15

Yes your right # 14

It's a big difference from holidays and business.

Fortunately and unfortunatey I will be there this time next week and instead of just business I have 3 mates coming along o naturally I have to show them around plus golf etc so my costs will be quite a bit more with a. Mixture of business and pleasure.

Cheers

16

if talking holidays, not living here, as i thought the Spade did, 2-3000 baht a day, and stay in hotels as on the move. 3 adult appetites

17

I don't think you've made clear whether your question is directed at business people or people on holiday

It's aimed at anyone who wants to answer it. It's not rocket science. I'm not a business person anyway.

18

VIP..............Very Indigenous People

VIP on 285 a month, that would be impossible, even in I-san, and i don't think you can get any cheaper than that.

19

VIP..............Very Indigenous People

VIP on 285 a month, that would be impossible, even in I-san, and i don't think you can get any cheaper than that.

20

just peeked at the site spade posted. that's not living, that's existing. like the things he can afford to do............go outside.........yep, that is usually free.

*Here are a few random things I do without breaking the budget:

visit a local floating market
meet fellow bloggers
hang out with friends
walk around local Thai markets
go on a trip with a local Thai family for the Songkran festival
discover things like Bangkok’s best fruit shake
devour Bangkok street food*

VIP's dogs have a better life

21

When I used to come here on holiday I spend an average 120,000 baht a month or 4,000 a day.

22

At our current rate of spending here on Koh Samui, we could stay for 3 months for that.

23

We rarely stay in one place so factor in travel costs and also must have aircon, minibar and tv which puts the accommodation costs up slightly.

24

in the future, i think it will be 3000 a day, as the little one is no longer little, won't pass as a kid, though we haven't been charged extra yet when checking in. as long as king size bed, not a problem, so far. though we have done suites, and they are much more comfortable, and about the same price as a room with cot/extra bed, which we have never had/booked, as they range from crap, to a mat on the floor. no thanks, i'll just book 2 rooms.

this school break will be interesting, she'll be 14, small for her age, and thais don't really enforce the rules for extras, but think we'll be doing 2 rooms or suites/1 bdrm places, and they usually range about 2000 a night. usually don't spend more than 1000 a day on food and being out.

25

Who cares what other people spend. Why would you? Even if you're best friends with them it doesn't matter to your wallet.

26

Who cares what other people spend. Why would you? Even if you're best friends with them it doesn't matter to your wallet

Well you obviously don't so get out the thread.

27

I used to work on £1,000/month staying mainly in fan rooms but generally nicer places (not super cheap places) and I found that plenty of money and was able to live well, not always go for the cheapest option, use private transport occasionally and go out several times a week. I always came back with money and was never restricting myself.

Nowdays I tend to stay in places with AC which racks the budget up considerably. I was in Phuket over XMas and New Years and spent on average 3000฿ a day which I thought was reasonable given that it was the peak of high season, it's one of the most expensive places in Thailand and that the place I was staying was 2000฿ a night (it was a very nice place). So I was maybe spending 1000฿/day on food and drinks and had several nice meals and good wine. I drove down so spent most of the days heading to different beaches, hiking and mountain biking so cost on tours and transport was zero (apart from a day diving which was 5000฿). (NB: you could do it much cheaper: even over Xmas there were plenty of places in Kata and also old style bungalows in Ao Sane which were 500฿). Ordinarily I'd spend less than half that per day, maybe 1000฿, but that would be staying somewhere nice with AC and having an evening meal in a restaurant with a glass of wine (and this is what I spent in Chumphon and Hua Hin where I stayed overnight on the way there/back)

As I live here my daily outgoings are like LT: bills, bills and more bills. Rent is by far my biggest expense as I have a large place with a garden 5 mins from Lumphini Park which does not come cheap. However, the same money would barely get me a shoebox apartment in Geylang (Singapore's red light district, close to the centre but with poor public transport connections) or a small Victorian terrace in Zone 4 in London. I could never afford to live so centrally and in such a nice place as I do in BK in any other major capital city. On top of that though (per month averaged out over the year):

Water: 200
Electric: 1200
Internet: 700
Mobile: 850
Car tax and insurance: 2000
Expressway tolls: 2000
Diesel: 4000
Cleaner/maid: 1600

So that's about 12,600 on fixed outgoings.

I don't have a TV (haven't done for years and TV highlights here such as Dance Your Fat Away and Thailand's Got Talent are why I stick to music, radio, books and the internet) nor gym membership (I run in Lumphini and cycle in Phra Pradaeng instead).

On top of that I probably spend about 5000 a month on food/groceries (I cook at home a lot as I have a proper kitchen, both of which are unusual here, but I like to know what I'm eating and I also like my Western comfort foods on occasion) and another 12,000/month goes on entertainment but this includes two w/e's away most months and going out for a nice meal followed by drinks in a nice bar if I'm in BK.

So all told about 30,000฿ a month (excl. rent) for which I live in a very comfortable lifestyle, want for nothing and am able to save lots. However kids, school fees and educational standards are going to totally change this situation in a few years time and a move back West at some point is inevitable

28

#27, I also live near Lumpini. Do you mind sharing the size of your place and the rent you pay (as we are all anonymous of course)

29

When they reinstate the PM function I'll let you know. I just can't be bothered with the inevitable "You pay how much?" responses. I am here on a semi-expat package so my financial situation and perks/benefits is not straightforward and I have no inclination to explain the nuances of it on an open forum to total strangers.

In a nutshell it's not bargain basement cheap (you can still get 1 bed places with a Thai style kitchen in Sathorn near soi 1 for less than 10k/mth) but not Metropolitan/Bann Nuntasiri 90k/mnth silly price either (NB - both these latter places start their asking price at 120k for 3 bed bed shoe box half the size of mine: crazy!)

I'm now actually looking at moving to a house in the area, probably round Yenakart or Nang Linchee. I really like Suan Phlu and Nang Linchee: the occassional foreigner, but mainly middle/upper-middle class Thais: it's a nice area, good food options and some lovely houses in the area with a real neighbourhood feel to it.

Total divergence from OP but if you want to see how real Bangkokians live then a night along Suan Plu gives an insight: many of my colleagues live and grew-up round there and they still remember when Naradhiwas Road was a canal, not a road.

Edited by: shikibu on Feb 6, 2013 10:19 AM