How much would one recommend saving before moving to Thailand ?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The amount one should save before moving to Thailand varies greatly depending on lifestyle choices, location, and personal circumstances. Many commenters suggest a range of 30,000 to 120,000 Thai Baht per month for a comfortable life, with some stating minimum amounts like 10,000 to 50,000 Baht can be sufficient for basic living. Others recommend having additional savings (1 million Baht or more) for emergencies, visa requirements, and potential living expenses. It's crucial to consider personal lifestyle preferences, such as dining out or accommodation standards, as these factors significantly affect the financial requirements.
Daniel **********
5-8 million THB minimum.
Tom ********
You can live on very little here if you are okay with having a simple life.. a lot of people think you need several thousand dollars a month to live here, meanwhile i live here for like 800 a month and could do even less
Kevin *******
5 million
SAra ***********
I came with 3000$ in 2018, and I’m still here…
But it depends if you’re going to find a job immediately or not, and whether you want to work the jobs offered here.
Easy to become a millionaire in Thailand. Just bring a billion…
Scott *********
It's funny how all the trolling morons attacked my three tier standard of living comment when you all are validating my numbers. Thanks all. I wish haters and trolls would all just go away. Along with all the snide comments to a simple innocent question.
U hold the employment papers for those Thais , if they try to screw u over , u sack them and employ 3 more.. better then 51% to Ur Thai gf... Unless u trust her 😅.
Your accommodation will be as expensive as your needs so it depends on your standards.
The next most expensive things are alcohol and Europeen food so once again it is up to your needs and habits.
Traditional Thai food is dead cheap. The beach cost nothing, they also have free outdoor exercise machines in parks or in places where people run if you are into fitness. Any other fancy activities, like elephant rides, quads, day trips by boat…etc can be pricey. Taxis are getting more and more expensive so I recommend you rent a motorcycle (but only if you feel confident enough tho coz they drive like mad and it is fairly dangerous on the roads!).
Apart from that, enjoy the relaxing life that Thailand has to offer! 👍
One or two mils. 4 or 5 if you have a really marketable idea...
Mike **********
I live on $2.5k a month in bkk and live a great life but make $5k. I could scale down to $1.8k and still be good though, but the difference in savings to quality of life for me is perfect at $2.5k. Everyones different on their lifestyle though so thats just me.
you must be one of the dreamers mentioned previously to think you make 5000 a month...lol... yeah, I have friends getting by on 2000 a month, but getting by is not my preference. Bottle service is nice, I hate vying for the bartenders attention to get a drink. But point is there is a level for everyone in Thailand, which is nice.
exactly. When I mentioned standard of living could be 1500, 3000, or 5000....all the haters started trolling saying I'm dreaming if I think I make that much, or I need it to show off to get a GF. It was stupid. They don't realize what we make.
I personally think that they are such losers that it's easier to try and think of somebody down at your level rather than admire or appreciate somebody who worked themselves up above them.
just because u live in Thailand doesn’t mean you have to make your money from Thailand a lot of people are getting paid from there us owned company’s meaning they are getting paid with US CURRENCY so it is very possible to make that amount & live like that
Read it in context of my previous original reply to the post, and the ensuing ridiculous comments from others. I am one of those making US money living in Bangkok/Vietnam.
what does that mean dreamer? Its quite low salary for my industry actually. I dont do bottle service, just two bedroom condo in good area, good food, good motorcycle, insurance, gym and trainer. You dont need all but its nice to have, if you can afford it.
Do you ever find days where you get bored? Assuming you’re not working ?
Reply to
Philip *****
Reply
Jim **********
Save the world, first
David *********
You need an income , so savings must NOT be spent they must be producing income , easy rule of thumb MINIMUM ( can spend whatever you like in the top ) after transport and rental ( variables ) you need 10 k baht per week ..After rental / trans .
