I opted out of the whole western rat race at the age of 23 and moved to Thailand back in 1977. The lower fixed overhead made it easier to save while also enjoying an exciting life in a foreign country. Be brave, break away from the norm and blaze your own path through life. All these decades later and I do not regret my decision to move to Thailand.
@@flo4606 I had a variety of jobs just for the visa but made all my money from stocks. That was a very long time ago as I haven't worked for nearly 29 years and things have change a lot since then.
I always love talking to the expats that live in Thailand. Everyone seems to be on their own journey and not afraid of the unknown. I'm planning on moving to Thailand from Japan within five years. Life/destiny/fate whatever you want to call it is telling me its time to move on (and retire early)
I was born and raised in Bangkok now living in the US. The thing is that to many westerners going there everything seems so cheap in comparison to their home countries, but majority of Thai people are making very little and things are just getting more and more expensive in Bangkok. So in that perspective, Bangkok is still a very expensive city for most Thai people.
@@HELLOPATTAYA yes it is but it is impossible if everyone doesn't need to work and always have good luck become rich can you make 8billion people become rich?
Forreal! I would love to see a vacation on a budget video and see Graham prove to everyone that you can have a luxurious vacation for a great deal! Graham please do this and vlog the whole thing. It would pay for your vacation!
I retired a few years ago at 48, for medical reasons. A year and a half ago I moved to Thailand and I'm living off my military retirement of $1,200 a month easily. I live in the northern part of Thailand were the cost of living is even cheaper than places like Bangkok, Phuket, or Chiang Mai. I love it over here and honestly I'm surprised more people that are retired don't move over here.
@druu988 What I would do first is get online and do some research about the different areas that most expats live in over here. Then come over here for about 90 days and see if you like it. Of course you will have to extend your tourist visa to do that but staying over here for 90 days will give you a better idea if you will like living over here.
He is a digital nomad. In fact, I was living there for a while as a digital nomad (in Pattaya, then in Rayong. This guy is actually living it up. Between my wife and I, we were spending less. If you have an online business or remote job based in the U.S., you can have a good quality of life and save most of your after-tax income at the same time. Currently, I am living in the U.S. for some personal reasons. But I plan to head back to SEA next winter.
I spent the winter this year in Bangkok and rented a 90 square meter place that was fully furnished and serviced (aka maid service), two bedroom, two bathroom, including fiber internet, and we paid $675 per month. This included parking for our car (which is not guaranteed in Bangkok), a gym, 24 hour security, and access to the shuttle service from the building to various destinations in the area.
Toward the end of Covid I was living on an island in Thailand in a 3 bedroom villa with a sea view and infinity pool paying $1700 per month for rent. Absolutely insane. Unfortunately rental prices have skyrocketed now that more tourists are back on the island. That same villa is now $3500 per month.
Was in Bangkok just last week. Now in Koh Samui Island, living Lamai on a bungalow on the beach. 950 baht/night which is under $30. Wonderful breakfast for 150 baht, which is figure $4.50. Going to Koh Phangan is a must visit, especially the full-moon party. Am working in Japan, and my plan is retirement next year. Plan is that since I own more than a few houses in Arizona, that those rents will easily, easily pay for my life either in Thailand, Philippines or Indonesia, probably Bali. Just to correct what you said on taxes, and I know this being an X-Pat: Americans who work and live abroad have a foreign earned income exclusion for taxes. This is around $110,000 for 2022, and goes up every year. Here, you do not pay the first $110,000 of earned income when abroad. Speaking bluntly, main reason I will retire early is the amount of my savings. My healthcare is provided by the Japanese government. I use Japanese public transportation, so no car needed. And my rent has never increased in Tokyo for 20 years now (in Japan, rents are grandfathered in, so rarely increased). Yes, I just love my "socialism" ! My current plan is to cash-out refinance one of my Arizona units and with that cash purchase another condo in the Tempe / Mesa / Chandler Arizona area .... and I'M DONE WITH WORK. Time to retire .... big changes coming.
Just concluded my 4th trip to Thailand which is usually 30 days. My land costs are usually $3000USD or $100 a day without sparing anything. If I lived there, it would realistically be sub $1500.
For US citizens living abroad, there are tax exemptions, so it's not as bad as it sounds at first. From the IRS: "If you are a U.S. citizen or a resident alien of the United States and you live abroad, you are taxed on your worldwide income. However, you may qualify to exclude your foreign earnings from income up to an amount that is adjusted annually for inflation ($107,600 for 2020, $108,700 for 2021, $112,000 for 2022, and $120,000 for 2023). In addition, you can exclude or deduct certain foreign housing amounts."
@@JK-en2pi Depends. As far as a 'practical' matter (ignoring legality for a moment) you get your 'wages' delivered to a bank account and that bank account can become your tax home. I'm retired in Thailand, and my understanding is if I wanted to work it could not be in Thailand (you can not work in Thailand on a retirement visa.) So if I had a remote job that money would have to be taxed in some country other than Thailand (I'm Canadian, so if I had a RUclips channel or a digital nomad type job I would have to declare that income in Canada and be taxed under Canadian law.) I could I suppose go through the Thai work permit process, and assuming the job was one allowed as a 'remote worker under Thai law, and the company I was employed or contracted with didn't have tax considerations paying wages to a Thai bank account and dealing with the tax implications in both their home country and Thailand, then I would just get a 'work permit' and a different visa and just draw my pension as normal (not using it as evidence of income for a Thai 'retirement visa' ) ... but hat gets complicated. If I ever did start to work again I'd probably get a Thai lawyer to make sure I was not breaking Thai law (1st priority is to remain in Thailand) and then probably a Canadian lawyer to determine how I fall under the Canadian Tax code (less of a priority as this would probably been a case of owing some taxes, a hassle in showing I was legally paying taxes under the Thai tax jurisdiction if I didn't properly disclose my other income, since even if I Am legally working for a Thai company, or even remotely for a company in some other country than Canada, if I am drawing a Canadian Old Age Security benefit then that can be 'clawed back' after a certain level of extra earnings no matter where the earnings are taxed in.
