[Mac]

After you have trawled the Expats section you will find many different opinions on what it costs to "live" in Thailand. I am always at the expensive end of this discussion because the lifestyle we have in Thailand is similar to the UK.

If you own a decent house in Thailand and have a Car, TV, Aircon and sensible food and wine then the monthly bills are manageable quite easily on about £500 a month. However, if you want to go out, which really is a must, then £100 a week for entertainment is a little tight and this does not include holidays or buying furniture and so on. You might also add in the gardener and the maid. If you are renting then clearly the rent will be a part of the budget.. A quick trip down the property pages will give you a good idea.

But some people are quite able to exist on much less and enjoy themselves too. Also if you are on your own and have no dependents apart from temporary companions then it is really "up to you".

However, and I think this is where I differ from some others, Thailand is actually not "cheap" if you want to live in a real place rather than a hut and participate in local affairs. But as always it is entirely "up to you".

Mac