What impression did Thailand leave on you?

The middle class in Thailand often strives to send their children to bilingual or international schools, starting from kindergarten. The annual tuition fees are at least 100,000 THB (around 20,000 RMB) and rise to a minimum of 200,000 THB (around 40,000 RMB) by high school.

However, the average monthly income for the middle class in Thailand rarely reaches 35,000 THB (around 7,000 RMB). Even if both spouses work and earn 35,000 THB each, their combined income would still only be 70,000 THB (around 14,000 RMB) a month, making it a heavy financial burden for families with multiple children to afford school fees.

Bilingual and international schools in Thailand play a key role in grooming the country’s elite white-collar workers. With relatively superior teachers, strict educational management, international curricula, and diverse teaching methods, these schools greatly benefit children who aim to get into top universities in Thailand or globally.

The selection process for Thai celebrities differs significantly from China. Talent scouts and directors in Thailand typically discover potential actors at top universities. As a result, many Thai celebrities are also academic high achievers. Celebrities like Lisa, who debuted in such a way, are only likely to emerge in Korea, not in Thailand.

Most Thai people are optimistic and polite. Many work hard, but their efficiency is often not high. Most are not particularly driven to earn big money, and there is no pervasive overtime culture. It’s quite normal for stores to close promptly at the end of the day, and if a boss pressures employees to work overtime, many would quit immediately.

In Thailand, most people are content with going with the flow, and it’s rare to find those who are aggressively pursuing success. Life can be poor or tough, but it shouldn’t be rushed or overly stressful. Living in a shack while being bitten by mosquitoes is no big deal, running a small roadside stall with little business doesn’t bother them, and whether they make more or less money, as long as they’re happy, it’s fine.

I actually admire this Thai approach to life. Thailand is ideal for middle-aged and elderly people to live long-term, and it’s also a good place for young people to travel. Digital nomads who earn in Western currencies can enjoy a good standard of living in Thailand. However, if you’re aiming to excel in academics, build a career, or start a business, Thailand may not be the best choice.

Thailand is a great place for the lower middle class (monthly salary of around 30,000 THB) to live. If you’re single and earning $800 a month, you can live quite well here. Even a couple earning $800 together can live comfortably.

For around 12,000 THB a month, you can rent a well-located apartment within a 15-minute walk to a major shopping mall. If you opt for a more remote apartment, rents can be as low as 3,000 THB per month, though utility bills will add another 2,000 THB or so. Therefore, housing costs are the same for singles and couples.

Not having a car isn’t a problem either. You can save the 500,000 THB for buying a car and the 200,000 THB for maintenance. Instead, you can take a Grab twice a day, each ride costing about 100 THB, and you’d still be able to do this for 10 years.

As for food, if each person spends an average of 200 THB a day, the monthly cost for meals would be around 6,000 THB. That’s assuming you eat out for every meal. If you shop at a big supermarket and cook at home, 100 THB per day per person would be enough to eat quite well.

Thailand is also where you’ll save the most on clothing. Summer clothes, pants, and sneakers are affordable and can last for several years.

Furniture and air conditioning are usually provided in apartments, but if there are no other appliances, you can buy a washing machine, refrigerator, and kitchen appliances yourself. A one-time purchase of 20,000 THB (around 4,000 RMB) would suffice.

For travel, you can always find discounted airfare, often between 48 and 84 THB, for flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Krabi, or Phuket. If you travel during the off-season, you can stay in hotels for around 1,000 THB (about 200 RMB) per night. For a month, a couple can spend 14,000 THB on accommodation (including utilities), 12,000 THB on food, 3,000 THB on transportation, and 1,000 THB on other expenses, which is sufficient. And if you lower your apartment rent to 5,000 THB a month, you can save an extra 9,000 THB.

Therefore, for a couple earning $800 a month, as long as they don’t have children to support, life in Thailand can be quite enjoyable.

If you’re pursuing a minimalist lifestyle, a couple could get by on just 2,500 RMB per month in Thailand:

1. Rent + utilities: 5,000 THB (around $150) per month;

2. Food + transportation: 6,000 THB (around $180) per month;

3. Miscellaneous expenses like phone bills, clothes, and toiletries: 1,000 THB (around $30) per month.

So, a couple’s total monthly expenses could be around 12,000 THB (around $360).

For Thai people who already own a home and vehicle (usually a motorcycle), a couple could live a modest but sufficient life for just 7,000 THB (around $210), about 1,500 RMB per month.

Of course, raising children or dealing with medical expenses would increase the cost. But if we’re just talking about the living expenses for a couple, it’s truly this affordable, about the same as retirees living in China’s third- and fourth-tier cities.

Thailand is a classic low-desire society, where the primary focus is on meeting basic needs, being content with the present, and going with the flow. This explains why wages in Thailand are low, yet most Thai people don’t strive to earn much more money.