Living in thailand

[Guest]

There was some great information on the forum at one stage with many different opinions from Stogie, Mai-Kee, Blue Ballz and others regarding how much it costs to live in Thailand. I did a search but could not find it. I think maybe it went the way of the Virtual Pub? Stogie are you able to resurrect it?

If not can we get some input from current and past residents of Thailand for approximate costs per month. I realise this is dependent on lifestyle.

I am specifically referring to BKK but I suppose information on anywhere is fine.

This would include but not limited too.

Accommodation - Rental
Transportation - Taxis, MRT, Skytrain
Utilities - Electricity, Water etc
Food - Restaurants, Shopping
Internet - Connection, Download costs
Entertainment - Movies, DVD, VCD borrowing (I will not include bar girls here)
Others - ?


Thanks for any and all input as my experiences are limited to living like a tourist for short periods of time.

[Mai-Kee]

Yeah, some very valuable information. Hope you can find it again, Stog!
As far as I'm concerned, I would never do it below THB 150k/m. With that amount you can live central in an ok apartment and have enough on the side for some fun. I once started with more and ended up with less - which was really not funny anymore. (Pls note that I never include the costs of a car in my calc. I think it's not only completely overprized, it's simply unnecessary).

MK

[stogie bear]

My rent is $1,000 US... a year!

My water charge is about $1:50 a month!

Maid/cleaner/laundry lady (who I consider to be the best value of all) $12 a week!

It's cheap here if you know what you're doing!  

[Guest]

Yeah, some very valuable information. Hope you can find it again, Stog!
As far as I'm concerned, I would  never do it below THB 150k/m. With that amount you can live central in an ok apartment and have enough on the side for some fun. I once started with more and ended up with less - which was really not funny anymore. (Pls note that I never include the costs of a car in my calc. I think it's not only completely overprized, it's simply unnecessary).

MK

Damn Mai-Kee you must live the high life mate

For that sort of money you could live a pretty comfortable life in most Western countries.

So no go on resurrecting the old thread Stogie?

[BAM]

I remember that thread... it was full of great info on Thai living costs. Too bad I think it was in the Pub and thats all now been deleted

[Guest]

I remember that thread... it was full of great info on Thai living costs. Too bad I think it was in the Pub and thats all now been deleted  

I am sure it must still be in the DB somewhere?

[pistolero]

There was some great information on the forum at one stage with many different opinions from Stogie, Mai-Kee, Blue Ballz and others regarding how much it costs to live in Thailand. I did a search but could not find it. I think maybe it went the way of the Virtual Pub? Stogie are you able to resurrect it?

If not can we get some input from current and past residents of Thailand for approximate costs per month. I realise this is dependent on lifestyle.

I am specifically referring to BKK but I suppose information on anywhere is fine.

This would include but not limited too.

Accommodation - Rental
Transportation - Taxis, MRT, Skytrain
Utilities - Electricity, Water etc
Food - Restaurants, Shopping
Internet - Connection, Download costs
Entertainment - Movies, DVD, VCD borrowing (I will not include bar girls here)
Others - ?


Thanks for any and all input as my experiences are limited to living like a tourist for short periods of time.

Mate, it really does come down to lifestyle.

Without a detailed breakdown, I know many who have lived a decent life here with significant entertainment for about 70-80,000 Baht per month. This is sort of the higher end language teacher range.

Sure, you could do it for much cheaper, but you might be living outside the city center (which some people like), using busses alot (skytrain helps in places), and nursing your beer all night.

The figure above means you probably go out a fair amount, have UBC, use taxis whenever you want, have a house cleaner, eat Western food or go to nice restaurants more than 2-3 times per week, and so on. But you don't save much for your trips back home.

Rent? 20-30K per month can get you a nice 1 bedroom in the city center. Pushing it up to 40 and 50 gets bigger and nicer. Many expats live in places 60K through the 100s.

Hope that helps some.

[Looker]

75-80K it's a good amount of money to live quite decently in BKK. Of course, some expats with fat company budgets will laugh at that. They are placed in serviced apartments costing some 80-90K for the rent alone!!
I have done some calculation and checked out around in the event of relocating myself to BKK, and I think what Pistolero has described it's a very realistic picture.