The reason the voices are similar is that they are Father Son. They are from Canada and the Father was in movie industry in Hollywood. Chris the Dad had been doing Thai Vloging for years and the Son moved to Thai not long ago. Chris is a great giving person and gives most if not all back to needy people and businesses in his area. I’ve been watching him for years.
I am doing it now in Thailand. During Covid I was in the states and I couldn’t stand spending money because I knew the value I was getting while in Thailand
FYI Canada is actually more expensive for most things compared to the US, even outside of the big cities. Food is a lot more, gas is a lot more, other goods and services are generally more, and real estate on average is more. Health care cost is definitely less even when factoring in higher taxes though
Then it sounds like you have never been to California. Everything in Canada seemed cheaper than in California when I went. Food seemed so much cheaper with the exchange rate and Canada does not tack on a bunch of random fees. The only exception is maybe buying a home in Vancouver, which is comparable to certain cities in CA
I'm actually headed to Thailand in early April for one whole month! I'm looking to see during my vacation there if it would be feasible to retire there in the next five years or less. Currently, you could live comfortably with $2K USD per month in Thailand. This amount is equivalent to nearly $5K per month in the US. If you have a budget of $3K USD, you would have a very comfortable life!! This amount is equivalent to spending $6K USD in the US. The cost of labor in Thailand is very cheap! In the capital city of Bangkok, the minimum wage is about 400 Baht per day or nearly $12 USD per day. This is why you can get a one-hour full body massage for $15 USD or less! In the US, a full-body massage for 45 minutes could run about $100. The same $13 Pad Thai dish you're paying in the US, will cost you about $1.50-$2.00 in Thailand. In the rural areas of Thailand, you're paying even less!
Yeah Graham, I spent most of my thirties living in China and teaching English. I made about $2000 US per month and had a nice two bedroom apartment for about $200! I’ve been watch Chris Parker (the guy in the video) for a while now because I am planning on moving to Thailand next!
Oh don’t get me started Graham I was just at McDonald’s and I paid over eight bucks just for the new chicken sandwich. I was like man Graham’s gonna be upset about this one but what was i going to do? I was already in the drive-through line.
Finally Graham, I was looking out for a video from outside of the US. Personally, I can't wait to move to Thailand and live with my wife there. And I've been following Chris' channel for quite some time now. By the way, I'm writing this comment from Bangkok.
That's cool but I am moving to the Philippine's. 1500 miles from there and they are Islands. Over 7,000 Islands. On the "Tim K" channel he shows a friend that has a two-story multi-bedroom apartment in a gated community not far from the beach or Cebu city for only $150 a month! And a thousand times prettier beaches, and they almost all speak English!
It would be great for you to go out to Thailand and do a series on the costs and options for Americans looking for a more cost effective way of living, in a few places for example Bangkok, Chang Mai and Koh Samui. I would make for an excellent series and even better from the perspective of someone who isn't already based in Thailand.
A friend of mine met and married a Phillipino woman and came back the US. The travel to the Phillipines annually and when he retires will move back there. Like many of us, if he relied solely on his retirment here in the US, it would be doable but paultry. Where as that same retirement in the Phillipines will be lavish.
I highly recommend you check out Bangkok, Koh Samui, and Chiang Mai Thailand. It will change your life, and I'm not overexaggerating it. You will see that you could live off a tiny portion of your passive income, while the rest compounds much faster than it does in the west. It's a way for most people to leave the rat-race early, and still not deplete their nest egg. They can also live like the rich do here, about a fifth of the way to being actually rich.
1k USD is not affordable for locals. Average salary for new grads is somehow less than 15000THB or less than 4XX USD. But rich people are incredibly rich that their income source is doubful ( gambling, drugs ).
@@PassionPno Yes we know it so a lot of Thais work in Malaysia and Thais complain.We will have an election soon and political parties promise to raise it to 25,000 THB per monty ( from 12000-15000 THB, of course we know it's crazy )
$1k per month (35k thb) is not "living like a king" (not in Bangkok or Phuket at least). If you're in some random rural village with nothing to do, then sure...
@No More Commuting Not in that sense. We call it " gray chinese money ", it's a slang word mean mafia groups from China mainland doing grey business in ASEAN especially Cabodian illegal casinos and Thai nightclubs nowadays. It is a big news in Thailand now.
@@FlansyLinny I started living this as of last year. Very doable but $2-2.5 would be a comfortable lifestyle. The budget does not include healthcare, visa costs, or taxes. $2.5k in today's USD would be a comfortable amount though.
Do an episode on living in Singapore, with a segment on the Singapore cpf system - a mandatory state run retirement savings account that automatically deducts 20% of your income with a 17% employer match.
@omaralkayal7598 the retirement account can only be withdrawn by monthly payouts after you turn 65. So while you can't retire early, your time after 65 is basically fully secured
I live in Thailand and my local coffee spot is 20 thb, which is 0.58c. I spend about $5k a month here, which would be the equivilent of spending $15k a month in the US. $5k doesn't even last a good weekend in Vegas
We have been living in Bali for over two years and have got so used to the prices here that traveling to a western country feels so expensive and just to the price food is CRAZY in the United States and Canada. 😮 It's easier to live a very high quality of life in South East Asia for less than $1500 for two people. Bali prices are about the same as Thailand.
I'm Thai, but I like Indonesia the most among ASEAN neighboring countries. because the lifestyle is similar to that of Thailand Unlike Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, most importantly, people in Indonesia are friendly. It does not distinguish whether you are Malay or not, but in Malaysia it is distinguished between Malays, Chinese people,or Indian descent.
If I could work remote online and live somewhere like that for a decade while still making the salary equal to what I would in the US, that would be amazing!
