How Much Does it Cost to Live in Thailand for ONE YEAR? 🇹🇭
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- Опубліковано 2 чер 2024
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I break down every cost for my first year of living in Pattaya, Thailand and talk about the different levels of spending you can have here.
A lot of my Bolt costs (rideshare) came from going to school 3 days a week for 6 months and for going to south Jomtien a lot to play Dungeons and Dragons. Trips to the Darkside for the Castle of Games and the Taco House are also more costly than going into Pattaya City.
I was surprised my food costs were lower than my travel and entertainment costs because my food costs were higher MOST months of the year. However, the few months I went big on travel and entertainment pushed them above on the average.
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I was surprised my food costs were less than travel and entertainment because my food costs were higher MOST months but the few months I went big on travel and entertainment pushed them above on the average.
You missed out the most important expense, insurance? Whether local or international, insurance is absolutely essential and is usually a big chunk of money per month 👍
It’s listed in my “bills” category. It’s absolutely an important expense and it’s currently $85/month (about 3000 baht)
@@peteonretreat2023 What is your insurance coverage for $85 per month (in and out patient limits, deductibles, ...) ?
please tell me where you get health insurance for $85. I'm just a few years older than you and my lowest offer is $250/mo. Thank You!@@peteonretreat2023
I love how thorough you are. Thanks for this video!
My pleasure 🙏🏼
I had all this info anyway so I might as well do something with it, right?
Great breakdown Pete. Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure 🙏🏼
Great stuff man! Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it and thanks for commenting! 🙏🏼
Nice relaxed lifestyle Pete
Always enjoy watching your videos very informative
Many thanks 🙏🏼
Great video. Looking forward to watching your second year.
Aw, thank you so much 🙏🏼❤️🇹🇭
So glad you’re back!👊🏼
Thank you 🙏🏼
Thank you for a very comprehensive budget video! I especially appreciated the travel expenses as I plan to take as many trips as I can 😊
My pleasure. 🙏🏼
Thanks for commenting.
Thanks Pete appreciate you making this
My pleasure, thanks for dropping a comment 🙏🏼
Very interesting to hear your budget Pete. Good to see you back on the UA-cam. You have obviously done well in your work life to be set like this at 50 years old. Keep on Truckin man...Peace, Love, and Guitars
Thank you, thank you 🙏🏼
I’m very happy I came back. I definitely missed it.
Hi Pete! Just to say thanks so much for the tip to use flash cards to learn Thai. Bought a bunch, wrote some up with Thai on one side, English on the other. My Thai wife practices English and I practice Thai together and make great progress. Thanks for all the great videos!
That’s awesome!!’ Thank you for telling me about it and I’m glad it’s working for both of you.
I’ve recently discovered a UA-cam channel called Thai with Grace… it’s amazing!!! It’s actually helping me catch some bad habits that I picked up and has some really cool videos on a bunch of different topics as well as slow conversation videos for you to listen to. I highly recommend.
Another great video and content Pete 👍🙏
Many thanks always 🙏🏼
Thanks for detailed and realistic breakdown Pete. Without finding some remote work just afirms the moves still a distant dream for me.
People do work remotely here but I’m not knowledgeable on how to find that work.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Happiest of new years to you as well 🙏🏼
This was a great video. Thank you for the breakdown of your spending. I'd love to see a condo tour and hear what you're paying for it if you haven't done one already. I look forward to looking through your other content and seeing your other videos.
I’ll probably do the condo tour next month. Hope you enjoy whatever videos you watch. The best one according to many was my 6 month retrospective of living in Thailand.
@@peteonretreat2023 Thank you, Pete!
Great video!...not many keep track this accurately
Literally almost every dollar. I may forget to log a little spending here or there but then I also round up some entities to make up for it.
Really good to see your budget breakdown Pete, your rent seems way higher than I would have expected based on my research. I think that may be because I err on the side of caution when looking at condos. Happy new year to you 😎
I may have not stressed it enough but yeah, my rent is higher than average for the size of my place. A lot of that is because of the location, age of the building and the view. This is a very desirable small neighborhood but there are much cheaper buildings even here.
One of my closest friends can’t believe I pay over 12k for a one bedroom… but two of my other friends have now moved into this building and love it here.
Happy new year to you too!
@@peteonretreat2023 as long as you're happy, that's all that matters ☺️
Great info Pete. ;)
Thank you 🙏🏼
No car and no washer/ dryer is a big no thanks. I've got a 157 sq mtr penthouse condo with view, parking, and bought a used car and scooter, my expenses are only $1,750 a month in Metro Manila.
My girlfriend has a car… I have no desire to own one now. It’s such a wonderful feeling for me not to own one for the first time in 32 years. If I wanted a car, I’d buy one. I don’t mind not having a washer/ dryer, we all have different deal breakers in our life and we all want different thing from life.
