Derek
Working in Rural Thailand
Monthly Earnings 35,000 baht
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I have other earnings, but let’s just base things on my monthly salary of 30,510 baht and 4,800 baht per month from a private class (2 hours a week). I’m on a 12-month contract and my salary includes Bupa health insurance and visa / work permit costs.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
I don’t try to save from my regular monthly earnings, but there’s always something left at the end of the month. I just leave it in the bank until it builds up enough to make a major purchase. For example, two months ago I bought a new scooter for 50,000 baht.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I rent a 3-bedroom townhouse which costs 3,500 baht per month. It has air-con in the bedrooms but not downstairs. It was sparsely furnished when I moved in and I’ve added some of my own furniture/appliances to make it more comfortable.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
I run both a car and a scooter, but don’t have to travel far to work. I spend 2,000 baht a month on fuel. My car payments are 7,000 baht a month and factor in another 1,000 baht for insurance.
Utility bills
My electricity bill is between 500 and 1,000 depending on the time of year. Water about 100 baht. Cable TV costs 950 baht per quarter and internet from TOT 599 baht a month. So all in all about 2,000 baht per month.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
I just have coffee/toast for breakfast, a sandwich/7-11 toastie for lunch and dinner at a restaurant. There are no farang restaurants here and I’m not a great fan of fast food so I normally eat Thai food. I spend about 500 baht per week shopping for essentials at Tesco Lotus and about 300 baht per day on snacks, dinner, drinks and cigarettes.
Nightlife and drinking
There’s not much nightlife where I live, I always have a couple of large Leos with dinner, but the cost is included above. When I want nightlife I’ll go for a weekend away which is usually once a month. I don’t mind spending 10k on a nice weekend break.
Books, computers
I have a laptop and tablet, both bought from accumulated saving from my salary. I visit the UK at least once a year and always bring a stack of books from home.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
My standard of living is much better than it would be if I were living in rented accommodation in the UK. I can do what I want - when I want - and never go without.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Restaurants. I can sit down for my evening meal in a nice restaurant for 170 baht (including two large beers)
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
I would say 15,000 because it doesn’t take much to survive in the provinces. Then again, who wants to just survive? If I didn’t smoke or drink, you could knock 200 baht per day off my average daily spend but that’s not why I came to Thailand. 25k would be very comfortable here and anything above that you could start living like a king. My teaching job is only 15 +2 hours a week so I have plenty of free time, and if there’s something I really want or need, I can always take on extra work. When I go back to
Phil's analysis and comment
You can get some great deals on accommodation out in the sticks. A three-bedroom house for just 3,500 baht a month (and air-con in the upstairs bedrooms as well) Actually that's the same set-up as a house I rented in Bangkok, except that was costing me 8,000 baht a month. I lived in it for five years and never ever got around to putting air-conditioning in the downstairs living room.
When the hot season arrived, I would live in one of the upstairs rooms, where I had my bed and computer. Looking back, I may as well have rented a studio apartment - but having a house with a large front garden was always nice.
Anyway, nice survey that clearly shows you can live well in rural Thailand on 35K a month. Thanks Del.
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