This video was taken during the lockdowns and pandemic, so the prices particularly rent was definitely cheaper then, I would maybe add on another $150 - $300 per month to the rent of his condo. With that said, you can still get really good value for your buck here, especially renting a nice condo. I live in a modern one with a rooftop infinity pool in the hi-so area for about $500 a month. Also, motorbike taxis here aren't safe, I've seen too many accidents here so I never take them, I only take the BTS public transportation or walk.
Yes I’ve been driving a car in many cities in Thailand, but Bangkok is just too insane for me still. And the bts combined with mrt will get you through almost all of Bangkok. Even when I arrive in Thailand, I love taking the airport link
I lived outside of BKK (Pattaya and Rayong). For my transportation, I rented a motorbike. I paid 6,000THB/month for mine. But it was a Forza 300. If you want basic cheap transportation, you can rent a Honda Click or Scoopy for around 1,500 baht/month. That’s just under $50.
Yeah, I just came back from India and the sticker shock is real. You could get a coffee for $1.50 and I came back. I went to Starbucks and for two drinks and a sandwich cost me 20 bucks were six of us went out for lunch and cost us $15 at a pretty nice restaurant, inflation is crazy and I miss India
They're known to blatantly charge Americans more, though, for random street goods, street foods & other services. I watch a guy on RUclips that filmed it.
🤣are you that broke that you feel ripped off because you have to pay 50 cents more to a third world street vendor because you feel you should be paying the same price as a poor southeast Asian factory worker who earns 50x less than you? Give me a break. Minimum hourly wage there is literally like $1.25 USD. 🤣
Something we forgot to say about foreigners in Thailand is that a vast majority of them are men, and most of these people can’t take care of themselves properly and spend crazy amounts of money on food and service. I live in Bangkok and, I spend less than 800$ a month, and my quality of life is amazing. I often cook by myself, cause food here can be really unhealthy if you let others doing for you. It’s not about price, but mostly what they put in food. I live in a local district, quieter, cheaper and nicer people than in the Sukhumvit bubble. So, when people ask me how much they should have to live in Bangkok, I ask the following questions every time… Where do they plan to live, any vices (alcohol, girls, ect…), and can they take care of themselves. The last one is the most important for me. If you can, you save money first and also investing your health.
My mom went to Poland when it was under communist control when she was a kid for about a month. It was similar to this. They came in with like millions zloty which only like $1000. They were splashing in cash everywhere. My mom bought a leather jacket for 100K which blew them away, but for her it was only $50
To live as locals, if you have 10USD per day, you cannot rent room in a good neighborhood ( bad neighborhood can face crime ) or cannot use Taxi or the modern rail service. Open-aired bus is like hell and air poluution and traffic condition is hell. It's OK coming as a tourist for short term but I live alone in Bangkok in my own house ( paid without morgage ) I spent around 700USD per month as minimum cost ( not considering housing cost / savings )
He said outside of Toronto and Vancouver, which is accurate. There are more US states that are more expensive than the rural areas of Canada outside of the Vancouver and Toronto areas.
I think you missed a big city in there Tampa in Miami are extremely expensive to live now especially after everybody moved here during the whole pandemic 1200 people a day or moving here now
It is possible for "Americans" over 62 to retire on social security in Thailand if they have a) 20-year elite visa $29,000USD ($1400/year), or b) if they have $24,000 deposited in a Thai bank and renew an annual Retirement Visa. The typical Social Security check is about $1,400 to $1,800 which is plenty to live on in Thailand, but impossible to survive on in the USA. Biggest savings is on healthcare which is world-class in Thailand for pennies on the dollar what it would cost in the US.
@@steverosse : Are there many expats around there (I know your place is not that far away from Phuket). I’m thinking about moving to Chiang Rai, way up north, because of the cooler weather up there.
@@T.S.000 Well, I guess it depends on your definition of "round there." Yes, Phuket is an hour away and it is overrun with tourists. But here where I live I was going a whole week at a time without seeing another white face, during Covid/rainy season. But now that everybody is sick to death of Phuket and Khao Lak, they're finding Turtle Beach. It's hard to find a room around here now.
@@steverosse : What I meant by "around there" would be around Turtle Beach. I do not really hear much about Phang Nga before (and I have never been there), so I would guess that it is not a popular destination for tourists or expats. But according to your response, I guess Turtle Beach is becoming more popular now. And for your sake, I just hope the prices do not skyrocket like in other touristy places in Thailand.
Graham I think the whole walking on the water rooftop thing is most likely supposed to be a peaceful/meditative zen garden type of experience...or even religious experience type of deal like Jesus walking on the water? Idk either but it does look peaceful
I just got off the phone with them. It is actually double minus 15% for solo travelers. They only do double room bookings. Yes there are fees for excursions, office space, etc depending on what you want. I would love to go, but I don’t know many people who work remotely. Going alone costs more than a house at least where I’m at. It is a three year commitment as well so you do have to pay three years. I still would love to go. 😢
Murica felt expensive on a recent visit from Germany. Cherry on top was the obvious drop in quality on some food stuffs. Trader Joe's seems more like Average Joe's these days. America doesn't need higher interest rates to curb inflation, they need more farmers. A lot more.
If an average person spends about $4,400/month in Vancouver, then it is still not as expensive as living in Honolulu, Hawai'i. I am a pretty simple guy and I spend about $5,000/month here (I do not drink coffee or alcohol, but I do eat out about 3-4 times a month).
@@T.S.000 plus the American dollar is higher so a Canadian would be spending $7,000 Canadian currency. $4,400 in Vancouver doesn’t get you much of a life. Rent is over $2,000
@@rickbold9337 : I guess so. But in reality, Hawai'i is far from being a paradise. Though, I am enjoying my life here on the island a lot more than when I was living on the mainland. I am just living a simple life, so I can still afford to live here.
