The regulations say, “In order to open an ordinary checking or savings account, Bank of Bangkok requires that I get a notarized letter from the US Embassy in Bangkok, stating that I’m a US citizen and that I reside in Thailand at a certain address. The Embassy requires an appointment and a $50.00 document fee, not including the cost of transportation to and from Bangkok, or a hotel and meals. And there’s no guarantee the bank will even accept it.”  R. Butler.

Thailand Retirement Concierge clients, of course, do not have this problem, since we act as your guarantor.

This video shows just how infuriating it can be:

New money-laundering regulations require you to establish and prove permanent residence before you can open a Thai bank account. You can imagine the Catch-22 situation this creates: how can you pay the deposit on your new place if you don’t even have a bank account?, More at paydayloansmonster.

We’ve struggled with this since the regulations came into effect and now, with the help of our angelic bank manager, have created a completely legal process that allows Concierge clients to open their permanent account as soon as they arrive.

We go to the bank together and you’ll have your ATM card and bank book when you leave. Best of all, apart from signing a few more forms, it requires no effort on your part: we’ll be waiting with the completed forms as soon as you step off the plane. Here are some simple steps that will make opening your Thai bank account a breeze:

• Except for businesses, checking accounts are not generally used in Thailand. Thailand Bank Accounts are structured a little differently, like everything in Thailand so, when you ask to open an account the bank will open a savings account without even asking you. The administration of bank accounts and the security procedures are slightly different, too, so here’s a brief primer:

  

• When you go to the bank, take your passport, your permanent Thai address and Thai cellphone number
• Joint accounts are very difficult, so get the account in one name and then get two ATM cards. Trust me, this is the better option.
• You will have to pay for your new (chipped) ATM card. Cost is up to 1,000 baht, depending on the bank.
• Ask for online banking while you’re opening the account. The bank officer will usually not suggest this (don’t ask me why) which means you’ll have to go back again later if you don’t do it on the spot.
• Ask the bank officer to show you how to navigate your Thai online account. They’re set up differently from those at home but work quickly and well once you’ve mastered the interface
• The bank will give you a savings account passbook. Don’t make the mistake I made and throw it away or lose it. Passbooks are extremely important in Thailand and are used for all major withdrawals. So keep it in a safe place.
• Update your passbook regularly. It’s your legal proof of transactions and balances. There are Passbook Update Terminals alongside most ATM transaction machines at all bank branches. When you correctly insert your passbook they will read your account number from the barcode on its cover. Ask your bank officer to show you how to use it before you leave the bank. Then use it at least once a month, and after every significant deposit.
• When you get home, start setting up online bill payment accounts immediately, so you don’t forget how to use the interface. You can pay all your regular bills online. The easiest are your Internet and cable providers, and your cell phone provider. If you haven’t opened those accounts yet, remember to ask for their online billpay account name when you’re setting up the account. Otherwise, you may need to call their customer support line to get that information and enter it into your bill pay account. You’ll only need to do this once.
• I use (and strongly recommend) Bangkok Bank. This is a link to their online banking which, once you learn the interface, is a fast and convenient way to pay all your bills. As with all things to do with banking in Thailand, the trick is choosing a bank manager. My guy works miracles for me and for clients…
• If receiving payments from a US Government Agency: Download the “Direct Deposit Sign-up Form (SF1199A)” from http://www.socialsecurity.gov/online. Complete the form to sign up for Direct Deposit with your relevant US government agency and include information which are your name and physical address in Thailand; your bank account number and the name and address of your Bangkok Bank Branch in Thailand; 9-digit routing number 026008691 of Bangkok Bank New York  Branch. Complete a “Direct Deposit Service Application” form, which you can pick up at any Bangkok Bank branch (except micro branches). You can also choose to fill out an SMS Remittance Alert Service Request Form to receive an SMS notification on your mobile phone when funds have been successfully transferred into your Bangkok Bank account.
  Submit all forms to Bangkok Bank with the following supporting documents:
  Identification Card/Government Official ID Card/Passport together with a customer identification document such as your Social Security Card, Annuitant ID Card etc.
  A document from the relevant agency giving evidence of your right to receive the payments.
  After verifying your documents, Bangkok Bank will submit your application to the government agency, asking them to approve your request to receive the funds via Direct Deposit.
  After the request is approved by the US Government Agency, your payments will be electronically deposited directly into your Bangkok Bank account.
• International Fund Transfers for Americans: Bangkok Bank ACH (Automated Clearing House) transfers from the US via their NY branch will end April 1, 2019 and online US ACH domestic transfers will no longer function after that. Bangkok Bank says this will not affect existing Social Security or other federal government direct deposits. The Bank says that, after April, Americans should use an online banking facility called IAT (International ACH Transfers), though no one seems to know of any U.S. banks that currently provide consumers online access to IAT or any U.S. banks/CUs that have announced plans to support it for consumers. Stay tuned and we will let you know as soon as we know more on this. In the meantime, for transfers of $3K or less, Transferwise puts more baht into your Thai bank account when  both exchange rate and fees are deducted.  For larger amounts use an International Wire/SWIFT. Charles Schwab gives you free transfers of $1000 per day and has modest fees, $25, for wire transfers.
• The Bangkok Bank account must be one that is not accessible by ATM so you have the hassle of going into a Bangkok Bank branch each month (any branch is OK, not just your home branch) and presenting your passport in order to withdraw the funds and move them to another account with ATM/internet access.  But, if you’re suddenly incapacitated, Bangkok Bank will visit your hospital bed and get your thumbprint to release the funds to pay hospital bills. If you’re more conscious, but still can’t make it to the hospital, they’ll give you whatever you request to pay rent, give your GF her allowance, etc. (They won’t do this if you can’t give consent, just pay the hospital bill without consent.) If you have your SS direct deposited to a U.S. account it can be a joint account, with internet access and often it’s very easy to move the money into Bangkok Bank using online ACH transfer. But, if you become incapacitated, no U.S. bank will release your funds unless a court-appointed guardian initiates the request and there is no easy way to set up a guardian for an incapacitated foreigner in Thailand.  So, if you’re using the method of manually transferring money from the U.S. to Thailand, make sure you have the process documented so that someone could do it for you should you become incapacitated.
• If you are living in Thailand, the point of contact for more information or to ask questions about SSA benefits is the SSA Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) at the US Embassy in Manila, Philippines. You can contact the SSA through the following channels: Tel: (63 2) 301 2000 ext. 9 Website: http://ph.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen -services/social-security/.  E-mail: FBU.manila@ssa.gov
• If receiving payments from a private organization. Request the “Authorization Agreement for Automatic Deposits (ACH Credits)” form or “Related Direct Deposit” form from the organization or the agency that will be making the payment to you. Complete the form to request the Direct Deposit service.
  Open a savings account at any Bangkok Bank branch in Thailand. If you already have an account with Bangkok Bank, you can use your existing bank account for this service.
  Request your home branch to issue a bank reference letter to certify your bank account details such as account type, account number, date of account opening and current balance to be provided to your agency.
  Include your name and physical address in Thailand;,your bank account number and the name and address of your Bangkok Bank Branch in Thailand;  and the 9-digit routing number 026008691 of Bangkok Bank New York  Branch in your Direct Deposit Signup Form.
  Indicate the Routing Number 026008691 of Bangkok Bank’s branch in New York and your account number with Bangkok Bank in Thailand on your “Authorization Agreement for Automatic Deposits (ACH Credits)” form or “Related Direct Deposit” form.
  Submit the form with the required information such as your Identity Card or Social Security Card, or evidence of your right to receive the payments from the company, together with Bangkok Bank’s Reference Letter. Mail the signed form to the US company asking it to approve the request and initiate direct deposits into your account.
  After the request to receive direct deposits is approved, your payments will be electronically deposited directly into your Bangkok Bank account.You can read it here.

Thailand Bank Accounts for Australians

• Look for a credit card (Mastercard) that doesn’t charge fees for overseas transactions or a percentage of the transaction and visit loans green for monthly deals
• Make sure you pay its balance off every month so you don’t pay interest.
• Only use it in reputable locations.
• You’ll find the exchange rates between Oz & THB comparable to those offered by the major banks in Thailand
• And better than the exchange rates of the banks offered in Oz.
• Incidentally, if your Australian ATM card has a Maestro or Cirrus logo it will work with Thai ATMs.
• But Visa cash advances  attract a 3% surcharge
• For larger amounts T/T (telegraphic transfer bank to bank) is quicker but costs  $35–$100.
• For larger amounts interbank is slower (overnight) but most economical at $20 per transfer, regardless of amount.
• If you instruct your bank to send Aussie dollars (rather than Thai Baht) you’ll get a better exchange rate.
• If you’re sending more than $10,000 you can negotiate a better exchange rate with your local branch manager – if you tell him 24 hours in advance.
• If you withdraw money from an ATM in Thailand, draw at least 25,000 Baht. Your fee ($7-10) remains the same.

The post Thailand Bank Accounts appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.

Here’s an example of a most recent handyman bill and the story behind it:

The mounting of my sliding carport gate came adrift and needed three welds and my guest bedroom sink was leaking water because its drain and stopper had never been correctly installed and needed replacing.

Our Concierge tech team, two guys, showed up unannounced (everyone in Thailand shows up unannounced) welded the gate and took the sink away. They returned it with a handsome new chrome drain and stopper correctly installed and hooked it up to the plumbing and the problems were solved. Then they handed me the bill, which I read as 7,365 baht (US$225) fair, thought, for such repairs, especially since it included better quality plumbing hardware than the original. I handed the guys 8,000 baht and was about to tell them to keep the change when they burst out laughing and pointed to the numeral I had read was ‘7’. It’s the locals’ way of writing ‘1’.

