Does it even pay to live in Phuket Anymore ???

[mrstein]

Rising costs.

Dollar plunging, barfines going up, services going up,Housing going sky high.

What happend to lving like a King on 1500.00 a Month $$ USA dollars.

Its now cheaper to live stateside then in Thailand.That is Scary........

Stein

[Denver]

How much is a Gallon of Gas these days Stateside?

I guess it's a parity thing! Nothing seems to be coming down in price in the UK, except maybe the value of my house!

[K2]

There is some truth in your brief statement - but quality of life stateside (or where ever) would be hard to match that (in Thailand) IMO.

Agree that those on a fixed income/budget staying long term would find it difficult to maintain a quality standard of living here.

[LivinLOS]

I have said a few times it very much depends on your lifestyle..

Basic cost of living is still low.. Living as close to Thai style as you can handle is still cheap and far cheaper than lowest tolerable cost of living in the west.

But luxury items.. Even items that are even modest luxuries are MUCH more expensive than the west IMO.. And so if your looking to live a luxury life here.. What would be middle class life back there, that may not be cheaper. It takes an awful lot of cheap fried rice to make up the difference in a 2 million baht second hand BMW that you would probably find for 400 - 500k baht back in the west.

Of course theres some things you simply cant recreate.. The bar life and nightlife doesnt happen like it does here in the west (but then we dont have classy nightlife, no superclubs, no lounges, little music scene, etc) and for many the climate wasnt possible like this back where I came from. These things not available at any price back there, are a draw.

[Masterwoodsman]

As i've always said, you can live as cheap or expensive as you want in Thailand, cost of living is not dictated by society but purely by ones needs....

[ATMwalking]

LivinLOS is spot on. The extra cost on a mid-class western item is what always gets me.

Depends how you define king, but since I've been here it hasn't been possible to get there on $1,500/month. Certainly not now. Not even for double that. Especially if you have little interest in living a typical upcountry thai lifestyle.

I'd strongly suggest not moving here as a way to have a high western standard of living on a budget.

[marc26]

Originally Posted by K2

There is some truth in your brief statement - but quality of life stateside (or where ever) would be hard to match that (in Thailand) IMO.

.

i understand what you are saying and there are many parts of phuket that are nice but i was just in Carmel/Pebble Beach area and i would say quality of life is much better in places like that than in Phuket. but that is with a very good budget

[snakebite911]

Originally Posted by marc26

i understand what you are saying and there are many parts of phuket that are nice but i was just in Carmel/Pebble Beach area and i would say quality of life is much better in places like that than in Phuket. but that is with a very good budget

In that area you would be talking very very good budget!

[Dodger]

Oh right, so thats comparing eggs with eggs then????

[So-cal]

Originally Posted by ATMwalking

LivinLOS is spot on. The extra cost on a mid-class western item is what always gets me.

Depends how you define king, but since I've been here it hasn't been possible to get there on $1,500/month. Certainly not now. Not even for double that. Especially if you have little interest in living a typical upcountry thai lifestyle.

I'd strongly suggest not moving here as a way to have a high western standard of living on a budget.

Not even double that??!! 3000 a month??? Most can get by in the west on 3000( without kids)

I spent 2200 on my last trip. Hoteling it every night and feeding a thai girl. Plus hand bags and shoes.

[LivinLOS]

Yeah but simple tourist life is where things are cheap.. Cheap T shirts, cheap food / meals, etc.. What kills you is buying a nice car (non pickup or low end SUV), a real motorbike, home electronics, etc..

So much stuff on the US markets and ebay scene that is 1/4 - 1/2 price it is here.

My budget for living here is 120k per month and I dont usually manage that, I mentally allow slippage to about 150k on a bad month.. Plus I also load a bit of stuff onto my credit cards which kind of ends up being 'off budget'.. Stuff like my amazon book orders, plane tickets, etc.

