Is it possible to live comfortably in Thailand on a very modest income?

On what visa

Yes. Not a problem. We have lived in Bali for 4 years where the prices are lower than in Thailand. I pay for a year ahead. We just stayed on Koh Samui for 3 months. Low housing prices and great food choices. We are from the US.

I'm fat and have a pension but "ne'er the twain shall meet"🤣

Not anymore.

Biggest expense would be on bars/gogos so if you don't do that then you can find under 30k a month. If you want to do weekly red light entertainment then you probably need 60k a month

It depends what you mean by "comfortably" and "modest income" but essentially Thailand is a relatively low-income country so things (especially anything with a significant human labour input and things that are more local than international) are generally cheaper than in richer more developed countries (although this will become less so over time as Thailand catches up).

Vague question. Where in Thailand, what's your lifestyle, blah blah. Be more specific please.

My partner and I live off about 30k baht a month. So like 15k each. We live in a nice one bed condo with pool and gym, rent a bike and order food every day haha! The biggest expense for us was our education Visa's and initial house deposit but it's very doable :)

Relative to what you consider modest to be. There was a guy a few years back who was boasting and making videos about how he lived in Chiang Mai on only US$300 a month but he lived in a Thai dog box condo and cooked his own rice to take to restaurants to keep the bill down. You can live on that amount but unless you are absolutely desperate, why would anyone want to?

However, if you had say US$1,000 a month which for some is modest, you can live a fairly comfortable life.

Depends where in Thailand too. I'm in the north. Serviced apartment for 10,000 + electric. I don't cook here, so eat out at local spots but go somewhere nice a couple times a week or order at home, I go out for coffee everyday (that's a non negotiable) and by no means am I scrimping by. You could easy live on £800-£1000 a month and live comfortably. Including my insurance etc. I don't really drink, so probably I'm saving there and no bothered about the gym, I just do yoga/walk.

Yes it's absolutely possible, I would suggest the countryside so that you can increase your quality of life by lowering your base expenses.

If u rent a house out of town for 7,000b a month, then yes you can live on 20,000b mth comfortably.

A simple one room condo : 7000 thb in pattaya

Energy/internet all together : 2000 thb

Food is cheap - eat out

Buy a scooter to be free to move around

For $700 u can make it simple and enjoy life as a minimalist

You have some experience in a particular field -> teach them the how to for few bucks

Living on £1200 per month and buying a house living here in Thailand can be as expensive or inexpensive as you make it. If I lived at my wife’s farm we could live on 40,000 baht per month easy.

I live well on 20 - bt per month. Covers everything.

Everybody’s got a different idea of here. I got one about 60,000/month, Can support partner as well, although he currently works. 10,000 for rent, huge flat in a thai neighborhood. eat Street Food and at food courts. No car. Virgin active gym. Quite happy, in 4th year.

"Fat pensions" "modest income"

If you want a realistic answer, use actual numbers.

1500 USD / month bare necessities plus some comforts (AC, motorcycle, new phone every couple of years)

Yes. I survive off 700$ a month comfortably, and half of that is excessive spending. But i think it mostly depends how you eat, rent cost which i got lucky on 5k plus less than 1k electric and is nice place..

You can, plenty of Thais manage to do it too. If you‘re single & you aren‘t a bar degen it‘s not very hard either.

Definitely

All depends on the difference between "living" and "existing" and your own expectations. Everyone is different, and I didn't retire to Thailand to live on some godforsaken rice farm in deepest Isaan, where I'm sure you could exist happily on baht a month! My idea of retirement is living in a two bedroom apartment overlooking the Chao Phraya River within easy access of good quality restaurants and services, and flying for 10 days every month to Phuket or Krabi and staying in a minimum 3-star hotel and dining and drinking each night. This all sets me back around 70-80k per month, which is affordable. I'm not rich by a long shot, but hey, I spent my whole life working and retirement is going to be fun, without the need to penny-pinch

Rent 10k utilities 2k food&drink if you cook a little & go out a couple of times a week 12k depending how much you drink. Possible to live modestly on about $750 a month, cost of living varies dramatically in different towns. Initial settling in costs like visa, buying a motorbike etc will be a couple of thousand. Your biggest cost could be health insurancel or you at least need to be happy that you can cover any emergency yourself

Yes, I know people that live very well on around 40,000 baht or less per month.

How do Thai people live on 10.000 to baht per month? Rent a small farm and go solar and grow lots of fruit and veg. Chicken's and ducks and so on and you can have a lovely life for small money

Yes

I came to live in Thailand 10 years ago with a pot of money that needed to last me 13 years to reach my state pension age, I normally draw 5,000 a week for everyday living but have reserve for anything extra. But now I have some inheritance and another couple of years the ex wife in the UK has to sell the family house to give me my half so life gotten sweeter.

Not many expats have fat pensions. Else, they would be living elsewhere.

Perhaps not that helpful....you can live cheaply...a small bottle of Chang can be over 100 baht in Phuket...120 some places but in a bar in rural north 60 baht. Same with food can be 50 per cent cheaper

Yes, just stay away from the bars.

Of course. Thailand is no different than most countries.

If you want modern, top of the line, and convenient, you can easily pay as much or more than any western country.

But if you want to live in a rural area or at least outside of Bangkok, without fancy amenities and are willing to give up a few comforts, it's very easy.

Even in Bangkok I have friends who have a salary of 15,000₿ per month and manage to make it work. Obviously they don't have savings and struggle.

Define 'very modest'