Living in Metro Manila “is a big no thanks” for me but I’m happy for you if you’re happy.
Nice break down ...health insurance is a thing...us old guy's will need that. I'll need to get myself there and then squeeze Saifon into the mix. And ya'know Pete...I'm having a hard time deciding where to eventually end up, but definitely starting off on Pratnumak Hill.
🤘😘🇹🇭
Health insurance is absolutely a thing and as someone in an expat group I’m in recently pointed out… it’s going to get more expensive as we get older. Basically expect a 20%+ increase every 5 years after age 45.
I can see you two settling down in many places. I picture you two doing a little traveling and randomly finding your new home. Koh Chang might be a good one for ya. A better fit might be a new and upcoming beach area near Hua Hin on the coast that they’re calling the new Riviera. Maybe Bang Saray just 30 minutes south of Pattaya… big expat community there but way more affordable with a lot of coastline. I almost auditioned for a band down there!
Pete, you actually did very well in regards to your expenses.
Thank you 🙏🏼
Great video Pete. I've been trying to explain to some of my friends that are not having such a great go of it in America that they need to figure out two small businesses that can be run remotely that after everything is said and done and paid for will pay them $2,000 a month each and that is all they would need to live amazingly for the rest of their lives in Southeast Asia especially a place like Thailand. These are really simple guys that would be able to live very simply most of them don't drink and what happily eat street food for most of their meals. I can't wait to share this video with them!
That’s awesome! I hope this video can help to open their eyes to the possibilities of living abroad.
👍🏼🇹🇭😎
Pete on Retreat is groovy!!
That’s a big compliment for me.
I loved the music in the video. Gave it that groovy vibe! Keep up the great work!!@@peteonretreat2023
Thanks for the review Pete. Nice to see everything added in there. Too many guys skip the little things like washing the clothes, visa cost, etc. The things that add up. My plan is 2,300 a month, but still 3-4 years away. Hopefully sooner!
That sounds like a great goal. Keep in mind you’ll want some savings for emergencies and that our insurance costs will increase more and more the older we get. Cheers 🍻
Love that you’re a D&D player!
It’s such a wonderful game ❤️
Can you help me learn? I’ll be there next year. 🎉
@@jrlvnv508 join our Pattaya Dungeons and Dragons Facebook group 🧙🏽♂️
I just found your site and I absolutely appreciate all the information you give. I'm going back-and-forth between the Philippines and Thailand for 2025. And you just gave a big thumbs up for Thailand thanks again. I may spend 6 months in each place and see which ones the best.
I’m glad you’re finding the info useful. I thought I’d move around more but I quickly fell in love with my neighborhood and discovered I really wanted a consistent home base.
Great video once again Pete, as I am planning on coming there soon this really helps a lot. Would be amazing to rent a place in your area so I can finally come over and pay you that beer I promised 😊
Yup… I’m still waiting for that beer 😂
It was nice to have a whole year to average out as my actual monthly spending (disregarding travel) ranger from $1600-$2400 I think. You really have to look at the big picture on spending here and not get caught up on what you spent in a single day, week or even a big month.
Great budget! I don’t drink so much, but I love massages. Therapeutic of course 😜 I’d probably own a motorbike since I grew up riding them a lot. Love the breakdown and omg I love the view of your place!! Ty Pete for another awesome video!
My pleasure 🙏🏼
Massages cost on lot less on average than drinking here does for most people. Money well spent.
Nice one Pete. Walked past you the other day in Kasetsin, said hello but I think you were in total concentration mode 😅 I’m definitely on the lookout for a guitar ❤️🇹🇭🙏
The have a guitar shop in Central Mall
I’m sorry I missed ya. I have this thing where I often think I hear my name but no one’s there so sometimes I’ll ignore it. If you see me again, please shout on out. Doesn’t matter if I’m filming, with other people or got my ear buds in… I’m always happy to make new friends and expand my social circle.
As stanleykyle said above, there’s a music shop in Central Festival. They recently moved to a bigger unit too and expanded their inventory. I got my guitar however, at Suriya Music on Sukhumvit Rd. I bought a Thai made guitar by Mantic. For a $100 guitar, it sounds good and plays well.
Thanks for the video and info. Last year, I lived in the Jomtien area for 6 months and my monthly budget was $3K and that's with companionship with a regular Thai lady for 3x a week without buying any LDs and barfines. I did not eat any western food due way more expensive and been eating Thai food in the market. In my early 50's now, I was planning to retire but I changed my mind in the very last second and back to work in CA. Will do this again, next year.
