living in Thailand is way cheaper than the UK, EU, Aus or the US. Instead of giving the taxman 40-50k GBP a year I use that to live on. The remainder of my income I save. Yes, wine, cheese and a few other imports are pricier here. But once you take income tax, council tax, VAT and the raft of stealth taxes into account Thailand becomes incredibly cheap. Of course if you are a potless pensioner who only eats corned beef and Fray Bentos your opinion may differ.  But for me a great lucury lifestyle in Pattaya and BKK is way cheaper than the UK etc even if I do buy the occasional expensive lump of cheese..

[anotheruser]

1 hour ago, rott said:

A...U somehow most of what you say is sort of  "off the wall". Bangkok has a population of between 5 and 8 million depending on how many outer places you include. Minneapolis and Cleveland have how many? And of course Bangkok does not have the western cultural offerings of anywhere of comparable size in the west, because this is a second or third world country in S.E. Asia. People have different tastes here and a great deal less disposable income which dictates a totally different lifestyle.

 

You are saying that in your individual circumstances you would live a completely different life in the USA than you do here. So there are not really any comparisons to be made. It would be difficult for you to live more expensively here than you do already, so a bit pointless commenting on how expensive things are. 

 

But life outside of 5star is still OK you know, are you saying you never ever go out to eat or drink? There are so many places to try in Bangkok outside of the Hi-so spots for casual drinking and dining. I'll see if my mate smokie can recommend a few, I am not in town as often as I used to be and when here tend to stick to the same lowbrow places. But have you ever tried the FCCT? Well worth a look.

 

I was merely demonstrating that even small cities hold their own for facilities and events against Thailand's largest. Seems pretty simple. You will find just about any amenity that Bangkok has in a city 1/10th it's size in the west. You said it was out of line to compare a small city in the USA to Bangkok. I am saying no it really isn't out of line. 

 

That is what I mean about Some place like Cleveland (chosen at random) being closer to what Bangkok is. Nightlife will not be the same but there is not one other thing Bangkok has that Cleveland wouldn't. I am merely asserting that smaller cheaper places in the USA have pretty much anything Bangkok has. So price wise you can probably get a very nice loft in  place like Cleveland right downtown for the same price I get in Bangkok. 

 

It would be very easy to live here more expensively than I do right now. 50K for a condo doesn't even register at the low end of luxury buildings here. 

 

I am well aware of places to eat in Bangkok and have seen many of Smokie36's suggestions. He gives great advice on both high end and normal restaurants all the time. 

 

You don't seem to be grasping the concept that it is okay to compare the cost of living for a person's individual circumstances. It is perfectly acceptable to discuss what different kind of lifestyles cost. You seem to be focused entirely on cost. Some of us others are going more in depth into what does that money buy you? 

 

If you want to compare just at random the cost of Toyotas that is fine. But it is also completely fine to discuss the cost of Mercedes. The thread is more informative that way.

 

I am describing a budget for a normal middle class mere mortal. That way you know, somebody of a similar financial background as mine can get an idea of what things cost. 

 

I don't come time and time again to refute those that say they do it cheaper. Jafo does it much cheaper than I do but seems to comprehend what I am talking about. 

 

You can get buy in Thailand for well under $1,000 we all know this. If that is the only info we are supposed to share somebody could have just said that and then we could close and end this thread.

 

 

[Elkski]

WHat?? no smart phone?? how can we believe any opinion you have? lol

I do see the validity of your comparison between a small USA city and BKK.   many small college towns have quite a bit of culture and many are only an hour away from an even  larger metropolis.

 

Being employed or not is much  different  creature. Once a man of any age begins to seriously look at dropping out of the workforce and is trying to decide if he has enough for his lifestyle to last it is quite serious for those of us to plan not to run out and end up in the trash cans.. I do enjoy street food and wet markets are a big reason for me to consider Thailand..  Considering Thailand or any strange  but lower cost country (I read Panama is #1) is a big unknown, hence my passion for reading threads like these.    Even if its 25% less to retire in Thailand that is quite a few working years a man can quit early..  I am 56 and so looking at making the move at 57 is a big difference in lifestyle choice  than working another 8 years on the USA tread mill.   Being a early retired person in the USA is not considered a popular career choice by many. 

