Cost of living

[Tengotodo 52]

Reminds me of a true story told to me by a good friend who has lived in Pattaya over 15 years.

 

Farang man comes to Pattaya, meets bar girl, keeps her with him, falls in love. (OK, read infatuation if u want).

 

One morning at hotel lady is leaving to go back to her room for change of clothes etc. Asks man for 100bht for taxi. (Don't they always, when a baht bus is 5bht!)

 

100bht? 100bht? for a taxi he says. Gets dressed, drags her off to motorbike shop & buys her a NEW motorbike. I forget the actual cost, but it may have been 42,000bht?

 

Few days later, farang gets on aeroplane & goes home.

 

Within the week, said lady happens to see my friend. They know each other quite well, though rarely see one another. She tells my friend Micky the story.

Micky says "Oh so you have new motorbike now?" She say, "No, same same motorbike before." Micky looks puzzled. "I have motorbike already, so I take new motorbike back to shop, get 38,000bht".

That is so funny! I have no doubt it's quite true as well. I began this thread only because I know sure as hell I DO NOT want to retire in the US, so I"m sort of searching for places to go (in about 15 years or so). My first choice is somewhere in South America or Mexico since I am fluent in Spanish and the cost of living is generally cheaper. However, the nightlife, while I"m sure exciting, probably does not equal the likes of Pattaya (based upon my limited research to date).

 

So, where was I? Oh, yeah....73 days to go! I've extended my vacation for 19 days so I can get a better "taste" of what BKK and Pattaya has to offer!

[Soi7 1]

I"m sort of searching for places to go (in about 15 years or so)

 

If LOS changes in the next 15 years the way it has changed in the last 15 years then you may want to remove it from your where to retire list

[carlew 0]

I have talked to a lot of men who have bought condos in Pattaya to retire in.If it is going to be a little volatile with it's future laws or crime gets out of hand or even bird flu takes on a stronghold?.Maybe renting would be the best option?If it changes too much you may want to pull out quickly?

[wacmedia 277]

I have talked to a lot of men who have bought condos in Pattaya to retire in

.

 

Hi

 

The advantage of buying a place is you are protected from future inflation. Renting seems a better option at the moment. However if you gamble on the future and buy a place, property at the moment isin't too expensive, and if you have to write it off at some stage it shouldn't break you. I wouldn't keep all my assets in LOS (if I had any assets)

[Soi7 1]

The advantage of buying a place is you are protected from future inflation. Renting seems a better option at the moment. However if you gamble on the future and buy a place, property at the moment isin't too expensive, and if you have to write it off at some stage it shouldn't break you. I wouldn't keep all my assets in LOS (if I had any assets)

 

I chose to buy as the price was too good to pass up and the TG I live in will have a place for her and her son when I am out of the pitcure as this is the least I could do for her putting up with me

[Bigmike 0]

I don't think 5000 per month is a great deal of money. If you want live the same life style as you did back home wheather it be the US or Australia you would want a car which involves running costs, health insurance, insurance for the Condo and contents plus body corporate and maintenance fees if you own it, a feed out at a good restaurant like Brunos and some good seafood like a lobster, all your service charges for the condo plus your booze and women. Believe me you don't want to be sitting on the steps of a 7/11 sipping cheap beer or riding around on a push bike. Nope 5 grand a month is not excessive I would call it the minimum amount.

Bigmike.

[sabaidii2 171]

I don't think 5000 per month is a great deal of money. If you want live the same life style as you did back home wheather it be the US or Australia you would want a car which involves running costs, health insurance, insurance for the Condo and contents plus body corporate and maintenance fees if you own it, a feed out at a good restaurant like Brunos and some good seafood like a lobster, all your service charges for the condo plus your booze and women. Believe me you don't want to be sitting on the steps of a 7/11 sipping cheap beer or riding around on a push bike. Nope 5 grand a month is not excessive I would call it the minimum amount.

Bigmike.