I am not trying to paint the picture that life here is hellishly expensive, certainly the UK could be a lot more expensive. But coming here to live a luxury lifestyle (drive a BMW, or ML.. Wear nice labels.. Have toys) is exponentially more expensive than the baseline lifestyle while those things are quite attainable in the west.

Somewhere on that line there is a point where it becomes more expensive here EG a porsche can be 20mil here.. a ferrari probably over 30.. Probably 5x the price of the west... Even a merc SL base model 320 is 11.5 mil, a range rover 8.5 mil.. How cheap does the rest of your cost of living have to be, over a period to make up those differences.

[faultytowers]

Originally Posted by So-cal

Plus hand bags and shoes.

Didn't have you down as a "handbag swinger" , perhaps you and Geir could compare collections !!!!

[billpay]

Yes, I think it would be a little tough to live on 1500 US, but still would go farther here than there. Here if you tightened your belt you could still go out once in awhile, have some drinks, AND get laid. In the US....no chance on getting laid if you don't have some green in you kick. Can live here quite well on 2500-3000 US....depending on your entertainment expenses. Luxury life.....forget about it.

[ATMwalking]

Originally Posted by So-cal

Not even double that??!! 3000 a month??? Most can get by in the west on 3000( without kids)

I spent 2200 on my last trip. Hoteling it every night and feeding a thai girl. Plus hand bags and shoes.

LivinLos is again spot on.

Actually living here as an expat is more expensive than how most people vacation here. yes that is strange. yes it must catch a lot of people off guard. For example, my internet bill is nearly $100/month for a crappy 2mbit line.

Or you just go for a full on thai type lifestyle. But that isn't what the OP wants.

[TanMan]

Originally Posted by ATMwalking

LivinLos is again spot on.

Actually living here as an expat is more expensive than how most people vacation here. yes that is strange. yes it must catch a lot of people off guard. For example, my internet bill is nearly $100/month for a crappy 2mbit line.

Or you just go for a full on thai type lifestyle. But that isn't what the OP wants.

I guess it is hard to compare an apple with a banana, but this statement is just plain wrong. The Thai government knows this and caters their visa policies to attract tourists... not expats. That's a clue, isn't it?

I spend in one month now (as a quasi-resident), what I would easily spend in one week (as a tourist).

The only things more expensive in Thailand compared to Farangland that I would ever want to purchase are motor vehicles, electronics and cheese...

OP used the term "live like a king". Who really knows what he meant by that statement, but for expats in Thailand, I would say that they feel more "king-like" here than they did back home. Just adjust your purchases and you should be OK...

[landofsmiles]

Originally Posted by TanMan

The only things more expensive in Thailand compared to Farangland that I would ever want to purchase are motor vehicles, electronics and cheese...

I love cheese but it's damn expensive here. Anyone ever come across a decent Thai cheese at a reasonable price? Do they even make cheese?

[Benjy]

I don't think Phuket's been cheap for a while now, the US$ exchange rate just makes it look worse.

I think over the coming years those who are in Phuket trying to live on the cheap will probably move onto new pastures, Pattaya, Hua Hin etc...

Phuket's going to become a lot more expensive as it becomes more of a 'destination'. There must be over 300 houses in the $5,000,000 + range being built currently, $15,000 a night hotel suites.

[marc26]

Originally Posted by Dodger

Oh right, so thats comparing eggs with eggs then????

to me, when it comes down to what K2 mentioned, strictly quality of life, it is comparing eggs with eggs.
i would rather spend my life in a place like Carmel CA for more money than in Thailand for less money
to me, personally, an area like that provides a better quality of life, even at 10x the prices

[lowerpro]

Originally Posted by marc26

to me, when it comes down to what K2 mentioned, strictly quality of life, it is comparing eggs with eggs.
i would rather spend my life in a place like Carmel CA for more money than in Thailand for less money
to me, personally, an area like that provides a better quality of life, even at 10x the prices

For the same money as I spent living at home UK , living here spending the same amount does give me a better quality of life, I work only six mths a year I could eat out every night if I wanted, I have a very stress free lifestyle and have not lived in my home country for five years and am very happy is'nt that what its all about .?