[NeverSure]

6 hours ago, anotheruser said:

-snip-

 

So I guess i would say it this way Thailand is cheaper but I find America to be a better value. This is part of the reason there is not one correct answer. It isn't one size fits all.

 

 

You nailed it. America is a better value. No matter how much you pay for hi-so housing in Thailand, the minute you step outside you are in a third world shatwhole. Litter, bugs, heat, wiring, dodgy food safety, dangerous roads... Did I say litter? Did I say dangerous roads?

 

I own my home, cars etc. in a low tax area so I don't think too much about expenses. I still save money every month just by accident. Health insurance? I have Medicare Part F aka Medigap which is 100% coverage for everything. It's subsidized by the government to the tune of $1100 per month and I pay $150 per month. I won't lose it as I get older.

 

I dunno about cheaper but I do know value when I see it.

 

Cheers.

 

 

 

 

 

[Elkski]

I'm not sure I fully appreciate the dangers of the road in Thailand.  I do have a visitor and we drove 3,300 miles in two weeks and it is interesting to hear what she lines about.  driving from LA to SF on hyway 1 and then to SLC in I-80 she was so impressed at how few accidents we saw she lined about that.  She has really noticed the lack of liter.  She has asked if all the power and wires are underground.  She has asked if it is safe to drink the water several times and I tell her yes in the shower at all the normal places you can even let water get in your mouth.

I think now after 2 weeks here I have finally washed off the last smells of Thailand from her hair., Yesterday I taught her how to waste water and that my 50 gal fast recovery water heater wont let us down.  We have shopped at Asian stores in Colorado and Utah so she sees that she can cook Thai food.  I think any town you compare to Thailand must have Asian markets of which most under 20k population  dont.  

[Elkski]

Maybe the best thing to do is to downsize and stay in the US but share it with  Thai women who will appreciate it all and not be like a spoiled American Woman. 

[rijb]

3 minutes ago, Elkski said:

I'm not sure I fully appreciate the dangers of the road in Thailand.  I do have a visitor and we drove 3,300 miles in two weeks and it is interesting to hear what she lines about.  driving from LA to SF on hyway 1 and then to SLC in I-80 she was so impressed at how few accidents we saw she lined about that.  She has really noticed the lack of liter.  She has asked if all the power and wires are underground.  She has asked if it is safe to drink the water several times and I tell her yes in the shower at all the normal places you can even let water get in your mouth.

I think now after 2 weeks here I have finally washed off the last smells of Thailand from her hair., Yesterday I taught her how to waste water and that my 50 gal fast recovery water heater wont let us down.  We have shopped at Asian stores in Colorado and Utah so she sees that she can cook Thai food.  I think any town you compare to Thailand must have Asian markets of which most under 20k population  dont.  

 

What?

[mark45y]

21 minutes ago, Elkski said:

I'm not sure I fully appreciate the dangers of the road in Thailand.  I do have a visitor and we drove 3,300 miles in two weeks and it is interesting to hear what she lines about.  driving from LA to SF on hyway 1 and then to SLC in I-80 she was so impressed at how few accidents we saw she lined about that.  She has really noticed the lack of liter.  She has asked if all the power and wires are underground.  She has asked if it is safe to drink the water several times and I tell her yes in the shower at all the normal places you can even let water get in your mouth.

I think now after 2 weeks here I have finally washed off the last smells of Thailand from her hair., Yesterday I taught her how to waste water and that my 50 gal fast recovery water heater wont let us down.  We have shopped at Asian stores in Colorado and Utah so she sees that she can cook Thai food.  I think any town you compare to Thailand must have Asian markets of which most under 20k population  dont.  

