Basic cost of Living for a retired Ex Pat in Thailand

[@VikingPreparedness]

Thanks, Gordon. Very tempting.

[@gordontickle1673]

Hello PJ Happy New year, People seem to get the wrong idea about Thailand many think it is a third world country and they can live on a few Dollars a week! This is an attempt to show it may be cheaper than the west but it is still challenging. GT

[@golfinginthailand]

This is the best breakdown for costs in Thailand that I've seen on line. Most do come out to about 50 thousand baht but your breakdown is excellent for costs that others ignored. I honestly thought it would be higher after you went through all the car costs. Still, this only allows existence. It's up to the individual to figure out what it would cost for their lifestyle once they are here.

[@gordontickle1673]

EGGS-ACT-LEE, yes mate it is an existence budget, one steak meal at a city restaurant and your food allowance is blown out of the water, Thailand for me is fab however I wanted to show it is far from a third world country and whilst value for money not cheap. GT

[@theeye5183]

Thank you, I would need to talk to you for a real understanding,but you have managed to make my cogs turn .Much appreciated

[@gordontickle1673]

Happy to help anytime just as. GT

[@gsryallen1383]

As per usual straight talking from Gordon !! 👍👍

[@gordontickle1673]

Thank you, if my channel can help people understand Thailand and in particular rural Thailand and how fab it is then job done. GT

[@stevekitt52]

Interesting video.Happy New Year GT.

[@gordontickle1673]

Happy new year Steve. GT

[@peterpower7840]

Living in central Pattaya, married, good health insurance, enjoying life, eat and drink what i want, not counting the pennies. 75k per month. Everyone is different but that's my monthly cost.

[@gordontickle1673]

Spot on peter some people think this is a cheap place. But costs mount up.

[@JohnScrace]

Philippines much cheaper , and better .

[@gordontickle1673]

@@JohnScrace Not even close John.

[@davidcormack8733]

Great break down Gordon! Imagine trying to live on 150 pounds a week in the Uk!!!

[@ColinC33]

A good video but as you said most of your sums were on the low side. The only advice I can give is how I did it. I brought enough to buy my home outright as well as my transport. So now my outlay is food and ancillary costs as in health care insurance property upkeep and a few beers a week. But if I did come under pressure I cut back on the beer and restaurants till I am out of the fog. I worked for a multinational and the financel controller said to me I am putting on the company pension scheme he pointed out at 24 that might sound stupid but said believe me you will thank me in the future which I do regular as I was able to retire at 60. A private pension is key here.

[@graemeaylward8313]

Thanks Gordon for your summary of costs. Of course, one size will never fit all, and everyone will have their own list of expenses so can add or subtract from yours as required. However, there is one thing that you have left out of the equation. Taking your State Pension of £150 per week, i.e £600 per 4 week period, (mine is frozen at £500) this would mean that for a year, you would receive £7,800 per annum. (13 x 600) . Converting this to Thai baht =333,467 baht. If you are on either a Non-Immigrant 'O' Retirement Visa, or a Non-Immigrant 'O' Marriage Visa, this would be insufficient funds to meet the financial requirement for Immigration Office purposes. i.e. 65,000 baht p.m. for retirement, or 40,000 baht p.m. for marriage. Unless you already have 800,000 baht, or 400,000 a Thai bank account already! Thanks for continuing to share your thoughts with us. Happy New Year. God Bless you and May 😀❤🙏

[@gordontickle1673]

Hello Graeme Yes exactly you are 100% correct and one size will never fit all, it was a response to the person who stated 150 a week was ample, you and I both know it is not in real terms. GT

[@ianbennett6417]

Great breakdown Gordon and realistic unlike some I have seen. People move to Thailand to live not simply survive. I am planning to move in the next year or two to join my Thai fiancé, but will retain my properties in the U.K. and probably come back twice a year, for a few months at a time. My fiancé owns 2 houses on the outskirts of Bangkok, which she will eventually sell as we plan to settle in Maha Sarakham and build a house on the 15 Rai of land she owns, so no rental in my budget. However I still think I need ฿50,000 a month in line with your suggestion to lead a reasonably decent life. This does not of course include any flight costs.