Typical Expat Monthly Budgets. Our most recent survey shows that twenty-three percent of expats in Thailand have monthly budgets of 25K-45K baht a month. Forty-eight percent have budgets over 65k baht and ten percent with over 145K baht to spend.

When I wanted to create a Budget for Living in Thailand in 2018 I turned to an expert on Thai budgeting, Nancy Lindley. With years of bookkeeping experience, she makes personal budgets and also keeps to them. Better still, she keeps careful note of unexpected expenses and keeps her finger on the pulse of Thailand’s cost of living. Happily, a cost of living budget in Thailand is pretty easy to figure out. It’s been predictable since the Asian Financial Crisis (you’ve probably forgotten; Thais haven’t).

Significantly, Nancy has a second calling: she cares for expatriates who fall on hard times. She visits them in hospital, contacts their relatives, talks to the consulate and spends countless hours repatriating very sick people who cannot afford long-term or major medical care in Thailand and must go home for treatment. She has seen a side of expatriate life that few of us even think about, so my Thai budgeting conversations with her are always sobering.

I asked Nancy to draw up two budgets for living in Thailand , one for the average Thai and one for five times the average Thai’s cost of living budget, and to comment on each. I’ve added my own comments after hers. Both budgets are for living in Chiang Mai (learn more). For Bangkok add 15%; for the countryside subtract 15%. These figures are current as of 2014. E-mail me, godfree@trh.superfasttests.com if you have questions. I lived on this budget for 12 months:

Budget for Average Thai Salary of $500/mo

Nancy’s Comments on the $600 Budget for living in Thailand: “I’ve seen single people lead nice, pleasant lives on this budget. Here’s how they do it”:

• They have a fan (no a/c) room on the lower, east side (cooler) floor in the old city,
• They walk or bicycle just about everywhere,
• They use the AUA library for books,
• They breakfast at the Pub where they watch American, Australian and British sports.
• They take Thai lessons at a wat (temple), etc.
• There’s no room for a steady girlfriend or regular beer-drinking habit.
• You must have savings/insurance for medical costs which are not reflected in this budget.
• I’ve known several guys who have a pension of 30,000 – 40,000 baht/month who live on a 15,000 baht budget and save the rest for medical emergencies and to build a bank account to justify a retirement visa. This takes discipline, which disappears if they acquire a Thai girlfriend who learns about the existence of a savings account!”

Cost of Living in Thailand Examples:

Medical: Two farang friends have just delivered babies – girls – in Chiang Mai hospitals. Each had a private room, one for four days. Their total was pre-agreed: 60,000 Bt (US$1700) each. Both were delighted by the care they received which, in one case, included an autographed photo of the entire delivery team gathered around the bed of the exhausted mother holding her baby for the first time. Another friend got bad food poisoning and went to the hospital. She needed intensive care but every bed in the hospital was full, so the doctor, not wanting to put her back in an ambulance, had his desk removed from his office and a bed installed for her. The bill next day was 1400 Bt (US$40). When she protested that this was too low, staff told her it was because she did  not have a ‘proper room’. A nurse called her at home that night to check her progress.
Automotive: I’ve been doing a lot of fast driving through mountainous roads lately and can assure you that even remote roads are well maintained in the Kingdom. But taking thousands of curves stresses wheel bearings, apparently, because one of mine went out. I discovered this when I went to have the Toyota’s front alignment checked after I hit a pothole (in the middle of town!) and the steering went weird. The shop fixed the affected wheel and moved it to the rear, then balanced and aligned the front wheels. They refused payment because I’d bought the Michelins (3000 Bt each) from them and the work was covered by their lifetime warranty – a pleasant  surprise. There was no denying the wheel bearing problem (the grinding noise was obvious once they pointe it out) so the next day they came and picked up the car. It was back a few hours later along with a bill for 2,000 Bt. and the old bearing in the factory box that held the new bearing. Don’t worry too much about the cost of owning a car in Chiang Mai: it’s far less than you’re accustomed to at home.

Rick, Who Lives on $600 Budget in Thailand

Budget for Living in Thailand on Five Times the Average Thai Salary

 Nancy’s Comments on the $2,400 Budget for Thailand

There is much more room to play with this budget. In it I assume:

• The couple is renting a condo in town.
• Housing is cheaper further out but transportation costs are higher–making a car a necessity.
• No sane retiree is going to rely solely on a motor scooter [see the note below].
• The couple is fairly healthy,
• They eat local cuisine. They don’t have to eat expensive imported food for every meal.
• Drinks wine/beer very moderately [wine here is imported and expensive]

My Observations and Nancy’s Responses

• I lived on $1240/mo. during my first year in Thailand. I made lots of mistakes and wasted lots of money but, after 6 months, found I could live quite comfortably on $600. For example,
• I rented a long-term studio in town for $80/mo. [see photo below] Utilities added $10.
• My long-term scooter rental, $100/mo. includes registration and insurance, servicing, new tires as needed, and a new scooter every 12 months. I’ve had no scooter problems. But see Nancy’s observations about scooter danger, below.
• I stay within the $200 food budget and have never eaten a better diet in my life.
• All my regular medical and dental expenses are out-of-pocket because I’m over 70. Thai health care is excellent and cheap. I just paid $600 for a root canal and crown.
• Toiletries are cheap. An organic skin cream costs $4 a good haircut $7.
• ‘Entertainment’ is up to you. I like wandering around observing Thai culture.
• The Internet provides plenty of information and entertainment, and I went to the pub to watch major sporting events since I don’t like having TV at home.
• Cel phones are cheap; overseas calls are not. Skype or use Google Hangouts to call home.
• Nancy is not kidding about Thai girls and savings accounts. They’re not mercenary, it’s just part of Thai culture. You are a rich farang whether you think so or not.
• There are decent restaurants where you can have three bottles of ice-cold beer served at your table for a total of $5.33, and good meals for $3
• You’ll notice the absence of a clothing budget. Clothes are so cheap here and you wear so few of them – shorts, tee-shirt, flip flops – that it’s not an issue.
• So budget! Thailand’s cost of living is still a steal! Work out how you want to live, then just do it!

Budget for Living in Thailand Costs vs. Scooter Danger

When I shared my observations about scooters with Nancy her response was, as usual, grounded in a reality that I’ve never experienced. Here’s what she said: “I stand by my original observation the elderly shouldn’t use motor scooters. It isn’t a matter of “if” they’ll have an accident, but rather “when” and “how bad”. Just come with me to the orthopedic wards at Suan Dok hospital to see what a motor scooter accident can do. These aren’t the guys with the head injuries – they’re in another part of the hospital”. See my web page on scooter dangers in Thailand.

Video: Budget for Living in Thailand

More about Thai Budgets and Cost of Living

• Cost of Living in Chiang Mai, Thailand – A Little Adrift – A full break down of the cost of living in Thailand, specifically as an expat living in Chiang Mai–includes specific food, rents, internet costs and what those expenses buy you on the road. … **Alternatively, before you get too far into what this buys, consider that my friends also living here shared their Chiang Mai cost of living for two people living a bit more luxuriously than my budget. They spent under $1500 per month (jointly) and had a beautiful apartment and full kitchen, and also …
• How To Live Like a VIP in Bangkok for $285.06 Per Month – This budget cost of living in Bangkok, Thailand, is just a taste of living possibilities. I understand that we all have differing priorities, lifestyle comforts, wants and needs – but if you really want to make something happen, …
• Cost of living Thailand: Living in Chiang Mai for $505 a month – Cost of living in Thailand: Living in Chiang Mai for $505 a month. A break down of expenses … I have become accustomed to not eating large amounts of meat, which keeps my food budget low. Still, the steak is cheap if you …
• Thailand Cost of Living | Expats in Thailand | Expats in … – The most wonderful spot on the planet can only be the place to live if you can afford it. The most essential part of a family’s budget is food. We cannot live without it and, in the Western world, the cost of food has skyrocketed …
• If beachside living is your thing, read The Best places in Koh Samui.

So there’s food for thought for your budget for living in Thailand. Do you think you can make it?

Chiang Mai Cost of Living

The post Budget for Living in Thailand appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.

Most companies oppose the government’s plan to raise the minimum daily wage nationwide to Bt400, US$13, or $300/month, as it will hurt small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), according to the Thai Chamber of Commerce. Chamber chairman Kalin Sarasin said that from the chamber’s discussions with many business operators, it was found that most of them worry over the impact of a further wage rise. He said that only the major companies could make the adjustments to accommodate higher wages due to their massive capital holdings. Most of the companies canvassed by the chamber would rather see the government focus on upgrading labour skills. Kalin said the government should promote more border trade, which is a key way to boost exports. After the government’s policy announcement, the chamber will talk with Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak to propose its opinions on economic issues. Remember, folks, unemployment among native born Thais is 1%. That’s right: one percent!!

Wages in Thailand seem low to Western visitors, but Thailand’s official unemployment rate, 0.56 percent, is among the lowest in the world, (it’s 9.4 percent in India and 6 percent in the Philippines. for example). The jobless rate in Thailand has been under 1 percent since 2011. How did it get so low?

Bank of Thailand spokesman Chirathep Senivongs Na Ayudhya explains: ”Our unemployment rate has been low not because of a different definition from other countries, but because of structural problems,” said . “The agricultural sector absorbs laborers and those who can’t find work can always look for jobs in the informal sector or do something on their own.”

Thai unemployment benefits are 50% of final salary – for a maximum of 180 days. Thai wages are low (see MDs’ salaries, below) so there’s little incentive to stay jobless. Those who lose their jobs often enter the ‘informal sector’ or seek out a part-time job, and so they’re counted as employed.

And 40 percent of Thais are engaged in agriculture, where there is a high percentage of underemployment and seasonal unemployment. The underemployed – estimated at about 0.5 percent – are counted among the employed. So if you lose your job as a store clerk and return home to help out on your family farm for at one hour a week, you are counted as employed.

