Thailand Cost Of Living – Month Two

Posted on February 1, 2013 by koomatzu

Money In Thailand

As promised in my previous article here, I have carried on keeping a record of my spendings for my second month living in Bangkok. It’s not all good news as I spent much more than expected this month – I was hoping for it to be less rather than more as I should be learning to save my money in Thailand better by now.

This month, I spent a total of 47721 baht (£1050 or $1600). However, I did join a gym for a large chunk of money of 12500 (£260 or $420) baht and I went on holiday to Malaysia for 17500 baht (£370 or $580). And then after you add on the 7800 baht I earned from working as an extra, I actually technically only spent 17721 baht (£390 or $590)… Still not good but we’ll see how it goes next month ;p (kind of cheating too as 17721 would really be the amound spent over 3 weeks, not a month)

Cost of food and drink in Thailand – 6572 baht (£130).

This includes trips to the 7/11 and Tops supermarket for all kinds of consumables such as toilet roll, hand wash and cereal. This only really covers about 3 weeks of this month as well, as I went on holiday to Malaysia for 1 week this month… So I actually spent more than last month despite my plans to save more money! It doesn’t really help that I’ve gotten to a point where I am absolutely sick of Thai food this month, so have had to spend whatever it takes to survive and eat whatever western food I fancy! Hopefully this will pass and I can return to eating cheaper Thai food once again :/

Cost of transport in Thailand – 1470 baht (£30).

This covers catching the BTS most days and the odd taxi to Extra jobs which are outside of BTS opening hours.

Cost of shopping in Thailand – 2363 baht (£45).

I actually wouldn’t usually have spent this much but had to keep running out and buying cheap clothes for extra jobs. Hopefully having some more clothes will end up paying for itself so I can use them for work. In all fairness, I got a lot of clothes for this money e.g. a pair of office shoes for 250 baht from a street vendor in Siam.

Cost of gym membership and Fitness classes in Thailand – 14350 baht (£300).

I try and attend a pole dancing lesson once a week which costs 500 baht per hourly session at Rumpuree dance studio. I also splashed out this month on a hefty six month gym membership at Clark Hatch which cost me 12500 baht. Hopefully this will work out cheaper in the long run though!

Cost of rent in Thailand – 5000 baht per person (£100).

Cost of utilities in Bangkok – 466 baht (£10).

Cost of water bill this month was 30 baht each (between two of us) and electricity was 430 baht each.

Cost of visa run to Malaysia – 17500 baht (£370).

For a weeks mini holiday to Kuala Lumpur to visit the embassy and apply for a visa it cost 17500 baht. This included flights, hotel, spending money, visa fees and food. For more details on this, click here

Money earned from Extra work in Bangkok + 7800 baht (£170).

For 5 days of work.

Where To Live In Bangkok

Posted on January 22, 2013 by koomatzu

Areas Of Bangkok

The best place to live in Bangkok mainly depends on each expat’s priorities and commitments they will have while living in Bangkok. There are the ‘Hi-so’ areas of Bangkok for those with good job prospects and finer tastes, and there are places to live more suited to a local Thai style for those on a budget.

Understandably, apartment rent in Bangkok typically costs much more when located closer to a BTS or MRT station. For many, once they have become a seasoned Bangkok expat they tend to grow a distaste for walking more than two minutes in the sweaty Thailand heat! Therefore, renting near a BTS station can be well worth the extra cost…

You can find the BTS, MRT and airport link routes and their areas on the map below (the green, blue and red lines respectively). Although you may want to bear in mind that some condos in Bangkok offer a free shuttle service to the nearest station.

If you plan on driving or don’t mind commuting by bus, songtaew and motorbike taxi, then you will find much cheaper condos and even more flexibility of where to live in Bangkok. Areas of Bangkok such as Bangkok Noi, Pinklao, Ratchada Thapra (both located to the west across the Chao Praya river), Lat Prao and Lak si further past Chatuchak, all provide great value accommodation.

