Btw guys, this is MOST of the expenses but doesn't include other things like traveling, insurance, gifts, visas, investments, savings, etc. And yes, I spend more on the high side, because I'm not necessarily concerned with trying to save my money. I could actively save more if I said no more often to friend's invitations, which restaurants I want to take with my gf, etc. Goal of Thailand is to enjoy yourself, not to penny pinch. Check out the links in the description for the suit shop, my Thailand community, my Instagram, and other links! Thanks for watching!
Great video! $1700 a month would get you a similar nice lifestyle in Brazil, but Bangkok is more modern and developed. Brazil has the finer women. LOL! Our problem is the widespread poverty and violence. Who do you get your cell phone service from?
How much do you spend total including all those expenses like health insurance, traveling , money spent on your girlfriend. Like the total including everything, that would have been helpful to include.
@@Tra980 healt insurance, i not know ewer not has, travelling about were go and what hotell or own option, girlfrien 0 $ no need, have ewery city 10 million FREE beauty girl. visa 1900 baht/year, clothes, not need many all less 2000baht/time. shorts and t-shirt. food 100-200$/month normal 3 time/day eat restaurant, NOT tourist city restaurants, same food tourist place 500-1000B/dinner and same street little far 60-200B same THAI food. foreign western food 600-2000 B. just i eat 8 people street side restaurant bill has 1200 B. many food has table, fish,pork,chikken, 8 people eat all full.
My husband and I are retiring in thailand, april 2025! Just got back from there to scout it out. It IS very cheap there. We plan to buy a condo. In hua hin or cha-am. We are low maintenance and dont need expensive clothing. We are leaving all of that in america. Its overrated. Tank tops and shorts. can't wait!
My advise to you is not to buy the condo. Rent would be much better, so you can have lots of choices and mobility. Only after living here for a longer period of time, if the idea of buying a condo is still on, then just buy the suitable condo.
@@surapolp I'm glad someone gave a second opinion. I'm not local but I heard that you should rent for at least a year before buying. I think it's easy to buy but hard to sell in Thailand as Thai people don't like to buy used. See if there is a market for foreigners to buy your unit should you decide to sell. I'd like to see if any condo appreciated in value because builders can pretty much put up a new building right next to yours.
Don’t buy. Just rent. Cheaper and the peace of mind is worth it to let someone else deal with problems. Got a bad neighbor? New construction noise? Discover a better spot? You can always leave
white rice, meat with bones in it, msg sauce= 6 bucks. fast food in thailand is sky high. a reg meal of some fries and a burger at resturant is still gonna be over ten bucks. the days of eating well in asia for ten dollars a day are long gone, remember thats 900 a month usd to eat out 3 times a day in thailand atleast, sitting on plastic chairs by noisy roads eating rice msg meat for 5 bucks isnt special
Greetings Paul Lee, great content on the cost-of-living in Thailand, great job! It’s interesting that you chose Thailand to settle down over your native homeland of South Korea, however watching your videos in relationship to the cost-of-living, the prices there are certainly cheaper than in South Korea. I am thinking you made a very wise decision by choosing Thailand as your place of residence. Keep up the great work and thank you for sharing.
...@ 24:30 "its very easy to get lost in the sauce" ...is an understatement. This one factor can make or break ones longterm stay in thailand. Its very easy to get caught up in the outward scene and loose oneself because theres nothing familiar and no anchor to ground oneself, and people can get spun out very quick very easily both physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially and spiritually.
Total expenses can be high depending on your lifestyle, but it is worth what you pay. Once you are familiar with the costs of living, you will not think it’s cheap. Your perception and benchmark are changing to match SE Asia, not the western countries. This is similar to the lifestyle of upper middle income locals .
I like this video compared to other ones. I'm also Korean Amenrican from NYC just a little older than you. Thank you for breaking down all your expenses. It was a good comparison for me. I need to stop spending too much... God... but compared to NYC, Bangkok is still wayyyyyyyyyyy cheaper.
Hi Paul, There’s Michelin Guide (no star) and Michelin Star (1-3 stars). I think most restaurants you see in Bangkok are only on Michelin Guide (much easier to be mentioned in the guide than to have actually received at least 1 star). There’s a world of difference in food quality/presentation/prices between the two. Hope this helps. 😉
Hi @txg161, You are completely right 👍. I am French and I worked in the catering world. Your explanation is very clear. We see that you are interested in gastronomy! 😄
I'd also add that between Michelin Guide and MIchelin Star are the Michelin Bib Gourmand awards. These are for exceptionally good food at reasonable prices.
Paul great video...I think anyone can have a great life in Thailand for 2k a month. I lived in Bangkok for 1.3k a month and had a great time. I moved to Phuket for 1k a month. I don't drink or party so I think that why I saved so much. I went to study kick boxing for a year. Best time of my life. I'm back home in the states but I will retire in Phuket. I think it's all about what you can afford. Live your life and have a great time.
