Costs of living in Thailand

[jonn1]

All - apologies this must have been discussed many times and I am probably being very dumb - I've tried searching the forums and cannot find any threads 

I have searched the net and there is a lot of info about the cost of living in Thailand - ranging from $1000 - $5000 per month - I understand it depends where you live and your life style. I'm a single 52 yo guy who would have an income of about 1500 gbp (1800 USD) per month. I do not want to live in BKK and like a quieter life - it would be nice to be near a beach or mountains as I like both. I would not have a lavish lifestyle - just a pleasant place to rent and enough to eat out a few times a week and a few beers at the weekend 

 

If you can post any links to info I would be grateful 

 

thanks Jonn 

 

[Upnotover]

Here's one to start with......

 

[jonn1]

thanks upnotover - not sure why I could not find this myself  I will give the thread a good read 

[lopburi3]

One thing to remember is medical treatment/drugs will not be free here so as you age you will likely require more (insurance policy will increase in cost with age).  Eating out is cheap if you like simple Thai food.  But wine would be very expensive.  Rent is reasonable and you can obtain good housing most places but transportation may be an issue (you will likely want something if not living in large city).  The search on forum seems to be bad but most times you can use Google to fine old threads here.  

[sanemax]

It costs 1200 Baht per day to live in Chiang mai

1500 Baht per day in Bangkok 

1700 Baht per day in Koh Samuii

1450 Baht per day in Pattaya

1550 Baht per day in Pukett

 

[Amusements]

You could probably survive very easily on about a grand a month. I have rented loads of 1 and 2 bedroom houses and apartments (some near a beach) and never had to pay more than (15,000 Baht) 300 GBP a month. Everything else depends on what you want to make yourself comfortable.

[jonn1]

many thanks for your replies - it is appreciated - so it looks doable 

thanks for the tips - I will look into further - as I say I have pretty basic needs but I need to look at health cover 

[guru]

For advice on the lowest possible day to day expenditure poster Canarysun is the forum's expert advisor


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Don Mega]

if you rent a modest condo and not go out on the piss every night renting girls 1800usd will be more than enough.

[jonn1]

thanks Guru and Mega - this is what I wanted to hear 

I just need to grow a pair now and take the plunge lol 

[theguyfromanotherforum]

In before if you live on 100,000 baht a month, you live like a Thai.

[Savilesghost]

28 minutes ago, guru said:

For advice on the lowest possible day to day expenditure poster Canarysun is the forum's expert advisor


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Hardly an expert, didnt he have to go back the UK to scrounge medical treatment off the NHS and no longer "survives" in Thailand what he was doing could hardly be called living.."just existing" might be a better description  

[Savilesghost]

21 minutes ago, jonn1 said:

thanks Guru and Mega - this is what I wanted to hear 

I just need to grow a pair now and take the plunge lol 

You may not need your own pair, there are ladies here who will lend you theirs 

[Savilesghost]

47 minutes ago, sanemax said:

It costs 1200 Baht per day to live in Chiang mai

1500 Baht per day in Bangkok 

1700 Baht per day in Koh Samuii

1450 Baht per day in Pattaya

1550 Baht per day in Pukett

 

Thats english teachers live on you mean ? 

[jonn1]

3 minutes ago, Savilesghost said:

You may not need your own pair, there are ladies here who will lend you theirs 

Lol - this just aint my bag 

[Savilesghost]

44 minutes ago, jonn1 said:

many thanks for your replies - it is appreciated - so it looks doable 

thanks for the tips - I will look into further - as I say I have pretty basic needs but I need to look at health cover 

You need medical cover, you need a lump sum slush fund as well put away, 3 months expenses should be the minimum 

[jpinx]

Thai immigration require a retiree to have 65k per month.  That's easily doable, but now you have to add beer, girls, smokes, and healthcare

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Thai immigration require a retiree to have 65k per month.  That's easily doable, but now you have to add beer, girls, smokes, and healthcare

Or if you are older and healthy you can avoid blackouts, STD and cancer and save a lot on health insurance until absolutely necessary.

