I shocked how little the cost of living has risen in 20 years. The dreaded middle income trap. The middle class is growing, but not like it was before the Asian financial crises. Great for the expat. Thailand is still the best value in SE Asia, IMO. The low cost of living, combined with all the things to do, and the charming, and fun Thai people, make it great. Interesting video, cheers.

I know a lot of Thai teachers in Thailand and their salary is closer to 16,000 baht per month. 7-11 girl earns about 10,000 baht per month.

I could be wrong but I would say overall that Thais are happier than us Brits, that’s just my general observation. I’m now back in London and folks here are so miserable. I miss Bangkok

I used to regularly go to a Thai Public Hospital. Each time had a blood test blood pressure test and consultation with the doctor and registrar. Cost me 300Bt which included 9 different medicines for a 3 x month's supply. A Thai would only pay 30 baht. Emergency services are the same in any public healthcare service because they are often clogged by people who do not really have emergency conditions, but want the "free" service as opposed to a "clinic" or private hospital.

Thnx for the lesson 🙏👍

The S class owner is a sugar daddy. The apartment resident is.. well.. you get the idea.

Their fundamental advantage is housing. A Thai can find a decent studio almost anywhere for 3,000 baht or less, and no local authority taxation. Farangs who're switched on can do something similar. That makes a big difference.

G’day great vlog and very informative 🙏

Greatly appreciated 🙏

9-9-6 is working from 9am to 9pm (12 hours) each day, 6 days a week.

Great videos. Great job.

The other developing country is the Philippines which has a really low standard of living for poorer people. Nipa wooden houses made from trees and wooden panels and often destroyed by typhoons.

Love your vlogs more than ur Thai girl’s interviews 😊

Everyone's life is dictated by their wealth, regardless of where they live... Think your sites are spot on, and you say it like it is....keep the good work up.... Regards from Gretna Green, Scotland...

I lived in one of the most popular Thailand retirement destinations before the Pandemic. I am back there now after four years of absence after having lived in Africa and Middle Eastern countries. Contrary to the Thai locals common comment the cost of living has increased recently, it's still minimal and there is more housing options due to the oversupply of property. Thai baht is relatively weaker against the US Dollar, Euro, and UK Pound. The only thing is the Thai old age pension remains the same at 900 Baht monthly, which is not sufficient for most of the Thai seniors to sustain comfortable old age life. The Thai wage is kept low, especially after the Pandemic, due to the oversupply of shops and services. The market is highly competitive. Without exception, the gap between the rich and poor is widening, here, too. Lack of awareness to save is the critical reason, just like anywhere else. Consumerism is still commonly practised here, and also in the USA. They are indoctrinated to spend and waste to make the rich richer. Thailand is also a rapidly ageing society. Thailand will continue to welcome visitors and residents vigorously. Thailand is focused on tourism and international residency. Both foreigners and Thais benefit.

If you have Thai ID you could go to tge hospital and pay only 30 baths $1 for any sick or broken arm.

Dave, good observations! Large proportion of Thai population desires to move up to HiSo. One quick facade is to drive expensive car. It also shows, what you indicated that if you are rich, you will be respected in Thailand. Thats a big positive. A middle class retiree in the west would belong to rich in Thailand. Thanks for sharing.

I didn't see a video tonight of the El Panorama. Took the night off, I guess.

Within the history of humanity, including when we were romping about in the trees, there have always been those who have more than others, stronger than others, sicker than others, smarter, or more affectionate than others. If this was unbalanced, society would not have been continuously increasing to the point where there are 7 Billion people. For sure some people have more money and higher-value assets than others, but this is not a social failure. This is because someone has worked harder, or smarter, or been luckier, or married into a higher wealth bracket, or has been successful in a criminal enterprise even. There is a simple fact that many people find disconcertingly unfair - that rich people get richer, and poor people get poorer. This is entirely false. I first came to Thailand in 1970. And there was visible poverty in Bangkok with malnourished unwashed children living amongst garbage-strewn foul-smelling streets and polluted khlongs everywhere. Wealth in Thailand was held by a few. Relatively much as it is now. The huge benefit of this is the exponential increase in middle-class wealth. The elephant in the room is nothing other than some people have a higher percentage of disposable wealth which can be "put to work" thereby increasing that disposable wealth.

It's the same way in the 🇺🇸 US In all large low income black community's. Welfare foodstamps, no job able to work and they driving nice expensive late model vehicles. The exception is the Thai people are very nice and friendly.

