Cost of living

[russell 0]

VegaMike Right on glad you put in your 2 cents worth. I live on $2,500.00 about 100,00 baht. I do quite well. No bar girls. I don't drink much anymore. Hang out in a few bars and drink coffee. Sometimes I tip a few too many, but not like I used to. I only rent a car when I need to take a long drive with a tg up to Udon or some place interesting. I fish when the mood strikes me. If I can do it so can anyone else. Sounds like you've got it covered.

[VegasMike67 0]

russell;

I am envious of your retirement! When you don't have a thick wallet you learn to live within your means. I workout in a gym, ride my moto all over Pattaya and hit the beach when the weather cooperates. I eat out both BF & dinner, lunch at home. I don't drink, so an evening out is not expensive. A tg when I feel the need and sad to say, that's not very often anymore! Play golf at Asia Hotel and hit the driving range a couple times a week. I don't feel deprived living on less and am not sure I could ramp it up very much if I hit the lottery. Thanks for your contribution to the discussion.

[JohnnyK 28]

Isn't it interesting how much less you can live on and enjoy life when the marketing machine isn't there screaming BUY!BUY!BUY! at you every waking moment...creating desires where none existed before and manufacturing anxieties about acceptance, status and self-esteem so we will buy more shit we don't need.

Amazing how somehow it costs $40,000 a year to be poor and miserable in the western world.

Kudos to all who have thopught for themselves, said fuck it and made the break!

[torrenova 644]

Basic living for me runs about like this:

 

Condo (View Talay) - 14,000

Travel - bus and hire - 3,000

Food - eat in and out - 8,000

Drinks etc. - 10,000

Health, insurance - 3,000

Clothes, toiletries - 4,000

Laundry - 1,500

Girlfriend allowance - 10,000

 

Total - 53,500

 

With occassional items such as birthday presents, visas, flights to the UK a couple of times a year and other one off purchases, I reckon that the monthly total is around Bt80,000. Included in this figure is the additional cost of having a live in girlfriend which obviously impacts on food, laundry, toiletries, insurance etc.

 

Also, as my girlfirend helps out in my businesses, she receives a salary from them. If she did not work, then her monthly allowance would have to be higher than at present. Of course, from that allowance, she sends some money home to mama.

 

Now you have to remember that I have bar businesses and can order a drink in one of my bars without paying retail price. If I did not, they I would probably spend another Bt30,000 or more per month.

 

So a realistic expenditure is around Bt100,000 and over a month for a good lifestyle. I suppose that a moderate lifestyle, staying in a few nights a week and going home early could be achieved for a great deal less, perhaps with no live in or an elder live in who is past her prime.

 

I'd have to say though that trying to live in Pattaya on Bt40,000 or so per month means that you'll most likely be living without aircon, having a wank most nights, drinking Leo outside 7/11 and looking at all the pretty young girls that you came to Pattaya to fuck and now realise you cannot afford to.

[Eneukman 1]

I'm coming out to live in Pattaya later this year and reckon that my monthly expenditure will be in the region of 80,000 baht. I could live on less of course.

 

Alan

[Eneukman 1]

I started a post in the Members' section on monthly budgets a few weeks ago. For those who didn't see it, here's a link -

 

http://www.pattayatalk.com/forums/index.ph...12437&hl=budget

 

Alan

[6cisco9 0]

pattayahappy, you must have had more than one chicken a day for every day. Glad you feel as you do. Life's a one time experience.

[madwizard 0]

I live off of 1700USD I can live off of more, but why? I didn't retire at the age of 44 by being stupid with money and I don't intend on starting now. Also I save about 500usd a month, just in case I have to retire in the states. I used to live off of 80000 a month, but I'm always looking for ways to reduce expenses thus the decrease to 63000.

 

Fortunatley the things I like to do are cheap(darts, surf the net, fantasy baseball, read). I like to shag about 3 times a week. I prefer shortimes, 1 time will do me for a few days, my shortime costs are based on the average ranging from the soi six/welcome inn/harely girls to the gogo bargirls. With shortimes you get down to business, its a more cost effective way to find out who can shag, who can't and who is fun to be with. The ones who shag good I keep, the ones who don't get repeat business period. The ones I keep can graduate to a longtime, its strictly business, thats what it is, a business. About a once a week I want the GFE, the movies, dinner thing, the average is based as the same for the shortimes. But I make it clear I don't want a girlfriend/longterm relationship.

