I mean if a Thai like me can easily survive with 20k thb / 540$ a month so can you. The huge mistakes foreigners tend to stay in tourist trap area where everything is double the price, live "too" luxurious eating out everyday and blow everything on bargirls & gold-diggers. You hit the nail 100% on this topic!!

This was a great video Mark! I really look forward to your videos! I appreciate it!

Good Video Doc 😊. Keep the video's comin. Stay Safe 💕 💞 🙏 🙏

Mark you're a good man. Glad to have found your channel mate ☕️🚲

Nice Video, liked to watch it even that I´m not planning to live in Thailand. I like the way you think and describe.Everyone who knows Phuket, or especially Patong, will agree that your advices are more than helpful for having a good life there.

Another great video, Thanks Looking forward to the video about helping the dogs, that is awesome

Hi Mark. Great video. I am moving to Patong in October. Lots of good advice and tips.👍

Coffee is much better at a 7 than Starbucks. And for like 50 baht I think. Netflix cards are like 500 baht and I’d get like 2 and a half months or something. KZfaq premium is like 150 baht and I’ll never go back to commercials lol. Weed is much more expensive than home really. Id smoke from time to time and go to Phuket Cannabis on Nanai and get Thai stick for cheap. I think it was 400 baht for 3 mixed joints which would last 4-6 sittings. I have a girlfriend, a much more down to earth one than most imo..but that does increase the budget no matter what obviously. We’ve been together about 2 years now and the cost is much more dependent on what I provide such as food, shelter, motorbike etc..which I also benefit from so that cost is not much to bear. Of course I’ve bought her a little gold, idk how you can escape that, but last time I told her I would get her some she told me the price had increased a lot like you said and suggested another gift but that I trade her old bracelet in for a little bigger one so ya know.. Long story short..after calming down the entertainment budget after a year or so I was able to enjoy all the comforts for around $1200 a month. Taking into account border runs via air, and a couple land. Just budget..

Very well put. Great video.!

Desciplined is the key of success in life no matter if it is health working out , wealth or budgeting doc. Another great video greetings from Shanghai

best video i seen yet thank you

ฉันเข้าใจที่คุณพูดทุกอย่างเลย คุณก็ระวังตัวเองด้วยค่ะสาวๆเมืองไทยสวยเอาใจเก่ง

Great video thank you

Everything sounds, Great!

Super info Thank You

You've got it down to a science 👍🏽. If you're frugal, you can survive and thrive just about anywhere. I'm planning my own escape to Thailand now. Your advice will cone in handy!!! All the best Mark.

Great video!! My favorite line you said: “I have a bump on my leg is that cancer? Made me laugh keep up the good vids!

Thx a lot for the long Video and all these Infos. I think a lot of stuff is really good and you gave me an ideas for my list for the future when i will go and retire in Thailand in 2 years... i forgot streaming. Sadly its getting more and more expensive every few month. :D I will plan for netflix + amazon 40-50 euro As you said ppl like me should listen to tips, make plans and always be honest to yourself with the budget for yourself as everybody is different. As for me i plan for the first year at least with +15% on each point to be safe for myself. And make sure that i always have at least ~20% free for saving each month or not planned expanses. The sound was fine for my ears .. happy to not get the klicking sounds next time :P Keep up the good work!

Great video!

Great information thanks. Fellow Canadian moving to Phuket today 😀

Excellent blog Mark and you are right about discipline. I believe you have to practice in your home country first before you come here. Ohhhh and need to tell you that genetics loads the gun but lifestyle pulls the trigger. Your keeping healthy, slim, non smoker, active not an alcoholic etc....youll do more than fine im sure.... 💯 😊

Good video Doc

I'm about to turn 40 and seriously thinking about retiring early to Thailand. Great video

I've got 2k a month and am nervous to make the leap despite living in Brazil and Japan prior. This time would be a go at a permanent relocation. That's the nervous part. Thanks for the video!

The food prices seem crazy affordable there! I can't wait to come in July!!

Hi Doc, another great video. I moved from the land of Oz to Jomtien in October. I had never eaten Thai food until coming here. I found a little family run restaurant in a side soi like you said and go there most days and absolutely love it there. I have a little fruit stand near my condo and buy my fruit from there, prices are similar to the market but I am happy to support this beautiful hard working husband and wife couple. I recently started using a spending tracker. I love the beach and am looking to move closer to the beach and perhaps to Phuket. I hear the talk about Phuket being super expensive so appreciate your candor. I can't wait for your upcoming condo video to see what I can get for my money. I am here on a 12 month contract till November so doing some forward planning for affordable places (not expecting cheap though) close (a few minutes walk hopefully) to the beach to start my search and would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks again.

