Cost of living in Hua Hin

[margaretcarnes]

Cost of living is not what it used to be. but hey, you get what you pay for. If you think a 2,000 pounds per month life in the UK is better than a 2,000 pounds per month life in Thailand, just stay in the UK then. Not really a difficult choice

For anyone who doesn't need to work and is on £2k a month then yes - obviously it's a no brainer. Life in the LOS a much better option IMO. Unfortunately UK pensions - even with some occupational pension income thrown in - often don't even get people off the Thai visa starting blocks these days. Much as we know that living on less than the requirement is perfectly possible.
Another point rarely taken into account in these debates is the freebies available to UK pensioners which don't exist in the LOS - bus passes - scripts - reduced entry fees etc. So despite all the moans and groans we often hear, it is possible for relatively low income pensioners to have a pretty good - and economical - life in the UK if they just get out and about and use their new found freedom to find new things to do.
Sorry if this little rant is a bit off beam but it annoys me when people in the UK moan that they can't afford to do things. They can. And if there is no alternative - ie not enough to live in the LOS - they should put up and shut up and get on with life.
OK

[sargeant]

My having a giggle has obviously upset someone
Please let me explain
Please correct me if I am wrong in having a wild stab in the dark and presuming the OP knows in spades HIS INCOME available to him.
Going by this thread I dread to think what replies he would have got had he said Washington, Hollywood or Chicago he would probably have received Bill and Hillary,s monthly expenditure Gws and Al Gores for Washington Tom Cruise Paris Hilton and Dolly Parton,s for Hollywood and good old Oprahs for Chicago.

Now silly old me thinks what the OP wants to know is what is the MINIMUM he could live on and then Working out from HIS KNOWN income whether he has enough slap in his budget to survive
After all Opera Ballet and Art exhibitions are hardly his top priority coming to Hua Hin

Now let me put a few things in perspective I live in a 2 bedroom split level bungalow upper level reception area 16 sq metres, lower level Sitting and dining area 28 sq metres Kitchen 28 sq metres
bedrooms sized for bed wardrobe make,up and a tv table plus on suite shower and toilet, size I dont care when I am asleep MY EYES are SHUT plus spare bedroom same size

Rent Bht 3000 per month (to be fair it was decoratively challenged but my landlord has paid for the paint and stuff and I have had both the exercise pleasure and enjoyment doing it up to almost new status) it would probably be 5000 per month in its present condition
I DO NOT have air con only fans I was inteligent enough to work out I could take the heat before I came here and when I got here acclimatised myself just to allow myself a life outside the house

In jan or feb my wife and I will start building our new house we will not make the mistake of building something we struggle to maintain or cannot sell

So NO I do not live in a flat over a shop

Yes I DO ONLY own a motor sigh (actually we are an affluent TWO motor sigh Family)but I also have a bicycle as well. However with a Tesco store at least twice as big as Hua Hin and a Macro cash and carry both inside of ONE km from my house Plus street markets everyday of the week, a railway station 400 yards from my front door And more Minibus pickup ponts than you can throw a stick at I see no point in having a car
Travelling in Hua Hin 2 Kms to find a parking space and walking 80 metres to the shop I want strikes me as pointless (unless one double parks OOPs ive done a WHOOPSEE only thais do that of course)
Travel to Hua Hin 20Bt on red bus Hua Hin motor psych taxi well the skys the limit

Ok my hands go up I surrender living out in the sticks I am forced to watch UBC cable TV and wonder of wonders with some string glue and a forked stick I receive the internet every day no less

Another grovelling apology from me sorry to bore but the 15000Bht a month expenditure does not include my rent but does include all else (not that my rent matters the OP has his own place already)

My pension is 50000+ a month well over the required 400000 a year needed for my marriage visa

So you see us poor low class peasants can be usefull sometimes

[JimmyGreaves]

My having a giggle has obviously upset someone
Please let me explain
Please correct me if I am wrong in having a wild stab in the dark and presuming the OP knows in spades HIS INCOME available to him.
Going by this thread I dread to think what replies he would have got had he said Washington, Hollywood or Chicago he would probably have received Bill and Hillary,s monthly expenditure Gws and Al Gores for Washington Tom Cruise Paris Hilton and Dolly Parton,s for Hollywood and good old Oprahs for Chicago.

