MrX Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 allow a man some complexity!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walletss Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 ' Perhaps because I am born Thai, Hubby and I are quite happy if we spend 40,000 Baht per month, we won't know what to do above that amount, sincerely." Precisely. But If I was to settle in Thailand there are certain things that I would miss unless they were in the budget. For example cafe lattes and cuppaccinos . They are expensive by Thai standards. Farangs settling in Thailand will never be Thai, they will always be Farangs living in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 MightyMouse said:Some claim they can't live on 40,000 baht a month! Some Thais live on 40,000 baht for the whole year. I think the problem is falangs come to Thailand, live and eat like falangs and then turn around and claim they know all about Thailand. I suggest stepping outside the tourist areas for falangs and really see and experience Thailand. Besides, life should not revolve money. That should hold a lower priority. So what if thousands of Thais live on 40,000 baht a year. Thousands (millions?) of people live on $20,000 in the US, but that doesn't mean I have to live like that to be an American. If I choose to live in Thailand, why do I have to live like a lower middle class Thai? Why can't I live like an upper middle class Thai who makes a comparable income to me? It takes money to have nice house(s), buy nice clothes, go to nice resturants, play golf (at good CC's), have a car or 2, go on vacations, have your children go to International Schools, etc. You can't do all that on 40,000 baht a month. Granted, that is not the majority of Thai's lifestyle, but there are many Thais that do live like that, so why can't I and still claim to know Thailand ? I could probably live on 40,000 baht a month (or year even), but why would I want to? Is that something to be proud of? I don't think so. My life doesn't revolve around money. Money is what I use to maintain the lifestyle I like. You can have lots of money and not have your life revolve around it. TH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrX Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 Certainly an elegant and nimble post but a couple of things come to mind. The link between budgetary distress and low 'expatability' is unsubstantiated. It might be OK but there are other possible signs of not hacking it abroad. How about family breakdown, drug taking, promiscuity (couldn't resist) for example. Also doesn't the Bell curve suggest that probably the majority of people will be modestly ill or well adjusted while only a very few will be either a super-expat or a basket case. IMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 "No matter the desire, some people can be a expat and some cannot." ---------------------------------- Ahah, only one often gets the impression it's the ones who can't (ie. shouldn't) who are expats..... :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 rompandadam said:Certainly an elegant and nimble post but a couple of things come to mind. The link between budgetary distress and low 'expatability' is unsubstantiated. It might be OK but there are other possible signs of not hacking it abroad. How about family breakdown, drug taking, promiscuity (couldn't resist) for example. Also doesn't the Bell curve suggest that probably the majority of people will be modestly ill or well adjusted while only a very few will be either a super-expat or a basket case. IMHO Your other reasons for not hacking it are valid, but not unique to expat living. They happen anywhere and can cause one to lose or quit your job. I think the point was there are unique problems to living overseas that some people cannot deal with. In my limited experience (6 years, 4 countries, 7 moves) I haven't seen a Bell curve. It is much more square, people like and stay or hate it and leave. This is just my opinion and analysis, now let Suadum answer himself in his usual eloquent manner TH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 The couple have held their budget to about $50 a day by forgoing big-ticket expenses, such as a home and a car, and by alternating stays in high-priced cities with sojourns in cheaper areas. "Our average in Paris is about $65 a day, while our daily average in Chiang Mai [Thailand] is less than $25," http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/5315/kip.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 15, 2004 Report Share Posted February 15, 2004 "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." I underrent a place by Mairie du 18e, 5 or 6 euro taxi ride to Rue Lafayette, the business area where i trade. 45 sq m for little less than 600 E per month. Ur estimate is a bit on the high side. And while life costs much ore than in BKK I'm earning far more money; going around in a BKK cab daily, U may have a driver, but U still sit in a very often stinky and lousy car.Stil sit in taxis almost daily BTW, often mercedes, rent a car, eat daily in restaurants and world around looks sophisticated( was abt to say civilised), while in thailand it's only a very few areas who don't look utterly rundown. Sex would be the minus side May move back to BKK one day though, and I mean only BKK from the whole Thailand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 15, 2004 Report Share Posted February 15, 2004 As for shopping...really depends on what U're looking for For clothes BKK gotta rank close the worst place I know for fashion. Same low quality brands in every mall and department stores, wonder sometimes if they understood wool and cotton are suitable materials for suits. Only few imported designer clothes can be found and they sell at indecent prices. anyone ever looked for shoes in BKK? all pairs I brought back are sleeping in the closest and their next step will be to the waste basket As for going to the movies... gets very quickly frustrating cause of diversity again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iono Posted February 15, 2004 Report Share Posted February 15, 2004 Vicki says. "The mystery of how our lives evolve is part of the fun and adventure." Seems to be all about your attitude, wants, and needs. I can sleep in an old hut, on a matt in the middle of a foreign country, wake up and be happy. This, because life is an adventure, some people want or need a higher standard of living, acceptance of the local populace, or tons of money to feel secure. The people in the article are content with life, which very few people are able to achieve monetarily or spiritually, because they get wrapped up in societies demands. I see Expats as people who step out of the societal norms and live life on their own terms, maybe they are people that want to experience more then a normal life has to offer in their home country. So if you can survive on 40,000 a month and are content, who is anyone to question their quality of life, as you are only comparing it to your self imposed standards guided by a culture mindset that says Left, Right, Left, stay in step or your abnormal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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