Hello and thank you for this post. I feel a kind of honored that you took your time to explain that subject, bc I asked this question yesterday. Gladly my situation will be better in short time, and I will focus on spending some time in Thailand when we have next winter here in Switzerland. Kind regards to you Sir.
Hey Franco my friend it was important for me to answer your question as honestly as I could... You can definitely do it but it's going to be very difficult and I just want you to understand that. I would definitely say come here when it's winter in Switzerland and try it see how you make out but don't come to Phuket don't go to Pattaya go to a more rural place or even Chiang Mai for that matter.... It can definitely be done my friend and I hope that at some point you do get to come here and experience living your best life possible.. Cheers Mate 🍺
A good friend of mine moved to Thailand and is living on $500 per month. She has been here for 3 years now and during that time she was able to focus on her health and mental wellbeing. Her plan is to stick it out 1 more year living on $500 per month till she turns 65. At that point she will apply to start her social security payments. Her monthly income will increase by roughly $2,200 per month. I honestly did not think she would make it, but she has done it!
Thats basically my plan, retired early at 56 and and will live overseas on the profit of my house, cars, savings, cashed out pension and 401k which is more than enough to last me til I can collect SS, if Im still around.
To be honest with you there's a lot of older women from North America and Europe that live here on extremely limited budgets.... I'm not sure if it's easier for them because they're obviously not being scammed by local ladies.. But I have met several older women from Europe and North America that just love living here and they are living on unbelievable budgets... That's awesome that her payments are going to increase that much just imagine the life she can live here then....
Hey Timmy that's the goal brother you know what you've worked hard you've saved you've earned it... The sad thing is it's almost impossible to retire like this back in North America.. I'm not sure about Europe but I can tell you this much I could not live the life that I live back in Canada
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean listed my house on Thursday, got an offer Saturday and I wont even have to move or sell much because the buyer is asking for the furniture. Hopefully be back in SEA by the end of summer. 👍
What I got from this video is no one wants to live on $500 a months, but if you HAD to, for a few months you could. Sometimes an unexpected bill may come in and you just have to tighten your belt for a couple of months. Another good Video Doc. Thanks mate.
Hey Cider first off brother let me see thank you for getting the premise of the video because again nobody would actually want to live on $500 a month... But I can assure you because I've had so many people message me about it that there are a lot of people watching my content that don't have any more than $500 a month... Yes if you had an emergency come up that you needed money for it would be extremely pressing but to be honest with you would it be any last pressing in your home country especially if you're from the United States??? Again I'm not advocating anybody packing up and moving the Thailand to try and live on $500 but if they absolutely have to live on such a low amount Thailand would probably be the best place in the world to do so
$500 us. =17,000 Baht. Shop assistants get paid 12,000 Baht a month. Thai basic wage is about 400 Baht a day Usually 2 or 3 girls live together. Seem to share everything. Seem to get by and send money home for mum and dad and kids . It would be a big culture shock for westerns to live on such a low income. Possible but you don’t need any surprises. Back packer English teachers seem to get by on really low incomes. Possible but it’s hard over the long term.
Much better to do here. At least it’s warm Accommodation can be reasonable Cheap healthy food There’s plenty of cheap fun out there there’s plenty of free wifi. Possibly find a Thai woman to share with. It’s possible. Great weather here
My Gf rents a 2 bedroom townhouse 40 minutes north of Bangkok for 3800 bht electric 750 bht water 60 bht sim card 250 bht = 4860 bht this has to be paid the rest is up to you
Hey John that's actually a really good deal and you're right beyond the shelter need that you're going to have I'm not suggesting anybody go live in a tent somewhere but other than shelter you're right the rest is up to you what you spend your money on for food booze etc etc... If you can take care of your basic food and shelter costs then yes the rest is totally up to you as to how you spend your money where you get your entertainment etc etc
Life is miserable in any western country living on a very low fixed income. If you could live it in a country that is warm, bright, amazing food and Live it outdoors because of the weather, why not. The beach and freedom is priceless in that situation. I think the main thing would be to try and find purpose while you are there, even its just keeping your part of the the beach tidy a few hours a day!
You know something Paul that's one of my favorite comments that I've seen on this video so far... You're right living here is a lot better than barely existing there... And there's so many things you can do here you can go make friends with the street dogs this is one of my favorite things to do at night time is I go and I feed the dogs it's one of the things that I love about Thailand... Your idea about just you know keep him one spot of a beach clean that's fantastic mate It's people like you why I love making these videos so thank you so much for commenting... Cheers Mate 🍺
That's awesome I'm so happy to hear that and you're a testament to the fact that my $1,000 a month budget definitely is reasonable and you can live a good life on it... Cheers Mate 🥂
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean yes I’m careful , I swim 🏊♂️ I walk, I have good food , i travel about , I have money if an emergency, I have insurance , I don’t drink a lot , have a gf who works ( well , she’s happy to for now 😬) .. I left uk as well as the above reasons in uk costs , because I have no family there any more ..
I live in Texas and pay over 10k in property taxes, $3500.00 home insurance, $1200.00 hoa, and that is before the mortgage and all the other expenses. I am planning a recon trip to Thailand next year.
Hi Mark, That was great presentation. I live in USA and there is no way you could live in 500 dollars monthly. However you would than apply for supplemental benefits, get food stamps and qualify for medical assistance so your health care would be free. Also you could get free food from churches, charities etc. USA is not known to be a welfare state but likely you would get more government assistance in Canada, Western Europe and certainly Scandinavia. But as you say brother you would struggle unless you are masochist. You could live in Thailand better as food and accommodation are cheaper but if you needed healthcare you would be screwed as in the West you would qualify for medical assistance and many other welfare benefits not available in poorer countries. I like the story about freelancer/ bargirls feeling sorry for your friend and making his day ; I guess working girls with a heart of gold do exist. Peace
And funding available to lower income people but I can tell from my own experience in Canada anyways that it is very difficult to apply for it's very hard to qualify for and it is a nightmare trying to get it for yourself... As far as free healthcare yes Canada has free healthcare I do understand that in the States you can get certain help but I also know many families in the United States that have gone bankrupt people who have killed themselves because of medical debt.... I can tell you from my own personal experience going to a hospital here in Thailand is not financially destroying... Now I've only gone in for certain things I obviously haven't had a heart attack or anything like that but still going into the hospital here is comical how cheap and affordable it is and how great and Top notch the care is... The premise of this video was to show people that yes it can be done you're going to struggle there's going to be some big sacrifices that you're going to have to make there's concessions that you're going to have to live with but it can be done... And I honestly truly believe that your life would have a much better quality here than it ever would in North America...
Where can you live for 800 usd a month? I know places in Mexico it can be done (fairly decent) And apparently you could probably do it in some areas of Russia But, truly, not looking to live as a tourist, just live like a native
Hey man you certainly can get around most cities with a bicycle,,, but honestly bro you can rent a Scoopi for $50 or less a month If that's too much yeah start pedalling and enjoy the exercise.... I had a bike at my place in Thai Mueang and I really enjoyed it Cheers mate 🍺
I've been living in Kathu Phuket for the past 6 months. My average spending was about 550USD per month. That included my bike rental, going snorkeling every weekend, hanging out with friends almost once per week, visits to the night market 3 times per week. So living and thriving on 500usd is possible - but this depends on what you consider living - I am perfectly content with beach visits, hiking and chatting to locals. All of which are almost free.
Hey Doc, great video. How much would life improve with 750 to live your best life (based on your experience, where would you invest the extra 250)? What options are there (f.e, watch muay thai)? Fortunately I would have a significantly bigger budget , but still I would find it interesting to see more videos with different lifestyles and maybe also homebases (islands, north, south). Cheers
Actually you know what I'll do a video about that and talk about the differences between living on 500 or $750 a month... Where would I invest the money that's a really good question I obviously would get myself a bike and if you were in that $750 budget range you could afford a bike no question... I would definitely put some money into accident protection on the bike so some type of insurance plan for myself... I would also allocate some for entertainment beyond the free stuff and what I mean by that is maybe going to an elephant sanctuary or something like that... Probably look at going out maybe once a week not going crazy or anything like that but definitely going to the bar having a couple of beers.. But the number one thing I would invest in would be a bike... Cheers Mate 🍺
As I stated in the video you wouldn't have any because you couldn't afford it but by the same token if you're living in the United States and you're scraping by on the absolute minimum amount of money possible you don't have health insurance.... If you have to go to the hospital here I promise you this much it is completely different than North America I'm not sure about Europe I can't say but I do know this much going to the hospital here is incredibly affordable... But at the end of the day like I said if you're living here on $500 you're not going to have health insurance. Thanks for watching and commenting
This is for me a very thought provoking subject for those of us that have empathy for others struggling with there cost of living in there home country .The ethos of the channel is " Living Your Best Life " . So in conclusion if i was just surviving on a fixed income it would be a no brainer as to where i would have a better quality of life
Hey Paul first off brother let me thank you for finally being one of the few people that fully understand why I'm doing this... Quite honestly if I'm being truthful with you and everybody else I would much rather go by myself Toyota Supra get a kick ass cool ass apartment and ball out here I'm telling you I would rather live the luxurious life that I work so hard for but instead I'm trying to show people what is possible... I spent so much of my real estate career watching people struggle I struggled myself so I know what it's like I wasn't always making big money I struggled really really hard in life and I'm trying to show people what is possible. I don't want people to lose that dream that they can have a better life
If its Thailand or a tent on Washington Ave I know where I'd rather be, you would need to build up at least a couple of thousand dollars to cover the unforseen events and don't forget the return ticket, Malaysia has the 90 day visa on arrival for some countries and I would suspect that a more rural area would be cost effective but it's definitely a no frills package.