[jonn1]

thanks ghost and jpinx - I do have a bit of a stash but I want to ensure that if I like it there I can afford to stay and not run out of money. I'm not planning to squander my money on smokes 

[Savilesghost]

1 minute ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

 

Or if you are older and healthy you can avoid blackouts, STD and cancer and save a lot on health insurance until absolutely necessary.

 

A very naive statement on the health insurance, no one likes to pay for it, but you are very glad of it when you do need it 

[Mr Wimpy]

Lol - this just aint my bag 

Give it time mate!

[sanemax]

13 minutes ago, Savilesghost said:

Thats english teachers live on you mean ? 

 

  Nope, that is per person .

If you have a partner, add 65 % to the cost

[scorecard]

56 minutes ago, jonn1 said:

many thanks for your replies - it is appreciated - so it looks doable 

thanks for the tips - I will look into further - as I say I have pretty basic needs but I need to look at health cover 

 

 

And in regard to health cover, yes vital. Please check comprehensively, the usual belief is that none will ensure past past; 60, 65... . Not totally true, there are many more health insurers than the few that are often quoted here and there's also a range of types of cover and therefore premiums. Searching it all out takes a while but worth the effort. 

[jvs]

I guess a lot of people ask that question before they come to Thailand,you can figure it all out before you move here.

Once you are here what are you going to do?Sit around all day?Nice for the first few months but the shine does wear

of fast.

Do you have hobbies?Fishing? Traveling?Golf? All cost money and you will need to find something to occupy

your time.

I have seen a lot of people turn slowly into alcoholics.

Thailand is a great country to stay imo but it is not for everyone.

Learn to say no and choose your friends carefully.

[jonn1]

6 minutes ago, Mr Wimpy said:

 

Give it time mate!

 

probably a very old joke for you guys - but I have only seen it recently 

 

[Savilesghost]

4 minutes ago, sanemax said:

 

  Nope, that is per person .

If you have a partner, add 65 % to the cost

Thats a very low amount actually person 

[jonn1]

2 minutes ago, jvs said:

I guess a lot of people ask that question before they come to Thailand,you can figure it all out before you move here.

Once you are here what are you going to do?Sit around all day?Nice for the first few months but the shine does wear

of fast.

Do you have hobbies?Fishing? Traveling?Golf? All cost money and you will need to find something to occupy

your time.

I have seen a lot of people turn slowly into alcoholics.

Thailand is a great country to stay imo but it is not for everyone.

Learn to say no and choose your friends carefully.

thanks jvs - this sounds good advice - I'm not a big drinker and do have hobbies and will be looking to try other things - I'm not one for sitting around all day so I will need to keep busy 

[Savilesghost]

4 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

 

And in regard to health cover, yes vital. Please check comprehensively, the usual belief is that none will ensure past past; 60, 65... . Not totally true, there are many more health insurers than the few that are often quoted here and there's also a range of types of cover and therefore premiums. Searching it all out takes a while but worth the effort. 

Correct, if he takes insurance out now aged 52, and stays with the same company he will not have problems later on as regards premiums and existing condition exclusions assuming he is healthy now 

 

Most companys will insure past 60 or 65, its just the cost of premiums is high and by that time most 60/65 year olds will have existing conditions because they have left it too late and only try and get a policy once they are sick, and then start whinging about it

[Gary A]

Everyone lives differently. You won't know for sure until you live here yourself and then live as you  normally would. I inflated my guess so I would be safe when I retired. I had some advantage because I worked her for a number of years before I retired.  That wasn't really much of an advantage because the company paid for housing, utilities and transportation. After I retired, I kept a spreadsheet religiously and found that my expenses were far below my estimates. I discovered that I could afford to buy a condo. That lowered my monthly expenses even more. My pensions allow me a healthy surplus every month. I had health insurance until they priced me out. I dropped the policy when I was 65 years old. I have enough of a nest egg to pay what was the policy limits.

[sanemax]

11 minutes ago, Savilesghost said:

Thats a very low amount actually person 

 

  No it isnt , that is the correct amount, although it does cost more if you book through an agent