[snorter]

Originally Posted by landofsmiles

I love cheese but it's damn expensive here. Anyone ever come across a decent Thai cheese at a reasonable price? Do they even make cheese?

I don't think they do make cheese here. I read somewhere that as cheese is.....well, rotten milk, for want of a better term, the Thai's think of it in the same way us westerners think of that rotten fish (Plah rha) they put on their 'som tam'.

Back on topic, from what I'm reading here I get the impression that Phuket is very expensive when compared to other parts of Thailand.

The lifestyle that I lead here, including the house I live in, the car I drive etc. etc. means I spend around 250k per month........the same lifestyle back in the UK would cost twice that much. Then you've got the added benefits: climate, easygoing atmosphere, all the pussy you can handle etc. etc.

ATMwalking, have you tried TOT (the telephone authority)? They hooked me up with a 600Baht modem, and a monthly cost of 500Baht, 100mps...

[ATMwalking]

Originally Posted by snorter

ATMwalking, have you tried TOT (the telephone authority)? They hooked me up with a 600Baht modem, and a monthly cost of 500Baht, 100mps...

I get the top package so it works at full speed 24/7. Or you could stay it meets 1st world standards.

[ATMwalking]

Originally Posted by TanMan

I spend in one month now (as a quasi-resident), what I would easily spend in one week (as a tourist).

The only things more expensive in Thailand compared to Farangland that I would ever want to purchase are motor vehicles, electronics and cheese...

OP used the term "live like a king". Who really knows what he meant by that statement, but for expats in Thailand, I would say that they feel more "king-like" here than they did back home. Just adjust your purchases and you should be OK...

Aren't you a quasi-economizing-tourist? Once you really put roots down, maybe you will see it more like the rest of us.

motor vehicles, electronics...just those small things?

You are turning the king thing to be to a thai standard. Clearly he means live to western type king standards. Not getting a seat vs standing at the 49 baht beer place. And getting called "sexy man" walking down a bar soi doesn't count

[nelsonone]

from what I've gleaned over time meat, cheese, wine and just about any high end deli produce is way OT what we pay in NZ and Oz for similar items....I guess these could be counted in the luxury goods (for produce anyway) category but I imagine you should be able to eat cheaply and well by sticking to Thai produce...with the odd splashout when necessary

a good fast Broadband Service can be had in NZ for about 1k bht a month and second hand imported 3 series BMW say 3 y.o. can be had for about 500K....or about the price of a similar aged pickup in LOS.....

Not all things are equal though....a Pad Thai is about 400bht here...555

[LivinLOS]

This is an interesting thread.. And one I will argue possibly a bit devils advocate..

EDIT:: Also I will repeatedly say 'low end' and 'high end' etc.. I am not trying to make any comments on being frugal or digging at the low end. Its just the spending statement noting 'low class' about spending what fits the lifestyle you want.

Originally Posted by TanMan

I guess it is hard to compare an apple with a banana, but this statement is just plain wrong. The Thai government knows this and caters their visa policies to attract tourists... not expats. That's a clue, isn't it?

Far more to do with nationilsm and xenophobia than it is to do with profit motives.

I spend in one month now (as a quasi-resident), what I would easily spend in one week (as a tourist).

Again here lets do truly apples to apples.. A tourist is going on every tour, going out ever night, bar fining away and having a blast compressed into a small period of time. If the expat does exactly the same to make it apples to apples does it not cost the same ??

You need to separate out the 'cost of living' part of the tourism to the 'party fun budget' which would be the same for either. I know my house costs me far in excess of what a normal hotel would be. Thats just the rent let alone the bills, the gardener, the upkeep. Etc.

