Selling up and leaving Thailand

[Ulysses G.]

"I am struggling to see how rent could be 10 times more expensive."

 

I came up with that amount off the top of my head, but rent is WAY more expensive and that is a fact. You can't find one room with an adjoining bathroom here very often, like you can in Thailand, so it is hard to make a direct comparison. If you did find one, it would probably in an unsafe location.  You can rent one room in someone's house with a bath down the hall, but they are usually quite expensive too. A private apartment is usually considerably more.

 

I am talking about California. Someplace like North Dakota is probably more reasonable.

Edited January 3, 2018 by Ulysses G.

[GinBoy2]

58 minutes ago, Ulysses G. said:

"I am struggling to see how rent could be 10 times more expensive."

 

I came up with that amount off the top of my head, but rent is WAY more expensive and that is a fact. You can't find one room with an adjoining bathroom here very often, like you can in Thailand, so it is hard to make a direct comparison. If you did find one, it would probably in an unsafe location.  You can rent one room in someone's house with a bath down the hall, but they are usually quite expensive too. A private apartment is usually considerably more.

 

I am talking about California. Someplace like North Dakota is probably more reasonable.

That was why I gave real numbers for my rental condo here in comparison to my rental in Noble Remix Bangkok. My rental here is 1200sqft, 4616 Chalkstone Dr, Rapid City SD, you can look it up and see pics. 

I rent it for $890, and compare that to my 50sqm condo in BKK which rented for ฿32K.

The yield here however is considerably more based on the purchase price versus rental income

But again, housing is all relative. South Dakota doesn’t compare to San Francisco, but central Sukhumvit doesn’t compare to rural Isaan.

What I would say however is that facilities in South Dakota (or similar) compare very well to San Francisco, whereas, comparing Bangkok to almost anywhere else in Thailand, that doesn’t quite work so well!

[steven100]

ok bye .... don't forget to write.

[Will27]

4 hours ago, aircooledflat4 said:

^ yes I’m serious. $1064.62 AUD per month to be exact. Yes own my own home.

I'm with mstevens here.  I'd be staggered if you could live on $266 per week in Perth.

 

Even on the cheap, your trips to Thailand would be around $5000 I gather.

Then there's rego and  insurance for 2 cars plus bills before you even buy something to eat.

 

I'm from Perth and it's really expensive.

[Ulysses G.]

16 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

 

What I would say however is that facilities in South Dakota (or similar) compare very well to San Francisco, whereas, comparing Bangkok to almost anywhere else in Thailand, that doesn’t quite work so well!

Yet one can get a cheap, comfortable room in Bangkok fairly easily that would cost far less than something in South Dakota that was not some kind of aberration. There really is no comparison.

[GinBoy2]

Oh and for the record, for those that seem to believe I have an 'agenda' . I still own a couple more condo's in Bangkok, plus our house in Khon Kaen.
So all I'm trying to do is provide objective real numbers. I'm not comparing anything to Australia, England of which I have no knowledge. All I'm trying to say is, that my experience is that in 'some' locations' the cost benefits versus overall lifestyle, safety,healthcare doesn't figure well in Thailand's favor.
Granted few other locations have the NEP, Pattaya 'nightlife', but I'm well past that, but if thats your thing, yeah that's a game changer.

I'm kinda settling into the new routine of 6 months here, 6 months there.

[aircooledflat4]

26 minutes ago, Will27 said:

Even on the cheap, your trips to Thailand would be around $5000 I gather.

No, next trip in February is costing $2370.96 all up, ex Brisbane.

 

Flight 820.10

Accommodation (26 nights) 714.89

Spending money 814.07

Airtrain to BNE Intn’l Airport 21.90

 

 

[Will27]

1 hour ago, aircooledflat4 said:

No, next trip in February is costing $2370.96 all up, ex Brisbane.

 

Flight 820.10

Accommodation (26 nights) 714.89

Spending money 814.07

Airtrain to BNE Intn’l Airport 21.90

 

 

I was quoting for the 3 trips that you mentioned.

 

Surely the trips can't come out of your $1016 per month.

 

[stevkob]

1 hour ago, aircooledflat4 said:

Flight 820.10

Accommodation (26 nights) 714.89

Spending money 814.07

Airtrain to BNE Intn’l Airport 21.90

 

Sounds about right except maybe a bit light on the spending money :)

And that 21.90 is one way :))

 

[JLCrab]

2 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

That was why I gave real numbers for my rental condo here in comparison to my rental in Noble Remix Bangkok. My rental here is 1200sqft, 4616 Chalkstone Dr, Rapid City SD, you can look it up and see pics. 

I did. It reminds me of my living in Oklahoma. I thought you were a Central Valley CA guy. So why South Dakota?

[aircooledflat4]

1 hour ago, stevkob said:

 

And that 21.90 is one way :))

 

Yes, I get picked up from the airport upon arrival home :))

Edited January 3, 2018 by aircooledflat4

[aircooledflat4]

1 hour ago, Will27 said:

Surely the trips can't come out of your $1016 per month.

