Living expences in "cheap" cities?

[Auroria]

I wonder how much (in Bath, Eoro´s or US dollars) is need per month if rent is excluded. In other words... Do you think its possible to manage for 35.000 Bath in towns like Mae Sot, Hat Yai, Renong, Chiang Rai, Ubon or Udon Thani?

Yes.

It won't be any sort of high living, you'll probably be staying in a small studio room, and a rented Honda Wave, eating cheap food.

It won't be nice, but it is doable if you don't care about such a level of existence.

[redhaze]

Was it 1500 Bath a month?

You're still saying it

[redhaze]

It won't be nice, but it is doable if you don't care about such a level of existence.

I think this would be true of Bangkok on that budget. But Issan? A single guy for 35,000 (let's say an even 40k or 45k with rent). I honestly think he'll be fine.

Paying for a lot of sex? No, probably won't be doing that but everything else that is reasonable should reasonably be within reason.

[David48atTD]

Possible in Bangkok on BHT 35,000?

We used to live in a studio flat on Bangkok's fringe, furnished, air-conditioned, but no kitchen.

Pool, gym, on-site laundry, 20 Baht a load.

BHT 5,000 + utilities ... say BHT 7,000 all up, unless you run the air-con 24/7.

Heaps of street food options across the road.

Songthaew for 8 baht to Bearing BTS or the large local shopping centre.

Thai focused entertainment (hostess) bars within walking distance.

Depends on how frugal you want to live.

.

[sabang]

People in cheap cities tend to be better people. People in expensive cities are often up 'emself.

It's not a hard and fast rule, but in general I find people in 'second cities' to be happier in their lives than people in 'first cities', who are too concerned worrying about other people- while pretending that they don't.

[Bower]

Mate of mine just purchased long stay medical insurance in the U.K., 6 months cover for Thailand @73 with just a declared frozen shoulder was £650.00

[Auroria]

Possible in Bangkok on BHT 35,000?

We used to live in a studio flat on Bangkok's fringe, furnished, air-conditioned, but no kitchen.

Pool, gym, on-site laundry, 20 Baht a load.

BHT 5,000 + utilities ... say BHT 7,000 all up, unless you run the air-con 24/7.

Heaps of street food options across the road.

Songthaew for 8 baht to Bearing BTS or the large local shopping centre.

Thai focused entertainment (hostess) bars within walking distance.

Depends on how frugal you want to live.

.

Not to be snobbish.

But I'd go crazy after 6 months of living like that - studio room, no kitchen, street food every night, songteow.

Maybe okay if starting off from scratch and working your way out of it, but I can't imagine being able to live like that and being happy about it.

But of course, to each their own.

[David48atTD]

^ It was the first time my partner and I lived together.

Convenient to get the Farm where she lived if we wanted over the week-end and a fellow Manager would pick her and drop her back after work Mon - Fri.

Actually, living there was far nicer then being at the Farm. Far nicer.

Was for 3 months the first time.


Mate, you aren't being snobbish, and you're right, each to their own.

I could have afforded better, but I chose/choose to save my money.

.

[Auroria]

Sure.

Handy as a stop gap.


I've known guys living like that for the 8 years I've lived in Bangkok. That's how they started and that's how they're still living nearly a decade later as they approach 40. Typically English teachers that drift between different school jobs every year. They seem content about it all, and the thing is, they haven't aged a day.

Perhaps there's something in being an English teacher that drinks Leo every night and lives in a single room bedsit for 10 years that I'm missing.

[grasshopper]

Sure.

Handy as a stop gap.


I've known guys living like that for the 8 years I've lived in Bangkok. That's how they started and that's how they're still living nearly a decade later as they approach 40. Typically English teachers that drift between different school jobs every year. They seem content about it all, and the thing is, they haven't aged a day.

Perhaps there's something in being an English teacher that drinks Leo every night and lives in a single room bedsit for 10 years that I'm missing.

The Leos?

[redhaze]

Maybe less stress in a simple life, as long as you're happy with it and you don't really have many stressors/possessions/bills/debt/etc bogging down your thinking it can be pretty easy.

On the other hand, 10 years could sure go by in the blink of an eye like that if you don't have ways to break out of your routine/monotony. Money can help with that, but I don't think you need a lot of it either. Moreso about effort, really....

[Auroria]

Maybe less stress in a simple life, as long as you're happy with it and you don't really have many stressors/possessions/bills/debt/etc bogging down your thinking it can be pretty easy.

