Living in Chiang Mai on $500 a month?

[NancyL]

They have "free" medical in Canada, too. But, The Cleveland Clinic is the hip replacement capital of Canada (and it's not in Canada). Perhaps one of you lefties could explain that.

It's because in Canada they don't have a viable private health care system, so people have to live with long wait times for "elective" procedures like replacement of a degenerated hip in their gov't health care system.

It's my understanding that in England, they have a combination of both public and private health care which seems like a good blend. Actually, it seems to be similar in Thailand. A traumatic hip fracture is going to receive the urgent care it needs in the gov't system. Someone with a degenerative hip problem is going to be placed on a waiting list. If they don't like the wait, they can go to a private hospital and pay for short wait times for a hip replacement.

You understand wrong.

UK same as Canada.

Private health care very expensive, nobody but the very rich would consider a private hip replacement.

Then why are so many Canadians going to Cleveland Clinic, as Thighlander asserts? That's not a cheap place for medical care, either.

[AngelsLariat]

Oh please, not another on-line article on this subject! Yes, we all agree -- you CAN live here on $500 a month. But SHOULD you be here if your ONLY source of income is $500 a month and you have no savings or backup plan? Absolutely Not! Especially if you're retired. Yet these articles target the elderly -- the very people who should stay in their home countries where they have access to social services to assist elderly low-income folks. The programs here to assist elderly low income barely exist for Thai people and are non-existent for elderly low income foreigners.

Yet these people still keep a-coming. No-No-No. Sigh -- I'm off to write yet another strongly worded email to Kathleen Peddicord, the author of this article. She makes her living selling books, newsletters and seminars to eager low-income wanna-be retirees. I wish I could contact her the next time a 84-year old resident foreigner turns up at Suan Dok hospital with a broken hip, unable to pay for the care, totally disoriented because of dementia. Maybe she'd like to come and help the poor guy get his life back on track. After all he came here because he read one of her books about how great it is to retire in Chiang Mai!

It would be problematic if retirees who are unable to spend more than $500/month relocated to Chiang Mai because articles like that convinced them that they could like like a prince here on that budget. But I wonder how often that happens. I find that farangs living in Chiang Mai are very quick to tell other people how much they spend per month and how much money they earned before coming here. No doubt a lot of these people are lying about their finances, but when I’ve met ones who claim to live as cheaply as that it has generally not 50+ yr old people who are retired from a career, it has generally been younger people.

[searcher22]

In a recent article, Kathleen Peddicord stated that expats of all ages living in Ecuador could now get full medical coverage under the country's government health plan (social security) for only $70 per month. Pre-existing conditions are covered too. Let's hope Thailand can do the same in the near future so elderly expats living in Thailand can get the care they deserve.

Not to pick on you but that just sounds wrong

Why should Thailand who does for 70 million of their own what it barely can, also be saddled with caring for expats

that hail from much richer countries?

Care they deserve?

I was referring to the expat's home country. I don't think that a citizen who has worked and paid their dues for 40-50 years should be denied healthcare simply because they choose to live the last remaining years of their life outside their home country. It's morally wrong, and financially counterproductive, since it would cost the government less money and free up a bed in an overcrowded hospital back home.

With the billions in revenue generated by tourism, Thailand should also do its part by offering long-term expats access to government hospitals at an affordable price. Some hospitals in the north have already expressed interest in such a plan and have accepted a limited number of expats pending further authorization from BKK. It won't be Shangri-La but at least no patients will be left to fend for themselves.

[FiftyTwo]

Oh please, not another on-line article on this subject! Yes, we all agree -- you CAN live here on $500 a month. But SHOULD you be here if your ONLY source of income is $500 a month and you have no savings or backup plan? Absolutely Not! Especially if you're retired. Yet these articles target the elderly -- the very people who should stay in their home countries where they have access to social services to assist elderly low-income folks. The programs here to assist elderly low income barely exist for Thai people and are non-existent for elderly low income foreigners.

Yet these people still keep a-coming. No-No-No. Sigh -- I'm off to write yet another strongly worded email to Kathleen Peddicord, the author of this article. She makes her living selling books, newsletters and seminars to eager low-income wanna-be retirees. I wish I could contact her the next time a 84-year old resident foreigner turns up at Suan Dok hospital with a broken hip, unable to pay for the care, totally disoriented because of dementia. Maybe she'd like to come and help the poor guy get his life back on track. After all he came here because he read one of her books about how great it is to retire in Chiang Mai!

