Many things missing in these comparisons. Noise, air and water pollution? Bangkok loses here. Big cities are always more expensive because it costs money to destress and marketers are inundating you 24/7. Whereas in the sticks you can take a long ride on your motor bike or even go for a walk.

By brad, bangkok (8th April 2017)

Up country really isn't less expensive, you just often get more. The only flunkies that work up country are the folks without skills, education and honestly just a fear for urbane. Even if you marry some princess from Nakon Nowhere why not come to live in the Big Smoke. Real jobs, real money (well, not really).

Then you have the cost of the motorbike and all the petty bureaucratic hassles.

So many costs are fixed anyway. You guys also get substandard and old products.

A few cities in Cambodia are more advanced than the backwaters of much of Issan and the north.

Even Chaing Mai is a backwater to anyone that really knows what's what in this century.Even

Finally, if you have some life project you are involved in, a small-scale farm, building your own home, aquaculture, etc... you are forgiven.

If you married a pumpkin who like yourself can't measure up to the stress and competition - well, good luck and just think, you only have 35 more years till you collect that pension from your govt that will be broke in half that time.

30k and living uo country, are you serious?! I'd be in China yesterday.

By Lou Mak, The Big Smoke (4th December 2016)

You pretty much nailed it. The bit about student attitudes was especially relevant. I have had good students everywhere, but generally I was treated with much more respect when working in the country. I had students who were "bad" (as in not paying attention, not turning up, etc) but I was never treated badly, while in BKK I've had a few students who were just outright hostile towards me as you noted in your example.

Day trips and things were great in the country, but because there was nothing to do throughout the week you found yourself trying to get away every weekend, which wasn't feasible with the smaller salary. The lack of privacy REALLY sucks. Constantly feeling like a sideshow when out in town. There isn't a lot of extra income to be made.

I'll have to disagree about accommodation. Yes it's cheaper in the country but it's also far less comfortable. In Bangkok I have a roomy (but not huge) condo with reliable fiber internet, a modern kitchen, a western style bathroom, and all those other amenities that make day-to-day life at home bearable. In the sticks you may be paying less, but you're also going to have a Thai bathroom (which was novel when I moved here, but man I've grown to hate wet bathrooms over time). You'll have spotty internet usually. You'll be outfitting your own propane stove. Etc etc. So I'll gladly accept the higher cost here in BKK if it means that my home actually feels like "home" instead of a long-stay apartment. Those beautiful houses in the rice fields are certainly nice, but good luck maintaining a full house + furnishings when you're earning that 25-30k rural salary.

One thing that I will say, and I hope isn't offensive, is that generally it just feels much more... positive(?) in Bangkok. The slumping farming economy means there isn't a lot of surplus money flowing around the smaller towns. The middle class just doesn't exist. Which in turn means there isn't much growth. Sure a new coffee shop may open up in town, or a new row of shophouses gets built, but ultimately the places I lived felt to be more on the downturn as opposed to growing. After a while that really got to me. I felt stagnant. Alcoholism and drug use was rampant. People didn't really seem to have much optimism.

By Alec, Bangkok (16th November 2016)

Good article. I go back and forth; I've done 2 years in the sticks and am now entering my second year in Bangkok. For me Bangkok salaries allow a more comfortable standard of living, more room for travel and leisure, more financial comfort, etc. I really don't like living in the city at all, but I also didn't enjoy scraping by on a small salary in the middle of nowhere. It's all give and take.

By Alec, Bangkok (16th November 2016)

A very unfair and biased comparison, obviously written by someone who has never worked outside of GTM. In my opinion, apart from the entertainment category, the provinces win hands down

By Del, Thailand (28th March 2013)

Having worked in a rural town for 5 months and now moved to Bangkok to find new work, I would conclude that there are upsides and downsides to both. However, I have to argue the point on transportation.

