News Forum - Survival Guide: How much does it cost to live in Thailand?

[JamesR]

1 hour ago, Soidog said:

I’ll have a word with my fellow Soi Dogs James. See what I can do for you

I'll Poodle along next time there and sort them out, they must be a bit Husky after making such a racket, I will take it quietly though as one of them is a Boxer and another is a bit of a Terrier.

One of them talks rubbish and so they nicked named him Bulldog, one craps all the time and is called Maltipoo.

Another is a kind spirit called Bernard so they made him into a Saint.

Another bites smaller dogs and is called the American Bully, another found another fresher area for them to stay so they nicknamed her Newfoundland.

One of them likes chasing American cross country busses so they called him Greyhound. 

One of them can count to over a hundred and so they called him Dalmatian.

[Soidog]

40 minutes ago, JamesR said:

I'll Poodle along next time there and sort them out, they must be a bit Husky after making such a racket, I will take it quietly though as one of them is a Boxer and another is a bit of a Terrier.

One of them talks rubbish and so they nicked named him Bulldog, one craps all the time and is called Maltipoo.

Another is a kind spirit called Bernard so they made him into a Saint.

Another bites smaller dogs and is called the American Bully, another found another fresher area for them to stay so they nicknamed her Newfoundland.

One of them likes chasing American cross country busses so they called him Greyhound. 

One of them can count to over a hundred and so they called him Dalmatian.

Fantastic stuff

[bushav8r]

On 2/2/2022 at 10:40 PM, Poolie said:

Costs nothing to be polite, remember?

Cost nothing to be annoyed too.

[bushav8r]

On 2/2/2022 at 11:42 PM, Marc26 said:

2 decades ago...............umm makes quite a difference   :)

Indeed.  The Emporium didn't even exist yet.

[Thommo]

On 1/31/2022 at 3:28 PM, LandOfSmiles said:

Huahin is cheaper than Bangkok. And more beautiful.

Don't disagree  

[Freeduhdumb]

Another how much does it cost to live in Thailand post... really?

[JamesR]

15 hours ago, bushav8r said:

Cost nothing to be annoyed too.

And the entertainment value is also free.

[LoongFred]

On 2/3/2022 at 7:30 AM, Soidog said:

If you are someone who moans about life where you live now, then Just come and live in Thailand full time and the moaning will come naturally! 

Moaners don't need lessons. It's all about being lazy and not seeing the beautiful things and people around you. Appreciate what you have and you'll not be a whiner or moaner.

Being a whiner/ moaner and you're sure to be unhappy and can only associate with your kind.

[Soidog]

3 hours ago, LoongFred said:

Moaners don't need lessons. It's all about being lazy and not seeing the beautiful things and people around you. Appreciate what you have and you'll not be a whiner or moaner.

Being a whiner/ moaner and you're sure to be unhappy and can only associate with your kind.

So why quote me Fred? You’ve added nothing to what I already said. Seems like we agree ! 

[steve99]

On 2/1/2022 at 7:26 PM, JamesR said:

You can buy a nice three bed two bath detached single storey house In Phuket in a gated community in a quiet area for about 5,000,000 baht (About $152000), back here in England in a southern seaside area a similar house would cost 25,000,000 baht (about $780,000).

As the house is in a gated area it is safe for the time I am not there, I have never heard of a burglary or car theft in the area since buying it ten years ago. I have not been there since August 2020 due to the covid situation but the house is still safe.

If you like Thai street food you can buy moo dang noodles and other dishes for about 50 baht even in the Central shopping centre food hall.

Cook at home and it costs almost nothing.

Petrol is half the price there compared to the UK.

The most expensive thing is a booze night out once a week with the lads.

Walking on the beach and around the national parks is free, it is nice to be there six months a year leading a simple life for a change.

If I do go and live there full time though in the future I will have to take moaning lessons as I see many farangs who say they 'live' there are great at moaning about the country. 

Sounds nice. How much would service fees/property taxes etc cost in such an estate in Phuket?   As for Housing costs in the UK, you could not buy a slum in a sink estate for that figure. Thanks in advance.

[LoongFred]

On 2/12/2022 at 10:59 PM, Soidog said:

So why quote me Fred? You’ve added nothing to what I already said. Seems like we agree 

 

I didn't mean to quote you, but if you said something positive regarding Thailand we can agree. 