Then, too, Thailand’s fertility rate from 2010-2015 is estimated at 1.4 by the United Nations Population Fund compared with 3.4 in the Philippines. Plus, its population aged 60+ rose from under 7 percent in 1994 to 15 percent last year, so more people are retiring and fewer entering the workforce. (in Japan, more than a quarter of the population is over 65, has 3+ percent unemployment. There are thought to be 3 million mostly undocumented migrant workers in Thailand from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The government is beginning to register foreign workers, but the language barrier and lack of skills is a challenge to increasing their numbers.

And here’s the biggie: the informal sector of the Thai economy – anyone who’s not covered by formal work arrangements – accounted for more than 64 percent of the total workforce. This includes everyone from street vendors to taxi drivers, self-employed: they’re counted as employed.

The government doesn’t plan any major labor-market policy changes this year or next, and the inflation rate is falling (it’s forecast to breach 1 percent) there are no worries about the jobless rate, so expect it to stay very low.

What are Thai doctors’ wages?

Let’s look at the salaries of upper middle-class professionals: physicians, whose salaries vary depending on whether they work in public or private hospitals. Public hospital salaries range is 20,000 – 30,000 Baht/month.

Overtime on 1 or 2 evenings and, say, Saturday, can add another 20,000 to 30,000. Depending on experience or expertise there may be some extra income from pharmaceutical manufacturers for various services which could bring in a further amount of money a possible range 10,000 to 30,000 Baht/month. A private, Bangkok, hospital like Bumrungrad pays 60,000 – 150,000 depending on hours, experience and skills. With some private clinic work on top (most physicians spend time at these), a private sector doctor could earn 2 – 3 million baht a year, or $100,000. Given the purchasing power parity of the Thai baht, that’s an effective income of about $250,000.

Thai Luck,Wages and Dowries

More on Thai Wages

• For more on the state of the Thai economy, look at this sobering article from the Bangkok Post: Household debt keeps Thailand Southeast Asia’s sick man
• For more statistics on the cost of living in Thailand, take a look at this site, Numbeo
• For a video about the cost of living in Thailand, watch this.
• For more reading:
• • Cost of Living in Chiang Mai, Thailand – A Little Adrift – A full breakdown of the cost of living in Thailand as an expat living in Chiang Mai. Includes food, rent, internet costs and what those expenses buy you there.
  • Thailand Cost of Living | Expats in Thailand | Expats in Thailand – Thailand Cost of Living. One of the most important things to take into account when picking a place to live has to be the cost of living. The most wonderful spot on the planet can only be the place to live if you can afford it.
  • Thailand cost of living | Travel via Thailand – CURRENCY. Thailand’s currency is BATH (THB). $1 is about 32.75THB. COSTS. Thailand is one of the countries with the lowest cost of living. The prices depends on where you are. Like a bottle of beer in the Silom or …
  • Cost of Living in Thailand | Chiang Mai Solicitor – Cost of Living in Thailand, 10.0 out of 10 based on 2 ratings. Incoming search terms: chiang mai cost of living · chiang mai thailand cost of living · cost of living in chiang mai thailand. Related Posts. Amphur Offices in Thailand (1.000) …
  • 4 Countries Where Expats Can Live For Cheap – Business Insider – Seventy-four percent of survey respondents consider Thailand’s cost of living to be good or excellent, well above the global average of 35%. Housing is cheap, too: 85% of expats report that they are happy with the affordability …
  • How To Live Like a VIP in Bangkok for $285.06 Per Month – Сейчас […] Reply · Useful links for working & living in Thailand : Thailand Lad says: April 11, 2013 at 6:55 pm. […] http://migrationology.com/2011/07/cost-of-living-in-bangkok-thailand/ – Cost of living in Bangkok, Thailand […].
  • The real cost of living in Thailand – Keyframe5 – Thailand cost of living for a single man. Please note: this post was created on December 2014 with the currency rate at $1 USD = ฿32.9 THB. For the sake of this post and to make it easier to calculate, I’ll covert the currency as …
  • Thailand – Cost of Living – FlippTravel – Price List of the Basic Commodities – Average Costs in $ Milk (regular,1 liter) – 1.41 Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) – 1.13 Rice (white, 1kg) –

Wages in Thailand seem low to Western visitors, but Thailand’s official unemployment rate, 0.56 percent, is among the lowest in the world, (it’s 9.4 percent in India and 6 percent in the Philippines. for example). The jobless rate in Thailand has been under 1 percent since 2011. How did it get so low?

Bank of Thailand spokesman Chirathep Senivongs Na Ayudhya explains: ”Our unemployment rate has been low not because of a different definition from other countries, but because of structural problems,” said . “The agricultural sector absorbs laborers and those who can’t find work can always look for jobs in the informal sector or do something on their own.”

Thai unemployment benefits are 50% of final salary – for a maximum of 180 days. Thai wages are low (see MDs’ salaries, below) so there’s little incentive to stay jobless. Those who lose their jobs often enter the ‘informal sector’ or seek out a part-time job, and so they’re counted as employed.

And 40 percent of Thais are engaged in agriculture, where there is a high percentage of underemployment and seasonal unemployment. The underemployed – estimated at about 0.5 percent – are counted among the employed. So if you lose your job as a store clerk and return home to help out on your family farm for at one hour a week, you are counted as employed.

Then, too, Thailand’s fertility rate from 2010-2015 is estimated at 1.4 by the United Nations Population Fund compared with 3.4 in the Philippines. Plus, its population aged 60+ rose from under 7 percent in 1994 to 15 percent last year, so more people are retiring and fewer entering the workforce. (in Japan, more than a quarter of the population is over 65, has 3+ percent unemployment. There are thought to be 3 million mostly undocumented migrant workers in Thailand from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The government is beginning to register foreign workers, but the language barrier and lack of skills is a challenge to increasing their numbers.

And here’s the biggie: the informal sector of the Thai economy – anyone who’s not covered by formal work arrangements – accounted for more than 64 percent of the total workforce. This includes everyone from street vendors to taxi drivers, self-employed: they’re counted as employed.

The government doesn’t plan any major labor-market policy changes this year or next, and the inflation rate is falling (it’s forecast to breach 1 percent) there are no worries about the jobless rate, so expect it to stay very low.

What are Thai doctors’ wages?

Let’s look at the salaries of upper middle-class professionals: physicians, whose salaries vary depending on whether they work in public or private hospitals. Public hospital salaries range is 20,000 – 30,000 Baht/month.

Overtime on 1 or 2 evenings and, say, Saturday, can add another 20,000 to 30,000. Depending on experience or expertise there may be some extra income from pharmaceutical manufacturers for various services which could bring in a further amount of money a possible range 10,000 to 30,000 Baht/month. A private, Bangkok, hospital like Bumrungrad pays 60,000 – 150,000 depending on hours, experience and skills. With some private clinic work on top (most physicians spend time at these), a private sector doctor could earn 2 – 3 million baht a year, or $100,000. Given the purchasing power parity of the Thai baht, that’s an effective income of about $250,000.

Thai Luck,Wages and Dowries

More on Thai Wages

• For more on the state of the Thai economy, look at this sobering article from the Bangkok Post: Household debt keeps Thailand Southeast Asia’s sick man
• For more statistics on the cost of living in Thailand, take a look at this site, Numbeo
• For a video about the cost of living in Thailand, watch this.
• For more reading:
• • Cost of Living in Chiang Mai, Thailand – A Little Adrift – A full breakdown of the cost of living in Thailand as an expat living in Chiang Mai. Includes food, rent, internet costs and what those expenses buy you there.
  • Thailand Cost of Living | Expats in Thailand | Expats in Thailand – Thailand Cost of Living. One of the most important things to take into account when picking a place to live has to be the cost of living. The most wonderful spot on the planet can only be the place to live if you can afford it.
  • Thailand cost of living | Travel via Thailand – CURRENCY. Thailand’s currency is BATH (THB). $1 is about 32.75THB. COSTS. Thailand is one of the countries with the lowest cost of living. The prices depends on where you are. Like a bottle of beer in the Silom or …
  • Cost of Living in Thailand | Chiang Mai Solicitor – Cost of Living in Thailand, 10.0 out of 10 based on 2 ratings. Incoming search terms: chiang mai cost of living · chiang mai thailand cost of living · cost of living in chiang mai thailand. Related Posts. Amphur Offices in Thailand (1.000) …
  • 4 Countries Where Expats Can Live For Cheap – Business Insider – Seventy-four percent of survey respondents consider Thailand’s cost of living to be good or excellent, well above the global average of 35%. Housing is cheap, too: 85% of expats report that they are happy with the affordability …
  • How To Live Like a VIP in Bangkok for $285.06 Per Month – Сейчас […] Reply · Useful links for working & living in Thailand : Thailand Lad says: April 11, 2013 at 6:55 pm. […] http://migrationology.com/2011/07/cost-of-living-in-bangkok-thailand/ – Cost of living in Bangkok, Thailand […].
  • The real cost of living in Thailand – Keyframe5 – Thailand cost of living for a single man. Please note: this post was created on December 2014 with the currency rate at $1 USD = ฿32.9 THB. For the sake of this post and to make it easier to calculate, I’ll covert the currency as …
  • Thailand – Cost of Living – FlippTravel – Price List of the Basic Commodities – Average Costs in $ Milk (regular,1 liter) – 1.41 Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) – 1.13 Rice (white, 1kg) –

Wages in Thailand seem low to Western visitors, but Thailand’s official unemployment rate, 0.56 percent, is among the lowest in the world, (it’s 9.4 percent in India and 6 percent in the Philippines. for example). The jobless rate in Thailand has been under 1 percent since 2011. How did it get so low?