[@gordontickle1673]

@@ianbennett6417 hi Ian. I hope you are as happy as May and I. We firmly beleive life is what you make it here in Thailand. For me it is about finding your ING, ie what interests you and floats your boat as they say. So many come expecting versions of home but this is a different culture and once you are used to it then life becomes easier and relatively simple. GT

[@gordontickle1673]

Yes to be honest i was airing on the catious side the plonker who said 150 a week. No chance 555 he probably never even been here.

[@apoloestrada2908]

Thanks for the video, If I have to live in Thailand forever in my early 50s now, at least $3K on monthly pension will be enough PLUS $100K of savings for emergency. I used to live in Pattaya for 6 months of 2023 and I budgeted that amount. Back in Cali working & planning to retire around 2026.

[@gordontickle1673]

You are most welcome. GT

[@billproud8764]

One thing to point out is that a pension is paid 13 months per year or 4 weekly, not a calendar month as you state. Plus it must be said a car is not necessary.

[@gordontickle1673]

G-Day Billy, It was a sample budget, and I did make the point about a vehicle remember I stated I wouldn't want to be on a motorbike here, but each to their own! GT

[@retiredpainter259]

Hi Gordon ,, looks lovely weather mate ,, it’s bloody freezing here now on the east coast of the uk

[@gordontickle1673]

Late afternoon RP, sunny warm and comfortable. GT

[@retiredpainter259]

Nice mate ,, thankfully we have escaped the snow overnight and we now have 4 degs plus 100% rain all day 😂 nevermind we have flights booked to come over 23rd Feb for a months warm up ,, which ain’t that bad as this time last year my health forecast wasn’t good at all , but now having completed a year of cancer treatment the outlook is much better 👍👍🇹🇭🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@llewellynlombard7428]

Hi GT, Great way you have summed that up, very professional. If I were living on that for a month, then I would gladly invite a king to move in, hahaha. Budgeting is a way of living, I think, in just about every household throughout the world these days, so it would be the same here.

[@Mike-du1dc]

You know what goes where & why Gordon ! Don't waste your time with the fools😉 Your spot on as usual with your estimates

[@gordontickle1673]

Thanks Mike, just trying to help people decide how much they need. GT

[@Mike-du1dc]

@@gordontickle1673 You gave a very good & realistic appraisal of costs IMHO Gordon!

[@dirk7207]

I’m currently running about 40k a month, however truck and house was paid in cash. If you want foods and treats from your country food costs skyrocket

[@gordontickle1673]

Spot on Dirk, I am the same I bout my car cash when I retired and the land and home was acquired many years ago. My biggest expense is Petrol and was Beer but I stopped drinking so that's a saving 555 GT

[@jonasjohnsson4429]

Hi Gordon! I am not a clown, I am not a troll. I am a guy that has been to Thailand some times, read a lot about Thailalnd, follows around 20 thai-vloggers or more. I think you are right if you think about yourself. But, there are many different kind of farangs living in Thailand. Some are living in a cheap apartment in Bangkok, whitout a car or a motorbike, they go with the BTS or Metro. They dont spend much on water, electricity and internet. They dont drink, they eat mostly thai food. And all are not interested in bar girls. And some of them dont have a health insurance and that works fine during some time. So, I would say that guy is right, it is possible to live for that money in Thailand. I have heard that from other vloggers. But the ones that have a small buget like that, are probably not prepared for bad things, like an accident or sickness.

[@gordontickle1673]

Yes Jonas you are correct, I said this was an existence budget based upon a normal lifestyle, the question is in our final years do we want to Live or Exist? GT

[@jonasjohnsson4429]

@@gordontickle1673 Ofcourse most of us want to live. And then you are right! But for some the only possibility is to exist.

