Sacrifices

[dawsey]

After chatting to some of the guys on the forum,and noting the number of times some BMs visit LOS during the course of a year,I was wondering what sacrifices they made to do this.

I understand that some BMs here are financially,very well secure and this doesn't really affect them. Its the guys like me,who earn a reasonable but not a large wage,that I'm thinking about.

I know that I can afford to visit LOS once a year at the most. I bring the family,so that is 4X airfare,food ,drink etc. If I were single then I could do it maybe twice or at a pinch 3 times a year,but thats hypothetical.

I go out once a week with my friends,and this ,along with a few cigars is my only paid for pleasure that I work for, and wont give up.I could not envisage a life of staying home every night just to save money for another 14days in LOS.A year is a long time,and 14 days very short. If I did, then more visits would be possible,but its one sacrifice I cannot make.

It brings me back to my original thought, what sacrifices do you, or are you prepared to make to visit LOS so often?

[IRISH JONNY]

Dawsey...........
In Between Tours All I Do Is Work,read And Play Golf [very Badly]
I Work 36 Hrs Regular Shift........and Try To Do 2 10 Hrs O-t Every Week..........this O-t Is My Thailand Fund..........
I Rarely Go To The Boozer..........maybe Once A Month............most Of My Mates Are Married..........so Im Kinda By Myself Which Doesnt Bother Me...
Usully Ill Have A Glass Of Wine While I Read Or Watch Tv....im A Simple Man Who Lives A Simple Life !!!!!!!!!!!!
Ij

[speedy]

going without booze and shagging till you have enough for the trip

[Thai Kwan Do]

i go out only once a month
dont have friends, well 1 and he,s marrying a thai girl in september!
old car [cheap]
live in a rental house

i just found out im am a realy sad badtrt in holland

but i go los 2 times a year!!!!!!!!
and not alot sad bastsr can say that!!
and have a verry nice g.f in los

[Denver]

I had to sacrifice the love of my young life. This particular sacrifice took 16 long, arduous, gruelling and painful years.......................but hey!! I'm over it!

[marc26]

i havent worked in 10 months, and fortunately, i am able to do that finacially. that being said, i in canada ow fo about 2 months working and tha is defintely making y bank account happy. my idea was to come here and not spend too much of what im making, and then not work or awhile again but ive been out everynight. i just love going out, but again, i do not have the responsibilities that you have dawsey.

[Talbotman]

Tonight is a prime example saturday 20th august its warm and sunny outside and i am covering a workmates shift voluntarily , my normal routine when in the uk is work,sleep,eat apart from a Saturday when i go to the football and have about 8 pints and maybe 6 whiskeys and thats me for the whole week some weeks in the winter i do 6 shifts a week but thats no problem because what else can you do in winter anyway , but all the sacrifices are well worth it when i can make my 2 visits per year to los and enjoy the company of my friends ,bgs,my ltgf,and meeting new mates just as i hope to do on my first visit to patong on 31st october oh and the booze and the weather are not too bad either 5555555555

p.s any politacally correct bm or one of those health conscious types who try to tell me 8 pints and 6 whiskeys are too much you try watching KILMARNOCK FC whilst you are sober 555555555

[Coolhand]

Originally Posted by Talbotman

Tonight is a prime example saturday 20th august its warm and sunny outside and i am covering a workmates shift voluntarily , my normal routine when in the uk is work,sleep,eat apart from a Saturday when i go to the football and have about 8 pints and maybe 6 whiskeys and thats me for the whole week some weeks in the winter i do 6 shifts a week but thats no problem because what else can you do in winter anyway , but all the sacrifices are well worth it when i can make my 2 visits per year to los and enjoy the company of my friends ,bgs,my ltgf,and meeting new mates just as i hope to do on my first visit to patong on 31st october oh and the booze and the weather are not too bad either 5555555555

p.s any politacally correct bm or one of those health conscious types who try to tell me 8 pints and 6 whiskeys are too much you try watching KILMARNOCK FC whilst you are sober 555555555

