Brian
Working in Bangkok
Monthly Earnings 65,000
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I earn 65,000 baht after tax at an "international school" in Bangkok
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
23,000
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I pay 18,000 baht for rent, utilities and internet for an apartment on Sukhumvit
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
I'll typically spend 2,200 on taxis, uber and BTS
Utility bills
It's included in my rent
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
I like good food, so I'll spend around 15,000 a month on food, coffee and vitamins
Nightlife and drinking
Not much here anymore. Only when company comes to town or a meeting with old chaps. Probably an average of 3,000 baht a month
Books, computers
1,000 baht a month on books. Roughly 500 a month to replace/repair electronics.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
It's a careful existence, yet comfortable enough.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Massage (legitimate), dentists, medical care, Uber taxis, tropical fruit, haircuts, cheap clothes, phone plans, internet. Basically, everything except imported goods and Western marketed services and products.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
In Bangkok, you wouldn't want anything less than 40,000 in my opinion
Phil's analysis and comment
Brian also had the following to add to the final question.
I personally wouldn't consider living here if I couldn't make less than 60,000 a month. It's not just about survival here; it's the future too. By working in Thailand, you are not paying into Western pensions and by being out of your country, you have to forgo even your basic state pension. Many teachers don't think about this. This is a major mistake.
I've known a few ESL teachers that have worked here for many years before finally going home with nothing: no marketable skills, savings, connections, or contributions to their state pension. As cheap as it is in Thailand, it costs a lot to live here in the long run. If you are not smart and somewhat careful, you could be screwing up your whole life by staying here.
Wise words from Brian methinks.
I've just come back from a trip to England and found myself several times getting into conversations about pensions. My uncle in his sixties has just one year left at work until he retires with a nice big fat pension that will look after him for the rest of his life. My brother is in a similar situation, albeit with 15 years still to do. And that got me thinking about long term English teachers in Thailand. Brian is absolutely right. You could find yourself going home with nothing if you're of a certain age and don't plan for the future. It must become a scary thought for many.
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