Nice video doc. Well detailed budget list. I am curious about your cost of sun lotion for when you are outside especially in high season on beaches. Cheers man👍

31:52 in - sound is great!

Good video, Your Bang on, I'm ages with you, love thialand, we all get suckered in the beginning, me very little, because I'm not stupid, and watched lots off videos like yours before my first time. It's a big Game, they want your cash, I want you know what 😉 If they get greedy, when u first go out with them, I just bin them, and start the game again...People should really listen to you, you know the Game 👍

Wow a long video, shall listen later in full on my walk 🚶‍♀️

Worrying about speaking honestly and being cancelled is the scariest part of this video and a sign of the times…

Good stuff! Sounds about right 👍 Cheers m8

Liked this video 📹 I'm not sure which place I want to go Philippines or Thailand

Thumbs up 👍 Mark

Hi Mark! By far, the best tasting coffee in my opinion is to be found in 7-11. Cheap as, and kicks Starbucks into a cocked hat. About 50 thb.

Been with you awhile,romg bell etc. U doesn't tell me about your new vids Great show again..

Great video. Thank you for the breakdown and insight - I'm about the same age you are now, and I'm currently saving about 75% of my salary in the U.S. trying to build a retirement after losing my a&! in a divorce. Hoping to pull the plug and head to Thailand in 8 or 9 years if all goes as planned.

The raw honesty in this video is refreshing. Also, a note on the "girls" issue... my first couple of years in Thailand when I was running around with the "bar girls" and going crazy with 7 live-in "girlfriends" at the same time, I probably spent $100,000 USD per year in those first two to three years. After I stopped drinking and got away from the bar scene and the bar girls, my budget normalized at around $1,500 per month. It's the "bar lifestyle" that includes the drinking and the girls that will eat through your money.

Doc, thank you AS ALWAYS for sharing your experience and insight. For people coming back to refer or new and want to find specific info, would you add timestamps if possible? Be easier for you to make a few Shorts for certain topics and refer them directly to this exhaustive video. Just a thought from a fellow kooky sub ;) PS: Please link the Health Insurance as you said you would please.

I'm currently retired in the Philippines. Appreciate the female segment of the video lol. One can only be single and wander so many malls and coffee shops for so long. It's not that easy as a woman to meet women here. My lease is up in 6 months and I think I'll give Thailand a try. Thanks for the practical info

I can spend under $20 on any given day. Not EVERY day, mind you. So I pick 5-7 days a month to spend more for fun. But I limit it to that. It is about being smart the other 20+ days. Yet i eat good food most days. I swim in a pool every day. I can walk to the beach for a sunset, every day etc etc. And many of these things are FREE.

Retiring @49 in Phuket should be everyones dream/goal, most people in the US without kids could do it if they were discipluned, but too many ppl blow $ on worthless stuff.

Thanks for the vlog Mark. As always delivered in an interesting and engaging style. You can either budget or you can’t in my experience, but Thailand has some serious dangers even for the disciplined! It seems as though the only expats living in Thailand who are happy do NOT have a girlfriend. For me, your video highlighted the potential costs of transport. I am pretty scared about learning to ride a scooter, which means I would have to live fairly central or take a taxi of some sort every time I go out. Keep living your best life. 🍻

Didn’t notice the clicking you’re referring to! Sound is fine.

Im on a Retirment Visa. Do it myself. Very easy . 1900 baht a year.

Sound is ok .. re fruit I buy watermelon pineapple and cantaloupe melon every day. Sometimes get grapes , cherries , and strawberries, but are pricey .. durian is a rare treat for the gf haha 😅

I would suggest that moto taxis are safer than driving a bike , the motosai guys grew up with a bike between their legs literally from infancy

Hey Doc my last trip to Cuba was costing me $20/night incl. breakfast and I swindled a $5 dinner with a couple restaraunts meanwhile people were spending absolute minimum $100-$150/night 😂😂

I give my gf a little help but generally never asks me for money.. she knows the score. Re coffee ☕️ I sometimes go to a shop but don’t laugh , I like the 7/11 make your own Nescafé coffee for 15b 😅

Hi Mark. Yes discipline is the answer to stick to your budget. Bars, girls will eat up your budget in days hahaha. I am same as you I would not like to go to bars and sit with ladies. I would rather buy my beers at a simple type beach bar like in your video. Cheers enjoy your beers

Today is friday and I am drinking a shot of vodka everytime doc says "absolutely" or 'Pro-cess'

JC from Canada likes unicorns like a lawyer and farm owner (rice and rubber + petro station, 7-11 and restaurants). My fiancé has so much land that you need to find these rare jewels as a woman that are smart. What I have noticed is that it's all about family and living comfortable by helping the ones you love. Especially when the family loves you and accepts you for your kindness and little gestures. The family doesn't ask for money but they do expect you to contribute and not be selfish. You need to keep the growing spirit and thank god she she keeps on finding new land to buy. I guess I found the rare gem and it's definitely NOT a bar girl or someone with no education.

