# need advice



## Vicente (Nov 11, 2008)

Hi everyone, 
I have an obsession that I want to get rid of (moving to Thailand and living there); I was there a year ago for a short vacation (10 days) Phuket and BKK; 
As vacation time can be misleading, I plan on coming and staying there for about 6 months and see if I would really like to be there full-time or it's just an idea in my mind...

I plan to spend about 500 USD per month, (and have some extra money on the side for emergencies) ..Is this ok? I'm not a heavy partying person and I don't have expensive hobbies...
can you recommend any places with nature and sea close by? (Someone said Krabi, but said I would need a car)

Thank you


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## SteinKR (Jul 17, 2008)

Vicente said:


> Hi everyone,
> I have an obsession that I want to get rid of (moving to Thailand and living there); I was there a year ago for a short vacation (10 days) Phuket and BKK;
> As vacation time can be misleading, I plan on coming and staying there for about 6 months and see if I would really like to be there full-time or it's just an idea in my mind...
> 
> ...



I would NOT recommend to stay in Thailand on a USD 500 / THB 17.500 monthly budget. 

As you can only stay for 3 months on a tourist visa, I would rather recommend to base your stay on this. You would then also be able to doubble your budget and probably have a more joyful experience.


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## Guest (Nov 12, 2008)

SteinKR's right, that's very tight for Thailand nowadays. Survivable but only just - even away from Bangkok or the coast, you won't find anywhere to stay much cheaper than 150 USD a month. If you eat nothing but Thai food, walk mostly everywhere, restrict your bar visits, resist all advances from members of the opposite sex, and spend some considerable time meditating in wats (which should help with the resisting Thai girls bit), you might get away with it!

Vietnam's a fair bit cheaper these days.http://frogblog-thaidings.blogspot.com/


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## wolfmisc (Feb 4, 2008)

As mentioned before, 500 bucks per month are just enough for surviving in Thailand without any extras. Cost of living here went up 30-40 % this year alone. Even in a small provincial town like the one I am living (next to Hua Hin) a halfway decent home will cost you about 150 USD per month plus electricity and water. Eating Thai food only and drinking just a beer every 2nd day will round up to another 100 bucks per month or so. Not to mention all the other expenses.


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## Vicente (Nov 11, 2008)

Thank you for the advice, I will plan a 3 months stay, on a 3000 usd budget.

I was thinking 500 USD/month as some Thai people I know in Thailand have a monthly income of about 15k baht...it's true that they don't pay rent...

Have a good day!


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## wolfmisc (Feb 4, 2008)

Vicente said:


> Thank you for the advice, I will plan a 3 months stay, on a 3000 usd budget.
> 
> I was thinking 500 USD/month as some Thai people I know in Thailand have a monthly income of about 15k baht...it's true that they don't pay rent...
> 
> Have a good day!


If you have an income of 15000 Baht per month as a Thai, you are already well-doing. A waiter/waitress in a restaurant for instance does get just 3-5000 a month. And many people are unemployed. Dont ask me how people survive, but they do. And they have to pay rent too, even its just 1500 or 2000 Baht monthly.
I have about 1600 USD retirement money per month and even that doesnt assure a luxury life in Thailand but just a decent one.


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2008)

That sounds the same as the Chiang Mai area - I know one girl who just started work in a restaurant at 5000 baht a month. Makes you wonder how they survive, especially those that are single mums as well. That's why the family/community support thing is so important in Thailand.

'Bar girls' can earn basic pay as little as 3000 baht a month up to around 6000/7000 in the go-go establishments. As a fair percentage are single mums, the reasons why they have little choice but to supplement their incomes is pretty clear. They are still expected to send money home to their parents as well.

There's a guy living next door, a building site (still just a hole in the ground), with his young wife and 6 month old daughter. As a kind of foreman he gets about 10000/12000 baht a month, depending on the work involved each week, to support his family. They live in a shack on site - no way she could have stayed back in Surin - this way with no rental their costs are less. They've been living in a bog during the recent rains, in a kind of shed with only two 'walls' and a tin roof. When it rains and the wind gets up, they get soaked. Every other day I see damp bedding and a cuddly toy hung out to dry.http://frogblog-thaidings.blogspot.com/


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## Vicente (Nov 11, 2008)

I wanted to say something but i am speechless...Anyway, thank you for taking the time to open my eyes...


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