It can be difficult to decide where to live in Bangkok without knowing exactly where the different districts, transport links and essentials are located.

Best place to live in Bangkok

Pathum Wan district – Central Bangkok

BTS: Siam, Chit Lom, Ploenchit, National Stadium

Pathum Wan stands as the central area of Bangkok and is home to a huge chunk of the mega expensive and fashionable malls of the city. For both human traffic and transport traffic, it is perhaps the busiest and liveliest area you could live in Bangkok. If you stick to the main streets of Siam you’ll find the glamorous hi-so socialites and fashionable business folk of Bangkok, yet veer off slightly to the side streets and you’ll find bustling local streets exploding with cheap stalls and food carts.

The centre of Bangkok has everything you could possibly need: Live music, yoga classes, pole dance classes, gyms, restaurant brands from around the world and even a giant Blade Runner stylee technology market, Pantip Plaza – get bored and there will probably be something going on or some kind of activity you can take up in this Bangkok centre.

The centre of Bangkok will be particularly appealing to the shoppers and expat fashionistas. Conveniently, a skywalk even runs through a large part of Siam, connecting all the big Bangkok shopping malls with Chitlom BTS stations. You’re never too far from the luxury of air con here – people in the centre really don’t like to sweat too much…

The Bangkokians in Siam tend to be very glamourous and fashionably dressed. Let’s just say walking around the shopping malls here… I feel like kind of a pauper scruffbag. If you search for apartments near the National Stadium side of Pathum Wan though, you can still find some affordable places to live and still be in a great Bangkok location.

Cost of Living in Pathum Wan: $$$$ – $$$$$

Points of interest in Pathum Wan: Siam Centre, Paragon, Central World, Siam Square

Where to live in Bangkok Pathum Wan: Budget apartments near National Stadium – 74 Mansion, Patumwan Oasis

Rattanakosin

Ferry Pier: Phra Athit

Rattanakosin is located away from the subway and skytrain systems, perhaps to preserve it’s historic roots as the Old City of Bangkok. The area is great for tourists but not so great as a place to live for expats in Bangkok. Getting around can be difficult as traffic is terrible and taxis often refuse fares and are reluctant to take passengers far.

Options are limited between taxi and ferries on the main canal and the Chao Phraya river. The district of Rattanakosin is also a little less modern than other areas of Bangkok, lacking in amenities due to the lack of expats living there. There are still expats living in Bangkok who enjoy renting in this area though, mainly those who work there or others who peacefully stick to the hidden away hippy communities.

Cost of Living in Rattanakosin: $$

Points of interest in Rattanakosin: Khaosan Road

Phayathai

BTS: Victory Monument, Phayathai, Rachathewi, Sanam Pao

The Phayathai district is ideally located in central Bangkok within very close distance to Siam centre. The BTS system allows easy travel between all the main areas of Bangkok such as Siam, MBK, Silom and Chatuchak weekend market which are all within just a couple of stop’s reach.

Phayathai is perhaps the best location in the city for public transport. The traffic is terribly busy in the area, but expats in Phayathai have access to Bangkok’s airport rail link and city link, the BTS system and the mini bus hub. Yet despite it’s convenient, central location and fantastic transport links, you can actually find some good value condos for rent in the area.

The area around the Victory Monument and Rangnam Road offers plenty of entertainment such as shopping, restaurants and Thai nightlife, plus some great bars with live music such as the Rock Pub and Saxophone Pub. Phayathai is not overly touristy so you can rest assured that you won’t get hassled too much by Tuk Tuk drivers like in Nana, Silom or Rattanoskin, but it is still an extremely busy and lively area to live in Bangkok.

In the evenings, the streets become heaving with crowds and street stalls selling food and clothing. For some expats, it can be a little overwhelming and hectic to live amongst this after a while. Nonetheless, if you love a bit of classic hustle and bustle, you can rent surprisingly cheap apartments for such a central area of Bangkok… plus it’s definitely a hard area to beat for convenience and entertainment – Thai-style!

