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

[Korkenzieher]

Well, I find if I run one A/C unit overnight and use the PC rather than the TV for entertainment (when at home) the rough cost is 1000 baht per active unit. Most maid / gardener services including pool-cleaning come in the 2-300 baht per event / day. You can pay more, but if you use a Thai salary of less than 8k baht (in some cases a lot less!) a month to work out appropriate daily rates, you won't be far wrong. Rental bikes are about 3500 baht a month, fuel depends on where you are, how often etc. Cars I won't even start on the costs of running one; others will know much more. Rental is 1000-1300 a day though, and that may be uninsured. Tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis will cost 50-100 each direction, tuk-tuks being more expensive. Khao Takiab from HH town is usually 180-200. Eating out local Thai isn't wildly cheaper than Farang, unless you are eating at street places, when it is. Local market shopping is so cheap it is silly, and if you have a Thai friend to do it for you, you will realise pretty quickly how cheaply you *can* live. Personally, stripping out rent, I can get by fairly comfortably on under 10k baht a week and that includes going out to a greater or lesser degree most evenings so I could do it for less, but I also don't have much in the way of maintenance costs to worry about. Scale that up, and you are in the ballpark of 500k for the year.

[lazerlab]

I used to live in Hua Hin. I had a nice house with a private pool, a car and a motorbike. I spent about 50,000 THB for all my needs monthly. And I have to say that I lived a very good life. Most of my meals where eaten at home. My girlfriend is a Chief educated in Norway and make mutch better food than I have tasted in any restaurant in LOS. Both European and Thaifood. We went out to eat only when we was hungry for seafood. I smoke like a factorypipe and have a drink or 5 every day. We had 3 AC units, ToT internet and phoneline, 3 mobilphones, UBC-Platinum, and we also traveled a lot within Thailand. Let`s say we traveled 7 - 14 days during 2 months.

I have left Hua Hin. At the moment I rent a small beachfronthouse in Khanom / Nakhon Si Thammarat, Not far from Surat Thani and Koh Samui waiting for my own beachfronthouse to be finished. I am still within my budget of 50.000 THB pr. month. I can spend a lot more if I want. I am one of the lucky guys that have enogh money in the bank for the rest of my life. I am only 49, but I expect be be at least 89 because I am so healty. Drinking redwine every day and bla bla bla. I you need to spend more than 50.000 THB pr. month you must have a girlproblem, drinkingproblem or both.
THE END

[Johan]

I spend much more than that, and no drink problem or girl problem.

[E-Dork]

Lazerlab said....

If you need to spend more than 50.000 THB pr. month you must have a girlproblem, drinkingproblem or both.

Or maybe neither . Possibly the most ridiculous comment I have ever heard. I also said that 50,000 is certainly enough... 60,000 - 100,000 if you enjoy the bar scene frequently, but some people enjoy a higher standard of living than others eg. a nice meal in the little chinese restaurant at the top of the Hilton will set you back a few thousand (thats a couple of grand gone and you have only eaten dinner!) do this daily and you will need closer to 200,000. No girl problem or drink problem. Just maybe a little more 'upper class'/ classy than yourself 'Lazerlab'.

[E-Dork]

Lazerlab said...

I can spend a lot more if I want. I am one of the lucky guys that have enogh money in the bank for the rest of my life. I am only 49, but I expect be be at least 89 because I am so healty.

I smoke like a factorypipe and have a drink or 5 every day.

Are you taking the piss? Is this humour or are you being serious? If an attempt at humour apologies for my funnyblock.

[Super Joe]

I spent about 50,000 THB for all my needs monthly. I am one of the lucky guys that have enough money in the bank for the rest of my life.

COURSE you have, you only spend 800 bleedin' Baht a day each.

I smoke like a factorypipe and have a drink or 5 every day. If you need to spend more than 50.000 THB pr. month you must have a drinkingproblem

COURSE he has, he buys a bleedin' round.

I can spend a lot more if I want.

COURSE you can, you never buy a bleedin' round.



Only kidding lazerlab, nice bleedin' story by the way.

SJ

[caller]

but some people enjoy a higher standard of living than others eg. a nice meal in the little chinese restaurant at the top of the Hilton will set you back a few thousand (thats a couple of grand gone and you have only eaten dinner!) do this daily and you will need closer to 200,000. No girl problem or drink problem. Just maybe a little more 'upper class'/ classy than yourself 'Lazerlab'.

What a strange comment to end with. It's just about having more money, nothing else. I've eaten at the Chinese at the top of the Hilton and very nice it was too, good experience, but hardly 'upper class', whatever that is?

I spent about 50,000 THB for all my needs monthly. I am one of the lucky guys that have enough money in the bank for the rest of my life.

COURSE you have, you only spend 800 bleedin' Baht a day each.

Double that actually!

[STEVE G]

Yes, there is not a whole lot of point in discussing an upper limit of how much you can spend as surely the OP is on at least some sort of budget to actually ask the question.
I don't suppose people like Bill Gates put a great deal of thought into such matters as utility bills and the cost of food!