Bank of Thailand spokesman Chirathep Senivongs Na Ayudhya explains: ”Our unemployment rate has been low not because of a different definition from other countries, but because of structural problems,” said . “The agricultural sector absorbs laborers and those who can’t find work can always look for jobs in the informal sector or do something on their own.”

Thai unemployment benefits are 50% of final salary – for a maximum of 180 days. Thai wages are low (see MDs’ salaries, below) so there’s little incentive to stay jobless. Those who lose their jobs often enter the ‘informal sector’ or seek out a part-time job, and so they’re counted as employed.

And 40 percent of Thais are engaged in agriculture, where there is a high percentage of underemployment and seasonal unemployment. The underemployed – estimated at about 0.5 percent – are counted among the employed. So if you lose your job as a store clerk and return home to help out on your family farm for at one hour a week, you are counted as employed.

Then, too, Thailand’s fertility rate from 2010-2015 is estimated at 1.4 by the United Nations Population Fund compared with 3.4 in the Philippines. Plus, its population aged 60+ rose from under 7 percent in 1994 to 15 percent last year, so more people are retiring and fewer entering the workforce. (in Japan, more than a quarter of the population is over 65, has 3+ percent unemployment. There are thought to be 3 million mostly undocumented migrant workers in Thailand from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The government is beginning to register foreign workers, but the language barrier and lack of skills is a challenge to increasing their numbers.

And here’s the biggie: the informal sector of the Thai economy – anyone who’s not covered by formal work arrangements – accounted for more than 64 percent of the total workforce. This includes everyone from street vendors to taxi drivers, self-employed: they’re counted as employed.

The government doesn’t plan any major labor-market policy changes this year or next, and the inflation rate is falling (it’s forecast to breach 1 percent) there are no worries about the jobless rate, so expect it to stay very low.

What are Thai doctors’ wages?

Let’s look at the salaries of upper middle-class professionals: physicians, whose salaries vary depending on whether they work in public or private hospitals. Public hospital salaries range is 20,000 – 30,000 Baht/month.

Overtime on 1 or 2 evenings and, say, Saturday, can add another 20,000 to 30,000. Depending on experience or expertise there may be some extra income from pharmaceutical manufacturers for various services which could bring in a further amount of money a possible range 10,000 to 30,000 Baht/month. A private, Bangkok, hospital like Bumrungrad pays 60,000 – 150,000 depending on hours, experience and skills. With some private clinic work on top (most physicians spend time at these), a private sector doctor could earn 2 – 3 million baht a year, or $100,000. Given the purchasing power parity of the Thai baht, that’s an effective income of about $250,000.

Thai Luck,Wages and Dowries

More on Thai Wages

• For more on the state of the Thai economy, look at this sobering article from the Bangkok Post: Household debt keeps Thailand Southeast Asia’s sick man
• For more statistics on the cost of living in Thailand, take a look at this site, Numbeo
• For a video about the cost of living in Thailand, watch this.
• For more reading:
• • Cost of Living in Chiang Mai, Thailand – A Little Adrift – A full breakdown of the cost of living in Thailand as an expat living in Chiang Mai. Includes food, rent, internet costs and what those expenses buy you there.
  • Thailand Cost of Living | Expats in Thailand | Expats in Thailand – Thailand Cost of Living. One of the most important things to take into account when picking a place to live has to be the cost of living. The most wonderful spot on the planet can only be the place to live if you can afford it.
  • Thailand cost of living | Travel via Thailand – CURRENCY. Thailand’s currency is BATH (THB). $1 is about 32.75THB. COSTS. Thailand is one of the countries with the lowest cost of living. The prices depends on where you are. Like a bottle of beer in the Silom or …
  • Cost of Living in Thailand | Chiang Mai Solicitor – Cost of Living in Thailand, 10.0 out of 10 based on 2 ratings. Incoming search terms: chiang mai cost of living · chiang mai thailand cost of living · cost of living in chiang mai thailand. Related Posts. Amphur Offices in Thailand (1.000) …
  • 4 Countries Where Expats Can Live For Cheap – Business Insider – Seventy-four percent of survey respondents consider Thailand’s cost of living to be good or excellent, well above the global average of 35%. Housing is cheap, too: 85% of expats report that they are happy with the affordability …
  • How To Live Like a VIP in Bangkok for $285.06 Per Month – Сейчас […] Reply · Useful links for working & living in Thailand : Thailand Lad says: April 11, 2013 at 6:55 pm. […] http://migrationology.com/2011/07/cost-of-living-in-bangkok-thailand/ – Cost of living in Bangkok, Thailand […].
  • The real cost of living in Thailand – Keyframe5 – Thailand cost of living for a single man. Please note: this post was created on December 2014 with the currency rate at $1 USD = ฿32.9 THB. For the sake of this post and to make it easier to calculate, I’ll covert the currency as …
  • Thailand – Cost of Living – FlippTravel – Price List of the Basic Commodities – Average Costs in $ Milk (regular,1 liter) – 1.41 Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) – 1.13 Rice (white, 1kg) –

Thailand’s official unemployment rate, 0.56 percent, is among the lowest in the world, (it’s 9.4 percent in India and 6 percent in the Philippines, for example). Thailand employment is high and doctors’ salaries are low. The jobless rate in Thailand has been under 1 percent since 2011. How did it get so low?

Bank of Thailand spokesman Chirathep Senivongs Na Ayudhya explains: ”Our unemployment rate has been low not because of a different definition from other countries, but because of structural problems,” said . “The agricultural sector absorbs laborers and those who can’t find work can always look for jobs in the informal sector or do something on their own.”

If you’ve been making regular payments into the national unemployment program, Thai unemployment benefits are 50% of your final salary – for a maximum of 180 days. Thai salaries are low (see MDs’ salaries, below) so there’s little incentive to stay jobless. Those who lose their jobs often enter the ‘informal sector’ or seek out a part-time job, and so they’re counted as employed.

And 40 percent of Thais are engaged in agriculture, where there is a high percentage of underemployment and seasonal unemployment. The underemployed – estimated at about 0.5 percent – are counted among the employed. So if you lose your job as a store clerk and return home to help out on your family farm for at one hour a week, you are counted as employed.

Then, too, Thailand’s fertility rate from 2010-2015 is estimated at 1.4 by the United Nations Population Fund compared with 3.4 in the Philippines. Plus, its population aged 60+ rose from under 7 percent in 1994 to 15 percent last year, so more people are retiring and fewer entering the workforce. (in Japan, more than a quarter of the population is over 65, has 3+ percent unemployment.

There are thought to be 3 million mostly undocumented migrant workers in Thailand from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The government is beginning to register foreign workers, but the language barrier and lack of skills is a challenge to increasing their numbers.

And here’s the biggie: the informal sector of the Thai economy – anyone who’s not covered by formal work arrangements – accounted for more than 64 percent of the total workforce. This includes everyone from street vendors to taxi drivers, self-employed: they’re counted as employed.

The government doesn’t plan any major labor-market policy changes this year or next, and the inflation rate is falling (it’s forecast to breach 1 percent) there are no worries about the jobless rate, so expect it to stay very low.

What are Thai salaries like?

Let’s look at the salaries of upper middle-class professionals: physicians, whose salaries vary depending on whether they work in public or private hospitals.

Public hospital salaries range is 20,000 – 30,000 Baht/month.

Overtime on 1 or 2 evenings and, say, Saturday, can add another 20,000 to 30,000. Depending on experience or expertise there may be some extra income from pharmaceutical manufacturers for various services which could bring in a further amount of money a possible range 10,000 to 30,000 Baht/month.

Doctors’ salaries in Thailand vary greatly. A private, Bangkok, hospital like Bumrungrad pays 60,000 – 150,000 depending on hours, experience and skills. With some private clinic work on top (most physicians spend time at these), a private sector doctor could earn 2 – 3 million baht a year, or $100,000. Given the purchasing power parity of the Thai baht, that’s an effective income of about $250,000.

• For more on the state of the Thai economy, look at this sobering article from the Bangkok Post: Household debt keeps Thailand Southeast Asia’s sick man
• For more statistics on the cost of living in Thailand, take a look at this site, Numbeo
• For a video about the cost of living in Thailand, watch this.

For more reading:

• Cost of Living in Chiang Mai, Thailand – A Little Adrift – A full breakdown of the cost of living in Thailand as an expat living in Chiang Mai. Includes food, rent, internet costs and what those expenses buy you there.
• Thailand Cost of Living | Expats in Thailand | Expats in Thailand – Thailand Cost of Living. One of the most important things to take into account when picking a place to live has to be the cost of living. The most wonderful spot on the planet can only be the place to live if you can afford it.
• Thailand cost of living | Travel via Thailand – CURRENCY. Thailand’s currency is BATH (THB). $1 is about 32.75THB. COSTS. Thailand is one of the countries with the lowest cost of living. The prices depends on where you are. Like a bottle of beer in the Silom or …
• Cost of Living in Thailand | Chiang Mai Solicitor – Cost of Living in Thailand, 10.0 out of 10 based on 2 ratings. Incoming search terms: chiang mai cost of living · chiang mai thailand cost of living · cost of living in chiang mai thailand. Related Posts. Amphur Offices in Thailand (1.000) …
• 4 Countries Where Expats Can Live For Cheap – Business Insider – Seventy-four percent of survey respondents consider Thailand’s cost of living to be good or excellent, well above the global average of 35%. Housing is cheap, too: 85% of expats report that they are happy with the affordability …
• How To Live Like a VIP in Bangkok for $285.06 Per Month – Сейчас […] Reply · Useful links for working & living in Thailand : Thailand Lad says: April 11, 2013 at 6:55 pm. […] http://migrationology.com/2011/07/cost-of-living-in-bangkok-thailand/ – Cost of living in Bangkok, Thailand […].
• The real cost of living in Thailand – Keyframe5 – Thailand cost of living for a single man. Please note: this post was created on December 2014 with the currency rate at $1 USD = ฿32.9 THB. For the sake of this post and to make it easier to calculate, I’ll covert the currency as …
• Thailand – Cost of Living – FlippTravel – Price List of the Basic Commodities – Average Costs in $ Milk (regular,1 liter) – 1.41 Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) – 1.13 Rice (white, 1kg) –

The post Thailand Employment Salaries appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.

