Reader Submission: Cost of living in Thailand
January 28 2019
A contribution is made in response to the cost of living. I live with my Thai wife in the middle of Bangkok in a condo with two bedrooms, gym, garage and swimming pool.
The flat is my property, fortunately bought 15 years ago for 2.750.000 baht including furnishings. I can now sell the condo for 5.000.000 baht, but a new equivalent apartment now costs 10.000.000 baht. So we keep what we have.
Now about the cost of living:
- Electricity per month 2.500 baht.
- Service charge with home insurance 3.000 baht per month
- Water per month 125 baht.
- Gasoline for the car per month 3.000 baht.
- Maintenance car 2 times a year 5.000 baht total.
- Insurance Camry 25.000 baht per year.
- TV subscription Truevision 1.000 baht per month.
- Telephone subscription for two telephones 1.500 baht per month.
- Health insurance for my wife 28.000 baht per year.
- Eat out twice a day. Cost: 1.000 baht per day. If we ate at home it would be half.
- Pocket money wife 10.000 baht per month.
- One month per year to the Netherlands, two tickets and a budget of €10.000.
- My children pay my health insurance.
- We do not drink alcohol and do not smoke.
- Household money averages 50.000 baht per month.
Submitted by Jan
Well Jan great for you but comparing is a bit difficult.
Bangkok differs a lot from other places in Thailand.
Your wife is lucky that she gets pocket money from you and then 10000 baht.
One month a year to the Netherlands and then, as I understand it, still being insured in the Netherlands is not possible in principle. According to the laws and regulations, you will then actually have to live in the Netherlands for at least 4 months a year. I'm curious how you arranged this, maybe many can learn something from you.
His children pay his health insurance fund, he writes: I suspect that he is registered at the address of one of those children and maintains his health insurance in that - understandable, but not entirely legal - way.
You can, but you can't.
Just as you are not allowed to drive through the red light, but you can drive through the red light.
In principle, you should not drive through a red light, especially if you can be flashed.
But if no one sees it and no one is sure to come, what's stopping you from running a red light with impunity? Besides decency, good citizenship, fear, drowsiness, wanting to be more Catholic than the pope, wanting to respect the law?
Register with an acquaintance or family member and do not officially report anywhere that you are in Thailand. That's how they do it.
Not neat, perhaps, but many things in life aren't.
Using Dutch health insurance while you do not meet the conditions can have consequences if, for example, you are urgently admitted to Thailand. Or something breaks, common in elderly people or any hospitalization in Thailand. Then you may be asked to show your passport when you are admitted to hospital, whereby the health insurer can quite easily see that you have been staying in Thailand for a long time from the stamps in the passport and if you cannot prove that you actually have more than 4 stays in the Netherlands for months, for example because of a plane ticket, then the situation will soon be clear. Can you also prove the previous years because reversed burden of proof. In short, it is fraud and perhaps every hospital name is explicitly asked whether it will be applied later to prevent this type of fraud.
It's definitely fraud. We agree on that.
However, there are a number of things that are not correct in your story.
– The hospital has no right to look at your passport. The hospital may ask you to identify yourself with a legal document. But that is also possible with an identity card.
– And even if a Thai hospital will look at your passport, they will not pass it on to your health insurer. They give the bill to the patient and he will sort it out further.
– The SVB does not have a reversed burden of proof. In the Netherlands, only the tax authorities know this. There are calls (particularly from the CDA) to change this, but in all probability it will not happen.
Here in the Isaan, Udonthani 50.000 thb per month, which includes rent of 8000 thb. I smoke and we like to drink a beer, 90% at home, generally between 1600 and 1800 hours, also time for this blog. My girlfriend persists in Isan food, so often costs a bit more in the supermarket. Those prices there are reasonable compared to the Netherlands, don't buy extremely expensive Western things, but a pack of butter, reasonable bread, milk, cheese and ham at the Macro. Fixed costs low, small cheap car, Nissan March.
With a little tweaking it could be about 8000 thb cheaper, but that's not a necessity yet and I've also worked for it for 42 years..
I live in Amsterdam but not in the center in a four-bedroom house with a nice backyard built in 2009 ... without a garage and swimming pool, but various forms of public transport within walking distance.
mortgage payments 250 pm, gas and electricity 60 pm, water 30 pm
travel expenses (off-peak free ticket for 65 and plus) 45 pm,
internet without TV 30 pm, telephone 25 pm
Three times a year on holiday with a daughter of primary school age, twice a week in Europe and once a month in Asia together 2500 ,
taxes 100 pm insurance including medical expenses 150 .
