Monthly Cost of Living in Thailand September 2016

Monthly Cost of Living in Thailand September 2016

Welcome to the September 2016 report on my monthly spend in Thailand. To start with check out the about me page to learn a little about me and my circumstances. It will also explain the high accommodation prices below.

Total Income:  75,000 THB

Total Spend:    68,000 THB

Saved:    7,000 THB  

Breakdown

Accommodation – 30,000 THB

My standard monthly repayment towards my  2 bedroom 64 sq metre condo. This money is from the UK, not a Thai bank. This is a higher cost than most people have but I get a top floor corner unit and own the property. Buying isn’t for everyone and is something that you should consider before making a  buying decision.

Utility Bills –  3,000 THB

This covers water, maintenance fee, phone, TV and Internet. My girlfriend pays our electric bill which is around 1,200 Baht a month.

Transport –  1,500 THB

I had to go into central Bangkok a few times this past month which meant vans and BTS trips. My cost of traveling to work is around 450 Baht in total for the month. On top of this I also took a few taxis to travel around.

Food –  8,000 THB

I didn’t go out to eat very much this last month. Maybe on average twice a week. When I go out to eat I normally spend around 200-300 Baht a time.

Eating at home is cheap, whether I cook myself or pick up some food. On average a meal will cost around 50 or 60 Baht a time.

General Shopping –     5,000 THB

As I am going back to the UK to visit family in the next couple of weeks I decided to buy a few presents for people. I didn’t buy anything too flash, just a few Thai related presents and food.

I also bought some new clothes to take away and replace some of my older stuff.

Entertainment –   3,000 THB

It was my birthday in September so I went out with my girlfriend for the day. We didn’t do anything too exciting but visited a few places and went to a couple of bars.

I also played badminton every week and normally go out for dinner afterwards with a group of people.

Travel –  10,000 THB

I didn’t travel this month but I bought tickets for a few attractions for my trip to the UK in October. I bought tickets for the Harry Potter studio tour and the London Eye for my family which were the main cost in this section.

I also pre-booked a few train tickets to get cheaper prices than on the day for when we travel around.

Others –   7,500 THB

I was feeling really lethargic and lightheaded at the start of the month so decided to go into the hospital to get some tests done. This was a private hospital and for a few blood tests and the doctors time the bill was 3,500 Baht. I do have medical insurance but am waiting for the claim to be processed so in the end I might not have to pay anything.

It has got me thinking more about getting full insurance or pestering my company to upgrade their policy / give the option to upgrade.

I also go halves with my girlfriend on another condo which is being built at the moment. It costs us 4,000 Baht a month each so not a lot and in the end we will have a place to rent out or perhaps for her mum to move into in the next few years.

Saved   7,000 THB

Considering I spent 10K on purchasing tickets for my upcoming holiday I was quite pleased to save 7,000 Baht this month. I also have the bonus of hopefully receiving a refund on my medical bill of 3,500 Baht to look forward to next month.

I didn’t do a lot this month but I had some unexpected expenses such as buying presents for my trip home and the medical bill. The last week or so was about saving a few baht and preparing for my vacation.

I always like to save more than 10K if possible and to be honest I am quite careful with money. I really think about expensive purchases and don’t buy lots of things for myself. I’ve never been into brand names or splashing out on things I don’t really need. I also take the bus wherever possible and don’t go out drinking very often.

September is also the month to complete tax returns in Thailand so it is possible I will get some money back, last year I received 4,000 Baht from the taxman.

Overview – Monthly Cost of Living in Thailand September 2016

A good month which was always going to involve staying in and getting ready for my holiday. There was also a lot of rain in the evenings which restricted the number of times I went out to eat in the evenings.

I managed to go out a couple of times and worked relatively hard. I made just over my monthly average earnings and my average week involved 38 hours work in September which isn’t too bad. I have the option of working more but I wouldn’t consider doing more than around 40 hours a week which would bring in around 80,000 Baht a month after tax. My earnings aren’t unrealistic for someone living here and as I pay 34K in condo payments you can see you can live comfortably here with a cheaper place and still save a decent amount of cash.

I’m in the UK for the first 2 weeks of October so I expect I will have high costs and a lower income for the next month. I have saved up for the trip and a lot of activities have been paid for so I imagine I will spend in the region of 25-50K on my trip next month on top of what I have already paid for but will wait and see.