Guest Posted August 23, 2004 Report Share Posted August 23, 2004 wcv56 said:Nice Job for Native English Speaker w/degree We are talking a person who spent time and money to get a degree. We are talking less than a Hamburger joint pays in the west. Maybe for an extended vacation for someone with a degree but it is important that you capitalize on your education. Anyways people with degrees if they are working in foreign countries for this sum of money you better change professions because this is just low balling the system and it will not get better. You seem to be forgetting 'context'. I am currently in the west. Last night I went and watched a movie and had a masamun curry afterwards. The movie cost me the equivalent of 450 baht (and it wasn't even a digital cinema!). The curry cost me the equivalent of 250 baht. So, 800 baht. Now, my wages here are 4 times higher than they would be in Babgkok. But, so is the cost of living. So, do my higher wages really count for much? :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.. Posted August 23, 2004 Report Share Posted August 23, 2004 Yup. When assessing salaries in other countries, I use a modified version of The Economist's "Big Mac" Scale. I choose a local brand beer served in a middle-of-the-road bar as my benchmark. I believe that it represents the buying power of your money in a local sense. (The Big Mac index is flawed because there are franchise fees, forced suppliers, and other artifical economic factors when dealing with Mackers). Here in Bangkok, a small Singha in a middle joint runs B75 average. So B40K/mo = 534 beers. In Detroit, my mates tell me that a Budweiser costs $4 in a middle class bar. I am assuming that the average teacher makes ~$3000/mo. That is 750 beers. Therefore the better financial choice is the States. But when that teacher starts making over B56K/mo (or $1400), then the better financial choice is Bangkok. And of course none of the above takes into account the lesser working hours, less stress and better overall quality of life factors offered by life in Bangkok cuz I do not know how to put a $$ value on them. Cheers, SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorro Posted August 23, 2004 Report Share Posted August 23, 2004 I prefer to use the pussy index when calculating how far my money will go in a particular country. At 50,000 baht a month that is fifty long time girls from Nana car park a month. Now let me see in Australia a teacher might clear 3000 dollars a month. It is 150 dollars short time so that is 20 short times per month as opposed to 50 long times. Other factors to consider are the price of food and accommodation and transport. They are all considerably cheaper in Thailand. Alcohol is one thing that is expensive in Thailand but nobody is forcing you to drink and I would venture to say that pussy is more vital than alcohol. I think you can live better for 50,000 baht a month in Thailand than you can for 3000 a month in Australia. Of course you wont save anything in either case but you will definitely have a better time in Bangers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
think_too_mut Posted August 23, 2004 Report Share Posted August 23, 2004 >I think you can live better for 50,000 baht a month in Thailand than you can for 3000 a month in Australia. Good time, good...until you need or want to buy a home. Teachers on 3K A$ do get loans to buy homes, cars and their children go to schools far better than generaly available in BKK. Be on 50K baht and send your child to 1 mil per year International school if you can. In Oz, public schools are good enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorro Posted August 23, 2004 Report Share Posted August 23, 2004 TTM It does all depend on your situation. Children in the mix definitely changes things. If you are single thou i would bet Bangkok is a better option. As for buying property, on a 3000 a month income i doubt whether you would get too much with that sort of income where i come from in Sydney or anywhere for that matter. A two bedroom apartment in Coogee where i live is at least 500k and upwards. In fact I would go so far as to say that you are almost poverty level at 3000 a month if you want to own a house and a car and have some sort of life. I stopped working in Sydney in the mid 90's on a salary of around 70k because i could not get ahead. That was pre the GST so it was a fair bit cheaper than now i imagine. I could barely survive on that income and i was not extravagent. Australia is such a high tax country and wages are relatively low compared to many other places. It is a shame really as i have a nice apartment in Coogee and i would love to live there but i make in real terms 4 times more where i am. BTW You could probably buy a condo in one of the outer suburbs of Bangkok for less than a million baht which you could save up before you made the move to Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samak Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 dear Suadum your beerindex is bullshit! you have to take into account a factor which represents the risk how easy you turn in a alcoholic in a certain environment. if you look at certain boardmembers (i do not want to mention names but look at the contributions of OH and FJ in the health section) LOS implies a high risk to turn into a alcoholic; so if you are a alcoholic you have to drink more beer and your funds are drying up faster. so let's take the factor 1.5 in USA way of living and politics are sobering up, so factor is 0.5 or something like that. i am now already too drunken to do any calculation but if you take this factor into account and apply on your examples you will find out that - Alcoholics can not afford to teach in Thailand as they get sober latest on the 5. of each month - Teachers can not afford to turn into Alcoholics in Thailand as they could not teach anymore from latest the 5. of each month - you better go back to Detroit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bakkabon Posted August 25, 2004 Report Share Posted August 25, 2004 Well I have just done the beer index and I can get more beers in Thailand than what I can acctually earn in Dollars in Australia! so I think im better off in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sukhumvit Posted August 25, 2004 Report Share Posted August 25, 2004 For cheap booze prices you should check out the PI. You can pick up a bottle of San Mig from a sari sari (store) for about 11-13 pesos. In the bars they're 25 pesos and up. Dunno the Oz rates of exchange but recently was £1 to 100 pesos thus 11p for a beer from an off licence etc. Happy days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultras67 Posted August 25, 2004 Report Share Posted August 25, 2004 yes, but who wants to live in PI? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.. Posted August 25, 2004 Report Share Posted August 25, 2004 samak said:you have to take into account a factor which represents the risk how easy you turn in a alcoholic in a certain environment. Feh! Being an alcoholic is an expat job requirement LOL! You have to be cuz your entire social life (married w/kids or not) revolves around clubs & bars . Go back to the States except for a visit???? I'll prolly be cold & stiff (if I even go back then)... Cheers, SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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