Every new arrival wants to know if they can survive or live well in Thailand on X thousand baht a month?
It's a difficult question because each person has different needs. However, the following surveys and figures are from teachers actually working here! How much do they earn and what do they spend their money on?. And after each case study, I've added comments of my own.
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Approximate Thai Baht (฿) conversion rates as of 29th March 2024
฿36 to one US Dollar฿46 to one Pound Sterling
฿39 to one Euro
฿24 to one Australian Dollar
฿0.65 THB to one Philippine Peso
Chris
Working in Rangsit
Monthly Earnings 50,000
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I get a salary of 50,000 baht from my full-time job at a language centre
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
10,000 -15,000
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
My apartment costs 5,000 baht a month
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
3,000 baht
Utility bills
2,500 baht
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
10,000 baht
Nightlife and drinking
10,000 baht
Books, computers
Nothing
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Very comfortable with easy access to all mod cons.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
I would say street food
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
Depends on your budget and requirements.When I first arrived here 12 years ago, I was living on 20,000 baht a month quite comfortably.
Phil's analysis and comment
Not really a great deal here to get my teeth into. 50,000 baht a month out of a language centre is certainly not too shabby. For those who aren't familiar with Rangsit, it's a district about 40 kilometres north of Bangkok and has always been something of a hotbed of TEFL opportunities. I've met a number of teachers down the years who have lived out that way and done well, especially with private students. We actually have one of our region guides devoted to the area.
Ed
Working in Bangkok (probably)
Monthly Earnings Hopefully 35,000 baht at least
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
At the moment I'm not teaching, I just finished a contract in Cambodia and I am settling into Bangkok life with my girlfriend. I need to go home in a few weeks so realistically I can't find and start a job before then.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
Not applicable
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I pay 4,000 baht a month for for apartment with gym. It's very comfortable. Admittedly it's not very big but it has everything I need.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
Probably between 600 baht and a thousand baht a month for the BTS.
Utility bills
Bills are included in the 4.000 baht a month rent.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
I would say about 200 baht per day, I love Thai food and the street food is amazing and so accessible, so mostly I eat on the street. Western food is too expensive and not great quality so I tend to avoid it.
Nightlife and drinking
I go out maybe once or twice a month at the moment and spend about 3000 baht in total.
Books, computers
I spend 599 baht on my mobile phone.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
It's relaxed. Not hugely eventful at the minute but enjoyable. I spend a lot of time just walking around, researching online and relaxing at home. I'm quite content really and while I don't have a job yet I estimate I can earn 35k+ when I come back. I find it strange when many people say you can't live comfortably on that salary here. Currently I'm spending less than half that even with a couple of nights out. How are people struggling on 35K?
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Food and accommodation are just amazing, 150 baht massages ain't too bad either. As I said above, how can a 35K salary not be enough. You don't have to be paying a big rent and if you can enjoy Thai street food and smaller restaurants (95% of which are awesome) then living here is very inexpensive.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
I think people can easily survive in Bangkok on 20K if they eat and live in local Thai areas, entertain themselves with all the sights, sounds and differences of life here and avoid impulse purchases. This you can easily live on and find ways to be happy. When you add visas, travel, partying into the equation you need a bit more but again not a huge amount if you're smart.
Phil's analysis and comment
Ed's is an unusual survey inasmuch as he's not actually working at the moment but he's looking for a teaching job. Or rather he will be once he returns from wherever 'home' is.
I rather suspect that Ed is going through what I call 'the honeymoon period' at the moment. Everything in Bangkok is wonderful. What an amazing city! We've all been there. The big question is how long can you make it last?
Plenty of foreigners arrive here with notions of being able to 'live like a Thai'. The 4,000 baht studio apartment is perfectly adequate as is the constant diet of Thai street food. But for most of us it wears off.
Before too long, we're looking for nicer and more spacious accommodation and we want some of those 'Western treats' that we see other foreigners enjoying. There is always that human desire to 'move up the ladder' and better your lifestyle.
If or rather when Ed gets a teaching job and manages to earn a 35K salary (and that certainly isn't setting your sights too high) it would be interesting to chat to him a year down the line and see if his opinions have changed. I suspect they might.
Jay
Working in Pattaya
Monthly Earnings 37,000 baht
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I earn 35,000 baht from my regular school job as well as an extra 2,000 per month from private tutoring
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
Virtually none. It's difficult to live in Pattaya on a teacher's salary unless you live like a monk
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
None, as I live with my girlfriend and her mother. It's a typical Thai-style townhouse with cold water and no air conditioning. It was difficult to adapt to but it would be harder to survive with rent to pay.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
We have a car and spend approximately 3,000 per month on petrol
Utility bills
Nothing, as I live at my girlfriend's mother's place. Mother pays the bills.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
Food is my biggest expenditure by far. I don't like Thai food so eat international food most days which eats up a considerable chunk of my salary. If I could eat Thai food without gagging, I know I would save a lot more
Nightlife and drinking
Once or twice a month I'll go down walking street but I don't drink alcohol so tend to sip on cokes instead of boozing and partying hard.
