i didn't gather that from the post but this is true.

The US is also a ridiculously cheap place to live nowadays with the devaluation of the US dollar. Not so sure about Canada, but for the Americans who make the comparison, US and Thailand are a lot closer than say the UK, Australia, Sweden etc and Thailand.

I don't mean to be lazy, but there's +1500 pages lol

Thanks for the info. Is there any trouble with local taxes? Also, it seems as though not much basketball is played, which sucks because I play 5-6 times per week. What's the Chronic situation? I always smoke before I play and don't want to be somewhere that's gonna crack down super hard on that, or I'm gonna be dry. Where are the best places to live in Thailand? I've never been, so was thinking naturally BKK, but am open to suggestion.

I've been wanting to play basketball but haven't had enough interest/ too lazy to organize something. I don't smoke much, but haven't heard of anyone getting in trouble for it.

As far as best places to live it's entirely dependent on you. I would suggest looking at the sticky Thailand travel guide to get a feel for the various places. If you like night life and want to party all the time, then probably do Bangkok or Phuket, Phuket if you want a beach. Personally, I like Chiang Mai b/c you can go out every night, but it's also friendlier, cleaner, and less hectic imo than Bkk (not as much night life though). I didn't spend much time in Phuket so not much i can say about it.

If you plan to have comparable lifestyle, you will find that there are many hidden costs. Starting off, you are paying ~$100/month for visas/legal stay. Your $500 electronic gadget costs $700 and $15,000 car costs $30,000 in Thailand.

One of my hobbies is sportbikes so I looked up the prices. A $12,000 motorcycle will cost me $30,000 in Thailand. All the safety gear will cost me at minimum 50%-100% more.

Yes, eating and sleeping is cheap in Thailand... other stuff... not so much...

Compared to US, you are saving on rent and food, and overpaying for virtually everything else.

Even your food example isn't so good. Yes, if you eat Thai food day in and day out, it will be cheaper. But check out prices of steak, lobster, salmon, crab, strawberries, wine, cheese, and you will get sticker shock in Thailand.

My point is that if your goal is to save money in Thailand, is is possible but only if you pay attention. You will have to watch and monitor your spending closely, forgo some things completely, and take alternative options.

I had 60 minutes to get from one plane to another and it worked out quite fine although Singapore airport is huge! But i loved it, never saw such a nice airport before and wouldn't mind spending 5 hours there.

Much appreciated.

well said

lower rent totally dwarfs the effect of groceries/toiletries/electronics/vehicles being more expensive, at least for me

yeah, i saw new Camrys go for $40,000. And that's the cheap model
Who the hell has the snap to buy something like that? I think LOS is not as third world as one suggests.. In the USA one could buy a Lexus or BMW for that amount of cash..

As a long-term stayer in Thailand, it's definitely true that the cost of living is not nearly as cheap as it is for those over on a few months holiday. Once you start comparing the prices (to the US, not sure of prices elsewhere) of home appliances, many electronics (monitors, TVs), western food (cheese, decent meat, chocolate, wine, restaurants) , toiletries (shaving cream, shampoo, hair dye, anything really), books (in English), etc. Cars are also much more expensive, although insurance, maintenance and repairs are much cheaper with a higher resale value so it actually evens out if you keep your car for 5+ years. Rent can be cheaper but what you are getting is usually not comparable to Western standards. Of course, if you do your homework, you can find some great deals out there. As others have said, for a short time stay, many of the previously mentioned items are of little consideration and Thailand can be quite cheap.


If anything ever gets going, I'm definitely interested. Unfortunately I have a limited schedule and am probably on the opposite side of bkk from most others here.

most comparisons are made with the US so i cant really comment.
but thailand almost wins hands down in every aspect, price wise, when comparing to my own country singapore. probably shows u how riddiculous prices are here
$40k here doesn't get you a car, you can only get yourself a certificate that allows you to buy a car, and thats just the beginning!