If I retired to Thailand I could easily live in 1K.per month. With a significant sperate contingency fund, obviously.

Awesome video! You are so right about the girls…that’s gonna blow the wallet if not controlled. BTW, I get my foot massage in patong for 150bt….so awesome

I've had £500 ($700) months plenty of times and I've had a few £8,000+ ($11,000) months (Unfortunately).... The thing I notice is that you don't necessarily get more enjoyment from the expensive months. Some of my fondest memories are from the times where I've been broke and spending next to nothing. You can have a great life without spending too much, it just won't involve crazy nights out surrounded by hookers

yes if you spend on girls booze western food it will be pricy , short time 3 times a week x 4 is 12 times $50 thats $600 alone ad it could be double that

Doc is so true about the undies. Everytime I return to my lodging it's an automatic shower and undie change. There's usually two pair drying at a time on the shower rack.😂

You need to have control of the game

Some people just dont know how to say No. Even if its to themselves.

"If you count the pennies, the dollars count themselves".

A lot of people go broke because they do things in Thailand that they never did at home like eating at good restaurants every day, dating lots of girls and going to expensive bars all the time.

Thank you for the video, the background noise is very distracting. Update: thanks for noticing.

I`m a realtor in Canada as well. Have seriously thinking about leaving but don`t want to spend all of my kids inheritance and not sure how to make money outside of living here

Happily never spent a baht on Bar girls. Plenty of ofher great stuff to spend my money on.

Great video mate. A quick question. Do you know of any way to filter water without buying the 100 bottles a month? Seems like a huge waste if it's easy to filter maybe?

What would you say the ratio is of guys who thrive in Thailand vs guys who fail. Not even financially, but simply based on their level of happiness and enjoyment. Are there any guys who actually go there and truly get something out of it and keep coming back for more, like the Hungarian guy you mentioned. It sounds to me like if you can keep your emotions loneliness in check, then you can the most out of it. It gotta be about you and not them, as in if you can get everything you need without having to fall in love and find romance then you basically have everything you could ever need, but please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm really enjoying your videos, please keep up the good work!!!

I’ve seen the houses and would love to buy something nice ,but I here you can’t buy a house if your a foreigner

I was "lucky" enough to find the unicorn, the girl who had never worked the business. But her older sister has, and is tutoring her. I'm a first class cheap charley but after 18 years of working on me it's starting ro pay off for her!

20k baht/mo for taxi/grab/etc services without having to worry about insurance / registration / parking / repairs ... worth it. It's nice to know your nightmare is a good deal imo :D My car payment in the 90s was $525/mo.

I have been quoted over 50,000 baht from 2 separate visa shops, for retirement visa ,lol.. Prices are up due to extra risk I guess.

Can live in a 20x 10 bedroom for a whole house that’s crazy

Just buy a house cash or a condo way cheaper if your going to live there for the rest of your life

What about water filters for Thailand?

budget home or budget in thailand same same but different

My 'entertainment' budget is $100 USD per day. This is a lot but I come to Thailand to have a good time!! I leave the hotel with the cash I've alloted for the evening. When the cash is spent the evening is over.

Dtac is only 2500 for a yearly line . That’s cheaper than att in 3 weeks in Miami 😂

* If there aren't any leftovers that means that the host didn't do his job. Sometimes they'll actually still be hungry even with leftovers. If there aren't leftovers it's an insult to the 'cheap' host. It's a thing, get used to it.

She needs to live in Bangkok and visit the beach

Hi Mark, Thanx for another great video. I would only add that the condos in Phuket are very small compared to USA. I have 4000 square foot house in Washington suburbs with 2 acres of land and if I wanted that size in Phuket it likely would cost me at least $ 5000 per month.Medical insurance is also. A problem as if you are over 70 and have even minor preexisting conditions you cannot get coverage so you will have to pay cash and hopefully be able to get back to your own country if you can get to be stable enough to travel and get back to your home country. Personally I enjoy coming to Thailand and other countries for vacation but need to live in a large space as opposed to 50 square meter condo. BTW my father died and 55 and so did most males in my family and yet I am here at 72 so don’t expect to die so soon, particularly since your subscribers would have to commit mass suicide. Peace my brother

Budget and be disciplined, not be too tempted 😅then all will be ok. I said before , I’m on 40,000b pm easily in northern bkk.. 👍

“If you need to double your budget, you don’t know how to fckn budget. Ok buddy...” 😂🤣😂🤣😂😂 #facts

Might be the perfect place for me. I don't want a man or women. I just want an affordable place to live and decent food and medical if i need it

Are you a friend of Mr. Fadi Kaouk?