It would be problematic if retirees who are unable to spend more than $500/month relocated to Chiang Mai because articles like that convinced them that they could like like a prince here on that budget. But I wonder how often that happens. I find that people living in Chiang Mai are very quick to tell other people how much the spend per month and how much money they earned before coming here. No doubt a lot of these people are lying about their finances, but when Ive met ones who claim to live as cheaply as that it has generally not 50+ yr old people who are retired from a career, it has generally been younger people.

Most older people outside their home countries have a regular income for life.

Most younger people outside their home countries are scraping a living any way they can.

[AngelsLariat]

Oh please, not another on-line article on this subject! Yes, we all agree -- you CAN live here on $500 a month. But SHOULD you be here if your ONLY source of income is $500 a month and you have no savings or backup plan? Absolutely Not! Especially if you're retired. Yet these articles target the elderly -- the very people who should stay in their home countries where they have access to social services to assist elderly low-income folks. The programs here to assist elderly low income barely exist for Thai people and are non-existent for elderly low income foreigners.

Yet these people still keep a-coming. No-No-No. Sigh -- I'm off to write yet another strongly worded email to Kathleen Peddicord, the author of this article. She makes her living selling books, newsletters and seminars to eager low-income wanna-be retirees. I wish I could contact her the next time a 84-year old resident foreigner turns up at Suan Dok hospital with a broken hip, unable to pay for the care, totally disoriented because of dementia. Maybe she'd like to come and help the poor guy get his life back on track. After all he came here because he read one of her books about how great it is to retire in Chiang Mai!

It would be problematic if retirees who are unable to spend more than $500/month relocated to Chiang Mai because articles like that convinced them that they could like like a prince here on that budget. But I wonder how often that happens. I find that people living in Chiang Mai are very quick to tell other people how much the spend per month and how much money they earned before coming here. No doubt a lot of these people are lying about their finances, but when Ive met ones who claim to live as cheaply as that it has generally not 50+ yr old people who are retired from a career, it has generally been younger people.

Most older people outside their home countries have a regular income for life.

Most younger people outside their home countries are scraping a living any way they can.

But the article referenced in the original post seemed to be targeted at low budget retirees.

[northernjohn]

In the interest of raining on every body's parade I read the article.

It said rent not live on. Also if you checked the reference she cited it gave a very different story.

I will post it here.

5. Chiang Mai, Thailand

Monthly budget: $1,100

Monthly rent: $400

Thailand is arguably the cheapest place on earth to live well. Expat friends in this part of the world have long tempted me with tales of $1 Pad Thai lunches and $11-a-night hotels (including breakfast and free WiFi).

My top recommendation for retirees considering Thailand in 2014 is Chiang Mai, about 450 miles north of Bangkok, in a fertile river valley surrounded by mountains. Chiang Mai, home to more than 17,000 foreign residents, enjoys a more temperate climate than other parts of Thailand and is an area rich in history with a culture distinctly different from that in central and southern Thailand. Another big plus for Thailand is health care, which is both very good and very cheap. Downsides include the distance from North America.

The OP was a troll post that sucked every one in.

Well done CMfoodie

[beau thai]

It's only a mixed system in the UK because 7 million went out and bought private insurance on their own.

Few pay for it-most have it provided as a perk by their employer. And many dont realise how much it would cost to buy therefore.

[DeeMockMark]

Oh please, not another on-line article on this subject! Yes, we all agree -- you CAN live here on $500 a month. But SHOULD you be here if your ONLY source of income is $500 a month and you have no savings or backup plan? Absolutely Not! Especially if you're retired. Yet these articles target the elderly -- the very people who should stay in their home countries where they have access to social services to assist elderly low-income folks. The programs here to assist elderly low income barely exist for Thai people and are non-existent for elderly low income foreigners.

Yet these people still keep a-coming. No-No-No. Sigh -- I'm off to write yet another strongly worded email to Kathleen Peddicord, the author of this article. She makes her living selling books, newsletters and seminars to eager low-income wanna-be retirees. I wish I could contact her the next time a 84-year old resident foreigner turns up at Suan Dok hospital with a broken hip, unable to pay for the care, totally disoriented because of dementia. Maybe she'd like to come and help the poor guy get his life back on track. After all he came here because he read one of her books about how great it is to retire in Chiang Mai!