Now silly old me thinks what the OP wants to know is what is the MINIMUM he could live on and then Working out from HIS KNOWN income whether he has enough slap in his budget to survive
After all Opera Ballet and Art exhibitions are hardly his top priority coming to Hua Hin

Now let me put a few things in perspective I live in a 2 bedroom split level bungalow upper level reception area 16 sq metres, lower level Sitting and dining area 28 sq metres Kitchen 28 sq metres
bedrooms sized for bed wardrobe make,up and a tv table plus on suite shower and toilet, size I dont care when I am asleep MY EYES are SHUT plus spare bedroom same size

Rent Bht 3000 per month (to be fair it was decoratively challenged but my landlord has paid for the paint and stuff and I have had both the exercise pleasure and enjoyment doing it up to almost new status) it would probably be 5000 per month in its present condition
I DO NOT have air con only fans I was inteligent enough to work out I could take the heat before I came here and when I got here acclimatised myself just to allow myself a life outside the house

In jan or feb my wife and I will start building our new house we will not make the mistake of building something we struggle to maintain or cannot sell

So NO I do not live in a flat over a shop

Yes I DO ONLY own a motor sigh (actually we are an affluent TWO motor sigh Family)but I also have a bicycle as well. However with a Tesco store at least twice as big as Hua Hin and a Macro cash and carry both inside of ONE km from my house Plus street markets everyday of the week, a railway station 400 yards from my front door And more Minibus pickup ponts than you can throw a stick at I see no point in having a car
Travelling in Hua Hin 2 Kms to find a parking space and walking 80 metres to the shop I want strikes me as pointless (unless one double parks OOPs ive done a WHOOPSEE only thais do that of course)
Travel to Hua Hin 20Bt on red bus Hua Hin motor psych taxi well the skys the limit

Ok my hands go up I surrender living out in the sticks I am forced to watch UBC cable TV and wonder of wonders with some string glue and a forked stick I receive the internet every day no less

Another grovelling apology from me sorry to bore but the 15000Bht a month expenditure does not include my rent but does include all else (not that my rent matters the OP has his own place already)

My pension is 50000+ a month well over the required 400000 a year needed for my marriage visa

So you see us poor low class peasants can be usefull sometimes

Well said!

[Super Joe]

Now silly old me thinks what the OP wants to know is what is the MINIMUM he could live on

The OP asked... can anyone give advice of how much a couple would need to live comfortably in Hua Hin ? ...which as you know is completely subjective considering they gave no indication of the intended lifestyle they want to lead. Are they mad golfers, will they join a gym, how much they want to drink/eat out, how many trips around Thailand & Asia they plan to take. Whether wife was Thai or farang, so will it be shopping bills from the morning market or Villa Market, will it be trips to the inlaws in Petchaburi or Peterbrough. Use your noddle Sarge.

Across the board posters interpreted that different ways, some considering regular golf, eating out in town, drinking around town, trips up to Bangkok etc as comfortable, some more than that, some less than that. What this thread provides for those considering moving to Thailand is some cost indications from one end of the spectrum to the other. All reader have to do is simply pick out the items relevant to their intended lifestyles and hey presto, they have a clue.

