Stu

Working in Bangkok

Monthly Earnings 63,000 (before tax)

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

Full-time salary plus a housing allowance.

Q2. How much money can you save each month?

10,000 to 20,000 baht depending on the situation

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

I pay 25,000 for a large townhouse in Bangna with my dog and girlfriend.

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

Transportation

1000 on gas for my car, but for big trips sometimes that can double. I use the BTS and motorcycles to get around locally.

Utility bills

Used to be around 5,500 a month until I had to pay to replace the ac, now it's closer to 2,500 including internet, wifi, mobile, electricity, water.

Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping

Average grocery shopping once a week is 1,300 and I cook breakfast lunch and dinner every day for two adults. Eating out on the weekends in Thai places or sometimes delivery so about 5,000-10,000 per month.

Nightlife and drinking

I don't drink but enjoy other libations roughly that come to roughly 1,000 to 2,000 per month.

Books, computers

Nothing.

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

I consider myself well off until I need to travel West or to go anywhere else.

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

Food, transport, massages.

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

Depends on the situation. I have student loans I need to pay, so I can barely afford it on a 60,000 salary but I would think to maintain a comfortable lifestyle and go for a Western holiday every year, you would need close to 100,000.

Phil's analysis and comment

Never underestimate the savings you can make by replacing an old air-conditioning unit if you have your own house or perhaps getting the handyman to give the unit a clean if you live in a rented property.  I replaced my main air-con a year or so back and the electricity bill came down from 6,000 a month to 2,500 (the air-con is switched on almost 24/7 at my place) 

Stu, I notice you spend almost half of your salary on rent. I hope your girlfriend is working and chipping in towards the costs. 


Submit your own Cost of Living survey

Back to the main list


Featured Jobs

Recruitment Manager

฿55,000+ / month

Bangkok


NES Grade 4 Math and Science Teacher

฿40,000+ / month

Chiang Mai


Early Years Teacher

฿60,000+ / month

Bangkok


Primary Science Teachers for MEP Program

฿33,000+ / month

Maha Sarakham


Part-time NES Summer Camp Teachers

฿450+ / hour

Bangkok


Summer Camp Teachers

฿700+ / hour

Chiang Mai


Featured Teachers

  • Jenny


    Filipino, 26 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Anirban


    Indian, 30 years old. Currently living in India

  • Kriselle


    Filipino, 25 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Umar


    Pakistani, 32 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Paulyn


    Filipino, 27 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Diana


    Filipino, 28 years old. Currently living in Philippines

The Hot Spot


Need Thailand insurance?

Need Thailand insurance?

Have a question about health or travel insurance in Thailand? Ricky Batten from Pacific Prime is Ajarn's resident expert.


Teacher mistakes

Teacher mistakes

What are the most common mistakes that teachers make when they are about to embark on a teaching career in Thailand? We've got them all covered.


The dreaded demo

The dreaded demo

Many schools ask for demo lessons before they hire. What should you the teacher be aware of?


Air your views

Air your views

Got something to say on the topic of teaching, working or living in Thailand? The Ajarn Postbox is the place. Send us your letters!


The Region Guides

The Region Guides

Fancy working in Thailand but not in Bangkok? Our region guides are written by teachers who actually live and work in the provinces.


Will I find work in Thailand?

Will I find work in Thailand?

It's one of the most common questions we get e-mailed to us. So find out exactly where you stand.


Contributions welcome

Contributions welcome

If you like visiting ajarn.com and reading the content, why not get involved yourself and keep us up to date?


The cost of living

The cost of living

How much money does a teacher need to earn in order to survive in Thailand? We analyze the facts.