We only eat out when we travel. Eating healthy, partly organic thanks to competition from four supermarket chains in the area 240 pm Hoarding special offers and seasonal products.
total about 1150 so about 45.000 baht per month. Lived a frugal life, but had two year sabbaticals and traveled in the last 20 years. We live super healthy and are never sick. An example to follow??
Well Jan,
With this sum of your expenses you are a blessed and rich man, especially if you are already retired!
I hope for you that you can keep this up for a long time and certainly for madam!
I am also very curious how Jan arrives at this calculation regarding the cost of living in Thailand. And how Jan manages to get around the 8-4 month rule.
Probably the way most people get around this one: by just doing it because there's hardly anyone checking it.
The Dutch government does not keep track of border crossings, nor does it have direct access to flight data, certainly not if you land in Germany, for example.
If in doubt, they may do some research, but if Jan goes to the doctor twice a year in the Netherlands, or if he requests something from 'his' municipality at the town hall counter, he will have enough proof that he is in it. anyway was. Nothing to worry about and the SVB then has to prove once again that he was not there for less than 2 months a year.
That it is not allowed is verse 2, but circumventing is really a piece of cake and not worthy of the word circumventing.
Getting around is a piece of cake, says Keesje. That applies as long as the SVB does not get you in the snot. So if you receive state pension you are in principle punishable for this. Is also easy to prove: the SVB has the right to see your passport (I had to show it every year, once I was in the mill, for child benefit, of all things!) And the Thai entry and exit stamps do the rest. The fines and chargebacks are heavy and high.
Then you "sit" converted to a net 3000 euros per month. Good on you.
“Household money averages 50.000 baht per month.”
Does that include the Thai woman's 10.000 baht pocket money?
Jan,
You do that well, if you have it and want to spend it, that's great.
This is really not an average expense of a Dutchman in Thailand I suspect.
I also live here in Isaan in my own house, I am blinking my eyes.
Koge
Apart from the fact that this cost calculation is very individual, because I assume that many expats have a completely different budget, it also gives some questions in terms of calculation.
You start with a series of costs, many of which are actually part of your household already.
In addition, you will also eat 2x for a total of 1000 Baht every day, and because you also indicate that you do not drink alcohol, you will certainly not drink the most expensive.
Every year a decent budget for a holiday in the home country, and although this was not necessary at all, you are also lucky that your children pay the health insurance for you.
And finally, after you have already indicated all the costs of insurance, food, pocket money, and vacation, etc., you will finally also come around the corner with 50.000 Baht household money.
A question that would come to every sane person is, what the hell are you still using that 50.000 Baht household money mentioned as the last item, if everything has already been mentioned and paid for?
Moreover, the very last question remains, what do you want to prove or indicate with this cost of living calculation at all???
Water 125 is this a flat rate or by meter? I am alone and pay 200 Bt for little use. every month and that is not drinkable water but from an artesian well so own water extraction.
Dear Jan, a nice insight into your spending. The average household money of 50.000 Baht p/m (about € 1.400 at the current exchange rate) seems to me, despite the fact that you live in Bangkok, on the high side, all the more so because you do not smoke and do not drink alcohol drinks. You spend 3.000 Baht a month on petrol, converted to a price of 35 Baht per liter and with an average fuel consumption of 1 in 10 for your Toyata Camry, you drive about 800 to 900 km p / m. You write that you eat in a restaurant twice a day, from which I conclude that you are no longer employed and therefore only use the car for private purposes. Since you live in the center of Bangkok, if that exists, I think you will mainly use the car for trips or visits to family outside of Bangkok. What I miss in the cost picture are reservations for unexpected events, such as replacing a defective television and car parts, for example. Unless these costs may already be included in the monthly household money. I don't understand your statement that your children pay your 'health fund'. Do you mean health insurance in Thailand because you are not eligible for the (compulsory) Dutch health insurance. The fact that you go to the Netherlands for a month every year, and spend no less than 2 euros for it, has little to do with the cost of living in Thailand in my opinion. All in all, the cost of living in Thailand depends on many different circumstances, personal preferences and cannot be categorized under one heading.
Dear Jan,
The way you describe your expense report of your "life in Thailand" here will make many expats and future Thailand enthusiasts very surprised. But in my case you can't. With this I think I can answer the very last question that John Chiang rai asks in your place.