Cost of Living: $$$

Where to live in Bangkok Phayathai: Budget – 21 Living Place, 507 Residence

Bang Rak Silom

BTS: Sala Daeng, Chong Nonsi / MRT: Silom

Silom offers pretty much everything you could possibly need while living in Bangkok and provides a lively atmosphere 24 hours a day, everyday. Silom boasts a wealth of multi-national bars, irish pubs, pizzerias, sushi restaurants, markets, malls, useful shops and supermarkets ideal for expats in need of some home luxuries. On the other hand, there are plenty of cheap, local places to eat for those living on a budget in Bangkok as well.

The Silom area of the Bang Rak district is conveniently located in close distance just stops away from the main centre via both BTS and MRT. It’s both a convenient and entertaining place to live, however this does come at a cost. Apartments are hard to find for less than 15000 baht per month minimum. By all means though, if you can afford to live in this area of Bangkok it may well be worth paying the extra money.

It’s useful to know that there are two sides to Silom that are extremely different in atmosphere. The attractive, palm tree lined western end of Silom, nearest the Chao Phraya river, is considerably more subdued and less lively during evenings, whereas the eastern end, that surrounds BTS Sala daeng and borders Lumpini Park, is quite the opposite. On the main Silom road here, as dusk falls and the highstreet shops start to close, the streetwalks begin to quickly fill up with vibrant, fairy light-covered night stalls, where you can buy shoes, bags, dresses and trinkets throughout the whole night.

The red light district area in Sala Daeng, known as Patpong, may be seen as rather seedy and unappealing to some. It is pretty harmless and easy to avoid once you know the roads though.

The whole of Silom is a popular area in bangkok to stay for tourists. This means you might get some of the usual tourist trap shouts by tuk tuk drivers and restaurant workers like ‘Oi you! Where you going? You want Thai food? Ping pong show?’. This may get annoying for some people. Not only is the Silom area of Bangkok a hotspot for locals, expats and tourists, it is particularly popular with Japanese expats, hence you will find the famous ‘Japanese Street’, or Thaniya Road, brimming with Tokyo style neon signs and Japanese restaurants.

Cost of Living in Silom: $$$$

Points of interest in Silom: Roadhouse Pub, Central Silom Complex, Patpong night market, Lumpini Park, Thaniya Road

Where to live in Bangkok Silom: Luxury – The Legend Apartments

Bang Rak Sathorn

BTS: Saphan Taksin, Surasak / MRT: Lumphini

Sathorn is somewhat more of a business district area of Bangkok and hence has a slightly more subdued atmosphere than some of the other central areas of Bangkok. Weekends are eerily quiet but the weekdays provide a balanced, lively crowd of bustling locals and business workers.

Sathorn makes a good place to live in Bangkok for an atmosphere that sits between the busy, hectic tourist centres of the city and the perhaps less interesting, outer areas of Bangkok. It makes for quite a pleasant, hidden escape from some of the craziness you might find in Phayathai, Nana and Silom, for example.

Location-wise, Sathorn is ideally situated on the BTS route just a few stops away from the centre of Bangkok, still close to all the main activity of the main city. The western end is a little more quiet than the eastern side with quaint backstreets offering plenty of local activity and cheap Thai cooking. It provides easy access to BTS Surasak as well as easy walking distance to the western side of Silom.

Just one stop away on the BTS, you can find the central pier which will grant you access to all the areas along the Chao Phraya river. For those on a budget living in Bangkok, you can find some relatively cheap apartments for rent towards the western end of Sathorn; studios start from as little as 5000 baht per month and provide a convenient base to commute or travel around the city.