So if you are going to have a car , and decent accomodation that equates to 65 k baht min , on the assumption you will drive .
So the important figure 10 k min per week , plus us ..again minimum, if you cannot do that , DONT do it , simple , you are expected to live this way as a minimum.
I will have income addition to my savings just like anywhere u move to u save money up before getting an apartment & also work while living there I am a digital nomad so I will be able to work there as well
David *********
Yep digital nomad is good , so you should easily be able to make the amount I've stated , after getting the Visa , and the variables of transport and accomodation .
So in that case there is no answer , other than the more the better so you can invest , and in case you want to leave .
So , I'd hold it as invested savings . Good luck ..
As long as the income matches the figures I mentioned which it should easily , it can be done .
Reply to
David *********
Reply
Philip **********
Saving? So you won’t have an income when you move here? How old are you? Probably a million US dollars then when that runs out you can sell the buffaloes you bought for the three bar girls you met and bought houses for.
no I will have income addition to my savings just like anywhere u move to u save money up before getting an apartment & also work while living there I am a digital nomad so I will be able to work there as well.
that’s irrelevant... maybe she’s on a one year sabbatical, looking to teach English or wants to study, or maybe she met a guy. I know tons of foreigners in their 20s, 30s and 40s living in Thailand.
u do know that a digital nomad visa is going to be part of entry soon , that means tax etc to be paid.
Right now it isn't.
Reply to
Darren ******
Reply
Dianne *****
It really depends where you choose to live. Phuket and Samui will cost you more for restaurant food and drinks. Bangkok will cost you more than Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. And everywhere will be more expensive than Isan. It depends how you want to live? Drink wine? Eat cheese. Or eat like a local without eating Western food regularly. Are you going to buy a car or motorbike? Will you be paying for adequate health insurance? A major accident or illness could heavily dent your savings. It really is a difficult question for anyone to answer if they don't know your tastes and lifestyle preferences.
Darren ******
I live in bang saray on 100.000b a month , me my partner and daughter.
These people who say $5k are dreamers , they mean they wish they had that money lol.
We live in a 3 bed house , close to the beach , eat out 3 times a week and socialise 3 other nights a week.
We run 3 bikes and a car.
12.000b rent , 2000b air con , 1000b water we are not big drinkers so its more social nights then drinking binge night out and Eat very well and need nothing more.
haters / jealous people .. the , I can't live on less then 5k a month are dreamers , most likely not even living in Thailand , they just wish they were. 😂
Now if you read the post that says 5000, it says if you want to live large.. I gave multiple scales for different kinds of living.. I wasn't bragging, I didn't even mention that that is my level, but I do get to live that life at that level and there is no need to dream about it. I was blessed in my life and own multiple rental properties in USA. Plenty of income, actually more than that. I just gave a multi tiered answer. Why so many haters, so many negative Nellie's, so much trolling. I simply gave my experience and a few choices for the person asking. Can't help my access to income is more than sufficient. My reply was humble, just informative based on experience. $5000 a month is lower middle income in USA.
I'm a beach guy , who doesnt live the bar life , no need for it.
The higher standard of living just makes u a target.
I can afford that but don't want that life.. I prefer the simple life with people I can call friends , not people who are around due to Ur high life style and there are alot of people like this in Thailand big cities.
Some people like to be popular , I don't need a popularity following to enjoy life 😂.
And yes I see u were giving a level not saying u need that level.
Good that you don't try to show off, just because you have money does not mean you're flashing it.. Only morons that put a picture of themselves flashing a FORD sign have that mentality. HiSo life in Bangkok is not about flexing your wealth. It's about going to the places you want to go, enjoying the entertainment you want, decorating your space, and security to enjoy all life has to offer. Just because you have it does not mean you buy your friends, or you use it to get attention and people around you. Thai HiSo is rarely public.
Reply to
Scott *********
Reply
Giorgio ******
A lot
Paul ********
Depends on how much you intend to spend and how long you're going to live.
