Minimum necessary to live in Chiang Mai..

If I understand your math, you have 30k baht after paying for housing and medical insurance, and you are NOT a drinker.  I emphasize alcohol because it adds up quickly in Chiang Mai since bar tabs can be 300 or 400 baht very quickly, and liquor store liquor has gigantic import taxes.  The next question is, do you like Thai food?  American or European food in Chiang Mai can be as much as it is in the States.  If the answers are no alcohol and largely Thai food, it would take some real spending to spend that much on Thai food, laundry, taxi rides, and an allowance for clothing.  In other words, 30k baht, roughly a thousand baht per day, is plenty.  A majority of foreign teachers have less than that.  You can save money by renting or buying a motor scooter, but bear in mind that there is a danger of injury, accidents being minimized by always being stone sober on the bike.  Traffic is heavy and largely impolite, and cars and trucks tend to bully motor scooters.  Also bear in mind that all bets are off if you like to eat at the Meridien or the Shangri La.

Hi Jimpike,

Thank you for the nice solid answer.  I appreciate your advice.  One question  What sort of oil do they use in cooking thai food.  I know coconut oil has a bad rep for us high blood pressure sorts (I am 55 and am beginning to encounter the usual western diseases).  I love thai food.

I was not actually sure about the money. I have not included rent, and the other items you noted.  I have never been on a motorized two wheel of anything even while in my prime.  I doubt that I will start in Thailand.  Could one hire a driver for example or perhaps have an arrangement with a particular cab driver if such a thing is done.  I would like to know since I have allocated a budget but can adjust it from other revenues if I thought a driver might be needed.  I suppose such a need would be a factor of where one choses to live.  Oh boy, here I go... One of the reasons I excluded a house was that I did not want to drive.  If one could get a driver, then I could expand my search area to include a house.  Then I suppose that I would have to also get a gardner and then I would have to recalculate all over again. 

I am a house person and I write so I would be spending all of my time at home.  A house, a bungalow would be an attractive option for me.....

Then I suppose there are security questions then the option of finding a gated community comes up.  Boy, do I have a lot of thinking to do,  and checking to get my sums right....

PS.  I have a quote from the frangipani apartment place as well as one with the word mansion in it.   These are serviced apartments.  Any opinion?

Hey Eveningson,

Frankly, I haven't the slightest idea what they use for cooking oil, but knowing Thailand, they probably use the least expensive to get the job done.  I am 64 and had very, very slight angina in the states, and in three months here it is completely gone, if that's any indication.  I walk most everywhere, so that may account for part of the improvement.  I have about the same budget as yours, and at first I drank quite a bit, but have stopped completely to avoid hangovers and not getting anything done.  My savings by not drinking are easily 8,000 or 10,000 baht per month.  I am thinking about getting a teaching job for something to do, and have met over fifty teachers.  The most any of them make is 36,000, with the average more like 28,000, and they pay housing and living on that.  Thai teachers earn about 12,000 baht per month, and for them that supports a family.  So I see no problem with your income.

jimpike wrote:

Hey Eveningson,

Frankly, I haven't the slightest idea what they use for cooking oil, but knowing Thailand, they probably use the least expensive to get the job done.  I am 64 and had very, very slight angina in the states, and in three months here it is completely gone, if that's any indication.  I walk most everywhere, so that may account for part of the improvement.  I have about the same budget as yours, and at first I drank quite a bit, but have stopped completely to avoid hangovers and not getting anything done.  My savings by not drinking are easily 8,000 or 10,000 baht per month.  I am thinking about getting a teaching job for something to do, and have met over fifty teachers.  The most any of them make is 36,000, with the average more like 28,000, and they pay housing and living on that.  Thai teachers earn about 12,000 baht per month, and for them that supports a family.  So I see no problem with your income.

been there done that with the drinking.  I suppose your advice to take something up for something to do is not a bad idea at all....

Eveningson,

Sorry, I missed part of your reply.  Are you saying you have found a house and have allocated the money for that and have 30k baht left over?  Granted, a house of any sort is going to be more than an apartment.  And the price of either goes up as you get closer to the old city, or the center of town.  If you are out a ways, say, a few miles or so on the east side of the Ping river, you can find a modest house for 8,000 to 12,000 baht per month, but closer in town, that price may double.  Gated community?  That can get expensive, and the gated communities are on the outskirts of the metro area.  Even though there is crime here, it is certainly not what it is in LA.  Having said that, I live in an apartment, [a small efficiency for 5,000 baht per month] and my building like countless others in Chiang Mai is quite secure with around-the-clock monitoring.  Unless you have already made deposits, my best advice would be to make do with an apartment at first until you get the lay of the land.  If you can live in the countryside 15 miles or so from town center, you can "have your cake and eat it too," by having a gated community that is not outrageously expensive.

Hi Jimpike,

I intended to stay several months initially at the frangipani apartments.  Do you know this facility?  I think it is located along the city walls next to a temple that is well known....If I live in a gated community, will I need a driver?

No.  I completely screwed up the issue.  I have not found a house and in fact have only found a serviced apartment for now.  But as I was working through the issues, I thought that a house might be a possibility but I was worried about the need for a car etc. and fell upon the question of a driver... but then I suppose I would have to get a car so the driver had something to drive. The maze is endless.  I will probably get an apartment within walking distance to everything.  As you said, it would be good for the old ticker.  Not too hot is it for walking around?