And it's a bit rich you criticising posters who quoted the higher figures, as we detailed individual items for the OP to selelct from as needed, so of some use. Your last post was of zero use, the only things you detailed were... 'rent and building a new house' (they own a house already), 'motorbikes & taxi fares to HH (they have a car), and that you're 'intelligent enough not to use air-con' (they asked for air-con costs). They only thing wrong with this thread from a 'useful information' point of view is the amount of cr@p readers will have to sift through first because of posts like yours, and replies like mine

SJ

[JimmyGreaves]

Now silly old me thinks what the OP wants to know is what is the MINIMUM he could live on

The OP asked... can anyone give advice of how much a couple would need to live comfortably in Hua Hin ? ...which as you know is completely subjective considering they gave no indication of the intended lifestyle they want to lead. Are they mad golfers, will they join a gym, how much they want to drink/eat out, how many trips around Thailand & Asia they plan to take. Whether wife was Thai or farang, so will it be shopping bills from the morning market or Villa Market, will it be trips to the inlaws in Petchaburi or Peterbrough. Use your noddle Sarge.

Across the board posters interpreted that different ways, some considering regular golf, eating out in town, drinking around town, trips up to Bangkok etc as comfortable, some more than that, some less than that. What this thread provides for those considering moving to Thailand is some cost indications from one end of the spectrum to the other. All reader have to do is simply pick out the items relevant to their intended lifestyles and hey presto, they have a clue.

And it's a bit rich you criticising posters who quoted the higher figures, as we detailed individual items for the OP to selelct from as needed, so of some use. Your last post was of zero use, the only things you detailed were... 'rent and building a new house' (they own a house already), 'motorbikes & taxi fares to HH (they have a car), and that you're 'intelligent enough not to use air-con' (they asked for air-con costs). They only thing wrong with this thread from a 'useful information' point of view is the amount of cr@p readers will have to sift through first because of posts like yours, and replies like mine

SJ

Well Said!

[sargeant]

AAAHHH the personal smear tactic

Please let me quote what IMHO is the most pertinent quote on this thread and gave me the best giggle

Yeah, but think of the hard-ons it gives to some guys to boast like that.

Your snobbery shows in that you seem to think that people like me on lower incomes cannot possibly be living comfortably. What arrogance

I have lived here for almost 15 years 365 days a year (never HAD to work or HAD to have a business to live comfortably)and have never had an income above the £1,300 a month (Before Tax) I am on now approx 52,000 Bt a month, and I am saving 35,000 Bt a month of that. In one years time I will also receive my state pension which should raise my income by about 50% and I wont change jack of my comfortable way of life. Even when I came here @ 93 Bt to the £ I never exceeded 100K
It is now 47 Bt to the £ a drop of 50% I am still here and i am still comfortable

I worked as middle management for British Airways and averaged a disposable income (after Tax) of never more than £1800 a month and lived in central London one of the most expensive city’s in the world. WAY WAY LESS than 120k/150k/200/k a month and I lived very comfortably thank you and just to add I had a BMW then and a BMW and then a Mitsubishi Lancer when I got here.

Yes comfort is subjective and yes the HiSos did list extra costs and prices (all at the upper end) but without a minimum to compare it to it IS useless information. I just supplied the minimum, the HiSos reaction to it speaks volumes

I am not so arrogant as to think the OP is stupid (he does have a house here already) I am sure he being the ONLY person that knows HIS financial situation can work it out for himself.

Please let me quote again what IMHO is the most pertinent quote on this thread

Yeah, but think of the hard-ons it gives to some guys to boast like that.

[Super Joe]

AAAHHH the personal smear tactic
Please let me quote what IMHO is the most pertinent quote on this thread and gave me the best giggle
Your snobbery shows in that you seem to think that people like me on lower incomes cannot possibly be living comfortably. What arrogance.

Read the thread again slowly Sarge. I never said you can not possibly be living comfortably, I said it was subjective, depends on your lifestyle etc. And you've just agreed with that

Also in THIS thread I've said... 'I'm not saying we or anyone else needs to spend this much' ... 'it's just a pick-list of items that I know of and how much they can cost' ... 'ofcourse people live comfortably on 60-90k a month'

As I said read the thread again. You're getting your knickers in a twist over nothing.

