Comments on: Cost of Living Chart – Phuket, Thailand (in Baht, Dollar and Euro)

By: fortunato

fortunato — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:51:33 +0000

hi im 38, and i will go to kho samui, with my wife an 2 childrens 8 an 9 years,i need toknow more or less .how much is the cost of life there…!! more or less. house supermarket and school .montly

thank you

best regards fortunato

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 05:03:31 +0000

Hi Andreea, currently I can’t give you any up2date advice, as I haven’t been in Thailand over the last 2 years. Generally I can only recommend to move around and find a place that suits you. Travel is still cheap in Thailand and you can easily find affordable accommodation a bit away from the touristy crowds. Talk with other travelers, look around and keep your eyes open. I would maxium book the first 2-3 nights in before-hand, if just booking a flight without hotel makes you feel uncomfortable. The best deals are most likely to be had, when you are there, because your bargaining power is higher, as you can always walk out and find something better, if quoted prices seem to high to you.

Just take the numbers in the above spreadsheet as a starting point, maybe with 30-40% added due to inflation and price development over the last 2 years and you should have a good clue on what to shoot for.

Have a nice trip!

By: Andreea

Andreea — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:03:44 +0000

HI Chris,
I’m looking to spend the winter holidays ( a month) with my boyfriend in thailand ( bangkok, phuket and other islands) and maybe a few days in singapore.
can you give me some advices about places that might be less crowded (some beaches and islands maybe)
And how cand i find accomodation at an affordable price that i can rent weekly not by the night? i am looking for something clean and nice , nothing fancy.
What kind of budget should i have in mind for thailand for about 3-4 weeks ( without travel costs) ?
thanks

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:10:22 +0000

Sean, only you can answer that for sure. I can only give you hints in form of the above spreadsheet on how the costs will be. What I would do is not bring too much cash, but a good ATM card with low fees. Then you can withdraw according to your needs and have less wads of cash hanging out of your pocket. Safer and easier to control your spending habits.

By: sean

sean — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 07:27:09 +0000

hey chris! i live in the u.s. i wanted to spemd about 2-3 months with my girlfriend in thailand to get in the best shape of my life. how much money should i bring including the ticket costs??? we like to party alot so keep that in mind and shes kinda a diva about having internet and cable tyvm.

By: gary childs

gary childs — Tue, 10 May 2011 10:08:27 +0000

hi ive lived in thailand for the best part of ten years now, and its getting pricy now gary from pattaya.

By: Sean B. Kelly

Sean B. Kelly — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 22:25:36 +0000

Thanks!

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 02:04:44 +0000

Sean B. Kelly, even though your monthly disposable income is a bit reduced compared to a few years back, it should be still possible, to live a fairly good life in SE Asia with it. Personally I would avoid Pattaya, but just because I don’t like the whole place, there are more beautiful and even cheaper spots in Thailand, although you might struggle to find the whole range of entertainment options you could have there.

Also, as an American, you might want to research the Philippines a bit more, which sees many American Retirees and Expats and is still very affordable, english-speaking and culture-wise pretty similar to the US: The Visa System is also better and more transparent and the Dollar still hasn’t lost all its shine here.

It all depends on your preferences! I hope you can make the step and get out of there, as I agree with your observations regarding liberties and quality of life almost completely.

By: Sean B. Kelly

Sean B. Kelly — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:40:43 +0000

I am now 35 yrs. Old, and a disabled U.S. Veteran (I use a cane). I lived in Pattaya from 2003-2007, I left after the coup against Thaksin, also because of the European Holiday types Driving up inflation, the drastic dive the U.S. dollar took, and the 6 month visa law in country a year. I know you mentioned you haven’t been in awhile, but are those issues still Issues there. Also, I make less now, small trust fund dried up, only $1,400 U.S. a month now (versus $1,700 a month before), do you think that’s enough to move back and live there. I can’t stand the states, almost everyone has an attitude and is snobby (I know I sound snobby), decreasing freedoms and liberties, raising prices, High cost of living (I rent a room in a guest house for $583 a month, it’s just a room with a bed, T.V., sink, no A/C, heaters not on enough, shared Kitchen and bathroom, , and Electricity ). While there I rented a 3 bedroom 2 bath + kithchen 2 Car Carport, yard with Mango and shampoo tree, furnished, for 15, 000 baht per month. I can’t stand it here. Thanks for your honest opinion, Sean

By: Claire Smith

Claire Smith — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:50:54 +0000

Great article, as mentioned, the main tourist area’s such as Phuket and Koh Samui pull in a lot of the mafia who collude to fix taxi fares and push tourist prices up. So your nearly always better to book in advance and use your accommodations transportation if possible in these places.

For the more “out in the sticks” area’s buses are really cheap way to get around and if you wait along any road and have an idea where your heading there will probably be a converted pickup truck taxi (called songtow) or air conditioned small minibus that if you flag down will stop and take you.

So, in conclusion, a map and time on your hands will save you a fair bit of cash if your really wanting to make your travel budget last!