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[Ulysses G.]

Hostile17, on 2012-05-25 22:21:22, said:

From what i have seen, most of the trash from our countries move to south east asia when they get above 50 years of age, so i dont see how you call this running away from them? A walk down rawai in phuket or on any street in bangkok will confirm this. Also the fact that Singha and chang are making more profits with their wifebeaters than by selling beer.

They seems to spend their time writing bitter, delusional rants on Internet forums.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Hostile17, on 2012-05-25 18:13:01, said:

USA and Canada is cheaper than thailand and you get better standards. That's it.

Obviously depends on what you spend your money on, for me completely not true.

My housing/utilities/food/transportation totals around 25K THB, the equivalent in any place I've lived back home would be at least 100K THB. It's true that some aspects would be higher quality over there, but personal safety in a major metro area is much worse, especially if you're on a low budget.

Out of the remaining THB 20K, just the people looking after my kids would be over 5K USD, and wouldn't be as many people nor would they cover the 24*7 I get now. And the remaining "personal services" wouldn't be available at any price, a much lower quality and quantity would be at least 15K USD per month.

So for me there's absolutely no contest, even if I made 20x the income over there my lifestyle would be much much worse.

[Heng]

And just like all 'how much it costs' threads, it all depends on one's own financial situation (especially if your income, salary, revenue streams are finite and diminishing, or fixed and still trending towards increasing).   In another country where you can still go out and 'get a job,' you might not feel like there is a noose steadily tightening around your scrotum, LOS style.  If however you're relatively secure financially, it's easy to put a cheap 'spin' on life wherever you are.      

[kerryk]

SteveLynch, on 2012-05-25 22:53:23, said:

Hi Kerry
A touch off topic
Please don't  take this the wrong way ,I see you constantly make reference to speaking the local language ,I agree with you somewhat
Cani ask how many you speak apart from English and Thai if any?

I don't think it is really relevant how many languages I speak. I realized when I was managing a hotel in Taiwan 40 years ago that my staff spoke at least three different languages. Later in the States I realized that speaking Spanish enabled me to recruit better lower cost hospital workers and living in South Florida, Spanish was also handy to communicate with the hot Cuban women in Miami.

I come from a multi language background and realized a long time ago that many things are easier and less expensive if you speak the local language.

All my children speak 4 languages and they learned painlessly as they were growing up. They have and will reap the economic and cultural benefits of their education in later life.

Everything in any foreign country is easier and cheaper if you speak the language. A perfect example is that French lady who posts here. Her life would be 100% happier if she spoke fluent Thai.

[SteveLynch]

Yup It ain't relevant
Just a question ,so I'm guessing it's more than 3 .


Regards

Steve

[DrAnna]

Having lived in Phuket for over a year, it became increasing expensive over that year (NB there was little culture to be experienced). Over development meant that prop prices increased a lot. Food costs increased sharply (but that is a fact globally).

After being in Chiang Mai - that is when I realised that Phuket was seriously overpriced.

If you live the local way of like - i.e. food, then cost of living is cheaper, but if you insist on living the expat life e.g. eat cereals, good meat (e.g. steak) or even corned beef (380 Baht!) then your money wont last.

There are parts of UK you can live in that are comparable in prices to Phuket, but of course you wont get the beautiful weather or beaches....

[TommoPhysicist]

DrAnna, on Yesterday, 16:20 , said:

Having lived in Phuket for over a year, it became increasing expensive over that year (NB there was little culture to be experienced). Over development meant that prop prices increased a lot. Food costs increased sharply (but that is a fact globally).

After being in Chiang Mai - that is when I realised that Phuket was seriously overpriced.

If you live the local way of like - i.e. food, then cost of living is cheaper, but if you insist on living the expat life e.g. eat cereals, good meat (e.g. steak) or even corned beef (380 Baht!) then your money wont last.

There are parts of UK you can live in that are comparable in prices to Phuket, but of course you wont get the beautiful weather or beaches....

Just to point out.
500g packets of Kellogs Cornflakes in Mackro Thailand and Tesco Thailand are same price as Tesco UK (99bht or 1.98UKP.
Check it out for yourself online at tesco.com

Edited by TommoPhysicist, Yesterday, 17:41 .

[Ulysses G.]

TommoPhysicist, on Yesterday, 17:38 , said:

DrAnna, on Yesterday, 16:20 , said:

Having lived in Phuket for over a year, it became increasing expensive over that year (NB there was little culture to be experienced). Over development meant that prop prices increased a lot. Food costs increased sharply (but that is a fact globally).

