How much does it cost to live in Thailand per month. For retirement?
Bangkok? Chang Mai? Pia? Vang Vang? How much is a one bedroom apartment in these places, food, doctors, hospital, dentist, a car How about visa?
Thailand - 9 Answers
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1 :
It wont be expensive because Thailand has low taxes which is good =], i only know how much a one bedroom apartment is in Bangkok and its probably 3,099 baht which is $100. and the food, doctors, hospital, dentists for a month is 92,995 which is $3000 and the visa is pretty expensive and its 154,992 baht which is $5000! and for a rented car it will be 9,299 baht which is $300 for a 5 seater car =] hope i helped :)
2 :
There are whole books written on this subject. And there are so many options it takes a book to cover them all. A livable apartment can run from $50/mo to $500/mo depending on where and what amenities, and much more if you want extreme luxury. Same for food, depends entirely on what and where you eat and drink, from a few dollars a day to $40 and up and up. Medical - good and relatively inexpensive compared to the west but a big variation there, too. Had a broken bone attended at Bangkok Hospital, a major private international hospital, for 4,000 baht but ended up going to a smaller clinic where they did more and charged only 1,000 baht. Owning a car is universally expensive, several times what you pay in the U.S. due to huge import tariffs. You'll need to do lots of your own research with your own preferences in mind. Some starting points in the links.
3 :
It all depends on what sort of lifestyle you want to have. In Thailand, things can be done very cheap if necessary. You could get a cheap room from 3/4,000 Baht a month or a luxury apartment from 20,000 Baht upwards. Food is really cheap, you can eat from market stalls and street vendors from as little as £1 a meal. Health care is reasonable and affordable. Cars are usually more expensive in Asia, compared to Europe and North America. The most popular means of transport is scooter or motorbike. You can rent scooters from as little as £4 a day - you will be able to come a deal / arrangement if you want to rent one for a pro-longed period. Visas can easily be obtained from your local Thai embassy, however you must meet the requirements - which as a retiree, i'm sure you will. The longest a single visa will last is 1 year. Its best to check apartments for sale or rent by doing a search through Google, that will give you a good idea of how much they go for. All in all, i'd say that £500 a month is the bare minimum, but anything £1000 upwards would allow you to live a very comfortable Lifestyle.
4 :
The legal requirement for a single person is is that you have 800,000 in the bank and an income or 65,000 baht per month. I would suggest you spend some time visiting these places before deciding to retire there as you have picked some very diverse living arrangement to request information about them. In retirement you could spend 4,000 baht a month if you could live like a native in Pia to 1 million a month or more in Bangkok. I will say you can live pretty cheap. Top line doctor in Bangkok charges 700 ($22) for a visit. A dentist might charge 500 ($16) to fill a cavity or pull a tooth.
5 :
Don't forget to include 90 baht for the popcorn and drink, then just sit back and watch the show 55555
6 :
Honestly..if you even have to ask you are going to be living a nightmarish "life" at a level of poverty and horror that you cannot fully comprehend. If you are even of middle class means,,the next 5 years in Thailand are going to be HARD. And unstable. Think about somewhere else to retire..seriously.
7 :
I noticed you left Pattaya off of your list of cities to live in. There are lots of retirees living in the Pattaya/Jomtien area. Hotels are cheaper than Bangkok, many apartments are cheaper than what you get in Bangkok too! Several new modern malls, new movie theaters, good restaurants, modern supermarkets and lots of other markets for fresh food. Transportation is only 10 baht. Hospitals are not too bad but for something really serious you could just go to Bangkok. I have used dentists in Pattaya several times over the years without any problems and the prices are very reasonable. Driving a car may not be necessary in Pattaya unless you are way out in the sticks. Keep in mind that local transportation in Pattaya is only 10 baht! You may get by with just a pedal bicycle, keep fit and have transportation too. Retirement visa depends on your age, regular entry to Thailand depends on the passport you travel under. In the "old days" when you could make border runs to stay in Thailand for long periods I had friends living in Pattaya for around $1000 US a month. Of course your particular lifestyle will determine how much you need per month to live in Thailand. You have to follow current immigration regulations and be aware of any changes that come out. If you are over 50 and have a verifiable pension, or sufficient money in a Thai bank, you will have an easier time getting to stay in Thailand for a longer duration. By the way, some retirees just live in small cheap hotels and let the maids clean the rooms and let the hotel take care of the maintenance, paying for water and electricity, etc. Many hotels will give special prices for long term stays. Figure out how much money per month you have available. Read the various links concerning immigration to Thailand and see if you qualify. This is important - IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TO THAILAND BEFORE - VISIT FIRST! Visit Thailand first, talk to some expats take a look around and see if this is the life you really want. Don't sever all ties with your home country intending to reside in Thailand and then become disappointed - try it before you buy it! When you ask about a visa I get the feeling that you have never been to Thailand. If you are from the US, UK, Oz, NZ and many places in Europe you can get 30 days free entry on arrival. Visit first! Ordinary tourist visas: http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2490 Thai Visa Forum has a lot of good info on immigration to Thailand. My advice is to check out Pattaya and talk to some of the long term expats. They will give you pointers on where to stay, how much to pay for rent, info on hospitals and other stuff. I think it pays to be among other expats for mutual support. If you intend to purchase a condo get lots of legal assistance first and talk to other expat condo owners for their opinions and suggestions. Good luck.
8 :
I am in the same boat as you, you might say. I have visited Thailand once and will be returning in December for a a few months. I plan to just cruise around and visit here and there, and get a feel for where I want to live. No need for me to repeat what has already been said. Thailand can be cheap or expensive, depending on how you want to live. I plan to take the cheaper route. As already mentioned, you can stay at hotels or guesthouses for a reduced rate if you stay for a month or longer. Water, electricity and maid service usually included. Of course, this would be when you are seriously looking for a city in which to live. Ahh, but where to live? Only you can answer that. I would suggest that you first try a bigger city until you learn some some simple survival skills, such as a little Thai language and how to get from here to there. Chiang Mai and Pattaya might be good places to start, but certainly not the end. I think you could easily find a one-bedroom apartment for 5/10,000 baht a month depending on amenities you want (pool, gym, security, etc). Water, electricity, weekly maid service are extra. You'll have to work that out. Here's a link to a site that lists properties for rent. Use it as guide, not as the final word. www.bahtsold.com As for transportation: my plan is to use the songthaews. If I ever need a car, I'll rent one, or rent both car and driver. I know lots of farang have cars there, but I don't want the hassle or the expense. But consider that the closer to the middle of town you live, the more expensive your rent will be, and vice versa. You can rent cheaper if you live away from downtown, but then, you have the expense of owning a car if you want to go anywhere. IMHO, you have to be in Thailand a while to really know where and how well you want to live. There is a learning curve. As for Rich Boy, who said you will be miserable; he's fulla crap. Even if you don't decide to live in Thailand, I think you'll have a great experience just checking it out. Suggested reading: Thailand Easy, by Ken Klein, available at Amazon.com
9 :
A 1000 USD minimum without medical bills.
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