Thank you, Paul 🎉 What you spend on food in a month is what we spend on groceries a fortnight in Australia and we have to cook it! That’s just groceries and doesn’t include eating out at approx. AUD $60 for breakfast/lunch in a cafe for 2 people or dinner out starting at AUD $120 not including wine/drinks! That’s not a premium restaurant either. When we eventually live in Thailand we will never take the cost of living there for granted.
Those Michelin signs are just to reflect they are listed in the Michelin guide. Not to be confused with Michelin Star restaurants, which is for high-end food
@13:29 I spend that at the supermarket for a home cooked meal (and I have energy cost preparing) and you are eating beef in a restaurant. Cost is pretty good there.
Great vid Paul. Seems very realistic to me. The rent helps to keep the overall budget in check. One of my motivations for moving from NorCal to Bangkok is cost of living. As a single person I can live in a minimal space and having access to all those cool amenities. Retired life should be much more enjoyable once I get out from under the costs here. Thanks for always keeping it real Paul. Kop khun kup.😊
I’m so used to paying $900/month for everything in Phnom Penh so I don’t know if I could afford Bangkok 😂 I have a condo unit with gym, pool, steam and sauna and I’m content with it, don’t drink though, and I spend $7/day on food…do miss a more more westernized environment!
You're looking great, Paul! Keep it up! That 93.00 dollar gym membership is being put to good use. It's true that $1,800 a month can go a lot further in some places than others. While that might stretch tight in rural America, in a city like Los Angeles where I am, you'd need about $10,000 a month to maintain the same lifestyle you enjoy in BKK. The best part about where you are though is the safety. I can't even walk the streets at night here in LA, and even daytime outings are becoming risky. It sounds like you can relax a bit more with your surroundings-that's so valuable! Having your girl be able to take the pug out for a walk at night and not have to worry about being attacked is priceless.
Hi Paul - Thanks again. You mentioned your fitness/ coworking space was on the higher end, but actually seems very reasonable. Would you be willing to work on a video which talks about many details + the ins and outs of Bangkok’s best shared workspaces for both residents and visitors ? It would be awesome to know about the coworking spaces' pricing options, accessible BTS/MRT locations, and your take on the whole concept of “Finding the best coworking spaces in Bangkok”
I am investing my savings to retire age of 55 and live in Thailand or Vietnam. Trying to make it to 2 million dollars by that time. I like your videos. Keep up the good work.
Bro these prices are absolutely incredible, in London your lucky if you can get a small share house for that price 😂😂😂😂I'm moving to Thailand the end of this year, i canny wait. I love the culture, people, food, the country itself and mooooorreee😍🥰🥰😂You got yourself a new subscriber💪
Thank you. It’s a realistic budget, of course there are cheaper and more expensive options, but this is realistic for the average Western sensibilities.
I agree! For bangkok, anywhere around $1.5 - $2k is very reasonable and comfortable. For the other regions or more rural areas, you could spend a lot less too
Built a house and bought a large plot of land 8 years ago in a community in Northern Thailand. Cost about 1.5 million baht in total. Paid in cash and now my housing costs are a maximum of 1000 baht a month, everything included. In my opinion very cheap. It can be expensive to live anywhere in the world, but not as cheap as in Thailand.
Thailand is still very affordable and a great value, but a lot depends on your lifestyle. If you like to go out and party, take the party girls home, eat non-thai food, live in the business district or upscale soi then costs go up significantly. Note, I've been living off and on in Thailand since 1991...I own two properties (BKK condo and a beach house), a car, a motorbike and a pug too.
@@iPaulLee i live in a condo that is not that close to the centr(bearing bts station) and the rent is 7500 baht. I dont go out much but for socialazing i visit some activites like ice skating here, some parks, sometimes bars as well. I think the most reason why i dont spend that much is because i cook at home and cheap rent
In France, and I think it's the same in the USA (depending on the state, of course), you spend a lot more for an equivalent standard of living. In my opinion, Thailand is definitely cheaper. But this is not a scoop for anyone who knows South East Asia, and particularly Thailand.
Good stuff, I just discovered your channel. Keep up the good work. I like how you broke down the budget, and provided alternatives. For example, all I need is a cheaper suit 😅 not a suit guy, but every man should have one. Like you, I don’t need fancy housing, or infinity pool. Just something large enough, and clean, very important to me.😊
Hey great video and ignore the haters. I lived in asok for 3 years and am moving back. The budget breakdown was great. You got robbed on the suit but ultimately if you can afford it then who cares. Keep up the good work.
