Monthly living costs

[cdnmatt]

Thanks Dodger, and great to see you around these parts. I miss those threads starting with "hey you maniacs"

Yeahm I would think about getting new A/C units, but it's not my house, and I don't think the owners like us much, so get fucked if I'm investing more into this house than I already have. If things work out as planned, we'll be in Chiang Mai shortly anyway.

On the topic of electric though, has anyone played around with the idea of Tesla Poweralls that came out a few years ago? They should be in full production mode by now. It's about $6000 USD for one wall mounted battery, but that battery can retain enough energy to power your average home for about 3 days. Then there's the additional initial investment of solar panels, which I'm sure isn't cheap. However, after that initial investment, your electric bill drops to 0 baht/month.

Anyone seriously look into that yet? Think I'll do so once we manage to get ourselves to Chiang Mai.

[Mickp]

Why dont you just use fans? Would be a lot lot cheaper !

[goji]

The Tesla battery will be like a phone battery. Fine when it's new, losing performance after about 2 years. The only question is how rapid is the rate of deterioration.

I imagine investments in insulation and direct solar powered aircon would work just fine in Thailand. When the sun is up, your solar powered aircon runs when it's most needed. Then your insulation keeps indoors cool. Maybe run the mains aircon for short periods at night if really necessary.

[cdnmatt]

What insulation? All the houses here are cement walls. Can't have dryall with insulation here due to the weather and humidity, not to mention termites.

[cdnmatt]

Why dont you just use fans? Would be a lot lot cheaper !

Would also be alot lot warmer.

Again, I think I should just figure out how to make more money again.

[Smiles]

" ... Anyway, Smiles, want to maybe share what Pot and yourself spend a month in Hua Hin? I'm curious, and considering the replies, so are others who are looking towards Thailand as a retirement location ... "

I've done that calculation at least three times on this board since living in HH. But not for some time I admit ... probably those long-ago posts have gone the way of the Dodo bird.
I don't budget anything here, we just live the life. So some thought would have to be put into that, and frankly it's a Dismal Science.
Maybe.

Meanwhile, as far as aircon is concerned ~ and it is certainly is a large part of anyone's set expenses ~ we do it differently ... it's on timer.
We sleep together, so only one room to cool down. One of us turns it on about half an hour before hitting the sack (20C), then put it on the timer for another hour (sometimes 2, but never more). Then it goes off for the rest of the night. (This routine can differ from winter to summer ... right now it's hot and humid here and we do that every night. From November through February we may not even turn the aircon on at all).
Both of us are quick to fall asleep, and normally we sleep through the night without waking up, even though the aircon has stopped.

The second bedroom has aircon but we never use it unless we have guests-staying-over.
Downstairs (i.e. kitchen, living/dining room, bathroom) is not aircon-ed, just fans. No complaints.

[Smiles]

OK, I'll bite. I'll even copy (with edits) your list, and it's apparently a No-Electric-Dildo Zone.

I've discarded you're silly parts: i.e. for your myriad of shopping listings I've put everything I buy under the one heading of "Food and Household Sundries". My "Entertainment" includes everything which is essentially frivolous spending which could well be a small amount one month, a large amount the following month ... and because of that always being a moveable feast, it's really difficult to give anything other than a good guess. Your list of 'eating stuff' is one heading: "Eating Out".