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/the-life-of-the-linemen-who-keep-your-lights-on/

 

What percent of USA power lines are underground?
 

Edited December 1, 2016 by mark45y

[Elkski]

In some  cities it is a very high % of  the smaller ones under 500 v. And all new developments seem to be underground in the housing areas.  Cable too. 

Sorry I didn't write my random thoughts so clearly this am.  

[NeverSure]

1 hour ago, mark45y said:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/the-life-of-the-linemen-who-keep-your-lights-on/

 

What percent of USA power lines are underground?
 

 

The US is huge with "miles and miles of miles and miles". The lines are underground in most areas built in the past few decades and many towns and cities have be upgraded. You'll see overhead lines running cross country and in older neighborhoods.

 

Even so, if you see overhead lines they are neat and orderly and safe. Oh, and they are also safely grounded LOL.  

 

Cheers.

 

PS  I didn't see where your linked article said what percentage is underground, not that it really matters.

[Elkski]

I was taking pictures of all the crazy overhead line routings this past July when I was in Thailand before I read that Bill Gates had the same fascination.

Keeping this thread on track

I do want to stress to anyone who  has not kept up with the USA rental or housing market these past 2-3 years that your price estimates may be  way off by 30%  or more.   I tell you just a bedroom in a decent small house near Downtown Salt lake city as well as a nicer house out in the suburbs but maybe close to the cottonwood ski areas  is easily going for 500$/mo.   I know guys in the Apartment industry and I still get the trade magazines.. Occupancy is at 95% ++.   I just stayed at a small airbnb 2 bd room condo in  SF near fishermans warf. it was outdated everything! but he did share a super small garage with another tenant.   I couldn't live there for his 2000$/mo rent. He did have a view out to Alcatraz.    I hear apartments in Downtown Denver are ridiculous. My brother rents out a 3 bdrm condo for 1750 not near downtown Denver.  And he is raising rent to 65,000 Baht.  

[anotheruser]

That's the thing the price to rent in the USA is relatively high. Yet, the price to own in some areas is very reasonable. The 75 sq/m condo I live in Bangkok is 50K a month. The building is okay but it is five years old and falling apart already.

 

The cost to buy this condo is approximately $360,000 which is basically just nuts for what it is. I have no idea what the HOA fees would be. The price of rent is low in Thailand, conversely the price to buy is excessively high. 

 

Obviously we aren't allowed to buy houses here so rent comes up all the time. However the barrier to actual ownership in the states is not that large. 

 

While I am at it add in $15,000 or $3,000 a year just in visa fees for me to live here being under 50 years old. 

 

I am actively pursuing housing in the USA and well aware of the prices. Condos are egregiously over priced in BKK metro and a foreigner can't own anything else anyway. So what is the cost when your wife passes away before you do and the family takes it all?

 

If you are going to say that housing is cheap in Thailand you have to factor in that price comes with a very big risk. 

 

65k Doesn't even get you a decent 3 bedroom condo in BKK. You seem desperate to convince us that Thailand is cheaper and that point has been conceded long ago, for people of certain income levels it sure is.

 

You can't spend what you don't have. I could live on less than $1,000 per month in the USA if I was forced to. Many people in the USA live this reality. If living below the poverty line is what one is forced to do Thailand may be a better bet.

 

Until they decide you now need a pension of 85 month instead of 65 a month or the currency you are paid in tanks. You can see many threads of people lamenting the good old days when Thailand was very cheap for them. 

 

If you are fond of living in a single room studio and find an uncertain future  adventurous by all means move to Thailand on the lowest budget possible in the various scenarios we have discussed already.

 

 

[thehelmsman]

2 hours ago, Elkski said:

Maybe the best thing to do is to downsize and stay in the US but share it with  Thai women who will appreciate it all and not be like a spoiled American Woman. 

 

Give her time, Give her time.