Don't know, they're usually trying to borrow money for the final two weeks of mama noodles before payday as far as I can see.

[David48atTD]

Sure.

Handy as a stop gap.


I've known guys living like that for the 8 years I've lived in Bangkok. That's how they started and that's how they're still living nearly a decade later as they approach 40. Typically English teachers that drift between different school jobs every year. They seem content about it all, and the thing is, they haven't aged a day.

Perhaps there's something in being an English teacher that drinks Leo every night and lives in a single room bedsit for 10 years that I'm missing.

Sort of a parallel.

Left Australia for Europe in my mid-20s.

Lived in London for a couple of years, lived in Galway Ireland and spent 6 months in the States ... had a ball.

Met heaps of fine folk. Got to look at my fellow travellers, some were green, some were adventure seekers and I also met some who were still on the road after nearly a decade.

When you chatted to long termers, I just got this feeling that they had long ago stopped travelling, stopped exploring, weren't exactly ex-pats ... more like drifters.

So, after 4 years, I packed it in, returned to Australia, worked my friggin' ass off, did a Business Degree part time and went 9 - 5 for the next decade, built up the coin collection ... never looked back.

That said, I don't look down on the guys working Thailand teaching English, having to rely on the relatively meager wage to pay the bills.

Certainly something I don't have the temperament for.


Probably the other reason I will never bag the TEFLer's is that, when I was travelling I did a number of jobs to pay the bills, none of which I even consider for a second after entering the Corporate World.

.

[redhaze]

Don't know, they're usually trying to borrow money for the final two weeks of mama noodles before payday as far as I can see.

Yeah, that's no way to live then. My personal top three quickest ways to a shitty existence:

1. Have no money stocked away. Especially past the age of 30. At some point, this is just going to become a bad plan. Best case scenario is you are able to work until you die....which is still absolute shit I don't care how much fun the money brings. Unless you are Peter North or something, then working until you croak could actually be preferable. One major problem and you become a debtor until the day you die.

2. Thinking that buying a bunch of shit will somehow justify working 80 hours a week or add some kind of meaning or value to your life. Owning a BMW reminds me of some teenager trying desperately to impress their friends and justify their sad 80 hour existance. Here's the thing: beyond basic necessities, money really only buys you one thing: time (and the increased freedom that buying time brings). Every single item you buy in life you are trading time for it. The biggest financial mistake I ever made in my life was not realizing the truth of this idea sooner.

3. And lastly, nothing is shittier than having to borrow money from somebody, anybody, ever. Especially friends or family. Fuck that.

[reinvented]

Tefler lifestyle is fine if your "singleish" stress starts when kids come along tc. and the lack of security.
some can make very good coin but i imagine its a relatively small percentage
im with him^

[Rocksteady]

Life is what you make it. I have been TEFLing for 26 years after a career in the RN and finance.

It's a very easy lifestyle. The trick is to get out of the sweatshop language schools that keep you on limited funds if you don't watch your schedule. If you can get into a high school (especially a good one) it can be cruisy all the way. For many years (teaching year 12) my classes finished at the end of Jan every year so just rocking up and chilling out until end of term in March. Next term would start around mid to late May. All this time off on full pay. If you pick up a few hours of private classes in the evenings you can easily double your pay - especially if you do privates on a Saturday morning.

So the up shot is if you play it right, you can have 3-4 months paid hols/downtime a year, pick up something around 60 to 70,000 bt per month after tax (around 15, 000 quid a year) crack your first beer of an evening at around 7/8 pm, weekends off (though a few hours of extra private teaching of a morning really boosts your pay packet) and absolutely no responsibility at all!

As a single guy, what is not to like about that? Your room doesn't have to be anything swanky and if you share a house with a few people you can live in quite some style and have people to party with at the drop of a hat.

As a married man, if you wise up and marry an educated lady, she can bring another 20 -30 grand to the pot a month as well as all the love and care that comes from marrying a good woman. She'll be picking up some great nosh from the markets, taking care of the house etc while you kick back!

In contrast, you could be one of the poor buggers back in the West either already on zero hour contracts or waiting for the axe to fall in the next round of job cuts. In the UK there is even a term used by the government for the thousands who live like this - JAMs (Just About Managing). They are a pay check or so away from losing everything. Imagine trying to sleep at night with that hanging over you? That would age you pretty fast, for sure.

Thus, though you may belittle them/us (feel free to do your worst - we couldn't give a rats ...), some of us have made a very nice little life for ourselves out here and other parts of the world!