Getting a whole delicious meal on the side of the street in Asia for under $5 is the best 🙌 then coming back to Toronto and that won't even cover tax 😂
Some people live comfortably for $175 per month in Thailand! Depends on how smart you are and how well you plan and if you can live a simple life. Very few people spend anywhere near $1750/month. If they have that much they are usually living somewhere else. And certainly not Bangkok.
My biggest thing is mode of transportation, the culture and how I'll be treated, and can I trade over there? How's internet connectivity. Is it fast or super slow? Otherwise, I'd shell out a bit extra for a bigger room. Because I'm tall and that's too small even if it's a good price.
Canadian here, you don't pay the taxes but if you live abroad for a certain amount of time you lose your paid healthcare since you're not contributing, just something to keep in mind. Also I own a home in a minor city (230 000 ppl) Fixed costs are roughly $1400, variable if I'm living it up could be $300, outside of like 4-5 cities in the country, the "american dream" is still possible. Things are great around here and I should be able to retire someday unlike many fellow genZ I see.
I live in Thailand for 175$ (6000 bahts) a month and built a 2 bedrooms house for 15k$ (500'000 bahts). Have car, house, internet, water, élec, food,... You guys are not good at managing money if you spend more.
Phillipines is also a good alternative to Thailand because most Filipinos speak decent english and the big cities are also very "western". Most locals do not make more than $300 usd per month so everything will seem cheap if your converting from dollars.
Canada IS cheaper than most states outside of the Vancouver and Toronto areas as Graham mentioned were expensive. Vancouver and Toronto are more expensive then pretty much anywhere in the US just because of the dynamics of relatively low salaries and unrealistically high housing costs. However, rural Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, NS, PEI, QC etc are super, super cheap compared to the US. There would be very few US states that are cheaper than those provinces after FX.
Yes what a brilliant idea westerners moving to Bangkok because in their perspective its cheap however for normal thai people its expensive and you moving there is making things more expensive.
I opted out of the whole western rat race at the age of 23 and moved to Thailand back in 1977. The lower fixed overhead made it easier to save while also enjoying an exciting life in a foreign country. Be brave, break away from the norm and blaze your own path through life. All these decades later and I do not regret my decision to move to Thailand.
can I ask what did you work as?
@@flo4606 I had a variety of jobs just for the visa but made all my money from stocks. That was a very long time ago as I haven't worked for nearly 29 years and things have change a lot since then.
I like visiting Thailand but would never live there
@@surfingtothestars That makes perfect sense as no place is for everyone. Do what is right for you.
I always love talking to the expats that live in Thailand. Everyone seems to be on their own journey and not afraid of the unknown. I'm planning on moving to Thailand from Japan within five years. Life/destiny/fate whatever you want to call it is telling me its time to move on (and retire early)
I was born and raised in Bangkok now living in the US. The thing is that to many westerners going there everything seems so cheap in comparison to their home countries, but majority of Thai people are making very little and things are just getting more and more expensive in Bangkok. So in that perspective, Bangkok is still a very expensive city for most Thai people.
Yep Americans are gentrifying those places. Raising the price of everything for the locals.
yeah it's nice when you're earning in USD, but if they were born there or didn't have that kinda income, they'd sing a different tune.
as another local, I don't see any problem with my 15k salary if you can find a good place to shop unless you always want to pay for expensive things
@@namtanyar5152 good salary but you still work 😅
@@HELLOPATTAYA yes it is but it is impossible if everyone doesn't need to work and always have good luck become rich can you make 8billion people become rich?
Graham, it’s time you experience the rest of the world. Travel vlogs from this is what I spent on this experience need to happen.
Forreal! I would love to see a vacation on a budget video and see Graham prove to everyone that you can have a luxurious vacation for a great deal! Graham please do this and vlog the whole thing. It would pay for your vacation!
ya he needs to travel.....hes going to wish he traveled when hes older.
Retired Working for You is a great channel. He really shows you what's possible if a person wanted to move to Thailand.
Thailand is life changing!…. once you get over the culture shock, the Buddhist vibe and cost of living go a long long way. Imagine 5x ing your life
I retired a few years ago at 48, for medical reasons. A year and a half ago I moved to Thailand and I'm living off my military retirement of $1,200 a month easily. I live in the northern part of Thailand were the cost of living is even cheaper than places like Bangkok, Phuket, or Chiang Mai. I love it over here and honestly I'm surprised more people that are retired don't move over here.
How did you go about making the move? Im a serviced connected veteran and I have thought about this as well
@druu988 What I would do first is get online and do some research about the different areas that most expats live in over here. Then come over here for about 90 days and see if you like it. Of course you will have to extend your tourist visa to do that but staying over here for 90 days will give you a better idea if you will like living over here.
He is a digital nomad. In fact, I was living there for a while as a digital nomad (in Pattaya, then in Rayong. This guy is actually living it up. Between my wife and I, we were spending less. If you have an online business or remote job based in the U.S., you can have a good quality of life and save most of your after-tax income at the same time. Currently, I am living in the U.S. for some personal reasons. But I plan to head back to SEA next winter.
he sells real estate now.
I spent the winter this year in Bangkok and rented a 90 square meter place that was fully furnished and serviced (aka maid service), two bedroom, two bathroom, including fiber internet, and we paid $675 per month. This included parking for our car (which is not guaranteed in Bangkok), a gym, 24 hour security, and access to the shuttle service from the building to various destinations in the area.
"States like New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles"
Got a chuckle out of that lol
To be fair they have larger populations than many states 😂
@@Dakotastx Combined even!
How about Honolulu, Hawai'i?
Well they certainly are in a bit of a state…
Toward the end of Covid I was living on an island in Thailand in a 3 bedroom villa with a sea view and infinity pool paying $1700 per month for rent. Absolutely insane. Unfortunately rental prices have skyrocketed now that more tourists are back on the island. That same villa is now $3500 per month.
