Cost Of Living
November 7th, 2008I’ve been asked more than once to try and give everyone an idea as to what the cost of living is here in Thailand. Unfortunately, due to all the variables that come into play, there’s no easy answer.
What city you live in, where you live in that city and the standard of housing you select will determine your monthly housing costs. There are all kinds of restaurants here, ranging from street shops to five star upscale establishments. Thus, the outlay for a plate of chicken fried rice will run anywhere from 25 to 150 baht, maybe more. And how much you pay has nothing to do with quality of meal. Some of the best food I’ve eaten comes from the dirt cheap street food shops.
Entertainment can be one of your largest expenses, depending on number of boys, and/or nights on the town you enjoy every month.
In Silom, the price of a beer can range between 65 and 300 baht, depending on the bar and brand. The establishment you choose, and how heavy a tipper you are, will determine the cost of a sex massage. In Bangkok they start at 1000 and top out at 3000 or more. Location, situation, length of stay and your generosity are all factors in how much sex with a boy can cost. You can get a boy for nothing or pay as much as a few thousand - meals, drinks, entertainment, and gold chains are extra.
A movie ticked at a modern theater will run between 150 and 200 baht, or you can opt for the special VIP cinemas that cost 500 to 600 a seat. Take a boy to one of the regular cinemas, buy popcorn and drinks and you are out of pocket four to six hundred baht.
If you own a car in your home country, factor that in as a savings here in Thailand, as most farang do not own a vehicle. Remember, that’s car payments, insurance and fuel costs. The savings I enjoy from this alone is enough to pay for most, if not all, of my entertainment expenses.
So what does it cost to live in Thailand? I don’t know, because everyone is different. The Thai government says you have to make at least 65k baht a month to stay here on a retirement visa. Certainly many can and do live on just that. It’s possible to make it on less, perhaps as little as 45k, but don’t plan on many nights out on the town or renting any boys, at least not in Bangkok. To live comfortably on around 65k a month, you need to strike a good balance between rent and entertainment. So, if you want to enjoy an active nightlife, look for a room that costs around 15k a month.
Once you are past the initial cash outlay associated with settling in, and become a little street wise about getting the most for your money, I’d estimate one can live quite comfortably on 90k to 110k a month. This is a very rough estimate, based on the following numbers I came up with.
Rent and utilities - 35k to 45k
Daily food and other costs - 18k @ 600 a day
Entertainment - 25k to 30k (active)
Miscellaneous or unexpected expenses - 10k to 20k
As of this writing, the current exchange rate is 1 to 35, making 110k THB roughly equivalent to 3k USD.
Those with larger incomes each month can enjoy an even nicer place to live. As for entertainment, there’s the four handed massages and a sleazy little bar where you can have 6 boys butt naked sitting on your lap while you stroke their boners. Those that can afford a place with a private pool, also enjoy parties with a dozen or two naked Thai boys running around. It’s all here, if you’ve got the cash!
Another consideration is how much you plan to travel in Thailand, or to other locations. For those that have the time and money, there’s a lot to see and do here.
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