Thx for this NancyL.

[FolkGuitar]

Out two biggest monthly expenses (other than food) are housing and my daily ice tea... We chose to live in a larger sized apartment (2 bedrooms so one could be a den/desk space) withing walking distance of everything in the Old City. That expense could be cut in half if we moved outside the ring roads. I love ice tea, but it costs me 60 baht a day to order two glasses of it with my lunch. That's more than I pay for the food itself! A 10-baht bottle of water would save $50 a month just on tea...

Sure, one 'could' live in Chiang Mai on $500 a month. But I wouldn't want to.

If you like tea so much like me, but you are worry about the cost.....Go to a local street market where "ordinary" people buy goods, and ask for the cheapest Thai tea " Number One Brand", red, green, or yellow type from 60THB for 400 grs. I think is better than any expensive tea on the market...and so good that I am sending to my friends in the US and I pass that info to many "high class" Thai people that never knew about. You have to brew it your self in a coffee or tea maker (350THB in Big C) and you will have tea for months.

I'm sorry... I wasn't clear in my post. I don't worry about the cost of tea. For brewing at home I import East India Company teas, Fortnum&Mason teas, Taylors of Harrogate teas, an extra-smokey Lapsang Soushong from McNultey's Tea&Coffee, and locally purchase an English Breakfast tea from Vieng Joom On (that stuff is about 400 baht for 50gm!) I drink (and give back) 3-4 liters of tea a day (you don't get to keep tea or beer...) and insist on good tasting tea at home. The 60 baht I was talking about in my post was the charge from the restaurant where I have my mid-day meal. (Which, unfortunately, is Lipton's Yellow Label, but I put up with it.) But I thank you for the tip about this local tea, and I'll certainly give it a try. Please... what do the 'red, green, and yellow type' signify?

[A1Str8]

When I think about this shi_t, my respect always goes to thais as many of them somehow manage to live on a lower budget.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[FiftyTwo]

Out two biggest monthly expenses (other than food) are housing and my daily ice tea... We chose to live in a larger sized apartment (2 bedrooms so one could be a den/desk space) withing walking distance of everything in the Old City. That expense could be cut in half if we moved outside the ring roads. I love ice tea, but it costs me 60 baht a day to order two glasses of it with my lunch. That's more than I pay for the food itself! A 10-baht bottle of water would save $50 a month just on tea...

Sure, one 'could' live in Chiang Mai on $500 a month. But I wouldn't want to.

If you like tea so much like me, but you are worry about the cost.....Go to a local street market where "ordinary" people buy goods, and ask for the cheapest Thai tea " Number One Brand", red, green, or yellow type from 60THB for 400 grs. I think is better than any expensive tea on the market...and so good that I am sending to my friends in the US and I pass that info to many "high class" Thai people that never knew about. You have to brew it your self in a coffee or tea maker (350THB in Big C) and you will have tea for months.

I'm sorry... I wasn't clear in my post. I don't worry about the cost of tea. For brewing at home I import East India Company teas, Fortnum&Mason teas, Taylors of Harrogate teas, an extra-smokey Lapsang Soushong from McNultey's Tea&Coffee, and locally purchase an English Breakfast tea from Vieng Joom On (that stuff is about 400 baht for 50gm!) I drink (and give back) 3-4 liters of tea a day (you don't get to keep tea or beer...) and insist on good tasting tea at home. The 60 baht I was talking about in my post was the charge from the restaurant where I have my mid-day meal. (Which, unfortunately, is Lipton's Yellow Label, but I put up with it.) But I thank you for the tip about this local tea, and I'll certainly give it a try. Please... what do the 'red, green, and yellow type' signify?

Makro own brand breakfast tea, 130bht for 100 tea bags, you can't beat it.

Number 1 brand is just nasty orange stuff.

[BawBae]

It would be an ascetic life in Chiang Mai, even a rent-free scenario.
It would still be cramped in other places like Lamphun or Fang.
Thaton? Luvverly place.

[BawBae]

retirement visa alone is 65,000 baht month or a Thai Bank deposit of 800,000 baht... As you cannot live in Thailand without some sort of Visa, why is this never mentioned ?