[@timhoward5549]

Spot on Gordon

[@gordontickle1673]

Thank you Tim. GT

[@Allan-e9g]

Great information as you say depends on the lifestyle you live. Your costing seems pretty good.

[@gordontickle1673]

Thank you Allan, it is each to their own and what they expect from Thailand or indeed life. GT

[@keithshippen4258]

There are also so many hidden costs. Plus you need a good emergency fund.

[@gordontickle1673]

100% Keith I didn't cover the Visa for example. GT

[@keithshippen4258]

@gordontickle1673 The Visa isn't usually the problem if you have surficient funds. It's the unplanned bigger problems that come up.

[@larryeifler2994]

Your budget sounds reasonable. I am 82 and have no idea how to get health insurance. So I am self-insured.

[@gordontickle1673]

Hi Larry for me Insurance companies are bookies playing the odds, I also self insure, if we look after our health we should real the benefits. GT

[@AC-ed6cz]

Very true!! 👍👍👍👍

[@natesquestyouknowthatsrigh8269]

Good information 👍🏼😊

[@gordontickle1673]

Hi Nate how are you buddy?

[@wojamacolit]

I think that the longer you live there the costs could get reduced as you get a bit more savvy but there would still be a limit to that reduction. I reckon your estimate to be very fair! If you purchased a new car in Thailand do you get some sort of warranty and sevicing for a limited amount of time? The same as you would in the UK/EU? (genuine question).

[@gordontickle1673]

Yes at least 1 year, I amortized the car over 10 years from new and 3 services a year would be in order I think. Yes costs reduce, however inflation kicks in, Under Trump I was filling the car up at THB1100 under Biden it became THB1900 so it is half of one and 50% of the other! 555. GT

[@wontbelongnow5567]

Gordon you know how much because you've done it and lived it. It cost to live in Thailand but its less expensive than the west.

[@gordontickle1673]

100% agreed, plus there are many benefits over the west in my humble opinion.. GT

[@stevethebutcher6631]

Count to ten Gordon 😂😂😂

[@ShoelessNomadThailand]

Thailand is no longer cheap. With having the beautiful Anna and wife. We own our property and car. Don't drink or smoke. Just normal living we go through between 70 to 120k per month. I don't mine because UK it would be double. Great video Gordon

[@peterpower7840]

Agree, i am living a great life on 75k, everyone is different.

[@ShoelessNomadThailand]

@peterpower7840 sounds about right

[@davidrobertthomas1515]

The full British state pension is £884.00 per month. Gordon receives £600.00 which is dreadful to say the least. But you said in your comment that it would cost double 70,000 baht to live in Britain per month which is £3,300. We’d all be bankrupt if that was the case. Unless you run a Porsche as a second car.

[@jamesovenstone188]

Most people who have walked the walk seem to be coming in around 2K£ per month. With the UK State Pension around £11,500 per year anyone planning on retiring in Thailand will need around £12,500 in other income sources. Anything less is winging it and who really fancies winging it when you're a 60 something!

[@ShoelessNomadThailand]

@davidrobertthomas1515 everyone situation is different. A lot of people I know spend the same money per month. Don't forget there's 3 of us. I don't receive the UK pension. I live on profits from trading commodities and crypto. Which amounts to no more than 25% of my net profits. When we were in the UK 3,000 GBP monthly income didn't go far. I stand by 70 to 120k THB is a reasonable monthly spend. This includes school fees, car running cost, electric, water, mobile phone X3, private medical, farang food, petrol, insurance, house maintenance, restaurant twice a week, clothes normally for Anna, books for Anna, IPTV, etc etc etc. No way could I do the above for 40, 50 or 60k Everyone has their own budget.