 

I eat once a day at home( I usually have 2 eggs and a plate of rice for 25baht at Antz restuaraunt in View Tallay for breakfast). I eat out a once a day at either Shennanigins, Harley Bar, Shearers, Mk, Palmers or the Big Horn Steakhouse Shennanigins and Shearers both have dartboards, which I use can also watch sports and hangout with the guys.

 

If I do go for day bar/shortime but usually its been the Nevada club or the Harely Bar for a shortime(350 shortime bf if you use there room, 500 for her) and few drinks for about 400, total cost for nice afternoon 250, hard to beat, better than paying a 600 barfine plus 1000 baht at most gogos by 350 multply that by 8 gives you a savings of 2800, that gets you a couple of more shortimes. Besides a higher price doesn't guarentee the quality of the shag. I'm looking for quality for a fair price, theres lots of places in Pattaya you can find it, you just have to be willing to do a little foot work. Sometimes I get there phone numbers from them at 8am in the morning infront of View Tallay when I'm having morning coffee/tea, its not hard to do, just smile say good morning, it works the girls are always looking for business.

 

Longtime girls are girls I know who can shag good and are fun. Why waste 50-75 USD on the unknown. I use the shortimes to winnow out the bad performers, or the good performers who have attitudes or who seem to be not the type I want to hangout with, this is way more cost effective way to enhance my enjoyment. With the keepers I get there phone numbers, alot of them if they don't have a customer that nite will glady come over after work for a shag, TV and some food from the local food stall. Also alot of them will glady meet you at MK around 8pm for a little food, conversation, movie and them home for shagging. I want the girls to get my money not the bars from me drinking, its healthier for me to.

 

I go out at nite about 10 times a month, I don't drink alot(water is the exception), usully I'll hit about 2 gogo's in the Walking street Soi Diamond area with the intention of sizing up new talent for future shortimes. Water for me, a few ladies drinks at each bar runs me about 500 baht per bar costing me about 1000 total.

So I get to see each gogo a few times a month, if you do it everyday it gets boring.

 

My basic living expenses for me runs about like this:

 

Condo (View Talay studio) - 8,000

electric/water/cable - 1,000

internet - 1,350

8 shorttimes a month 12,200

4 longtimes a month 14,000

transportation 1,000

food 5,000

Health, insurance - 350(tricare)

maids 1,000

Laundry - 800

nites out 10 times 10,000

Shennagins/Harely/Jomtien 8,000

complex/Shearers

 

 

Total - 62,700 about 1650-1750 usd a month.

 

 

I can live with this.

 

 

madwizard

[Zidane 11]

Alan,

View Talay Condo is a good location for renting for,as you say,its on the baht bus route.

But if you are thinking of paying 18000 baht per month,you are near the top of the range for the location.There is a big difference between the standard of the condos which is reflected in the price range 10000-20000 baht per month.I would have thought that you could get a really decent place for 15000 tops,so be sure to take your time before choosing one.

Electric and water around 1000 baht per month extra.

Also if you are staying long term be sure to get a discount on the monthly price.

Living on 80000 baht a month you should get a decent enough lifestyle.

 

As for someone living on 45000 baht per month,yes it is possible if your girlfriend does not have expensive tastes and you are not an alcoholic ! Pattaya is relatively expensive for Thailand so Isaan could be considered,maybe Korat where quite a lot of farangs live.

 

For me,personally,I would say an income of 60000 baht per month would give you a standard of living over here similar to the UK.

 

Zidane

[madwizard 0]

I would have thought that you could get a really decent place for 15000 tops,so be sure to take your time before choosing one.

Electric and water around 1000 baht per month extra.

Zidane is right, I had a 1 bedroom in View Talay for 16000. I got the studio because the 1 bedroom it had to much room for me, I just feel more comfortable in the studio.

my electric bill over the last 4 months are as follows 550, 550, 350, 240 for last month but I was in the states for 3 weeks. Your electriic bill comes down to much you run your aircon. The times I ran it 24-7 my bill was around 3000..

 

 

madwizard

[Begs 0]

'davethailand' figures you need 70K/month, nearly $2,000/month. Millions of Americans live on that or less. 'eneukuan' figures you should head upcountry if you only have 45K/month. 'clubman'' thinks you will have a shit existance at 45K/month. Finally a bit of sanity with 'jgart38'. Rooms under 4K including utilities. I lived in Pat. for 7 winters and paid less than 7K/month each year. I have and many ex-pats do live in Pat. for less than 25K/month. If you drink every night and insist on a paid companion 3 times a week, no, 25K will not be enough. Each of us have our own level of comfort and priorities. Not everybody has 70K a month to live on or do they need it. My 2 cents worth.