Hey Roger there's no question that Thailand will be a much better place to try to eek out in existence. The only problem that I foresee with your rationale which honestly makes complete sense about saving up a few $2,000 is that if you're only getting $1,000 a month or less it's going to be pretty hard to save up a couple of.. Now when it comes to the plane ticket what you can do is you can buy a ticket somewhere get insurance on it and then cancel it after you've got your Visa approval.. I am in no way suggesting to defraud the government however I know what happens every single day... You are going to have to do the absolute cheapest border runs possible to remain in the Kingdom... But it certainly can be done because again I know people that are doing it... And you are definitely right I would move to one of the more rural non tourist areas because your dollar is going to go a lot further... Cheers Mate 🍺
budgeted living always sounds wise, but what about current human qualities wanting to live it up, “splurge” items. what might they include? maybe some good topics for future editions. buy a new handmade shirt, spoil a ladyfriend at a jewelry shop, and of course, what and where to eat on a special occasion. sounds more like a “best lives” recipe than disciplined budgeting.
Yes, it can be done. I could probably do it for about a year if I absolutely had too. Let's say you brought a budget of $500.00 monthly from the West. If it were me, I would sign up to tutor English online once settled in Thailand. I hear companies pay roughly $10.00 per teaching hour. A degree is not required. Plus, you decide how many hours you actually teach per week. I would also network for a Call Center job if possible. 20k baht monthly extra goes a long way.
I agree 100% with your idea. If you're able to come here and work remotely but a lot of places that are hiring tutors don't want old men.. That's just a cold hard fact of life... 99% of online tutoring is video interaction and they don't want old men I'm sorry but that's the truth... If you're younger sure give it a shot but really this was made for guys that are struggling back in North America that have no money and no job opportunities or hope of getting extra money each month... Cheers Mate 🍺
Sure, you can live on $500 a month in Thailand, live in a cheap apartment, eat street food and find free activities to pass time. However, if you have any unexpected expenses (e.g. accident or serious illness), then you need a cash reserve of at least US$10k - 20k
I'm not disputing what you're saying Joe even in the video I discussed the fact that you're not going to have health insurance... But let's be honest with ourselves you show me anybody like I describe in this video that has or will ever have the ability to save up any type of money.... I can tell you this much it all depends on what you have to go to the hospital here for because I've gone to the hospital a few times and it's certainly was not 10 or 20,000 dollars my friend 125 dollars was the most I've ever spent going to the hospital.... I think you missed the whole premise of the video and that was to explain the people that yes you can do it but it's going to be very hard no you're not going to be eating all of the stuff that you're used to in the Western world no you're not going to have health insurance but do you have that now living in especially the United States??? If you're broke no you don't.... But this misconception that a lot of people have that if you have in a medical emergency you're going to need tens of thousands of dollars it's simply not true mate not in every single case... Yes there are exemptions to every rule but I'm telling you right now it's not every single case... Thanks for watching and commenting I appreciate the discussion and debate
can and have for 6 months on 20000 baht per month,i had girls and good thai food and a decent place on nanai road but it was a few years ago girls are a lot more now,but if your talking a cheap place to rent you can still get them and thai food is as cheap af
Hey Brett no question you could live here on 20,000 Baht a month Really it's not going to be much different than when you were here before except for to be honest with you you're going to have a really hard time having any female companionship on that kind of money... 20,000 Baht is about 600 US dollars So yeah if you got yourself a cheap place to live for $125 over on Na Nai Rd you could even get yourself a really cheap scoopy scooter or a click 125 for that matter... But yeah it could be done no question
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean i did buy a bike and would in the future when i did it,and i got gfs with jobs i didn't pay any salary there food is my limit if they want more I'm willing to move on 🤑
Hey Roberto I truly agree with you I love the local Thai food it is just so delicious and I truly believe that it is a hundred times healthier than any garbage that you can eat on an incredibly limited budget in North America... It has to be better than McDonald's and it has to be better than that processed Frozen garbage that they sell...
Hi Mark! As you know, I can make Ebenezer Scrooge look like a spendthrift, but to spend $500 a month, every month, all in one go, wow.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. $500 is a very tight budget my friend. Big difference between living and existing. At the end of the day, if its all you got, then it's all you got. It's doable, but it would be very hard. Good job mate.
Hey Nigel and that's the whole thing and the premise behind my video wasn't to say that hey look you can come here and live a great life for $500.. The idea for the video was to reply to a subscriber who wanted to know if he could live here on $500 and the truth is yes you can it's going to be difficult but quite honestly mate how well would you be living on $500 where you're from??? I don't know brother maybe one month I will try and see what it's like living for $500 but I wouldn't want to do it for any more than one month that's for certain.. Cheers Mate 🍺
How about a gym membership how much do those cost in Thailand? Are these as cheap there they can be in the United States? They can be a great way for the man who is not living on much to not only get a good workout but also a good shower
Hey Jacob gym memberships here usually cost around 20 to 30 US dollars a month because they're geared towards foreigners... That being said that you have lots of outdoor gym areas where you can get different benefits.. It's hard to explain they have like workout stations where you can do different things and it's all body mass resistance... So really someone wouldn't have to join a gym also quite honestly the best shower in the world is hopping in the salt water it cleanses the body it cleans the pores... Cheers Mate 🍺
Dr. Mark thank you for your video as always. Frankly speaking 500 usd for the whole month is going to be very different even in the countries which are considered cheaper comparing to Western countries. If someone who is planning to move to another country or let us say immegrate and dont have any investments in his own country, or owning at least 2 properties. If you dont have both of them then i highly recommend to develop a skill first that you can use to make money. We are living in a time where you can learn skills just online from home that can be from learning how to sell, Business, Learn how to invest in stocks, Crypto, etc. Just moving to any country without money or with a low bugdet is asking for problems on the long term. Just my point of view.
Hey brother and I completely agree with what you're saying however the premise of my video was to show people that if you are absolutely limited in your budget from a pension or your own personal savings you could technically theoretically live in Thailand for $500 a month..... This video was not intended for people that have the ability to go online and earn money from any income source be it freelance coding or anything like that and especially not cryptocurrency trading.... In order to do crypto or day trading any type of investment vehicles you need capital and I hate to say it but somebody that has to live in a $500 a month budget is not going to have any Capital at all... Also you need to understand that some of these guys are like well you know you could just become a English tutor online that's not going to happen especially if you're an older guy because all of the online tutoring is video based and they want someone who looks young looks fresh they don't want some old guy I hate to say it but that's the truth.... This video was intended to be a wake up call a reality shake up for people to understand yes you know what life sucks but it doesn't have to suck all the time... I am in no way advocating or suggesting anyone just pick up and move without the proper financial resources however if you have no hope in hell of ever getting those resources and you're struggling that bad in your home country I think you could do much better here... Cheers Mate 🥂
And Roger that's a lot of the problem is that anybody that has to come here and live on a $500 budget certainly does not have any Capital to be investing into anything where they have the opportunity of losing
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean Dr. Mark let me first clarify that everything you explained in this video is 100% correct and we do not have any disagreement on this subject. I fully understand and know that someone who is between 60 and 65 years old living in the US or Europe with a low budget and no savings is difficult. When i look at such situation I try to look at it from another corner as for example someone who is 65 years old but is healthy, have lots of energy is committed to get what he or she wants, are very positive in life when it comes to achieving and learning something. In many cases you see those type of people succeeding much more in live no matter there age or living conditions. It is so inspiring to see a person who is at that age trying to make a change for the better in his live to have a higher income to be able to finally enjoy the freedom he or she wants. And you have many of those persons in that age group. But again you have also many cases where people in that age get stuck in live with a low income without any other source of income and this video is definitely a good advice for everyone who try to live with a limited budget in Thailand.