• 11,000 -- Rent
• 1,600 -- 2,100 -- Electric & Water (the water is an incredibly minor part: around 50+or-10 baht)
• 2,520 -- True TV, True Internet
• 12,000 -- Food & Household Sundries (this is a difficult one to guesstimate. Months change. Things come up. The unforeseen happens.)
• 4500 -- Household upkeep: clean air-conditioners twice yearly; clean water tank annualy; cleaning lady twice a month.
• 17,000 -- Eating out (Breakfasts always at home, dinner 90% out, lunch is negligible ... never for me, Suphot eats that on-the-road, his dime. I go to the beach on average 2 times a week where beer and food are a given. This is also a difficult guesstimate, but I think it would be close)
• 25,000? -- Entertainment (Movies out? Yes but seldom -- perhaps once every 3 months. Same for night clubs? Yes, but seldom. We go to one of two gay bars in town for some beer, relax, some pool tournaments about once a week. I go by myself if Pot has a night job ~ happens frequently and I save money . Trips to Bangkok and/or Jomtien or Surin every so often, about once every 4 months.)
• 366 -- Immigration & visa costs. (In fact these costs are annual (4400 baht), but always there, so I've divided the annual cost by 12)
• 10,000 -- Misc. Stuff (This 'Open Book' paragraph is intended to perhaps give some help and clarity to anyone who is thinking of moving permanently (or semi-permanently) to this fascinating country.
• Sometimes I spend more than my monthly income, more often than not I have some left over. I carry on average about 300,000 to 400,000 in my Thai bank. Right now I will be having a tooth implant in September at Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin ... not cheap, but a third of what I'd pay in Canada. That payment will be coming out of my Thai account. I carry three Canadian bank credit cards with zero balances for the unforeseen Major Medical ... which has not yet happened, but is important to those "newbies" delineated above ... you must carry financial backup(s)! After 10 years of living here I have only reached into my investment income once: and that was to buy a house in Surin Province two years ago.
• 0 -- dogs. (It is to laugh.)
• Mostly 0 -- Suphot (he has a thriving tour/taxi business. He pays all regular upkeep stuff. I help out with the unforeseen ... i.e four new fucking Michelin tires, goddam it!)
• 0 -- cigs

---------------------------------------------
TOTAL = 78420 Thai baht

PS: I've not included the 10,000 Misc. Stuff in this total as it's rather amorphous and smells of "I hope" rather than "I have". Please feel free to tell me if I have missed some glaring 'costs' which I have missed.

[Dodger]

Smiles, I'm using your list of expenses as a template as a time saver. Ironically our Total Monthly Expenses are nearly identical.

3,500 -- Rent for Pattaya Apartment (42,000/annual contract - not sure how long I'll keep this)
Zero -- Rental fee for Bang Saray condo
2,330 -- Condo Maintenance Fee (28,000 per year)
2,600 -- Health Insurance (B32,000/Year - Liberty Mutual Thai Expat Policy - inpatient only)
800 -- Electric & Water (Water is included in annual maintenance fee)
500 -- WIFI (Use miniX box for all TV, music, etc. eliminates need for costly cable services)
12,000 -- Food & Household Sundries (a rough average)
500 -- Condo upkeep (Light bulbs or whatever)
18,000 -- Eating out
20,000 -- Entertainment (includes weekend visits to PTY to guzzle a few beers and pinch a few asses)
300 -- Immigration & visa costs. (or there about's)
7,400 -- Misc. Stuff (Motorbike gas/insurance, repairs - new guitar strings, etc.)
7,000 -- My partner (he's a total home-body - doesn't drink or smoke - has his own dress making business)
3,600 -- cigs (hope to eliminate this expense when I retire - or die, whichever comes first)

---------------------------------------------
TOTAL = 78530 Thai baht

In preparation for my retirement I performed a little test over the past two holidays (6 months) to see how much I would be spending to live comfortably - and B78,000/month came out to be the average. If I were still residing full-time in Pattaya submersed in Bars - Beer - Boys my expenses would be quadrupled.

[cdnmatt]

Awesome, thanks Smiles, francois and Dodger for your replies. Ok, so I guess we're all about in the same boat, and around 70,000 - 90,000/month.

I was wondering if we were doing something wrong here, but obviously not, and on par with the rest of you. I know full well what Thai wages are like, and your typical low/mid level white collar job probably only pays 20,000/month. All the while we're blowing through ~85,000/month, and we're struggling. Well, not struggling, but definitely not spending money on things we don't need.

Ok, so just make more money I guess, as that's simply what it costs. Definitely ignore those retards on Youtube saying things like, "live like a king in Thailand for $500/month", because it just ain't true.

[scottish-guy]

Come on, what's even the point of a snide remark like that? Grow up.

Not snide at all Matt - it's humour.

Maybe bad taste humour admittedly, but that's my favourite kind!