And don't forget the bottle of Morgan's Spiced Rum on Wednesday afternoons

[Talbotman]

ONLY WHEN MY MUMMY IS NOT AT HOME 55555555 Hope she brings me a new bottle back from Tenneriffe

[marc26]

i dont want to offend anyone but i really cabt belive that you guys basically work to go to LOS. i absolutey love it andwant to spend as much time there as possible, but dont you think you have to enjoy your real lifes. again, to each's own, but i ust dont understand it.

[Sirgezza]

Originally Posted by marc26

i dont want to offend anyone but i really cabt belive that you guys basically work to go to LOS. i absolutey love it andwant to spend as much time there as possible, but dont you think you have to enjoy your real lifes. again, to each's own, but i ust dont understand it.

Most people in the UK work to exist.

Dawsey pointed out that he has 4 mouths to feed (52 weeks of the year) and a holiday to LOS will cost a fair bit more than a single man's holiday.

I remember you said that you earned a good bit when you were working for these 2 months. Will it be tax free? This is a big help if it is.

I could easily live in LOS for 6 months of the year, but with unemployment the way it is in Wales, there is no guarantee of being able to get work for the 6 months. I'm lucky (financially) as I have never been married and have no children. Also I've bought property at the right time and invested in stockmarkets since 1988. Not many people in the UK can say that. People who work a full time job (employees type) with no overtime, generally struggle to save for a holiday at all.

[marc26]

Originally Posted by gez

Most people in the UK work to exist.

Dawsey pointed out that he has 4 mouths to feed (52 weeks of the year) and a holiday to LOS will cost a fair bit more than a single man's holiday.

I remember you said that you earned a good bit when you were working for these 2 months. Will it be tax free? This is a big help if it is.

I could easily live in LOS for 6 months of the year, but with unemployment the way it is in Wales, there is no guarantee of being able to get work for the 6 months. I'm lucky (financially) as I have never been married and have no children. Also I've bought property at the right time and invested in stockmarkets since 1988. Not many people in the UK can say that. People who work a full time job (employees type) with no overtime, generally struggle to save for a holiday at all.

well, i actually pointed out that i dont have the same responsiblities as dawsey, and,really, my post was kinda aimed towards the single guys. even if i didnt have the fianacial situation that i have, i would probably not go to LOS as much and spend some of my money to enjoy myself in my home.
you mentioned people work in the UK to exist, but i dont understand that. and i plead ignorance, because i wouldnt know, but aret there good jobs in the UK. im not talking about 6 figure jobs, but decent middle class jobs. whats a avg-good salary in the UK. take example, a policeman, because everywhere in the world has them. whats a salry for them. or someone who has a decent IT job? again, everyone has their own opinion, and i defintely think anyone can live their life anyway they want

[Talbotman]

Lets face it i for one do not miss anything about nightlife in uk i am over 40 and my days for strutting my stuff on the disco floor are well behind me thank god and also in my opinion the uk is the most boring puritanical place on earth especially here in scotland hence the attraction of places like los with its freedoms and easygoing attitudes I am not a smoker but lets face it when they ban people from smoking in public and you cant even have a beer in your local park because its against the law i dont want to know the place. Other bms may feel different but if i had the money my ass would be outa here asap and i have lived in London for 14 years i have not always lived in the sleepy village in Scotland where i live now no staying in here is a small price to pay for me when i have such a great time in los.

[Sirgezza]

OK, let's think about this and put some figures down.

Policeman salary is about £25k - £30k, teacher is slightly less as is a nurse. Average salary in Uk is about £28k and this equates to about £1,500/month take home pay.