I’m living with my girlfriend now and I’m very curious what our costs together will be. Thanks for the comment. 🙏🏼
£2000 per mouth which includes Golf 2 - 3 times a week. LOVE THAILAND. Also bought Condo, so no rent to pay just utilities and maintenance which = £ 120 per month, eating out twice daily.
Love it!
Nice summary of expenses. Curious what you’re doing for medical/health insurance or if you are self-insuring. Keep up the great work!
Thank you! I am currently just on travel insurance... I just keep forgetting to switch to a local provider.
I just dropped a sub for your channel too. :)
Google mister prakan to compare health care options. @@peteonretreat2023
❤🎉❤ Thank You Pete
Welcome 🙏🏼
Great video Pete, I moved to Jomtien in October. I Ventured over your way on my own little "exploration excursion". It's certainly a beautiful spot and that beach, Wow!! Just curious, your air purifier, did you buy it online and are you happy with it please? thanks in advance
I got it from Lazada. Xiaomi is the brand name. Honestly, I’m sure it helps but the filter isn’t getting as dirty as I’d expect. I bought it after last year’s burning season though so it hasn’t had the biggest opportunity to shine yet and maybe the air in my room just isn’t that bad.
Thanks a lot, absolutely would appreciate a room tour 👍🏻🙏🏻😉🇨🇭
Looks like I’ll be doing the tour next month.
That's about what me and my wife spend , you have to be realistic, Thailand isn't as cheap as people hope , don't get me wrong, it's cheaper than at home in the UK , also if you're in Pattaya we found that one of the cheapest places in Thailand.
Great budget video, thank you. I hope you are still running DnD when I move there in 2025.
Thank you 🙏🏼
I hope I’m still running games too! I’d like to build up D&D community here!
great break down...kinda similar to what I envision when I make the jump. how did you track your spending? app?
I used an app (and excel) but not one designed for expenses. I’ve been using OneNote for years for keeping everything organized in my life a bit. Movie watch lists, to do lists, addresses, brainstorming video ideas, video outlines, D&D prep and now costs tracking.
When ever I spend any money, I put it down in the app. I creat a new page for every month and also have the same categories listed. I created a spread sheet in excel and every week or so I transfer my costs from OneNote to Excel.
Excel is nice because I can write formulas to do the adding and calculate averages.
Thumbs up 👍 Pete
Thank you MSR 🙏🏼
Thanks for sharing your lifestyle expenses. Doing so highlights a very important point. Everyone has a different take on the lifestyle choices that make them happy ! In reality, these budget shows are useful only to show the per unit cost of each line item. How many of those units you choose to consume, depends on your lifestyle. So the cost of an individual: cell phone plan, massage, ride share or a hearty dinner in a local night market are quite useful to know! You are not far off what many there spend monthly. Many folks live in 30 sq meter condos in far flung neighbourhoods. I could not do that.. Anything less than 60 square meters is claustrophobic and would drive me bonkers. I want to live right on the beach.. so my monthly rent is double yours. 30 square meter condo tours are hilarious - just spin the camera around 360 - there! You are finished the tour!! lol
Yeah, everyone’s budget and lifestyles vary a lot. I figured this was the best way to present mine so folks can get an idea for themselves. I went to a friends place this week… 3 bedroom, on the beach, huge place with a pool table.
Great video Pete. If I was living in Thailand and did a video like this I'd have a budget for Texas chicken 😂
🤣 Texas Chicken is amazing! It should be in everyone’s budget.
Great video! This is about what I was expecting. Probably around 2K a month. I would like to end up most months around 1800 USD. That way when random expenses I am not thinking about come up, it won't be as big a deal. I likely wouldn't travel as much as you do. Maybe one trip a year. I was expecting the first year set up costs. I was concerned about insurance costs, but I'm really glad to hear you only pay about 85 usd a month, that seems reasonable. Some other guy had quoted 300 USD a month in his video. But I think the guy was closer to 70.
I was also wondering about apartments. Most of the ones I see videos about, are studios and really small, which would get old after awhile. A lot of them were around 250-350 a month. I feel like I would enjoy a place that is somewhat bigger. I hope you do the apartment tour, as I am curious what the size of yours is and what amenity's the building has. I know I'm going to want a gym and swimming pool. Ideally rooftop pool. I would also want to be near a market with food vendors, because like you I will probably will eat out most of the time. I feel like I could find all this for 400ish a month, especially if i sacrificed a view. I know the apartments on the sides not facing the ocean are usually a little less expensive.
Something that was recently pointed out to me (something that should be obvious but isn’t often mentioned) is that insurance costs will go up considerably heat as we age. We should all expect a decent increase in rates every 5 years after 45. $300 at 70 sounds about right.
