Andy
Working in Udon Thani
Monthly Earnings 70,000 baht
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
My wife and I have our own private tutor school. After outgoings we end up on average having a profit margin of around 60,000 baht per month. We also undertake some private tuition and corporate work which levels out at about 10,000 baht per month. I rarely have to teach more than 20 hours per week. We are also pursuing another business venture which could double this amount.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
We usually save around 25,000 baht per month in Thailand. We also have two properties in the UK that we rent out and these give us an income of another 55,000 baht which we do not touch so this could also be counted as savings.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
we pay 7,000 a month for a spacious three-bedroom fully furnished property. We have everything we need and are only 5 kilometers from the city centre and all its amenities.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
I initially put down 200,000 baht on a car from the profit gained from selling my car in the UK. We now just have to pay 5,000 baht a month over the next four years. On average we spend around 700 baht on fuel per month.
Utility bills
About 1,800 baht. We use air conditioning most evenings and it is left on overnight. We have a water pump but our water bills never exceed 250 baht.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
We spend on average around 10,000 baht per month on shopping at Tesco Lotus and my wife and daughter probably spend another 5,000 baht per month on eating out (Thai food). We eat out on average around 4/5 times a month costing us around 5,000 baht for the three of us.
Nightlife and drinking
We rarely go out drinking now but when we do we spend around 3,000 baht. I think on average we probably go out once every three months. However, we have had two beach holidays in the last six months. We spent Christmas at Pattaya and in October we took my daughter and her friend to Phuket. When we holiday there is no expense spared. We go all out for a good time!
Books, computers
I use to spend a fortune on books in the UK but have a kindle over here in Thailand. With my internet at both our business and home I would say we spend around 1,500 baht per month including the odd kindle purchase.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
We work exceptionally hard and have a very good standard of living. We can choose when we want to eat out and every time our business is closed we can always afford to have a break at the beach. We make sure we have at least two to three massages every week. I always have at least two days a month at the pool side at one of the big hotels in Udon.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
I think the cost of living is the biggest bargain here. My wife takes 30,000 baht per month which covers the shopping, hers and my daughter’s eating out, and our utility bills. This leaves her with some spare money in her pocket to spend on what she wants. I then pay the rent and the car payment via direct debit. With the other little extras you could say we spend around 45,000 baht per month on our living costs. I also pay 20,000 baht a year for health care and regular dental check-ups for the family.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
A single person can have a very good standard of living on 30,000 baht per month in Udon Thani. However, in my opinion a family of three needs an income of around 45,000 to 50,000 baht per month. Most people I know who are teachers can easily make this money. Government teaching jobs pay 30,000 baht per month and most teachers supplement this income by earning another 15,000 baht per month by working two or three evenings and weekends at one of the many language institutes in Udon Thani.
Phil's analysis and comment
Udon Thani sounds like the place to be doesn't it? What time does the next bus leave? Andy's not in the millionaire bracket but he seems to leads a great lifestyle. When you combine a 70,000 baht salary and a 55,000 baht income from a couple of properties in the UK, that is serious coin for a family of three living in Udon Thani. Andy lives within his means but he eats well, holidays whenever he wants, runs a car, has his medical insurance sorted out, etc, etc. And who begrudges him any of that when we're talking about a guy who clearly works very hard. Well done Andy!
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