Scott

Working in Bangkok

Monthly Earnings 227,500

Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)

I work full-time at a large international school in Bangkok. The school has been open less than a decade but has grown considerably over the past few years and is positioned at the upper end of the international school market in the city.

In addition to a salary of 175,000 baht, I get a housing allowance of 53,000 baht. Additional benefits include worldwide medical cover, annual flights, provident fund, two free schools places for children, and a yearly bonus. Flights, health insurance and visas are also given to dependents free of charge. However I do not have children, only a partner.

My take home pay after tax and housing is around 145,000.

I also have a small apartment in the UK which is tenanted and brings in a small income that covers any UK costs such as mortgage, factor fees, insurance and miscellaneous items. This brings in a other £700 but only a small amount is left after insurance, mortgage and factoring fees.

Q2. How much money can you save each month?

I am able to save between 95K and 110K per month and most of this is sent to the UK, where interest on accounts is considerably better than in Thailand.

Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?

The property is covered by my housing allowance. I live in central Bangkok close to BTS Thonglor. I have lived in the property for four years and the landlord has not increased the rent in that period. It is a fantastic deal, with similar properties nearby going for around 65,000 per month. The property is in an older building but the unit and communal areas of the building were all renovated five years ago. It is 150SQM with two bedrooms, two bathrooms as well as a western kitchen and two balconies.

Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?

Transportation

Very little. I have an old scooter that I use for work and costs barely 500 baht a month in fuel. I spend another 1,600 baht a month on taxis and the BTS.

Utility bills

Electricity - 2,200 per month
Internet & SIM - 500 per month
Netflix - 220 per month
Spotify - 139 per month
Water - 90 per month
All of these are a fraction of what I was paying when I lived in the UK. I have now been in Thailand for seven years.

Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping

I usually eat at home from Monday to Thursday and then eat out the rest of the week. Supermarket shopping comes to around 5,000 baht and you can add another 16K for restaurant bills. I enjoy eating out with my partner and friends and there are so many fantastic restaurants in the city that you are never short of options.

Nightlife and drinking

Mid-week is usually very quiet due to long working hours and the general workload. However, I enjoy a beer, particularly sitting outside and enjoying the weather as well. I don't drink in the house as I enjoy the social aspect of meeting friends. I would say this comes to around 8,000 baht per month.

Books, computers

Very little as I am not gamer, but I do have a laptop for work. I usually buy a few books a month from Dasa Books or the Nelson Hays Library. We have a library at school which has around 30,000 books and is updated each week so there is always lots to read.

Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?

Fantastic! There are very few cities in the world that are as vibrant and exciting as Bangkok. I am able to visit a different country when school holidays come around, and explore many parts of the world. Although working at the top tier international schools is hard work, the benefits outweigh the negatives.

Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?

Bangkok is no longer a 'cheap' city but there aren't many of those left in the developed world. However, there are still some bargains to be had compared to Western Europe, Oceania and North America.

Services are very cheap here such as mechanics, repairs. Transport is very affordable in Bangkok for those on expat salaries, but those on the lower scale of the local workforce would be unlikely to agree with this. The BTS is a great service but is not cheap if you are not earning a great deal.

Local food is very affordable, even at restaurants. Most alcoholic drinks are affordable as long as you do not frequent the hi-so bars. Bars such as O'Sheas, Laughing Tiger, Old English, Jack's, The Fox and Hemmingways all offer reasonably priced drinks.

Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?

If you are only looking at Bangkok, I would say that a single person could live on 40,000 a month and have a reasonable life and a decent small apartment. A couple would likely need around 60,000 and a family would certainly need a minimum of 80K. Outside of Bangkok, this could be reduced significantly unless you are living in Phuket, Pattaya or Samui.

Phil's analysis and comment


A lot of people don't believe what well-qualified teachers earn at the higher end of the international school spectrum, so it's always good to get a survey now and again. It must be a great life living in Bangkok on that sort of coin. I've nothing really to add.


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