Brother I truly believe that the basic Thai Street food is much healthier and far more beneficial to you than any of that processed Frozen garbage crop that you have to eat if you are lower income in North America and the rest of the world... I truly believe that because again you're getting starches you're getting carbohydrates you're getting protein fruits and vegetables...
Yes and the whole thing guys is that in North America if you were on one of these crazy limited budgets you can't afford to buy fruits or vegetables to be honest with you... That's why there's the obesity problems there because people can't afford to eat healthy.. I think right now where I live it's over $8 for a dozen oranges....
Another great vid Doc I know I will thrive !! I'm already single confident and happy just gotta get through the next excruciating year or 2 !!🤟🤟🤪🤪🇨🇦🇨🇦🤪🤪
14:12 Girls like that love to feed western men authentic Thai food that is usually too spicy or to exotic for tourists. Soo many times coming back drunk to my hotel I would see bar girls/massage girls/freelancers eating cheap street food. I would approach them smile, say hello then they would smile back and ask me if I was hungry. Soon I would sit with them and they would literally feed me like a toddler. They would pick up their forks and put in my mouth. I have a high tolerance for spicy food which often impressed most of them.
That's awesome and oh so true the girls on the street love to stop us and talk to us and especially get us to eat with them I'm not sure why that is but it's something that they seem to get off on... I as well love spicy food so for me it's perfect my only trouble is where I don't eat seafood... It's always an adventure my friend
Hello good people, Mark is correct! U can pul it off comfortably for 700/month...especially in Chiang Mai / Rai. And went to the dance club BUBBLE 4X a week... and danced & hooked up for FREE. The cost of the girls in France club is zero. My entrance fee was 100 baht. My rum was 200. So, for 500 total...i was outta there w girl. I also a 3 some about 4 times. That only cost me 1,000. Not bad. Craig mai is a different world than pucket & pattaya 😂😂😂😂
That's awesome man sounds like you're having an incredible time.... and yeah see if you put some effort into it you can have all kinds of fun here for free!!!! Cheers mate 🍺
Yeah on $500 it would be extremely tight as I say, but it can be done and if that's all you have,,,,,,, trust me life here is WAY better than anywhere else!
Hey man I fully agree with you and this video is for the guy that doesn't have the opportunity or the ability to generate more income it's really bargain basement budgeting at its best
Well actually I think I've proven you can eat more than street food! But again isn't it or wouldn't it be better to be living here on $500 a month then trying to do it in North America?
The room you showed is ok, but I've seen them for a third of the price. Probably not a place I'd want to stay for more than a few months. Good way to save $ for a while. Keep 'em comin' Mark!!! 👍🇹🇭
great informative video jacob thanks for your time. i am planing to move to phuket in 6-12 months . i am planing to live off from the monthly interest iw ould get from my bank account which will be around 45k baht per month. i am planing to cover my rent with the money that i am getting from the house that i rent in my hometown (which is around20k baht. so 45k baht is looking pretty sweet amount to spend per month according to your informations. have a great day doc! thanks again!
I'm almost embarrassed to say I easily live on $500 most most months but my life is very different to most here, I don't have rent to pay and not anywhere a tourist are so it's easy and I've got a bike, wife and child here, really depends how you do it, I do have a much larger budget though and my wife works full-time so of course its more together we spend, im just going on what i spend most months
Hey Tony I actually moved off the island and am living up the coast about 2 hours Just needed a break Plus wanted to do a new cost of living video series Cheers Mate 🥂
I visited the Philippines making $11 an hour and I visited Thailand in October making 13 an hour. Could you please make a video on Malaysia if you have any experience about Malaysia because I'm hearing Malaysia is as cheap and you can initially stay longer and they teach English in school so more people speak English from my understanding
Hey Tango Alpha,,,, My friend I am sorry but I cannot make a video about Malaysia because I hate Malaysia!!!! I'm sorry mate but I went there last year for a 10 day adventure and it turned out to be the worst 10 days of my life.... I will be doing Cambodia in Vietnam coming up soon but honestly mate I don't even want to recall my memories of Malaysia... Lol Cheers Mate 🍺
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean 😲 I'm sorry you had a terrible experience. The reason that I was interested in seeing your perspective on it is because I've heard nothing but good things about it on TH-cam. Actually you're the only person so far that I've heard anything negative about the place. Now I'm confused whether to go or not.
My experience and opinion really shouldn't detract from your desire to go to Malaysia my friend.. I don't want to paint the whole country as the same but here was my experience in a nutshell I got ripped off and taken advantage of from the very minute that I landed in Malaysia to the very second I left the country.. I rented a luxury penthouse condo with a private pool that wasn't even close to what the place was the condo complex I was in they were rude as can be I did not get my money back every time I bought something the vendors would steal money from you they wouldn't give you the right change or they would charge you crazy amounts... When I went to Penang the luxury condo that I rented again because I was trying to do a luxury vacation in Malaysia turned out to be a complete ripoff the guy tried to charge me a $500 US dollar damage deposit and I went online to find out that this guy actually stole every single damage deposit that he was given nobody would help me not booking.com it was just terrible while I was in Penang I went to one restaurant I sat down in an area that no one was sitting at I had two tacos and one beer and it cost me over $225 US dollars because they claim that I sat in a VIP section even though it was during the middle of the day and not a single person was there... Really totally refused to pay the bill and forced them to call the police... The Vespa that I rented when I took it back the guy tried to charge me an extra $50 because he claimed I didn't put gas in it even though I had filmed myself 2 minutes prior to dropping it off filling up the bike because I wanted to see how much it cost to fill the bike up from empty... Worst trip of my life
The room you showed is ok, but I've seen them for a third of the price. Probably not a place I'd want to stay for more than a few months. Good way to save $ for a while. Keep 'em comin' Mark!!! 👍🇹🇭
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean it's unbelievable how low they are & plentiful. I always looked at a place to dwell as a place to hang my hat; not big on amenities, but won't stay in a hovel either. You want to be comfortable, but the savings allows you to be able to do so much more or not. Having a wad of cash available is always a good policy. Been checking out your latest videos; you've been busy lately. Good stuff!!! 👍🇹🇭
Life in the land of smiles seems so much less complicated and expensive. Fortunately, my budget will 3 times $500.00 if not more when I retire. Great video as always Dr. Mark. Cheers!
I would check and see if there is any type of work I could do while living in Thailand. They probably have many rules for such a thing, still worth looking into. You many have to learn a new skill before moving there - before moving.
Hey Black Sand it would almost be impossible to get any type of work visa unless you have degrees etc etc are fully qualified and if you do most likely your budget is not going to be $500 a month.... That being said people could try some of these crazy tick tock schemes to try and make money I don't know the premise of this video was just for guys that are completely totally struggling in their home countries.... It was more for the older guys to be honest with you then the younger guys that might be able to learn a new skill such as coding etc etc... Thailand has some pretty strict laws when it comes to foreigners working in the Kingdom.. Cheers Mate 🍺
Nice breakdown video. First one I’ve seen on the $500 budget. I know a few Thai who live on about that much each month. But they do own a house so that helps a bit
thats a tight budget mark am a math teacher here i get payed ok as you maybe know what i get i get close to 40 thousand a month TB plus i get a UK pension not a lot its a private one but 500 dollars thats tight ... mark if there not use to thai food it can be a problem they need to mix thai western or they can end up sick a doctor told me this
Hey Dave I know it's a crazy tight budget... I did the video in response to one of my subscribers that asked if he could live here on that budget and I just wanted to be honest with him and I wanted to be honest with the viewers as well because it can be done... As I said in the video I'm honestly not sure how healthy it would be to eat that type of food every single day.... However I fully believe that it is healthier than Western food. I'm not one to eat a lot of bread and pasta yes I eat noodles but actual pasta and bread flour and stuff I try to avoid... There's no question that it would be an extremely tight budget and difficult but I honestly believe that you would be living in much better life here than you ever could in North America... I'm honestly not sure about Europe but I know for a fact that the life here on $500 would be much better than it would be in North America on $1000 Cheers Mate 🍺
It's so funny because a lot of the rooms have cartoon character bed sheets and drapes I find it funny... It kind of just brightens your day if you want to know the truth.. Cheers Mate
I agree with that.. If you are prepared to come here and live in a shoe box size apartment and live on cheap Thai food everyday, you may be able to do it on 500 a month, but be prepared to get bored very quickly...