Sorry, but I have to disagree. For one thing, you're not going to be living in tourist mode as you'll burn out on that. Believe it or not, there will be nights you sleep alone (Honest!)

 

Now, Hilly seems to live on the high end of the spectrum so his input would be relevant here. Excluding air flights back home, his condo (paid for), and separate expenses for his longtime companion, my guess is that even he spends less than 120k baht per month. And he's someone who likes daytrips, drinking, and GG girls (often two at a time).

Edited November 21, 2005 by sabaidii2

[Eneukman 1]

November is going to be my most expensive month of living here and even with that I reckon my total expenditure is going to come in at something a bit under 90,000 baht. This figure includes some exceptional items such as a customs "bribe" of 4,000 baht to get my effects through Customs without any hassle and 4,300 baht for my next (and final) round of language lessons and the purchase of a portable CD player for 3,200 baht. Excluding these items, my expenditure for this month will be a bit under 80,000 baht.

 

My income will allow me to spend a bit more each month but I need to keep some back to pay for side trips away from Pattaya from time to time.

 

I barfine a girl on average once every three nights and tend to stay away from the bars unless I'm out on the prowl. Doesn't always work for various reasons though

 

Alan

[wacmedia 277]

I chose to buy as the price was too good to pass up and the TG I live in will have a place for her and her son when I am out of the pitcure as this is the least I could do for her putting up with me

 

Hi

 

Everybody has different circumstances, and you've done what it right from your point of view. I think if I was living there full time my spending would go down a lot as I couldn't handle different women all the time for any lenght of time any more. Also I like Thai food so would expect to eat like a local most the time with the odd roast or breakfast thrown in. I wouldn't like to add to the carnage on the roads by driving as I like a beer if I go out. I think I could live a better life there than here on a lot less money.

[sinbinjack 251]

If you want live the same life style as you did back home wheather it be the US or Australia you would want a car which involves running costs,

Bigmike.

you may have a car at home but when in pattaya you never seem to go much farther than the baht bus circuit so don't need a car as in the west we travel miles all the time just to get the necessities so may need a car just to survive.

[torrenova 644]

Most people are too pissed to drive in Pattaya.

[Bagwan 0]

How much money you need to live (not survive!) will depend on your life style. If you intend to sit in a gogo every night ogling young ladies not wearing a lot wriggling their asses while holding on to a pole, while pouring copious amounts of poison down your throat until you fall over then expect to spend quite a bit.

On the other hand if you adopt a more conservative lifestyle I find 70 big ones a month is enough. I settled down 4 years ago with a very special lady, we eat out 5 or 6 times per week (lunches and dinners), I play golf 2 or 3 times per week, I support her family but not to excess, socialise with friends, run a small truck and take occasional trips to different parts of the country. I both smoke and drink and butterfly a couple of times per month - but obviously not in this town.

Up to you.

[pattysteve 34]

Hi,

 

Im kinda newbie on this forum,been reading and posting on Thai forum longer.

 

Stayed in Pattaya from early May thro July.heres my budget idea.

 

Hotel......15000B per month.not a top hotel but a very friendly very clean hotel.

 

Food......9000B.eat very well on this per mnth,i never eat as much in patters too warm.

 

Drink.....15000B,im not a big drinker but always bought BG's drinks as well.

 

Entertainment ahhhhhhh here the tough bit,but even with a different girl every nite only about 35000B per mnth.

 

so total ........75000B each mnth,altho i must admit this is top end,i spent much less and im defo not a Cheap Charlie.

[Eneukman 1]

Remember to allow for toiletries, telephone, internet access, water and booze for the hotel room, laundry and so on.

 

I did a topic in the Members' Area back in October which detailed my costs for 1 month.

 

http://www.pattayatalk.com/forums/index.ph...18188&hl=budget

 

Since then, my costs have been slightly higher and I would reckon on somewhere between 75,000 and 80,000 baht to be closer to the norm. I'm a bit over budget this month but as this is the open to the public forum I can't go into too much detail on why.

 

Alan