I was just reading where Belize practically gives away permanent residency status.

But I would venture the only thing Belize would match is the malaria and dengue joy

by comparison.

[beau thai]

It would be an ascetic life in Chiang Mai, even a rent-free scenario.

It would still be cramped in other places like Lamphun or Fang.

Thaton? Luvverly place.

Tha ton Really?? Always seems ok for a weekend trip but naff all to do there surely? Any decent live music? Any where to get the occasional fix of farang food?

What is the attraction for you-outside of family?

[smooth expat]

Do it. I'm back here in cold, dreary farangland. I'v just visited for a few weeks now but I'm already miserable and want to go back on the first flight out. I hate this crappy country so much. It sucks sucks sucks.

[FolkGuitar]

Out two biggest monthly expenses (other than food) are housing and my daily ice tea... We chose to live in a larger sized apartment (2 bedrooms so one could be a den/desk space) withing walking distance of everything in the Old City. That expense could be cut in half if we moved outside the ring roads. I love ice tea, but it costs me 60 baht a day to order two glasses of it with my lunch. That's more than I pay for the food itself! A 10-baht bottle of water would save $50 a month just on tea...

Sure, one 'could' live in Chiang Mai on $500 a month. But I wouldn't want to.

If you like tea so much like me, but you are worry about the cost.....Go to a local street market where "ordinary" people buy goods, and ask for the cheapest Thai tea " Number One Brand", red, green, or yellow type from 60THB for 400 grs. I think is better than any expensive tea on the market...and so good that I am sending to my friends in the US and I pass that info to many "high class" Thai people that never knew about. You have to brew it your self in a coffee or tea maker (350THB in Big C) and you will have tea for months.

I'm sorry... I wasn't clear in my post. I don't worry about the cost of tea. For brewing at home I import East India Company teas, Fortnum&Mason teas, Taylors of Harrogate teas, an extra-smokey Lapsang Soushong from McNultey's Tea&Coffee, and locally purchase an English Breakfast tea from Vieng Joom On (that stuff is about 400 baht for 50gm!) I drink (and give back) 3-4 liters of tea a day (you don't get to keep tea or beer...) and insist on good tasting tea at home. The 60 baht I was talking about in my post was the charge from the restaurant where I have my mid-day meal. (Which, unfortunately, is Lipton's Yellow Label, but I put up with it.) But I thank you for the tip about this local tea, and I'll certainly give it a try. Please... what do the 'red, green, and yellow type' signify?

Makro own brand breakfast tea, 130bht for 100 tea bags, you can't beat it.

Number 1 brand is just nasty orange stuff.

Tea 'bags?' Surely you jest...

Most commercial companies use tea fannings for their tea bags. I want my tea to be TGFOP, GFBOP, or GFOP grade or better. That's where the flavor is!

See this...

[FiftyTwo]

Makro own brand breakfast tea, 130bht for 100 tea bags, you can't beat it.

Number 1 brand is just nasty orange stuff.

Tea 'bags?' Surely you jest...

Most commercial companies use tea fannings for their tea bags. I want my tea to be TGFOP, GFBOP, or GFOP grade or better. That's where the flavor is!

See this...

Off topic,

I'm just a normal English bloke, my tea comes in tea bags, my beer is Chang Classic, I eat my cucumber sandwiches with the crusts still on them and I like my sex partners to have a womb.

No nancy scenty tea for me, no wine with dinner and none of your stinky French cheese rubbish, Cheddar is good enough.

If I were an effeminate artist/musician type things might be different.

[donniereadit]

Yes, you can do it comfortably.

10k gets a nice apartment with everything your need, even western kitchen etc. Roughly $300.

That leaves $200 or 200 baht a day per month to eat. Plenty.

Your on the edge, but can squeak by. I have plenty of days getting 30 baht meals for way under 200 baht everything a day even including coffees, and buying just about everything as I walk around, locally of course like a poor Thai would, not from German food places or sitting there with a red wine like some chump from France. This includes shopping at the local market and getting 10 baht fruit bags and 20 baht smoothies. I don't go hungry and have everything I need. It's just a lifestyle preference for me so I don't have the nag about having to only spend $500. But that's a cross some have to bear.

