Danny
Working in Phuket
Monthly Earnings 55-60,000 baht
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I work full-time as a year two teacher at an international school in Rawai, Phuket. My basic salary is 55,000 baht a month after tax and I can make an extra 3,000 to 6,000 baht every month from either coaching or giving extra lessons at school.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
10,000 - 15,000 baht. Maybe even 20,000 if I splurge a little less in a given month.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I rent a two-bedroom house for 14,000 baht a month. This includes basic cable, water, and decent wi-fi.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
I rent a 125cc Honda Click scooter from a friend for 2,500 baht a month. Fuel doesn't cost me more than 300 baht though as I only ride around on average only about 10 kilometres a day
Utility bills
My electricity can cost me anywhere from 1,000 to 1,400 baht depending on how much I use the air-con in the house (government rate)
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
I do tend to splurge on food as I am a picky eater. I don't cook at home so I eat out or get takeaways every evening and on weekends. I eat lunch at school on most days. I mix it up between Thai and Western, depending on what I am in the mood for so I spend about 8,000 to 10,000 baht a month. I am sure it would be less if I cut out my daily mochas and Magnum ice creams!
Nightlife and drinking
I definitely don't go out as much as I used to and Rawai doesn't have a pumping nightlife scene anyway. I'll have a few drinks at the pub or cocktail bars. The popular Bangla Road has only seen me three times in the past four months so no more than 2,000 baht a month.
Books, computers
I had my motherboard repaired and my laptop's battery replaced for 4,000 baht at Central Festival but other than that, nothing. I haven't bought any books or magazines and those I do read I have borrowed from a fellow teacher.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Far better than the standard of living I had in South Africa. Back home, most teachers were paid next to nothing (or only got their salaries once every few months). Mix that with a high cost of living. I would never be able to half of the things I do or buy here back home. You know it's bad when South Africans move to Thailand to save money!
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Most items are really cheap here (I know Phuket is more expensive than the rest of the country but still!) I was also able to stay at the 4-star Centara Resort in Khaolak for only 2,750 baht for 4 nights! Travelling expenses are quite cheap here. Fuel and electricity as well.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
Nothing under 40,000 baht in Phuket unless you live in the more northern parts. Even then, the island-hopping, cocktails, beach clubs, shopping etc will eventually chew through your wallet. If you can be extremely strict with yourself and eat only Thai food and barely ever do anything on the weekends, then maybe 30,000. But then what's the point of living here if you're just surviving?
Phil's analysis and comment
Danny, this is exactly what we look for in these surveys and what makes them so enjoyable to read! A detailed set of figures mixed in with some nice personal anecdotes and observations. We really do get a feel for your life down there in Phuket. Well done sir!
Hmmmm......it sounds like you enjoy life and it certainly sounds a lot better than eking out a living back in South Africa.
I don't think anywhere in Thailand - with the possible exception of Pattaya - fascinates me more than Phuket as a place for an English teacher to live and work. Admittedly I've never been, but when I think of Phuket, it always conjures up images of tourists and more tourists (with prices to match) It never strikes me as a place that would be high on the list of teaching destinations for a chalkie. Not unless you were earning a very decent salary. However, there are many TEFLers down there.
I think your answer to the last question pretty much summed up what I thought already - you wouldn't want to live down there on less than 40K. And you're obviously doing very nicely on 55-60.
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