Cost of living

[wwest5829]

Now retired for 6 years in Chiang Rai. I bought about 100 sq meters (3 rooms, put them together). Bought, reconstructed, furnished for about 1 million baht. Off the 3rd ring road, so outside the city a bit. Have car, motorbike. Every month 65 - 70,000 baht comes to support me and all in, I think I am quite comfortable. No female in my life and I do not spend that much ... so excess goes to saving for travel. 

[baansgr]

Lotus, Makro etc food is the same price in Thailand, as are utilities and internet so it dosnt matter if you stay in Krabi, Phuket, BKK or Surin cost is the same. The main expenditure difference is in accommodation but Krabi etc still offer 1 bed house for 8K a month long term. If you are a drinker again small watering holes can be found in all the tourist destinations at the same price as up North. The main cost will be if you have a partner that you need to support, ifactor in 20k a month there. If single, once your car/bike is paid for, you can eat steak, salmon, foreign foods at home and not spend more than 12k a month after rent, that would include a few cheaps beers evrey 3 or 4 days

[steven100]

if you drink the piss like me .... ( all day every day )   then add another 10,000 baht onto the budget ..

[bazza73]

12 minutes ago, steven100 said:

if you drink the piss like me .... ( all day every day )   then add another 10,000 baht onto the budget ..

I thought you said you worked in Myanmar - are you a professional wine taster?

[steven100]

1 minute ago, bazza73 said:

I thought you said you worked in Myanmar - are you a professional wine taster?

lol ..... no, i'm in BKK and i sit in the room and drink piss all day.

[colinneil]

3 minutes ago, steven100 said:

lol ..... no, i'm in BKK and i sit in the room and drink piss all day.

 

3 minutes ago, steven100 said:

lol ..... no, i'm in BKK and i sit in the room and drink piss all day.

Wow what an exciting life you lead.

[perspectiff]

1 hour ago, Telly said:

Nice, more Singaporean coming out of the woodwork.

I'm just past 40 so not on a retirement visa.

What I'm on is a 1 year ED visa, but it's not to study Thai. On average you can renew the ED visa 4 times.

If you've been staying hdb then no problems with a studio if there's 1 of you or a 1 bedroom if there's 2 of you.

Skip the cooking, it's just easier and cheaper to eat out. 

Not many shopping centre like SG in CM, there's a big C and Tesco each on the super highway and at Hang Dong.

Don't buy property or vehicle for the first 2 years till you know what you in for.

Greetings to you too Telly. Good to hear a perspective from a fellow local. 
Yup I'm staying in HDB and im not too hard up on space. In fact I dont like staying in big areas since Im too lazy to clean up.
I dont really shop much either so a big C and Tesco will do just fine. Good advice on the property though.. wont want to get stuck with a heavy liability until im absolute certain of what I want.

[colinneil]

Well i live in deepest/ darkest Issan, most monthly costs are very low.

No birds, no booze, in fact no nothing.

No mortgage/rent/loans.

Electric averages 500-550 each month, water about 120-130, internet 599, mobile about 50 baht.

Eat plenty of fish/chicken/organic veg (home grown) buy bread, pork, prawns, but little else.

Good job my expenses are low, because my UK pension is worth sod all.

[perspectiff]

38 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Lotus, Makro etc food is the same price in Thailand, as are utilities and internet so it dosnt matter if you stay in Krabi, Phuket, BKK or Surin cost is the same. The main expenditure difference is in accommodation but Krabi etc still offer 1 bed house for 8K a month long term. If you are a drinker again small watering holes can be found in all the tourist destinations at the same price as up North. The main cost will be if you have a partner that you need to support, ifactor in 20k a month there. If single, once your car/bike is paid for, you can eat steak, salmon, foreign foods at home and not spend more than 12k a month after rent, that would include a few cheaps beers evrey 3 or 4 days

I am a social drinker so I won't really look for it unless its with company.. even so, I usually only have a couple of beers. But yes my main concern lies in having a partner that I will need to support. 