[Super Joe]

Double that actually!

I did put each


As Steve said it's a bit pointless putting how much we spend in total, too many variables, a good list of essentials is probably more helpful but even that can vary so much from person to person. But anyway here's some, it's kind of 'worst case, maximum it's likely to be' stuff ...

Rental:
1) Basic, clean studio apartment 5 mins from town, can be noisy, no kitchen but security, balcony, hot water, air-con & cable TV - 5,000B/month + bills.
2) Moderate 2-3 bed bungalow/town house, kitchen, a/c patio & small garden say 8,000-12,000B/month + bills.
3) Farang-style 3 bed pool villa, decent garden, 4-7kms from town, mod-cons like a/c, internet, UBC - 25,000-35,000B/month + bills.
For anything above say a 7M Baht place, see the forum websites and don't know anything about Condo's.


Household Bills (some depends on whether renting or buying:
- Electric: With some a/c use, No.1 approx. 1,000B/month, No.2 approx. 1,500-2,500B/month, No.3 approx. 2,500-4,000B/month.
- Water: Between 300-1,000B/month.
- Average sized gardener & pool cleaner, typically between 5'4"-5'8", max. around 1,500B & 2,500B/month respectively.
- Insurance: Building & Contents, both together I have seen for under 3,000B/year for No.3 above.
- Gas: Maybe 500B/quarter.
- A/C maintenance: 400B/quarter per unit.
- Maintenance, repairs, new bits of furniture, appliances etc, 2,000B/month.
- Estate/Condo management fees!?


Transport Rental/Taxi:
1) Car hire: Nearly new Toyota Vios size you can get for 800B/day if month minimum, so 24,000B/month. Usually a bit more off that if commit to more than 3 or 4 months.
2) Motorbike: Nearly new Mio/Fino type scooter on 3,000B/month with help of a Thai, 4.5k-6k often quoted if only Farang enquires.
3) Motorbike Taxi: 20 Baht here, 50 Baht there, I don't 'kin know do I.
4) Tuk Tuk: Fluctuates so much depending on what they think they can get away with, but if not the middle of the night should be around 100B upto 3kms, 150-200B upto 7kms.


Transport Purchases:
- Motorbike: For her?, after buying maybe insurance/running costs of 500B/month.
- Car: Obviously depends on the car for cost, finance payments etc, but running costs are pretty minimal, the first class insurance cover is around 15-20,000B/year, annual window sticker/licence 7,000B/year, fuel getting around town often probably 2-3,000B/month, more if a SUV, servicing & maintenance say 20,000B/year.


General:
- UBC: 2,000B/month for full Platinum package, 590B/month for basic package (no Premier league, CNN/BBC News etc).
- Internet: Can be 1,500-2000B/month for telephone line rental & better speed (for here) broadband.
- Mobile phone: Maybe 500-1000B/month depending on individual.
- Clothes: 1,000-2,000B/month (excl. Buksida)
- Computer stuff?


Unexpected things that may trip you up:
- Medical bills, health insurance with someone like the sponsor on here would be a wise move.
- Fluctuating exchange rates.
- Hikes, which must be due sometime, to extension of stay financial criteria.
- Getting in a relationship and 'customary' helping out the in-laws, hard not to do something, 0-5,000B/month.
- Trips back to home country for family tragedies, similar here like partners Dad needs a heart op or whatever.
- Having a kid not planned for, many do it well into their 60's, 100,000B/year fees at the bilingual schools.
- Every 'x' number of years a blown up car, new motorbike, TV, washing machine, pump, a/c unit etc.


Entertainment, eating out, groceries, hobbies, trips etc:
Covered quite extensively in other threads, maybe someone else I've got a headache now.

So, what have I forgotten

SJ

[migrant]

Average sized gardener & pool cleaner, typically between 5'4"-5'8",

Again, each!!

[Johan]

For 7 Km, tuk tuk or taxi always want 300 bahts (from me or my thai wife). Never less, and impossible to negociate.

[caller]

Double that actually!

I did put each SJ

I'm easily confused.

[BaaBaa.]

For 7 Km, tuk tuk or taxi always want 300 bahts (from me or my thai wife). Never less, and impossible to negociate.

I pay 150b Taxi to town from soi 116 which is about 6km.

[Francois]

For 7 Km, tuk tuk or taxi always want 300 bahts (from me or my thai wife). Never less, and impossible to negociate.

I pay 150b Taxi to town from soi 116 which is about 6km.

6 months ago, it was 200 THB from Soi Moobaan Bofai (Soi 6) to downtown.

[BaaBaa.]

For 7 Km, tuk tuk or taxi always want 300 bahts (from me or my thai wife). Never less, and impossible to negociate.

I pay 150b Taxi to town from soi 116 which is about 6km.

6 months ago, it was 200 THB from Soi Moobaan Bofai (Soi 6) to downtown.

How many km is that and is that a Taxi or Tuk Tuk?

I haven't been in a Tuk Tuk in HH for a few years as they overcharge and I can just call my Taxi.