Lots of farangs live on much less than 45,000 baht a month, remember, when you go to live in Thailand, you will not be living the same as you did when you went on holiday.

 

Believe it or not, you will get bored of the nightlife and settle down into a routine, sounds unlikely, but it is what happens.

 

45,000 baht = 1500 baht a day per month, for someone living in Thailand full time, it is more than enough if you are sensible. Many many more live on half that, if they would honestly tell you what they really actually live on is another matter.

[bigmofo 0]

spot on begs.If you live in thailand most people would not live the same as say a 2 or 3 week holiday.I have just come back from thailand after staying 3 months,The bars for me are are a bit same same after a while,when some friends came for 3 weeks during christmas i went out with them almost every night and spent a lot of money.But when they went home spent very little.I always go for 2 or 3 month holidays,and even that length of time it does get, dare i say it boring.People i know who live there only go out maybe twice a week,most of the time i spend 7,000 a week,people might call me a cheap cunt but it is better than being at home working my but off.A lot of people only go for 2 or 3 week holidays due to work commitments,and probably think they would never get bored of it.You can have to much of a good thing then the buzz wears off if you like.Before i get flamed and people say why do i go there i do probably spend 3 or 4 weeks of the holiday havin it large

[Begs 0]

Yep, it does get a bit boring, and the fucking traffic problems Pattaya is getting as bad as Bkk on weekends.

 

Pattaya has changed a lot over the years, and the roads just cannot handle the volume of traffic, it's a nightmare, and with every available piece of land now being built on, it certainly will not get any better in the near future

 

You ain't being cheap spending 1000 baht a day, any twat can piss all his money up the wall in a couple of weeks, you pace yourself so you can stay longer, I call that sensible.

 

mofo, I was only fuxing around in that other thread about Obese white women.

[Eneukman 1]

Always good to get an insight into other people's budgets, particularly if they are from someone actually living in Pattaya. It's a bit under 4 months till I move out and I would hope that most of the figures in my budget are at the high level and that the actual figures will. generally. be a bit lower.

 

Someone had suggested in a different thread running the air conditioning full time working on the principle that in winter (especially when it's bloody freezing as it is in Edinburgh just now ) it is cheaper to have the heating on 24 hours a day. I know from my own bills that that does work. I was, however, sceptical that the same principle would work with air conditioning and what madwizard says seems to confirm my scepticism. My intention would be to only use the air conditioning when I'm actually in the condo, which could still amount to anything up to 15 hours a day

 

zidane, I've booked into the RG for 4 weeks, so that should be long enough for me to have a look at plenty of condos. My non negotiable requirements are seperate bedroom, on or close to the baht bus routes and a decent sized swimming pool. I need to get some alternative forms of exercise .

 

As begs said, I would not be too surprised (though hopefully not for a long time) that the novelty of living in Pattaya full time does wear off and by the time I reach 60 I may well find myself living elsewhere in Thailand. This, of course, assumes that I don't get killed trying to cross 2nd Road, Beach Road or Naklua Road before then!

 

Alan

[JohnnyK 28]

With shortimes you get down to business, its a more cost effective way to find out who can shag, who can't and who is fun to be with. The ones who shag good I keep, the ones who don't get repeat business period. The ones I keep can graduate to a longtime, its strictly business, thats what it is, a business. About a once a week I want the GFE, the movies, dinner thing, the average is based as the same for the shortimes. But I make it clear I don't want a girlfriend/longterm relationship...

 

Besides a higher price doesn't guarentee the quality of the shag...

 

Longtime girls are girls I know who can shag good and are fun. Why waste 50-75 USD on the unknown. I use the shortimes to winnow out the bad performers, or the good performers who have attitudes or who seem to be not the type I want to hangout with, this is way more cost effective way to enhance my enjoyment. With the keepers I get there phone numbers, alot of them if they don't have a customer that nite will glady come over after work for a shag, TV and some food from the local food stall. Also alot of them will glady meet you at MK around 8pm for a little food, conversation, movie and them home for shagging. I want the girls to get my money not the bars from me drinking, its healthier for me to...

 

 

madwizard

madwizard,

Excellent post, a perfect way to have a great time without throwing your money down the hole.

Couldn't agree more that STs are a great way to find who is worthwhile and who isn't. Costs you 700 to find out who is fun, way better than 2500 for a stunnerfish.

I wish I had learned this earlier in my Pattaya career!

Thanks.

[torrenova 644]

I have a large daikin aircon unit in my condo and a massive (1.5m+ fan) above my bed which I have on continuously when I am in the condo but are switched off when I leave. I keep the temperature at 23c and my bills for electric, which also includes water heating, TV, fruidge etc. come to around Bt1,300 per month.