[perspectiff]

Just now, colinneil said:

Well i live in deepest/ darkest Issan, most monthly costs are very low.

No birds, no booze, in fact no nothing.

No mortgage/rent/loans.

Electric averages 500-550 each month, water about 120-130, internet 599, mobile about 50 baht.

Eat plenty of fish/chicken/organic veg (home grown) buy bread, pork, prawns, but little else.

Good job my expenses are low, because my UK pension is worth sod all.

Hahaha well as with most people, you live on what you can afford. How long have u been staying in Issan ? and how did you end up there?

[steven100]

1 minute ago, perspectiff said:

I am a social drinker so I won't really look for it unless its with company.. even so, I usually only have a couple of beers. But yes my main concern lies in having a partner that I will need to support. 

perspectiff ....  you can live upcountry in Thailand on approximately 30k-35 which is a medium budget.  That will get you accom, food, utilities etc ... and a few thousand left over each month for extras.  30k probably being your minimum requirement ..... so any higher and you live better.

[colinneil]

23 minutes ago, perspectiff said:

Hahaha well as with most people, you live on what you can afford. How long have u been staying in Issan ? and how did you end up there?

 

On and off i have been in Issan 20 years, how did i end up here, my wife is from this village, so that is why i am here.

Most of our food is home grown, because it is something i have done for over 40 years, not just in Issan, i did the same in the UK.

I am a great believer in eating organic food where ever possible, so growing my own i know that is is organic.

The only fertilizer i use is chicken s..t and i recycle the water from my fish tanks.

My biggest expense has been all the alterations/adaptions to our home caused by me now being paraplegic.

Edited May 12, 2017 by colinneil

[Guy1]

7 hours ago, perspectiff said:

Hello there fellow singaporean! I didn't expect to find another one here too haha.

Good to know you are making more than decent money from your business. It's something I was considering myself so that I can move here quicker. On a sidenote, are you comfortable enough to drop me a PM on the business you are currently operating there? Of course, its entirely up to you =).

Yo bro,

 

Feel free to pm me. If you dont have another female that you are supporting, the costs can be lower. I rent out my property in Singapore so i have a passive income from home. If you dont have a car, its even cheaper here. I am 39 this year, but whenever i return back to Singapore, the govt treat me as unemployed as i didnt declare any income in sg. But i like it, pursuing a less stress life in bkk while enjoying the benefits of being a sg person.

 

You may find it tough for the first few years in bkk without an income. I been in your situation 10 years ago. Never completely cut off ties from your home country, this i strongly advise

[Kwasaki]

11 hours ago, reenatinnakor said:

he's not going to slum it in a village!

You obviously do not know much about the comforts of living in a Thai village.

And by the way my house would cost 3 mil now something else you did not consider.

[colinneil]

12 hours ago, reenatinnakor said:

 

Where do you live? A 3 bed house built for 1m must mean you live in the villages! Not a bad thing. But the OP is a retiree from the West, he's not going to slum it in a village!

Sent from my LG-H990 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

 

Well i dont slum it in a village, our  home would have a 2 million plus price tag on it.

3 bedroom/2 bathroom/2 kitchens/ aircon.

[reenatinnakor]

14 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

You obviously do not know much about the comforts of living in a Thai village.

And by the way my house would cost 3 mil now something else you did not consider.

 

I've lived in a village for months, have built a house there for the gf family, but I dont like staying there. Nothing to do and no internet and chickens crying in the morning is not the life I can get use to! But yes, you can live cheaply and builld a big house on land. It's cheap because there's nothing to do. I don't think a retiree would be able to just come to Thailand and live in a village.

[colinneil]

10 minutes ago, reenatinnakor said:

 

I've lived in a village for months, have built a house there for the gf family, but I dont like staying there. Nothing to do and no internet and chickens crying in the morning is not the life I can get use to! But yes, you can live cheaply and builld a big house on land. It's cheap because there's nothing to do. I don't think a retiree would be able to just come to Thailand and live in a village.

 

Nothing to do, i find there are not enough hours in a day for me.