SJ

[sargeant]

Please READ this thread again SJ

It started on the 6th Of JUNE

MY FIRST post was on the 29th of SEPTEMBER
4 months


Let me quote some of it and to help you i will highlight in red points for you to ponder

thirteen years of that i supported my ex wifes son , her family and at least 10 CASINOS and numerous Meng Dars

Now My new wife throws a wobbly if we spend more than 15K a month

Oh and Pranburi is noticably cheaper than Hua Hin

It was tongue in cheek humour at MY OWN EXPENSE which obviously eluded you

The ref to flat over shop and only a motor sigh was pointed personally at me now read that post and try very hard to work out WHY my knickers twisted

[poosmate]

I think this thread is getting to be a personal challenge for Sargeant to explain that he is happy living his retirement on a shoestring.
Most people I have met do not wish their standard of living to drop when they retire. I am surprised that many who would not consider public transport at home or be seen dead on a motorcycle are happy that these are their main or only form of transportation. I would imagine aircon would be an essential fixture in all westerners houses even if not required daily. For many a garden and maybe a pool would be required both as exercise and enjoyment of the climate.
IMO the minimum required monthly income not including rent ( most retire with enough spare cash to buy ) would be no less than 80k per month with more if to include good health insurance and as they did when they worked, holidays abroad ( isn't that how we discovered Thailand?).
I think I speak for the average person with adequate ( hopefully) provision for old age without relying on world markets or other financial gambles.

[hhfarang]

The ref to flat over shop and only a motor sigh was pointed personally at me now read that post and try very hard to work out WHY my knickers twisted

It was not Sarge. Why are you being paranoid? It was a very general, common sense post about cost of living vs expectations. Just because I happened to post that after one of your posts doesn't mean it had anything to do with you (I didn't refer to or quote anything in your post).

I've been to your (former) home and it was not a flat over a shop and even if it had been I wasn't saying anything derogatory about living in a flat over a shop, I was just pointing out the possible differences in lifestyles and expectations and why the cost of living here is very personal, subjective, and a difficult question to answer unless you have more information about the person asking the question.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with living in a flat over a shop and taking public transport everywhere if that is what a person wants or is willing to do to be able to live here... it's just not for everyone so I suspect the OP has the information he/she needs now with the minimums and maximums and what each will cover.

[Super Joe]

Please READ this thread again SJ. It started on the 6th Of JUNE
MY FIRST post was on the 29th of SEPTEMBER 4 months
Let me quote some of it and to help you i will highlight in red points for you to ponder

thirteen years of that i supported my ex wifes son , her family and at least 10 CASINOS and numerous Meng Dars
Now My new wife throws a wobbly if we spend more than 15K a month
Oh and Pranburi is noticably cheaper than Hua Hin

It was tongue in cheek humour at MY OWN EXPENSE which obviously eluded you
The ref to flat over shop and only a motor sigh was pointed personally at me now read that post and try very hard to work out WHY my knickers twisted

Sarge, I never uttered a single word about your finances, your lifestyle, your ANYTHING. I haven't a clue about any flats above corner shops our owt... how am I supposed to read someone else's comments and link them to where you live ya daft tart. It's obviously someone else you're not happy with rather than me. Let's kiss and make up shall we. I'll see you in a couple of days anyway, when I pop down for the Sunday paper

SJ

[sargeant]

Sarge, I never uttered a single word about your finances, your lifestyle, your ANYTHING.

IN my first post on this thread niether did I

how am I supposed to read someone else's comments and link them to where you live ya daft tart.

Try using your grey matter and throw in a little practicing what you PREACH

Read the thread again slowly Sarge.

It was not Sarge. Why are you being paranoid?

Well it certainly fooled me if it wasnt

I've been to your (former) home and it was not a flat over a shop

No it was a town house over my former wifes business and as already admitted i do not own a car but have a bicycle and a motor sigh
close enough i think added to the FACT it was the next post after mine and some long time between it and your previous post i feel pretty justified in saying BS

on a shoestring.