The average quantity of pure alcohol consumed by each Thai adult, 15+ years, increased from 6.8 to 7.1 liters between 2008 and 2010. The global average is 6.21 litres, but for Southeast Asia it’s 3.4 litres – less than half of Thailand’s. Thailand is now #4 in the world for alcohol consumption.

This is startling considering that 70% per cent of Thais are recorded as abstainers. The remaining 30 per cent more than make up for those who don’t drink. The total alcohol consumption for Thai male drinkers (those who DO drink) was 30.3 litres of pure alcohol. For women (who have to do all the work in Thailand), it’s only 5.2 litres.

Thailand alsos received the highest rating – 5 – for the number of “Years of Life Lost”. Deaths from cirrhosis of the liver were 28.2 per 100,000 citizens for men, 8.7 for women. Interestingly, the death rate for road accidents using the same criteria was 70.3 for men and 18.5 for women.

In Thailand, 73 per cent of alcohol consumed is spirits, 27 per cent is beer, while wine is less than 1 per cent. Neighboring Myanmar’s alcohol-use profile resembles that of Western countries: 6 per cent wine, 12 per cent spirits and 82 per cent beer. For the United States it’s 12 per cent spirits, 40 per cent wine and 48 per cent beer.

At me neighborhood liquor store Hong Thong Whisky (35% alcohol) Thailand’s top-selling whisky is 239 Baht for a 700 ml bottle. 40% proof Song Sam Whisky goes for 271 Bt ($9)! Rongkaw white spirits (known locally as lao khao), the world’s second largest spirits brand, is just 99 Bt ($3.30) for 40%. Yikes!

In the tiny wine section I found Siam White Blend 2012, 750ml, 12.5% alcohol for 299 Bt, or $10. That’s a no-brainer.

Alas, in the notoriously corrupt Thai Government the Thai Public Health Ministry has no input on excise tax policy. Then-Finance Minister Kittirong na Ranong said excise taxes are set “according to ministerial regulation”; i.e., behind closed doors.

Health groups helped push through some regulations, the most ridiculous of which is the ban on the sale in stores of alcohol from 2 – 5pm. The concept behind this move was that it would prevent “schoolboys” from obtaining alcohol. It has been a complete failure. The notion of using excise taxes to move drinkers towards beverages with lower alcohol content (as practiced in the UK) has not yet made it onto the Thai government’s agenda, apparently. The WHO report can be viewed here. 

The post Cheap Alcohol in Thailand appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.

An Aussie, Michelle Hammond, writes that living in Chiang Mai saves her $23,994 a year:

Medical: Dermatologist visit without an appointment: vital signs, 10-minute wait, evaluation, CO2 removal of two pre-cancerous lesions: 996 Baht. (You didn’t think Chiang Mai’s cost of living was so low, did you?)

Two farang friends have just delivered baby girls in Chiang Mai hospitals. Each had a private room, one for four days. Their total was pre-agreed: 60,000 Bt (US$1700) each. Both were delighted by the care they received which, in one case, included an autographed photo of the entire delivery team gathered around the bed of the exhausted mother holding her baby for the first time. Another friend got bad food poisoning and went to the hospital in early July. She needed intensive care but every bed in the hospital was full so the doctor, not wanting to put her back in an ambulance, had his desk removed from his office and a bed installed for her. The bill next day was 1400 Bt (US$40). When she protested that this was too low, staff told her it was because she did  not have a ‘proper room’. A nurse called her at home that night to check her progress.

Automotive: I’ve been doing a lot of fast driving through mountainous roads lately and can assure you that even remote roads are well maintained in the Kingdom. But taking thousands of curves stresses wheel bearings, apparently, because one of mine went out. I discovered this when I went to have the Toyota’s front alignment checked after I hit a pothole (in the middle of town!) and the steering went weird. The shop fixed the affected wheel and moved it to the rear, then balanced and aligned the front wheels. They refused payment because I’d bought the Michelins (3,000 Bt each) from them and the work was covered by their lifetime warranty – a pleasant  surprise. There was no denying the wheel bearing problem (the grinding noise was obvious once they pointe it out) so the next day they came and picked up the car. It was back a few hours later along with a bill for 2,000 Bt. and the old bearing in the factory box that held the new bearing. Don’t worry too much about the cost of owning a car in Chiang Mai: it’s far less than you’re accustomed to at home.

Bathroom Installer: I consider Thai bathrooms more dangerous than Thai roads so decided to install three grab bars in case I slip. Home Pro, the hardware store that sold the bars quoted me 1,100 baht (Aimie was shocked at the price but this was too important to haggle) and sent around a man with the experience and equipment to drill tiles (a tricky business) and I showed him where and at what height I wanted each bar to go then left him to get on with his work.  Thais don’t give up any freedom just because you’re paying them and one of those freedoms is deciding how things should be done. This means you don’t always get what you expect – or want. He installed the bars neatly and professionally in 30 minutes but so far up the wall that I have little chance of grabbing them if I slip, as you can see from the height the door handle.

The garden installer came to put in some shrubs outside my front fence. All my neighbors have hedges and my fence looked naked without one. I told the crew where to break up the thin concrete outside the fence and left them to it. They had other ideas, as it turns out. Their idea is what you see in the photograph: a raised garden surrounded by bricks. It doesn’t match the rest of the street and, worse still, it gets 12 hours of direct sun in summer and the soil gets so hot that it broils the roots of anything but the hardiest weeds.

My hairdresser is an artist. He finds my ultra-short hair style an affront to his aesthetic sensibility. Every time I go for a cut – 220 Baht – he gives me the style that pleases him. Then follows a ‘yes but’ discussion during which I make excuses for the hairstyle I need (“I go swimming every day and cannot spend time drying it”, etc.). He shakes his head in disbelief and, eventually, complies.

I mention these three people not in any negative way, but to contrast Thai culture with our own: Thais feel freer to be themselves, express their own opinions, and ignore the master-slave relationship that Western employees are encouraged to embrace. And now to a different adventure:

The Plumber: I heard water running outside the house day and night for weeks, then came home to find a a water bill pinned to my gate for 9,761 baht – 30x times normal. A water inspector then showed up and located the leak in a water junction box (no the West does not have such things, and I’m not sure why Thailand does) in the yard behind the house. It was clear that someone in the past had attempted to repair it with what looked like black electrical tape, which had finally given way. The inspector sent a repairman who quickly set things right, but I was now in a tricky position: under Thai law I am responsible for everything in and around the house, but this strange box had water pipes entering it from other properties and the damage was done before I signed the lease. “Did you take a photograph of the old repair?” was Aimie’s first question. Damn! It hadn’t occurred to me that I’d need evidence. However, after some back and forth, the owner offered to split the bill.

Picked up cushions for the two Yang chairs (like the one in the picture). Total for two big cushions, cover and zipped outer covers was 3,180 baht. When I tried to pay, the lady behind the counter became concerned and explained that I had paid when I ordered the cushions. I find this kind of honesty typical in Chiang Mai. Cheating is quite rare.

Internet Bills: I dumped my unreliable Internet carrier, 3BB, and put in a direct fiber connection from AIS, whose equipment is much newer and more reliable. I’m paying 1300 Bhat per month for 30Mb fiber. Twice the speed for little more money and less down time. When you’re figuring your Thailand cost of living, you can usually get Internt free via WiFi in condos and apartments – so that’s a potential savings.

More Chiang Mai Cost of Living

Town gas is unknown in this part of the world, as is cooking with gas indoors. Most domestic kitchens are outdoors, with charcoal braziers. My house has a small Western kitchen with a two-burner stovetop with a small (15 kg) tank underneath. When it ran out last week I took it down to the local gas merchant and swapped it for a full one – enough to last me 6 months using it once a day.

Reading Glasses. After cataract surgery (below) I need reading glasses and, since I only use them at home, did not want fancy (2,000 baht) frames. Bought four pairs of reading glasses for 100 baht each and had the prescription lenses made up and inserted into them for 2,100 baht. Total for four pairs of prescription readers: 2,500 baht ($85).

Furniture: Took delivery of two yang chairs to match the big yang chair/bed/lounge (4,000 Baht each, above) I bought last month (12,000 Baht, below). These are popular locally since the sofa-style yangs double as occasional beds for unexpected guests – and unexpected guests are the most common kind here. They’re (very) solid teak and weigh a ton. I’m planning to upholster them with some fabulous silk from our local silk merchants, Shinawatra, who make beautiful stuff. Very expensive, though.

Refrigerators: This month’s shopping has been educational and fun, as usual. When we’re shopping together sales staff assume Aimie and I are married. She cracks up and tells me, “They call me ‘madam’ instead of ‘sister’ and congratulate me on having such a rich husband”. Their congratulations came when I went to buy a good quality(!) $200 mattress for the guest room (visitors have been lining up since friends learned about the spare bedroom). I was tired of defrosting the Panasonic refrigerator that came with the house and I fell for a tall silver Samsung with a separate freezer on sale at HomePro for 9,999 Baht, $330. Two guys delivered and installed it that afternoon and stayed to explain the controls – which was rather sweet.