Here are my monthly out-goings (single man)

Diesel for car £130 (94.9p a litre at the moment)
Other car expenses (average per month) £70
Gas/elect/water £70
Local council tax £60
Internet and phone £30
Food £200
Clothes/things around the house £40 (guestimate)

Other people would have:

Mobile phone (dunno) £20?
Mortgage (£100k) £600
Fags (20 a day) £130
entertainment £60 (very conservative)

By my reckoning the average salary has gone. Please feel free to advise of any of the above figures folks, this is just totally off the top of my head.

Your caring accountant

[muffdiver]

I spend 5-6 month a year in los, but when i'm back in norway i'm working offshore, and this is most off the time with 2 weeks on and 5 days off then 2 weeks on again, have my long time gf, soon vife in loss, a car/house and a small shop in pattaya, this make it cheap for me to stay in los, since i dont need hotels/bargirls, and during my time in norway i go out one evening pr month, and rent a small apartment, ok i need hotels+ when i visit patong.

[domifletch]

My thought is "if you own nothing, you have nothing to loose"

I had a good job, I did the best to make my bosses eran a lot of money as I managed 70+% of the accounts and finally I lost my job because I launched a little company.... That's life ... maybe another opportunity to start again from 0, that's why I want to move to LOS. I know things will not be easy but if don' try, if I don't follow my feeling, I will never know. I heve never saved money, I am a "carpe diem" guy. I had a bad accident when I was 16y/o and I am very lucky to be alive now, without sequels, but I know that I don't know about life surprises, bad or good, so I live, just live with all my hopes and desires. I could get a new job here soon, but I'm tired of my life, so I want to start a new one and I know that nightlife will be occasional for me till I earn more moeny from my own company in Belgium or from a work I hope to find in LOS;
I am 40 y/o soon... time to change life or never.. but I scare about it a lot... It will be my way to prove myself I can do something good elsewhere

[LivinLOS]

I have a similar viewpoint to Paul (Marc26) in that I would feel very shallow if I was sacrificing my home life to achieve a couple of week in thailand one or two times a year.. Life is too much for living than the constant saving for a fun investment..

That said the statement that in the UK people work just to get by or survive is something I have seen that Paul may not have.. Not only are UK wages not that good, there is comparatively high taxation and a fair bit higher cost of living.. It all adds up to a treadmill that doesnt leave much disposable income..

Of course if I was to point out the bigger picture in that the US seems to have fairly massive personal debt (a trend the UK is catching up on) and government federal spending (deficit) that has to be paid by the population eventually in taxation there is a lot of 'fun money' being spent in the US on credit.. I read a figure the other day that with the current levels of gov debt each working American (non gov jobs obviously) owes 11,800 + interest personally purely in deficit debt !! Madness !!!

[tomyam]

Originally Posted by dawsey

After chatting to some of the guys on the forum,and noting the number of times some BMs visit LOS during the course of a year,I was wondering what sacrifices they made to do this.

I understand that some BMs here are financially,very well secure and this doesn't really affect them. Its the guys like me,who earn a reasonable but not a large wage,that I'm thinking about.

I know that I can afford to visit LOS once a year at the most. I bring the family,so that is 4X airfare,food ,drink etc. If I were single then I could do it maybe twice or at a pinch 3 times a year,but thats hypothetical.

I go out once a week with my friends,and this ,along with a few cigars is my only paid for pleasure that I work for, and wont give up.I could not envisage a life of staying home every night just to save money for another 14days in LOS.A year is a long time,and 14 days very short. If I did, then more visits would be possible,but its one sacrifice I cannot make.

It brings me back to my original thought, what sacrifices do you, or are you prepared to make to visit LOS so often?