As you your personal situation (and this isnt meant in any snide way as a dig) but your possibly in exactly the cheapest position.. You have done the tourist mad bit and know how to economise on the party / fun budget.. Yet you have none of the long term fixed costs yet. I dont think you own a car, I dont even know if you have furnished your home or if you have a place v a flat. The big costs come with those items and are the truly huge costs when you want a little bit more than the low end (like you want a lexus not a honda).

I often find it comical when I see a man of middle age, obviously some wealth and assets, talkign about how cheap it is here and then getting on his Honda auto scooter to ride off in the rain. This same guy no doubt has a Beemer or a Merc or some other luxury car back home, yet he compares downgrading his lifestyle to a scooter and a one bedroom flat to a lifestyle that has far more material goods.

The only things more expensive in Thailand compared to Farangland that I would ever want to purchase are motor vehicles, electronics and cheese...

Wine, t-bone steaks, lamb, cold cuts, computers, legit media (hidef DVD's), games systems, all kinds of things.. When you get the local stuff (often poor quality) its cheaper, if you want the good stuff its often much more expensive than the west due to the low volume of sales, import costs and import duties.. Stuff like home building items, look for a high end set of taps (the proverbial kitchen sink) the nice / good stuff costs an arm and a leg. I dont even know a source of truly high end designer switches and items (I have looked at some of these things when I was considering doing a house).

This kind of scale works in almost everything.. Sang Som is dirt cheap, quality brandy is about the same, but a Remy martain VSOP cognac is WAY more.

OP used the term "live like a king". Who really knows what he meant by that statement, but for expats in Thailand, I would say that they feel more "king-like" here than they did back home. Just adjust your purchases and you should be OK...

But thats exactly it, you have to lower you expectations to make the savings fit the market. Living like a king isnt about lowering expectations.

Of course its all relative.. But the low end spending guys will no doubt do better for thier cash.. The mid end guys (most of the longer stay expats / the oil guys) will usually compromise more than they would have to in the west, they will drive a honda not a beemer, they will live in a home finished in questionable standards (mmm pink tiles in the kitchen, nice choice ) as its where the spending goes farther. but the real high end guys.. The ones buying the >2 mil USD andarra villas, I think those guys will spend more to live a luxury lifestyle here than they would in the west.

[LivinLOS]

Originally Posted by Benjy

I don't think Phuket's been cheap for a while now, the US$ exchange rate just makes it look worse.

I think over the coming years those who are in Phuket trying to live on the cheap will probably move onto new pastures, Pattaya, Hua Hin etc...

Phuket's going to become a lot more expensive as it becomes more of a 'destination'. There must be over 300 houses in the $5,000,000 + range being built currently, $15,000 a night hotel suites.

I would also warn against comparing a decade of global boom with a trend that can continue.. Optimism was much the same just before the 97 crash.. Right now global housing is on a mega slide, people are staring into a global downturn and money is getting tighter. We will see what that does to the 5,000,000 USD homes here.

Maybe the fact that little is bought on credit will protect it.. But the fact that many are not primary residences makes me think there could be a lot of difficulty in that segment.

To me, I think the 5,000,000 USD homes is exactly the people who it makes little sense to. I would not be putting 5m USD into moving to this market, 5m USD buys a mega home in the west, in a good climate, with services and facilities suitable for that kind of budget. Here finding someone to service your car is a struggle let alone the kind of skilled services that people of this net worth want. I myself just feel Thailand isnt really ready for these guys.

But on the comparisons.. I was reading a editorial on property in NYT.. They showed a big 4 bedroom colonial home, on a large plot, plenty of ground around it, in a 'posh' area of town, unsold asking 850k USD (down from nearly 1.2). Thats something like 27m baht.. I doubt you would get a home with that kind of build quality or size here for that money (it would be possible in size but not build standards), on a land plot like this was.. And certainly not with any chance of zoning rules preventing a tin shack karaoke or a pig farm or somchais scooter repair being slapped down next door. Lets not forget the earning possibility that living back in the west presents as a local advantage also.