After being in Chiang Mai - that is when I realised that Phuket was seriously overpriced.

If you live the local way of like - i.e. food, then cost of living is cheaper, but if you insist on living the expat life e.g. eat cereals, good meat (e.g. steak) or even corned beef (380 Baht!) then your money wont last.

There are parts of UK you can live in that are comparable in prices to Phuket, but of course you wont get the beautiful weather or beaches....

Just to point out.
500g packets of Kellogs Cornflakes in Mackro Thailand and Tesco Thailand are same price as Tesco UK (99bht or 1.98UKP.
Check it out for yourself online at tesco.com

Yes, but I think that he is talking about people who have to have Fruit Loops or Captain Crunch - people who demand familiar Western products and refuse to budget according to where they are living.

[Bpuumike]

meand, on 2012-05-23 17:50:02, said:

I seriously can't even believe what i'm reading. If living cheaper is one of your goals/requirements, and you can't do it here vs the US or Uk, you need to work on your money management skills. The capacity to live cheaper here is almost unlimited, of course it depends on how far you want to take it, but it is definitely cheaper if you want/need it to be. I also agree with the sentiments that on the same amount of money here you are living a better lifestyle.

Well said.

You can live a bit cheaper in the UK or Spain but not the same quality or variety of life there.

I live in North Thailand, very cheaply and enjoyably quiet. My wife has had an apartment in central Bangkok for many years and we keep that as the rent is negligible and pop down for a week or two every couple of months for a change of scene (and spending pattern).

At the end of the day, it really depends on what budget you want to work to and what lifestyle you want. I would not say that Thailand, as in Bangkok, Phuket, etc. is overall 'cheaper' but it can be and all depends how you like to live life.

[Colabamumbai]

Many things here are the same price as in our countries or origin.

Old cheese imported from Australia    180 Bhat or more.....$6.00....Same price as in Canada but ours is made in Canada.

Bacon   120 plus Bhat   $4.00  about the same price in Canada.

Kleenix,   Vaseline skin cream   Pizza chains     same price or more...........

Many of the "felang foods" are priced much the same as they would be in your home country,
although many things do cost less.

Somethings I will not buy because I consider expensive for Thailand, although I would buy them in my country.   ie:   Pizza

[kurtgruen]

I have found, that it is easy for me, to spend more money, here in Thailand, than back in Canada.  In Canada, I don't go for weekly massages, or monthly manicure/peticures.  Even things like that, are much cheaper here, it's something I don't spent money on, in Canada.  I also tend to pay people, for work I would go myself in Canada (yard work, house work, etc.).  Then, there is "feeding the masses"...family, friends, neighbors, staff, etc., just because we can and it makes people's life around us a little easier and adds pleasure to our lives as well.
I like my Magnum Ice Cream, which costs about the same as back home and to ride my Harley, which the parts cost more for, but the labor costs are much cheaper, so that more or less balances out.  Here, I get it washed, waxed and detailed for 90 Baht.  Back home, I have to clean my old Shovelhead myself,  because to get it detailed, would be about $200.  (6000 Baht)
Coffee is a little more expensive here.  Beer is a little bit cheaper.
Rent is only 2500 Baht, for a three bedroom house, on 1 1/2 Rai of beautiful, mountain view land, with many different fruit trees and privacy ($85 per month).  Electric around $15 per month, including water, which comes from a good well.  In Canada, I would pay about $1400 per month, for something similar, in a similar town and environment
Internet is a little cheaper here, but not much and about the same quality as back home.
We could live on 10,000 Baht per month (eating Thai food), but are probably spending about 60,000 Baht per month, because we can and we love to enjoy life.
That includes all the extras for both me and my wife and daughter (hair salons, etc., massages), all of our trips to the beach and on the bike, as much beer as we want to drink and all the entertainment we want.
In Canada, we would be barely surviving, on $2000 (60,000 Baht) per month, with rent and utilities taking almost 3/4 of it, not to mention the high taxes on everything.
The way, I look at life...I live it happily.  If I am not happy, I change it.  If that would mean going back to work, or on the other hand, having to cut my spending, I would do whatever makes me happy.
Life is a great adventure and I would not waste it trying to survive without work.  Been there, done that, in my youth.  Waste of time.
I think, a better way to look at life, than just looking for the cheapest way to live, is to decide, what we want out of life and then taking the necessary steps to get there.
The way, I look at life is, any day, I am not happy, is a wasted day.  If I find myself bored, or unhappy, with my circumstances, I take a look at what is happening and set a plan in action to change things.
I really don't believe, that money has ever been the problem for me, even when I was very poor.  My problem, was the attitude, I had towards life and others around me.  I watch Thai couples, with children, work for $150 - $200 per month each, leading happy and content lives.  I watch others (Thai and Foreigners, who have Millions of Baht at their disposal, being miserable, financially insecure and arrogant, towards people less fortunate then them.
Again, to me, it's not about money.  It's about attitude towards and enjoyment of life ;-)

