You just couldn’t live like a minimalist anymore

[thaibeachlovers]

14 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I guess I set my sights higher than 2000 baht rooms, and even with an income of 30,000 baht a month I'm sure better than that is affordable, but to some a room is just a roof over their heads.

I'm sure that is true, but it's not on topic. Please read what the topic is, and it's not about what wealthy people do.

[bkkcanuck8]

I actually think technically he was within the bounds of the original topic as outlined in the original post.  The difference between the minimalist in the OP and the 'giddyup' was that he would allocate more to accommodations (and obviously less then to 'partying')

 

11 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I'm sure that is true, but it's not on topic. Please read what the topic is, and it's not about what wealthy people do.

 

From the OP post

Quote

I think he got about 35K -40k thai baht monthly  i recall him saying.

I think hs rent was 3000 baht a mnth,no air con ... anyway got to know him from the Jomtien coffee shop he frequented,( brought his own tea bag !????)

He described himself as a minimalist and didnt have anything in assets beside  his pension ( no idea if he had the 800k)

 

[Chou Anou]

No, you can't live like that on that amount almost anywhere in Thailand now. When I first came to Thailand (2002), I:

 

1. gamed the system by doing "visa runs" to the Cambo or Lao border every month (no longer possible)

2. lived on a $1,000 USD income for doing work online, plus income from a seasonal job in the US that required me to be there 3 months a year

3. benefitted from the 44 baht to 1 USD exchange rate at that time

4. lived in a very decent, 3,000 baht a month, furnished apartment in On Nut

5. benefitted from an "LT" price of 1k from sex workers

 

Times change, gotta deal with it.

[simon43]

Can you still live on that amount now?

 

Replying to the original post:

 

How long is a piece of string?  It all depends on your lifestyle of course.

 

Wife/family, smoking, drinking, loose women/men, owning a car, medical issues etc ==> will all contribute to an increased cost of living, sometimes substantially so.

 

But you can still have a very enjoyable lifestyle on $1,000 a month if you eliminate all/some of the above.

 

I comfortably live on $1,000 a month, although my income is about three times that amount.  I have an 'expensive' $500/month house in Luang Prabang, within walking distance of bars, restaurants, local market, supermarket etc.  I opted to live in an expensive house because of it's character (200 years old hardwood house) and proximity to the historic old town.  It has air-con, fibre internet (all utilities included in the rent).

 

My $1,000 outlay includes '5-star' medical insurance, (just in case).

 

I eat out every night in the local night market for 50 baht.

I can safely cycle and jog.

I can watch all films etc on Youtube for free.

 

If I want to splash out, I have the income to do so.

 

I am totally at peace with the world :)

 

So IMHO, it's very possible to live like a minimalist, yet still enjoy life to the full.