Was in Bangkok just last week. Now in Koh Samui Island, living Lamai on a bungalow on the beach. 950 baht/night which is under $30. Wonderful breakfast for 150 baht, which is figure $4.50. Going to Koh Phangan is a must visit, especially the full-moon party. Am working in Japan, and my plan is retirement next year. Plan is that since I own more than a few houses in Arizona, that those rents will easily, easily pay for my life either in Thailand, Philippines or Indonesia, probably Bali.
Just to correct what you said on taxes, and I know this being an X-Pat: Americans who work and live abroad have a foreign earned income exclusion for taxes. This is around $110,000 for 2022, and goes up every year. Here, you do not pay the first $110,000 of earned income when abroad. Speaking bluntly, main reason I will retire early is the amount of my savings. My healthcare is provided by the Japanese government. I use Japanese public transportation, so no car needed. And my rent has never increased in Tokyo for 20 years now (in Japan, rents are grandfathered in, so rarely increased). Yes, I just love my "socialism" !
My current plan is to cash-out refinance one of my Arizona units and with that cash purchase another condo in the Tempe / Mesa / Chandler Arizona area .... and I'M DONE WITH WORK. Time to retire .... big changes coming.
I would love to see Graham travel and have guest on his podcast in different countries.
I would love to see Graham apologize for advertising FTX to his viewers.
@@zenizeni100 lmaoooo
Graham's too cheap to travel
Just concluded my 4th trip to Thailand which is usually 30 days. My land costs are usually $3000USD or $100 a day without sparing anything. If I lived there, it would realistically be sub $1500.
For US citizens living abroad, there are tax exemptions, so it's not as bad as it sounds at first. From the IRS: "If you are a U.S. citizen or a resident alien of the United States and you live abroad, you are taxed on your worldwide income. However, you may qualify to exclude your foreign earnings from income up to an amount that is adjusted annually for inflation ($107,600 for 2020, $108,700 for 2021, $112,000 for 2022, and $120,000 for 2023). In addition, you can exclude or deduct certain foreign housing amounts."
This is absolutely correct
Don't you still get possibly taxed for the foreign country you reside in?
@@JK-en2pi Yes, that always depends on local tax laws.
@@JK-en2pi Depends. As far as a 'practical' matter (ignoring legality for a moment) you get your 'wages' delivered to a bank account and that bank account can become your tax home.
I'm retired in Thailand, and my understanding is if I wanted to work it could not be in Thailand (you can not work in Thailand on a retirement visa.) So if I had a remote job that money would have to be taxed in some country other than Thailand (I'm Canadian, so if I had a RUclips channel or a digital nomad type job I would have to declare that income in Canada and be taxed under Canadian law.) I could I suppose go through the Thai work permit process, and assuming the job was one allowed as a 'remote worker
under Thai law, and the company I was employed or contracted with didn't have tax considerations paying wages to a Thai bank account and dealing with the tax implications in both their home country and Thailand, then I would just get a 'work permit' and a different visa and just draw my pension as normal (not using it as evidence of income for a Thai 'retirement visa' ) ... but hat gets complicated. If I ever did start to work again I'd probably get a Thai lawyer to make sure I was not breaking Thai law (1st priority is to remain in Thailand) and then probably a Canadian lawyer to determine how I fall under the Canadian Tax code (less of a priority as this would probably been a case of owing some taxes, a hassle in showing I was legally paying taxes under the Thai tax jurisdiction if I didn't properly disclose my other income, since even if I Am legally working for a Thai company, or even remotely for a company in some other country than Canada, if I am drawing a Canadian Old Age Security benefit then that can be 'clawed back' after a certain level of extra earnings no matter where the earnings are taxed in.
@@RetiredInThailand interesting. That's some good info. To know thank you
Living In Jamaica is a rip off lol 😂
The reason the voices are similar is that they are Father Son. They are from Canada and the Father was in movie industry in Hollywood. Chris the Dad had been doing Thai Vloging for years and the Son moved to Thai not long ago. Chris is a great giving person and gives most if not all back to needy people and businesses in his area. I’ve been watching him for years.
I am doing it now in Thailand. During Covid I was in the states and I couldn’t stand spending money because I knew the value I was getting while in Thailand
How are you able to sustain yourself financially? What do you do for work? This would be the dream.
Hey man ! Are you retired now and how much money did you save / invest
FYI Canada is actually more expensive for most things compared to the US, even outside of the big cities. Food is a lot more, gas is a lot more, other goods and services are generally more, and real estate on average is more. Health care cost is definitely less even when factoring in higher taxes though
Canada is a dream country for Thais for migration. Like a lot of people will try hard and do everything to migrate there.
I was surprised when he said Canada was cheaper lol I didn’t think it was
Well yeah that's cuz your dollar ain't worth a fat baby's ass Plus that insurance you think is free the money comes from somewhere it's got to
This is correct
Then it sounds like you have never been to California. Everything in Canada seemed cheaper than in California when I went. Food seemed so much cheaper with the exchange rate and Canada does not tack on a bunch of random fees.
The only exception is maybe buying a home in Vancouver, which is comparable to certain cities in CA
I'm actually headed to Thailand in early April for one whole month! I'm looking to see during my vacation there if it would be feasible to retire there in the next five years or less. Currently, you could live comfortably with $2K USD per month in Thailand. This amount is equivalent to nearly $5K per month in the US. If you have a budget of $3K USD, you would have a very comfortable life!! This amount is equivalent to spending $6K USD in the US. The cost of labor in Thailand is very cheap! In the capital city of Bangkok, the minimum wage is about 400 Baht per day or nearly $12 USD per day. This is why you can get a one-hour full body massage for $15 USD or less! In the US, a full-body massage for 45 minutes could run about $100. The same $13 Pad Thai dish you're paying in the US, will cost you about $1.50-$2.00 in Thailand. In the rural areas of Thailand, you're paying even less!