As for condos, you should be able to easily find something you like within your budget. The older buildings have much bigger rooms and still mostly come with pools and gyms. There’s plenty of 1, 2, or more bedroom units out here and all over town. My building ranges from studios to 5 bedroom penthouses.
This video is doing well so far… looks like I’ll be doing that condo tour. My place isn’t that big really but it’s much bigger than my last place. Starting off really small might have made this one feel that much bigger.
I'm selling everything and moving by the end of the year. My budget after getting settled is going to land around $1,400 per month by my calculation. I don't plan to travel much, my food, bills, and shopping costs will probably be less than your budget for those items, and I don't want massages. I don't think I'll have a problem keeping my budget after I settle down after the first year there. Also, the rents where I plan to live are lower on average. Thanks for the breakdown!
You’re very welcome 🙏🏼
My rent is definitely above average. Remove most of the travel and it sounds like you’re good to go.
🇹🇭😎⏰
First realistic budget I've seen. There are a bunch of "not so bright backpackers" who post budgets saying that they live in Thailand on less than $1,000/month. That's surviving, not living.
That’s the way I look at it too. If my budget was that low, I definitely wouldn’t stay in Pattaya.
Did all 5 of your rentals have a stovetop to cook on? I was thinking if that was standard i could just get a used wok at a little market and really keep my food bills low. Do you rely on countertop cookers like rice cookers/air fryers ect?
4 of the 5 rentals had built in electric stovetops and most rentals and condos especially one bedrooms and bigger will have them. My current place also has a built in convection/microwave oven where I do my chicken roasts in. My rice cooker is the only countertop cookies I use (the room comes with a toaster but I don’t use it).
Hey Pete, do you mind sharing where you get massages please? There are some near my condo but there are so many to chose from, always good to get a recommendation. Thanks Heaps.
I’d love to but the problem is I don’t know their names. My number one place is just to the left of the Hard 8 Saloon on Pratumnak soi 5 and I see Boom there. My number two is a shop on Kasetsin soi 9. It’s the shop with the deep purple signs and I see Tip there.
Hey, I've got a random question for you since you mentioned gaming a few times. Have you seen many pinball machines around there? I think I've seen on youtube that there's one in the arcade at the scifi hotel and another at an arcade in a mall, but I don't know of any others
I’ve done some research on this now… yup, there seems to be a machine at the new Space Hotel. There’s 2 machines for sale at a new billiards shop but I’ve been told you can play them (no idea how often or for how long). It sounds like there’s one at the Central Festival mall. I’ve been in that arcade and hadn’t noticed it, but I hadn’t really looked for it either. I was also told that it’s poorly maintained. Next time I go to see a movie, I’ll definitely look for the machine. Someone mentioned a pool hall that might have some or that does have some but they haven’t answered any of my follow-up questions. Someone else offered to sell me one, but I didn’t ask them more about it.
A couple people have said that they were or still are illegal in town because of gambling laws. I haven’t really researched that question yet though.
@@peteonretreat2023 Oh, I didn't even think about the gambling thing, that could explain why they're so rare. Maybe they can't be in places that serve alcohol or something? I'd love to see one in a bar just to see how good at it the bar girls get over time! Thanks for looking into this for me, I've been curious about this for a while. When I make it out there, maybe we can meet up for some d&d sometime!
I am thinking right at $2k a month once I finally move to Thailand.
We don't want to go over $650 USD for a condo rental. Gas, water, WiFi, electricity are not that bad.
I live in the DC area and my husband and I pay $1900 a month.
2k is definitely doable. It all depends on your lifestyle.
Thx for sharing your financial experience in your 1st year. Who knows, you may end up offsetting some of it w/ YT or other small ventures. The main thing is that you're having fun in your adopted land. Heck, u could still be in Austin paying triple or quadruple to live and have to work to pay for it all. Overall I'd rather be doing what you're doing. Keep it up, all the best!
Glad to share and yeah… I’d much rather be here then back in Austin.
I am hoping that my channel does continue to grow and that it offsets my costs and/or increases my budget allowances.
Great video. I am defiantly thinking about moving to the Pattaya area. Based on everything I have seen, taking into consideration quality of life, I was thinking $2,000 a month was a realistic budget. I am with you on the condo. To live there fulltime, you need a place you are happy with, in an area you like. I am with you; I think a balcony with a view of the water is a must. I know you can get cheaper places, but not sure that is the area to skimp on. You spend a lot of time in your condo. I was thinking minimum of $600 a month. I like your budget because it is a budget that factors in having a good quality of life. I have seen videos on living on $1,000 a month, I just don't think that is going to be a quality life. Although, it may be better than trying to live in the US with less money. There very few if any places that single retired guy can live on $2,000 a month and have good quality of life.