[@retiredpainter259]

Interesting Gordon ,, btw both our iPhones work there ok

[@gordontickle1673]

Fantastic, I was unsure if the Phones would work so thanks for that. GT

[@michaeltakayama8415]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge & experience. The numbers you provided for car ownership were particularly interesting & useful. However, I doubt that a retired expat on a modest budget would spend 15,766 THB/mo to own & operate a car. This is 1/3 of the overall proposed budget and higher than the amount allotted for housing. It is also equal to 525 THB per day, which is likely far more than a typical retiree, on a budget, would need if using public transportation. At this price point, car ownership is a luxury, not a basic need. The exception would be for an expat living far out in the rural areas, where a car may be a necessity, not a luxury. If living in or around places like Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket or Chiang Mai, the need for a privately-owned car is fairly low, or even zero. I would also question spending 3,650 THB/mo on beer, when you are only spending 6,000 THB/mo on food. Now, I'm not saying that this is impossible - there are certainly plenty of expats who spend more on booze than food. But, if an expat is truly on a modest budget and has any concern whatsoever about his/her health, it is a questionable decision. Just my personal opinion, worth maybe 2 baht, at best. Feel free to ignore and move on! Cheers! :)

[@gordontickle1673]

Hi Michael, you are correct a Car is not necessary, for me it is, I think better to air on the expensive side and be happy rather than under budget and be Miserable, on the food and beer I see and know many expats who spend far more on alcohol than food. As I stated Michael it was a budget to exist upon not party, people can alter it to their own life style or expectancy as they wish but at least they have an experienced expats thoughts as a base line. GT

[@MrLostitnutter]

Who is going to survive on 2 beers a day 😂 quite accurate and I like to cook my own food

[@gordontickle1673]

A good point well made, I was on 4 to 6 a day but since Christmas I haven't had any at all, I also cook the majority of my own food. It is a guide not to be taken literally but adjusted to suit different requirements. GT

[@darrenthompson4479]

Whoever has a brand new car serviced 3x a year come on most new cars on long life service plan

[@gordontickle1673]

Think forward

[@gordonduncan8892]

Most people buy their own phone buy an un chipped phone which works anywhere in the world. Also if a foreigner has his own flat on his name and has self funded health care does not need 45k a month. I own my own motorbike, car and flat in my name not my wife's. I can live off 25k a month well eating British food also. 45k a month is living very high scale in Thailand.

[@gordontickle1673]

We are all different GD, I would hate a person to come out here with the idea it is the land of milk and honey for small change only to find they struggle to survive with any kind of quality of life and are miserable. GT

[@gordonduncan8892]

@@gordontickle1673 I do not struggle I have a 7 figure pound sterling amount in 7 different bank accounts

[@voice_of_change]

The numbers quoted are fairly accurate. It no doubt depends entirely where you choose to live. Rent is the biggest single expense plus monthly electricity and water typically. A studio in Pattaya will cost 10000 thb per month. Owning a car in Pattaya not worth the expense in the countryside maybe. A second hand motorcycle is all you need and just pay cash for it, no finance. Most friends I know here in Pattaya need 50,000 thb per month for a good life. Mongers a lot more 555

[@gordontickle1673]

Agreed I hate driving around Pattaya in the car or indeed BKK. GT

[@jamesovenstone188]

Hi Gordon. Think you're a bit light on the 200 Baht per day on food but otherwise a very good summary. At least a grand (£) per month and that's very basic food and a couple of Chang beers each day. Not exactly a luxury retirement. And seriously what would be the point of retiring in Thailand to live like that? I'd say a realistic figure of 2 grand a month if you want a little but of enjoyment - a restaurant meal now and again, a bit of Gorgonzola cheese (my greatest weakness), a bit of travelling. And that doesn't include any sort of emergency fund. Too many 'in it for clicks' Vlogers out there touting how cheap Thailand is but all they're selling is fantasy. I see too many people winging it and sad to say many are going to end up returning home broke, disappointed and most likely in a far worse situation than when they left.

[@gordontickle1673]

James you sir are spot on, I do know expats who live from the food carts constantly (not for me) but the person I am thinking about consumes 6 pints of Leo before 1pm. GT

[@matthewmiles9626]

You mean immigrant.

[@gordontickle1673]

Potato Potato

[@matthewmiles9626]

@gordontickle1673 Lack of education is no excuse immigrant.