It's a very big gap in Thailand especially Bangkok here for sure my friend. It's because the most people you saw on the street they are not local Bangkokian they are people from the other provinces but wanted to lived here in Bangkok like most Taxi and tuk-tuk and even he bus driver 99.99% of them are not local Bangkok people but wants to work and stay in Bangkok like many foreigners here my friend but foreigners who lived here they have more money than them. And most of them have not enough educate to do the normal jobs that could really live in Bangkok. That's why most Bangkokian teenagers have to have atleast Bachelor's degree just to find a normal job in Bangkok that could really lived in Bangkok, most of Bangkok teenagers if they chose the right route the normally incomes for them would be around 30,000-50,000 and if you lucky and have a nicer job you could earn about 100,000-300,000++ or more many of my Bangkok friends earn more than 500,000-millions+ bath per month doing about computer company the other one earn about 2 millions a month doing Wifi security company. But yes that's what the dream route for any Bangkokian teenagers but like I said atleast they required the Bachelor's degree here my friend but 60% that you mentioned but I have to say probably more than that they do not meet the required at first and they all known that and of course they are a lot but they still just want to stay here because they believed that one day they would found the gold here that's why. And for a couple years in Bangkok I started to see that most labor like the waiter or the waitress in many areas or at those normal shopping mall they are all Myanmar people not even Thai and I found it really strange that it's really hard to order something even you use Thai language in Thailand and let's guess about how those Myanmar people lived here in Bangkok I heard once that sometime they have to lived about 20 lifes together in only one small room. Yes all of them wants to live here in Bangkok too even they have a lot of pain and stress to live here my friend and yes that's why Bangkokian people they feels like home every new years when there is no car on the roads because people from another provinces they going back home, they always post it every year.

Liked. From the wee county..

Like your videos, I am a USA citizen living in Mexico, think Mexico and Thailand are similar big gap between the rich and poor good food and beautiful young women also there is a lot of coruption and cheating at all levels Mexico has that maybe is better in Thailand

Cry me a river with this "9/9/6". No one gives a damn about the self-employed in ANY country. Nine hour days, 6 days a week, that's just warming up. If you're going to complain about how many hours you "have" to work, then why not apply those hours to your own business? Your "evil" owner of the business did. What price do you think he/she had to pay to get to the point of hiring someone?

Financial literacy is lower here than in most Western countries. But saying that, it is not much higher in Australia / Europe / US. Never buy a depreciating asset & or spend more than 80% of your income (if possible)

Unfortunately it's the same in the Philippines, great videos 👌

A very interesting topic.................Probably 95% and that's being generous can't afford private education (as we know it in the West) in the Kingdom and as for private healthcare, maybe 10% can actaully afford it and there are many levels of health insurance, starting with the basic policies not giving very much in return for minimum premiums.....yes the divide is great, but life expectancy has increased somewhat in the last few decades, so progresss is definitely being made.............please keep up with your chit chats as you are a master of knowing how to arouse thought in the viewer...........................................

You're correct Dave, it's just what I've noticed in Thailand. It's amazes me how there are Mercedes & other car dealers right next to very poor areas. Never that in the west.

just a slight correction 996, is 9am-9pm, 6 days a week

The Thai state pension is 600 baht per month. Imagine if you'd never been in a position to pay into a private pension!

Having a nice car (a Beemer or a Benz) is a huge status symbol among Thais (and people in other countries as well). Even here in the U.S., I know of a Thai guy (a server) that is living in a crappy 2-bedroom apartment with 4 other guys, but he is driving around in a brand-new Mercedes Benz C-Class to his serving jobs at 3 different Thai restaurants. I guess he is working so hard in order to pay for his C-Class and is probably saving up to upgrade it to S-Class as well. And one of his roommates, also a server, is driving around in a BMW 5-Series. I do not know his other roommates, but I would not be surprised, if they were also driving some nice luxury cars. And then, there is another 30-something Thai guy that is working as a financial analyst at a bank. He cashed out his 401K in order to buy a brand-new Benz. I mean, he has the basic finance knowledge (I assume), but just does not have the financial discipline in preventing himself from spending his retirement money on a LIABILITY.

Appreciate your sentiments about the US. We've lost our way...

The big difference in Thailand say compared to Ireland is the fact that they have little if any Social security payment. That fact changes everything .For one it compels people to have children to take care of them in old age .

Nice video I like those necklaces are they Buddhist necklaces

Wich part of Bangkok do You live?

