Comments on: Living in Thailand on $20 a Day

By: Should I Move To Thailand? | Thailand Musings

Should I Move To Thailand? | Thailand Musings — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:34:09 +0000

[...] Considerations – Show Me The Money It’s often been said that Thailand is cheap. While this is true in some respects, in all actuality if you want to enjoy yourself, especially in [...]

By: Richard Elliot

Richard Elliot — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:23:23 +0000

I didn’t ever add up exactly add up what I was spending during my recent two months in Bangkok, but a figure of about 30,000 – 40,000 feels about right.

My rent was 12,000bh per month. I know people who were renting for as little as 3,000.

Someone recently asked my about food costs and I gave this as a reply:
Street Stalls -> 20 – 50 baht per dish
Food Courts -> 40 – 60 baht per dish
Cheap Restaurants -> pretty similar to food courts, maybe a touch higher 45 – 70 baht per dish
Smarter restaurants (e.g. the chains you see in the shopping centres) -> I normally spend 150 – 200 baht per meal.
Really smart places can obviously go as high as Western prices

I paid 6,700bh for my month long language course.

I reckon I was only spending about 250bh per day on incidental expenses (including food). Some days it was more, and others less, but I reckon that was about the average.

By: Cheah

Cheah — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:12:44 +0000

i think it is possible because i do know of people who stay at the north of BKK ie at Pan Mi who only spend $300/mth.

By: Jack

Jack — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:58:16 +0000

aloha, my stepson lives in chiang mai, he makes 18,000 baht a month. He just moved into a brand new 3 bedroom house, has a 2 yr. old Toyota truck, but does not have much money left a the end of the month. His girlfriend lives with him and she makes about 8000 baht a month.

By: Merrill

Merrill — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:56:57 +0000

I think that 20,000 would be an amazing hardship, but for some, where there is a will, there may be a way. I live in Bangkok and I can live just fine on 50,000, but I own my condo and live in Pattanakarn on the way to the airport. Now that the BTS will open the new airport run in August, I will have access to the BTS and will not have to use a cab all the time. I am also fortunate that I have a Thai partner who works and makes a good income. So for all of my expenses it may come to 20,000, but if I had to pay rent, a room in Pattanakarn goes for 5,500 per month, plus electric, telephone, cable, and internet. That alone would be about 12,000 bht and add food and transport you would already be at around 20,000. No money for anything, but the basic existence. 40,000 bht would work fairly well in my neighborhood. Lot’s of cheap food at the food stalls, and very few westerners, which always makes it cheaper.

All of that being said, if you live in Chiang Rai, or in Issan region you can live much more cheaply. That is provided you don’t have an adopted family and have to buy a water buffalo!!! I think a person can do well in the north for around 35,000-40,000. This is all relative and depends on your expectation of what a life should be. In Chiang Rai you can rent a place for 5000-8000 bht per month for a room. Add all of the lliving stuff and you could make it on probably 25,000 with a little to spare for the occassional cheap beer and maybe a cheap date will add another 5,000 bht.

Get a girlfriend or boyfriend that works and you will do a whole lot better, unless mom and dad, and brothers and sisters move in. If the water buffalo dies you are then going to be asked for help.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:55:27 +0000

Hey Vern,

Good to hear from you man. Yeah I know it’s all about your expectations and lifestyle. Thai food is so great that I’m sure I could make do with those 35 baht meals, but there are other things I’m sure I’d miss on a 20k budget. Beer and travel come immediately to mind.

Yes, we were spending BIG, however that was on holiday. And that would have put us around the 100k/month mark, but let’s be realistic, we certainly don’t expect to live like that if Thailand is home. While I’m sure we could easily go through 100k a month (especially in Bkk), I’m also sure we could be quite comfortable on 50k. Heck, if we moved to Krabi I doubt we could spend 100k per month consistently even if we tried

Thanks for being the first to respond and getting the ball rolling here, hopefully I’ll get lots more great responses!

–Steve

By: Vern at ThaiPulse

Vern at ThaiPulse — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:27:58 +0000

Hi Steve – great topic. It is very possible to live in Thailand for one person on just 8000b per month and two people for 12,000b. We did it for about a year to save money.

The major issue is… can you live on 30-35 baht meals each time you eat? Another issue – can you go without drowning yourself in alcohol day after day? Do you need to be driving a Range Rover or other gas guzzler or does a 110cc motorbike work for you?

and of course another…. can you live in a 3,000b per month flat or do you need something that resembles the house you had back in your country?

I’ve lived like a Thai here for over 2 yrs and saved some cash doing so. We no longer live on 12,000b per month but we’re not much above that (18k now).

I think it’s funny that you chose this topic… because when you were here you were blowing BIG money! I’m going to guess you and your lovely wife can’t stay in Thailand on less than 100g’s/month. 50? no way. lol…