John
Working in Songkhla
Monthly Earnings 22,000 baht
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I work for a government school in Songkhla and my basic salary is 20,000 baht a month. I make an extra 2,000 with a little additional overtime teaching the kids.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
Approximately 10,000
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
2,500 baht a month for a studio apartment.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
I ride a bike that my landlady's son generously allowed me to use. However, I usually go to Hat Yai every weekend and transport costs me around 150 baht /week
Utility bills
500 baht a month for electric bill. Air-conditioning is my luxury every time I'm in my apartment.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
I usually spend around 4,000 to 6,000 baht a month for my food allowance. The owner of the school canteen provides me lunch (she's very kind). I usually spend around 20-30 baht for breakfast and 50 baht for dinner, then I go all the way during the weekends
Nightlife and drinking
Zero. I'm not really a nightlife person (but I'm thinking of going out so I could "meet" other people *wink*)
Books, computers
I bought myself a new phone but that's really it.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
I'd say much better compared to back in the Philippines. My cost of living is less expensive. The community I am with, my local co-teachers, my neighbors, landlady, parents, are all very kind, supportive and caring. Some mornings, I will wake up with breakfast hanging on my doorknob. Colleagues always asking if I am okay and happy. Its awesome and I love it.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Food. It's ridiculously cheap.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
In my area, 20-25,000 would be comfortable and still have enough to save (for a single domesticated guy like me).
Phil's analysis and comment
Hold on there John. 22,000 baht a month for salary. Let's take away 600 baht a month for transportation, 5,000 baht for food and 3,000 for your rent and utility bills. And you still manage to save 10,000 baht of what's left! That's pretty amazing but if my figures are correct, you've got little over 100 baht a day left in your pocket to pay your phone bill, buy clothes, do laundry, etc, etc. That sounds tough to me.
John, if you have the qualifications and experience, I wonder if you could find a teaching position that pays more than this? It's a teachers'market out there at the moment and although in most cases Filipino teachers are paid less than native speakers, the salaries are creeping up a bit for 'non-natives'. I'm sure your school wouldn't want to lose you but sometimes you have to look after number one.
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