How much would it cost to live in Thailand (HH) for one year

[STEVE G]

That's why I always say take the government requirement of 800K as a good guide.

Isn't that for a retiree? if your married you can live for much less 400K a year so the government say

Whoever decided that it was cheaper to be married than single has never been married!

[margaretcarnes]

That's why I always say take the government requirement of 800K as a good guide.

Isn't that for a retiree? if your married you can live for much less 400K a year so the government say

A good point JimmyG - In the UK the Government allows about £10,500 per annum for your average retired couple. So at say 50 baht to the pound thats equivalent to 525,000 baht.
Add to that the value of their free bus passes and prescriptions. Free eye tests - NHS dental care if available, and often full Council Tax benefit - still short of the 800k Thai requirement thats for sure.
We all know that expats might be faced with medical bills at some point in LOS - but they have no Council Taxes, no heating bills, and access to cheaper food. Isn't it time the Thai government reduced the cash requirement, made decent health insurance available to expats, and simply ask for enough in reserve for a flight home?

[poosmate]

I think to compare the basic allowance in the UK with the amount the Thai government requires that expat pensioners bring to this country is like chalk and cheese.It is not a right to settle in another country.The issue of the Thai government giving low cost health care. Why? Insurance is available and sufficient and healthcare is cheaper usually than western countries.
I think generally that Thailand is cheaper to retire to than many other countries some who even demand that larger sums of money are brought in.
I personly believe that if a pensioner who decides to move to Thailand and does not have at LEAST 800000 Baht per year to SPEND in this country is not an asset to Thailand and should stay at home.
Why do mainly Brits ( I am one ) try to get other countries to follow the example of the BROKEN UK?

[charlesh]

Steve G - good one especially if married to a Thai with (extended) family ha, ha. Using the same logic 1=800k, 2=400k,------ 10=80k!!!
Poosmate anyone who spends money in the LOS is an asset by definition and NOT a liability!

[poosmate]

Not all assets give a satisfactory return.Thailand already has enough poor. Why import more?

[Homer]

300 000 bahts should be the minimum for a year, i recommend at least 500 000 Bahts to enjoy your time.

After four months of living here I agree with the 500k. My total is a little less than that. That includes one visa run and too much rent for too small of a room that had an ocean view, a 2 minute walk to the beach and a pool. No significant medical bills. I hope that doesn't change, but it will. It also includes very little alcohol. Because of hypoglycemia and riding the scooter everywhere I'm averaging under one beer a week.

I track spending on a spreadsheet so it's easy to say my average monthly expenses break down as follows:

Shelter 8900 (includes cleaning & water)
Elec 1400
Food Out 7500
Food Home 2100
Liquids 280
Visa run 3250
Scooter rent 4320
Other Transport 470
Entertainment 7650
Re-Supply 1280 (Replacing things that I brought from the states, either because they wear out or I use all of it)
Medical 700
Cell 240
Laundry 900
Misc 490

39480 (projects to 474k for a year)

That may seem frugal, but that's how people have described how I've lived most of my life. The upside is that before I retired I had money left over for sports and their toys (like off road motorcycling, skiing, flying), a second car (love the sports cars) and it allowed me to retire into the teeth of the global economic meltdown when I was 54.

[poosmate]

I think that Homers spreadsheet ( ok for him) is not many peoples vision on how their retirement should be!
This apart from the sea view is how I used to live as a teenager when I first left home.
I think this is a prime example why the Thai government try to attract retirees with money to spend.
300 Baht a day on food 250 Baht on entertainment
Fun fun fun till the rental man takes the scooter away

[Vital Spark]

I'd suggest that if you're going to live here for more than three months, then buying a second-hand motorbike is a much cheaper option. You can pick up a half decent one for around 12,000 baht, and sell it on for around 10,000 at the end of your trip.

Mr. VS and I have a perfectly nice lifestyle on around 35,000 a month (and I drink and smoke...). But, then again, we're not living in Hua Hin...

VS

[STEVE G]

Basically, in my experience, to a large degree it all comes down to how much you spend on entertainment costs.
When I'm in Hua Hin I tend to go out almost every night and I spend quite a bit, although I've never really quantified exactly how much.
On the other hand, when I stay up in Issan I hardly spend anything at all and indeed, I don't think I could spend 800,000 bt a year there even if I wanted to due to the general lack of shops, bars and restaurants.

[johnnyk]

I think the gov't has in mind that 800K should cover basic living costs with a contingency for:
1) Quick/emergency flight home (easily 50K+)
2) Medical emergency/hospitalization/surgery (easily 100K+)
They should not be responsible for either and why should they be?
Over the years they have seen too much human flotsam washing up on their shores (like the falang who begs at Victory Monument) and they are out to restrict the marginals.
Their country, their rules.

If people don't have the equivalent of 800K a year then they need to keep working and get over the fantasy of retiring to paradise on pennies. Comparing living costs/benefits to Canada or UK or US is teeth-gnashing.

[Korkenzieher]

Johnnyk - I think there is a distinction to be made between what the OP asked (how much one year will cost him [gap year, sabbatical, test run]), and what you and others are detailing which is more about people relocating permenently and being potentially under-funded for that. I completely agree that there has to be some built-in contingency to the amount that the government specifies, and that in itself suggests that the cost of living ongoing will be less (as long as 'contingency' isn't an annual cost!). Around Asia, there's plenty of what are known is some circles as 'white trash' - European beggars and scroungers - but so there are in Europe as well of other ethnicities. Quite a lot of people retiring don't have large lump sums (if 800k can be called large) but they do have ongoing income from pensions which may equal or exceed that, and there is no reason why those people should become or be seen as liabilities.

[johnnyk]

Jing. It did get off course there.
I do think people should consider having about 800K because contingencies happen and should be factored in. That's a pretty nice price for a year in the sun, you'd have some peace of mind and no need to spend it all anyway.

Longer term I'd say you could live quite nicely on 600K (first year keep 200K aside for emerg). After that live like a king on the full 800K if desired. Quite doable in an urban area providing the drinking and wenching are kept reasonable.

Upcountry, 600K is plenty in a small city like Khon Kaen or Nong Khai or down south like Suratthani which is what I'd do as a rice mooban would be a bit much for me full-time. A house with reasonable modcons can be rented for 5-8K a month, get a 2nd hand bike as VS suggests and the rest is cheap.

[Korkenzieher]

I looked into moving to Udon Thani once and also, as a result of a job offer, to Ubon Ratchathani, and I think it would be hard to spend that kind of money in those cities. Cost of living (except for bike rental, which I found to be more) was significantly down on what I am used to in HH. I played golf (9 hole) in Udon once for 80 baht! (before caddy and tips). I have seen private listings for 3 bed places in (not central) Udon for 2-3k. That sort of place in HH in a depressed market is still 10k or more.

[johnnyk]

Yep, stay away from the main tourist areas and falang ghettoes and live in real Thailand and 30-40K a month can yield a decent lifestyle.

[Korkenzieher]

Well, just between you and me and the other 4000 odd members of the board, other than the bars , I avoid most of the Falang ghettos here too!