@Eric *********

Thank you for the understanding and honest answer! I can’t say, I understand about the maintenance stuff, bc I’m not there yet; but it makes sense that in underdeveloped and poor rural areas it would be hard to keep things up.

@Dustin *********

GOLD STAR! Lol 😂. You are the first to actually answer my question! Thank you. The ‘local business’ part of it that I do understand because when I was in El Salvador it seemed odd at first that these people living in what could be described as a Third World situation still paid a housekeeper to come each morning …but then I learned it’s part of the local economy. The housekeepers are very affordable, and those people have very little money and that gives that woman a little bit of money! So, they’re supporting each other and that’s just a cultural difference in the way their economy functions.

@Pui ****

yes, I’m aware of the outdoor kitchen, and think that sounds lovely considering the heat! But the places I found were apartments with no where to use grill? I realize that you can buy an electric wok and electric rice cooker’s and those things. My question was more - is it worth buying all those things and trying to set up a kitchen in an area that’s not really big enough to make a kitchen, or do people just choose to eat out, and if they do- do you ever get used to not being self-sufficient ?…like I’m used to in my culture in the Midwestern United States?

@Danny ******

can you see what I mean though?…. One small sink and a microwave and fridge- how do they really cook? Unless landlords really don’t mind open grills on balconies? But the balconies were so small, with another floor right above- I really can’t see that being possible. My question was also not so much ‘Is it possible,’ but more ‘do you get used to not being able to be as self-sufficient as kitchens in the West enable you to be?’

@Kev ********

good to know! Thank you. Kinda what I figured I’m going to have to do until I know my way around better, decide on the area I REALLY want to be in, and try to rent a home with outdoor kitchen 😊

@Kev ********

Yes, I’m talking about urban Thai apartments. Everyone commenting that they cook outside….. where? In the parking lot of the condo? I would LOVE to have a traditional Thai outdoor kitchen, but can’t afford a house when I first get there. And “most Thai eat out bc it’s very affordable,” is the answer I got from the realtor who answered my questions by email. His answer makes sense given the prolific street food industry.

@Steve ******

I need the info for these places! It may definitely be a price point issue though. When we first arrive, I’ve got to keep our rent at B10,000 or below. So that’s what I was looking at.

@Jonathan ******

I’ve actually traveled extensively in S America. Spent almost a year in El Salvador- which IS WHERE I first saw some of the cultural differences I’m talking about. Despite the area I was in being definitely ‘developing to underdeveloped’ people had a housekeeper who would come by in the morning and bring bread and do a quick cleaning in the kitchen. This is something that despite having a huge difference in per capita income in the states, people in the Midwest would not do. They simply wouldn’t pay for it.

@Stuart **********

Bangkok (for the jobs/schools) but also Phuket and Krabi bc that’s really where I wanna be. In houses, I get the outdoor kitchen bc it’s hot- I love the idea. But in the cities, the places I viewed had a very small sink (especially for hand washing all dishes and laundry) a microwave, and an electric hotplate /toaster oven at best. May I ask how much you pay? Bc I’m needing to keep it at about $10,000 B.

@David **********

THANK YOU 🙏. For every person decrying that I dare mention a cultural difference, there is a sensible person who understands this is how one learns. Have a great day!