Getting around in Bangkok is painful, if you grew up in London or New York or some other major metropolis you could probably work it out. For the rest of us it involves looking up bus and train routes on the internet, working out where the nearest station is to where you are and where you want to be. Then taking a taxi to both of these locations. Basically, unless you live directly under the sky train, and all the places you want to go to (including your school) are en route, this will be what you have to do everytime one of your friends wants to go somewhere new.

The author has a good grasp on the other points, in my opinion. But honestly, how can you not want to have your own motorcycle out in the sticks? The traffic is practically nonexistant (provided you're not living in another major city, but that sort of goes without saying) and it is just so much fun to ride! You can rent for 500-1000 baht per month, depending on the quality of your vehicle and where you live. Also a lot of the time there simply isn't any public transport going, besides the bus going to Bangkok. So it's a bit foolish not to take the motorbike.

As to the worry of safety, I just say this: Defensive driving. And wear a helmet.

In other news, I reckon Brian has landed himself a pretty sweet deal. One of the best I've heard of, since he has barely any expenses. In his position I'd probably save 20K plus, but then I wouldn't take the apartment in Bangkok.

By Alan, Bangkok (12th May 2011)

I've been living and teaching out in the sticks for over 2 years now, and I love it! This idea you have of the Thais in countryside wanting you to pay for everything is ridiculous, usually I'm not even given the chance to reach for my wallet.
I spent six months living in Bangkok, moving to the sticks was the best thing I ever did. Don't get me wrong the night life isn't as crazy as Bangkok, but I know enough people round town to have a good night out.
It also helped improve my Thai, and gave me a better understanding of Thai culture. As for transport, I walked everywhere for a year before buying my beautiful Fino.
I'll be honest I'm not very good with money, sometimes I'm without money for long periods of time. But I've made some really good Thai friends, which treat me the same as family, I know I'll never go with out food or free internet.

Working in the country rules!

By Craig, Amphur Donsak, Surat Thani (29th March 2011)

your hard earned baht does go further here because the temptations of BKK and Pattaya are just not here. I visited my friend last weekend in Pattaya and blew 10k in two days that same 10k would last me a good three weeks here

By keith, chaiyaphum (18th March 2011)

I have a completely different view to most here. Maybe I just don't spend money like the rest of you guys.

I am on 30,000 in a small town an hour from the "Big Nak Saw". My house, which I share with one other costs me 2000 a month including bills. I have been given a free motorcycle by a teacher at school and all of the other farang (four) in town have been afforded the same). We eat for free at school, and it is VERY common for Thai teachers to invite us over for dinner, or out to dinner, or karaoke where we are never allowed to pay.

On my 30,000k I can afford a nice apartment in BKK (9000), where I go every weekend, and can be fairly free spending.

During the week I spend maybe 30B a day on dinner, and thats about it.

We also have a free gym, and a swimming pool is being completed, which will also be free.

Next year I will be employed directly by the school and will see a 100% increase in pay (for a much larger job developing a bilingual program).

I have no horror stories about the school, they are freakin awesome.

Oh and, I also work so few hours (about 20)I am able to run my own business online, and teach privately.

I can save about 10,000 a month.

What I don't do, is drink during the week, not for financial reasons, but to try and stay fit and health, I also don't eat Farang food from Seven (our only modern option). We also don't have cable, but am able to download movies at school for free.

If Thai teachers can live well on MUCH less money then so can we, it's just up to you what you want. If it's Farang snacks and Cable TV then you'll have to pay for it.

By Brian, Nakhon Sawan Province (8th September 2010)

I have been teaching in Ubon for 4 years now. After slowly going broke I am ready to pack it up and go home.

By Ron, Ubonratchathani (19th June 2010)

The author has clearly spent a lot more time in the capital than he has outside of it.
A reasonably large furnished house with a serviced swimming pool can be had for around 10,000 baht a month where I am and the cost of living is also noticeably lower. A trip to Bangkok is always expensive for me and I've never been overly impressed with friends apartments there and certainly not what they have to pay for them. Some of the best English speakers in the country are also up here. And the air is always nice and fresh!

