Jason
Working in Bangkok
Monthly Earnings 50-70,000
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
50,000 to 70,000 Baht, depending upon the hours worked.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
Zilch in practice, but about 20k in theory.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
19k/month. I have a two-bedroom condo on Sukhumwit soi 23
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
1,500
Utility bills
5,000 (includes a part-time maid)
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
10,000
Nightlife and drinking
8,000
Books, computers
500
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Comfortable, but could be better.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Food, especially good quality proper food (not street rubbish
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
If they are happy living in a shoebox, about 40,000.
Phil's analysis and comment
Jason is an interesting case study. He earns 50-70,000 baht a month, which is a decent income for a Bangkok teacher, but lives (or tries to live) the life of someone on double that amount. 19,000 baht a month for an apartment! a part-time maid to rinse out his smalls! 18,000 baht a month on food and entertainment! Leave me out. You have to live within your means as a teacher. If Jason has a nice nest egg behind him then who can blame him for lording it up til the wee small hours. If he doesn't have a bit of floorboard money stashed away, then I'd sure hate to be his bank manager. I think I'd hate to be his liver as well.
Submit your own Cost of Living survey
