Cost of living

[doolish 14]

People are talking about paying 15,000-20,000B a month plus Elec, Maid etc,etc.

I retiire in Aug. And will be coming out to Pattaya in Sept. I've booked into a hotel for six months with my TG as i want to relax, after all my life working I want to take a rest for six months before deciding where to live. The cost off the hotel is 13,500B a month, so I would not consider the other option as I get everything I need, T.V., D.V.D., Fridge, A.C., Sheets and towels changed every day, Bottled water and tea and coffee free.

Cheers Doug.

[Eneukman 1]

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

dave, one of the pitfalls in owning a bar

 

Alan

[landy2a 0]

Some cost of living figures compiled by www.udonmap.com.

 

Data curtesy of Udonmap.com, Interesting the cost of a santaew (baht bus) has increased by one baht since I last used one end of Jan 2005

 

"Udon Thani is fast becoming a popular destination amongst the ex-pat community for living, business, teaching or alternative holidays. Udon Thani can be a relatively cheap place to live compared to areas such as Bangkok or Phuket.

 

We have gathered together a very basic list of living expenses for Udon Thani to give you a little idea how much various things may cost. Costs will of course vary depending on your own circumstances and budget, so you may have to make adjustments for your own personal situation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BUDGET

 

Accommodation

 

The average cost of a 3 bedroom house in the city - 1.2 million baht

The average rent of a 3 bedroom house in the city - 3,500bt – 4,500bt

 

City appartment rental - 2'500bt - 3'500bt per room

Average electricity per month - 600bt-800bt

 

Average water cost per month - 200bt-400bt

 

Cable TV (Home cable) or UTV - 300bt per month

 

Satellite (UBC) 1'600bt per month

 

Average shopping bill per week 1,000-3,000bt

Monthly washing and ironing service 400-500bt

 

Monthly house maid service 2,000 - 3,000 bt

 

Average hotel room 600bt, cheapest appartment style room 239bt/night

 

Getting Around

 

Second hand 2-3 year old Toyota Solona car - 350,000bt or 580,000bt new

New Honda 100cc motorbike - 30,000bt, or 15,000-20,000 second hand

Car rental 1'200bt per day or 1,000bt per day for a week or longer

Truck rental 1,000bt per day or 800bt per day for a week or longer

Motorbike rental 200bt per day or 150bt for a week or longer

Motorcycle taxi around town 40-70bt

Pedal taxi 20bt

Santaew (Van taxi) anywhere around town 6bt

Bus (non-air) to Nong Khai 27bt

Train to Nong Khai 70bt

Air Asia flight to Bangkok 400bt+ depending upon availability

Eating & drinking

 

Korean BBQ meal for two people 69bt or 69bt per person for all you can eat

Large bottle of Leo beer 35 baht from the shop or 60bt from a restaurant

Large bottle of Thai beer from Tesco Lotus 28bt

Small bottle of Heiniken beer 33bt or 90bt from a disco

Packet of Thai cigarettes 35bt or 8bt for Vietnamese cigarettes from duty free in Nong Khai

Bottle of Thai Rice Whiskey 60bt, Large bottle Thai Rum 130bt

Standard Thai Whiskey 120bt, Scottish whiskey 200bt per bottle

Rice porridge 20bt

Western food - Pie 'n' chips 100bt, Sunday roast 150bt

American style pizza Medium 199bt, Large 299bt, free delivery over 150bt

Italian style pizza 200bt

1.5lt bottle of mineral water 13bt

Can of coke 12bt

4lt box of Australian Lydmans dry red wine 450bt from Nong Khai duty free

Johnnie Walker Gold Label whiskey 1,040bt from Nong Khai duty free

Sports & Leisure

 

Swimming pool use at the Napali Hotel 50bt or 30bt at the Physical Education college

Golf 200bt for 18 holes

Pool 20bt per game

10pin bowling 60bt per game 20bt for shoe hire

Thai massage 1hr 120bt, herbal 3hr massage 700bt

1hr internet use 15-20bt

Monthly unlimited internet use at home 329bt (T-net card available from TT&T office Charoensri shopping complex bottom floor

Local telephone calls 3bt per call, no time limit

Standard computer with 17inch monitor, 20gig hard-drive, 2 gig processor etc 14,000bt "

 

 

 

 

Some prices may be a little out of date but would not have increased too much.

 

John

[Eneukman 1]

Thanks, John - that's a useful guide.