The devil you know in this instance is misery and again barely existing,,, where here at least you'll never be cold, hungry or bored quite honestly,,,, Thing is again if someone is struggling that bad at home,,,,,
And I talked about that in the video I know you'll have none, but most people in the US that are struggling have no health insurance And I can tell ya this much from my own personal experience the hospitals here are insanely affordable Cheers Mate 🍻. Thanks for watching and commenting
Good Video I bet you can live even better with less the farther you get from the Tourism areas. If all goes well I will be living on a 3 K USD a Month Budget when I get there. Hope that will get me something small with Air Con I do not plan on staying in the room other than sleeping maybe western food lots of time to learn the Language and travel around
$3K USD in Thailand is like $6K USD in the US! Unless you're a real party animal, you will only spend about 2/3 of that budget. Thailand's cost of living is about 45% less than that of the US. You would live like a king with $3K per month in Thailand and better if you were in the rural areas.
Hey Greg I'm actually going to do a video today talking about the reality of North America and moving to Thailand or southeast Asia for that matter... Just try to give people an idea of how expensive it is compared to here because I don't think people fully understand... I know this much I certainly could not be retired in Canada not at 49 years old I would have had to work myself to death and most likely with the path that I was going down I would be dead today....
It's funny brother because I find mangoes can be expensive at certain spots... I love mangoes though Can't freaking stand durian though Grapes are nice once in a while but they are bloody expensive here for some strange reason... Cheers Mate 🍺 Thanks for watching and commenting
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean yes durian is Yuk 🤢.. The yellow 🥭 are fab. Grapes 🍇 - imported from Australia , Chile can be pricey . I get sometimes yeah
Dear Dr. Marc - - you give a good presentation about how a person can live on US$500 a month. I know you’re always looking for ways to stretch a budget so I have a few ideas. Looking at the vegetation in the background of your videos I can help with think, wow, maybe some of the vegetation there is edible and A person could live off some of the plants? Also I’m sure there are quite a few rodents running around Thailand, so maybe an under financialized person could dine on rat on a stick once in a while? Thirdly, with all the beaches around there there must be some fishing or scavenging that could be had. If all else fails and adventurous person, there is always dumpster diving for a meal or for sport. Do you think any of these suggestions will work there in Thailand? Have a great day and remember to put on your sunscreen. Jazlyn
Hey Jaz I'm honestly not sure if your comment is serious or if it's satire.... Lol First off let's talk about naturally grown plants I typically don't consume anything unless it is proper.... edible food Now as far as the rodents are concerned I'm pretty sure that at some point I have dined on rat on a stick Quite honestly I would not intentionally go that route... Lol As far as scavenging the beaches I think I'll pass on that you never know what you're going to catch if you know what I mean... Lol Cheers 🥂 You're the best
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean - - Definitely not satire! If you search TH-cam there are many videos about wild foods in Thailand. Of course, there are many many fruit, Such as coconut, bananas, and jack fruit that can be found along with many types of vegetation and fungi. I think it would be so much fun to find a local to show you some of the plants and maybe forage some and then cook them up. All you need is a backpacking Stove. Yes, I agree with you, trying to do some thing on the beach would entail a lot of distractions. Dumpster diving cannot only be profitable, but it’s a good workout climbing in and out of one. Just remember, life is like a box of chocolates, and you’ll never know what you’re gonna get but you have to put your hand in the box and grab one. I believe this is an old buddhist sutra. Take care Dr. Marc.
Ahhh ok I see yes the local fruits and stuff you can find easily Banana and papaya trees are everywhere,,,, Coconuts as well Sorry I thought you mean flowers and such,,, Plants and exotic things As for dumpster diving,,,,, I guess you could I'm not gonna try it But again if you had too
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean - - My point Dr. Marc was for a person on a very limited budget ($500/mo) foraging By A number of means could possibly stretch your budget. Women in general around the world forage men’s wallets for extra income. Ha ha
Id be good with the $125 apartment, for short term. The food you showed works for me but I would definitely want to check out the bbq place you did a video on and maybe some occasional American food. Watermelon, pineapple and bananas are my favorite fruits anyways. Although Im leaning toward the Philippines because most there speak English I could still see me in Thailand and end up there.
Hey Timmy no doubt that little room would work again you're not spending every waking moments in your room so if you were on an incredibly limited budget... I think the food is amazing and again I don't eat a lot of Western food because I simply don't enjoy it... So for me quite honestly the local Thai food is much more palatable for me... I'm not sure what you can live in the Philippines for my friend but I will definitely find out in the future... Chrers mate 🍺
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean the only that hampers me is that I will have an income but I will have a large amount of money to last me til I can collect social security but I still like to save money and pretty much a cheap charley, and hey, if one of the girls come knocking on my door that isnt such a bad thing I guess. 🤣
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean " I don't eat a lot of Western food because I simply don't enjoy it"... What? We all saw how you smashed that $5 cheeseburger on Phuket and you said in video 'The best thing I have had in my life'
Free health care in Cali. The reason why we get so many dirt bag free loaders from the southern borders. Anyway, theres no way u can live off of $500 anywhere even at a 3rd world country for long. Theres to many variables involved.
The thing is if all you have is $500 a month,,,,,,. You'll learn to live off it As for the immigration issues in the USA,,,,, I don't know bro Thanks for watching and commenting
But according to Biden terms like "open borders" is a far right conspiracy theory and the US/Mexican border is more secure then it's ever been before!! 😄😄
Mark, thanks again for the video. I'd be happy if I could maintain $1K/m. BTW, just seen in my news feed: google dickyberg. Betcha never saw those from Gardner Creek!
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Hello and thank you for this post.
I feel a kind of honored that you took your time to explain that subject, bc I asked this question yesterday.
Gladly my situation will be better in short time, and I will focus on spending some time in Thailand when
we have next winter here in Switzerland.
Kind regards to you Sir.
Hey Franco my friend it was important for me to answer your question as honestly as I could...
You can definitely do it but it's going to be very difficult and I just want you to understand that.
I would definitely say come here when it's winter in Switzerland and try it see how you make out but don't come to Phuket don't go to Pattaya go to a more rural place or even Chiang Mai for that matter....
It can definitely be done my friend and I hope that at some point you do get to come here and experience living your best life possible..
Cheers Mate 🍺
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean exactly. He can do it easy in Chiang. I had an all inclusive apt for $70 there and it was sweet! And for 6 months
A good friend of mine moved to Thailand and is living on $500 per month. She has been here for 3 years now and during that time she was able to focus on her health and mental wellbeing. Her plan is to stick it out 1 more year living on $500 per month till she turns 65. At that point she will apply to start her social security payments. Her monthly income will increase by roughly $2,200 per month. I honestly did not think she would make it, but she has done it!
Thats basically my plan, retired early at 56 and and will live overseas on the profit of my house, cars, savings, cashed out pension and 401k which is more than enough to last me til I can collect SS, if Im still around.
To be honest with you there's a lot of older women from North America and Europe that live here on extremely limited budgets....
I'm not sure if it's easier for them because they're obviously not being scammed by local ladies..
But I have met several older women from Europe and North America that just love living here and they are living on unbelievable budgets...
That's awesome that her payments are going to increase that much just imagine the life she can live here then....
Hey Timmy that's the goal brother you know what you've worked hard you've saved you've earned it...
The sad thing is it's almost impossible to retire like this back in North America..
I'm not sure about Europe but I can tell you this much I could not live the life that I live back in Canada
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean listed my house on Thursday, got an offer Saturday and I wont even have to move or sell much because the buyer is asking for the furniture. Hopefully be back in SEA by the end of summer. 👍
That's awesome bud
Congratulations
What I got from this video is no one wants to live on $500 a months, but if you HAD to, for a few months you could. Sometimes an unexpected bill may come in and you just have to tighten your belt for a couple of months. Another good Video Doc. Thanks mate.
Hey Cider first off brother let me see thank you for getting the premise of the video because again nobody would actually want to live on $500 a month...
But I can assure you because I've had so many people message me about it that there are a lot of people watching my content that don't have any more than $500 a month...
Yes if you had an emergency come up that you needed money for it would be extremely pressing but to be honest with you would it be any last pressing in your home country especially if you're from the United States???
Again I'm not advocating anybody packing up and moving the Thailand to try and live on $500 but if they absolutely have to live on such a low amount Thailand would probably be the best place in the world to do so
Dude, I did it for a long time in Chiang. It's not hard... and I went dancing at Bubbles 3x a week
Honestly my living situation is not exactly legit but I live in America and I've been living in America on about 1500 per month
*Which unexpected bill are you talking about!*
$500 us. =17,000 Baht. Shop assistants get paid 12,000 Baht a month. Thai basic wage is about 400 Baht a day Usually 2 or 3 girls live together. Seem to share everything. Seem to get by and send money home for mum and dad and kids . It would be a big culture shock for westerns to live on such a low income. Possible but you don’t need any surprises. Back packer English teachers seem to get by on really low incomes. Possible but it’s hard over the long term.