Sheen ************
Surely depends on how and where you want to live. If you don’t know how to do expect random strangers to tell you???
William *****************
May depend on where in Thailand. I live in Chiang Mai. If you are here for awhile and get connected more opportunities open up. $3000 month you can live exceptionally well, once you’ve covered expenses to get here like visa and plane ticket. $2000 you can live very well. $1500 would be ok if you are frugal. $1000 is doable but you need connections, for instance, you could rent a fantastic condo in a great area for $100 month. You could shop at large outdoor markets like Muang Mai and get great food for very low price. I would not count on earning money here, so saving, or having outside income is necessary. As I say, if you get connected, if you love it here and vibe well with Thailand then anything can happen. It is a magical place.
Plenty of extremely cheap options available. $1000 US can actually have you living very comfortably in Thailand. Depends on a person's ability to negotiate, communicate, navigate and get around. Learning the very basics of Thai language can make a huge difference. If you're comfortable renting a scooter as many foreigners do, you can ride around and find bargain places to rent quite easily. GrabBike is awesome. And there's plenty of nice cheap restaurants to eat. Grab and Panda can save you a fortune with their discounts (on western food too) if you order food delivery. You can easily shop at supermarkets with that budget in my experience. Visa and visa-runs could be the only issue unless you're on a long-term visa. My response applies to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and pretty much anywhere else I assume. Just expect to pay a little more for the first 2-3 months to get the hang of things.
Excellent. Yes, makes sense. It is wise to learn the language though it may seem daunting at first. I agree it depends on your communication skills, openness and ability to flow with life here. A common saying I have found remarkably true; Anything is possible in Thailand.
Reply to
William *****************
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Durrant ********
That depends on your Thai lady
Giovanni ****************
100,000 baht/month a couple, no kids living in Phuket.
You could get by on $1,000 US a month, but you may not like it.
$500 month rent gets you an small ok place in the city. AC $100 month, $300/month food ($10/day - good enough to survive). Unlimited internet $50/month.
You can do it for less than all that but I doubt you will want to.
Apparently, some poor sons of bitches, of low tastes find rent at a fraction of the cost. I guess you could live under a bridge for just a few cents a day.... But do you want to?
are you sure you are living in Bangkok? do you understand that the city is huge with many centers with malls and bars everywhere. You can rent a nice place at Samrong lets say for half $250. $100 for an A/C like common that is just too much just replace it!
$500 a month seems high for rent. I have a nice 1 bedroom condo at Rama 9 next to the MRT for 12,500 baht including intranet. That's only around $350.00 US.
To live comfortable, minimum 3000usd a month you want to stay, 5000 to live well, you could get by on 1500 living backpacker style. One thing I just realized, that's Bangkok living. Small cities will be substantially less. But I'm a city guy.
Scott *********
Again, look where you live, look at my comments accurately if you can read, and go away. 5000 was live well, which I'm sure can't comprehend, but means living large, well, big, fun, upscale. 3000 which is the level you are at was comfortable. 1500 was budget. I can do visual aids if you'll comprehend that better. Obviously you need help.
That's why I mentioned living like a backpacker on 1500. Easy to do, but you have to plan. If you want to just live like like US standard it's about 3000. 5000 a month in Bangkok is about like
*****
a month in the US. I lived there for one year and i visit often.
