pathumseb
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I found you at last!
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Post by pathumseb on Nov 2, 2016 13:53:31 GMT 7
In Bangkok I have my doubts that it would be possible to live well on that amount- surviving would be easy enough if you knew the lie of the land. However, I want to do more than just 'survive'. Being able to afford nice meals, good wine, holidays to where I want and being able to save for my older years means quite a bit to me now-much more than it did in my early 20s. Wish I had started saving earlier- so for that reason I don't think I could recommend working for 30k- in TEFL circles this type of job would be unlikely to offer the professional development and growth that would be needed to sustain meaningful career.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2016 13:59:26 GMT 7
I met a Kiwi guy in CR years ago who could live on next to nothing and enjoyed every minute he was in Thailand.
I have mentioned him before on this forum, we did a few road trips together in my trusty Isuzu and he was great to travel with.
Proof that some can enjoy themselves on a shoestring.
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curtaintwitcher
Crazy Mango
Majestically enthroned amid the vulgar herd
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Post by curtaintwitcher on Nov 2, 2016 14:44:52 GMT 7
Shit, I'll get a bottle at the 7 and drink it in the parking lot!
...if you're happy with that, fine...
Proof that some can enjoy themselves on a shoestring.
...no proof required: we've all met folks like that and, again, if they're happy, more power to them...an old friend (former local NGO director) never finishes lunch when eating at a restaurant: half is taken home to have for dinner ("2 meals for the price of 1"!)...another friend (years of management experience at universities) drinks copious amounts of Leo beer, claiming: the more he drinks, the more he saves...both easily live on 30K a month or less, though double that wouldn't tax their resources...go figure...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2016 15:07:41 GMT 7
That was a joke TC. Too many distractions in BKK. The longest I ever actually stayed there was the time I arrived to the Embassy and learned they were closed for 3 days. I spent 15,000B. I was sooo ashamed.
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Post by rgs2001uk on Nov 2, 2016 15:11:02 GMT 7
In Bangkok I have my doubts that it would be possible to live well on that amount- surviving would be easy enough if you knew the lie of the land. However, I want to do more than just 'survive'. Being able to afford nice meals, good wine, holidays to where I want and being able to save for my older years means quite a bit to me now-much more than it did in my early 20s. Wish I had started saving earlier- so for that reason I don't think I could recommend working for 30k- in TEFL circles this type of job would be unlikely to offer the professional development and growth that would be needed to sustain meaningful career. Funnily enough I know a few retired guys living here with damned good pensions. They do the TEFL gig, they aint doing it for the money or career development, they have been there and done that elsewhere. They are doing it because they were bored out their minds, it gives them a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and a feeling of self worth, in truth these guys are probably institutionalised. As for living on 30k per month, I concur it can be done, speaking and reading Thai helps a great deal, not something I would choose or consider. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2016 22:15:53 GMT 7
Good one. Yes, learn the language, key to happiness.
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Post by stfranalum on Nov 3, 2016 0:25:05 GMT 7
learning to speak thai and living in thailand on-the-cheap go hand in hand.
would be mighty difficult to learn thai and also have high falutin' friends and lifestyles. many of those folk would afterall, speak english quite well.
mingle with the not wealthy and you're bound to pick up thai in no time. they know less english and more often than not, see you as someone they would like to meet. even if thats a relatively superficial friendship, it counts as both something to do and language practice.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2016 2:13:16 GMT 7
Ya gota find a teacher-type. learning from girlies can be tricky. there's stuff only girls say. you'll not know how to filter.
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smokie36
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Post by smokie36 on Nov 3, 2016 2:14:43 GMT 7
I deleted the 20k thread on the basis we don't want people on their way to the IDC posting or reading our forum.
Cheers as always <duck>ers!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2016 6:44:47 GMT 7
Ya gota find a teacher-type. learning from girlies can be tricky. there's stuff only girls say. you'll not know how to filter. True - the first year I spent in Thailand was spent mainly with my first wife, and I hardly picked up any Thai, but she did speak good English. The next two years we lived with her Mum at their family home and she did not speak a word of English. I started to not only learn a lot of new words but I listened to the way she pronounced them and copied her. Luckily she spoke Thai well (but could not read or write) and was easy to understand, unlike some. I also did six months at AUA learning Thai, one on one, and had a great teacher. I found learning to read and write makes it so much easier to speak and remember the words in Thai. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2016 6:50:05 GMT 7
Writing is the killer with Mandarin anyway for me.
My strokes are out of order and there is a specific system learnt from childhood. Still, I'm pretty good with it just my own way which suits me to write fast, but don't ask me what's the fifth stoke in a complicated character because I couldn't tell you. They ask these questions in exams at school.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2016 7:03:46 GMT 7
I once read ya have to know 10,000 characters to read a newspaper. True?
Korean's fairly simple, like Spanish where some monks sat down for about 20 years and sussed out some logic to it's formation.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2016 7:13:32 GMT 7
Some people try to tell you they can read and write Thai but if you hand them a newspaper they go to pieces. In a lot of countries that is a good test of one's reading skills.
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Post by stfranalum on Nov 3, 2016 9:54:57 GMT 7
^ that would be me. menus and things on a wall. got it. hand me a newspaper and its "go to pieces" like you said  |
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buddahas
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Post by buddahas on Nov 3, 2016 11:43:06 GMT 7
Honestly, I am spending less than 30k a month and I ain't scraping by.
Sure, it helps I am not a drunk and have no housing costs, but still, let's try and figure this one out.
Today, like any other day for example, I will go to gourmet market and pick some salad from the "salad bar". Often they have meats like bbq chickem in that "salad bar", if not I will just buy a chicken breast and cook it myself. That right there is no more than 100 baht for dinner. Another pack of watermelon or other fruits of the day is 45 baht.
Lunch will be outside and it varies from 80b to 400b depending on how my reflux feels like. Breakfast is a variation of oatmeal (super cheap), eggs (also cheap in Thailand) and french toast. If I feel adventurous I will buy some jam. Averaged daily over one month the costs would be something like this.
Breakfast - 80b max
Lunch 200b max
Fruits 80b max
Dinner 100b max
So, right there that's less than 500b a day or 15k a month eating pretty damn well.
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