Also we have wi-fi internet, as do most villages now.

Good job you dont live next to me, we have a morning chorus every day, as we have 10 cockerels.

I was happy living in this village even before my accident.

[simoh1490]

15 minutes ago, reenatinnakor said:

 

I've lived in a village for months, have built a house there for the gf family, but I dont like staying there. Nothing to do and no internet and chickens crying in the morning is not the life I can get use to! But yes, you can live cheaply and builld a big house on land. It's cheap because there's nothing to do. I don't think a retiree would be able to just come to Thailand and live in a village.

Not really that different from living in a village in rural England, if you don't have what you need to hand you get in your car/on the bus and go to the town. I used to live ina hamlet of eight houses and I really loved it, perhaps that's why I'm OK with village life here, I guess if I'd lived in cities all my life it wouldn't work however.

[Kwasaki]

31 minutes ago, reenatinnakor said:

 

I've lived in a village for months, have built a house there for the gf family, but I dont like staying there. Nothing to do and no internet and chickens crying in the morning is not the life I can get use to! But yes, you can live cheaply and builld a big house on land. It's cheap because there's nothing to do. I don't think a retiree would be able to just come to Thailand and live in a village.

There's many types of Thai villages l understand what type you mean, what l mean are bigger villages where there is more or less everything you need like where l am Old City but always referred to as a village the New City is 14 K away..

That said facilities have improved over the years not all necessarily to my liking,  l'm not a city person.

I don't know the OP whatever OP retiree does is up to him. 

[perspectiff]

2 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

There's many types of Thai villages l understand what type you mean, what l mean are bigger villages where there is more or less everything you need like where l am Old City but always referred to as a village the New City is 14 K away..

That said facilities have improved over the years not all necessarily to my liking,  l'm not a city person.

I don't know the OP whatever OP retiree does is up to him. 

I've lived in a concrete jungle all my life and I while I can't say I hate it, I would certainly appreciate a slower pace of life when I decide to retire. 

 

Its still too early for me to say if I could live in a village long-term, but it's possible it could be a life I appreciate. 

[reenatinnakor]

Nothing to do, i find there are not enough hours in a day for me.
Also we have wi-fi internet, as do most villages now.
Good job you dont live next to me, we have a morning chorus every day, as we have 10 cockerels.
I was happy living in this village even before my accident.

Maybe things have improved now but we had that crappy TOT satellite dish Internet years ago... I think the dl speed was 200kb or something. Basically what you get in 1999 uk. There's still no broadband in our village.

I quite like it for a few days but don't think I can live there permanently. And the family know I couldn't so they only prepare stuff for a few days! But for sure I found it to be about at least 25k cheaper per month when I stay there.



Sent from my LG-H990 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[CharlieH]

11 minutes ago, reenatinnakor said:

 

Maybe things have improved now but we had that crappy TOT satellite dish Internet years ago... I think the dl speed was 200kb or something. Basically what you get in 1999 uk. There's still no broadband in our village.

I quite like it for a few days but don't think I can live there permanently. And the family know I couldn't so they only prepare stuff for a few days! But for sure I found it to be about at least 25k cheaper per month when I stay there.



Sent from my LG-H990 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

"crappy TOT satellite dish Internet years ago." .......

 

I have this and its great with a downliad speed of 24mbps and never have any real problems, on the odd occasion there have been, TOT are here within an hour or so. No complaints here.

 

I can live comfortably out here in the sticks on around 35k a month, and have done for around 10 years. Village life is fine by me and most things I need are within 20 minutes drive..

 

[dick dasterdly]

When considering taking early retirement and moving to Thailand, I asked my brother (who had lived on Phuket/Koh Phi Phi for several years) the same question as the OP - and wondered why his replies were so evasive. 

 

Needless to say, I now know it is an impossible question to answer as its SO dependent on the things that are important to each individual!

 

I know or have met 'foreigners' living happily enough on around 30,000 bht p.m., whereas others I know could not get by on less than 200,000 bht p.m. (Maintaining large house/buying food and drink that are expensive here etc. etc.)