7-11 clerks actually earn aroun 7000-10,000 baht a month

I have seen are videos of people talking about how cheap things are in Thailand. Condos for $300 and such. But you just said that government apartments go for that amount. I am putting heavy thought into moving to Thailand, so this is vital information. All you ever see are the pros...never the cons. I'm always skeptical when something sounds too good to be true. But I can never find the actual TRUTH about what's really hiding behind that curtain. I need videos like these, because I have a lot of questions that need to be answered before I can make up my mind

I'm from Philippines and i love Thailand..While it is true about your sentiments, you can go back to your country if you don't like it. No need to compare because every countries has own government, own charms, own rules! Same in Philippines of what your sentiment about Thailand, but we as Filipinos most worked abroad because it offers good salaries and benefits. I love Thailand no matter what. Your five cents worth are true but it is what it is because not everyone are blessed with fame, money, wealth, etc...

Go to Belgium or Germany. Youll see €200K cars parked outside of €100K appartments. and some families even live in the same house.

I watch a lot of KZfaq vlogs of farang in Thailand and their opinions. There is an imbalance of wealth in the west also and it is getting bigger. There is no difference between middle class and lower class in the UK anymore; both struggling to pay their way without getting into debt.

Me Not so rich but not so poor

tbh, Thailand sounds like Brazil in theses aspects.

The noise is insane.

You emphasize your description on the poor rather than the rich. I have a gross monthly income in the U.S. of the equivalent of over 300,000 baht. How would I live in Bangkok?

the gap between the rich and the poor is due to the government and what they people let the government get away with in the past.

Some Thai people pay for their car more than their house. The luxury car in the parkig lot shown in VDO may belong to a wealthy guy who visit someone living in that place. If there are no poor people, how can be the rich. The rich means a person who own his/her wealth more than others.

12 hours a day 7 days a week. A few days off every few months. Bargirls 4.00 pm to 4.00 am. 7 days a week Hard life compared to western countries

Seems to me that you are studying Economics 101 as determined by the finances of the people, their cultures and societies, and their governments. On top of the inter-play of all that you are seeing how the East (Asia) responds to all of that in comparison to how the West would respond to all that within their own individual countries. While the West embarked upon an evolving society and culture centuries ago, the East has suddenly awakened to begin changes from a stoic, status quo society towards conditions more likened to the "chaotic" West. The East will have unwelcome chaos into the future as they try to transform from their stoic acceptance of no change to a dynamic form of government, society, and culture. Accepting minimal living conditions is what they have grown up with from childhood to adulthood, so they are accustomed to it; they can tolerate it. No one knows where they live; and they can always stay at a nice hotel for a night or a week to impress anyone, if need be. Personal hygiene rituals require just basic surroundings and conditions. Sleeping requires a securely lockable door into a minimally furnished room. Reasonably priced food is readily available from street vendors, including open-air markets for vegetables. Expensive real estate is a distant goal but is not necessary for personal social presentation, at least not at first. Their cars (etc.) are presenting "face-saving" uniforms just as are gold rings, earrings, necklaces, and flashy accoutrements to impress others. These are "things" associated with each individual, so facades are easily adorned. It's a culture of facades. What you see is what they want you to see. When you lift the veil of privacy, you must be prepared for any extremes from beauty to horrid ugliness. Such is facade.

Thai hospitality is a benchmark, other SEA nation yet to catch up. Thai are richer now

The Thai rich are most likely in the financial markets, , and don’t earn baht

The 996 working culture refers to China's controversial working schedule from 9 am to 9 pm for six days a week, which has been a norm in major Chinese tech companies. While longer working hours may be beneficial to the company's productivity, this overworking culture is actually counterproductive towards its employees and is seriously damaging their health in the long run, and young Chinese workers are sick of it.🤑☠

14:44 a frog jumped into the video

My cute gf who you met last month , earns about 25,000 B pmonth. Is doing ok .. when I come March to live I will ensure have a good medical insurance ..

Keeping up appearance mattered to Asians in general!!

So why you live there?

I like your videos but you are wrong on many fronts . "60 % would not be in a position to afford private health care" , more like 90 % . The 'NHS' here is excellent ,waiting times far lower than the west ,just look at the UK now. "song meun" baht a month is a lot out here , 20,000 baht is way higher than the average wage .The cost of living is almost embarrassingly cheap . 20 years here and I've never come across a tax payer , no council tax , no tv license , no central heating needed, But you are right , the gap between rich and poor is huge . You are in Bangkok ,,different in Sa Kaeo . Pheu Thai was the democratically elected government but as you know they were chucked out by the boys in brown ,or is it green .

In the states its the feminists that have kept me from many jobs... i have the education...

The people in the Rust Belt should change their name to Ukraine. They’ll get blank check

40bath for a coffie. and you gave no tips.. shame on you