They do. 

[aircooledflat4]

1 hour ago, stevkob said:

Sounds about right except maybe a bit light on the spending money :)

Yeah true, but I always seem to return home with a couple of thousand baht unspent 

[Will27]

1 hour ago, aircooledflat4 said:

They do. 

I'd love to see your maths on this one.

 

You say you get $1064 PM x 12 = $12768

Less 3 trips to Thailand at $2730 = $8190

Which leaves $4578 per year.

 

So that leaves you total of $381.50 per month to spend on 2 cars,

petrol, utility bills and food.

 

I find that amazing.

[1BADDAT]

13 hours ago, Ulysses G. said:

"I am struggling to see how rent could be 10 times more expensive."

 

I came up with that amount off the top of my head, but rent is WAY more expensive and that is a fact. You can't find one room with an adjoining bathroom here very often, like you can in Thailand, so it is hard to make a direct comparison. If you did find one, it would probably in an unsafe location.  You can rent one room in someone's house with a bath down the hall, but they are usually quite expensive too. A private apartment is usually considerably more.

 

I am talking about California. Someplace like North Dakota is probably more reasonable.

Good to see that you don't actually think rent is 10x.  Next time just state your opinion and don't make up numbers.

 

I agree California is more expensive.  I also agree that California is more expensive than almost every state. 

 

The main difference between Thailand and USA is that in USA if you are not wealthy there is a poor tax.  The things that are pretty much necessities are expensive if you are poor.  Small apartments are still expensive.  Doing laundry at a laundry mat is ridiculously expensive.  I had someone do my laundry in Thai for a fraction of that.  Owning a car is a necessity in most places outside major cities (or sometimes inside them as well) and with Interest on a loan, insurance, tags...etc it can really add up.  In Thailand you can get buy with necessities very cheaply and food and transport can be very cheap.

 

Most people that support that Thailand is much cheaper don't really look at all angles.  If you are comparing living very modestly in both countries then there is no question Thailand is by far the cheaper option.  Once you start to get to having a pretty decent standard of living, that gap narrows a lot.  The fact is many move to Thailand and adapt to a more modest lifestyle and enjoy it.  I didn't but I still loved my time there, regardless of the cost.

[GinBoy2]

10 hours ago, JLCrab said:

I did. It reminds me of my living in Oklahoma. I thought you were a Central Valley CA guy. So why South Dakota?

I am from the Central Valley, but CA it's so expensive when you want to retire compromises have to be made. As for why South Dakota. First came here in the mid 80’s with B1 bomber deployments, and really liked the Black Hills. Then as an expat it was useful to keep South Dakota residency, since it’s zero state tax place, and it ensures that Sacramento doesn’t have a reason to get their claws in you, with their ‘Hotel California’ taxation philosophy

Edited January 3, 2018 by GinBoy2

[JLCrab]

OK so Ellsworth AFB is the connection I was thinking must be there. BTW Florida is a no income tax state and not so cold.

[Ulysses G.]

9 hours ago, 1BADDAT said:

Good to see that you don't actually think rent is 10x.  Next time just state your opinion and don't make up numbers.

 

 

I said "SOMETHING LIKE"  10 times more and that is not far off. I did not make up any numbers. I gave a general idea and again, not far off. I get it that you want to pretend that living in Thailand costs as much as the USA, but that is ridiculous.

 

 

[1BADDAT]

38 minutes ago, Ulysses G. said:

I said "SOMETHING LIKE"  10 times more and that is not far off. I did not make up any numbers. I gave a general idea and again, not far off. I get it that you want to pretend that living in Thailand costs as much as the USA, but that is ridiculous.

 

 

I thought we were both agreeing that 10X was not accurate as you stated that you pulled it out of the air.

 

Regardless if you actually read my post you would see that I said that Thailand is definitely less expensive.  That gap shrinks as you go up in the society.  For me renting a car, drinking decent wine, cooking steaks, and living on the beach was not an incredible bargain, but it was an amazing time!

[Ulysses G.]

Again, I said "SOMETHING LIKE"  10 times more. I was writing in generalities. I was not being exact.

[1BADDAT]

33 minutes ago, Ulysses G. said:

Again, I said "SOMETHING LIKE"  10 times more. I was writing in generalities. I was not being exact.

It is obvious from your responses that you see things in only black and white and will not admit any inaccuracies.  If you want to speak in generalities just speak in generalities.  Don't make up numbers and then say in generally they are correct.  I have given specific examples that show my experiences.  I in general agree with you, but I see that this is a sliding scale.  I have seen that many posters want a definite yes and no and anyone that lives in the real world knows that this is not realistic.

