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 April 2024
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Jon
Working in Bangkok
Monthly Earnings 75-80,000
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
70-85k a month from both university work plus extra jobs. I teach 15 hrs a week at the university and another 15 to 18 at outside gigs.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
I try to save 20k but mostly that goes towards traveling.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
21,000 for a three-bedroom, three-bathroom house with maid's quarter' near The Emporium
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
not much since I don’t need transport to work. I guess around 1000 a month just getting around.
Utility bills
4500 baht a month. I like air-con! There is also cable and ADSL plus 4500 for a maid
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
as little as 50bt a day with the weekly restaurant meal or two and monthly trips to Carrefour at around 2000bt. All in I’d say around 5000bt
Nightlife and drinking
around 2000-3000b
Books, computers
I like books and magazines, 1500 on books and computers
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Middle class I guess. I buy toys constantly and take at least 2 serious trips a year. Favorite hobbies are golf and Scuba…both expensive.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Food and hotel rooms if you don’t mind staying in cheaper digs
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
In Bangkok I think 25,000 to scrape by and 40,000 to live comfortably.
Phil's analysis and comment
Interesting one. I'm presuming that Jon is a single guy. If that's the case, then 70-85K a month is a good amount of money. A single man can live very, very comfortably on that income in Bangkok. That said, Jon certainly works hard for it. 30-33 contact teaching hours a week and probably a fair bit of travelling is no picnic. Scuba, golf and boys toys don't come cheap and I'm not surprised Jon only manages to stash away 25% of his salary. I would be looking to save more than that but it's different strokes for different folks I guess. I don't think there's any need to pay 21K a month for rent and what on earth do you do with the two bathrooms you're not in? The Emporium by the way is one of Bangkok's premier shopping malls and certainly one of the swankier areas of town.
Richard
Working in Bangkok
Monthly Earnings 150,000
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
After tax? Around 150,000 which really is great for Bangkok, but well down on the comparative scale. I’m the principal of a small but well run international school in Bangkok.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
I try to put at least 50-70,000 away and manage it most of the time
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I have a nice condo in Bangkok and a house in Pattaya which together costs me around 30,000 a month
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
5,000
Utility bills
5,000
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
10-20,000
Nightlife and drinking
20-30,000
Books, computers
Very little
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Comfortable. I’ve been lucky to have spend most of the last decade in Thailand or the Middle East which has meant a nice, comfortable lifestyle; far better than I could afford in the UK although being single with no kids probably helps!
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
The whole lifestyle is a bargain. From Emporium to Tescos or from The Oriental to Nana, everything is fresh, cheap and available. Tailored clothing, live-in maids, affordable cigarettes, I love it all.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
For a farang? At least 20,000 baht
Phil's analysis and comment
Richard has earning and saving potential that 99% of teachers in Thailand can only dream about. Thailand's your oyster on 150,000 baht a month and there should be plenty left over for a rainy day as well. What more can you say?
Zach
Working in Hat Yai
Monthly Earnings 33,000
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
33,000
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
10-12,000
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
5,000 baht for an apartment
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
1,500
Utility bills
1,000
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
4,000
Nightlife and drinking
1,500
Books, computers
500
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
I live very comfortably. I don't feel like I'm missing anything.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Rent and food
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
I've talked to falangs who survive on 12,000 a month, I would hate that. But they survive.
Phil's analysis and comment
Zach saves a commendable 10-13,000 baht a month from his salary (150,000 baht a year is no small money), so that must please him. I'm not entirely sure what 5,000 baht a month would get you apartment-wise down in Hat Yai though. It is Thailand's third biggest city and it is a major economic center. I'd be interested in how much space Zach has for that amount of rental money. 33,000 is not bad at all though for The Hat.
Kirby
Working in Chiang Mai
Monthly Earnings 25,000
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
25,000 baht ( a government high school 30 minutes away from Chiang Mai) I have been married to a Thai with an 8 year old daughter for three years. My income from teaching supports my wife and daughter and goes directly into an account in her name.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
Absolutely nothing! For two years we have been paying off a car, motorcycle, and other higher purchase items. During this month we are finalizing that debt.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
5000 baht per month for a three bedroom house about 15 minutes away from Chiang Mai.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
Motorcycle 1200 baht per month if I take it to school during summer time. LPG 3000 baht especially when it is raining and my wife takes me to school. LPG is a life saver, for petrol if used all the time we would probably spend around 8 -9000 baht a month
Utility bills
2-3,000
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
5-6,000
Nightlife and drinking
No nightlife (I am married) Very little drinking (two times a year at Pattaya on a school trip with other teachers)
Books, computers
1,000
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
I've had to bring in 1000 dollars extra per month to counteract the debt payments, but by doing this, life is quite comfortable
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
DVD copy movies, I have millions of them. Most are pretty good but you get the odd few crap copies
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
25000 baht for a single person is quite comfortable outside of Bangkok.
Phil's analysis and comment
Bloody hell Kerb! Your wages go straight into your wife's bank account (I thought that practice died out when the second world war ended) You don't get let out for a night out with the lads and a couple of light ales. You're bringing in the dollar equivalent of 30,000 baht a month from your savings. And twice a year you have to go to Pattaya! I'm wringing my handkerchief out here boss.
Jack
Working in Bangkok
Monthly Earnings 50-55,000
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
Good month 60k, basic month 42k, average 50-55k
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
10k - although I don't often manage more than 5!
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
Townhouse, 2 bed 2 bath 1 air, 6100bt.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
4,000
Utility bills
4,500
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
7,000
Nightlife and drinking
7,000
Books, computers
2,000
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Very comfortable, live really nicely but don't go out as much as before.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Food, booze, cigs. Got a good deal on a laptop. T-shirts
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
I think 40k would be OK - provided one was pretty sensible. But I also think that it's possible to "survive" on a lot less and indeed know people that do!
Phil's analysis and comment
What can I say? Jack's a spender - no doubt about that. Food, booze and nightlife run him 14,000 a month and a further 10,000 for rent and utilities. Keep out of those go-go bars Jack!
What's pleasing me about this survey is that many teachers seem to have found good houses in good locations. And there's me thinking that most teachers lived in 3-4,000 baht shoeboxes.
Showing 5 Cost of Living surveys out of 426 total
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