[dob310870]

farang000999, on 2012-05-22 02:27:18, said:

We obviously have to seperate this between Europeans and Americans since Euros pay more for everything (besides healthcare) which they love telling you is FREE... just don't ask them "If it is FREE, how do the doctors get paid?"... From the government. "And where does the government get the money to pay them?".

I took that as bit antagonistic, to be honest. Maybe because it's so late and I am sitting reading through this lot, I am a little edgy. It did seem a little bitter towards the UK. Anyway, you are correct, we do pay our tax in order to fund the NHS and that is the ONLY thing I will miss about the UK when I leave.  The department of taxation 'new ideas' team that seem to constantly think of new things to tax us on and it really pisses me off. It is just simply more expensive to live here. You need a car, that's a fact. If you work it and don't want to add 2 hours to your day on public transport, which is also becoming increasingly expensive, you need a car. Petrol hit £1.39 per litre this week. Car insurance. I have 5 years no claims bonus and I pay £680 a year to insure my car. The there is road tax. The only saving grace is that when I have a crash I can be hospitalised and treated for free!! ;-) I won't go into housing and council tax and food. I will say that you can eat really cheaply in the UK if you want to feed yourself crap food. They should put an increased tax on junk food and make it more affordable to eat healthy foods. There was a news item this week that reported on a 19 year girl who had to be cut out of her house to get to the hospital because she ate her way to 60 stones (840 pounds). She didn't do that eating organic chicken breast and broccoli. Anyway, enough of this.

[quandow]

I travel back to the states for some essentials and nonessentials that I must have and can't get here.  Even figuring in the cost of roundtrip travel, it remains MUCH less expensive living in LOS.  I have a pension that would barely cover my living expenses in the U.S. but here, I am VERY comfortable.

[anterian]

If you live like a normal Thai then Thailand is much cheaper than the West, as you move up the social ladder it becomes more expensive, a high class restaurant versus a roadside food stall. Similarly if you wish to continue living like a westerner with imported foods and goods it becomes the same cost as living in the West, you have in effect brought the West with you.

[TommoPhysicist]

Went to a posh place for lunch today, had Cow Soy with chicken @ 35Bht, Large Chang Classic @55bth.
Try having a nice lunch in a restaurant by a river in the UK for less than 1.80UKP

[balo]

Yeah it all depends where you come from .

Since I'm Norwegian and Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world, life is really good and very cheap here, if you have a western salary/income or pension.

Norway is three times more expensive than USA when it comes to food and other items so Thailand is like the cheapest place on the planet for us.

Edited by balo, Today, 17:57 .

[Cardiff1963]

Im on a sports diet- Darts being my sport of choice

[Billmont]

I still own a house in the UK and my wife owns our house in Thailand so no mortages or rent to consider. Owning ahouse here is cheaper than the UK as no Council tax so on average an immediate saving of GBP 2,000 per annum. Electricity is about the same, air con here heating in the UK. Water charges here are much cheaper, about a GBP 1,000 saving per year. Repairs here in Thailand are much cheaper (we live near Korat) but the standard and reliability leaves a lot to be desired. Buying a car here is more expensive but running costs are lower Diesel about THB 31 pr Litre in the UK about THB 75 and service costs are much lower. Food costs are in my opinion about the same as I buy from Fresh Mart in the Mall and buy good quality beef. Lasts weeks shop cost THB 7,300. However there are cheaper options and meat from the local market is much cheaper but its not for me. A lunch in Sizzler for my wife and I usually averages THB 1,000, no beer just coke. In the UK we return every yearfor about 3 months many places are doing a two course lunch for 2 persons at GBP 9.99 or THB 500. Premier Inns offer this all day until 6pm. Many local pubs had to follow to maintain business. In a local restaurant (good standard) we pay about GBP 70 (THB3,)500 including a bottle of the house wine. In Pattaya and Bangkok we often pay between THB 5,000 to 7,500 for about the same standard, wine is really expensive here in Thailand, especially so in good standard restaurants. When we eat locally here in Thailand in restaurants that provide European meals we usually pay between THB 400 and 1,200 including a couple of beers.
I am fairly certain that is is cheaper in general to live here in Thailand but then these savings are offset by the costs when we return to the UK. We still holiday here in Thailand but if we lived in the UK we would avoid the travel costs of our annual visit.
All in all it is swings and roundabouts but I much prefer the 'swings' here in Thailand to the 'roundabouts' in the UK. Life is much less regulated here in Thailand and the climate is of course much better. We are here in Thailand to enjoy our life and not here because it may be cheaper to live here. If you want to live a cheap life in Thailand then there is that opportunity that is not really available in the UK.