I think that the lifestyle you are living in Thailand is much more affordable than anywhere in the US. Cheap is relative to where you are living, regardless as you adapt to the economy of the area, if you don’t that’s when you get in trouble. Many westerners do not adapt and end up in worse financial problems than when they were living at a place that costs a lot more to survive.
i have pulled off trips to thailand for under 2000 usd and that is including plane ticket just be a bit patient when picking stuff. yes it is more optimal to go with something like 4k+
Wow , getting a couple of Bespoke suits in Bangkok will pay for s round trip ticket from nyc to Bangkok. Thanx for the video, didn’t realize the level of shopping in Bangkok,
Great and interesting video, very informative. I am left wondering what does your friend do for work in Thailand so he can afford 200000baht rent? I’m looking for a career change. Keep the videos coming!
yeah those are just mentioned in the Michelin guide or some are Michelin bib gourmand (pretty good but for low cost restaurants). the ones you are talking about in the US that are pretty expensive are the ones with actual Michelin stars like 2 or 3 stars...1 star too.
Bangkok would be too hot for me, so Chiang Mai would be better. But wife would veto either. If I were going ride Grab motorbikes I'd bring my own helmet. I gave away all my suits when I retired, but your looks great; no reason to skimp on tailoring or fabric for something that can last practically forever. The food courts are great for sure; I ate there mainly when I was there. Another thing that's great about Bangkok is healthcare. I'd go to Bumrungrad if I needed surgery not covered by US insurance.
Stayed in Bangkok for 6 weeks, reminds me of that movie Blade Runner. Cambodia is better for organic food and nature. Eating out all the time you don’t know how they cooked it and what kind of oil and additives they used.
Hi Paul, just checked your website, serious inquirer, moving within 2 months, was going to just do a tourism visa and do border runs to stay longer but I think I'll try get an education visa instead, just want to make sure that you actually help us get an education visa and also will sign me up to those online classes? Not sure what the process of it all is or even how to sign up to those classes, would be awesome if your services help with that and any general advice or questions I have relating to it all.
Michelin Food (no star): “A restaurant in the selection without a star or Bib Gourmand is the sign of a chef using quality ingredients that are well cooked; simply a good meal,” says Michael Ellis, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides. Michelin Star: "A Michelin Star is awarded to restaurants offering outstanding cooking. We take into account five universal criteria: the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavours, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine and, just as importantly, consistency both across the entire menu and over time."
Very good video! I am wondering about Popo... how is it taking care of a dog in Thailand? Is it hard for them to adapt to the weather? Any insight is highly appreciated.
Michelin recommended is not really a big deal, not exclusive to the wealthy even in the USA, just means it's good but not ready to receive a star. Michelin stars (1-3) is where there's a huge drop in number of restaurants qualified and they're all very legit.
Bro.. that’s cheap!!! I plan on budgeting around $250-300k baht per month I think that will give my family a decent life (keep in mind there are three of us and international school will be about $800k a year) You’ve got a very nice life with a very good budget!
The "Michelin" stickers are probably as authentic as "Gucci" bags at MBK or the night market...The bags are real, and the food is probably just fine...just not the brands, no doubt...I lived in Thailand for five years and I sincerely made a HUGE mistake in coming back to the USA instead of continuing my life in Bangkok post retirement fro, ISB...
Do you mind sharing the name of the condo you showed in the beginning of the vid? I’m moving to Thailand in a few months and am racking up a list of condos to check out before settling. Thanks in advance~
This is high end spending as well. I live in pattaya in a luxury condo. I spend around 1k a montth for all expenses. There are guys who claim you cant live in thailand for less then 2k a month. Those guys are spending money non stop on boom boom, booze, and nightclubs. If you keep it simple you can easily keep the spending to 1k a month.
It really depends on where you're comparing it to, is it cheap compared to Laos, Cambodia, Philippines, Malaysia, not really, But comparing it to U.K, USA, Australia, E.U, Japan, then damned right it's cheap.
There is a huge difference between surviving and living in Thailand. While I don't personally agree with all your expenses, like at 66 I don't hit the nightlife like you would and my food bill is about half of yours. And as you have mentioned there is visa expenses and medical insurance which for my age is $2500 AUD a year. I think around 50,000 baht ($2000 AUD) a month is a good estimate to live a good life here.
I would argue B50,000 is a shit life, even here on the beach in Pattaya and at 40 years old. I budget double that and often struggle to stick to it when wanting to live a “Good life.” But, I do have a girlfriend who maybe cost me B20,000 a month in additional food/entertainment expenses.
Let's be honest. If you go to another country, it should definitely have a lifestyle upgrade. What use do I have (besides the weather) to move to Thailand and not being able to afford a decent lifestyle? Just be there and consume air? Makes no sense to me. And let's be honest. For the same lifestyle in Central Europe (if you are even able to get it because of the lack of service) you would spend at least 10k if not more. So for 2k you have a great lifestyle and do whatever you want. Sounds like a very good deal to me. Everything gets interesting, as soon as kids are involved. I did a rough calculation and it came to 5k a month :) (private schools, big condo and so on)