By Bob Mackenzie, Isaan (9th June 2010)

Some good comments there Aitch. If you remember back to our Berlitz days, I don't think we moaned so much about the actual figure of 30,000 baht a month, but more the number of hours we had to work in order to get it. I think nowadays, teachers generally work a lot less harder in terms of hours to make 30,000, That said - 30,000 baht is still 30,000 baht. It's not enough to live on ANYWHERE in Thailand. It's merely an existence.

By philip, (7th June 2010)

I haven't taught English for a long now, but I do have some experience on living and working in Thailand, both as a struggling English tutor residing in a shoebox, and as an expat living the high life.

I was pretty crap at the teaching malarkey to be honest, so whatever they paid me was probably too much anyway! I also got sick and tired of putting on the invisible clown's outfit that I felt had to be worn as part of the expected 'Farang' entertainment package. I was quite good at entertaining a giggling group of Thais though, which is perhaps why I managed to BS my way into so many classrooms.

COST OF LIVING?

There have been a plethora of 100% price increases over the years, and although mostly on smallish items, it is the accumulation of them all that gives these tiny changes a big bearing on the overall cost of living. For example:

The 5 Baht bag of fruit is now 10 Baht
The 5 Baht motorbike taxies are also now 10 Baht

Not sure about the buses as I've not used them for years, but the non-air jobs used to be 3.5 Baht and the big blue air con ones started at 7 Baht or less if memory serves me right. The Micro busses were 20 Baht fixed rate, but have no idea what they are now, or whether they're even still in service.

There are many more such price hikes on small items, but you get the picture.

I think the average 5,000 Baht studios along middle Sukhumvit are perhaps 6,500 to 7,000 Baht/Mo nowadays. Electricity controlled by apartment buildings used to be 4 to 5 baht a unit, and the standard rip-off rate is now 8 Baht/unit. So there's another 60-100% increase on your revenue depending on where you live.

Taxies fares have changed little though, if at all, and Bangkok is still one of the, if not 'the' cheapest taxi capital in the world.

Eating out has gone up and so has supermarket shopping. That 500 Baht basket of life's essentials will probably look more like 800 Baht today, nationwide.

Accommodation up-country can be a huge saving, but then again if your salary is reduced by 40% compared to the Big Bangers, then it's all relative.

The comments and comparisons could go on and on, but if English teachers were bitching about their 30,000 Baht salaries 15 years ago when everything was so much cheaper, then god only knows how they can possibly enjoy a comfortable and sustainable standard of living today, if indeed the average wage is really around the 30,000 THB/Mo mark.

Aitch

By Aitch, http:www.datesallowed.com/ (7th June 2010)

How ironic. Phil's experience with the stupid female Thai student, who made the comment "teaching is all foreigners can do" actually happened to me a while ago. In my case it was a real smart-arse male Thai student who said pretty much the same as Phil's did.

I just reeled off a whole long list of jobs that foreigners are allowed to do here (which is more than you would think). They are:

IT coders, programmers, web designers etc.
Writing and editing for newspapers and magazines
Radio DJs
Nightclub DJs
Musicians
Chefs and cooks
Lawyers
Pilots
Investment experts

Also of course, running your own business is possible for foreigners. I rubbed a little more salt in the wound by mentioning that it's the low-paid, lo-so jobs that foreigners are not permitted to do (does he really think we want to earn 200 Baht a day drving a bus?) You should have seen this guy losing face in front of the rest of the class, it was a classic moment. I don't often see Thais blush, but his face went the colour of a beetroot.

By Paul, Bangkok (6th June 2010)

Thanks for your comments PJ but there are several points I would challenge.

"Moving to Bangkok I was spending 20,000 on a 2 bed 76sqm condo - I did question my sanity"

I don't think there's a need to spend that kind of money on rent in Bangkok. There's plenty of decent stuff in the 10-15,000 bracket if you do a bit of legwork.