Yeah Graham, I spent most of my thirties living in China and teaching English. I made about $2000 US per month and had a nice two bedroom apartment for about $200! I’ve been watch Chris Parker (the guy in the video) for a while now because I am planning on moving to Thailand next!
FYI, Americans that are outside the country more than 330 days don't pay federal taxes.
Good to know! Looks like you can deduct up to $120,000 per year, which would definitely be enough for most people.
What’s funny is Bangkok is more expensive than other cities in Thailand
Oh don’t get me started Graham I was just at McDonald’s and I paid over eight bucks just for the new chicken sandwich. I was like man Graham’s gonna be upset about this one but what was i going to do? I was already in the drive-through line.
I grew up in Thailand and yup, it's awesome
Finally Graham, I was looking out for a video from outside of the US. Personally, I can't wait to move to Thailand and live with my wife there. And I've been following Chris' channel for quite some time now. By the way, I'm writing this comment from Bangkok.
That's cool but I am moving to the Philippine's. 1500 miles from there and they are Islands. Over 7,000 Islands. On the "Tim K" channel he shows a friend that has a two-story multi-bedroom apartment in a gated community not far from the beach or Cebu city for only $150 a month! And a thousand times prettier beaches, and they almost all speak English!
one things to note, bangers can get expensive, knowing the city n basic thai helps a lot in keeping your budget down.
It would be great for you to go out to Thailand and do a series on the costs and options for Americans looking for a more cost effective way of living, in a few places for example Bangkok, Chang Mai and Koh Samui. I would make for an excellent series and even better from the perspective of someone who isn't already based in Thailand.
A friend of mine met and married a Phillipino woman and came back the US. The travel to the Phillipines annually and when he retires will move back there. Like many of us, if he relied solely on his retirment here in the US, it would be doable but paultry. Where as that same retirement in the Phillipines will be lavish.
I highly recommend you check out Bangkok, Koh Samui, and Chiang Mai Thailand. It will change your life, and I'm not overexaggerating it. You will see that you could live off a tiny portion of your passive income, while the rest compounds much faster than it does in the west. It's a way for most people to leave the rat-race early, and still not deplete their nest egg. They can also live like the rich do here, about a fifth of the way to being actually rich.
Im in Thailand now visiting for the purpose of moving here....Im sold
I love Thailand 🇹🇭 ❤️
I spent 1k for a month there and lived like a king
1k USD is not affordable for locals. Average salary for new grads is somehow less than 15000THB or less than 4XX USD. But rich people are incredibly rich that their income source is doubful ( gambling, drugs ).
@@iwantxxx Woah, fresh grad salary in Thailand is so much lower than Malaysia.
@@PassionPno Yes we know it so a lot of Thais work in Malaysia and Thais complain.We will have an election soon and political parties promise to raise it to 25,000 THB per monty ( from 12000-15000 THB, of course we know it's crazy )
$1k per month (35k thb) is not "living like a king" (not in Bangkok or Phuket at least). If you're in some random rural village with nothing to do, then sure...
@No More Commuting Not in that sense. We call it " gray chinese money ", it's a slang word mean mafia groups from China mainland doing grey business in ASEAN especially Cabodian illegal casinos and Thai nightclubs nowadays. It is a big news in Thailand now.
Long term my goal is to be a dividend expat, love this content
Enjoy!!
That’s the dream, would love to make at least $1500 a month in dividends and move to a country like this.
Same. Will probably make Thailand my home base.
This is the goal 🤞🏻
@@FlansyLinny I started living this as of last year. Very doable but $2-2.5 would be a comfortable lifestyle. The budget does not include healthcare, visa costs, or taxes. $2.5k in today's USD would be a comfortable amount though.
Currently watching this video from a Starbucks in Bangkok. Yeah this place is awesome. Been here for years and transplanted from SoCal and Phoenix.
Do an episode on living in Singapore, with a segment on the Singapore cpf system - a mandatory state run retirement savings account that automatically deducts 20% of your income with a 17% employer match.
We have this in Malaysia as well.
@@PassionPno I believe hong kong as well. EPF/MPF.
If you were a Singapore citizen are you going to retire early using this ?
@omaralkayal7598 the retirement account can only be withdrawn by monthly payouts after you turn 65. So while you can't retire early, your time after 65 is basically fully secured
@@daveseah123
Nice 👍🏻
I spend a month or so there. Headed back in June.
Great scuba and prices in Bangkok are twice what they are in most of Thailand.
When I moved from Malaysia to Belgium in the 90's, I just couldn't pay those prices for months on my savings.
I live in Thailand and my local coffee spot is 20 thb, which is 0.58c.
I spend about $5k a month here, which would be the equivilent of spending $15k a month in the US.
$5k doesn't even last a good weekend in Vegas
We have been living in Bali for over two years and have got so used to the prices here that traveling to a western country feels so expensive and just to the price food is CRAZY in the United States and Canada. 😮
It's easier to live a very high quality of life in South East Asia for less than $1500 for two people.
Bali prices are about the same as Thailand.
I'm Thai, but I like Indonesia the most among ASEAN neighboring countries. because the lifestyle is similar to that of Thailand Unlike Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, most importantly, people in Indonesia are friendly. It does not distinguish whether you are Malay or not, but in Malaysia it is distinguished between Malays, Chinese people,or Indian descent.
If I could work remote online and live somewhere like that for a decade while still making the salary equal to what I would in the US, that would be amazing!
$1.38 for coffee in Thailand is an absurd price!
4:35 McDonalds app is generally 20-50% or more off of any order, which is why the prices are so expensive.
Also some people order on delivery apps and is more expensive
Next Graham Video: I moved to Thailand and NOT because it’s cheap👀
"i moved to thailand because people are suing me for shilling scams!" is his next video
Big Mac, small coke, small fries: $4 USD in the Philippines
Yeah, this is exactly why I choose to spend a good 3-4 months a year in Thailand usually, it's awesome.