[anotheruser]

Just to add when I said people of certain income levels I meant both the top and bottom ends of the spectrum. Naam seems to make avail of such services as gardeners and maids which will be expensive outside of SE Asia. 

 

So he is a case of somebody well off that finds Thailand inexpensive. 

[Elkski]

2 minutes ago, thehelmsman said:

 

Give her time, Give her time.

This thought did cross my mind.

 

I am not trying to convince anyone of anything...  I think it costs more like 3500-4000$/mo in the US. to live... I cant imagine 1000$.

 

My cost estimates would be

Housing of some type.    1500 $/mo  

Cable internet                     110 $

Phone cell 3 GB verizon.  115 $

Gas                                         65

sewar and trash.                  25

water                                      70

gas car 100 gals at 2.50    250

car insurance                         80

health ins                             550

Food                                     600

car maintenance  DIY        150  I have older paid off vehicles and I repair most things.

                                              3515

[anotheruser]

Try T-Mobile $50 a month does it. Rent $1,500 a month? Surely you aren't living in a one room box for that. 

 

Food $600 a month? You realize you can feed a family of 6 people for less than that. Potatoes are cheap as is pasta. now you aren't talking about the rent a room have no car life of Thailand anymore lol

 

100 gallons of gas? Thank god you don't need that amount in Thailand gas is way cheaper in the USA.

 

Anyway you have managed to rent a place, own several cars, drive 5,000 miles, insure both your cars and yourself, and heat cool your home, for less than I spend here. 

 

The rate of inflation in the USA is around 1.75% and Thailand is around 2.75% at the moment. So add that in next year. 

 

You will find most people that don't own their own home in Thailand are struggling on pensions of 65,000 a month, not thriving. It isn't like it is some walk in the park. 

 

 

 

Edited December 1, 2016 by anotheruser

[Elkski]

100 gallons is a bit high but with gas under 2.50 and not 4$+ it is nice to cruise the safe highways and roads in USA. 

I got divorced 3 years ago so I was looking for rooms and houses to rent. 1500$/mo is a dump of a 2-3 bedroom house with a garage and not in a nice quiet safe area.  I guess safe is a relative term.  2000$ is more like it.

 

And yes I am comparing my life now and or  downsizing to a 1500$ place where I would have to sell or store 50% of my junk.   IF I go to Thailand I would sell it all and be  ok in a 2-3 bdrm place in Thailand.

I am a very frugal person.  I eat a nice American diet and cook quite a bit at home.  I do eat out but never at Hi SO places.. my idea of a nice dinner would be 15-20$ per person without drinks. 

I prefer to drink at home due to higher cost at a bar or restaurant.

 

By the way why is beer so expensive in Thailand.  Its all crap... Why cant they brew some nice hoppy IPA's for the same price as a imported Heineken? 

Edited December 1, 2016 by Elkski
clarity & spelling

[EvenSteven]

9 minutes ago, anotheruser said:

 

Not at all somebody picks his cherries for him.

 

Indeed.  As I was saying, you get what you pay for.  Labour is noticeably cheaper in Thailand, but would you contract-out the building of a new house in the US to a Thai construction company?  Or even bring over a Thai electrician, plumber, or carpenter to work on your house in the US?

Edited December 1, 2016 by EvenSteven

[Elkski]

I have thought having a maid for 10$ US per day for a couple days a week or month would be a nice benefit in Thailand? 

 

[EvenSteven]

3 minutes ago, anotheruser said:

 

If you wanted to pass mandatory inspections and have it done to code not really. It would end up being more expensive in the long run as doing it right in the first place... which is a common complaint in Thailand.

 

Like I was saying, we get what we pay for.  You may save on the cost of labour in Thailand but pay for it in other ways.

[EvenSteven]

1 minute ago, anotheruser said:

 

You just increased the $1,000 a month budget by a $200 hundred dollars. 

 

And he better lock his stuff up too.  We get what we pay for, for the most part.  No free lunch folks.