My research had lead me to the same conclusion… $2k/month seemed like a very reasonable personal budget for the life I want to enjoy out here. There are plenty of cheaper buildings out here with sea view balconies but not necessarily with the city view I have. Jomtien is a very long beach with possibly dozens of high rises. Plenty of sea view condos for rent there starting around 12k baht/month.
This video is on track to do well and looks like it’ll get those 300 likes I asked for so… guess I’ll be doing a condo tour soon. Thank you for commenting 🙏🏼
Also consider the amenities.. I stay at the Riviera Jomtien because I love to swim everyday and it has one of the longest pools in Jomtien. plus there is a park with a walking track across the street to keep active. @@peteonretreat2023
Great break down. i'm curious. how much does a typical Thai person living where you are live on per month? Any idea what kind of wages people earn, per hour or week or month? Are you living pretty high on the hog by local Thai standards? (Obviously, those living in rural villages probably live on a lot less.)
I think the typical Thai person in my area lives on less than I pay in rent every month. I’d guess they make about 9000-15000 baht/month and my rent is 20k. It’s really just a guess though.
The minimum wage in this area is about 8,000 baht/month (about $230/month) but I’m not sure how that compares to what people in the area make. I do know the people working at the bar have a 11k/ salary plus a place to live.
Living in this neighborhood we have wait staff, store clerks, hotel employees, real estate agents, house cleaners, security guards, shop owners and construction laborers (who often live in temporary shacks on building sites). And probably a bunch of other types of workers that I’m not aware of.
I spent that much ringing the bell @ bars 😂😂😂i definitely need to recalculate my budget
Lol, your budget and my budget are not the same. You’re still working!!
If I was still working, I’d ring those bells with you 😂
Hi. A nice video. I’m a new viewer to the channel. How old are you? How did you retire young or do you still work? I live in the US. I’ve been to Asia in China and Japan and all over the world. I may fully retire outside the US in the future.
Welcome to the channel. I’m 50 years old and I’m retired. I got to retire early after a good career with Trader Joe’s, with some good timing in real estate and by moving abroad. It took all 3 for me to make this happen.
Did you manually calculate your expenses, or do you have an app that helps keep track for you? I’m spending a bit more than you monthly here, but I am staying in an Airbnb in Bangkok which isn’t as cheap as an actual rental would be.
I’m just manually tracking it using OneNote. I use the app for a lot of things like to do lists, video ideas and outlines, movie recommendations…
I make a new page for every month.
I use “WalletApp” to track expenses…it seems to work pretty well.
Correction: The App we use is “Wallet by budgetbakers”
@@retire_recharge_roamthanks, I might check it out 🙏🏼
Not a bad budget at all, I put 100k baht a month into my Bangkok bank account. sometimes there is plenty left over and sometimes I spend more.. but I enjoy life here and am happy. You will spend less in your second year for sure as star up costs are always high.
I always tell people don’t sweat your budget month to month too much. Some months will be more and some will be less. Just look at the long term trends. It was great to be able to look back at a full years worth of living out here.
Great video. What visa are you on ? Being 49 are you on an Elite visa ?
I lived here 7 months at 49. A combination of tourist visas and visa exemptions until I turned 50 and now I’m on a retirement visa.
@@peteonretreat2023 /
Thanks, you worked it well. I bit the bullet 4 months ago and decided to buy the 5 year Elite visa for B600k to avoid all the Immigration hassles. Waited until the last day to make the payment 2 weeks ago as it starts from the date of payment. They then told me the next day the bank transfer didn't work, and as it was then past the pay by date I'd have to pay the new B900k fee. I'm well over 50 so I'll just have to go with the retirement visa instead and enjoy the money I saved.
Hey Pete, just wondering, and maybe you've mentioned this elsewhere, but how do you support yourself financially over there? If you don't mind me asking
Mostly from the sale of my house during the peak of the US housing market in 2022. That’ll fund for me for 12-14 years but I get unlimited access to my retirement account in less than 10 years.
@@peteonretreat2023 thank you!
Thank you Pete.
What city do you live?
Thx
Pattaya… specifically Pratumnak
Hi, great video! What do you think about Thailand's new tax law from January? Now, all money transferred from abroad to Thailand could be taxed up to 35%. Of cause for people who are there for 180+ days per year. It sounds like it could really add to the tax burden in Thailand, not to mention all the extra hassle with tax registrations and returns, right?
I've decided to not waste my energy worrying about it. No one really knows how it will unfold and it's intention is to make sure offshore earners are being taxed (not go after expats). Also, the US (and UK and Australia) have a double taxation treaty signed with Thailand. My money has already been taxed. The question is will I have to prove it and how. I personally think there's a good chance nothing will change for people like me. Most retirees and expats will leave if we have to pay taxes on money we already paid taxes on (I know I will) so I'm just going to wait and see. I won't give it much thought at all for now and I'll keep zero worries about it until I have to. Thanks for your comment and I'm glad you liked my video. Hope you find other videos you like on the channel.