In the us you get a big international tax deduction that should have been mentioned when comparing America and Canada
He did mention it?
This video was taken during the lockdowns and pandemic, so the prices particularly rent was definitely cheaper then, I would maybe add on another $150 - $300 per month to the rent of his condo. With that said, you can still get really good value for your buck here, especially renting a nice condo. I live in a modern one with a rooftop infinity pool in the hi-so area for about $500 a month. Also, motorbike taxis here aren't safe, I've seen too many accidents here so I never take them, I only take the BTS public transportation or walk.
Yes I’ve been driving a car in many cities in Thailand, but Bangkok is just too insane for me still. And the bts combined with mrt will get you through almost all of Bangkok. Even when I arrive in Thailand, I love taking the airport link
I lived outside of BKK (Pattaya and Rayong). For my transportation, I rented a motorbike. I paid 6,000THB/month for mine. But it was a Forza 300. If you want basic cheap transportation, you can rent a Honda Click or Scoopy for around 1,500 baht/month. That’s just under $50.
I also live in that same building and I confirm it’s really nice (Noble B19, Asok, Bangkok) ❤❤
So sad Asoke is not affordable for Thais.That area is for the rich. It's good your currency is USD.
What's the deal with the pool/fountain/water on the balcony?I'm so curious!!
I would love to watch videos of you traveling. Hearing your prospective on other countries would be very interesting.
You actually get tax breaks if you live outside the country more than 300 days out the year.
Yeah, I just came back from India and the sticker shock is real. You could get a coffee for $1.50 and I came back. I went to Starbucks and for two drinks and a sandwich cost me 20 bucks were six of us went out for lunch and cost us $15 at a pretty nice restaurant, inflation is crazy and I miss India
Canada is definitely not cheaper than the US lol. Almost everything is more expensive here because we don’t get the volume discounts that the US gets.
They're known to blatantly charge Americans more, though, for random street goods, street foods & other services. I watch a guy on RUclips that filmed it.
But is the "more" still pretty cheap? I don't mind giving more due to my financial standing at all as long as it's still super cheap
🤣are you that broke that you feel ripped off because you have to pay 50 cents more to a third world street vendor because you feel you should be paying the same price as a poor southeast Asian factory worker who earns 50x less than you? Give me a break. Minimum hourly wage there is literally like $1.25 USD. 🤣
Something we forgot to say about foreigners in Thailand is that a vast majority of them are men, and most of these people can’t take care of themselves properly and spend crazy amounts of money on food and service. I live in Bangkok and, I spend less than 800$ a month, and my quality of life is amazing. I often cook by myself, cause food here can be really unhealthy if you let others doing for you. It’s not about price, but mostly what they put in food. I live in a local district, quieter, cheaper and nicer people than in the Sukhumvit bubble.
So, when people ask me how much they should have to live in Bangkok, I ask the following questions every time… Where do they plan to live, any vices (alcohol, girls, ect…), and can they take care of themselves. The last one is the most important for me. If you can, you save money first and also investing your health.
My mom went to Poland when it was under communist control when she was a kid for about a month. It was similar to this. They came in with like millions zloty which only like $1000. They were splashing in cash everywhere.
My mom bought a leather jacket for 100K which blew them away, but for her it was only $50
Hope you read this, I went to Thailand low budget and I was able to live comfortably for $10 dollars a day!! So you can definitely do it
To live as locals, if you have 10USD per day, you cannot rent room in a good neighborhood ( bad neighborhood can face crime ) or cannot use Taxi or the modern rail service. Open-aired bus is like hell and air poluution and traffic condition is hell. It's OK coming as a tourist for short term but I live alone in Bangkok in my own house ( paid without morgage ) I spent around 700USD per month as minimum cost ( not considering housing cost / savings )
Are you renting a non-air conditioned studio in Surin or something like that lol?
@@iwantxxx yeah not including rent, I was spending about $10 dollars per day not including rent expenses
"Canada is cheaper than the United States" ... lmfao. You lost me right after that.
😂😂😂 Canada is expensive, from personal tax to HST to everything even before sales tax is added.
He said outside of Toronto and Vancouver, which is accurate. There are more US states that are more expensive than the rural areas of Canada outside of the Vancouver and Toronto areas.
I think you missed a big city in there Tampa in Miami are extremely expensive to live now especially after everybody moved here during the whole pandemic 1200 people a day or moving here now
It is possible for "Americans" over 62 to retire on social security in Thailand if they have a) 20-year elite visa $29,000USD ($1400/year), or b) if they have $24,000 deposited in a Thai bank and renew an annual Retirement Visa. The typical Social Security check is about $1,400 to $1,800 which is plenty to live on in Thailand, but impossible to survive on in the USA. Biggest savings is on healthcare which is world-class in Thailand for pennies on the dollar what it would cost in the US.
Let us know if you come to Thailand Graham - I can show you around some of the poker stops and casinos in SEA
I live like a king in Thailand on my 1,500 social security dollar per month.
Good for you, Steve.
Do you live in Bangkok or other cities in Thailand?
@@T.S.000 I live in a place called Turtle Beach. It's in Phang Nga province.
@@steverosse : Are there many expats around there (I know your place is not that far away from Phuket).
I’m thinking about moving to Chiang Rai, way up north, because of the cooler weather up there.
@@T.S.000 Well, I guess it depends on your definition of "round there." Yes, Phuket is an hour away and it is overrun with tourists. But here where I live I was going a whole week at a time without seeing another white face, during Covid/rainy season. But now that everybody is sick to death of Phuket and Khao Lak, they're finding Turtle Beach. It's hard to find a room around here now.
@@steverosse : What I meant by "around there" would be around Turtle Beach. I do not really hear much about Phang Nga before (and I have never been there), so I would guess that it is not a popular destination for tourists or expats. But according to your response, I guess Turtle Beach is becoming more popular now. And for your sake, I just hope the prices do not skyrocket like in other touristy places in Thailand.
