Tim
Working in Bangkok
Monthly Earnings 100,000 baht
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I have a full-time job at an international school. My gross salary is 110K baht but comes out at just under 100K baht after tax.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
30-40,000 baht a month.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I pay 16,000 baht for a 45sqm 1-bedroom condo with a great swimming pool near central Bangkok
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
I drive a 300cc sports bike which guzzles up far more fuel than a scooter - so close to 1,000 baht / month.
Utility bills
I would say an average of around 2,000 baht a month including internet and mobile phone.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
I get a free lunch at school and usually spend another 100-200 baht on a restaurant meal on a weekday evening. I go to mid-range restaurants maybe 2-3 times a week at around 400-800 baht a pop. So altogether, probably close to 10,000 a month. But I sure eat well!
Nightlife and drinking
I usually have a least one big night out a week where I'll spend around 2,000 baht. I'll spend even more if its a big music festival where tickets alone are close to 3,000. So let's say 10,000 baht a month at least.
Books, computers
Books - maybe 500 baht a month? Computers - I'm still using a 3-year old laptop, which cost around 20,000 baht, so depreciating the cost out its around 800 baht a month for both.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Definitely comfortable. I can live well with absolutely zero money concerns. That said, Bangkok has plenty of opportunities for top end dining and shopping that are well beyond my means
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Even though prices are rising, street food and local restaurants are still a great deal for how good the food tastes. Local market clothing can also be an incredible bargain
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
I suppose it all comes down to what your used to. Although you could survive with a very spartan lifestyle on 20k a month, I wouldn't want to live in Bangkok on less than 40,000 or even 50,000 baht a month
Phil's analysis and comment
Always nice to hear from the big earners at the international schools LOL. However, despite earning a top salary, Tim is clearly not a person to throw money about for the sake of it. He lives well within his means and that's what it's all about. There's a nice half a million baht a year going into the savings account.
"Bangkok has plenty of opportunities for top end dining and shopping that are well beyond my means" - I wouldn't worry about that Tim. You're doing fine. You can enjoy a 400 baht meal in Bangkok every bit as much as one that costs five times more. And as for the high-end shopping malls, stand back and feel pity for the folks who need to surround themselves with all that shit. It brings nothing to your life.
Take care on that big bike my man.
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