[sabang]

Anyway, Thailand is the cheapest country in the whole world if you want it to be- and are willing to do what it takes. Just become a Buddhist Monk- and it will cost you nothing.

[NZdick1983]

^ Agree with RS.


I had a similar story/gig. Never used an agency, always negotiated my own terms/contract directly with the school.
Proves you don't have to follow the herd and scrape by with 30k, live hand to mouth. Just market yourself well, you need a spark, charm, ability to speak Thai, etc.. something that differentiates you from the horde...


I boosted my income by selling my own brand of cosmetics. Always put money, before honey... if you are young, and saving every month, even a pitiful 20 - 50 k
is nothing to snivel at (over the long-term).

Onya, RS!

[UrbanMan]

I have been TEFLing for 26 years after a career in the RN and finance.

if you share a house with a few people you can live in quite some style and have people to party with at the drop of a hat.

I'm surprised someone of your age (presume you are minimum 50-something) would still be content sharing a house. Having roommates gets to be for the birds. Gotta have enough cash income (or saved cash) to have a decent space that is all yours.

[NZdick1983]

^ I agree (for me personally)... I need my own place/privacy (even when I was younger)...

But whatever rocks his boat... I'm sure he could afford a nice self-contained house/apartment if/when he desired.

[birding]

Doesnt have to be a monastic life or living in a shared room to live cheaply.
We have a 3 bed, 3 bath, 4 air con (dont use it) house with a large garden ( bloody pest I have to cut the grass) in a small central town 7000B a month and that is considered expensive here.

Have a car lady boss has a motorbike, we travel a lot mostly to national parks where we camp in our tent, did over 2,500km in the last month and almost 17,000km so far this year doing what I want to do how and when I want to do it.

Dont drink or smoke monthly all up costs including rent, power, water internet, food and travel around 25,000B when at home and between 30,000 and 35,000B when traveling.

[Trumpton]

Possible in Bangkok on BHT 35,000?

We used to live in a studio flat on Bangkok's fringe, furnished, air-conditioned, but no kitchen.

Pool, gym, on-site laundry, 20 Baht a load.

BHT 5,000 + utilities ... say BHT 7,000 all up, unless you run the air-con 24/7.

Heaps of street food options across the road.

Songthaew for 8 baht to Bearing BTS or the large local shopping centre.

Thai focused entertainment (hostess) bars within walking distance.

Depends on how frugal you want to live.

.

Not to be snobbish.

But I'd go crazy after 6 months of living like that - studio room, no kitchen, street food every night, songteow.

Maybe okay if starting off from scratch and working your way out of it, but I can't imagine being able to live like that and being happy about it.

But of course, to each their own.

I feel sorry for you if your happiness revolves around spending money. Have a look around and you'll see thousands of monks who live simple lives that don't revolve around earning and spending money, and they are probably happier than you.

[thaimeme]

Possible in Bangkok on BHT 35,000?

We used to live in a studio flat on Bangkok's fringe, furnished, air-conditioned, but no kitchen.

Pool, gym, on-site laundry, 20 Baht a load.

BHT 5,000 + utilities ... say BHT 7,000 all up, unless you run the air-con 24/7.

Heaps of street food options across the road.

Songthaew for 8 baht to Bearing BTS or the large local shopping centre.

Thai focused entertainment (hostess) bars within walking distance.

Depends on how frugal you want to live.

.

Not to be snobbish.

But I'd go crazy after 6 months of living like that - studio room, no kitchen, street food every night, songteow.

Maybe okay if starting off from scratch and working your way out of it, but I can't imagine being able to live like that and being happy about it.

But of course, to each their own.

I feel sorry for you if your happiness revolves around spending money. Have a look around and you'll see thousands of monks who live simple lives that don't revolve around earning and spending money, and they are probably happier than you.

....and today, for all those thousands, there are thousands more that take up the robe for profit motive self-centered financial gain more so than those romantic notions that we might have of the humble and learned soul. As it's more of a job or a life option, less a calling.

[Hugh Cow]

Some of these guys are obviously well paid. The current single aussie pension is approx $400 AUD (B10,000) per week or about 40,000 baht a month. I know quite a few people in thailand on the pension and all tell me they are doing ok and there life is comfortable enough on the pension, They're not living high off the hog but not living badly either.

[Scottish Gary]

Many farangs live here on 1000 baht a day. I cant imagine they have much of a life but at least they get to wander around in the sunshine watching all the tourists enjoy themselves.