Eveningson,

I have seen the Frangipani, and as I recall, it is really nice and inside the old city.  Somewhat expensive is my vague recollection, in the ballpark of 8,000 to 12,000 per month or more?  As I recall, also, it is really a beautiful place.  Regarding transportation, let me make a few things clear.  I know at least 30 or 40 retired expats of varying means, some in the millions, and NONE have cars.  Cars here are very expensive, slow in the traffic, and there is very seldom a parking spot.  Those like myself that hate motor bikes rely on taxis and public transport.  A taxi (a "tuk-tuk" - google it) is 60 baht (must be negotiated, but that's the normal price) for nearby locations or 80 baht for a ways away.  The public transport, or "red buses" are a flat 20 baht (no negotiation needed) for short distances and maybe 40 baht (they must tell you if it's more than 20 baht)for a long way.  Both are fine, you can virtually always find one to flag down, and everyone uses them.  Unless you're going to the mountains with friends, there is really no reason to hire a car.  Regarding it being too hot for walking, hot season yes, cooler season no, but mornings are always nice.  Regarding a house, it would be impracticle without a motor scooter.  A regular car/driver would be outrageously expensive.

Hi Jim,

Thanks for all the important and detailed information you are posting. I live in Santa Barbara CA and I am considering moving to Thailand in June of 2011, more specifically Chiang Mai. My wife is from Thailand but I dont speak Thai at all. Can one get by on English in Chiang Mai? I use the internet a lot -can I get a good computer English alphabet and good speed in Chang Mai??
Also someone said the pollution is bad from cutting down forests. How bad is it -I used to clean Santa Barbara air - I got laid off 15 months ago and I think it time for a change.

Any assistance I would be very appreciative.
Thanks
Geoff

Geoff,

English is fine in Chiang Mai.  I speak enough basic Thai to get food, lodging, directions, shopping, etc., but one of my complaints about Chiang Mai is that since enough thais speak English better than I speak Thai, I seldom get a chance to practice and improve my Thai.  Regarding the internet, I use Google and Aol the same as I did in the states, and the speed depends on your local hookup.  The Wifi and ISP where I live seems to be fine, since I have had no trouble downloading 10 meg attachments.  Regarding air pollution, in the hot season- April through July, which I have not yet experienced in Chiang Mai, pollution is said to be bad.  With very little rain in the 4 months preceding the hot season, the dust combines with the heat to make it very uncomfortable.  The rest of the year the pollution is not really noticeable.  The last 6 weeks and the next two months are somewhat akin to San Diego weather.

Thanks so much for your prompt reply Jim.

One more question What would the cost of Internet be in Chang Mai and can you get any American Station like CNN? I love San Diego been there many times to visit.

You're welcome, glad to help.

I pay my apartment complex 300 baht per month for both a dial up desktop connection and high speed wifi.  This is fairly competitive, and in addition many of the coffee shops have free wifi.  As for TV, the landlord here provides cable free of charge, but it does not include CNN, which I miss.  BBC and Aljazeera are OK for world news, but it is usually an upgraded cable that provides things like CNN and American sports, and for me to have it would involve paying for a separate installation and a monthly amount of about US $60 or so.

Rasgeoff, podrias considerar ver algunos de tus canales favoritos por internet mientras te acomodas, una opcion buena es Justin.com.

Senorita Patitii,

Puedo contestar su pregunta, pero estabamos hablando en Ingles por la topica, "vivir en Chiang Mai, Thailand."  Yo no comprendo la conneccion con su recomendacion para un website y la conversacion que teniamos.  Puede usted explicarlo?

Gracias, Jim P

Can you please write in English in this Anglophone forum!

Wow, what a great thread. Thank you all for posting about this good intel.

Jimpike, About the teaching jobs. I assume they are English teaching jobs by English folk there in Chaing Mai? Im just doing some calculations based upon the 28,000 BHT/mo.

Thanks,
Peter

I have been living in Chiang Mai for six years.

I feel like I live VERY WELL, and I if don't take any trips during the month, my average monthly cost, including:

Rent: studio, FULLY furnished, WIFI, cable, housekeeping three days a week

Electric: depending on the season: 1,500 to 3,000

Insurance: full medical (physician, hospital, meds)

Two Meals a day: 100% out, usually in good to very good restaurants

Transportation: red-cab (songtaew)

Massage: twice a month, in-house

becoup books, movies, etc, etc

***

bottom-line: 35 to 40,000 per month

***
The key I believe, is WHERE you live.

Thanks Seattle 99 for your informative post 
I presume that's a Thai dog

Best case I will be a teacher and the most I think I will be able to make is 30,000 baht a month so I would have to cut out the housekeeper, massage books and movies. Maybe I can by food cheap. I am a vegetarian though I do chicken and fish - maybe I will go back to just vegetarian.  I live in Santa Barbara CA but have been unemployed for 2 years in Banking/Leasing!
I have one question  are you familiar with McCormick Hospital I would like to live, and  work close to it if possible?

Thanks in advance
Geoff  geoff.taylor@verizon.net

You will live in the very good life with that money Eveningson.

Very soon, we will see you smile everyday.

Welcome to Chiang Mai.