Today’s post is a guest post by James Turner, a former Thailand expat who has gone on to write a book regarding his time in Thailand called “Beyond The Comfort Zone”. The book is a captivating glimpse into the darker side of Thailand and I found it to be well written, captivating and exciting. I don’t want to spoil it by telling you too much about the story and you can read some excerpts if you visit Jim’s website.

I will be bringing you more about Jim in the form of an interview early next week, but he was kind enough to write a short post about his own observations of Thai culture, developed during his 3 years living in the Kingdom, as an introduction. So, without further ado here you go.

Hi Steve thanks for the chance to talk about my experiences living in Thailand.

I’d actually been coming to Thailand as a tourist since probably the late 80′s early 90′s. When I eventually decided to move away from the UK (2002) it seemed only natural to head to Thailand as my next home.

I think I probably made the same erroneous judgment call that many people make when they move to another country, in that I assumed I ‘knew’ the country because I had made several trips here for a month or more as a tourist. Well, let’s just say that presumption on my part was quickly squashed!

Some of the challenges we have all faced as expats in Thailand are fairly obvious. The language, lack of friend’s, infrastructure and so on. Others however are much more subtle in their manifestation. The cultural differences between, not just Thais, but all nations in Asia and our western cultural upbringing are enormous. The whole experience can be hugely frustrating. The loss of face issue can be maddening at first – until you realize it actually cuts both ways. Nobody wants you to lose face either and they will bend over backwards for you to ensure that does not happen.

In my experience you have to accept that you are in someone else’s country and it is not for us to judge whether we would do things differently, thus that the Thai way of doing things is wrong. On the contrary, I find the Thai way of approaching interpersonal relationships to be far preferable to the way we do things in the west. I think there is much more respect in Asian cultures for one another and that is very evident in Thailand. At least that has been my experience. Trying to impose your own culturally pre-programmed moral compass onto the Thai landscape will only result in friction and unhappiness. We are never in our lifetime going to change the thinking of a nation – best just to focus on the positives…and smile of course!

I think the singular most important thing to do upon arrival in Thailand is to start learning the language and persist at it. Unless one does that, one is never going to fully enjoy living in the kingdom. Personally I think it’s great fun and definitely makes for a much more rewarding time in the LOS. By the way, I notice you also try and expand your reader’s Thai vocab on your site which is a great idea.

Moving to a new culture is a challenge wherever you end up in the world and Thailand is no different. On the whole though, I have found the Thais to be warm, friendly and accommodating to those who are willing to develop a genuine interest in their culture. I know it is still my favorite place in the world and although I am not currently resident, still consider Thailand to be my home.

Prepare to have your compass moved and your preconceptions shattered. Now, repeat after me. Relax, smile, breath, be patient…….and repeat..Relax….

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You can find several guides and websites online claiming that it’s possible to be living in Thailand on just $20 a day. Is this really possible or are these just the dreams of deluded individuals? Can you live in Thailand on $600 (currently 20,000 baht) a month? Or has the past few years inflation made Thailand too expensive for such a frugal lifestyle?

I suppose anything is possible and if you live in northeast Thailand or some remote area of the north or deep south of Thailand then it’s quite possible you can do this. It depends too on what type of lifestyle you expect to have. On $600 a month I can’t imagine there will be much cash available for travel or entertainment. And there is no way I can imagine living in Bangkok on that paltry amount, although I have read accounts of those who know someone that is doing just that.

I’m honestly not completely sure if it’s possible or not, but I am hoping to get a discussion going here to find out what others think, especially those that currently are living in Thailand. Let’s make this clear once and for all.

So, with that in mind if you have experience currently living in Thailand we would all be greatly appreciative if you could chime in below in the comments. Let us know what YOU think about the possibilities of living in Thailand on just 20,000 baht per month.

If possible, please include the town or province in Thailand where you live, current rental rates for apartments/condos, food costs (both Thai and Western would be great), prices for services such as electric, cable and internet, entertainment costs and anything else you think is relevant.

Personally I don’t think I could live in Thailand on anything less than 50,000 baht a month and I feel I would be depriving myself of opportunities at that. I’m really hoping to get some good comments though so we all know what the current cost of living is like in various parts of Thailand and whether or not it’s possible to get by on just $20 a day in Thailand.

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