Bob and Lom
Working in Chiang Rai
Monthly Earnings 58,000
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
29000 baht times TWO.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
Not sure, maybe 25 000 baht
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
8000 Baht 1 bedroom furnished condo including internet and all ancillaries
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
2000-3000 baht fuel for motorcycle depending on the number of week end out of town trips we take.
Utility bills
1000 baht (electricity, phone, internet) included in 8000 above
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
7000 baht, maybe 6000 shopping, 1000 restaurants, more if away for the weekend.
Nightlife and drinking
0 nightlife 400 for beer in the fridge
Books, computers
the 500 Baht included above for net access
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Good, two people happy together with really no worries.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
The ability to buy a great motorcycle for 20 000 baht and travel two up every weekend as far as 500 km away, or closer, along fantastic uncrowded roads through beautiful scenery and stay in nice guesthouses and eat good food for almost no cost. All factors considered, North Thailand has to be the best place in the world for someone who appreciates that lifestyle.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
If we didn't travel weekends we would be 'just surviving' and that would cost maybe 20 000 baht for both of us.
Phil's analysis and comment
Nice to hear from a teacher living in Chiang Rai because it's quite possibly my favorite place in the whole of Thailand. I certainly have an idea in the back of my mind to move there one day, in fact I sat down with my wife not long ago and we worked out how much it would cost to maintain a decent lifestyle, living in Chiang Rai, not working, and still enjoying a holiday or two abroad every year. We got the figure to about 85,000 baht a month but I can certainly see how Bob and Lom manage on about 60K - without the holidays abroad. Take care on those roads though Bob.
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