All true
It can be done
And it would be a whole lot easier to do here than in the West
Cheers Mate 🥂
Much better to do here. At least it’s warm Accommodation can be reasonable Cheap healthy food There’s plenty of cheap fun out there there’s plenty of free wifi. Possibly find a Thai woman to share with. It’s possible. Great weather here
My Gf rents a 2 bedroom townhouse 40 minutes north of Bangkok for 3800 bht electric 750 bht water 60 bht sim card 250 bht = 4860 bht this has to be paid the rest is up to you
Hey John that's actually a really good deal and you're right beyond the shelter need that you're going to have I'm not suggesting anybody go live in a tent somewhere but other than shelter you're right the rest is up to you what you spend your money on for food booze etc etc...
If you can take care of your basic food and shelter costs then yes the rest is totally up to you as to how you spend your money where you get your entertainment etc etc
Life is miserable in any western country living on a very low fixed income. If you could live it in a country that is warm, bright, amazing food and Live it outdoors because of the weather, why not. The beach and freedom is priceless in that situation. I think the main thing would be to try and find purpose while you are there, even its just keeping your part of the the beach tidy a few hours a day!
You know something Paul that's one of my favorite comments that I've seen on this video so far...
You're right living here is a lot better than barely existing there...
And there's so many things you can do here you can go make friends with the street dogs this is one of my favorite things to do at night time is I go and I feed the dogs it's one of the things that I love about Thailand...
Your idea about just you know keep him one spot of a beach clean that's fantastic mate
It's people like you why I love making these videos so thank you so much for commenting...
Cheers Mate 🍺
I’m coping fine so far on 1000$ usd equivalent in northern bkk
That's awesome I'm so happy to hear that and you're a testament to the fact that my $1,000 a month budget definitely is reasonable and you can live a good life on it...
Cheers Mate 🥂
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean yes I’m careful , I swim 🏊♂️ I walk, I have good food , i travel about , I have money if an emergency, I have insurance , I don’t drink a lot , have a gf who works ( well , she’s happy to for now 😬) .. I left uk as well as the above reasons in uk costs , because I have no family there any more ..
Hey Jon that's awesome bro
I'm happy to hear you're doing so well
Cheers Mate 🥂
I live in Texas and pay over 10k in property taxes, $3500.00 home insurance, $1200.00 hoa, and that is before the mortgage and all the other expenses. I am planning a recon trip to Thailand next year.
Isn't it crazy??
I'm doing a video today about the realities of living in North America
Cheers Mate 🥂
Hi Mark,
That was great presentation. I live in USA and there is no way you could live in 500 dollars monthly. However you would than apply for supplemental benefits, get food stamps and qualify for medical assistance so your health care would be free. Also you could get free food from churches, charities etc.
USA is not known to be a welfare state but likely you would get more government assistance in Canada, Western Europe and certainly Scandinavia.
But as you say brother you would struggle unless you are masochist. You could live in Thailand better as food and accommodation are cheaper but if you needed healthcare you would be screwed as in the West you would qualify for medical assistance and many other welfare benefits not available in poorer countries.
I like the story about freelancer/ bargirls feeling sorry for your friend and making his day ; I guess working girls with a heart of gold do exist.
Peace
And funding available to lower income people but I can tell from my own experience in Canada anyways that it is very difficult to apply for it's very hard to qualify for and it is a nightmare trying to get it for yourself...
As far as free healthcare yes Canada has free healthcare I do understand that in the States you can get certain help but I also know many families in the United States that have gone bankrupt people who have killed themselves because of medical debt....
I can tell you from my own personal experience going to a hospital here in Thailand is not financially destroying...
Now I've only gone in for certain things I obviously haven't had a heart attack or anything like that but still going into the hospital here is comical how cheap and affordable it is and how great and Top notch the care is...
The premise of this video was to show people that yes it can be done you're going to struggle there's going to be some big sacrifices that you're going to have to make there's concessions that you're going to have to live with but it can be done...
And I honestly truly believe that your life would have a much better quality here than it ever would in North America...
Thumbs up 👍
I was wondering where my 👍 was,,,,,,,
Where can you live for 800 usd a month?
I know places in Mexico it can be done (fairly decent)
And apparently you could probably do it in some areas of Russia
But, truly, not looking to live as a tourist, just live like a native
There are many places you can live on this ,,,, or less .
It all depends on what you're willing to accept,,,,,
Assuming you can't afford a motor bike, is Thailand doable by bicycle?
Hey man you certainly can get around most cities with a bicycle,,, but honestly bro you can rent a Scoopi for $50 or less a month
If that's too much yeah start pedalling and enjoy the exercise....
I had a bike at my place in Thai Mueang and I really enjoyed it
Cheers mate 🍺
I've been living in Kathu Phuket for the past 6 months. My average spending was about 550USD per month. That included my bike rental, going snorkeling every weekend, hanging out with friends almost once per week, visits to the night market 3 times per week. So living and thriving on 500usd is possible - but this depends on what you consider living - I am perfectly content with beach visits, hiking and chatting to locals. All of which are almost free.
That's awesome to hear
Thanks for sharing
And yes all the things you're doing, so am I
And I'm loving it
Cheers my friend
Hey Doc, great video. How much would life improve with 750 to live your best life (based on your experience, where would you invest the extra 250)? What options are there (f.e, watch muay thai)? Fortunately I would have a significantly bigger budget , but still I would find it interesting to see more videos with different lifestyles and maybe also homebases (islands, north, south). Cheers
Actually you know what I'll do a video about that and talk about the differences between living on 500 or $750 a month...
Where would I invest the money that's a really good question I obviously would get myself a bike and if you were in that $750 budget range you could afford a bike no question...
I would definitely put some money into accident protection on the bike so some type of insurance plan for myself...
I would also allocate some for entertainment beyond the free stuff and what I mean by that is maybe going to an elephant sanctuary or something like that...
Probably look at going out maybe once a week not going crazy or anything like that but definitely going to the bar having a couple of beers..
But the number one thing I would invest in would be a bike...
Cheers Mate 🍺
Love to come and stay there just waiting on my early retirement sometime this year
That's awesome
Congratulations you will love it here
Cheers 🥂
What about health insurance brother??
As I stated in the video you wouldn't have any because you couldn't afford it but by the same token if you're living in the United States and you're scraping by on the absolute minimum amount of money possible you don't have health insurance....
If you have to go to the hospital here I promise you this much it is completely different than North America I'm not sure about Europe I can't say but I do know this much going to the hospital here is incredibly affordable...
But at the end of the day like I said if you're living here on $500 you're not going to have health insurance.
Thanks for watching and commenting
This is for me a very thought provoking subject for those of us that have empathy for others struggling with there cost of living in there home country .The ethos of the channel is " Living Your Best Life " .
So in conclusion if i was just surviving on a fixed income it would be a no brainer as to where i would have a better quality of life
Hey Paul first off brother let me thank you for finally being one of the few people that fully understand why I'm doing this...
Quite honestly if I'm being truthful with you and everybody else I would much rather go by myself Toyota Supra get a kick ass cool ass apartment and ball out here I'm telling you I would rather live the luxurious life that I work so hard for but instead I'm trying to show people what is possible...
I spent so much of my real estate career watching people struggle I struggled myself so I know what it's like I wasn't always making big money I struggled really really hard in life and I'm trying to show people what is possible.
I don't want people to lose that dream that they can have a better life
If its Thailand or a tent on Washington Ave I know where I'd rather be, you would need to build up at least a couple of thousand dollars to cover the unforseen events and don't forget the return ticket, Malaysia has the 90 day visa on arrival for some countries and I would suspect that a more rural area would be cost effective but it's definitely a no frills package.
Hey Roger there's no question that Thailand will be a much better place to try to eek out in existence.
The only problem that I foresee with your rationale which honestly makes complete sense about saving up a few $2,000 is that if you're only getting $1,000 a month or less it's going to be pretty hard to save up a couple of..
Now when it comes to the plane ticket what you can do is you can buy a ticket somewhere get insurance on it and then cancel it after you've got your Visa approval..
I am in no way suggesting to defraud the government however I know what happens every single day...
You are going to have to do the absolute cheapest border runs possible to remain in the Kingdom...
But it certainly can be done because again I know people that are doing it...
And you are definitely right I would move to one of the more rural non tourist areas because your dollar is going to go a lot further...
Cheers Mate 🍺
budgeted living always sounds wise, but what about current human qualities wanting to live it up, “splurge” items. what might they include? maybe some good topics for future editions. buy a new handmade shirt, spoil a ladyfriend at a jewelry shop, and of course, what and where to eat on a special occasion. sounds more like a “best lives” recipe than disciplined budgeting.