 

 

Edited May 12, 2017 by dick dasterdly

[Kwasaki]

6 minutes ago, perspectiff said:

I've lived in a concrete jungle all my life and I while I can't say I hate it, I would certainly appreciate a slower pace of life when I decide to retire. 

 

Its still too early for me to say if I could live in a village long-term, but it's possible it could be a life I appreciate. 

Very difficult for someone to advise on living in Thailand until you come here,  select somewhere but still make it a necessity to be able to move around.

 

[dick dasterdly]

21 minutes ago, perspectiff said:

I've lived in a concrete jungle all my life and I while I can't say I hate it, I would certainly appreciate a slower pace of life when I decide to retire. 

 

Its still too early for me to say if I could live in a village long-term, but it's possible it could be a life I appreciate. 

I've 'skimmed' most of this thread, but seem to recall you're thinking of Bangkok?

[MyFriend You]

19 hours ago, bazza73 said:

75k per month; however, too old to be spending on bars/ladies so that would explain the difference.

Rent 8500 baht a month, studio condo in CM with pool. Electricity/water/internet 2000 baht/month.

IMHO the OP will find CM a lot cheaper than Bangkok.

I forgot to add I go to all the movies, I like the Cineplex that has the recliner chairs, I like rooftop bars and live entertainment or just sitting in Lumpini park reading a newspaper.  I have lived in rural Thailand off and on, good for awhile, but I like the concrete under my feet and a Beach close by, which is why I am considering Hua Hin or Jom Tien, will rent a couple months in both places and see which I like best.  Bangkok is expensive for a retiree on a fixed income, if no working investments or not working at all, it can tax even the most healthy bank account.  Bangkok is  not cheap by any means, I speak a fair amount of Thai and go to a lot of odd ball places, and still wind up spending more than I thought I would.  But that's what semi-retirement is all about right - enjoying yourself.

[Sooo Upto Me]

22 hours ago, peterb17 said:

Because out of Bangkok- see what it gets you- my house is 500sqm - it's magical, and a stunning garden - all I hear is the birds- very good security / services/ maintenance in the village- for 50k

Add cleaning/ ironing/ gardeners- another 12k a month.

 

Back home this would get you a small flat in a not particularly fashionable part of town.

 

its just wonderful getting up to a sea of green, peace and quiet- and a large house to bumble around in. 

 

So why is it crazy ? You can't really own a house and if the roof leaks or something goes wrong - just contact the landlord. If you can afford it-why not? 

 

To the OP- there have been many threads on budgets- Thailand is not so cheap any more- you really to think carefully about the type of lifestyle you dream about .Countryside ( economical but dull) or city living ( expensive , but gives you a certain amount of culture and fun) 

 

 

Cleaning, Ironing, Gardening

Do it Urself  ?

[Sooo Upto Me]

21 hours ago, smutcakes said:

My rent is 78K. Its the cost of living in a good area in a new shiny new two bed apartment. People have different needs. I know many who do pay more than that, and could pay well in excess of it if they wanted. Its not crazy at all. Different people value different things.

Not necessary, u can live a lot cheaper & be just as happy.

I woz bought up in London an worked 30yrs in Central London an I can tell u the places an properties I went to ie Belgravia Sq, Mayfair, Hampstead, Queensgate, now then we talking big money. But over here I don't think u need to spend 50 or 70k a mth.

Just my opinion of course. ?

[thehelmsman]

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

Well i dont slum it in a village, our  home would have a 2 million plus price tag on it.

3 bedroom/2 bathroom/2 kitchens/ aircon.

Price tag is one thing, finding a paying buyer is quite another.

[thehelmsman]

Why are folks say living upcountry is so much cheaper. Besides the fact if you have land you can raise your own food. If you buy your food at markets, Makro.... where ever you choose. Where do you save??? Understand rent may be cheaper, but that's about it.

 

Just rented a nice room with cable and internet for 4300bht/mo. 1 hr south of Pattaya. I understand up north that money could get you a small house, but what else is going to be cheaper.