The eastern end of Sathorn, towards Lumpini Park and Lumpini MRT station, offers slightly more sophisticated and professional surroundings: you’ll find the Life Center shopping mall elegant restaurants and five star hotels dotted along the main road.

Cost of Living: $$$

Points of interest in Sathorn: Jameson’s Irish Pub, Launch Pad Co-work Space, Chinese Cemetery & Park, The Life Center, Lumpini Park

Where to live in Bangkok Sathorn: On a budget – Sathorn Saint View (Review here), Baan Sathorn, Purita Apartments, Medium – Littlest Guesthouse, Thai CC Residence, Luxury – Sathorn Gallery Residences

Sukhumvit 9 – 27

BTS: Nana, Asoke / MRT: Sukhumvit

Sukhumvit is the extremely long, main road that runs through Bangkok city and connects all the areas by numerically ordered numbered sois. When you live in Bangkok, you’ll find that people use the Sukhumvit Soi numbers to explain locations to people – the smaller the number, the closer to central Siam.

The Nana and Asoke area of Sukhumvit is a hugely multicultural area teaming with expats and holiday makers from around the world. Nana in particular is a very lively and busy area of Bangkok. On the main Sukhumwit Road through Nana, it’s actually difficult to walk on the paths without being hassled in one way or another; being persuaded to buy a suit or hounded by the street stall owners along the way.

Personally, I find Nana busy in a bad way rather than a good way, and I find it a chore to make it through the hectic way of the sidewalks – this may be all fine and dandy for tourists who might actually be interested in the souvenirs for sale and the prospect of tailor made suits, but for expats it’s just a plain pain in the ass.

Location wise, Nana and Asoke make a convenient place to live in Bangkok, being only three stops away from the centre station at Siam and just a 5 or 10 minute walk to the cool shopping mall, Terminal 21. And to top that off, the area has some of the best and most renowned nightlife Bangkok has to offer. For all the modern nightclubs (many especially popular amongst expats), rooftop bars, pubs and huge range of restaurants, soi 11 is absolutely crammed full of choice in nightlife for the average person.

For the go go bars in Bangkok, ‘Soi Cowboy’ is one of the most famous ‘red light district ‘areas in Thailand for it’s choice and sheer volume of bars. Some may find the atmosphere of this area a little seedy and distasteful because of this though. Personally, other than the bars on soi 11, I’m not much of a fan of this area and think it is perhaps not ideal, or 100% safe, for couples or females living in Bangkok.

Cost of Living: $$$$

Points of interest on Sukhumvit: Terminal 21, Benjakiti park, Soi 11 nightlife, Soi Cowboy red light district

Where to live in Bangkok Sukhumvit: K-House

Sukhumvit (Soi 29 – 65)

BTS: Phrom Phong, Thonglor, Ekkamai

Phrom Phong, Thonglor and Ekkamai are known to be the posh areas of Bangkok, the hi-so place to live in Bangkok if you will. Phrom Phong in particular is recognised as where to live in Bangkok for high flying expats with professional jobs. Conveniently, you’ll find many good restaurants, hair salons, western pubs and shops catering for expats with English signs outside.

A 20 minute BTS ride about 5 stops away from Siam centre, this part of Sukhumvit manages to evade the pushy hustle and bustle of tourist trap tuk tuks and other tack that you mind find in other areas of Bangkok. It offers a little more sophistication in the form of fashionable complexes, trendy bars and clubs, and fine dining restaurants.

You can still find some charming, hidden away Thai gems such as cool bars, cute beer gardens and casual outdoor Thai buffets. Thonglor and Phrom Phong tend to be especially expensive to live in Bangkok and mainly appeal to expats with well paying transfer jobs. Ekkamai offers equally pleasant scenery and amenities though, as well as better value apartments for rent. Typically, you can find a one bedroom apartment in Ekkamai from around 15000 baht per month (£300 or $470).