Hey Donald check out my video I am releasing tomorrow.
It's exactly what you're looking for
Cheers Mate 🍻
Thanks for watching and commenting
Yes, it can be done. I could probably do it for about a year if I absolutely had too. Let's say you brought a budget of $500.00 monthly from the West. If it were me, I would sign up to tutor English online once settled in Thailand. I hear companies pay roughly $10.00 per teaching hour. A degree is not required. Plus, you decide how many hours you actually teach per week. I would also network for a Call Center job if possible. 20k baht monthly extra goes a long way.
I agree 100% with your idea.
If you're able to come here and work remotely but a lot of places that are hiring tutors don't want old men..
That's just a cold hard fact of life...
99% of online tutoring is video interaction and they don't want old men I'm sorry but that's the truth...
If you're younger sure give it a shot but really this was made for guys that are struggling back in North America that have no money and no job opportunities or hope of getting extra money each month...
Cheers Mate 🍺
Sure, you can live on $500 a month in Thailand, live in a cheap apartment, eat street food and find free activities to pass time. However, if you have any unexpected expenses (e.g. accident or serious illness), then you need a cash reserve of at least US$10k - 20k
I'm not disputing what you're saying Joe even in the video I discussed the fact that you're not going to have health insurance...
But let's be honest with ourselves you show me anybody like I describe in this video that has or will ever have the ability to save up any type of money....
I can tell you this much it all depends on what you have to go to the hospital here for because I've gone to the hospital a few times and it's certainly was not 10 or 20,000 dollars my friend 125 dollars was the most I've ever spent going to the hospital....
I think you missed the whole premise of the video and that was to explain the people that yes you can do it but it's going to be very hard no you're not going to be eating all of the stuff that you're used to in the Western world no you're not going to have health insurance but do you have that now living in especially the United States???
If you're broke no you don't....
But this misconception that a lot of people have that if you have in a medical emergency you're going to need tens of thousands of dollars it's simply not true mate not in every single case...
Yes there are exemptions to every rule but I'm telling you right now it's not every single case...
Thanks for watching and commenting
I appreciate the discussion and debate
can and have for 6 months on 20000 baht per month,i had girls and good thai food and a decent place on nanai road but it was a few years ago girls are a lot more now,but if your talking a cheap place to rent you can still get them and thai food is as cheap af
Hey Brett no question you could live here on 20,000 Baht a month
Really it's not going to be much different than when you were here before except for to be honest with you you're going to have a really hard time having any female companionship on that kind of money...
20,000 Baht is about 600 US dollars
So yeah if you got yourself a cheap place to live for $125 over on Na Nai Rd you could even get yourself a really cheap scoopy scooter or a click 125 for that matter...
But yeah it could be done no question
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean i did buy a bike and would in the future when i did it,and i got gfs with jobs i didn't pay any salary there food is my limit if they want more I'm willing to move on 🤑
Sweet
That's awesome mate
Cheers
Good video Mark one of the big plusses is the the wonderful thai food for next to nothing
Hey Roberto I truly agree with you I love the local Thai food it is just so delicious and I truly believe that it is a hundred times healthier than any garbage that you can eat on an incredibly limited budget in North America...
It has to be better than McDonald's and it has to be better than that processed Frozen garbage that they sell...
Ooo hell no , hahahaa, I live that.
If ya had to, could you?
Hi Mark!
As you know, I can make Ebenezer Scrooge look like a spendthrift, but to spend $500 a month, every month, all in one go, wow.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.
$500 is a very tight budget my friend.
Big difference between living and existing. At the end of the day, if its all you got, then it's all you got. It's doable, but it would be very hard. Good job mate.
Hey Nigel and that's the whole thing and the premise behind my video wasn't to say that hey look you can come here and live a great life for $500..
The idea for the video was to reply to a subscriber who wanted to know if he could live here on $500 and the truth is yes you can it's going to be difficult but quite honestly mate how well would you be living on $500 where you're from???
I don't know brother maybe one month I will try and see what it's like living for $500 but I wouldn't want to do it for any more than one month that's for certain..
Cheers Mate 🍺
How about a gym membership how much do those cost in Thailand? Are these as cheap there they can be in the United States? They can be a great way for the man who is not living on much to not only get a good workout but also a good shower
Hey Jacob gym memberships here usually cost around 20 to 30 US dollars a month because they're geared towards foreigners...
That being said that you have lots of outdoor gym areas where you can get different benefits..
It's hard to explain they have like workout stations where you can do different things and it's all body mass resistance...
So really someone wouldn't have to join a gym also quite honestly the best shower in the world is hopping in the salt water it cleanses the body it cleans the pores...
Cheers Mate 🍺
Gym membership 1,499 Baht per month but have paid as low as 899 Baht on promotion Coco gym pattaya beach
Dr. Mark thank you for your video as always. Frankly speaking 500 usd for the whole month is going to be very different even in the countries which are considered cheaper comparing to Western countries.
If someone who is planning to move to another country or let us say immegrate and dont have any investments in his own country, or owning at least 2 properties. If you dont have both of them then i highly recommend to develop a skill first that you can use to make money. We are living in a time where you can learn skills just online from home that can be from learning how to sell, Business, Learn how to invest in stocks, Crypto, etc.
Just moving to any country without money or with a low bugdet is asking for problems on the long term.
Just my point of view.
I agree that online opportunity is an option but investment needs a large amount of capital if your going to see an adequate return
Hey brother and I completely agree with what you're saying however the premise of my video was to show people that if you are absolutely limited in your budget from a pension or your own personal savings you could technically theoretically live in Thailand for $500 a month.....
This video was not intended for people that have the ability to go online and earn money from any income source be it freelance coding or anything like that and especially not cryptocurrency trading....
In order to do crypto or day trading any type of investment vehicles you need capital and I hate to say it but somebody that has to live in a $500 a month budget is not going to have any Capital at all...
Also you need to understand that some of these guys are like well you know you could just become a English tutor online that's not going to happen especially if you're an older guy because all of the online tutoring is video based and they want someone who looks young looks fresh they don't want some old guy I hate to say it but that's the truth....
This video was intended to be a wake up call a reality shake up for people to understand yes you know what life sucks but it doesn't have to suck all the time...
I am in no way advocating or suggesting anyone just pick up and move without the proper financial resources however if you have no hope in hell of ever getting those resources and you're struggling that bad in your home country I think you could do much better here...
Cheers Mate 🥂
And Roger that's a lot of the problem is that anybody that has to come here and live on a $500 budget certainly does not have any Capital to be investing into anything where they have the opportunity of losing
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean Dr. Mark let me first clarify that everything you explained in this video is 100% correct and we do not have any disagreement on this subject. I fully understand and know that someone who is between 60 and 65 years old living in the US or Europe with a low budget and no savings is difficult.
When i look at such situation I try to look at it from another corner as for example someone who is 65 years old but is healthy, have lots of energy is committed to get what he or she wants, are very positive in life when it comes to achieving and learning something. In many cases you see those type of people succeeding much more in live no matter there age or living conditions.
It is so inspiring to see a person who is at that age trying to make a change for the better in his live to have a higher income to be able to finally enjoy the freedom he or she wants. And you have many of those persons in that age group.
But again you have also many cases where people in that age get stuck in live with a low income without any other source of income and this video is definitely a good advice for everyone who try to live with a limited budget in Thailand.
That's a great comment Brother
And you're right not everyone is willing to accept their position and I respect those who don't
Cheers Mate 🍻
The Thai food is awesome and we know the fresh fruit is absolutely fantastic to counter any unhealthy daily food you eat
Correct, many would be surprised how much fruit helps with a persons health.
Brother I truly believe that the basic Thai Street food is much healthier and far more beneficial to you than any of that processed Frozen garbage crop that you have to eat if you are lower income in North America and the rest of the world...
I truly believe that because again you're getting starches you're getting carbohydrates you're getting protein fruits and vegetables...
Yes and the whole thing guys is that in North America if you were on one of these crazy limited budgets you can't afford to buy fruits or vegetables to be honest with you...
That's why there's the obesity problems there because people can't afford to eat healthy..
I think right now where I live it's over $8 for a dozen oranges....
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean nuts prices. Uk is stupid too
Another great vid Doc I know I will thrive !! I'm already single confident and happy just gotta get through the next excruciating year or 2 !!🤟🤟🤪🤪🇨🇦🇨🇦🤪🤪
You'll make it bro don't worry
Cheers mate 🍺
14:12 Girls like that love to feed western men authentic Thai food that is usually too spicy or to exotic for tourists. Soo many times coming back drunk to my hotel I would see bar girls/massage girls/freelancers eating cheap street food. I would approach them smile, say hello then they would smile back and ask me if I was hungry. Soon I would sit with them and they would literally feed me like a toddler. They would pick up their forks and put in my mouth. I have a high tolerance for spicy food which often impressed most of them.