And not only in the highest end.. My old man recently bought a house in the south of france.. Nice 3 bed refurbished farmhouse, all brand new done and nice standard, south facing with views of the pyrenees.. Its 30 mins from skiing, its less than an hour from each coast, its probably a couple of hours from the 'Riviera'.. Its a 5 acre plot with woodland and ground (what 12.5 rai ??) for 160k EUR.. Phuket would be hard pushed to beat that pricing.

[LivinLOS]

And just to emphasize.. This morning my emails box has a real estate spam in it..

OFF PLAN - Foreign Free Hold Luxury Condos for Sale - Patong, Phuket - Phuket - Apartment/Condo - Freehold - CSSVD2120 - Siam Real Estate

Assume from the pics this is the development with the questionable retaining wall build from concrete drainpipe loops after Simon cabaret heading to the noisy safari area. The 'seaview' overlooks a not very attractive patch of rough land.

Starting prices 15 up to 37 mil.. 1.1 million dollar apartments, off plan price no less.. On a noisy 3rd world road, in a country that has only ever had one democratic change of government in 70 odd years, and will in the next decade have a huge power vacuum.

How cheap does you laundry have to be to make that price seem attractive ?

[So-cal]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

Yeah but simple tourist life is where things are cheap.. Cheap T shirts, cheap food / meals, etc.. What kills you is buying a nice car (non pickup or low end SUV), a real motorbike, home electronics, etc..

So much stuff on the US markets and ebay scene that is 1/4 - 1/2 price it is here.

My budget for living here is 120k per month and I dont usually manage that, I mentally allow slippage to about 150k on a bad month.. Plus I also load a bit of stuff onto my credit cards which kind of ends up being 'off budget'.. Stuff like my amazon book orders, plane tickets, etc.

I am not trying to paint the picture that life here is hellishly expensive, certainly the UK could be a lot more expensive. But coming here to live a luxury lifestyle (drive a BMW, or ML.. Wear nice labels.. Have toys) is exponentially more expensive than the baseline lifestyle while those things are quite attainable in the west.

Somewhere on that line there is a point where it becomes more expensive here EG a porsche can be 20mil here.. a ferrari probably over 30.. Probably 5x the price of the west... Even a merc SL base model 320 is 11.5 mil, a range rover 8.5 mil.. How cheap does the rest of your cost of living have to be, over a period to make up those differences.

The main reason i would move is so that i could quit working sooner. If i wanted to bling it up i would definitly stay in the west. It depends if money means everything or not. Having my own time to relax and get away means more to me then money. I have taken pay cuts before just to do somthing i like.
I wouldnt mind making that kind of money at your age.

[So-cal]

Originally Posted by TanMan

I guess it is hard to compare an apple with a banana, but this statement is just plain wrong. The Thai government knows this and caters their visa policies to attract tourists... not expats. That's a clue, isn't it?

I spend in one month now (as a quasi-resident), what I would easily spend in one week (as a tourist).

The only things more expensive in Thailand compared to Farangland that I would ever want to purchase are motor vehicles, electronics and cheese...

OP used the term "live like a king". Who really knows what he meant by that statement, but for expats in Thailand, I would say that they feel more "king-like" here than they did back home. Just adjust your purchases and you should be OK...

Im glad you cleared that up. I was starting to wonder.....

One night out in vancouver
taxi- 800 baht
cover charge- 256 baht
coat change-65 baht
6 beer-1344 baht
2 rye and coke-576 baht
total so far- 3041 baht

lots can happen after and it doesnt get any cheaper.

[LivinLOS]

Originally Posted by So-cal

Im glad you cleared that up. I was starting to wonder.....

One night out in vancouver
taxi- 800 baht
cover charge- 256 baht
coat change-65 baht
6 beer-1344 baht
2 rye and coke-576 baht
total so far- 3041 baht

lots can happen after and it doesnt get any cheaper.