Comfortably poosmate and not a shoestring and if you read i am saving 35k a month and could therefore if i so choose spend a lot more i just choose NOT to waste money

For example i go to resteraunts where the food is GOOD at the RIGHT price I dont need to pay high prices for mediocre food just to be seen to be affluent

My final point on this boring subject is both ends of the price spectrum are needed for people to get a good idea of what they will need to live here not just over the top maximised prices by the egocentric

[pharvey]

All getting way too personal.... and a little daft IMHO

Everyone to their own. Unfortunately, I'm not lucky enough as yet to live in Hua Hin or Thailand, but we have a place there, visit when we can and I travel a great deal within Asia, so I think can make realistic comments regarding costs of living.

Ultimately - it's up to you! What is comfortable? Does it mean you have a car, a golf membership, go out to expensive restaurants a couple of times a week? Or is it you can save money? Or is it you live a ''normal'' life without having to worry too much about money?

When the Long Haired General and I go to Hua Hin, I don't think we do a hell of a lot different from when we're at home, other than going for day trips and eating out. OK, there's the shopping etc., but that's a taken.

For me, just a few things that I would want (we have property), and would say gives me a ''comfortable life' - it's not a bloody holiday: -

Electricity - plunge pool, Air-con, general. For me, I need the pool, I need the Air-con........
Enough money for the ''essentials'' - normal food, eating out at local restaurants, a couple of beers.
A little extra for a ''treat'' once or twice a month - a piece of fillet steak for example, a spa session for the LHG, eat out at one of the more expensive restaurants.....
Car - even part-time use to give some ''freedom''. When in HH, I share my neighbours car and give him 400 or so a day + petrol. Cheaper than a hire car so I'm happy, he get's some beer money so he's happy. All perfectly legal and insured.
Internet - an absolute must for me. Regardless of work, always used.
TV/Satellite - Not a big issue as long as I get the Internet!!

I reckon when the LHG and I stay there, we pay around 2.5K baht on power a month, 1.5K on groceries (a week - and not including alcohol!!), 3K on meals a week (even on holiday remember).

You also have to remember/know that I have a Chinese wife. And in the same way as a Thai, they a) care about money b) know the local restaurants c) do not get ripped off in the same way as ''Fallangs'' (although she is a foreigner in Thailand)......

The above brings up the BIG question...... is the OP's wife Thai or Western.......? A huge difference in attitudes that greatly effect costs - zero offense intended towards any ladies on the forum, just a simple fact as I see it.



Anyway, how the hell do you clear level 3-19 on Angry Birds? Getting quite peeved frankly.

[Bamboo Grove]

pharvey wrote:

Anyway, how the hell do you clear level 3-19 on Angry Birds? Getting quite peeved frankly.

In terms of distances in China, this place isn't too far away from Chongqing, go and practise there on your freetime

http://yle.fi/uutiset/news/2011/09/angr ... 54532.html

[sargeant]

Just checking

2,500 a month electric
1,500 a week on groceries ie 6,000 a month
internet top whack 1,500 a month (i am 900 a month i dont need more)
cable tv 2500 a month diamond encrusted package (i have gold 1500 a month)
beer lets say 6 bottles a day just to slake the thirst of course 8,100 a month (i have stopped drinking)
car for you renting every second day 6,000 a month (my Moto Sigh does for me)
3,000 a month eating out (we rarely eat out if we are bored or cannot be bothered to cook we call her MUM round seems the same as eating out to me)

that comes to 29.600

even with a few exra Baht for your own canardly (thats cockney slang for Rolls Royce it rolls down hills canardly get upem) say 20K a month it comes to 50K
which is still a fair few light years away from 120k/150k/200k and sounds very reasonable and totally normal to me

and i am sure of more use to the OP



please let me quote your good self it gave me a severe giggle fit

- it's not a bloody holiday: -

I could not spend the monthly cost of living of some on a honeymoon even if i had it

Sure SJ pop down for a game of golf bring HHF with you i dont hold grudges it wastes too much energy
oh and bring Mr P as well I can sign one of you in as a guest see i have life membership it cost me 15K back in the good old days