Cost of Living: $$$$-$$$$$

Points of interest in Sukhumvit: Emporium Mall, SD BBQ, Banrie, Tuba Bar, Iron Fairies, Witches Tavern, Roast, Soi 55 and 63 nightlife

Where to live in Bangkok Sukhumvit: Low/medium – The Hive, Luxury – Ivy Thonglor

Wongwian Yai & Talat Plu (Thonburi)

BTS: Wongwian Yai, Po Nimit, Talat Plu, Krung Thonburi

Thonburi is located a little further out of the city centre, across the Chao Phraya river that cuts through Bangkok. In recent months, the BTS route has been expanded to include Po Nimit and Talat Plu stations, and continues to build further on.

This means that despite Thonburi’s distance out of the city centre, it is still well connected to all the main areas of Bangkok via the newly built BTS stations. It also means that apartment rent is currently very cheap in this area as it doesn’t seem to have built up and caught up with the rest of Bangkok yet. There are a many new apartment buildings popping up in the Thonburi district near the BTS stations very quickly, and they all seem to offer great value condos for the money.

Where there are advantages though, there are usually drawbacks as well. The main areas near the BTS route in Thonburi, particularly Talat Phlu, tend to have rather unsightly overpasses and carriageways running through them. There are also ongoing building works of the extending BTS route. Therefore, as the area is currently being modernised and built up, many parts are suffering a rather ugly in-between stage.

There are not many expats and tourists in Thonburi at all and you will find locals speaking a lot less English than they do in the centre. People tend to notice foreigners more and respond with more stares and giggles than other areas of Bangkok. Due to the lack of foreign influence though, the cost of living such as food and shopping prices are much cheaper.

Cost of Living: $

Points of interest in Thonburi: The Mall Thapra

Where to live in Bangkok Thonburi: Budget – Lumpini Place, Medium – Casa Condo, Parkland, Metro Park

Gyms In Bangkok

Posted on January 21, 2013 by koomatzu

Fitness Clubs & Prices In Bangkok

It’s seriously a pain in the ass trying to find out the prices of gym memberships in Thailand! So I have put together a list of gyms in Bangkok along with membership prices and costs for comparison. Some of the costs below may not be so accurate as prices can vary at some of the bigger fitness clubs in Bangkok, it seems it is the norm that most of these gyms require negotiation over the price.

Costs also vary depending on the length of membership contract. I will be constantly updating and confirming the Fitness Club information provided here, but in the meantime please do feel free to submit any Bangkok gym prices or gym reviews – it would be much appreciated!

N.B. For information on high protein gym supplements, check out our page Protein tips in Bangkok

Powerzone Fitness Club

Where: Bangkok Dindaeng BTS Sanam Pao
Drop-in price: 150 baht
Weekly price: 400 baht
Monthly price: 1200 baht
Three month membership: 3300 baht
Website: www.sitthi.net/Powerzone.aspx

Powerhouse Gym *

Where: Bangkok Pinklao

Rocky Gym *

Where: Bangkok Ratchatewi

Crossfit Fast Gym *

Where: Bangkok Silom – BTS Chong Nonsi
Price: –
Website: www.crossfitfast.com

Crossfit Bangkok *

Where: Bangkok, Aspire at Asoke
Price: –
Website: www.facebook.com/CrossFitBangkok

California Wow Fitness Club (No longer in business)

Where: Numerous locations
Price: From 12000 baht for a year
Website: www.californiawowx.com

Nows Fitness Club

Where: Bangkok Payatthai, On nut
Monthly Price: 2999 baht
Six Month Membership: 9000 baht
Year Membership: 14400 baht
Website: www.nowsfitness.com

Clark Hatch Fitness Centre

Where: Numerous locations around Bangkok
Drop-in price: 500 baht
Monthly Price: 3350 baht
Six Month Membership: 12500 baht
Year Membership: 21600 baht
Website: www.clarkhatchthailand.com
A review of Clark Hatch Thaniya