 

Alan

[Eneukman 1]

In the post this morning, I received from my former employer details of the pension I will receive when I'm 50 in June. They had given me a figure about this time last year but I was working on the basis that the actual figure would be slightly lower. To my (pleasant) surprise, the actual figure is a few hundred pounds per annum higher. . They have also given me the chance to take a cash lump sum of £25,800 in exchange for a lower (by about £1,600) pension. I've no real need for the cash so plan on taking the higher pension but any other thoughts would be welcome.

 

Coupled with investment income from the sale of my flat and exisiting shares held, this will give me a a sufficient excess of income over expenditure to pay for holidays etc.

 

I've also decided to give up work on 8th April , which also brings the reality of taking the very big step of retiring to a foreign land and culture so much closer. All I need now is to get my non-immigrant O visa, buy my ticket, organise a roof repair, get the decorators in, put the flat on the market, get everything I want stored delivered to my brother, complete the sale (private) of certain items friends and family want, throw out a lot of stuff I won't need and which can't be sold and a million other things I probably haven't thought of.

 

Ah well, roll on 14th June when (hopefully) I'll be flying out to start a new life.

 

Alan

[LBJ 533]

I truly envy you Alan. I am slowly working on my own plan to retire in Thailand. I won't be there by the time I'm fifty, but I hope it will be in the not too distant future. Good luck and enjoy every minute of your dream retirement.

[marleyboy 140]

eneukman, im no financial expert but when i retire (sadly not until im bleeding 60!) im gonna take the bigger lump sum and lesser pension. im basing this on the odds of me living long enough to collect the extra yearly pension, what i mean is (although its different for you as you are gonna retire at 50!) but if you take the extra £1,600 per annum pension it will take you 15 years to get the £25,000 lump sum if you get my meaning! as £1,600 X 10 years = £16,000 and to get £24,000 it will take 15 years! so me personally id take the bigger lump sum and even if you dont need it , you can save/invest it and if you got , i dont know say 5% interest youd get about a grand interest at least a year id guess! so ok you dont get £1,600 extra pension but! you will get at least a grand interest (maybe more!) plus you have the 25 or 26 grand in the bank! just a thought! sorry for being so long winded! but its complicated to type something as its easier to just "speak "it! anyway the best of luck to you on your retirement! (you lucky bar-steward!)

[Eneukman 1]

I understand your logic, marleyboy but my need for income is greater than my need for the capital. I have still to check out the tax position for my pension, and that will have a bearing on my ultimate decision. For example, if I can get the pension paid without deduction of tax in the UK and not have to pay tax on it in Thailand (now that WOULD be nice ), then I would almost certainly take the cash. If, on the other hand, it's better for me to pay income tax on my pension in the UK, this would reduce the amount of pension actually lost to about £1,250. Investing the cash in the stock market, I could fairly easily get a yield of around 4% to 4 1/2%, slightly less than the pension I would be losing.

 

The other point I need to consider is what will rise at a faster rate - investment income or my pension? A large part of the increase is "discretionary" - in other words the Trustees will try to keep the rise as low as possible.

 

Hopefully, the value of my investments will rise in the longer term, which is something else to take into account. Ah, decisions, decisions

 

Alan

[greenhorn 7]

Landy cheers for the decent numbers.....

[sinbinjack 243]

just a thought from someone who lives on a budget all the time in the uk,many boardies have thier own opinions on the cost of living in pattaya but what has not been said(Ididn't see it)is that you will live better in pattaya on £1000 a month than you would in the UK. here in essex you would pay per month £400-£500 for a 1 bedroom flat unfurnished!,another £80+for rates £30-£35for utileties transport costs start at £1for the shortest of journeys and food costs approx£100(as long as you dont want meat,fish or to entertain) at the local supermarket sky costs up to £40 depending on package +the tv licence£10and if you smoke fags at £4+ a pack,20 a day =£120 +now thats £800-£900 a month and you dont get the sun,a pool,a drink never mind a gorgeous brown maiden to fuck your brains out which you couldn't afford even once a month in the UK. So a budget may not be to the liking of many boardies but to others it could be their paradise

[bronto 0]

Sinbin,

couldn't agree more with you . The other way to look at it is, imagine trying to live the Pattaya lifestyle in the UK and how much that would cost !

It wouldn't work though. I don't see too many honeys down The Crumpled Ferret on a Friday night .

 

I spend £ 1000 per month here just existing, no frills .

£1000 per month in LOS can buy a lot of fun, without going too mad .

 

2 weeks and counting .