Utility Bills: One advantage of condos is that the landlord pays the utility bills. The disadvantage is that she then charges you double what she paid. I was looking forward to saving a few bucks when my first round of bills arrived for the house but I discovered that, like so many aspects of Thai life, bill-paying is more complicated than it appears. For one thing, the bills are in Thai. For another, most companies – including the biggest – have hit-or-miss billing software. Why? I suspect it’s a combination of the facts that

1. Thais hate being told how to do things (especially by farangs)
2. They always assume that the Thai way is best, and
3. They can figure it out themselves.

One result is that my cellular carrier, True, does not bill me at all. Despite my pleas (and complaints, when my service is discontinued for non-payment) they simply tell me that their billing department is ‘having problems” and that I should ‘just remember next time’. The lady says it with the sweetest smile so I apologize and pay meekly. The water bill comes monthly on a cash-register printout slip. It’s about $5 a month and I can pay it – like most bills in Thailand – at any 7-11 store. Reassured by this knowledge, I waited a few weeks before paying the first bill  because there’s no convenient 7-11 near my house. Then I found to my dismay that I was ‘too late’ and would have to visit the Water Department on the other side of town. Bummer. The Water Department building is clearly signed – in Thai – so it took me a while to find it. I finally figured out that the building with the huge, shiny blue pipe and valve in front of it must be the right place. (Pipes and valves are beautiful, from the Water Department’s point of view, of course). Living in Thailand teaches you to look for contextual clues, that’s for sure!

Trash Bills: The trash bill is a bit of a mystery. There’s no regular trash pickup so, if I want it picked up, I must leave the bin outside the gate, in the narrow laneway, permanently. The big yellow truck roars by several times a week, but I’ve taken to carrying my trash to a local drop-off bin (a recycled blue plastic barrel) when I go out for my early morning walk. The standard trash bag in Thailand is a recycled plastic shopping bag, so that’s what I use, too. And since I started hauling  my own garbage, the bills (30 Baht/mo) have stopped. Trash collection is not going to figure heavily in your Thailand cost of living – as you see!

Rent: The least problematic aspect of Thailand’s cost of living is my rent (10,000 Bt/mo): I just transfer it from my online bank account directly to my landlady’s account with a few mouse clicks). On line bank payments are as easy here as they are there, thank God! More here..

So there you have it: bill paying is a curse that we must all endure since Adam and Eve made their rash decision to leave Paradise, and in Thailand it’s a mixed curse. But Chiang Mai’s cost of living is pretty hard to beat!

The post Chiang Mai Cost of Living appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.

Getting work permits in Thailand can be really tricky. Seventeen foreigners have been arrested for not having work permits, working illegally following a raid on a condominium in Chiang Mai. The raid, which took place at 12.30am on Friday found 17 Westerners of various nationalities providing online English classes to people in China from a room in the ground floor of the Riverside Condo. The farangs were asked to produce their passports and work permits and, while twelve produced passports, they were unable to produce work permits. Among them were three Americans, a Canadian, a German, a Dutch national, two Irish women, two Britons and two Australians. A fourth American was on overstay.

The remaining foreigners had passports and valid work permits but were in breach of work conditions: the foreigners had been hired by BOI 360, but the online language school was found to be operating without permission. The foreigners now have of face charges of working illegally in Thailand and are currently being held at Mae Ping police station. In order to work legally in Thailand farangs must have valid work permits and the appropriate Non-Immigrant visa/extension.

How does a farang get a legitimate work permit in Thailand? Why, find a specialist.

All Thai lawyers specialize in a niche of the law. Asking a non-real estate lawyer to do real estate work for you is to invite disaster. He won’t be up to date on regulation changes, which occur weekly, and he won’t have a sympathetic friend in the Land Office to guide him through the maze of paperwork.

My visa gal is great for residency visas and works miracles with the Thai Bureau of Immigration because she’s a former Immigration inspector. But ask her about work visas and she becomes hesitant because she doesn’t know anyone in the Labor Department – which is where Thailand’s work visas are issued. So I’ve been looking for a work visa specialist for over a year then, last week, a British friend introduced me to his labor lawyer and it was love at first sight.

His name, wonderfully enough, is Mr. Big. (That’s his Thai chue-len (ชึ่อเล่น) ≠ which is usually translated as ‘nickname’ but it’s much more than that. Thais use chue-len because they change their family names relatively frequently. And nicknames are a holdover from the belief that evil spirits (ปีศาจ ปีศาจ) are always looking for newborns to abduct and control, so using a chue-len instead of a normal Thai name confuses the spirits and helps to keep the child safe. The use of nicknames remains so widespread in Thailand that it’s not uncommon for friends to know each other for years and yet not know each other’s real name and surname).

Thai work permits allow you to work or operate a business in Thailand as a skilled professional or an employer. Without a Thai work permit working in Thailand can have severe consequences. Foreigners arrested for working without a permit are usually fined or imprisoned.

Thailand’s Labour Ministry and the Immigration Bureau have together launched the first smartphone app for expats to lodge requests for work permits and have them approved–though you will still need to make at least two “offline” trips to specially set up centres to complete the procedure. The app, Thailand Digital Work Permit, was introduced to companies and foreign employees last Friday. The first person to be digitally granted a work permit was Japan’s Koichiro Suda. The permit was approved by Waranon Pitiwan, director-general of the Department of Employment (DOE). Mr Suda works as a domestic sales coordinator for Minebea Thailand Co Ltd, one of the firms supported by the Office of the Board of Investment (BoI).

The app resulted from a project jointly launched by the BoI, the Labour Ministry and the Immigration Bureau called Single Window.

According to Thai regulations a successful work permit application depends on the hiring company’s registered capitalization. Money talks. Thai ‘Business Entities’ wanting to apply for work permits for foreign employees must have at least two million baht fully paid-up registered capitalization. If you have a Thai spouse you only need 1 million baht, or US$30,000. Here’s what the regulations say:

Foreign Business Entities who had operated their business in Thailand can apply their employees for work permit if they bring at least three million baht per employee into the country. The business entities may be granted a maximum of 10 work permits each. Before you can apply or be issued with a work permit you must first have a non-immigrant visa. This is required to apply for a Thai work permit in the Kingdom. Ideally, it should be acquired prior to your arrival in Thailand. We can assist you in obtaining it in your home country or in country close to Thailand. In addition, we can help you convert a tourist visa to a non-immigrant visa without leaving Thailand.

But Mr. Big can get you a work permit for almost anything, under almost any circumstances. A friend who wanted to teach a crania-sacral adjustment workshop here in Chiang Mai was able to get a temporary work permit to do just that. It cost her just 1500 Baht plus Mr. Big’s fee, and she had it in 48 hours!

To apply for a work permit, you must have either a non immigrant visa or a residence permit. Ideally, you would also have a non-immigrant visa before entering Thailand, since residence permits are usually granted only after you have lived in Thailand for at least 3 consecutive years under a non-immigrant visa. Your employer or potential employer may file an application for advance permission to work before you arrive in Thailand. However, the work permit itself will not be issued until you arrive in Thailand on a valid non-immigrant visa. You file the application at your nearest Provincial (Changwat) Department of Employment Office. The following documents must be submitted when you apply for a work permit. Note that Thai labor officials make changes in the list of required documents whenever they consider appropriate. All supporting documents usually must be translated into Thai with appropriate certification.

• Application form (Tor. Thor. 2) and 3 ID photos, front view and 5×6 cm. in size (taken not more than 6 months).
• Letter from employer certifying employment and reasons for not employing Thai national.
• Employment agreement.
• Copy of the company’s affidavit certified by the Commercial Registration Department (taken not more than 6 months).
• Copy of list of shareholders certified by the Commercial Registration Department (taken not more than 6 months).
• Copy of certificate of incorporation.
• Copy of Taxpayer Card, VAT certificate or Phor. Por. 01 and 09.
• Copy of current balance sheet with profit and loss showing total assets.
• Copy of Phor. Ngor. Dor. 50 (Corporate Income Tax Return) including receipt.
• Organizational chart.
• List of all expatriate(s) in the company indicating position and work permit number(s).
• Copies of educational certificates and letters of recommendation from previous employment.
• Copies of all pages of passport showing the valid Non?Immigrant Visa (B or O).
• Copies of all pages of the work permit of the authorized director showing the valid date (if the authorized director is a foreigner).
• A medical certificate certifying that the applicant is free from prohibited diseases (taken not more than 3 months).
• Power of attorney affixed with Baht 10 duty stamp.
• Map of the company’s location.
• Official form for notification of commencement of work (Tor.Thor. 10).
• Other relevant document(s), if any.
• Copy of Phor. Por. 30 for the previous 6 months including receipt (for new companies only)

All photocopies of documents must be certified as true copies by the authorized director(s) and affixed with the company seal. If the application is to be filed by another person, a valid Power of Attorney in the prescribed form must be attached with an affixed Baht 10 duty stamp.

On the application form, the job description entry must be completed with a detailed description of the job to be performed, how it is related to other employees, and what materials will be used in the said job. If the job applied for requires a license under a particular law in addition to the Alien Employment Act, a photocopy of such license, e.g., a teacher’s license, physician’s license, press card from the Public Relations Department, certificate of missionary status from the Religious Affairs Department, etc. must also be attached.

If you are married to a Thai national, the marriage certificate must be presented along with your spouse’s identity card, birth certificates of children, household registration certificate, and a photocopy of every page of your passport. If you are applying for a position previously held by another foreigner, a photocopy of your predecessor’s work permit, together with his/her notice of resignation from the company or a letter confirming his/her intended date of departure must be presented.

Previously, foreigners who needed to obtain a work permit in order to work were prohibited from doing any work, for any employer, anywhere, and under any such conditions if such were not detailed and, therefore, permitted in the work permit itself. That is no longer the case.

Until last year Thailand regulated foreign work permissions under the Alien Workers Act (2008) (the “Act”).