If you can bump up to 15k ($500 for a house) and $250 for expenses, your basically on easy street. Not many people can stick to a budget however, they get caught up in drinking, eating at western places (my pet peev), and paying for girls of course.

Long term it could be an issue if you run out of 6 month tourist visas and have to start getting radical with things like flying out of the country for new passports.

[mania]

In a recent article, Kathleen Peddicord stated that expats of all ages living in Ecuador could now get full medical coverage under the country's government health plan (social security) for only $70 per month. Pre-existing conditions are covered too. Let's hope Thailand can do the same in the near future so elderly expats living in Thailand can get the care they deserve.

Not to pick on you but that just sounds wrong

Why should Thailand who does for 70 million of their own what it barely can, also be saddled with caring for expats

that hail from much richer countries?

Care they deserve?

I was referring to the expat's home country. I don't think that a citizen who has worked and paid their dues for 40-50 years should be denied healthcare simply because they choose to live the last remaining years of their life outside their home country. It's morally wrong, and financially counterproductive, since it would cost the government less money and free up a bed in an overcrowded hospital back home.

With the billions in revenue generated by tourism, Thailand should also do its part by offering long-term expats access to government hospitals at an affordable price. Some hospitals in the north have already expressed interest in such a plan and have accepted a limited number of expats pending further authorization from BKK. It won't be Shangri-La but at least no patients will be left to fend for themselves.

I kind of agree with the 1st half of your answer in that a citizen who has paid into a system should be allowed to use it.

I cannot say I think any countries duty is to chase their citizen offering benefits in whichever corner of the world they choose to live.

A citizen by definition should be in his country of benefit if he is seeking such a benefit.

Taxes may give back something but they are not really any form of guaranteed benefits.

As for Thailand giving back tourism dollars...........Nah I dont see it that way at all.

Tourist do not come here out of the kindness of their hearts to donate monies to Thailand.

They come to benefit themselves with cheaper costs of living or other things

Health wise I think all countries will stabilize a injury but there is no need for them to provide health care for others who are not

citizens especially when they can barely afford to float their own people.

What we see in those Northern hospitals you say accepted a limited number of expats was a mistake that was soon caught.

What was to be extended to immigrant workers was immediately pounced on & overwhelmed by expats looking for a cheap insurance.

I highly doubt you will see any further authorization by BKK but they will at least honor their mistake till the mob runs its 1 year

mistaken benefit out. But all it really did was show Thailand's government how cheap & unstable a greater majority of expats actually are.

If anything I would not be surprised to see a knee-jerk reaction to that being higher income/savings minimums to obtain

non-imm visa extensions.

[FiftyTwo]

Yes, you can do it comfortably.

10k gets a nice apartment with everything your need, even western kitchen etc. Roughly $300.

That leaves $200 or 200 baht a day per month to eat. Plenty.

Your on the edge, but can squeak by. I have plenty of days getting 30 baht meals for way under 200 baht everything a day even including coffees, and buying just about everything as I walk around, locally of course like a poor Thai would, not from German food places or sitting there with a red wine like some chump from France. This includes shopping at the local market and getting 10 baht fruit bags and 20 baht smoothies. I don't go hungry and have everything I need. It's just a lifestyle preference for me so I don't have the nag about having to only spend $500. But that's a cross some have to bear.

If you can bump up to 15k ($500 for a house) and $250 for expenses, your basically on easy street. Not many people can stick to a budget however, they get caught up in drinking, eating at western places (my pet peev), and paying for girls of course.

Long term it could be an issue if you run out of 6 month tourist visas and have to start getting radical with things like flying out of the country for new passports.

You can get a condo between Maya and KSK just off Huay Keow for 3,500k/month.

My pal just moved in, OK, so he did paint it himself, but it's perfectly acceptable now.

Even has covered parking.

[amykat]

If you lived in a really cheap room with no aircon and only ate in the 20 baht vegetarian restaurants all over town, you could do it, but it would not be fun.

We own our home and car and don't have any debts and can live quite well on around 15K baht per month. 80% of our meals a prepared at home. Having said that tho we do fork out around 45K every 3 months for the sons education and if we didn't have him then no problems living on 500 dollars. If we had to pay rent etc then I would say no way could we do it.

