Living on 1000 baht per day

[margaretcarnes]

No one has mentioned the cost of visas - sports and hobbies - clothing - cleaning materials - toothpaste - somteaws or tuktuks when needed - or even the occasional trip out of town to break the monotony!

[Homer]

One could tack on 5 % to live in HH rather than say..... Kanchantaburi....correct..?

Don't know about specific towns except Pattaya. Several guys have said their cost of living went up 30% when they moved to HH from there.

The British Pound - Thai exchange rate has taken a beating in the last 5 years. My understanding is many Brits moved from wherever they were to Thai towns with lower cost of living. Try asking about relative costs of living on a Thai expat forum with a larger reach than this one.

[hhfarang]

Don't know about specific towns except Pattaya. Several guys have said their cost of living went up 30% when they moved to HH from there.

I would agree with that. We've been looking to sell out here and move to a cheaper area to live and I've been doing a lot of reading on the subject over the last year and according to what I've turned up Hua Hin is in the top four locales in cost of living within Thailand, the other three being Phuket, Samui, and Bangkok.

Of course there is always the caveat that no matter where you live here, if you're willing to live like a local you can still live much cheaper than most of us do.

[buksida]

Several guys have said their cost of living went up 30% when they moved to HH from there.

Would also agree with that, HH is definitely up there but you can expect higher expenses living in any tourist town.

Try asking about relative costs of living on a Thai expat forum with a larger reach than this one.

The OP was asking about costs of living in Hua Hin ... is there a Hua Hin expat forum with a larger reach than this one?

This is exactly the place to ask such questions.

so 50 to 60 thousand for a single renter shouldn't be far off having not to incur most of the expenses with children and houses to maintain..

For me I would have a ball with 50-60k to spend with no wife, kids or house!

[hhfarang]

... and there's a reason it's expensive to live here. For a town of this size Hua Hin probably has more to offer in the way of variety of food and entertainment that anywhere else. Also, being in the driest region of Thailand it has more sun and less rain so for those who aren't bothered by the heat, this area is one of the best choices in the country for living in a small city without having to do without most things you're used to at home. The third plus is the proximity to Bangkok; if you can't find it here you're only a couple of hours drive away from a huge metropolitan city.

[Johnnywastaken]

No one has mentioned the cost of visas - sports and hobbies - clothing - cleaning materials - toothpaste - somteaws or tuktuks when needed - or even the occasional trip out of town to break the monotony!

Good question.... I've already allotted for these items and an emergency contingency fund for the unexpected...

- A retirement visa is a one time a year expense...
- I don't play golf ..yet.... hobbies are biking and fishing... or I sit at home and write code...
- I love to walk and bike... but occasionally it will be necessary to pay a taxi...I have managed several years doing this just to reassure myself that a car isn't all that necessary... notwithstanding yes...this will be a small burden but not often I hope...
-clothing.... well I dress conservatively... but a T and shorts last a long time... I do have an admitted weakness for Thai tailor made white dress shirts....and buy them by the dozens... it's a cost that isn't inherently expensive or made that often...
- cleaning materials, tooth paste and personal hygiene items will fit into daily expenses...minimal...
- The occasional trip out of town is the big one.... yes I love to break monotony by doing just that...getting out of town and exploring... I would have a separate fund to do this several times a year... and frankly if it's around Asia itself, then it won't be Euro or US price structure... so it's doable without extravagance...

I'm mindful of this.... My experience living as an expat in Jakarta taught me a great deal... there, it was tough for me to spend 20 US a day... and I smoke, drink, take taxis, eat fast food sometimes, and tip rather generously...yet I always seemed to have money left over at the end of the day....

Years ago... companies I worked for holed me up in 5 star hotels... and I needed to dress the part too.... so part of my perdium was for dry cleaning in the Shangrila Hotel... I was allowed 9 dollars a day, per white dress shirt to be cleaned and ironed.... well I soon realized that I could save 3 bucks a shirt if I just threw them away and had a tailor supply me with a fresh one for 6.... and I kept a family working all that time while my maid service would fish them out of my garbage can and take them home....

I believe if one decides to retire to say,...Hua Hin.... given my circumstances or similar ...it would far out weigh living in the west on a similar budget... no matter how much those incidentals will cost....

[hhfarang]

You'll be ok as long as you stay single...

[Takiap]

I haven't read all the replies, but from my experience living here for years, a single guy will have no trouble at all on your sort of budget. Even a Farang/Thai couple can live comfortably with 30,000 per month spending money. Of course I'm assuming you won't be eating only western type foods and meals? Left unchecked, I would imagine a lot of money could be spent going out for western meals every day or every other day.


I personally am happy eating 100% Thai meals, and I've been doing so ever since I moved here. Yes, I do go out for a meal occasionally, but to be honest, I prefer the home cooked meals my Mother in law makes. If I feel like a huge steak, I cook it myself on the BBQ, not because it's cheaper, but because it's more enjoyable all round, at least for me.


I would say the biggest risk you face is being snared by a beautiful Thai lady Like you, I was also single once upon a time, and I too vowed I'd never get married Twelve years and three kids later, the life of a single man is nothing but a vague memory....lol.

[Homer]

Try asking about relative costs of living on a Thai expat forum with a larger reach than this one.

The OP was asking about costs of living in Hua Hin ... is there a Hua Hin expat forum with a larger reach than this one?

This is exactly the place to ask such questions.

The OP also asked about cost of HH relative to another town:

One could tack on 5 % to live in HH rather than say..... Kanchantaburi....correct..?

Some people read entire threads before responding.

[Lee1975]

I am glad someone has asked this question, I am a single guy and I am also looking to possibly move out to Thailand (poss Hua Hin) within 3 or 4 years and am saving like mad. Now I know the urge will be there to have fun with the ladies and go out drinking but I have spent many a time in HH when I can just live like a local/retiree and not live like a 2 week tourist. I love Thai food and could eat twice a day for 120 baht around HH. Visit the bars probably once/twice a week to watch the footie or whatever as long as you don't go mad. So a 1000 baht a day seems do-able but as someone says, STAY SINGLE which is easier said than done, because soon enough you will get lonely and want companionship and there are plenty of women around who will jump at the chance to be by your side.

[lomuamart]

Get married like I did 7 years ago. Hopefully, that'll put the mockers on any extracurricular acivities and therefore save you money.
Hold on. Did I say save you money? Maybe a bad idea.
Chok dii.

[traveller2]

Thankyou for this thread johnnywastaken. Very thought provoking and informative from all contributions.

[mafiamind]

I agree, this is a good thread, I am trying to budget an income of around 44,000, but I want to save while I am here( I am a student)

[canthai]

I know this has been asked before, but I was wondering if someone could present a current (2012) monthly budget for a Thai/Farang couple with modest means;


Rent
Food
Alcohol
Incidentals
Water, Electricity
TV,Internet
Cell Phone
Medical
Travel
Entertainment
Transportation
Cooking Fuel
Visa Costs

[hhfarang]

In an Issan village maybe, but not in Hua Hin...