Working in Suphanburi

Monthly Earnings 50,000

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

I teach at a large secondary school in Suphanburi, which is about two hours from Bangkok on a good day. My full-time salary is around 32,000 baht but I bump it up to 50K with overtime and private tuition, which is organised through the school. I taught in Bangkok for several years and was earning about 40-50K during that time. My interest in doing this survey was to highlight the contrast between living in the capital and then moving away.

Q2. How much money can you save each month?

Easily 20,000 baht a month, sometimes a good bit more if I don't have any major purchases that month.

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

I live in a very run-of-the-mill apartment building near the centre of Suphanburi and pay 4,500 baht a month. It's quite an oldish building so doesn't have any of the facilities that newer builds have like gym and swimming pool and co-working spaces etc, but I've made my studio apartment comfortable and it's a nice place to retire to at the end of the day.

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

Transportation

I can walk to school in less than ten minutes but if it's a rainy day, I'll hop on a songthaew. Suphanburi has an excellent public songthaew service that goes up and down the main roads. You can get anywhere in the city for 10-20 baht once you know it all works. This expense probably comes to 100 baht at most.

Utility bills

About a thousand baht a month depending on bhow much I use the air-conditioning but most times I find a couple of good stand-up fans to be enough.

Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping

This is one of the big lifestyle differences once you leave the big bad city and move out to the rural backwaters. You seem to have far more time on your hands, so I enjoy ambling around Suphanburi's main markets and picking up the essentials. I buy and eat a lot of fruit and I eat mainly 'bag meals' where I take them home and heat them up in the microwave. They cost around 40 baht a portion and are excellent value. I don't eat out all that often. Even though Suphanburi has all the western fast food attractions like KFC and McDonalds dotted around the city, I don't find them particularly inviting. And frankly speaking, I moved from Bangkok to get away from all that - the overspending on food. I would say food and supermarket shopping comes in at about 6,000-8,000.

Nightlife and drinking

I'll ocassionally go out for a Friday or Saturday night drink with colleagues but Suphanburi isn't much of a nightlife city. In Bangkok I was doing 20K a month on socializing and little wonder I was skint before the month's end. Here that expense is maybe a couple of thousand.

Books, computers

I subscribe to Netflix (about 400 baht a month) but most of what I want in terms of films and books, I download for free.

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

I absolutely love the slower pace of life here with what feels like so many more hours in a day. Bangkok was crushing me. I just couldn't survive there on what I was earning and something needed to change. When a Thai teacher and good friend moved to work at my current school in Suphanburi, he called me up and poached me to go and work there. "At least come out here for the weekend and see what the city has to offer. Then you can make your mind up" So I caught the minivan to Suphanburi one Saturday morning and by Sunday evening, I knew this was the place for me. And it's only a couple of hours from Bangkok if I ever need the bright lights for any reason (not that I do)

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

Food at the fresh markets. I can fill up a huge shopping bag with fruit, vegetables and goodies for a few hundred baht..

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

In Suphanburi, you can live well enough on 30K provided you don't spend too much on accommodation and avoid too many late nights out. That extra 20K that I earn means I can put money away for travel, etc. I know it's not a sutainable future though and my plan is to move on in a couple of years. If we're talking about Bangkok, I can't imagine any foreign teacher trying to get by on less than 60K and even then, there would be little money left over at the end of each month.

Phil's analysis and comment

Thanks a lot Chris. Here's a great example of a teacher who found life in Bangkok simply getting too expensive so he moved somewhere quieter, with a slower pace of life and fewer temptations. It sounds like Chris has truly embraced the lifestyle! Well done. 50K obviously goes a hell of a lot further once you remove all those Bangkok temptations. 

Please send us your cost of living surveys. We would love to hear from you! This is one of the most popular parts of the Ajarn website and these surveys help and inspire a lot of other teachers. Just click the link at the top of the page where it says 'Submit your own Cost of Living survey' or click here. 

Jim

6th June 2023

Working in Chiang Mai

Monthly Earnings 35,000

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

I work at a small Thai secondary school just outside Chiang Mai and my full-time salary is 35,000. I don't do any other work on the side.

Q2. How much money can you save each month?

Little to nothing but I only teach to cover my living expenses and 35K is about what I need to maintain an OK lifestyle in Chiang Mai.

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

I bought my own small one-bedroom condo a couple of years ago for 1.8 million baht and it's relatively near the centre of town. I didn't figure on it being an investment but it was nice to purchase my own place and not have to worry about rent or needing to move around.

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

Transportation

I have a small motorcycle (as most long-term expats seem to do) because getting around Chiang Mai is so much easier on two wheels. I guess this costs me about 1000 baht a month on gas and minor repairs, etc. I've never really thought about it to be honest.

Utility bills

I like to run the air-con whenever I'm home so this is what really bumps the bill up, especially in the hot season. The bill usually comes to around 2-3,000 baht but money well spent!

Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping

I eat out all the time but not at expensive places or western food joints. I have about half a dozen places where I go for my main meal after school and it never comes to more than about 80 baht with a soft drink. I guess if you throw in the weekly supermarket trip and popping into 7-11 for snacks, this bill comes to around 7-8,000 baht a month. I'm not a huge eater.

Nightlife and drinking

Virtually zero. I have the odd beer at home but don't go out much at night unless I'm invited to someone's leaving or birthday do. I bet this doesn't break a couple of thousand a month. I generally live a quiet life.

Books, computers

I'm not much of a gadget / IT person but I do enjoy reading. I probably spend a couple of thousand baht a month on books off Amazon. An evening in with a good book is my idea of a perfect evening.

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

It's as good as I want to be. I'm not a night owl or someone who throws money away. I have decent savings stashed away after I took early redundancy from my job in Europe and teaching is really just something to keep me busy (not that I don't care about the job I do) Teaching pays the bills and gives me enough spending money on top.

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

Meals in local restaurants and hotel rooms once you move outside of the big cities.

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

Despite what I hear many people say, Chiang Mai is not a cheap city to live in. I burn through 35K even with my extremely modest lifestyle. If I was a younger person and my salary was my only source of income, with maybe no real savings to speak of, I'd want at least 50-60K. I don't speak to many teachers earning that kind of coin up here though.

Phil's analysis and comment

It's a nice position to be in Jim, to have feathered your nest elsewhere and just teaching for something to do and to provide you with your basic living expenses and a bit on top. I've worked with a number of teachers in the same boat and they always seemed like the happiest teachers to work alongside. It's a life almost with no stresses! 

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Peter

4th May 2023

Working in Pathum Thani, near Bangkok

Monthly Earnings 75,000

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

Let's begin by saying I work extremely hard and I work long hours. I have a full-time job at a Thai secondary school that pays me a salary of 45K a month but on top of that I do some corporate work for a couple of local Thai companies and charge 1,500 an hour, and also some private weekend teaching on nearby housing estates and charge anything from 800-1,500 an hour depending on whether it's one-to-one or a group of four.

Q2. How much money can you save each month?

Not enough is probably the simple, straightforward answer to that one but I try to stash around 20-30,000 away.

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

I rent a small three-story townhouse for 8,000 baht a month. It was originally my plan to turn one of the upstairs rooms into a classroom and invite students to study at my home but it just feels like less hassle to get on my motorcycle and go to their place.

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

Transportation

I have my own motorcycle (I was something of a bike enthusiast back in the UK) and I zip around on that. I do sometimes use taxis in the rainy season but averaged out over a year, this isn't really a figure worth even mentioning.

Utility bills

I'm hardly ever at home LOL so bills are quite low. I think my electricity bill comes to around 1,000 a month and water another couple of hundred. I don't have internet or Netflix or any of that stuff.

Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping

I grab food on the go and wherever I am. I rarely even need to do a supermarket shop. I'm fortunate that my school provides lunch and I generally skip breakfast. I try to eat a substantial meal around six in the evening but it's only at a very simple Thai restaurant. I don't do fast food or take-aways, I never even get a craving for them. This monthly expense probably comes to around 6,000 a month. 200 baht a day, yes that sounds about right.

Nightlife and drinking

I have a night out with friends a couple of times a month but very often I have such a busy teaching schedule at the weekend that it would be foolish for me to go out pouring ale down my throat the night before. Even when I go out, I always drink in moderation and I'm not afraid to call it a night when the party is getting into full swing. It's one of the sacrifices I have to make to hit my monthly income target.

Books, computers

Nothing.

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

I don't go short of anything but I certainly don't have much free time either. While I've got the energy and motivation to teach 30 hours a week (sometimes more) I'll keep going. Hopefully in a few years' time, I will have saved enough to take life a little easier.

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

Thai food at small family-run restaurants. I rarely pay more than 60 baht for a decent meal.

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

If you're in Bangkok, you need at least 75K, and that's why I set that as my target. I turn down an awful lot of work simply because I just don't have the time to take on new jobs. There is so much work out there in Pathum Thani, it's unreal. I would like to take on more corporate work because it pays better, but it's more difficult to find and getting the HR or training manager to commit to a course and sign on the dotted line can take an awful long time.

Phil's analysis and comment

I've been in this situation Peter, working all the hours that you can get in order to reach a monthly 'target' and then you're left with no time to spend or enjoy your money. Whilst your motivation and energy are both commendable, be very careful of teacher burnout is all I can say. 

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Callum

19th April 2023

Working in Bangkok

Monthly Earnings 35,000

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

I work through a teacher placement agency at a secondary school in Bangkok. My take home pay is around 35,000 baht a month for around 18 contact hours a week. Although the school promised me extra hours to bump up my pay, these hours have not materialised in the two months I've been here and I'm starting to give up hope.