HI chooka,

I hope you won't think I am being rude, but I find it pretty shocking that you say you can get by on 15K baht, with 2 adults and a kid. I also find the other posters who think $500 a month is enough here, questionable. I mean, yes, if you have to, and for a short period of time, one person could do it.

But overall, in life, we need things beyond food and water, and minimal shelter. Don't we? I own my house and car too, and have a child in private schools, so am like you Chooka, but there is no way I could get by on 15K a month, even excluding my medical costs, dogs, the cost of school, and a few things like this which everyone doesn't have.

BUT ....don't you need clothes some times, dental checks, teeth cleaning, a pair of eyeglasses, or contacts, cleaning solutions, some medical costs here and there, a new piece of furniture, a set of sheets, new towels, house repairs, car insurance, gas, toys for the kid, books, school trips, and you even say ONLY 80% of your food is eaten at home, so I can only assume the rest is at street stalls? No special Xmas dinner, or birthdays, or anything???

I'm just wondering if you are someone who is not in touch with their actual budget/spending, and you just think you only spend that much?? I mean, that is approx $150 per month, per person. I can't feed people on that, much less pay utilities, and all the other things. Well, maybe I could, but we could never drink anything other than water, eat mostly rice, etc ...that is a bit strict for most Western people.

Sorry, if I am being rude ...really if you are doing that, that is great ...you must be very disciplined and I also would give you ++10 LIKES for sending your kid to such an expensive school, vs, your living budget. I also spend for that, but it doesn't cost me quite that percentage of my living income/budget.

So again, just double checking, this isn't some kind of hyperbole on your part, either accidental or not. Or are you some kind of maniac saver and forcing this lifestyle for a while to meet some other goals? Or do you need to start a spreadsheet and start tracking things, and then you will find that 15K is really 30K ??

[Johpa]

Tha ton Really?? Always seems ok for a weekend trip but naff all to do there surely? Any decent live music? Any where to get the occasional fix of farang food?

What is the attraction for you-outside of family?

Actually in Thaton you can get Farang food in most of the guesthouses and hotels. There is live music in Fang and a decent evening drinking establishment in Thaton where you can easily find converstaion with the tourists. Lots of beautiful roads, temples, and a large variety of minority villages accesible by car or motorbike. There is also the long tail boat ride that you can take for a short ride and then have someone pick you up or just take the local transport back. All in all an affordable place with decent amenities if you include Fang for shopping.

[donniereadit]

Yes, you can do it comfortably.

10k gets a nice apartment with everything your need, even western kitchen etc. Roughly $300.

That leaves $200 or 200 baht a day per month to eat. Plenty.

Your on the edge, but can squeak by. I have plenty of days getting 30 baht meals for way under 200 baht everything a day even including coffees, and buying just about everything as I walk around, locally of course like a poor Thai would, not from German food places or sitting there with a red wine like some chump from France. This includes shopping at the local market and getting 10 baht fruit bags and 20 baht smoothies. I don't go hungry and have everything I need. It's just a lifestyle preference for me so I don't have the nag about having to only spend $500. But that's a cross some have to bear.

If you can bump up to 15k ($500 for a house) and $250 for expenses, your basically on easy street. Not many people can stick to a budget however, they get caught up in drinking, eating at western places (my pet peev), and paying for girls of course.

Long term it could be an issue if you run out of 6 month tourist visas and have to start getting radical with things like flying out of the country for new passports.

You can get a condo between Maya and KSK just off Huay Keow for 3,500k/month.

My pal just moved in, OK, so he did paint it himself, but it's perfectly acceptable now.

Even has covered parking.

True, even some places around here for 2,700. But in my experience most people are better off getting digs that are right up there with what they can afford, allowing for food and incidentials of course. If they are looking to live here, rather then just hang out for awhile.

When you start trying to save by going real cheap the places do come with problems that may get to you after awhile. Like loud neighbors that don't work, things that don't get fixed, to far out of town, sex tourists bringing in visitors all night and making noise etc.

[Thighlander]

Makro own brand breakfast tea, 130bht for 100 tea bags, you can't beat it.

Number 1 brand is just nasty orange stuff.

Tea 'bags?' Surely you jest...

Most commercial companies use tea fannings for their tea bags. I want my tea to be TGFOP, GFBOP, or GFOP grade or better. That's where the flavor is!

See this...