@@peteonretreat2023thanks, all the best
Maybe I missed it but did you include electric and water in your total.
I didn’t include the individual amounts for them but all utilities (water, electric, mobile phone, internet) are included with insurance under “bills.”
Hey Pete, Random question.. can us citizens purchase real estate in Thailand and rent while not in the country? Do the condos typically have a team to help with this ? Thanks in advance
Completely out of my wheel house but I’m pretty sure foreigners can buy income condos and not live in the country. There’s definitely property management teams that can be hired as well.
@@peteonretreat2023 from what I’ve researched that’s what It appears. With things changing i this pick your brain. Do you have an idea of the “maintenance fee” ratio they typically use for condos? For example if i payed $100,000 USD, do they tend to charge a % of the purchase price or? Thanks in advance
Super appreciate your time
@Martyslife I have no idea on the maintenance fee. I’ve seen it listed before, but since I have no desire to buy out here, it’s nothing I’ve committed to memory at all. There’s some Taylan and Partida real estate Facebook groups. If you’re on Facebook, I would join some you could see a bunch of the listings.
I wish I had some remote work so I could leave california and go to thailand. I've been wanting to move for years but its starting to feel daunting.
Have you looked for any remote work yet? Some of the best advice I’ve got in my life is “you’re not stuck and you’ve got options.” It’s up to us individually to look for those options though. I’m no expert, but I would suggest at least getting a résumé out on LinkedIn, and looking at what options are out there for mobile incomes.
Hey Pete was is the name of the condo block you were happy with?
It’s the entire Kasetsin area of Pratumnak aka the Cosy Beach area. It’s about 7 blocks long and 3 blocks wide. Great neighborhood!
Not bad $525 for the year for a Retirement Visa. I am sold.
And that’s for the first year. It costs less to renew it the following years.
Ive been in Chiang Mai for this week and its crazy how cheap food is in Thailand. Normaly if you go to mom and pop restaurants its 60-79 baht. Smoothies and fancy coffees are the same. Fancier places are double that. Food court at Maya mall is 60-79 baht as well but the portions are smaller but thats ok. The thais are better at portion control. The amount of food is smaller but its all that is needed unlike America that gives 2 people worth of food and is unhealthy. If I go to 7 eleven and grab a really big bottle of water and 3 or 4 snacks for my hotel room, it's about $1.50 U.S. and that would have cost around $10. The new American dream is leaving America. Im 42 and planning on doing the same as you. Already, I have enough retirement, but it just needs time to compound. I'll sell my paid off condo at the beach in florida when Im 50 and live off of that unless i decide to rent it. But when im around 60, it's gonna be 🤑🤑🤑 🇹🇭 🇹🇭 🇹🇭 555. Im gonna check out Pattaya and Jomtien too
“The new American dream is leaving America” wow, that’s a great line! Don’t be surprised if you hear me say that in a future video. 😂
Inflation was in full steam affect when I left the states. I know I’m gonna have an extreme sticker shock when I visit home next year.
Is it mandatory to learn Thai snd take lessons??
Very much considering retiring in Pattaya or Bangkok. Hadn't thought about having to pay to learn the language.
Not at all. I know people that have been for many years and they can’t speak Thai at all.
Can you or should you auto draft your bills in Thailand like in the US?
i'm looking into the retirement visa, is this something you plan to do?
Already done. I my first year’s retirement visa set up in August. Used an agent which costs considerably more than doing it yourself but imo it’s with it. I should be doing a video on using agents vs doing it yourself in the next month or two.
Hey, pete the offer still stands for the scooter..
Awesome, I appreciate it! Thank you 🙏🏼
With the same standard of living like that in the U.S. like a nice condo, etc. how much do you think it would cost monthly?
Great question! It varies a lot based on the city. This sized condo in NYC would probably be 4-6 times the cost.
Costs that are more consistent in different states:
Eating out like this? Probably 5 times the cost.
Rideshares? 20 times the cost!
Massages? 6-10 times the cost.
Utilities? 3-4 times the cost.
Insurance? 5-8 times the cost
In a big city like Los Angeles, Austin, Miami… I’d guess (without the rideshare distances) this life would cost 3-4 times as much but that is a rough estimate. In a smaller city/town more like 2-3.
My budget here is $2.5k per month. About half what my budget was in Cali. And gotta say.... It feels like I'm living a life without want.