Thailand health system tries to keep everyone safe and in my view has done an outstanding job. Let's all stay healthy, support public health measure and enjoy this wonderful land.

[Soidog]

2 minutes ago, LoongFred said:

I didn't mean to quote you, but if you said something positive regarding Thailand we can agree. 

Thailand health system tries to keep everyone safe and in my view has done an outstanding job. Let's all stay healthy, support public health measure and enjoy this wonderful land.

The topic being discussed here Fred is “How much does it cost to live in Thailand”. Staying on topic and pandering to your request to say something positive about Thailand (related to costs) and your obsession with money, I would say this:

Petrol (gasoline to our American friends) is much cheaper than it is in many other countries though not any cheaper than the US. 
Internal flights are much cheaper than many other countries. 
Taxi fares are cheaper then in many large cities.

Electricity costs are also relatively cheaper  

Beyond that, I’m afraid Thailand is more or less the same in regard to costs as elsewhere. To live comfortably in Thailand and with a reasonable standard of environment, food and entertainment. I believe you need 75,000-100,000 baht a month. To live a life with higher end accommodation, food, clothes and entertainment. That figure needs to be north of 125,000 baht a month

Of course people can get by on much much less. I know people who “live” in Thailand on 30,000 baht a month. But they rent a small house or studio for 6,000-10,000 a month. Buy cheap T-shirts and shorts (all you need to “live in Thailand”). Eat cheap market or street food which is not a balanced diet and often unhealthy. Bills are kept to a minimum by using A/C sparingly. Maybe have a 5 year old motorbike and use 200 baht of fuel a month. Rarely if ever travel or return to see family.
 

The latter is not my idea of “living in Thailand” but for some it’s a far better lifestyle than they could afford back home. But this is only due to the warmer weather which means the use of a motorbike is easy and cheap casual clothes are all that’s required. 

[Marc26]

26 minutes ago, Soidog said:

The topic being discussed here Fred is “How much does it cost to live in Thailand”. Staying on topic and pandering to your request to say something positive about Thailand (related to costs) and your obsession with money, I would say this:

Petrol (gasoline to our American friends) is much cheaper than it is in many other countries though not any cheaper than the US. 
Internal flights are much cheaper than many other countries. 
Taxi fares are cheaper then in many large cities.

Electricity costs are also relatively cheaper  

Beyond that, I’m afraid Thailand is more or less the same in regard to costs as elsewhere. To live comfortably in Thailand and with a reasonable standard of environment, food and entertainment. I believe you need 75,000-100,000 baht a month. To live a life with higher end accommodation, food, clothes and entertainment. That figure needs to be north of 125,000 baht a month

Of course people can get by on much much less. I know people who “live” in Thailand on 30,000 baht a month. But they rent a small house or studio for 6,000-10,000 a month. Buy cheap T-shirts and shorts (all you need to “live in Thailand”). Eat cheap market or street food which is not a balanced diet and often unhealthy. Bills are kept to a minimum by using A/C sparingly. Maybe have a 5 year old motorbike and use 200 baht of fuel a month. Rarely if ever travel or return to see family.
 

The latter is not my idea of “living in Thailand” but for some it’s a far better lifestyle than they could afford back home. But this is only due to the warmer weather which means the use of a motorbike is easy and cheap casual clothes are all that’s required. 

We had this discussion in either this thread or another thread

And the one BM said all his "essentials" were paid, house and car bought

 

And then got a miffed when I said if all those  were paid also in North America that your monthly spend would be pretty much the same 

[LoongFred]

21 hours ago, Soidog said:

The topic being discussed here Fred is “How much does it cost to live in Thailand”. Staying on topic and pandering to your request to say something positive about Thailand (related to costs) and your obsession with money, I would say this:

Petrol (gasoline to our American friends) is much cheaper than it is in many other countries though not any cheaper than the US. 
Internal flights are much cheaper than many other countries. 
Taxi fares are cheaper then in many large cities.

Electricity costs are also relatively cheaper  

Beyond that, I’m afraid Thailand is more or less the same in regard to costs as elsewhere. To live comfortably in Thailand and with a reasonable standard of environment, food and entertainment. I believe you need 75,000-100,000 baht a month. To live a life with higher end accommodation, food, clothes and entertainment. That figure needs to be north of 125,000 baht a month

Of course people can get by on much much less. I know people who “live” in Thailand on 30,000 baht a month. But they rent a small house or studio for 6,000-10,000 a month. Buy cheap T-shirts and shorts (all you need to “live in Thailand”). Eat cheap market or street food which is not a balanced diet and often unhealthy. Bills are kept to a minimum by using A/C sparingly. Maybe have a 5 year old motorbike and use 200 baht of fuel a month. Rarely if ever travel or return to see family.
 