Off topic,

I'm just a normal English bloke, my tea comes in tea bags, my beer is Chang Classic, I eat my cucumber sandwiches with the crusts still on them and I like my sex partners to have a womb.

No nancy scenty tea for me, no wine with dinner and none of your stinky French cheese rubbish, Cheddar is good enough.

If I were an effeminate artist/musician type things might be different.

Couldn't you save a lot using an infuser or tea ball to make tea, and avoid consuming boiled paper?

[FolkGuitar]

Makro own brand breakfast tea, 130bht for 100 tea bags, you can't beat it.

Number 1 brand is just nasty orange stuff.

Tea 'bags?' Surely you jest...

Most commercial companies use tea fannings for their tea bags. I want my tea to be TGFOP, GFBOP, or GFOP grade or better. That's where the flavor is!

See this...

Off topic,

I'm just a normal English bloke, my tea comes in tea bags, my beer is Chang Classic, I eat my cucumber sandwiches with the crusts still on them and I like my sex partners to have a womb.

No nancy scenty tea for me, no wine with dinner and none of your stinky French cheese rubbish, Cheddar is good enough.

If I were an effeminate artist/musician type things might be different.

Couldn't you save a lot using an infuser or tea ball to make tea, and avoid consuming boiled paper?

It's not the boiled paper I object to. In fact there are several brands of Japanese teabag papers have have absolutely no taste to them, so you can fill them with what ever good quality tea you happen to favor at the moment and not have the clean-up involved with an infuser. Or even pre-fill them for bleary-eyed morning wake-ups. The objection is to the use of the 'fannings' grade of tea that most (though not every) commercial teabag producers use in their product. Fannings are the equivalent of tea dust... floor sweepings, if you will. It's the lowest grade of tea available. Almost no tea flavor when compared with the larger whole or broken leaves and tips. If you take a look here, you can see all the various grades of teas, and how these grades affect the flavors of Indian or Chinese, Sri Lankan or African teas, etc., etc. There is as much going on in the Tea World as there is in the Coffee World or Beer, Wine, Single Malt, etc. Worlds, as far as various flavors (and I'm speaking of the natural flavors rather than added fruits or flowers) of the different teas.

[binjalin]

oh goodie another thread on $500 a month

it can be done but who on earth wants to do it? 15,000 baht? I think many live on 30/40,000 which seems a sort of average but it's much more comfortable on 80/100,000

[mizztraveller]

Please read the article. RENT for $500 a month, not live. There's a world of difference!

[beau thai]

Tha ton Really?? Always seems ok for a weekend trip but naff all to do there surely? Any decent live music? Any where to get the occasional fix of farang food?

What is the attraction for you-outside of family?

Actually in Thaton you can get Farang food in most of the guesthouses and hotels. There is live music in Fang and a decent evening drinking establishment in Thaton where you can easily find converstaion with the tourists. Lots of beautiful roads, temples, and a large variety of minority villages accesible by car or motorbike. There is also the long tail boat ride that you can take for a short ride and then have someone pick you up or just take the local transport back. All in all an affordable place with decent amenities if you include Fang for shopping.

Yep, I get all that for a visit but living up there? Not for me. But each to their own piece of paradise...

[mimithewoof]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/pensions/10593447/One-in-seven-over-65s-consider-renting-spare-room-as-they-struggle-to-live-off-pensions.html

Perhaps the above will give non-UK expats here a tiny clue as to why many British pensioners decide they can't take any more and try to make a go of it in CM.

This issue of the Daily Telegraph also has several horror stories about the state of the free National Health Service.

Information is everything...especially on public forums.

[HaleySabai]

The article says it costs $1100 per month to live a basic life in Chiang Mai, excluding transport.

...thats more like it.... I cut my family a $500 monthly budget which we easily meet for the fundamentals of daily living and for the most part,maintain a "local" Vs. a "tourist" type lifestyle.

I meet people in Canada who have little or no travel experience with the impression that living "over there" is "dirt-cheap"...yes compared to say Vancouver it is...but dirt cheap it is not, unless you want to "go native" (so to speak) and live in a rural Moo-Ban surrounded by the 19th century. Prices here in CM have gone up in recent years but it is still good value for "the buck".

check this link out for a reflection of the 'simple-life' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jxdgiFBBxw