That's awesome and oh so true the girls on the street love to stop us and talk to us and especially get us to eat with them I'm not sure why that is but it's something that they seem to get off on...
I as well love spicy food so for me it's perfect my only trouble is where I don't eat seafood...
It's always an adventure my friend
Hello good people, Mark is correct! U can pul it off comfortably for 700/month...especially in Chiang Mai / Rai. And went to the dance club BUBBLE 4X a week... and danced & hooked up for FREE. The cost of the girls in France club is zero. My entrance fee was 100 baht. My rum was 200. So, for 500 total...i was outta there w girl. I also a 3 some about 4 times. That only cost me 1,000. Not bad. Craig mai is a different world than pucket & pattaya 😂😂😂😂
That's awesome man sounds like you're having an incredible time....
and yeah see if you put some effort into it you can have all kinds of fun here for free!!!!
Cheers mate 🍺
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean I think w ur stand up comedy skills, u should be able to charm many too! Haha:)
Exist YES, Live NO. Not by any reasonable definition of Living.
Yeah on $500 it would be extremely tight as I say, but it can be done and if that's all you have,,,,,,, trust me life here is WAY better than anywhere else!
I’d sooner be careful here and enjoy my time rather than work my butt off on in the uk , struggling from month to month. No thanks 😅
Hey man I fully agree with you and this video is for the guy that doesn't have the opportunity or the ability to generate more income it's really bargain basement budgeting at its best
Yep $500 Easy... Fan Room no AirCon and Eat 30 Baht Street Food and thats it you can Live lol
Well actually I think I've proven you can eat more than street food!
But again isn't it or wouldn't it be better to be living here on $500 a month then trying to do it in North America?
My rent is 25k baht per month, but for the rest of this month I am trying to live on 1k baht per day in Phuket, what a challenge already XD
Wow 25k you must have a soper sweet place
As for 1k a day,,, yeah that's doable bro
Is that everything in?
Cheers Frans
Survive maybe, but live, not by any reasonable definition of living.
I totally disagree
Sorry
Ive been doing it for less,,,, a lot less and I have a fantastic life....
Cheers 🍻
The room you showed is ok, but I've seen them for a third of the price. Probably not a place I'd want to stay for more than a few months. Good way to save $ for a while. Keep 'em comin' Mark!!! 👍🇹🇭
Hey yeah you can get these rooms a lot less outside of Patong,,,,,
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean👍🇹🇭
great informative video jacob thanks for your time. i am planing to move to phuket in 6-12 months . i am planing to live off from the monthly interest iw ould get from my bank account which will be around 45k baht per month. i am planing to cover my rent with the money that i am getting from the house that i rent in my hometown (which is around20k baht. so 45k baht is looking pretty sweet amount to spend per month according to your informations. have a great day doc! thanks again!
oh forgot to say tons o love from turkey bodrum:)
Hey man I am actually just finishing up a video on what I think would be the perfect budget
Cheers Mate
I'm almost embarrassed to say I easily live on $500 most most months but my life is very different to most here, I don't have rent to pay and not anywhere a tourist are so it's easy and I've got a bike, wife and child here, really depends how you do it, I do have a much larger budget though and my wife works full-time so of course its more together we spend, im just going on what i spend most months
Hey Glen that's awesome
Why he embarrassed????
Dude you've won!!!
Honestly
Cheers Mate 🥂
Hey Glen that's awesome
Why he embarrassed????
Dude you've won!!!
Honestly
Cheers Mate 🥂
Where you living now? I missed that one.
Hey Rob I moved off the island up the coast some to a small little town called Thai Mueng.
Lovely spot
Cheers Mate 🍻
You said you saw that guy "when you lived on Phuket". Where are you living now? Sorry if I missed a video recently.
Hey Tony I actually moved off the island and am living up the coast about 2 hours
Just needed a break
Plus wanted to do a new cost of living video series
Cheers Mate 🥂
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean Look forward to it! I was looking at Krabi, but it looks like a bit of a tourist trap. You agree?
I visited the Philippines making $11 an hour and I visited Thailand in October making 13 an hour. Could you please make a video on Malaysia if you have any experience about Malaysia because I'm hearing Malaysia is as cheap and you can initially stay longer and they teach English in school so more people speak English from my understanding
Hey Tango Alpha,,,,
My friend I am sorry but I cannot make a video about Malaysia because I hate Malaysia!!!!
I'm sorry mate but I went there last year for a 10 day adventure and it turned out to be the worst 10 days of my life....
I will be doing Cambodia in Vietnam coming up soon but honestly mate I don't even want to recall my memories of Malaysia...
Lol
Cheers Mate 🍺
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean 😲 I'm sorry you had a terrible experience. The reason that I was interested in seeing your perspective on it is because I've heard nothing but good things about it on TH-cam. Actually you're the only person so far that I've heard anything negative about the place. Now I'm confused whether to go or not.
My experience and opinion really shouldn't detract from your desire to go to Malaysia my friend..
I don't want to paint the whole country as the same but here was my experience in a nutshell
I got ripped off and taken advantage of from the very minute that I landed in Malaysia to the very second I left the country..
I rented a luxury penthouse condo with a private pool that wasn't even close to what the place was the condo complex I was in they were rude as can be I did not get my money back every time I bought something the vendors would steal money from you they wouldn't give you the right change or they would charge you crazy amounts...
When I went to Penang the luxury condo that I rented again because I was trying to do a luxury vacation in Malaysia turned out to be a complete ripoff the guy tried to charge me a $500 US dollar damage deposit and I went online to find out that this guy actually stole every single damage deposit that he was given nobody would help me not booking.com it was just terrible while I was in Penang I went to one restaurant I sat down in an area that no one was sitting at I had two tacos and one beer and it cost me over $225 US dollars because they claim that I sat in a VIP section even though it was during the middle of the day and not a single person was there...
Really totally refused to pay the bill and forced them to call the police...
The Vespa that I rented when I took it back the guy tried to charge me an extra $50 because he claimed I didn't put gas in it even though I had filmed myself 2 minutes prior to dropping it off filling up the bike because I wanted to see how much it cost to fill the bike up from empty...
Worst trip of my life
man, you are really a doc with your break out $500.
Lol .
I'm something
Thanks for watching and commenting
Cheers mate 🍺
The room you showed is ok, but I've seen them for a third of the price. Probably not a place I'd want to stay for more than a few months. Good way to save $ for a while. Keep 'em comin' Mark!!! 👍🇹🇭
Yes I've seen them for less as well, just never in Patong.
I have seen one in Thalang identical to this one for 2k a month,,,
Cheers Mate 🍻
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean it's unbelievable how low they are & plentiful. I always looked at a place to dwell as a place to hang my hat; not big on amenities, but won't stay in a hovel either. You want to be comfortable, but the savings allows you to be able to do so much more or not. Having a wad of cash available is always a good policy. Been checking out your latest videos; you've been busy lately. Good stuff!!! 👍🇹🇭
@@whatsname2649 thanks man I appreciate your support
And yeah I've been mom stop lately
Definitely no tacos or thai tacos
No Rusty there's not going to be a lot of Taco action on a $500 budget that is for sure....
Life in the land of smiles seems so much less complicated and expensive. Fortunately, my budget will 3 times $500.00 if not more when I retire. Great video as always Dr. Mark. Cheers!
That's great to hear
You'll do fantastic here on that
This was a reply to a question
And yeah it is possible if you had too
Cheers Mate 🍻
I would check and see if there is any type of work I could do while living in Thailand. They probably have many rules for such a thing, still worth looking into. You many have to learn a new skill before moving there - before moving.
Hey Black Sand it would almost be impossible to get any type of work visa unless you have degrees etc etc are fully qualified and if you do most likely your budget is not going to be $500 a month....
That being said people could try some of these crazy tick tock schemes to try and make money I don't know the premise of this video was just for guys that are completely totally struggling in their home countries....
It was more for the older guys to be honest with you then the younger guys that might be able to learn a new skill such as coding etc etc...
Thailand has some pretty strict laws when it comes to foreigners working in the Kingdom..
Cheers Mate 🍺
Nice breakdown video. First one I’ve seen on the $500 budget. I know a few Thai who live on about that much each month. But they do own a house so that helps a bit
Thanks Kevin
It certainly can be done,,, would be a challenge but if necessity dictated,,,,,,
thats a tight budget mark am a math teacher here i get payed ok as you maybe know what i get i get close to 40 thousand a month TB plus i get a UK pension not a lot its a private one but 500 dollars thats tight ... mark if there not use to thai food it can be a problem they need to mix thai western or they can end up sick a doctor told me this
Hey Dave I know it's a crazy tight budget...