Fitness First Fitness Club

Where: Numerous locations around Bangkok
Joining fee: 1600 baht
Price: 2500 baht per month (minimum five month contract)
Website: www.fitnessfirst.co.th

Thai-Japanese Youth Club*

Where: Bangkok Dindaeng
Price: 40 baht per year

The LAB Gym

Where: Bangkok Sukhumvit 31 – BTS Prom Phong
Price: 30,000 baht per six months (group training)
Website: www.tbtlab.com

True Fitness*

Where: Bangkok Chitlom, Asoke
Price: –
Website: www.truefitness.co.th

Lumphini Park Gym*

Where: Bangkok Lumphini Park
Drop-in Price: 35 baht

Tae Chio Cemetery Gym

Where: Bangkok Sathorn (more info here)
Price: Free

*Prices to be confirmed – Sorry, some of these slippery gyms really don’t like to answer emails!

Interested in Yoga classes? See my directory of Yoga studios in Bangkok here.

Shopping Guide: Prices In Thailand

Posted on January 19, 2013 by koomatzu

Thailand Shopping Price Guide

Haggling and bargaining for prices in Thailand is standard shopping practice but it’s not always so easy for a foreigner shopping in Thai markets when, for example, you don’t know how much clothing typically costs; Not to mention when you are buying something in an foreign currency as well. Some of the street vendors in Thailand can be… a little untrustworthy and sneaky when it comes to giving prices to a ‘farang’…

They may well act charming and generous, offering you discount and ‘special prices’, but in reality some of them will take advantage and you may well end up paying as much as five times the actual price. So for anybody new to shopping in Thailand, wondering how the hell much stuff is supposed to cost and worrying if they’re being scammed or not… here is a rough Thailand shopping price guide for you!

Please note that these prices are rough… they are merely the cheapest prices I have found so far in Thailand and individual products may differ in quality and value:

Average prices in Thailand

Small pineapple or melon chopped fruit bag 10 baht
Whole dragon fruit chopped 15 baht
Corn on the cob 15 baht
Pack of 5 pomelo segments 20 baht
Large rose apple or pineapple fruit bag 20 baht
Small bottle of pomegranate juice 40 baht

Ipod cover 100 baht
Knockoff Beats By Dr Dre earbuds 80 baht
Knockoff Beats By Dr Dre Headpones (Medium)150 baht
Knockoff Beats By Dr Dre Headpones (Large) 300 baht
Fake Samsung Galaxy S3 3500 baht
Large suitcase 1500 baht
Fake knockoff sunglasses – Rayban, Oakley 100 baht

Standard T-shirt 200 baht
Fake knockoff SuperDry T-shirt 350 baht
Ladies Denim Jacket 390 baht
Ladies Jeans Shorts/ Hotpants 80 baht
Embroidered Handbag 100 baht

Thin (faux) Leather Belt 50 baht
Chunky Leather Belt 150 baht
Sarong or pashmina 50 – 199 baht
Crochet Cropped Cardigan (bolero) 250 baht
Ladies Vest 35 baht
Plain Leggings 100 – 150 baht
Flip Flops From 40 baht
Fake Havaiana Flip Flops 150 baht
Ladies Rope Thonged Sandals 250 baht

Thailand shopping tip:

Never pay more than 300 baht for a low quality pair of shoes in Thailand. If the price is more than 500 baht, then they should be decent quality shoes… even some of the fancier malls in Thailand price some good shoes from 390 baht – so bare this in mind. And for a price of more than 800 baht, you can some very nice quality shoes. I will add more when I can, but anybody: please feel free to contribute more Thailand prices (or correct)!

Cost Of Living In Thailand

Posted on January 1, 2013 by koomatzu

How much is the cost of living for 1 month in Bangkok?

Before I actually moved to Thailand, I did a little bit of research, organised my savings and figured I could probably get by on a cost of living of £250 – £300 budget per month… This includes fitness classes, food, bills, rent and a little bit of spending money. So I figured saving £5000 for expenses will be enough to get me by living a year in Thailand.

