Robert
Working in Kanchanaburi
Monthly Earnings 80-85,000 baht
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
My salary is 39,300 plus a 3,000 housing allowance. I teach privately in my house 4 - 5.30 Monday to Thursday and Saturday/Sunday 9.30 - 12. I have 30 students in these group classes and it brings in around 40,000. So in total about 80,000 - 85,000 per month
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
Right now we have no savings due to a trip to England and moving house, however we should be able to save 20 - 25,000 baht a month.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I live in a small town, so housing is really cheap. I have a 3-bedroom detached house with a garden (including a mango tree) western kitchen, two bathrooms, two air-cons. The rent is 6.500. Unbelievable bargain.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
Car payments 9,100 per month (1 year to go) and 2,000 on petrol.
Utility bills
1,000 - 2,000 for electric. 600 for water. 700 for internet.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
6,000 baht for the big monthly shop (baby milk and nappies included) Eating out comes to about 3,000 a month. My girlfriend and I cook at home mostly and shop in the local markets.
Nightlife and drinking
No nightlife in my town so I don't go out.
Books, computers
I spend about 5,000 a month on materials for my teaching at home. Insurance for the car, children, school fees for my eldest daughter, these things all must be saved for (I pay 70,000 for health insurances for the kids per year. 36,000 for school etc, etc.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
We live a relatively comfortable life but even with my extra classes I could still do with a bit more. A yearly trip to England, and insurances as previously mentioned really take a big chunk out of our funds. But we do have enough for a nice life here. Also things will improve when my youngest goes to school and my girlfriend can work again, and when we finish the payments for the car!
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
My house. Its beautiful and cheaper than any room I rented in Bangkok. Also, good food. Saturday afternoons we always go out for a meal and eat enough for six people, its never more than 600-700 baht!
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
Obviously children change it all. I live in the countryside and have a large salary in comparison to most teachers with my qualifications (I do not have a pgce, only a BA) Right now we can manage everything but I still would like money in the bank for a rainy day. For us 80,000 will be perfect once the car has been paid for. But I could not live in Bangkok with this salary. That's for sure!
Phil's analysis and comment
Interesting survey Rob. I enjoyed that one. Wow! you sure have those private students organised. Just out of interest, there must be the odd Thai -run weekend tutor school in your town. How do they react when they see thirty kids queuing up at your door every weekend? Is there any jealousy there because you are obviously doing things right?
I like that last comment - "children change it all". I've always felt that the decision to have children or to not have children is the single biggest decision you can make in life. I bet you would probably agree eh Rob?
Good luck. Get those car payments finished and get the girlfriend back in work and it will be plain sailing from then on.
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