Yes without doubt bar life is cheaper.. But looking at those prices they are only a bit under club lime, Thai tuktuks, etc.

But thats not where the expensive prices lie.

[So-cal]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

This is an interesting thread.. And one I will argue possibly a bit devils advocate..

EDIT:: Also I will repeatedly say 'low end' and 'high end' etc.. I am not trying to make any comments on being frugal or digging at the low end. Its just the spending statement noting 'low class' about spending what fits the lifestyle you want.



Far more to do with nationilsm and xenophobia than it is to do with profit motives.



Again here lets do truly apples to apples.. A tourist is going on every tour, going out ever night, bar fining away and having a blast compressed into a small period of time. If the expat does exactly the same to make it apples to apples does it not cost the same ??

You need to separate out the 'cost of living' part of the tourism to the 'party fun budget' which would be the same for either. I know my house costs me far in excess of what a normal hotel would be. Thats just the rent let alone the bills, the gardener, the upkeep. Etc.

As you your personal situation (and this isnt meant in any snide way as a dig) but your possibly in exactly the cheapest position.. You have done the tourist mad bit and know how to economise on the party / fun budget.. Yet you have none of the long term fixed costs yet. I dont think you own a car, I dont even know if you have furnished your home or if you have a place v a flat. The big costs come with those items and are the truly huge costs when you want a little bit more than the low end (like you want a lexus not a honda).

I often find it comical when I see a man of middle age, obviously some wealth and assets, talkign about how cheap it is here and then getting on his Honda auto scooter to ride off in the rain. This same guy no doubt has a Beemer or a Merc or some other luxury car back home, yet he compares downgrading his lifestyle to a scooter and a one bedroom flat to a lifestyle that has far more material goods.



Wine, t-bone steaks, lamb, cold cuts, computers, legit media (hidef DVD's), games systems, all kinds of things.. When you get the local stuff (often poor quality) its cheaper, if you want the good stuff its often much more expensive than the west due to the low volume of sales, import costs and import duties.. Stuff like home building items, look for a high end set of taps (the proverbial kitchen sink) the nice / good stuff costs an arm and a leg. I dont even know a source of truly high end designer switches and items (I have looked at some of these things when I was considering doing a house).

This kind of scale works in almost everything.. Sang Som is dirt cheap, quality brandy is about the same, but a Remy martain VSOP cognac is WAY more.



But thats exactly it, you have to lower you expectations to make the savings fit the market. Living like a king isnt about lowering expectations.

Of course its all relative.. But the low end spending guys will no doubt do better for thier cash.. The mid end guys (most of the longer stay expats / the oil guys) will usually compromise more than they would have to in the west, they will drive a honda not a beemer, they will live in a home finished in questionable standards (mmm pink tiles in the kitchen, nice choice ) as its where the spending goes farther. but the real high end guys.. The ones buying the >2 mil USD andarra villas, I think those guys will spend more to live a luxury lifestyle here than they would in the west.

It all depends on your priorities i guess. Personally i would rather live a simpler life in a nice climate then drive a ninty thousand dallar car and have a boss pi$$ing in my ear for 40 hours a week for most of my life.

My definition of living like a king is not being under the gun my whole life to get sh*t done.

[LivinLOS]

Originally Posted by So-cal

It all depends on your priorities i guess. Personally i would rather live a simpler life in a nice climate then drive a ninty thousand dallar car and have a boss pi$$ing in my ear for 40 hours a week for most of my life.

My definition of living like a king is not being under the gun my whole life to get sh*t done.

OK thats entirely fair enough.. Theres nothing wrong with that and in many ways I am the same, freedom and free time is worth a lot in terms of material possessions.

But escaping the rate race to downsize is not the high end luxury market.. The guys buying 2mil and up villas are not guys with a boss in thier ear 40 hours a week. Its also not the golf retirees or the yachtie marina types.

