How much money is sufficient to cover all living expenses in Thailand?

Try www.numbeo.com for living costs.

Other information can be found by reading through the informative posts on the forum.

If you are going to be willing to share an apartment or rent a boarding room you can do very well there... but, if you want to be in your own apartment then you will find your self struggling a bit.

7-10k is no where near enough to live on here in  Thailand.  I assume you will be in Bangkok or other major city doing your studies.  This amount will barely cover your accommodation.  A minimum of 35k is needed for a reasonable life style and that will be restricted.  It depends on how you live.

In Bangkok / Nonthaburi, where i live my first 4 years in Thailand.
You can find what i call Thai studio room for 2.500 - 3.000 baht pr month (I start in one of them my self)
1 room, bathroom, some have only fan, others have Air Con.

Power bill, As i think the weather is getting hot every year, i say 1.000 - 3.000 baht pr month.
Water for shower, cleaning room and so on, not more then 100 baht pr month.

Thai cable tv around 300 baht pr month, only have a few English speaking channels, So you might like to have more, and therefor more money pr month.

Internet around 700 - 1.000 baht pr month. (sure small connection can do)

Mobil for calling around 200 - 300 baht pr month.

Food !!!!

Have you every being to Thailand before ?
Can you eat Thai food ?

Not sure if you can live 100% Thai style ?
But take my self, i can live for 100 baht pr day / 3.000 baht pr month.
As i eat toast bred and egg morning, and can easy eat the Thai street food (i do think it is the best food in the world)

If you need more foreigner food, this is going up up up up very fast.(The money for it)

Clean drinking water i have no idea how much pr day, As i all ways buy a water filter where i have live, Around 3.000 - 4.000 baht for that filter, and it is good for more then 1 year before need change filter.

Do you need ekstra ?
Like fruit, Juice, Cola, Beer ??

That add up quickly.

Transport every day for you study, This is up too how close you live to where you study.
But 40-60-100 baht pr day to go and home again.

Insurance, If you young and have good health, I say 20.000 - 35.000 baht pr year. ( 1.666 -
2.916 baht pr month)


Then take into account social life, you own enjoyment, new cloth, If you like to party.


What about Visa / Extension ?

Do you need to go on Visa runs every 60 - 90 days ?
Extend Visa every 60 day at Immigration.
If new Visa every 60 - 90 days, Then money for the trip, Visa to that country, Stay at hotel for 1-2 days before you new Thai Visa is ready.
It add up very quick.

I say that 10.000 baht for a single person is around 10.000 - 15.000 short, Maybe even more.

Back in 2011 i live for 23.000 - 25.000 baht pr month, But many things cost more to day.
And i didn't have insurance, So ekstra for that.
Sure i could have save more money pr month, But i did (do) like to be able to do stuff, Enjoy my self a little.

What do you think your wife is going to do here ?
Sit in the room waiting for you ?
Working ?? This is very hard to find good job for None Thai here that pay well.
Or she need money to get her own social life, be able to go to the marked, buy stuff, enjoy a coffee, Other things.


What about if a emergency happen here in Thailand for you or you wife.
Sure the Insurance pay for hospital, But many place it is up to the familie / friends to take care of the person in hospital, If not pay ekstra for that.
Food, clean them, toilet and so on.
As i know not all insurance pay for that ekstra care.

What if a emergency happen for you familie back in you home country.
Do you have the money to buy ticket home that day or next day to go home.
Do you have any money for that ?


Hope the best for you and the wife.

Kindly.

Depends on your lifestyle, but this:
1/ rental may cost you somewhere between 8 to 10K, in Bangkok.
Less if you live outside BKK (except ChiangMai)
You want a quiet place, you do not want to read ads in Thai,
then use craigslist.com to find a decent apartment.

This usually includes internet galore. Maybe also electricity but not guaranteed.
If you add electricity for light and air conditioning, that is an extra 1200

I presume you'll be in a big city, chances are you'll need transportation.
50 to 100 bahts a day for 20 days is 2000 Bahts. Probably less.

So that's already close to 13.5K

Plus food. You can live on yogurt and fruits, an omelette and coffee in the morning.
If you prepare it yourself, close to 50 Baht so 1500 for breakfast.

Plus main courses you can have outside for ~3000 bahts

For a total slightly below 20K

IF in BKK:
Depending on when and where your courses are, you may want to live in Khlong Toei (some nice and cozy places) or further west.

HTH

Gerry.

The conclusion I draw from your response is that 10000 baht for me wouldn't be sufficient as I will be bringing my wife too.
Regarding visa do I need to renew it every 90 days? is there no such residence permit for whole year? I have been living in Netherlands and here in Europe once you get residence permit you are free to travel and have multiple entry etc.
Which is better place to choose Hat Yai City or Phuket City?

Whoever is providing that grant must know that it is about one third of the cost of living in Thailand.  If it is a true stipend, then the granter should provide you also a job which is the usual usage of that word.  You will definitely need additional money from somewhere.   If you have an M.A. degree, likely you could get a teaching job at a Thai college, depending on your field.
With your wife included, you should count on $1500 to $2000 USDOLLARS per month for a low middle living.  Really low, one room, bath, bed, food, and walking and street food can run about $900USD per month with wife, but sitting alone in one small room for months will get very old.  Sum, you have money problems.

Your granter also has not provided you with credentials to stay for a year, or other lengths of time.   You are not eligible for a student via because you are not a student at a Thai school.  You can try to get as long term visa as you can which may be 60, stretched to 90 days with a fee.  That is not renewable.  Your wife could be same.
Altho it is populated with really nasty commenters, ask visa questions at thai.visa.com.

Cost is lower in Hat Yai and Phuket is crammed with foreign tourists.

7,000 to 10,000 bht... your kidding me? That will barley pay for the food and beer.. Hope they are paying for your room and electric?  Hope you have money saved or get a loan.. you will need at least 25,000 a month and that's if your room and food is paid for. Don't bring your wife unless she has money.. Good luck..

Hat Yai may be a better choice than $tourist$ Phuket but Hat Yai is not a place I'd want to be for a PhD.
If you've got to travel to Malaysia for a visa run, Cha Am is best bet. And you want to travel by bus, you don't want to go south in a van as you've got only one life. Very dangerous esp. at night.
Krabi is an option.
But I am confused. Don't you have a University where you have to interact with supervisors?
If so, the best place is being close to your reference U - you'll always find rentals close to any place.

7 - 10,000 would be little more than pocket money. If you have to provide accommodation, utlities, food, drink, transport, visa costs & insurance for 2 of you, you would need to be very careful on 40,000.

Hat Yai is in Songkhla province in the deep south. The British Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel there due to the high threat of terrorism. There is a history of bombings by muslim insurgents in this region.

Phuket is predominately a tourist area with prices to match.

As someone said, surely your universtity should provide much further information.

Thanks everyone for your kind guidance. What I have concluded is that the 10000 baht is insufficient. Probably, the university in Hat Yai is offering 10000 baht might be sufficient for those students who are single and will opt to stay in dormitory (fee 3000 baht) and 7000 baht for 3 times meals.  so, in my case (married) can't survive in hat yai with this amount.
Thanks to everyone once again.