In 2017 the Emergency Decree on Non-Thais’ Working Management Emergency Decree, (2017) (“Decree No. 1”) repealed the Alien Workers Act (2008).

Decree No. 1, however, incorporated much of the repealed Act’s provisions and kept in force most of the regulations issued under it.

Then, on 27 March 2018, the Emergency Decree on Non-Thais’ Working Management (No.2) (2018) (“Decree No. 2”) was issued. Decree No. 2 amended Decree No. 1.

Section 70 of Decree No. 1 (and the Act) provided that “a person who is granted permission for working may not carry out the work of the type, with the employer, in a locality or on any working condition that is different from that specified in their work permit unless permission under Section 71 is obtained.”

Section 71 of Decree No. 1 (and the Act) provided that “a person who is granted permission for working, and who intends to change or add the following particulars, must obtain permission from the Registrar: (1) type of work (2) employer (3) location or (4) working conditions.”

And Section 73 of Decree No. 1 (and the Act) provided that “no person may allow a foreigner to work in a manner different from the requirements specified in the work permit.”

However, and very significantly, Section 37 of Decree No. 2 repealed Sections 70, 71, and 73 of Decree No. 1.

Furthermore, Section 28 of Decree No. 2 provides that a work permit holder may engage in any work that is not specifically prohibited to all foreigners on the “Official List” of work prohibited to foreigners.

When I arrived here I didn’t have much choice about making money in Thailand. My $1240 Social Security check was enough to live on but travel was not an option and I couldn’t even afford a car. So I pestered all the local expats who would listen and asked them what they did to make ends meet. The stories they told me about their mistakes, wins, and losses were inspirational and helpful: I adopted two of them for myself and also found that they’d given me enough material for a book. Here’s an outline of what it covers:

• Fifteen ways to start a Thai-based business
• How to sell Thai products back to your home market
• How the Thai government helps you make money
• Where to find products to sell
• What kinds of products sell best
• How to sell your services in Thailand
• How to sell your skills abroad from Thailand
• Getting a job and a Thai work permit the moment you arrive
• How to understand Thai culture…and fit in
• The 15 biggest pitfalls for doing business in Thailand

DETAILS BUY ($4.99)

• “His wide-ranging knowledge of the expat community is evident from the real-world examples that give the book an authentic flavor.The book is written with the charming immediacy of someone who is passionate about the lifestyle he has chosen and wants to make the advantages of living as an active retiree in the land of smiles available to others”. – “Superb Guide to Retirement financial planning in Thailand” – Ian D. Griffin   “This is a great book to show you how easy it is to make money in Thailand through many well thought out and well described ideas. it is a second great book to read after reading his “how to retire in Thailand”  – Brilliant retirement in Thailand and making money to boot!!! – By Nick Ash   WANT TO KNOW…  What to Do Before Coming to Thailand? What it costs to live in Thailand? How to get a work visa in Thailand? Thailand’s business pitfalls and opportunities? What kinds of money-making opportunities are available? How Thailand’s business culture works. (Hint: not like ours). How to export from Thailand? What to export? Fifteen Ways to Start a Thai Business? What jobs are available in Thailand? What to pack and what to leave behind? Who you’ll meet when you get here? How to meet other entrepreneurs in Thailand? Real Success Stories from Real People How to interact with the bureaucracy?   Then download “Making Money in Thailand: a Retiree’s Guide”. It’s the best business investment you’ll make.   Plus…useful charts, step-by-step checklists, links, budgets, helpful guides and reviews you can use.   “If you’re considering moving to Thailand so you can enjoy a comfortable retirement based on having a small American retirement income (from Social Security alone, or perhaps with a small pension too) you should be interested in this book. Although many Americans and Europeans report that they can live a decent life in Thailand on approximately $1,200 per month, most would agree that having a bit more cash is always a good thing. Author Godfree Roberts has had this experience and, in this insightful, detailed and often witty book, explains to retirees how to make money in a nation that differs markedly from the Western world”. USEFUL BOOK BY A MAN WHO KNOWS – By M. LATORRA “Gozen” (Las Cruces, NM USA)
• 112 pages

Also: Useful Charts, Step-by-step Checklists, Links, Budgets, and Helpful Guides to Preparing to do business in Thailand. And you’ll get useful reviews and smart tips to help you get started.

This Is How You Do It

Making money in Thailand is surprisingly easy. The economy is growing at 5% and the Thai Post Office goes so far as to make easy to sell Thai goods on EBay (door to door tracking and signature). Even though most of us who come to Thailand have at least a $1200 monthly income – the same as a Thai engineer makes – for two reasons we often get the urge to make a little more:

1. The first is to afford the semi-luxuries that make life enjoyable, like travel. Now that you’ve got the time, why not take advantage of the local budget airline’s mid-week special fare of $29.00 to Bali, for example? Or spend the hottest month at one of Thailand’s fabulous beaches? Fares are $60 from anywhere to anywhere in Thailand, and accommodation is ridiculously cheap.
2. The second reason is to have something to do, a challenge that gets you up in the mornings. Creating a new business from scratch in a new culture is certainly a challenge! But I’m enjoying it and so is almost every other expat I know here. That’s because there are so many opportunities.

Video

So, if you want to get work permits in Thailand, let me know and I’ll introduce you to Mr Big. Now here’s some advice from a fellow expat:

The post Work Permits in Thailand appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.

One of Chiang Mai’s Best Coffee Shops is Sweet Gardens, located here. These are the GPS coordinates 18.82920° 99.00616°. It’s on the second ring road towards the north side of town. Easy to miss because you’re hurtling along the freeway and can easily miss it.

Owned by a wealthy lady who uses it to entertain friends, it is located in her grounds, which has a huge lake stocked with enormous carp and over which she built a big beige, as you can see in the accompanying video:

Fahtara Coffee Shop & Spa

Here’s another great place to hang out in the middle of town: Fahtara Spa and Coffee. It’s owned by a wealthy Bangkok businessman (largely as a vanity project from what I can see), managed by a German, and staffed by charming people who prepare great light meals and some very original drinks – non-alchololic, though they serve alcohol also, of course. Here’s the map. And here’s the GPS: 18.86492° 98.96925° and here’s the video

http://https://youtu.be/VWvWlIDngbk%20

Natwat Home Cafe

Best coffee in Chiang Mai. Hands down. Opens at 7 am!! Cold brewed, organic Ethiopian – or any variety and brew style you can think of. The map.

Mamia Coffee Shop & Restaurant

On the banks of the Ping River in Chiang Mai. Long renowned for serving Thailand’s best coffees, Mamia Coffee hosts regular coffee-tasting events at which coffee international connoisseurs gather to meet prominent coffee-growers and taste their latest harvests. Thailand has 19,000 coffee growing plantations, a reputation for high-quality arabica varietals, and an increasingly discriminating population of coffee-drinkers. Drinking coffee by the river is a wonderful experience. Drinking the world’s best coffees in Chiang Mai’s loveliest riverside garden is a kind of heaven. And if you’re a food lover, you’ll love the desserts, made by the owner herself. GPS: 8.7816969, 99.0060884. Map here..

The post Chiang Mai’s Best Coffee Shops appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.

1. Subscribe to our free newsletter, Life in Thailand.

2. Download one of the books: How to Retire in Thailand (and Double Your Income), or Making Money in Thailand.

3. Check out our moving to Thailand Concierge Service: we get you visa’s, banked, insured, moved into your new home, familiar within shops, eating at great restaurants, and knowing where everything is – in 3 days.

4. Check out some of our recent blog posts, at right.

5. Watch a video on the Thailand Retirement Channel,

The post Retire in Thailand appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.

What is the biggest obstacle to your retiring overseas?

At the moment it is creating a passive or online income. I’m currently employed as an electrical engineer in Australia. My wife is a stay at home Mum but our youngest boy will be starting kindergarten next year and she will be offering Photoshop services and custom phone/stubby holders online then. I am starting work on how to create websites and generating income through them. Thanks for the link to Building a Niche Site Empire. I’m currently working my way through that. I will also do the TEFL training in Thailand and teach English when we first arrive. I’m also keen to do the Thai language course so that we can become part of the community.

Our children are currently three and four years old and we were pleasantly surprised to find that the school they are going to here has a school in Chiang Mai too (Grace International). This looks like it will be our biggest expense at $4000/year/child.

So the biggest obstacle is making a living. We are planning to build up our joint income to $60 000/year before we move. This includes $2000/month living in Thailand (two adults, two children), $8000/year for school fees, personal insurance (which I should be able to reduce from its current level) and renting out our house which will cover most of the mortgage. I need to make our budget more accurate but this is approximately what we need.

What is the strongest attraction for you to retire abroad?

Even though I have been earning a good income, I value more the experiences I have had in my life, especially travel. I’m not a consumer type looking to shackle myself to a big house and car/boat loans. I’m looking to simplify my life. And because I did not get in on the real estate boom in Australia in recent years, my retirement date is a distant dream of another 30 years of work (I’m 36 now) with no guarantee of a reasonably comfortable life.

The cost of everything has gone up so much in Australia (I live in Western Australia where the benefits of the mining boom have made housing and day to day cost of living extremely high). I also don’t like the attitudes of the average Australian, they are very selfish and consumer driven. The generation Y attitude of me me me and no discipline or respect for others really concerns me. There is a lot of violence in pubs now – being attacked by a large group or being stabbed with a bottle are commonplace and did not happen when I was around 20 years old. I don’t want my children growing up in this culture and I can see great benefits for them growing up in Thailand where they will be exposed to more opportunities for their futures in the Asian Century. We were looking at moving to Brasil (my wife is Brasilian) but the economic boom there has caused real estate and other prices to be inflated – so it is no longer a cheap place to retire. Crime, pollution and the crumbling infrastructure are also major problems in Brasil. The last time we went back (Christmas and New Year just gone) my wife was looking forward to coming back to Australia, which I never thought I would hear her say!