Theres a lot of guys on Phuket now for whom it wasnt so much escaping the rat race as winning it.

[Dupree00]

If you can't live like a King in Phuket you can still be the "King of Pussy".

A nice reward in any Monarchy.

[TanMan]

Originally Posted by mrstein

Rising costs.

Dollar plunging, barfines going up, services going up,Housing going sky high.

What happend to lving like a King on 1500.00 a Month $$ USA dollars.

Its now cheaper to live stateside then in Thailand.That is Scary........

Stein

It's clear to me that the OP meant that "living like a king on $1,500 per month", DID NOT include villas, BMW's, NZ lamb, Belgian chocolates, Starbucks, cognac, etc... My reference post was to imply that a similar lifestyle he once enjoyed could still be had for... let's say $2,500 per month. But, that's just normal inflation and FX rates at work.

I spend about one-third what I would spend in the US (or 80,000 baht per month). My lifestyle is pretty much the same, sans the BMW and the oceanfront 26th floor condo on Miami Beach, but I golf more and go out more. Lifestyle, in general, is much better and healthier. I guess I lead a fairly simple life, but that was the idea when leaving the US. I don't consider myself frugal or cheap, but certainly "sensible". Luxury items in life just don't do it for me anymore... after all, you can't take them with you. In the long run, we are all just renting the things we have... OK, enough Buddhist philosophy...

"Living like a king" is far too vague a concept to accurately debate, but my thoughts were more in line with what the OP was addressing (I think? )

[So-cal]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

OK thats entirely fair enough.. Theres nothing wrong with that and in many ways I am the same, freedom and free time is worth a lot in terms of material possessions.

But escaping the rate race to downsize is not the high end luxury market.. The guys buying 2mil and up villas are not guys with a boss in thier ear 40 hours a week. Its also not the golf retirees or the yachtie marina types.

Theres a lot of guys on Phuket now for whom it wasnt so much escaping the rat race as winning it.

I was all about the rat race untill i went to thailand. Remember all the stress and risk these winners went through and plus they needed some luck on there side.
These are the guys that actually realize they won it, not like the clowns like my dad were its just never enough.

[ATMwalking]

I think you summed up Tanman's situation very well. What I was thinking as well as I've been there. You can optimize the tourist type life style without yet making the investment of digging in.

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

I often find it comical when I see a man of middle age, obviously some wealth and assets, talkign about how cheap it is here and then getting on his Honda auto scooter to ride off in the rain. This same guy no doubt has a Beemer or a Merc or some other luxury car back home, yet he compares downgrading his lifestyle to a scooter and a one bedroom flat to a lifestyle that has far more material goods.

so funny. And that is just after he finished eating some 30 baht street noodles severed from a stand that a western health inspector would laugh at.

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

I
Of course its all relative.. But the low end spending guys will no doubt do better for thier cash.. The mid end guys (most of the longer stay expats / the oil guys) will usually compromise more than they would have to in the west, they will drive a honda not a beemer, they will live in a home finished in questionable standards (mmm pink tiles in the kitchen, nice choice ) as its where the spending goes farther. but the real high end guys.. The ones buying the >2 mil USD andarra villas, I think those guys will spend more to live a luxury lifestyle here than they would in the west.

Yep, that is it. You show up at some sort of Hi-So'ish type event and everyone is showing up in a Honda or Toyota. Because the big names are just stupid expensive and would just get trashed here.

Want a BBQ, your choice is a 3000 baht oil drum cut in half with charcol or a 40000 baht Weber knock-off. Same with power boats. Some scary plywood thing or crazy expensive for a proper fiberglass import. What about a private small airplane? Just goes on and on for what any self-respecting king would own.

And this is not to complain, but something to consider.

BTW & OT, don't get me started on thai houses and tiles!!!!! It is like a challenge to see how many different colors and styles they can work into one room.