How much money would I need to live in Thailand for a year. Answers from people who have done it please?

Question

I'm not looking to live like a king. My wife and I are just looking to relax, Maybe do some voulenteer work in an animal santuary and just enjoy life out of the rat race

Answer 1

Some people live in Thailand with 500 usd a month in Bangkok, some with 200 upcountry

Answer 2

I live in Thailand now and, as stefjeff says, it all depends on what you want to do.

If you want to live in Bangkok, you can expect to pay $400 US and up per month to rent a small apartment.

If you want to live on a beach, you can expect to pay the same.

If you live away from the main tourist areas it will be a lot cheaper - but you'll need to be able to speak Thai.

Your living expenses will be low if you can eat the local food and depending on what you want to do here.

I'd budget for $1000 - $1300 US a month to live in Thailand so you can stay somewhere comfortable and have some cash to actually do things rather than be constantly thinking about money. The days of living like a king on nothing here are over. Cambodia, on the other hand, is still very cheap...

Answer 3

Find a place about 3 km from the beach. Rent a small 2 room appartment, furnished...from around 1600bath. Food is around 30-40 baht per meal in the foodstalls, and are good. remenber the monthly visatrip, can be arranged for aorund 2000 baht, depends where you stay. Remember you dont need a house and you dont need to eat at restaurants every day. Enjoy and have fun. I live here already for 12 year.....email "[e-mail]"
Around 5-6000 bath a month is ok for a normal living.

Answer 4

of course it depends on where you stay in thailand but I can give you a goo average.
If you stay in Bangkok, want to live a half decent live, meaning, going out on the weekends, go eat in a restaurant sometimes (lets say 1 or 2 times a week), have a studio apartment, and even buy some general stuff like clothes, then with 30,000 Baht you can get around pretty well. Below is possible but I wouldnt advice that.

More than 30,000 and life starts to get pretty comfortable in Bangkok. With 50,000 Baht you could live an extremely comfortable life.
Other parts of thailand, expect to spend less.

Answer 5

same as other guys said - it will depend where u want to live and if ur staying put in one place or not. its always cheaper to eat where the thais eat 25-30 baht for a meal for a beer its cheaper in sometimes in local shops than in 7-11.
my main experience of thailand is up north in chiang mai u can rent a room for 4000 baht a month with air con, cable and hot water (sometimes u need home comforts) although my girlfriend (whos thai) lives in a place for 1500 baht a month, thou its very basic. normally for cheaper rooms u do have to go outside the touristy areas but if ur staying in a place long enough u will get to find some cheap places in touristy area. there will be all the other expenses like motor bike rental (rent one for a month or longer at one time if u can), visas, and bus and train ticket and the like.
a very good web site is www.thaivisa.com its set up for expatriates living in thai land and can help u out with just about any question u can think of. have a graet time its a really fantastic country

Answer 6

I live in Central Thailand - You can rent a decent Western style house here for 4000 baht a month - I have my own house and my expenses are for water and electric abt $30 per month.. food is cheap - of course, as everyine says, it depends on where and what your habits are.. Tourist areas are more expensive.. I do have a friend in Bkk who lives nicely on $800 a month.. Want more info - I would pinpoint the question a little - where do you want to be etc..

Answer 7

Depends on where and how you want to live.

If your wanting to stay on say Ko Samui in a cheap beach hut, eat burgers or thai dishes, buy beers and drinks from the 7-11, spend your days on the sand, reading, relaxing etc...you can survive on about B500 a day (US$12), and an extra US$500 for ex-gratia expenses like visa fees, travel, airport tax etc.

One could also spend US$200+ a day if your staying in a nice hotel, eating out at every meal, drinks in the bars in the evening, female companion everynight, jetski's or parasailing or golf in the daytime.

Answer 8

I spend about £6000 a year, that is for 2 peaple drinking and smoking although we were both busy during the day. We travel around when we want to get away and i have to do my visa runs once a month.

I have been living there for nearly 5 years, once everyone gets to know you, you get thai price.

Answer 9

relatively low standards of living here. depends on where you come from, your country's exchange rate. definitely depends on how you want to live. 60 bahts (1.5 US dollar) fetches me a bowl of noodles and my coffee at the roadside stall. have the same in a restaurant (again, a restaurant patronise by the locals or tourists also make the difference) can set you back by triple times that amount.

Answer 10

i was in viet-nam and went on R&R to bangkok.would you believe that for 100 dollars you can have a suite at the hilton 24 hr limo service all the food and drink plus female companionship 2 or 3 if you want.all for a week,but that was in 1972.