From what you have described in your books, a lot of how Thai’s are, really resonates with me. Some of their ways will take time to adjust to but like you explain in your books, if you are aware of it and accept it, then you won’t get upset.

What is your first goal towards retiring overseas?

To make $2500/month from online sources.

What’s your pet peeve when it comes to your retirement planning?

That I can’t see how I can retire even with another 30 years of work!

What made you decide to buy the book?

I went to a seminar that my financial advisor put on recently and I met another of his clients there who has retired to Thailand and comes back to Australia every three years for about six months or so. I thought, what an amazing life and that is what I want! So I started researching on the net and came across your books via a Google search.

Expats’ Experience Abroad

The Best Places in the World to Retire just polled 389 expats from the United States and Canada and asked why they wanted to retire abroad and what it’s been like. Here’s a summary:

• The striking number of expats who left home for quality-of-life issues, such as a more meaningful and less stressful life.
• Many expats said they were seeking to live a life like they remembered, or believed it to be, growing up in the ‘50s and ‘60s.
• Most thought that by moving abroad they’d achieve a
  • lower cost of living (87%),
  • a simpler, less stressful life (82%) and
  • better weather (74%).
• 84% said they achieved a lower cost of living and 74% got better weather.
• Only 71% are living a simpler, less stressful life, compared to the 82% who were hoping for it.
• While 56% thought they’d achieve “a less materialistic, or more meaningful life” (their #4 reason for retiring abroad), an impressive 61% say they’ve found more meaning.
• Two thirds of women said they achieved a less materialistic, or more meaningful life, but only 56% of men did.
• 85% are happier living abroad than they were before.
• 56% said they’re much happier and 28% said they’re somewhat happier. Only 5% are less happy now and 11% said they’re about as happy as before they moved.
• 64% said they enjoy life abroad much more than their former lives.
• 42% of the expats never plan to go back to the U.S. and
  • 37% aren’t sure;
  • 16% expect to return to America when they’re old or sick,
  • 4% said “as soon as possible” and
  • 3% anticipate moving back within five years.
• If they had to do it all over again, 79% said ‘yes’ and another 12% said they ‘probably’; 3% either wouldn’t or probably wouldn’t.

The post A Moving to Thailand Letter appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.

Can you make it in Thailand on $4 (100 Baht) a day? Well… sort of. Here’s a fun video of a young Brit, Alex Putnam, who’s experimenting with living on the Thai minimum wage. It’s not a lifestyle I’d recommend, but it’s an interesting exercise and it shows that living on $500/month is completely do-able:

Budgeting in Thailand: A Reality Check

Until I developed an outside income, I lived on my $1240/mo. Social Security check. Because the cost of living is so low my $1240 paid for a standard of living that would have cost $3,000/mo. back home. Moving here more than doubled my buying power, a you see in the sample budgets above. I lived a stone’s throw from the leafy campus of Chiang Mai University in an air-conditioned studio, ate out three times a day, rented a moped, and lived a comfortable, leisurely life. If I’d had a partner with a similar income we could have lived almost luxuriously. That’s what the second budget outlines.

To help you understand how that’s possible, remember this benchmark: after graduation from university a beginning Thai engineer makes $500/month. When you live in Thailand you enjoy one of life’s great luxuries: forgetting about money and focusing on living.

Ways to Save Money in Thailand

Here are a few tricks to help you save money when you come to Thailand:

1. Come in the Summer: Thailand is much cheaper between May and November. Rooms, food and vehicle rental often discounted. There are far fewer tourists around, and you’re more likely to receive personal service.
2. Stay on the Mainland: Remember how expensive Hawaii is? That’s because everything you buy on an island is transported by boat or plane. Island life is always more expensive than living on the mainland.
3. Choose Basic Accommodation: Simple rooms cost less than 150 baht ($5) a night or you can share with another bargain hunter to split costs. Dorm rooms are even cheaper.
4. Travel at Night, by Train, or by Bus: Plane fare from BKK to Chiang Mai is $70 each way and you see nothing. You can go a long way for a few baht on over- night trains because you won’t need a room that night. An air-conditioned seat or a sleeping compartment is around $25 each way BKK to Chiang Mai, about 1,000 km. Third-class rail is even cheaper. Air-conditioned day bus rides show you the whole country for less than half that and you kill two birds with one stone.
5. Use Local Transport: Local buses and, songthaews (shared taxi/pickups) go everywhere in town for around 20 Baht (70¢).
6. Hitch Hike: Riskier, as it is everywhere, but many people hitchhike around Thailand. Do offer money for gas, even though it’s rarely accepted.
7. Avoid Western Food: Foreign food is mostly imported and not well prepared. For the price of a single pizza you can eat three Thai meals a day for three days.
8. Eat Like the Locals: Thais love food, and you will always be close to a market selling curry and rice ($2) or a small restaurant making Thai food to order. Just watch the locals and point to whatever looks good, smile, and say “khap”. Road- side stalls are literally everywhere, especially at night, and meals cost around $2.
9. Don’t Tip: Thais don’t tip. You need not.
10. Accept Offers of Food, Drink and Accommodation: Thais are friendly and gracious and if you’re around them you’ll be invited for a drink or a meal. The offer of a bed for the night is a generous gesture, but consider it carefully.
11. Water is Good for You: In this flood-prone country it’s best to drink bottled water. Buy big bottles in local grocery stores rather than small bottles in restau- rants or convenience stores; drink plenty of free water whenever you eat a meal. You can even fill your water bottle free in banks, hotel foyers, and Buddhist tem- ples. There are RO (reverse osmosis) dispensers on every street corner that dis- pense 2 gallons for 3 Bt. (10¢).
12. Alcohol is a Luxury: Supermarket beer is $1.65 for a large, cold bottle. Out- side Bangkok you can have it served at your table for $2.10. Lao Kao, the cheap- est alcoholic drink, is a harsh local spirit that’s palatable mixed with Coca-Cola. Thai whisky, like 100 Pipers, is cheap and surprisingly drinkable.
13. Use Free Entertainment: Thais exercise at local parks; often there are free aerobics groups, basketball, tennis, tagraw (an amazing mix of football, volley- ball, and kung fu), tai chi, or concerts and festivals. You can watch free films at resorts or read a free newspaper in a library or a hotel. As a rich farang you can waltz into the most luxurious hotel lobbies and take advantage of the A/C, the latest newspapers, even free cups of tea.
14. Buy Clothes and Personal Items in Thailand: Clothes are very cheap and well suited to the hot climate. I buy a new cotton long-sleeved drawstring pants and great long-sleeved shirts for $14 total. Toiletries are much cheaper than back home, with free soap in some rooms and sometimes in shared bathrooms.
15. Bring Your Own Specialized Equipment: For special activities like diving, it’s often better to bring your own gear rather than renting it. Most such stuff here made in China and not the same quality you’re used to.
16. Watch Your Money: Thailand is a cash economy which makes budgeting easy. Put your daily budget, in cash, in your pocket each morning and let that be your guide. This saves you being distracted by obsessive budgeting on the one hand and tempted by credit cards on the other.
17. Minimize Money Charges: You’ll be charged $5 for withdrawing money from an ATM plus your own bank’s exchange rate plus any other charges they can get away with. So bring cash with you and, if you need to make an ATM withdrawal, take out your daily maximum: usually around $500.
18. Do You Really Need a Guide Book? Do your research on the Internet before you leave. Store the relevant information on your Smartphone or a USB memory stick and use an Internet cafe here. Pick up free brochures when you get here. Or just buy a guide book at a local used book store.
19. Haggle: Bargaining for some items is expected in Thailand. Anything from a market is fair game, but keep it real when trying to get an extra few baht dis- count. Room prices can be negotiated, especially in low season and for longer stays.
20. Do Your Own Laundry: A 10 Baht packet of washing powder and a few min- utes each day is all that you need. If you buy loose, light clothing here, it will dry in minutes in the hot sun. Buy a sarong here to use instead of a heavy towel. Washing machines are everywhere (in the street!) and a 5 lb. (2 kg.) load is 66c. There’s also a laundry on every block that will happily do your laundry for $2.
21. Know the Rules of the Road: They’re like the ones at home, though Thais drive on the left. Bring an international driving license with you (get it from your local motoring club) and always carry it when driving. Always wear seat belts in cars and helmets on motorbikes, or you risk a fine. They’re only $7-10, but a big nuisance. If you are booked for a traffic infraction you will be required to sur- render your license until you’ve paid your fine.
22. Obey the Local Laws: Littering is an offense in Thailand, and people have been fined for dropping cigarette butts on the ground. Police will pay more atten- tion to the actions of a foreigner, so be aware, especially in Bangkok.
23. Don’t Be a Victim: Google “Thailand scams” and study up. There’s nothing original, but it’s best to know in advance that you’re not in Kansas anymore. For example, at the airport, ask the fare in advance. Avoid tuk-tuks. Read the safety tips in the appendix to this book.
24. Get Paid to Travel: Again, Google this idea. Talk to your local newspaper, etc., or act as a buyer for someone or a business at home if you have expertise. Enliven your blog (see the Ten Best Blogs in this book for inspiration). Our workshops include a seminar devoted just to this.
25. Avoid Tourist Traps: It sounds obvious, but there are several places, like Pat- taya, Phuket and Ko Samui that are overpriced and overcrowded. You’ll have more fun off the beaten track visiting remote temples and national parks. And if you want to spend some beach time, try Nakhon Si Thammarat where the unique food is a big plus.

So that’s how to live like a king in Thailand on $4 a day. Not so ‘kingly’, you say? True, but it’s still one of the highest living standards with the highest quality in the world!

The post Thailand on $4 A Day appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.