It’s not just Canadians that do no have citizenship based taxation
It’s basically every other country in the world excl the USA
Nice video. Like you, all the videos are pushing us to travel. Going to see it
Graham I think the whole walking on the water rooftop thing is most likely supposed to be a peaceful/meditative zen garden type of experience...or even religious experience type of deal like Jesus walking on the water? Idk either but it does look peaceful
I just got off the phone with them. It is actually double minus 15% for solo travelers. They only do double room bookings. Yes there are fees for excursions, office space, etc depending on what you want. I would love to go, but I don’t know many people who work remotely. Going alone costs more than a house at least where I’m at. It is a three year commitment as well so you do have to pay three years. I still would love to go. 😢
Murica felt expensive on a recent visit from Germany. Cherry on top was the obvious drop in quality on some food stuffs. Trader Joe's seems more like Average Joe's these days. America doesn't need higher interest rates to curb inflation, they need more farmers. A lot more.
The Canadian accents are unreal in this video. 😂 And as a Vancouverite, you're not wrong on the cost of living here!
If an average person spends about $4,400/month in Vancouver, then it is still not as expensive as living in Honolulu, Hawai'i. I am a pretty simple guy and I spend about $5,000/month here (I do not drink coffee or alcohol, but I do eat out about 3-4 times a month).
@@T.S.000 plus the American dollar is higher so a Canadian would be spending $7,000 Canadian currency. $4,400 in Vancouver doesn’t get you much of a life. Rent is over $2,000
@@rickbold9337 : Food cost is, ridiculously, expensive here in Hawai’i, since over 90% of foods have to be imported in from the mainland.
@@T.S.000 I guess it’s the price for being in paradise.
@@rickbold9337 : I guess so. But in reality, Hawai'i is far from being a paradise. Though, I am enjoying my life here on the island a lot more than when I was living on the mainland. I am just living a simple life, so I can still afford to live here.
Lol I live in Vegas, stop the cap. $100 getting 3drinks max at a club. Maybe 5-6 if on Freemont and you stick to beer
You can rent the house with that price in suburb of bkk.
So happy you did this video. I know those people
That is his nephew. You should check out some of his "give back" videos.
Getting a whole delicious meal on the side of the street in Asia for under $5 is the best 🙌 then coming back to Toronto and that won't even cover tax 😂
Some people live comfortably for $175 per month in Thailand! Depends on how smart you are and how well you plan and if you can live a simple life. Very few people spend anywhere near $1750/month. If they have that much they are usually living somewhere else. And certainly not Bangkok.
My biggest thing is mode of transportation, the culture and how I'll be treated, and can I trade over there? How's internet connectivity. Is it fast or super slow? Otherwise, I'd shell out a bit extra for a bigger room. Because I'm tall and that's too small even if it's a good price.
Checking out World of Oni channel. Some glimpse of life there. His personality is awesome too.
0:11 san fransisco and los angeles arent states they are cities in California, and the new york city is in new york as it is a city.
I really believe in living in air bnb and cruise ships is ideal
I lived in china for a month I didn’t want to come back home $1000 I could live like a queen
U have to come over to South East Asia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippine, Singapore..its eye opening. :)
I would love for you to review my What I Spend in a Week living in Tunisia!
yo graham what happened about the law suit?
Asok is the downtown of Bangkok. He is staying in the most expensive area and it only costs $500/month
Another thought. If I remember correctly, I spent $2 to stay at a Hostel in China while traveling!
Can you make more videos on this topic for Canadians?
Hi Gram, I enjoy the videos. thanks for making another one
Glad you like them!
Canadian here, you don't pay the taxes but if you live abroad for a certain amount of time you lose your paid healthcare since you're not contributing, just something to keep in mind.
Also I own a home in a minor city (230 000 ppl) Fixed costs are roughly $1400, variable if I'm living it up could be $300, outside of like 4-5 cities in the country, the "american dream" is still possible. Things are great around here and I should be able to retire someday unlike many fellow genZ I see.
$500/month in Thailand is possible, I have done it, $1000/month you can live VERY WELL, rent, food etc. peace from Thailand.
I live in Thailand for 175$ (6000 bahts) a month and built a 2 bedrooms house for 15k$ (500'000 bahts). Have car, house, internet, water, élec, food,...
You guys are not good at managing money if you spend more.
$.33 for coffee. Thanks a lot inflation.
Proportionally when compared to other living costs, coffee is more expensive there then here. Think about that
Ya… greetings from Vancouver - ! Can’t wait to get back to Thailand :)
Phillipines is also a good alternative to Thailand because most Filipinos speak decent english and the big cities are also very "western". Most locals do not make more than $300 usd per month so everything will seem cheap if your converting from dollars.
very entertaining, thank you for posting graham!
You gotta go to Thailand!!!
Canada cheaper than the US on average? You must be kidding.
Did graham say Canada is cheaper than living in the US? Pray tell!
Canada IS cheaper than most states outside of the Vancouver and Toronto areas as Graham mentioned were expensive. Vancouver and Toronto are more expensive then pretty much anywhere in the US just because of the dynamics of relatively low salaries and unrealistically high housing costs. However, rural Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, NS, PEI, QC etc are super, super cheap compared to the US. There would be very few US states that are cheaper than those provinces after FX.
Just gotta start spelling things wrong on purpose, that's the key 😂💰
So many comments lol
Living is more expensive in Canada. We have the same or lower salaries and the cost everything is 30% more
You should check out this home tour vid by him too: DISCOVER QUIET LIFE IN BANGKOK, THAILAND (House Tour + Daily Routine)
I'll check it out!
Oh. And Canada is more expensive than the us. You need to compare city to city or rural to rural.
Yes what a brilliant idea westerners moving to Bangkok because in their perspective its cheap however for normal thai people its expensive and you moving there is making things more expensive.
I’m sorry for commenting so much, but there’s no link in the description for the Vessie shoes