Well, I don't drive / ride bikes, I can bring electronics from home, and I've seen the accommodation in Bangkok and when compared to what you get in Calgary or Vancouver (especially Vancouver), it's cheaper and better. My friend got a studio apartment above a block of stores that's about a ten minute drive from downtown and FOUR BLOCKS from the LRT in Calgary for $800 a month, and that's a good deal. Apartments in downtown Vancouver are more or less unaffordable for most people. You can eat a reasonable buffet in the Bangkok Tower or whatever it's called that has all sorts of food for only 600 baht (maybe +400 more for drinks), going to The Keg is $60 a person, if not more. I dunno, maybe I'm missing something, but I just can't understand the comments about Thailand being expensive, but perhaps you've just lived there so long that you've forgotten how expensive it is to live in the west. Mind you, I'm currently in Cambodia where everything is basically free so perhaps next time I live in Thailand for a while I'll see things differently

This simply is not true. If you want to live in something that is at all comparable to your living situation in Thailand it will still be extremely expensive in the USA. Yah you can go live in the middle of the country for cheap but that would be like living in Isaan if you compare it to Thailand.

who the **** eats steak, lobster and salmon daily?

You say "eat thai food daily" like you have to slum it to do it. Theres a huge variety of delicious (and cheap) Thai food that far exceeds the quality of most western home country options, especially if you like seafood.

If your daily western diet consists of what you listed then you should be balla enough to live anywhere.

pokerspiv is a ****

I am not close to being one of the frugal guys I know living out here. I'd say my overall life out here is quite comfortable and it is indeed *way* cheaper than back home for the things that I personally care about.

Rent - $430 - this is way nicer than any place I've lived in back home - and it is fully furnished
Electricity - $100 - my roommate and I run the AC constantly
Motorbike - $20 - estimate after loss from buying/selling over 1.5 years. Also not having a new car isn't a gigantic girl repellent like back home
Gas - $15
Food - $450 - constantly eating out, ordering delivery and shopping at western markets
Drinking - $100
Gym - $20
Internet - $35
Visa Junk - $120

With a few things I am not mentioning in this list I am spending about $1,600 a month. Back in California I was attempting to live as frugally as possible while keeping up with all of my friends. I was spending $2,500 a month there and my overall quality of life was a bit lower. For example, my room was in a 30 year old building that has not been updated much in that time, I had to share a bathroom, my room was way smaller and he place was in a less central location. For that I was paying $500 a month (3 bed room place with the smallest room, total rent was $1,800).

For the way I am doing it rent would be at least double back home, car payment + insurance would be $400, gas would be $100, food would be $900 (eating out and ordering food in from restaurants as much as I do), drinking would be $200, gym would be $30. The only things on this list that would be slightly cheaper is internet and electricity - maybe cut each of those in half.

Clothes from higher end stores are slightly more expensive - but you can bring those from the US before you leave. You can also find good quality cheap clothes if you want to hunt around for them in the export shops. If you wanted to get clothes made by a tailor it would be *way* cheaper than back home (and would look way better also).

Dental work is super cheap here. So is seeing the doctor. You also don't have to see a doctor to get most medications - you can just buy them over the counter.

The guys saying that it is more expensive (or comparable) to live here are IMO just cherry picking the few things that are too expensive. Yes, if you want to consume imported products constantly and would prefer to pay $5 for a box of granola bars than eat a 3 item Thai meal for the same $5... then it will be more expensive than back home for sure. If you want a luxury car it will be a bit more expensive than back home (but ultimately not just "double" since the resale is way higher). If you want to constantly eat stuff like imported cheese or deli meats or wine then food is also going to end up being expensive. As for electronics they aren't that much more and you're not even going to spend that much on them per year... or once again, you could do some planning and bring what you want with you (or go to a neighboring country for a visa run and buy them there where it is cheap).

^ Your not drinking anywhere near enough dude

Haha I've had a couple guys tell me this actually... seems like backwards advice to me!

As long as you aren't buying cars, high-end electronics, and other imported luxury items, your cost of living essentially depends on girls and partying. Paying for girls adds up quickly. Regularly going to nice clubs adds up quickly. If you're content to hang out with your buddies drinking Sangsom on the balcony, eat western food only occasionally, and never (or rarely) hit up the girly bars, life will be pretty cheap.

I would be foooked then

WhoIam: I'd argue that going out to those girl bars, where you are guaranteed to get laid, is *way* cheaper than dating girls back home. Also you always have the option of dating Thai girls as well... there are plenty of guys out here do that.

Also let's say that you get a new girl from one of those bars every 3 days... so you are seeing 10 new girls a month. This would cost about $700 a month + another couple hundred for drinks and whatnot. Now maybe the cost of living is about the same as back home. Although I actually don't know a guy living up in Chiang Mai that is going to this extreme or even close to it.

Would be half that in Patts unless shipping from gogos

where do u ship them from, Beach Road?