Well, after my first month of living in Thailand I’ve managed to plough through roughly 27000 baht (£540), although I am sure it will take a little bit of experience and time before I can make bigger savings on my cost of living in Thailand…. but at the same time I will always have a weakness for spending money on pretty things, eating in decent eateries, buying fancy shakes and getting the BTS just about everywhere possible… I just don’t have it in me to live on that tight a budget.

In all fairness, we have spent a lot of money eating out at nice restaurants, sightseeing and doing a fair bit of drinking what with it being Christmas and new year. Everybody ends up splurging and spending loads more money than usual around Christmas time right? I do still stand by my earlier calculations though, and I believe it is actually possible to achieve a cost of living in Thailand of 15000 baht if you live very frugally...

Guide To Monthly Living Expenses In Thailand

Cost of food and drink in Bangkok: 8700 baht (£175) each

You can actually buy street food in Thailand very cheaply from about 25 baht for a meal… although the language barrier can prove off-putting with the lack of menus, as well as the fact that these vendors consist of an unrefrigerated cart with five hour old ingredients left in 40 degree heat. So there’s always the fear of food poisoning or any other dreaded parasites like tapeworm (shout out to the Siriat Forensic Museum for freaking us out about parasites in Thai street food… thanks for that). On top of that, although it tastes pretty good, the portions are really quite small and I personally can’t live on two or three of these meals in a day (and I am not exactly overweight either)…

So, although I’ve spent considerably more than this, I think maybe a more dedicated person could get by in Bangkok on 100 baht per day (£60 per month) for food expenses. Just as a rough idea, you can also eat out in a decent Bangkok restaurant for about 100-200 baht per person and you can eat at a really nice restaurant for 500 baht. Also, I tend to spend money on a lot of bubble teas, smoothies and shakes costing from about 30 – 90 baht, doughnuts or waffles between 12 and 26 baht, and fancy cakes for 90 – 125 baht… I’m gonna get so fat living in Thailand…

Cost of Transport in Bangkok: 1780 baht

As for transport in Thailand… I am a very sweaty, pig-like trogladite lady and so I have grown quite a distaste for walking too far or exerting myself even slightly in the hot weather of Thailand. Therefore over time I have used the BTS increasingly more and more for shorter and shorter distances. My body just isn’t built for this hot Bangkok weather. A journey on the BTS or MRT in Bangkok will cost you between 15 and 50 baht per journey, a ferry up the Chao Praya river – between 3 and 20 baht, and a taxi will typically cost between 35 and 150 baht to get around the city.

However, if you were on a really tight budget, you can easily buy a decent second hand bike for maybe 2000 baht and cycle most places. In Thailand, the pavement is actually also a cycle lane, so you could even use the path if you’re not too comfortable in the heavy Bangkok traffic – although I’ve personally not done this and am not really sure how easy it would be to weave in and out of the pedestrian traffic on the pavements in some areas!

Cost of Bills and Rent in Bangkok: 5525 baht each

It is possible to rent an apartment from 3000 baht per month in Bangkok; ours is a serviced studio in a central location and costs 10000 baht per month and that’s split between two of us. The bills in Thailand are very low, even though our apartment overcharges and profits from us for the utilities, the water bill is extremely cheap and only costs us 50 baht per month, so is pretty much negligable. Electricity bills cost us around 1000 baht per month, which runs our TV, fridgefreezer, microwave and air conditioner which we run half the day, everyday. So the cost of utility bills in Thailand work out very cheap.