I did the video in response to one of my subscribers that asked if he could live here on that budget and I just wanted to be honest with him and I wanted to be honest with the viewers as well because it can be done...
As I said in the video I'm honestly not sure how healthy it would be to eat that type of food every single day....
However I fully believe that it is healthier than Western food.
I'm not one to eat a lot of bread and pasta yes I eat noodles but actual pasta and bread flour and stuff I try to avoid...
There's no question that it would be an extremely tight budget and difficult but I honestly believe that you would be living in much better life here than you ever could in North America...
I'm honestly not sure about Europe but I know for a fact that the life here on $500 would be much better than it would be in North America on $1000
Cheers Mate 🍺
Good Video Doc 😊.
Thanks Ricky
Cheers 🍻
6:13 Minions lol
It's so funny because a lot of the rooms have cartoon character bed sheets and drapes I find it funny...
It kind of just brightens your day if you want to know the truth..
Cheers Mate
I agree with that..
If you are prepared to come here and live in a shoe box size apartment and live on cheap Thai food everyday, you may be able to do it on 500 a month, but be prepared to get bored very quickly...
But again would it not be better than barely existing in your home country,,,,
That my friend is the $500 question,,,,
Cheers Mate 🥂
Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know.. so to speak.. however we all have choices in life..
The devil you know in this instance is misery and again barely existing,,, where here at least you'll never be cold, hungry or bored quite honestly,,,,
Thing is again if someone is struggling that bad at home,,,,,
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean yes I do agree... just remember, nothing is free in Thailand... especially medical..
And I talked about that in the video I know you'll have none, but most people in the US that are struggling have no health insurance
And I can tell ya this much from my own personal experience the hospitals here are insanely affordable
Cheers Mate 🍻.
Thanks for watching and commenting
Great video.... Would love to see you put together an "add-on package" for even as low as $100 with insurance, bolt/bbus budget, etc...
Sure thing
I'll do that this week
Cheers Mate 🥂
Mark where will the street food be cheaper at Thailand or the Philippines.
Honestly Stephen I am not sure as I haven't researched the Philippines yet,,,,
Stay tuned ,,,
Good Video I bet you can live even better with less the farther you get from the Tourism areas. If all goes well I will be living on a 3 K USD a Month Budget when I get there. Hope that will get me something small with Air Con I do not plan on staying in the room other than sleeping maybe western food lots of time to learn the Language and travel around
Dude you can live like a King on,3k a month .
Trust me
$3K USD in Thailand is like $6K USD in the US! Unless you're a real party animal, you will only spend about 2/3 of that budget. Thailand's cost of living is about 45% less than that of the US. You would live like a king with $3K per month in Thailand and better if you were in the rural areas.
@@kevinp8108 in the rural areas less than 1k
I just did it for 2 months,,,,,
Mark, you are 100% right about Canada. It is getting more and more expensive. I can handle it, but many are having trouble.
Hey Greg I'm actually going to do a video today talking about the reality of North America and moving to Thailand or southeast Asia for that matter...
Just try to give people an idea of how expensive it is compared to here because I don't think people fully understand...
I know this much I certainly could not be retired in Canada not at 49 years old I would have had to work myself to death and most likely with the path that I was going down I would be dead today....
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean we are the same age and I am constantly wondering why I haven’t moved yet.
I'm so happy I did
I think my videos I'm doing might help you
Cheers Mate 🥂
Mango , watermelon , melon , bananas , pineapple fab. Yes as you say grapes & durian expensive ..
It's funny brother because I find mangoes can be expensive at certain spots...
I love mangoes though
Can't freaking stand durian though
Grapes are nice once in a while but they are bloody expensive here for some strange reason...
Cheers Mate 🍺
Thanks for watching and commenting
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean yes durian is Yuk 🤢.. The yellow 🥭 are fab. Grapes 🍇 - imported from Australia , Chile can be pricey . I get sometimes yeah
If I'm going to eat grapes I'm going to get those long skinny black ones I love those....
Okay that didn't look very good did it!
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean haha
Dear Dr. Marc - - you give a good presentation about how a person can live on US$500 a month. I know you’re always looking for ways to stretch a budget so I have a few ideas. Looking at the vegetation in the background of your videos I can help with think, wow, maybe some of the vegetation there is edible and A person could live off some of the plants? Also I’m sure there are quite a few rodents running around Thailand, so maybe an under financialized person could dine on rat on a stick once in a while? Thirdly, with all the beaches around there there must be some fishing or scavenging that could be had. If all else fails and adventurous person, there is always dumpster diving for a meal or for sport. Do you think any of these suggestions will work there in Thailand? Have a great day and remember to put on your sunscreen. Jazlyn
Hey Jaz
I'm honestly not sure if your comment is serious or if it's satire....
Lol
First off let's talk about naturally grown plants I typically don't consume anything unless it is proper.... edible food
Now as far as the rodents are concerned I'm pretty sure that at some point I have dined on rat on a stick
Quite honestly I would not intentionally go that route...
Lol
As far as scavenging the beaches I think I'll pass on that you never know what you're going to catch if you know what I mean...
Lol
Cheers 🥂
You're the best
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean - - Definitely not satire! If you search TH-cam there are many videos about wild foods in Thailand. Of course, there are many many fruit, Such as coconut, bananas, and jack fruit that can be found along with many types of vegetation and fungi. I think it would be so much fun to find a local to show you some of the plants and maybe forage some and then cook them up. All you need is a backpacking Stove.
Yes, I agree with you, trying to do some thing on the beach would entail a lot of distractions.
Dumpster diving cannot only be profitable, but it’s a good workout climbing in and out of one. Just remember, life is like a box of chocolates, and you’ll never know what you’re gonna get but you have to put your hand in the box and grab one. I believe this is an old buddhist sutra. Take care Dr. Marc.
Ahhh ok I see yes the local fruits and stuff you can find easily
Banana and papaya trees are everywhere,,,,
Coconuts as well
Sorry I thought you mean flowers and such,,,
Plants and exotic things
As for dumpster diving,,,,, I guess you could
I'm not gonna try it
But again if you had too
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean - - My point Dr. Marc was for a person on a very limited budget ($500/mo) foraging By A number of means could possibly stretch your budget. Women in general around the world forage men’s wallets for extra income. Ha ha
@@jazlynsaykwa5485 lol .
Too funny
But yes I'm sure you could forage here
Just not for me
🥂
Id be good with the $125 apartment, for short term. The food you showed works for me but I would definitely want to check out the bbq place you did a video on and maybe some occasional American food. Watermelon, pineapple and bananas are my favorite fruits anyways. Although Im leaning toward the Philippines because most there speak English I could still see me in Thailand and end up there.
Hey Timmy no doubt that little room would work again you're not spending every waking moments in your room so if you were on an incredibly limited budget...
I think the food is amazing and again I don't eat a lot of Western food because I simply don't enjoy it...
So for me quite honestly the local Thai food is much more palatable for me...
I'm not sure what you can live in the Philippines for my friend but I will definitely find out in the future...
Chrers mate 🍺
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean the only that hampers me is that I will have an income but I will have a large amount of money to last me til I can collect social security but I still like to save money and pretty much a cheap charley, and hey, if one of the girls come knocking on my door that isnt such a bad thing I guess. 🤣
@@tman46544 No Timmy my friend that would not be a bad thing at all trust me
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean " I don't eat a lot of Western food because I simply don't enjoy it"... What? We all saw how you smashed that $5 cheeseburger on Phuket and you said in video 'The best thing I have had in my life'
@@whyhellotherewithdrmarksabean @Timmy! That would be a HUGE incentive to live in Thailand! LOL
Great video man such detail 👏
Hey Larry thanks for watching and commenting
Cheers Mate 🍺
Free health care in Cali. The reason why we get so many dirt bag free loaders from the southern borders. Anyway, theres no way u can live off of $500 anywhere even at a 3rd world country for long. Theres to many variables involved.
The thing is if all you have is $500 a month,,,,,,.
You'll learn to live off it
As for the immigration issues in the USA,,,,, I don't know bro
Thanks for watching and commenting
But according to Biden terms like "open borders" is a far right conspiracy theory and the US/Mexican border is more secure then it's ever been before!! 😄😄
Mark, thanks again for the video. I'd be happy if I could maintain $1K/m. BTW, just seen in my news feed: google dickyberg. Betcha never saw those from Gardner Creek!
Sadly enough we never saw those out in Gardners Creek
I with
Lol