[Mai-Kee]

Ok, I try to split it up:

First, I only want to live right in the center. I want to be in walking distance to the places I like, as the traffic drives me absolutely mad in BKK. Which means I'm talking about Chit Lom/ Lang Suan/ Ruam Rudee area or Silom/Soi Convent/ Sala Daeng. I lived in BKK in the mid 90ies in a small apartment at Sala Daeng and ended up about 2 years later in a lousy apartment at Din Daeng for 1/10 of the rent. I really want to live on that level anymore - and for sure not in BKK! I am not 25 anymore and I am used to a certain standard here, which I want to maintain - I don't speak of villas and cars, but an at least 90m2 flat, modern, with a view and definitely no bugs will cost in those areas I'm talking about little less than what you pay in the west. (minimum 50k)
You can add for all the extras - UBC, internet, garbage, electricity and cleaner another 12-15k. So let's say with 60k in total you're already there!
Please don't forget that in Thailand you have to pay for whatever medical service - which means you need an insurance that covers all and eventually a transport back home! That's another 7k and sometimes you have to back it up with an insurance back home.
The rest is of course very much depending on what you're used to have as pocket money. I still like to buy some nice stuff and not necessarily on Chatuchak. I am a crazy foody and need my regular nice dinners and I also like to hang out in good clubs like the Q-bar, where the entrance on a weekend is already THB 600 (and of course you don't go alone to those places, you maybe invite somebody - a date, a friend, a business partner, etc.). So, that pumps it up, but that's what I'm doing everywhere and I really enjoy that scene as much as I enjoy the lb's in Thailand, so I would never skip that part. On top I want to be flexibel with flights. Maybe a weekend within 2 months at the beach - hey, you're in Thailand, there are sandy beaches just round the corner - so I wont get stuck in BKK all the time. I haven't counted the money I need for the girls - but knowing myself I'd say about 8k a week (sometimes 5k - sometimes 10k)
..... and there you are: We had 60k for housing and remaining 90k for all the rest is not really a lot and you also don't want to go to the limits each month either............

MK

[Mai-Kee]

Some real estate links:
http://www.bangkokproperty.com/browse.php
http://www.thaiapartment.com/
http://www.accomasia.co.th/

.... and again the high-end link "The Park Chidlom" - which's maybe the most luxury apartment building in BKK you could buy in at the moment!
http://www.theparkresidence.co.th/

MK
PS:... regarding my post above: Of course I meant that I DON'T want to live on that level I once lived in Din Daeng anymore.

[Looker]

Well..it all depends MK
Your calculation sounds correct from your piint of view. If you can afford it, why not!
However, you are talking about some 3000 Euro or 3600 USD to live in Thailand, which is sure not known to be one of the 10th more expensive cities in the world. I live with less than that money in Hong Kong which is instead the third most expensive city in the world
Again, I've friends paying rents which are more than all what I spend ina month..good for them, but I think ozzie was asking for a decent life w/o plenty of frills

[Guest]

Well..it all depends MK
Your calculation sounds correct from your piint of view. If you can afford it, why not!
However, you are talking about some 3000 Euro or 3600 USD to live in Thailand, which is sure not known to be one of the 10th more expensive cities in the world. I live with less than that money in Hong Kong which is instead the third most expensive city in the world
Again, I've friends paying rents which are more than all what I spend ina month..good for them, but I think ozzie was asking for a decent life w/o plenty of frills

I am lucky enough to earn a very good living in Australia. However I am not somone who spends a fortune on food and entertainment or anything for that matter, well except my trips to Thailand I could live a comfortable existence mostly eating local food living in a modest apartment and using the skytrain whenever I can.

Mai-Kee thanks a lot for your feedback although what you have descirbed is probably above the lifestyle I anticipated it still helps.

[Mai-Kee]

You're welcome, Oz! And as I said it's just what I would consider for myelf (what I am actually doing right now), of course it easily could be cheaper - especially if you're not picky with the location.
I just picked here one example, to show of what I'm talking about and you see that I'm not exaggerating with the prices: http://www.accomasia.co.th/get_home.php?id=020938
One of the main problems in nice apartment houses is to find actually a "smaller" 80-90sqm apt. Most of them are bigger and therefore more expensive, or the few smaller ones are on the 1-4th floor with basically now view and sometimes even dark.
On the other hand, I have a friend who rented 2 years ago a beautiful old Thai house set in a romantic tropical garden near the airport for 35k. Fantastic - if you don't mind the distance and the cobras in the raining season....

MK

[Guest]

I recall a great conversation on this topic last year in the company of Stogie, Jaidee, Mike, and others in the Soi 7 beer bar

Our conclusion was 3000 USD /month would allow

- a nice apartment in the 25-40k range

- all utilities, TV, and internet

- a generous entertainment budget for shopping, restaurants, and nightlife

- all the girls you could handle (once you learn 'local' prices, don't mind finding your company at Hollywood Disco or Bali Seafood afterwards, or settle in with a few regulars)

- a bit of savings for a rainy day or a trip home once or twice a year for family / sanity retention purposes

Hope this helps

[olekunde]

i have rented apt everything from 3000 to 7000.
water is 2-300b a month
cabel tv 2-300b a month
motorbike rental 2500-3500 a month
i eat thai food so daily cost is everything from 100-200b
most movies is shown on cable no need to rent, buy new w good quality from nat market in soi buakao 130b
also about 2-3000 in mobilephone usage.

what will cost you is long time gfs, since you have to pay double for everything. shopping, food, drinks etc

i have no problem staying there for 50k though ...