So happy you made it here brother ❤️🙏🏼🇹🇭
Did you say "Run Dungeons and Dragons"? ? ? ? One of my big questions for when I retire to thailand is finding a good board gaming community ! That does look like Pattaya in your video so can I assume that you have found a good gaming community down there?
Just finished our 5th session of our new campaign. There’s definitely gamers here but way more in Bangkok and Chang Mai. Pattaya does have 2 board game cafes and a few internet gaming cafes.
@@peteonretreat2023 Gives me great pleasure to hear that! My hopes are to live either in Pattaya or Jomtien :)
they have gaming cafes? we need that video :D
So there’s 2 board game cafes and I’ve recently discovered 2 computer gaming cafes. Then there’s a bunch of cannabis lounges and many have console games and/or 1 up cabinets.
i think those videos would do really well. juuust saying lol @@peteonretreat2023
What is your approach towards the new tax on money brought into Thailand from this year? Thanks.
Currently not worrying about it. Most experts aren’t really sure what level it’s going to affect ex-pats… I have watched many lawyers talk about it and I’ve been watching it on the Thai news. Best advice I’ve seen is don’t run out and ask for your own tax ID number. It doesn’t seem the intention is to be going after ex-pats… It really seems to be going after high-level tax dodgers that own a bunch of businesses out here. They may not have the staffing to enforce much of a lower level than that.
This is the first year that it goes into affect, nothing would need to be paid until next year. So currently I’m just sitting and watching and not worrying about it.
@@peteonretreat2023 If you come across more information on this topic, please talk about it for a couple of mins as part of some video in the future. Thanks.
@peteonretreat2023 I think this WILL impact expats. It'll probably be applied via the visa acquisition and/or renewal process. Suspect you'll be required to have a Tax ID, report income and show tax paid to get or renew your visa. 😢
I also think once the negative economic impact becomes evident (expat exodus leading to property value devaluation, high rental vacancy, reduced expat local expenditures) Thai business will pressure for the recession of the new tax law interpretation. But that might take a few years.
Just ran the numbers. I average 68,000 baht for all expenses living in Pattaya. 2bd condo. / per month
Nice!
Can you break down your utilities? How much for Phone? How Much for Internet? How much for Electric? Would be helpful - Karp Kuhn Kap 🙏
So my phone is about $20/month, my internet is closer to $30 for fiber with HBO, and my electric has fluctuated from $25-50 depending on rates and how much I use the aircon. It’s usually about 35-40 though.
Where did you get the guitar?
I bought it at a music shop on Sukhumvit Rd called Suriya. It’s a Thai made acoustic guitar by Mantic and it was recommended by one of my viewers (Jason I believe). For $100 it plays and sounds really good.
There’s a couple other places in town to get instruments too.
Thanks man. I'll be sure to check it out@@peteonretreat2023
How would I receive my social security check in a Thailand bank
Unfortunately, I’m not sure and I’m still over a decade away from qualifying for SS. If you can’t get it directly deposited (maybe you can, I just don’t know), then you can use Wise to transfer it from a U.S. bank at a good exchange rate.
What is the name of condo you reside in
Drop me an email and I’ll tell ya
I'll be moving there in 1.5-3 yrs and planning $4K US @ month
$4K / month in the US is tight if you don't own a house.
You’ll be living really well with that budget over here 😎🇹🇭😁💰
4k in the states is doable depending where you live… but I think that’s their budget for Thailand and that’s a big budget here.
👍
🙏🏼
DND??? Talk about that pls.. i was always a fan but never played.
Man, I’d love to but I’m afraid that video will not do well.
That said… I think I’m going to do a video about the different gaming cafes here in town and I can probably include some D&D talk in that one.
Condo tour please. 🙏
Looks like it’s coming soon… this video is doing really well for the channel.
any warhammer locally??
I think they play at Mr Fox’s cafe but I haven’t been there yet. They definitely play in Bangkok.
Welp looks like you got your 300 likes let’s get that next video 😂
😂 sure did! Sometimes I have a video that I’m pretty sure is going to do good, but I never really know until it goes out there. The condo tour will happen in a few weeks…
I’ve got a pretty special vlog planned for next week and I think I already know what I want to do the following week. I have a list of over a couple dozen videos I’d like to do but I’ll get the condo tour out in February.
Which neighborhood?
Cosy Beach, Pratumnak (aka Kasetsin or Rachawaroon) not to be confused with the neighboring Soi 5 area of Pratumnak.
Thai lessons seem like such a bargain
I think they’re are cheaper schools in town but I picked Easy ABC for a few different reasons which I talk about in my part 1 video of learning Thai. My school costs about $8.25/hour or $33/week.
Wtf, i live in Oslo, Norway(one of the most expensive cities in the world) and make about 3,5k dollars per month and i know lots of people living of 2k... Thought thailand was cheap.
