Dan
Working in Bangkok
Monthly Earnings 68K - 88K baht
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I work full-time in a government school English program and my salary is 58,000 baht a month. I can earn an extra 10-30K from part-time work.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
Usually between 20,000 and 30,000.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I pay about 10,000 baht a month including bills. It's a 35 sqm studio apartment with a nice view over Sukhumwit Road. The building has a very good swimming pool and also a gym and steam room..
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
150 baht a day (a combination of BTS and motorcycle taxis)
Utility bills
Electricity is 400 baht to 2,000 baht a month depending on the time of year.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
My vegetarian food is usually cheap. 20-100 baht a dish on average but I've noticed that shopping is getting more expensive. I don't budget as much anymore though and I buy what I want in terms of Western brands.
Nightlife and drinking
I don't drink or smoke so nightlife isn't so expensive. Non-alcoholic drinks are the same price but you don't tend to down as many of those on an evening out.
Books, computers
Books I buy second hand at Dasa Bookstore on Sukhumwit Road. Computers last for years. My internet at home is around 600 baht per month.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Simple but very convenient. I love my studio apartment with access to a great big swimming pool. It's perfect for a single guy with no kids.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
I would say taxi fares, certain foods, massages and also clothes can be reasonable.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
To survive, I would think about 15,000 per month but for a decent standard of living in Bangkok, you would need to be earning 40,000 up.
Phil's analysis and comment
Another teacher who says that you need to earn in excess of 40,000 baht a month in Bangkok - and I totally agree with him. The 30,000 baht salary just doesn't cut it anymore if you want to live somewhere decent and stash some money away for those unexpected bills, weekends away, etc.
Dan doesn't need to worry though. Even the low-end 68K is very decent money for a single guy living in a Sukhumwit bachelor pad.
Dan mentions that he buys second-hand books from Dasa Bookstore on Sukhumwit. In case you haven't been, it's near BTS Prompong, and well worth a visit. Check out their website.
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