Cost of Yoga classes in Bangkok: 2500 baht

Gyms aren’t cheap in Thailand, and most of them require you to sign a contract for 6 months or a year. Although I think the cheapest we’ve found so far in Bangkok worked out to about 1800 baht per month, but don’t quote me on that – we’re still looking into finding a decent gym. And of course there’s always the outdoor gym at lumpini park in Bangkok which costs something like 35 baht a go… if you’re not the type easily intimidated by super huge Thai dudes chest pressing tyres-on-a-bar then give it a go. Currently, I pay monthly for yoga classes instead which gave me 15 x 90-minute sessions of yoga for the month. Fair price I say.

Cost of recreation in Bangkok: 240 baht. This includes going to the cinema and museums.

Cost of shopping in Bangkok: 4700 baht. I wouldn’t normally spend this much in a month I don’t think. I had to spend a fair bit of money at the pharmacy and also bought myself a yoga mat for 1300 baht too. Then I guess I must have spent about 2000 baht on clothes :/ But in all fairness, I have bought a decent amount of new clothes for this amount!

Sneaky thieves: 3500 baht. Maybe I’m unlucky, or maybe (probably more likely) I am not too smart, but the amount I’ve been short changed, overcharged and stolen from has added up to about 3500 baht for my first month living in Thailand, so maybe the less street wise might need to account for this early learning curve too!

I will keep making records of my cost of living in Thailand every month, hopefully it will be less, and a more realistic figure for the expenses of an expat in Bangkok.. in all honesty, at the moment we are living as tourists in Thailand more than expats… easily distracted and lured in by Thai novelties and attractions and more vulnerable to being scammed and robbed!

Update: For more information on the cost of living in Thailand, you can check out Month 2 and Month 3 of my expenses in Bangkok.

Apartments In Bangkok

Posted on December 15, 2012 by koomatzu

Renting apartments in Bangkok can be very affordable and extremely good value. Although slightly more expensive than others, there are many apartments in Bangkok around that will allow monthly contracts for those who are maybe unable to sign a contract for a whole 6 months or year. And likewise, there are many hotels that will encourage long stay visitors and offer some decent discounts for monthly stays. It can actually cost as little as 2500 baht a month to rent an apartment in Bangkok – that roughly works out to $80, or £50.

Renting an apartment in Bangkok on a budget

I can’t personally vouch for the quality of the types of apartment in Bangkok which start at 2500 baht and to be honest, I can assume that one should use common sense and be prepared for some very basic accommodation at best. If you really are a carefree and unperturbed individual who doesn’t mind roughing it, then I’m sure that’s fine. It’s just a place to sleep after all. I tip my hat to you.

It’s the kind of price most of the working class locals will pay for rent in Bangkok and is actually quite the norm I believe. But for this price, these cheaper apartments in Bangkok are usually very small bed sits. I’m sure there are plenty of clean, cockroach free apartments in Bangkok to choose from though!

For those willing to pay a little bit more rent in Bangkok, serviced apartments can be quite a good option. Serviced apartments in bangkok arrange bills, cleaning and sometimes laundry for you too, however they do tend to charge about double for your water and electricity bills. You can find some decent serviced apartments in Bangkok which start from 8000 baht per month ($250). Some good value serviced apartments in Bangkok are:

http://www.nonsiresidence.com/

http://sathornsaintview.com/index.php – Review of Sathorn Saint View

http://bosstower.com/contact.html

Renting an apartment in Bangkok with money to burn

If you can afford to spend maybe 15000 or 20000 baht/month on rent, you will have absolutely no problem in finding plenty of luxury studios and bedroom apartments for rent in Bangkok. And of course for more than this, you can find some magnificent apartments in Bangkok in excellent locations.

For both budget and luxury apartments in Bangkok, please take a look at any of these sites. I myself have found them to be very useful; they have a huge range of short stay and long stay apartments to rent in Bangkok.

http://en.9apartment.com

http://www.tee-pak.com/en/index.html

http://www.companyvauban.com

http://www.bigmangoproperties.com

http://www.bangkokcondofinder.com

www.ddproperty.com

Renting an apartment in Bangkok. For more information on areas, apartments and where to live in Bangkok, click here.