"Nothing beats chugging to the local market on your honda dream and feeling the sting of chilli pinch your eyes as you drive past street vendors"

Yes, but as I hinted at in the article, not everyone wants to risk their life on a motorcycle. I certainly wouldn't. It matters not one jot how careful a rider you are because Thailand has a staggering number of idiots on the roads.

"taking taxis is such a nightmare in the Bkk"

People keep telling me this. They must live in different cities. OK, you get the occasional nightmare journey if there has been a heavy rain and flooding or perhaps a bad road accident causing gridlock, but by and large I find taking taxis in Bangkok a breeze.

"I certainly found that drinking and eating out in Bkk was hugely more expensive than in Nakhon pathom"

Well, if you're going to hit the clubs, then yes, you could easily do 2-3,000 baht but for most people a night out is a few beers and a meal. Enjoy those things in COMPARABLE surroundings (both in Bangkok and up-country) and there is little difference in the price.

"In Bkk I earned more and saved more as a consequence. Maybe up to 20,000 a month but I blew it on big nights and expensive holidays"

You can't blame expensive holidays as a reason for Bangkok costing more. I would still take the same holidays abroad regardless of where I lived. And I think for many people, having a swanky 20,000 baht apaprtment would decrease the need to go out in the evening surely.

By philip, (6th June 2010)

Interesting article for sure. I lived in both places and often thought about the comparison.

I lived 4 years in the Big Mango and 4 years in Nakhon Pathom. I agree with most of the things in the comparison but want to say I think that the savings you make on accommodation (unless you are happy to live in a shoe box) can make such a huge difference to both your quality of life and savings that living upcountry has many merits to it.

In Nakhon Pathom I lived in the most expensive house I found which cost me a princely 7,000B a month. That gave me 3 bedrooms and a couple of rai of land with a small orchard. Moving to Bangkok I was spending 20,000 on a 2 bed 76sqm condo - I did question my sanity. Ok it had pools and sauna etc but I couldn't pick my own bananas! In real terms I was spending 20% of my salary in Nakhon Pathom whilst about 35% in Bangkok. As you can tell I don't mind spending money on accommodation but I think that if you are calling Thailand 'home' then you should live somewhere that is a home.

The thing that I'm not in agreement with is transport. Skytrain may be quick, but it is expensive in comparison to songthaews and taking taxis is such a nightmare in the Bkk traffic, for me 'upcountry' transport wins hands down. Nothing beats chugging to the loacal market on your honda dream and feeling the sting of chilli pinch your eyes as you drive past street vendors. Travelling in Bkk is more of a punishment than pleasure. I hated getting round the city.

For sure the respect that you get and the dedication of the students who seem happy to have a farang to teach them is a real boon compared to working with rich kids in the city who have no real say in the matter that they are learning English. That said if you are nursing a 'hangover' from the night before you do have nowhere to hide at the supermarket, whilst in Bkk you're just another face in the crowd which can be a blessing.

Thai friends for me are as genuine in either place so I cant really make a comparison, at least in my experience.

Finally, entertainment. A night in Bkk and I could easily spend 2-3,000 if having some food and then beers and onto a club. I had to put effort into spending 500B upcountry and that was after fresh food to die for. I certainly found that drinking and eating out in Bkk was hugely more expensive than in Nakhon pathom.

Conclusion: In Bkk I earned more and saved more as a consequence. Maybe up to 20,000 a month (but I blew it on big nights and expensive holidays as well, the old addage of the more you earn the more you spend is certainly true for me). Upcountry I could save 7-10,000 at a real push. However I guess that my point is that when I was earning 30,000ish in the sticks I felt it provided me with the same life that I needed to earn 60,000 in Bkk to have.

End of the day I think it is very subjective on whether you would enjoy upcountry life but I still hold onto that fact that living in 'Muang Thai jing jing' - the REAL Thailand - is a wonderful way to live, big city life is similar world over. I've just quit my management job in London and will be moving to Mae Sot to work for an NGO as a volunteer so I guess actions speak louder than words. My personal verdict..... upcountry wins

By PJ, UK but coming back... (6th June 2010)