The latter is not my idea of “living in Thailand” but for some it’s a far better lifestyle than they could afford back home. But this is only due to the warmer weather which means the use of a motorbike is easy and cheap casual clothes are all that’s required. 

It's undoubtedly better living standard for some living in Thailand.  The Thai people are very welcoming (at least where I live) , there is excellent healthcare, essentials are reasonable, and most places safe.

My cost of living is based on being retired vs working full time in the USA. Whatever my daily spend is about the same.  As stated before we probably spend about B100k/mo and don't need to worry about budgets. 

[Guest1]

On 2/12/2022 at 7:55 PM, LoongFred said:

Appreciate what you have and you'll not be a whiner or moaner.

"Can optimism be toxic?"

-We define toxic positivity as the excessive and ineffective overgeneralization of a happy, optimistic state across all situations. The process of toxic positivity results in the denial, minimization, and invalidation of the authentic human emotional experience.-

 

 

[LoongFred]

2 hours ago, Guest1 said:

"Can optimism be toxic?"

-We define toxic positivity as the excessive and ineffective overgeneralization of a happy, optimistic state across all situations. The process of toxic positivity results in the denial, minimization, and invalidation of the authentic human emotional experience.-

Sorry but I see things differently. If they aren't good I'll say so, but so far I've been treated very well in Thailand.  However I speak Thai and have no problem understanding. It also helps by being a person who tries to be an optimist.

[Soidog]

10 hours ago, LoongFred said:

It's undoubtedly better living standard for some living in Thailand.  The Thai people are very welcoming (at least where I live) , there is excellent healthcare, essentials are reasonable, and most places safe.

My cost of living is based on being retired vs working full time in the USA. Whatever my daily spend is about the same.  As stated before we probably spend about B100k/mo and don't need to worry about budgets. 

Well I’m so so pleased to hear that. It’s totally made my day! 

[Fundok]

On 2/14/2022 at 4:07 AM, Soidog said:

The topic being discussed here Fred is “How much does it cost to live in Thailand”. Staying on topic and pandering to your request to say something positive about Thailand (related to costs) and your obsession with money, I would say this:

Petrol (gasoline to our American friends) is much cheaper than it is in many other countries though not any cheaper than the US. 
Internal flights are much cheaper than many other countries. 
Taxi fares are cheaper then in many large cities.

Electricity costs are also relatively cheaper  

Beyond that, I’m afraid Thailand is more or less the same in regard to costs as elsewhere. To live comfortably in Thailand and with a reasonable standard of environment, food and entertainment. I believe you need 75,000-100,000 baht a month. To live a life with higher end accommodation, food, clothes and entertainment. That figure needs to be north of 125,000 baht a month

Of course people can get by on much much less. I know people who “live” in Thailand on 30,000 baht a month. But they rent a small house or studio for 6,000-10,000 a month. Buy cheap T-shirts and shorts (all you need to “live in Thailand”). Eat cheap market or street food which is not a balanced diet and often unhealthy. Bills are kept to a minimum by using A/C sparingly. Maybe have a 5 year old motorbike and use 200 baht of fuel a month. Rarely if ever travel or return to see family.
 

The latter is not my idea of “living in Thailand” but for some it’s a far better lifestyle than they could afford back home. But this is only due to the warmer weather which means the use of a motorbike is easy and cheap casual clothes are all that’s required. 

I think we can agree that there is no universal "one size fits them all"-answer as the cost of living will very much depend on the individual lfestyle and circumstances, i.e. if you are by yourself, with a partner or with kids (how many? age?) etc.

If you own a place where you can stay and a means of transportation the ongoing cost of living ist reasonable. Once I retire my wird and I plan to stay in Thailand a couple of months every year. We already have a place to stay, so either will buy or long-term rent a car. With 50-70'000 THB/month we should be able to live a lifestyle comparable of what we are used to in Switzerland. Not drinking champagne or eating caviar every day, but being able to buy fresh quality food and have a bottle of beer (or more) as desired. Need to add the airfare and health insurance of course.