Guest Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 An interesting and for me an approbriate topic as I have just been asked by a prospective employer what I need for a salary for a) to survive for a year or two as the company builds what salary I would be comfortable with in the long term So here's my thoughts. It depends a great deal on where one would live and what perks would be involved. Obviously Bangkok will IMO be the most expensive place. In fact after me recent return to the frozen gulogs of Canada, I find that the prices here are not that much higher than Bangkok. eg. cheap apt.........15,000 baht beer in a normal bar ........... 100 baht beer in a club, ...........150 baht clothing, if you shop in the cheap spots........ about the same lunch........ in a mid range place........ 300 baht dinner ....... 400 - 600 baht burger and fries ........ 150 baht salary here low end regular job ........ 60-90,000 baht/month decent job ........... 90 - 120K a month salary in LOS ............ 1/2 of that Now admitedly living outside of Bkk would reduce the cost by 30-50% IME and my situation may include some super perks, like free accomodations and food, but still I am feeling more and more that LOS is no longer a 'cheap' place to live. Perhaps globalizarion has reached here as well. A TV or refrigerator is the same in LOS as here, so except for specific items living in Bkk is becoming the same a living anywhere else, at least pricewise. Comments welcomed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyk Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 khunsanuk said:"can arrive in Paris and immediately get a job, without fecking around with visas, visa-runs etc." Sanuk! Just wait till s/he finds out what it costs to live like a dog in Paris. Decent arrondissement, 25 sq. metre apt, old plumbing etc for just THB40-50,000 a month (no exaggeration). Hope s/he enjoys it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pescator Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 Hi BL, Well, that IMHO all comes down to what your expectations are like. I lived and worked in Thailand (not bkk but upcountry) for 2 years (admitted that was 6 years ago) didn`t make in excess of 25K and generally enjoyed myself tremendously. What I realized was that most of the things I needed in farangland I really didn`t need here. Mostly due to the climate and the cheap living expenses. Needless to say that I wasn`t big on the entertainment scene. I got myself a motorbike and various apartments/bungalows occasionally Guest Houses and basically enjoyed myself. However, if I had been going on like this until my retirement age, I realize I would have had a problem. My living standard? Guess it was kinda substandard to that of my home country, but never gave a damn. I was enjoying myself too much for that. Thailand is a shithole! And most reputable Westerners I've met here have already left or are planning on that move in the next few months Well, that really says it all. Cheers Hua Nguu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pe7e Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 A TV or refrigerator is the same in LOS as here, I think sometimes it is more expensive here for certain items especially cars. Plasma screen TV's are much cheaper in the UK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 I would agree with all that. Bangkok isn't cheap. I find I can actually live well in Canada on less. A good cable connection means I spend less on the internet here than there. If you take movies and a car out of the equation it's a lot cheaper. Mind you I seem to drink less when I'm here and there isn't much in the way of go-go bars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 well, if someone is here just for the money than he/she might be better off somewhere else. i am not - so i prefer to live here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
follies Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 40k per month, eh? On my trips to Bangkok, I usually find that I spend that much PER WEEK ::, when you add up food, accommodation, golf, fun, etc. Granted it's not quite the same, but an interesting numbers comparison..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 whosyourdaddy said:Second it. Bangkok has no culture at all. Once you have seen one temple you have seen them all. There is no appreciation for the arts. Bangkok's theater is worse than my high school performance. Compared to other cities of the same size there is very few options here for those who enoy the arts. But there is excellent restaurants and good shopping. Many people that I know are jumping ship. well, the lack of what you call culture i see just as an inspiration to create my own culture freely, without being brainwashed by what might be trendy at the moment. and in days of internet i can order almost anything from all over the world. i got shelves stacked with books (and due to less financial pressure i actually have time to read them). i put one of my classical CD's in my player, close my eyes and am in a concert hall. but thailand (bangkok) having no culture, well, maybe you just did not look enough. i collect old buddhas, old furniture. i have a collection of hundreds of books on all aspects of asia, ranging from philosphy, religion and history to modern literature. i am in the centre of asia. i can go to india (a bit more than an hours flight), can enjoy classical indian concerts, go through the best bookstores in the world, discuss philosophy and religion along the wonderful banks of the ganges, go to excellent artexhibitions. china is not far away. indonsia is just two hours away. i am living here in a huge metropolis which is changing at an incredible pace, no one knows what the future might look like. if you can't find some culture, than i am sorry, my friend, but you are just too lazy to look and create. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 follies said:40k per month, eh? On my trips to Bangkok, I usually find that I spend that much PER WEEK ::, when you add up food, accommodation, golf, fun, etc. Granted it's not quite the same, but an interesting numbers comparison..... when i started living here i had about 600 US$ budget per month, and i enjoyed life tremendously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lazyphil Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 I love LOS/bkk and had a great recent trip--however last summer I had one of the best times ever visiting friends with my family in Austria. Vienna and Linz are beautiful citys crammed with culture and our friends live in the most beauitiful places by the River Danube and have a lifestyle I can only dream of in England nevermind Thailand. They drove us over the Alps into Italy where again I noticed a very nice lifestyle that I was totally ignorant to before venturing onto mainland Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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