I agree with you most of those people that struggle did not know how to manage their money at home. A lot of people in the states are living paycheck to paycheck already and a lot these people were living off overtime money. A lot of people never look at these things, plus a lot of them have 5 or 6 credit cards they were or are living off of and or paying off. Then add the girls into the equation. If you couldn't get girls in the states you may have a budget problem. Take your time and find a lady thats not a working girl. I am listening to everyone like you my brother I don't have a problem getting a woman thats not a bar girl and i have my friend downstairs under full control, and my mind is clear i have had the gorgeous girls already, I'm 56 and i have 23yr old girls coming at me, not for money but just because who i am. So fellas wake up and be smart. Get your stuff together before you go. Thats what i have done so when i finally retire in Thailand i will live a good peaceful life saving money and not spending money like crazy. My plan is to just walk on the beach read my books write some books and relax.

Is pattayas cost of living even lower than phucket?

The usual great video. Im a retired expat from the U S living in Thailand six years. I only spend mkney on my great Thai Wife. Wifeniwns her home. We own two cars, two motorcycles. Every day great. Travel every month. Havent missed the Us for a moment.

I thought this video is a joke but after 24 seconds later and "F" this and that I decided I'll watch the rest of the hour and a half video.

I have a wife so I took my $1500 budget and doubled it to $3000 and it's still not enough. 🤷‍♂

Do you go to any gyms in Phuket?

Hey good Dr, was a little unclear when you where talking about sub 5 western women coming over to Thailand. Is it Thai men that they are hooking up with, Thai women or Western Chads?

3k a month for 2 people is very easy... even in phuket

II'm kind of shocked to hear this . I wish you would do a video interviewing a few massage ladies or entertainment people about how thai and western women are using their services.. Would also like to hear from a woman who admits using those services

ผู้หญิงไทยสวยผรั่งเลยชอบ

If they leave let them ,they ain’t worth it . Money can’t buy love

Im confused. Can you live on a modest budget or not? Im living check to check on about 4k a month, here in California. I have a shitbox basement apartment thats 1k a month. Food is near 1k a month. You telling me I couldn't live more conformably in Thailand? I'll fail? Something isn't adding up with your logic.

Did you get a visa on arrival or a real tourist visa? Can you extend visa on arrival?

For several thousand years women have really enjoyed one distinct advantage in society; unlike men they can raise the socioeconomic status of themselves and their family through marriage. My experience is that the gap that exists in Western couples is more a chasm in most Thai-farang relationships. Even highly successful farang end up marrying women from the lower half of the Thai socioeconomic ladder. I did this myself marrying the daughter of a farming village family with 20 rai of land. She bought 40 more and planted rubber on all of it with her earnings in the US. What I do not understand is why many farang seem unwilling to set boundaries for their Thai partner. Looking for a wife to have another child with and be the step-mother to my then 3 year old daughter, I was very clear with every woman I pursued a relationship with that any breach of trust I would have would be the end of the relationship. Yes, I did pick a girl 17 years younger than me who had the body of a model, but I insisted on finding one that had a rock-solid sense of personal responsibility. I think most farang pick a Thai partner primarily on the basis of sexual attraction (which is important) and therefore do not set proper boundaries.

Could not agree more with you . The girls and drinking is where most of the money goes . If you want to go out four nights plus a week drinking with a girl every night you’d need a huge budget . A night on the razz with a girl can easily set you back 4 thousand baht minimum a night and that’s a cheap night . Easily one hundred baht a month extra and these are just casual dates . Girlfriends are even more expensive . Better to stay single with the occasional bit of company maybe once or twice a week.

Your budget decides whether you partake or just enviously spectate on what's available here . Break down Living expenses 30000 Booze 20000 Girls 40000 Around £2000 a month

In America, I am a 54 year old fat bastard postal worker. My goal is to start my retirement in a couple years in a place like Phuket. I just have to build up my tolerance for heat, both air temperature and spicy heat in the food. I would love to buy you a few beers and listen to you talk for a few hours. Thailand 101 by Dr Mark