HaHa, 7 hours ago, and you're still at it, after you're still working? Key is you're still working and I don't need to. You work and flex having a FORD...hilarious.... obviously why you're still working, low brow, low IQ, low EQ. If you gonna flex, show off a car worth showing. I got a couple back in LA I'll lend you a photo of and photoshop yourself in them so you don't look so foolish. Flexing a FORD is an obvious sign of "I wish I was". Like the guy that fixes up a 300 and thinks he looks like he's rolling in a Rolls....until a Rolls drives up. Then he realizes he's looks like a fool. You drive your FORD, I'll be laughing. Just shows how clueless you are. Sad you still need to jump in the fight after 7 hours. I'd say get a life, but you look like you're from the shallow end of the gene pool, and I doubt anyone would give you a decent life. So sorry, keep wishing you are. Meanwhile, I'll be here with my beautiful sweet career oriented fiance barely scraping by on my meager income...hahahaha
Go back and read you a little bit ignoramus. I said 5000 is living well. 3000 comfortable. 1500 to get by. And the tear you apart was insults on you in your profile. Go get some therapy and a life, and maybe some literacy lessons.
I love the having to make things up for insults. I could tear apart the things I see in your profile, but I'll refrain and take the high road. Remember, you went to insults because I gave a range of living standards to someone who asked. You went low, I'll stay high. You keep living in a glass house. I'll hold back my stones. Let me know if you ever get a clue. Til then, I'll be enjoying my life. No need to compare d!@& size. Trust me, I'll win. So much hate for someone that has it better than you. Sad....
If you were truly happy, you would not have felt a need to negatively comment on my post of advice which according to your numbers was quite accurate. Even your own numbers show your contradictory comments. 90,000 is over 2500 a month in a small city area. Cost of living in the city is more. So adjusted, you proved my point. So, I hope you remain "comfertable" and saving.
cracks me up you try to be knowledgeable about living in Thailand when you're in a backwater that is nowhere near the cost of living in a city where most people are and want to be. I'll bet 2500usd there is like 7500 in bkk. Strangely in line with what I quoted. Tell me, when did you last live in bkk, phuket, Samui, pattaya? Or are you only able to relate to your personal situation in podunk thailand?
jesus, i've just gone & done some work, come back, glimpsed at FB & you're still going for it ? lol all that money & you're that bored ? i bet you have holes in your socks
you can tear apart what ? lol? ruin my job ? make me get fired? unclear. but if is what you meant go ahead and try doing it im letting you. you are really pathetic and the only jealous person here is you :(
OK troll. If you read and are capable of understanding, it said live well. I gave varying levels depending on the lifestyle wanted. And yes I spent $5000 a month living like a king. But I'm sure a low baller low class idiot that leaves a response like that could not afford it anyways.
Hmm, live comfortable on almost 3000usd a month... sounds familiar, where have I heard that before..... it'll come to me... and that's in an outlying area. So minimum 3000 in bkk.
learn math first of all. Second, sorry you can't afford it, but don't hate cuz others aren't losers. I enjoy a fun life of travel, dating, partying with table service, and living in a nice place. With brains you can do it, without... well, you're there already, you know what I mean. It don't take ego, ego is when you insult others who have what you don't to try and see them down at your level.
so $161.29 per day … i’m guessing you have a massive 4” penis to match … we also call it ‘maths’ in the UK
Reply to
Russell ***********
Reply
Kool *******
Save as much as you possibly can. There is never too much savings. One thing to consider with your savings here. For whatever reason, if you are deported, you must have, or come up with enough money to buy your plane ticket to leave, and they don't look for the cheapest flight. If you can't then you stay at immigration detention until you can. Always have enough savings to at least get back to your country of origin.
George *********
487 million usd
Leo ******
There was a guy said a few days ago that he even ended up a millionaire after just one year living in Thailand.
Andy **********
as much as you can....at least 60'000 Baht, can go up to 150'000 easy...depending on lifestyle and place
Fernando ***********
It’s not that cheap. 3k a month minimum
John ********
Save all your patience up, you will need it for awhile.lol
Rūta *********
When I first came to Thailand, I did not have much saved up. And in that case you can easily live simple life and much cheaper than in Europe (which I also traveled before).
The cheapest rooms in South of Thailand are:
Rent: 4000 baht/ a month + bills around 1000 baht
Bike rent: 2000 baht/ a month
Fuel: 150 baht a week
Food: 60-80 baht a meal for thai food
Many things are for free like hiking, views, snorkeling, swimming so you still can have fun without big spending.