Take my entry with a grain of salt, better yet, with tons of salt, because the salt was on offer. ”
Dre
this gentleman gives his reading of his spending in Thailand. I'm glad there are people with these honest stories. Or do they prefer the blah blah stories from you tube 500 dollars a month or less. Such stories ensure that more pensioners come to Thailand who eventually get into trouble and for which the Thai government then has to pay the (sickness) costs. The Thai requirement of 65000 bath per month is there for a reason.
bert
A peculiar logic of the Thai government, if one is married 40000 baht per month is enough. I also do not think that the Thai government will reimburse you 1 baht for medical expenses.
The expenses could be right.
What is a lot for one person is a pittance for another.
For example, I think € 10.000 for 4 weeks in the Netherlands with 2 people is quite a lot.
But if you stay at the Hilton that time, it goes by quickly.
However, I do have my doubts…
You have an apartment that you can sell for 5 million, but a similar apartment costs 10 million….
Does this mean that the broker or whoever else is in between will collect 5 million?
Seems stiff to me, so you can still sell your own apartment for 9 / 9,5 / 10 million?
Or you are talking about a 'completely different' apartment instead of a 'similar' apartment.
Dear Keesje,
Two tickets is approximately € 3000,-
Go on vacation in Europe with my family for two weeks
And two weeks at home!
Apartment: in this building last year is an equivalent
unit sold for 5 mill.
A new apartment costs more than a 15 year old one
apartment.
Daniel,
I pay water consumption to the building, but my wife does not cook at home.
john,
Yes, pay my wife 50.000 baht with which she pays all the aforementioned costs.
Don't want to prove anything, for what?
Only I never see calculations from someone who lives in the middle (Sathorn) of bkk!
Health insurance is with a German insurance company.
Ben 72 is difficult and expensive to insure if you live in Thailand.
50,000 baht per month for EVERYTHING, apart from the (maintenance) costs of the condo, seems a very reasonable amount to me. 10,000 euros for business-class flights up and down, a nice hotel and making up for your Dutch damage once a year is not surprising either. So if you are at 1 baht plus 600.000 euros, that is about 10,000 euros in total per year. And it is indeed true that new construction in Bangkok costs much more than an older condo. Do well, I lose more in a year - but then again I have a young son.
But to be honest, your health insurance, if it runs through the Netherlands, bothers me a bit. Not only are you not entitled to it if you are only in the Netherlands for 1 month a year, if you now enjoy state pension, this should also be for a cohabitant.
The fact that the control mechanism has loopholes should not be a reason to abuse it, and certainly not of a system built on solidarity within a social system.
Dear Jan.
I understand that you do not pay rent or interest on borrowed money. This is beautiful and still saves about 250.000 baht per year.
You provide a neat list of your expenses. I have converted all the amounts to per year and added them up. This is a total of 1.515.500 bath/12 = 126.290 bath/month, set against a rate of 38 bath/euro, so you will spend around 3.325 euros. Well that is a very good pension. Most don't make it with work, certainly not when you consider that the pension is a maximum of 70% of the salary received. This amounts to 4750 euros/net per month.
The fact that the children still have to pay your health insurance is certainly criminal. Or do you live on black and criminally acquired money? And you are misleading the tax authorities with this action.
Yes, it is of course also possible that you have won an inheritance or prize or have a lot of savings.
Do you pay tax in the Netherlands? And how do you do that with the value of your vacation condo. That is your main residence, isn't it? (Or is the tax authorities sleeping)
Sorry I don't believe your numbers.. If it is true I would keep it quiet.
Greetings Anthony
Agree with you Antonius, that someone here can tell a monkey story is still so far, but the summary of the costs and the responses to, for example, the petrol consumption per month, 3000 baht, I pay 26 baht per liter so put there also immediately questioned, the water bill 125 baht per month for 2 people? we live with 4 people and also have a garden and that bill does not exceed 100 baht.
Only these 2 things make me doubt the honesty of this story.
I occasionally go to True to pay my sister-in-law's bill, TV + mobile + landline + internet Baht 800 / 1000 per month.
I also live in Bangkok and when I moved here I asked my wife what I should bring per month and she said €350 was enough. The house has been paid for and my wife does not receive any pocket money, she has a very good job and I still live in the Netherlands for at least 4 months a year, so I am also insured there.
My next 2 tickets to Thailand already paid in total € 1100 is just economy with 1 transfer, I have plenty of time so I don't need it directly and my size doesn't need an extra seat.