 

I am happy for anyone that moves to Thailand and eats street food (or whatever they do) and lives modestly and loves it.  That is great that they have that experience.  I did not live that way and had a wonderful experience as well.  Should my experience be viewed as negative because I spent a lot of money and had an amazing time?  Being objective is a real part of life.  If you choose to ignore that or listen to any other point of you other than your own then i feel sorry for you..because that shows that you are not open to ideas or anyone else's experiences.

[GinBoy2]

5 hours ago, JLCrab said:

OK so Ellsworth AFB is the connection I was thinking must be there. BTW Florida is a no income tax state and not so cold.

Thats the one.

 

I’ve really been a fan of Florida, although I recognize the zero tax there also

[JLCrab]

Well if I were like many on here who evaluate their location in Florida by how many meters they are from the beach, I might not be a fan either.

Edited January 4, 2018 by JLCrab

[UncleTouchyFingers]

Depends on your standard of living. 

 

Im gearing up to move back to the US, and while I will be spending more per month/year in the US, what I get in return is WAY more. WAY better. 

 

If you enjoy living in a "loom" in thailand while eating "noodun" from the street with a poverty internet connection - Thailand. 

 

If you enjoy materialistic consumer items (I sure as hell do), owning your own place outright, quality goods & services, mind-blowing grocery stores & restaurants, etc... - US. 

 

Its alot like Amazon.com VS Lazada.th - one is the mac-daddy and the other is the flea-market equivalent. 

 

As far as Cambodia..... Its a great place for a single guy on a holiday to get stoned & goof around. Wouldn't want to live there. 

 

[SheungWan]

A lot of the discussion continues as zero-sum in terms of being in Thailand or somewhere else, but it needs to be re-stated that for some of us it is not zero-sum but rather a personal decision as to the percentage of time spent in Thailand. This can range from 1 month to 11 months and change over time. For sure it depends on one's finances but that's life.

[JLCrab]

While a lot of these analyses are about whether a gallon of gasoline costs more in Thailand than USA, I like living in Thailand because nobody really gives a sh*&^%t who you are. When I was in USA aged late 40's to early 50's, it seemed that whenever you met someone, you could see the mental calculation clicking: Can knowing this person help me more than I can help them? And if not, they wanted to have nothing to do with you.

 

Here -- unless you choose to make it otherwise -- you are just another farang ... and no one cares what you do.

Edited January 4, 2018 by JLCrab

[UncleTouchyFingers]

1 hour ago, JLCrab said:

I like living in Thailand because nobody really gives a sh*&^%t who you are.

 

Weird. Seems the opposite to me. 

 

Im totally anonymous in the US if I want to be. Totally independent. Need nothing from nobody. 

 

1 hour ago, JLCrab said:

Here -- unless you choose to make it otherwise -- you are just another farang ... and no one cares what you do.

 

Translation: "Just another foreigner"

 

This is something ive come to realize that I just dont want to be. 

[bkk6060]

1 hour ago, JLCrab said:

While a lot of these analyses are about whether a gallon of gasoline costs more in Thailand than USA, I like living in Thailand because nobody really gives a sh*&^%t who you are. When I was in USA aged late 40's to early 50's, it seemed that whenever you met someone, you could see the mental calculation clicking: Can knowing this person help me more than I can help them? And if not, they wanted to have nothing to do with you.

 

Here -- unless you choose to make it otherwise -- you are just another farang ... and no one cares what you do.

I think you are right generally with Thais and Falang.

But, too many Falang seem to be nosey. I have also met too many here that want to know you but have ulterior motives: sell you a condo, rent you one, sell HGH, sell roids, personal train you, sell or rent a motorbike, etc.

 

[Ulysses G.]

On 1/3/2018 at 7:50 PM, 1BADDAT said:

It is obvious from your responses that you see things in only black and white and will not admit any inaccuracies.  If you want to speak in generalities just speak in generalities.  Don't make up numbers and then say in generally they are correct.  I have given specific examples that show my experiences. 

What you have given is anecodal and proves next to nothing. I avoided doing the same thing, because most people are aware of its many drawbacks. 

 

anecdotal

Something anecdotal has to do with anecdotes — little stories. Anecdotal evidence is based on hearsay rather than hard facts.

People like to share stories about things that happened to them, or that they heard about, to make a point. That kind of talk is anecdotal: based on small, personal accounts. Anecdotal stories are helpful when you’re trying to give an example of something, but there's a downside to anecdotal information: since it’s not based on facts, you never know if you can totally trust it. So it's best to go beyond the anecdotal and get more solid information.

https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/anecdotal

[Justfine]

On 03/01/2018 at 6:05 PM, Will27 said:

I'd love to see your maths on this one.

 

You say you get $1064 PM x 12 = $12768

Less 3 trips to Thailand at $2730 = $8190

Which leaves $4578 per year.

 

So that leaves you total of $381.50 per month to spend on 2 cars,

petrol, utility bills and food.

 

I find that amazing.

Why have 2 cars if you can't afford them?