[bangkokgabe]

I was raised in New York, and spent most of my adult life in New Orleans. As a result of Hurricane Katrina, I moved all over the USA during the diaspora, before taking a job in bkk. That said, the USA has ENORMOUS differences in terms of cost of living/quality of life. After weighing the variables touched on in this thread, I would suggest to all of you Americans out there that Bangkok is most similar to St. Louis in terms of cost of living.....bring on the arguments....LOL

[TommoPhysicist]

I'm amazed that any western person would eat in a place like Sizzler' while in Thailand then claim it was expensive compared to the UK. Sizzler is not Thai food, not sure it even counts as food (yuck).

I can get fish and chips in Thailand for 125bht, Burger and chips for 99bht, even these are expensive IMHO, but not Thai food.
You should be comparing the same quality of local foods in similar places in the two countries to compare prices.

So a normal mid-price Thai dish (eg Pla Tab Tim Tot) in a quality restaurant in Thailand should be compared to a normal mid-price English dish (eg Roast beef dinner) in a quality restaurant in England or mid-price Thai dish (eg Pad Thai) in Thai bar Vs mid-price English dish (eg chicken in a basket) in English pub.

Not Sizzler in Thailand Vs Motel food in the UK, for gods sake get a grip.

Edited by TommoPhysicist, Today, 19:06 .

[Spoonman]

TommoPhysicist, on Today, 19:03 , said:

I'm amazed that any western person would eat in a place like Sizzler' while in Thailand then claim it was expensive compared to the UK. Sizzler is not Thai food, not sure it even counts as food (yuck).

I can get fish and chips in Thailand for 125bht, Burger and chips for 99bht, even these are expensive IMHO, but not Thai food.
You should be comparing the same quality of local foods in similar places in the two countries to compare prices.

So a normal mid-price Thai dish (eg Pla Tab Tim Tot) in a quality restaurant in Thailand should be compared to a normal mid-price English dish (eg Roast beef dinner) in a quality restaurant in England or mid-price Thai dish (eg Pad Thai) in Thai bar Vs mid-price English dish (eg chicken in a basket) in English pub.

Not Sizzler in Thailand Vs Motel food in the UK, for gods sake get a grip.

Why not make some real world comparisons rather than spouting your own hearsay. This thread needs something factual.

[Hostile17]

TommoPhysicist, on Today, 19:03 , said:

I'm amazed that any western person would eat in a place like Sizzler' while in Thailand then claim it was expensive compared to the UK. Sizzler is not Thai food, not sure it even counts as food (yuck).

I can get fish and chips in Thailand for 125bht, Burger and chips for 99bht, even these are expensive IMHO, but not Thai food.
You should be comparing the same quality of local foods in similar places in the two countries to compare prices.

So a normal mid-price Thai dish (eg Pla Tab Tim Tot) in a quality restaurant in Thailand should be compared to a normal mid-price English dish (eg Roast beef dinner) in a quality restaurant in England or mid-price Thai dish (eg Pad Thai) in Thai bar Vs mid-price English dish (eg chicken in a basket) in English pub.

Not Sizzler in Thailand Vs Motel food in the UK, for gods sake get a grip.

Why do this when i explicitly stated that on the main street of Montreal i can get better quality thai food in larger portion for the same price that i would get it in shophouse restaurant.

Everything in thai's large cities is overpriced. Everything might sound cheap but those 40-100baht meals, i will need 2-3 of them to get the same nutriments i would in a normal cheap meals back home. Problem is, after 1 of those cheap  meals i am totally fed up with eating food that could be compared to what a 3year old makes with a play-dough oven. Dont tell me to order Peeset.. 30mins later my stomach is roaring. Keep in mind im only 75kg and very fit. Not a fat lardass.

Edited by Hostile17, 14 minutes ago.

[Ulysses G.]

Hostile17, on 15 minutes ago, said:

Why do this when i explicitly stated that on the main street of Montreal i can get better quality thai food in larger portion for the same price that i would get it in shophouse restaurant.

Horse manure.