 

I could hardly use the aircon more but would not consider using it less when the monthly bill is less than £20.

[travlling 0]

get rid of the second party, eliminate one bed room and forget the maid and remain sober and you might make it on 45,000 bht.

Remain sober? Definitely not me!...........

 

 

 

travlling.................. =

[travlling 0]

Leadbelly,

 

I hope Alan answers you questions because I wouldn't mind reading them as well...

 

But here is a thought. 15-20K per month works out to about 500-650 per day on a 30 day month. You might consider looking around for a hotel room in that range for your first couple of months. My guess is that you would find several that would offer that rate on a 30 day basis for a room that would otherwise cost maybe 700-750 per night.

 

Then your in the town, have the freedom to take your time looking around for a place to live, and you have the added bonus of the maid service and so on....

 

Just a thought

 

Shilo

Shilo has the idea, and that's exactly what I'm going to do when i make the move!.............

 

 

 

travlling........... =

[landy2a 0]

My income is around 75000 baht/month. This is a govt pension indexed twice a year.

 

I live in Udon where I rent a small 2 bedroom house for 4000 baht month. This includes utilities but as I do not use aircon in Australia I have no need for it in Thailand. It is quite cool up there around christmas.

 

I have either 2 ST or a L T per day. This is approx 1000 to 1200 baht. I have hired a motor cycle in the past for 100 baht /day but will buy my own this trip.

 

I eat Thai food 95% of the time, my local hole in the wall cafes' know me and unless I order something specific they just cook me something different. They know no eyes, no intestines and mai phet so I get a tasty meal each time. I cannot eat all they serve me. This is at 20 baht a meal with a 20 baht tip once a week. The Thai customers never tip.

 

I am not a big drinker so my average bin is 400-500 baht. I try to have 2 rounds of 18 hole golf a week at approx 600 baht a round.

 

I am lucky to have resources behind me in Australia so if outgoings in Thailand exceed incomings from my pension there is no sweat.

 

 

John

[Eneukman 1]

Remain sober? Definitely not me!...........

 

 

 

travlling.................. =

Could someone please explain to me what remaining sober means?

 

I certainly don't plan on drinking excessively when I make the move - maybe an average of 5 or 6 drinks per night, maybe less

 

Landy, Udon is one of the places I'm thinking of moving to ultimately, with a live in gf, hopefully (not wife note ). I will need some alternative form of horizontal exercise to keep me in shape - what would renting a place with a pool, shared or otherwise, cost to rent?

 

Alan

[landy2a 0]

Alan,

From what I have been told you will get a palace for 10K to 14K baht/month plus expenses but with shared pool. I am looking to upgrade housing so will keep you informed.

John

[needitbad 0]

I am encouraged by the great info from all of you that are living or have lived in LOS.

 

I was just browsing the threads, and came across this very informative one.

 

WOW I'm amazed at the reasonable cost of living there. I could retire, and actually have some fun.

 

I'm not ready to retire quite yet, a few more years. I have not even visited LOS yet, but am planning three weeks later this year. BKK and Pataya. I know I'll have a good time, and probably meet a lot of good expats along the way.

 

So, thank to all of you for the great cost of living info. I know it'll probably change a bit before my retirement, but hopefully still be reasonable when my retirement comes.

I will however, be visiting on a regular basis until then.

 

Thanks,

NiB

[clubman 0]

Thanks. What kind of a lifestyle would I be living at around 45,000-50,0000 baht/month?

Same as council house tennant in the UK

[Bigmike 0]

Pattaya has an environment where you can very easily get carried away with the life style, so a great deal of care is needed.

Bigmike.

[davethailand 91]

russell;

Thanks for the Siam Garden link. Nice rooms at a fair price. I have read all the posts above and there is certainly a wide range of opinions on how much you need in live in Pat. 'davethailand' figures you need 70K/month, nearly $2,000/month. Millions of Americans live on that or less. 'eneukuan' figures you should head upcountry if you only have 45K/month. 'clubman'' thinks you will have a shit existance at 45K/month. Finally a bit of sanity with 'jgart38'. Rooms under 4K including utilities. I lived in Pat. for 7 winters and paid less than 7K/month each year. I have and many ex-pats do live in Pat. for less than 25K/month. If you drink every night and insist on a paid companion 3 times a week, no, 25K will not be enough. Each of us have our own level of comfort and priorities. Not everybody has 70K a month to live on or do they need it. My 2 cents worth.

I'm currently trying to teach myself to live on less than 70k a month. On the piss too much.