I manage between 6 and 8 trips over there per year , but in doing so i don't really make any sacrifices , i still have at least 2 nights out a week with my mates , i am not rich by any means , i just cleared of my mortgage a few years ago and find myself with much more disposable income nowadays, i tend to get good deals on airfares for instance , i never pay more than £400 , my bungalow at nai harn comes in at 500baht per night and i tend to get good deals on just about everything else over there , as i become a regular customer and prices fall as a result...

tomyam

ps ..anyone thinking of flying next May ...airlinenetwork.co.uk are doing lhr to kuala lumpur direct for £305 inc tax with malaysia. it's a 1 hour flight up to phuket on air asia

[Jasetheace]

Getting back to the subject, prior to moving out here I was wroking in OZ as a Travel Consultant on a paltry 40K/year, my lowest wage in years. It did however allow me a couple of trips out here per year due to the perks of working in the travel industry (cheap flights, hotels, etc). Last July however I sacrificed it all (sold my assets, quit my job, etc) and moved out here to teach english and also to be with my current thai wife. I had always dreamed of living in Thailand (epecially Phuket) and I have no regrets about coming out here even though I am not set up financially. I have learnt alot of things however and I realise that if I want to spend alot of time here in the future I will need to get some finances behind me. Which is why I am returning to Farangland soon with my wife to a reasonably well paid job so that eventually I will be able to return and live alot more comfortably.

So I guess I made a fairly big sacrifice to be here but looking back I would not do anything differently. To quote a friend and fellow bm "IF YOU HAVE AN ITCH........ SCRATCH IT!"

[Rex7777]

I think the people that go to LOS more than once a year just aren't typical people. If you aksed most USA guys what their idea of a good vacation would be, they'd probably say Hawaii or maybe the Bahamas. I don't even know anyone here that's ever been to Thailand.

As for myself, I haven't been in two years. A few years back a few things went right for me and I figured I could retire early in just a few years if I didn't spend a lot of money in the meantime. So, by this time next year I'll be there, permanently, if that's what I want. Still, eery so often I'm tempted to buy a ticket and go.

Rex

[Sirgezza]

[quote=Jasetheace] ..... I have learnt alot of things however and I realise that if I want to spend alot of time here in the future I will need to get some finances behind me. Which is why I am returning to Farangland soon with my wife to a reasonably well paid job so that eventually I will be able to return and live alot more comfortably.

QUOTE]

As you have lived in Thailand with a Thai wife, I guess you have a very good idea of how much money you need to live on in LOS. Have you done any calculations as to how much you need behind you in order to live comfortably in LOS.

Do you feel comfortable in making the break from farangland. By this I feel that unless you keep some sort of financial sum (or asset) available, you may and up in a psotion of not being able to return home (if you wanted to) as property prices may have risen out of your reach.

Any info. or figures would be appreciated.

[LivinLOS]

I wouldnt attempt to live out here on less than 60k a month if on Phuket.. Of course you could slash that by a good margin by living in the sticks up north but the appeal of a village life just doesnt do it for me..

I would guess that a min to have a car a nice home and not be really scraping would be about 40k to live out of Patong in Rawai / chalong / Nai Harn / Etc that includes some beer money but not much entertainment / women / party / lifestyle.. Of course educating kids (international school) would put a massive additional on that..

Of course anyone retireing early has to also factor in growing thier nest egg to keep pace with inflation and make sure it doesnt run out just when you need it most as you get older.. So you need to be able to budget putting a good amount back into your working capital annually. I believe we are about to head into a period of massive inflation when most peoples real savings and income will diminish against costs of living so I invest and budget accordingly..

[kjo2]

Hi all - interesting thread.

I have applied for an early retirement - no answer yet - and have a budget that I'll share with you. Here goes....

House/apartment in Chalong area incl. EL/UBC..... 10.000
Internet ..... 500
Food inhouse and restaurants ...... 9.000
Drink ------"------ ..... 9.000
Medical insurance and medicine ...... 4.500
Pocketmoney for my lady ...... 10.000
Misc. i.e. gasoline/beach ....... 10.000
----------
total pr. mth. 53.500

Income - pension 65.000
--------------------

bank saving for unforseen costs 11.500



What do you think? will this do?

Any pointers welcome.