Diving courses is one of the cheapest in the world too.
So minimum 15-20k baht, more if you want to live with higher standards, eat better, buy a bike to save money on rent, have excursions, diving, drinks at night.
Jo **********
this depends on location so none of these answers really can get at the truth. if in the rural north much less. In the South tourist and urban areas a lot more. Do you want to have car? do you go out to clubs? etc. how can anyone say ?
Paul ******
マレー *****
Depends if you're here for girls because they like money more than you.
David ********
It depends on the lifestyle you are planning on having here. A simpler life is easier in every way, but it takes a little more effort. Don’t listen to amateur expats who have only lived here for 5 years or less — most of them haven’t yet unpacked their mental/emotional baggage and are still basically tourists. Learn Thai and don’t listen to amateurs who are too lazy to learn it. If you don’t know the language, you don’t know the culture and how people think, therefore you are oblivious to the actual reality of your immediate environment. Anyone who says anything else on the topic is talking shit. Your budget will vary depending on how awesome you are as a human being 😌👍
Aek *****************
It depends on what quality of life you want to have really. Generally speaking, 50,000 baht is to be living in CBD of Bangkok. Think twice though.
you should have 10k USD saved at least and agood idea what to do for income once you get there. Getting long term visas is not really easy if you're under 50 years old. So planning for extra expenses is really smart. You may have to move or leave the country to get a visa. Add me as a friend if you're serious. I have been quite a few times.
Min 120k baht per month if you don't want to give up any comforts and still have fun. Many men living like poor men here though In tiny apartments or far from where you want to be, they do it on much much less obviously. But who wants to leave their country to live poorer than they did before.. all depends on what type of lifestyle you are used to and how you want to live .. I wouldn't recommend anyone move to any country with savings alone.. you need to be generating an income
Warrena ******
25x your annual expenses to invest in a growth fund if you plan to live another +30 years with 2x annual expenses in cash to avoid selling funds in a down market.
Because for the answers to have any value to you, and more importantly, the many people reading this who have the same question - we need a LOT more information than you provided. I mean, literally the only thing you gave us is that you’re coming to Thailand. Are you coming as a backpacker, or will your first activity be to visit the Lamborghini dealer to pick up your highly customized Countach? Between those two extremes lie literally hundreds of pages of advice.
In other words, make at least a tiny effort to help narrow down the 100s of variables for those you want to take precious time to help you.
respectfully, when asking a question like this you have to give folks information regarding your lifestyle goals or intentions. Are you Vegan, preferred style of lodging, any physical/medical limitations, and etc. Everyone has a min/max range regarding a cost figure for a stay in Thailand. If you're willing to adapt to the local lifestyle, Thailand will always carry a higher expense than it could. So please don't many of us replying are negative. We are just poking at cha alittle in hopes that you realize how vague you question was. Thailand can be a great experience and you asking questions prior to traveling here awesome. Just give us something more solid to help inform you. Cheers
because it’s such a random question with so many peoples opinion. I can easily be another person to offer you my opinion, but it would just add to the confusion
Reply to
Lee **********
Reply
Man *****
You can live on
*****
thb/month as many Thais do, or easily spend
*****
0thb/month.
You can rent a room for 4500thb/month or a house for
*****
/month.
You can skip the health insurance, as many farang do, or you can get a decent one for
*****
0thb/year.
Then you can rent a motorbike for 2000/month, or buy a car for 4mil thb.
Very incomplete question. Are you going to have actual monthly income also or just living off of savings the rest of your life?
Do you want to live in a nice place and have freedom to move around, dine out, etc? Or you ok with living like a poor Thai and stay home in a tiny room eating street food?
If just savings the rest of your life probably you need a million dollars if you want to live a normal lifestyle as a foreigner without working again.