I don’t know what to tell you, Thailand is cheap. I know people living here off a 1,000 or less a month but I broke down each specific cost I have for my specific lifestyle. I’m happy you can live in Oslo for so little I guess 🤷🏻♂️
2.1k baht on food weekly? How? I'm spending 1k per day 😅
My guess is you’re eating out at places that cater to foreigners. It does help that I almost always just drink water instead of smoothies or booze.
@@peteonretreat2023 I try to eat in small places off the beaten path and avoid all expensive stuff. I buy fruit locally, eat locally, etc. I don't drink alcohol or smoothies.
How you make money in TH?
I don’t. I’m retired. 😊
@@peteonretreat2023 with 50 😯?
$30,000 dollars plus
A good life for sure and 25% higher then my yearly goal.
Hi Pete,before i watch this i could easily survive on £1500 but thats me....
I can survive on $1000 but I wouldn’t be as happy.
@@peteonretreat2023 Yes agreed ,living cost should not be skimped but is by many due to budget.
You'll now also need to factor in Thai income taxes and tax preparation fees. 😢
That remains to be seen. Nobody really knows yet and no payments would need to be made until 2025. If that is the case and at the rates listed, I’ll move before that happens but I’m pretty confident it won’t be the case.
Here I am looking at Thailand for low cost of living, and you spend more than I do in the U.S.!
As I said, everyone wants different things from life. I know people spending half of what I do and I know people spending more than twice what I do.
I made 6 figures in the US and lived in 2 of the most expensive cities there. I spend about a third here than I did in the states. My current spending is the minimum wage for Austin and Los Angeles, the last 2 cities I lived in.
My grandma told me money is only good for spending. No reason to live in a cheap condo while my money just sits there.
health insurance?
It’s included in the “bills” portion and is currently $80usd or about 2,800 baht a month.
For what your are spending and what you are getting doesn't match up. That's just not that much of a upgrade in a life for living in a Box. Not to judge I wish you well.
It matches up fine. The upgrade in life is that I’m free from the rat race I worked in for 25 years. I’m retired at 49, I’m traveling the world and visiting 4 countries a year, I’m starting a non profit foundation, learning a new language, a new culture, making great new friends constantly, learning new skills, making music, I walk on the beach everyday and wake up to an an amazing view.
I’m the healthiest I’ve been in close to 15+ years because I have time to exercise, work out and treat myself right. My mental health is better too.
How is that not an upgrade from working 10 hours a day, destroying my body in the process, living in a politically toxic environment where schools are regularly shot up, where the population is being programmed to hate each other and where I work mostly to be able to live in a bigger box than my box now?
Unless you live outdoors, you live in a box. The size of the box is just less important to me now. If I need more space, I’ll go sit on the balcony and look out for miles, go sit by the pool, take a walk or go spend the day on a beautiful island for the same cost as seeing a movie in the states.
Maybe I’m missing something but how is this all not an incredible upgrade? Sure, it’s not the life for everyone but I am undeniably happier and healthier here.
Wish ya wel
@@antoniochevalier797 💯 likewise, best wishes always 🙏🏼
get a thai girlfriend and she's going to expect you to help support her family or probably no more girlfriend, that will add to expenses, just sayin lol
Interesting point… I’ve been with my girlfriend for 2 months now. Yes, we send her family money every month but we also save money because she cooks everyday and I’m spending less at the bar. I’m pretty much spending the same so far. 😊
@@peteonretreat2023 I wasn’t complaining or criticizing, just sayin. I’ve been here a little over a year, all over, chiang mai, chiang khan, phetchabun etc.. it’s been an adventure for sure!! Great channel!! Thanks
@@100thesunking no worries, I wasn’t taking your comment negatively at all. It’s just been interesting to see how I’m spending the same amount even though I had my gf quit her job. She’s way better at budgeting than I am 😂
@@peteonretreat2023 right on dude!!👍
We’re living the dream!!
So I know this is extremely personal, but can you tell me how much u started with? U sold everything but when u got there with zero how much did u have to your name? 100k 200k 300k?? What kind of safety net did u have when you took this leap? Maybe I should go 1st. I have 70k saved for my retirement as my nest egg and my monthly income there will be between 1500-2000 coming in monthy. Should I keep saving or do u think I'm ready?
It’s a big enough figure I try not to throw around publicly… my email is in the video description though 😉
When speaking English we should use adverbs when describing verbs.(example: live more cheaply) Do not use comparator nouns ('cheaper')
One cannot "live cheaper" , one can only live more cheaply.
Doh!
Learn how to speak English properly before attempting to speak Thai.
Good luck! You'll need it.
You must be new to the channel… my English is bad and my grammar is atrocious. 😂
I’m learning thai and have given up on English.