Q2. How much money can you save each month?

Nothing. In fact I've been dipping into my savings to the tune of around 5-15,000 baht a month. That certainly wasn't part of the grand plan.

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

The school found a studio apartment for me within walking distance (it's a decent 20-minute walk though) and it costs 6,000 baht a month plus bills. It's an OK apartment building but I guess it's typically Thai with sometimes four people sharing a room. It can get a bit noisy at weekends, especially when kids play in the car park out front, and also when people return from partying in the wee small hours. If I was going to stick around for longer than a year, I'd certainly look for somewhere better but it's just not a priority at the moment.

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

Transportation

This figure boils down to just the odd taxi at the weekend so barely 500 baht I guess.

Utility bills

Electricity and water come to around 1,500 baht and my monthly phone plan adds another 500.

Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping

This is the cost I struggle to keep down and I'm finding myself eating out at western food / fast food joints far too often. What doesn't help is that I don't like Thai food all that much but I do eat it from time to time. I'm spending easily 12,000 baht a month on meals, supermarket shopping and 7-11 purchases. It's been a real shock to discover how much a basic supermarket bill can run you. Sometimes it feels like nigh on half of my salary goes on food.

Nightlife and drinking

I would love to go out partying and drinking far more often (that's what young people on gap years do right?) but I find a couple of relatively steady nights is all I can afford. The price of drinking is something else that has surprised me. A friend invited me to a rooftop bar last weekend. All I can say is thank God he was paying!

Books, computers

Oh, this is not much. I have a four-year old laptop that's still going strong. I've never been much of a one for technology.

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

It's very much a month-to-month existence. I'm on the lookout for some evening and weekend though and have a couple of positive leads. If those leads come good, then that extra 15-20K is going to make a hell of a difference to my living standard.

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

In all honesty, nothing really, but perhaps I haven't been here long enough to experience all aspects of expat life in Thailand.

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

In Bangkok, I have no idea how a foreign teacher could survive long-term (and I emphasize the words long-term) on less than 50K a month. And I think even that is a conservative figure. What about when you want to go travelling or make large purchases...or go and sit at a rooftop bar?

Phil's analysis and comment

Nothing you say there surprises me Callum. Although there are a number of teachers willing to argue the case, I simply have no idea how you can survive on 35K in Bangkok. It might be doable in rural towns and cities but certainly not in the capital. Even if a western expat teacher can survive, they aren't putting anything away for a rainy day. On a separate note, food prices are one of the things that seem to be shooting up and up so I sympathise with the difficulty in bringing that part of your expenses down.  

Please send us your cost of living surveys. We would love to hear from you! This is one of the most popular parts of the Ajarn website and these surveys help and inspire a lot of other teachers. Just click the link at the top of the page where it says 'Submit your own Cost of Living survey' or click here. 

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John

28th March 2023

Working in Bangkok (Sukhumvit)

Monthly Earnings 400,000

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

The basic salary is 400K baht after tax, then I get a nice 2-bed serviced apartment which should rent for 60K but is in my package, plus return business flights to the UK, medical insurance, transport, annual bonus and free food at school, which is such a saving tool.

Q2. How much money can you save each month?

250K a month

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

As part of my package, I get a two-bed serviced apartment in a very nice building in the center of town.

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

Transportation

School provides a driver for work transport, so I only spend on transport for weekend trips and holidays. Regular weekend private transfers to Hua Hin or Pattaya means probably 10-12K a month.

Utility bills

Included in my package at the service apartment.

Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping

The food at school is great and I eat well every day there. Maybe 500-1K a night on dinner with a drink so 20-30K a month.

Nightlife and drinking

I'm not a beer snob so happily drink local lagers. Often go out on a Friday and Saturday at maybe 3K a time so 20-30K a month.

Books, computers

I buy books for the kindle app maybe once a month and update with a new tablet and laptop when needs demand. Across the year averaged out to probably be 3-4K a month.

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

Incredibly fortunate to live in this amazing city with the package I have. I have a high standard of living and am luckily saving enough to be planning an early retirement.

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

The school free meals are a great bonus. Local standard beers are also well priced. The real bargain continues to be 5* hotels coming in at 100-150 quid a night. You just can't knock that value and service when you look at what that money would get you back in London.

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

When I first arrived 20 years ago I got by on 70k a month and still saved. So survival on the bare minimum in the middle of Bangkok is possible probably still on 60-80K a month and to make the experience worthwhile.

Phil's analysis and comment

There will be plenty of teachers reading this and asking if it's for real but of course these packages do exist, or at least I think they do. I tell you what John, even 70K twenty years ago was very decent money. Not sure that you've ever had to 'survive', Perhaps we need one of those 30K a month surveys now to bring things back down to reality?

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