If you have a monthly income that covers your lifestyle costs, then maybe having 1 year worth of expenses on hand in case your income is interrupted is sufficient.
I would give it that much time because I have seen loads of people with less savings panic and make bad choices or have to pack up and leave on a whim as soon as they encountered a money issue or a problem with the business or job.
Better to have a big buffer so you know that no matter what you are going to be fine for a while.
If you can live life deferent than what you are used to living in the western world and can live more like Thai people I would say no less than $300,000.
Han ********
Well you need about 30,000 Baht a month, for a nice place and breakfast. Girls will just give you lunch, dinner and drinks so that saves quite a bit on cost.
, what is your question. I just say that good way to collect profiles and comments. Your first question is difficult to answer and I suppose you know it.
no I don’t know it that’s why I asked the question nothing is hard about my questions people can just state how much they are paying on average so I can get an idea on how much rent & things are out there and everyone lives differently. Not a difficult question at all y’all are making it difficult
, my rent is 300$ month. Electric with AC 100$. Food / drinks 300$ per month. Gasoline to motor bike 100$ per month. Entertainment 200$ / month. And this is modest and boring way to live .
Whatever you can afford to lose comfortably and still live the rest of your life happily in another country.
Pete ********
Stephen *******
30k thai baht a month easy if not drink .. mayb a treat once a month into the fire...
Andy **********
How will you survive after moving? Are you going to work for Thai wages? Teaching will not get you ahead in life if your anything like me. How will you buy a house? If your planning for long term learn a trade you can legally do in Thailand, have 100k you can spend and another 100k to keep in savings.
This is a very personal question. The basic answer is ,....as much as you can save. It depends on your lifestyle and what you want to do there. Most people will answer differently depending on their needs.
Alan *******
Moving for how long? What’s the smallest condo you’re willing to live in? Do you cook at home a lot or eat out a lot? You planning on buying health insurance? You going to rent a motorbike or car or take taxis everywhere? What city you going to live in? You planning on traveling around a lot or partying every weekend or do you mostly do cheap/free things for fun? What visa will you be on?
The answers to these questions will impact your cost of living the most and you’ll want to figure them out to have a good idea of how much you need.
Research the cost of these things and set a realistic estimate for each, don’t assume you’ll be on the lower side, assume higher.
Then take that and add 15% to be safe.
Set a budget, track your spending with an app and stick to it and you should be good.
Have the funds ready to buy an emergency ticket out or cover significant medical costs if you don’t have good insurance and you’ll have set yourself up financially better than 90% of people who move to Thailand
You’ll be more than ok in most places if you budget 1k usd per month. The average western foreign worker makes between 25k baht and 40k baht, which is a good indication.
Brian ********
You will need one or two pensions paying you £30,000 a year income
Richard **************
Move there but never forget the government does not want you there.
If you can afford to jump through the hoops and really research your long term options and who you deal with to get long term visas (staying away from the many scams and sketchy visas that can come back to bite you), it’s really not that big of a deal.
The Thais you deal with day to day 99%+ of the time are fine with foreigners as long as you don’t act like a fool.
But the government is always looking for new ways to get more money out of foreigners and making it more difficult or expensive to stay long term.
I moved there in 1994. Since then every year, every administration has made it more and more difficult for foreigners to live there. I'm sick of giving 10,000s of dollars to them and being treated like I'm a vagrant. Other countries welcome expats.
Firstly , what currency are you talking about ? Secondly the reason most people move to Thailand is because it's cheaper , not more expensive . Maybe you meant , you need
Yes but thats in Thailand and i dont agree with 30 % , It's still cheaper than most western countries , even with inflation. But inflation is world wide not just in Thailand so while prices are going up in Thailand so they are everywhere . The way you wrote it , you are saying that its more expensive to live in Thailand than in your home country . Maybe it's because English is not your first language that you might have explained that incorrectly .