Trebek
Working in Sakon Nakhon
Monthly Earnings 30,000 baht a month
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
My salary from the university is 20,000 but I get a housing allowance of 8,000 and I make another 2,000 from extra work.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
4,000 baht
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I pay 4,500 baht a month for a hotel room with air-conditioning.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
I have my own motorcycle and gas, repairs etc probably average out at about 2,500 baht a month.
Utility bills
Bills are included in the 4,500 baht hotel room rental.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
Don't really know but not that much.
Nightlife and drinking
I mainly drink with the locals. 4,000 baht a month.
Books, computers
1,000 baht
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
I love the countryside. I don't require falang company all that much so I avoid the expat bars. I enjoy hanging out with Thais - and no I cannot speak much of the language.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Small street restaurants, bike rental, accommodation and bus fares to other nearby cities.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
I could do it on 15,000 baht a month if I got rid of the bike, lived in a cheaper place, partied less, stopped spending 200 baht per week on pizza, no more coffee shops. I could easily live on 15,000 in fact. Issan is a bargain.
Phil's analysis and comment
I think this is one of the best examples we've had in our cost of living section of 'going native'. A 30,000 baht salary, nights out with the locals, a small hotel room, a motorcycle and probably a relatively low food budget.
Trebek could survive on 15,000 baht a month but the question is would you want to? That sort of lifestyle is just not sustainable over a long period of time. Even 30,000 baht a month - double his 'survival wage' - only affords him a modest living.
However, Trebek clearly enjoys being out in the countryside and mixing with the locals over a few beers. I guess you enjoy it while it lasts.
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