Books, computers
Nothing at all.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Pretty mediocre at the moment but with my plans to relocate myself and my wife away from Thailand, our only option is to live frugally
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
In Pattaya? Not a lot of things can be considered a "bargain"
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
Teachers could get by on as low as 30,000 but I wouldn't recommend it, especially with the lights and temptations of Pattaya. I recommend a minimum of 35-40 thousand
Phil's analysis and comment
The first of two cost of living surveys from the nation's favourite seaside resort - Pattaya. A place that has always struck me as one of the worst cities in Thailand to try and make it as an English teacher.
Jay. You're in Pattaya. You're living in your girlfriend's mom's shophouse with no air-con and no hot water. A night out is you sipping a Coke and watching everyone else having the time of their lives as you stumble from one overpriced farang meal to another.
Run! Jay run! Run as fast as your legs will carry you and don't look back. There has to be a better life out there for you than this. Oh Pattaya, you tormentor of men. You stealer of souls.
If anyone fancies doing a cost of living survey, I've now put the questions on-line to make it easier and quicker for you. Please spare half an hour if you can.
Jamie
Working in Pattaya
Monthly Earnings 40,000
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I earn 35,000 baht from my school job in Pattaya and I also get another 5,000 sent from home.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
Around 5,000 baht. Possibly 10,000 baht at a push.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I pay 5,000 a month for a very nice apartment with a swimming pool. I'm sure it would cost almost double that in Bangkok from what I've seen.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
2-3.000 a month because my school is on the other side of the city and I like to stay 'near the action'. I refuse to drive here because of the idiots on the roads and the cops looking for a handout.
Utility bills
I don't use air-con because I don't like it so my bills are relatively low. About 500 baht a month covers electricity and water.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
Question not answered.
Nightlife and drinking
I go out every Friday and Saturday and spend about 1,500 a night because I party from midnight to 6am. I love it! So entertainment accounts for about 12-15K a month, possibly even more.
Books, computers
Books are expensive here so I always go to second hand bookstores. I have a laptop that works well.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
I have a great life in Pattaya on not a great deal of money if truth be told. It helps looking like Justin Bieber for the Thai girls as I get to do what most men dream of for free.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Rent is a bargain and if you like a drink, there are some great happy hour deals across town if you know where to go.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
In Pattaya I guess it depends on you. Most guys come here and blow it all on girls. My boyish good looks save me loads of bucks and I get to live well here.
Phil's analysis and comment
♪♫♪ If you're gorgeous and you know it, clap your hands ♪♫♪♫
Some teachers are here to devote themselves to their students and make a career out of TEFL. Other teachers are here to fund a life in Pattaya - and all that the resort offers. There are all sorts of folks here for all sorts of reasons and they all have a place on ajarn dot com. At least Jamie is honest and he only parties at the weekend (and why shouldn't he?)
I bet you can burn through 40K pretty easily if you can't resist the lure of Pattayas neon lights and sinful nights.
Sid
Working in Bangkok
Monthly Earnings 120,000 baht
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I work at an international school and earn 120K a month.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
42,000 baht automatically goes into my UK account. I also save an additional 10,000 baht a month through my Thai bank account.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I live in a condo in the Asok area of Bangkok and my rent is 50,000 baht a month. I live with my partner who earns roughly the same wage so we split it. It's expensive but 200 sqm with a garden and a well kept pool that I use regularly.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
I use the BTS every day and it costs me 44 baht to get back from work, as well as the 20 baht motor bike trip to the BTS station. I cab share for the actual journey TO work. All in all, I spend about 2,000 baht a month on travel.
Utility bills
My bills came in at 5,000 baht for the last two months but I have the air-conditioning on all the time. Although I am trying to cut use of air-con down.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
I'm a veggie which makes street food a little harder to eat. I was spending a lot at Villa Supermarket but have taken to going to Khlong Toey market instead. I spend about 20,000 a month on bills and eating but I eat out quite a lot.
Nightlife and drinking
My nightlife can cost me up to 3000 - 4000 baht per night but I don't go as wild as I used to when I first moved here.
Books, computers
Almost nothing.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Coming from London to Bangkok, my life has transformed. I no longer worry about the cost of things and have the money and the time to travel anywhere I like whilst still saving 50,000 baht a month.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Taxi fares and state of the art cinemas.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
There's a difference between 'surviving' and 'living'. To live a good quality life, I'd say 50k but I wouldn't expect to save much on that wage. I wouldn't live in Bangkok if I had to scrimp and save - that's why I left the UK
Phil's analysis and comment
50,000 baht a month rent from a 120K salary! I was about to say 'good heavens Sid! What are you doing?" but of course you read further and see that Sid is only paying half of that. It certainly sounds like a lovely place to live - plenty of space and all the facilities you would expect from paying such a high rental. Savings-wise, a very nice 42,000 baht a month going back to the UK. And with the pound rapidly gaining in value at the moment, Sid's seeing that nest egg appreciate. I'd be interested to know what Sid does with that UK money or how he's got it invested.
If anyone fancies doing a cost of living survey, I've now put the questions on-line to make it easier and quicker for you. Please spare half an hour if you can.
Showing 5 Cost of Living surveys out of 425 total
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