I am Thai, living in Nonthaburi. My neighbor area have a vacant townhouse for rent. The entire house includes two bedrooms, one bathroom, one parking space, and one kitchen, all for 6,500 baht. If it's an area further from the main city or in the suburbs, rental prices for both condos and houses, as well as street food prices, are generally lower. Currently, there are many new housing estates and condominiums being developed along the MRT Purple and Pink Lines. Feel free to explore more cafe and cute little restaurants in Nonthaburi. ❤😂
Thanks again Ramze! As always, your advise and information are very helpful. Here is a thought for a helpful video, if you are so inclined. When looking at retiring affordably in another location such as Thailand or Panama, the cost of visiting first when you don't know what you're doing can be serious. The problem is largely the cost of hotels or AirBnBs when you don't know how to find good deals. I'm guessing you must have gone through this stage yourself. A video giving tips on how to find affordable accommodations during the pre-relocation visit, for that $2k to $3k budget, could be helpful to many including myself. Best wishes for you and your partner! Daniel
I totally agree with everything you said. I live in Rama 9 and my rent is $600 per month, last year It was $1200 but I move to a 1 bedroom and rent from a local Thai person. My monthly living expense in Thailand is about 2000 per month. Thailand is good. It is what it is. 😊
My first thought on this issue is that housing costs are the biggest savings in Thailand. What you get from rental prices is amazing. But there is more to this. How amazing depends on where you come from and what you living standards are. I come from the San Francisco Bay Area. Of course Thailand rents are going to be way cheaper than SF. If you are coming from rural America though the difference might not be so much. Also, if you own your home in America then you housing expense is property taxes and insurance and maintenance. This total cost is what you use to compare to rental Thailand rentals and it may not be that much of a difference. Healthcare - The out-of-pocket costs for healthcare in Thailand is amazing low compared to the out-of-pocket costs in America. However, if you have decent insurance in America then you really have to compare your insurance deductible to the what you are paying in Thailand. I have had emergency room care in Thailand that is less than my American insurance deductible for the same care but what we are looking at is the difference between $100 in Thailand and $150 in the US. Medicare is not available outside of the US so healthcare in Thailand may be more expensive than healthcare in the US. My Thai insurance policy is about the same as similar coverage and cost of my previous US health insurance policy. I bought a Honda CRV in 2022 and the cost was about the same or a little more expensive in Thailand even though these Honda's are assembled in Thailand. I discovered Thai massage in Thailand. If massage is your thing then it is cheaper in Thailand by a lot.
I totally agree with you, except for 1 thing. People don’t necessarily come there for a better life, many retirees come there because from their pension you simply can’t live in Europe or the west. Average pensions in western europe are about 1500€ a month. That’s why they come to Thailand.
This is true except probably for healthcare. If you come from a country with universal healthcare then Thailand is a disadvantage with a private insurance market.
@@ekimandersom4478 I can get by in the US, but that would be just getting by. I can build a comfortable life in Thailand and still have a lot left over for adventures.
Haha Love your videos buddy and I really appreciate the candor. People need to be slapped around a couple of times with doses of reality. Yes Thailand is cheap but it ain’t cheap cheap if you want to live a good life and you offered the figures with a high dose of humor. Loved it, especially the way you described the adult rides😂😂 keep it up
I’m living the same way in Thailand as I do in Vegas. I’m not trying to live less. I’m actually trying to live better. And my money buys more in Thailand
$1,000 a month, you have no life, you eat local food only, you do not travel domestically much at all, and you cannot afford to hang with other people. $1,500 a month is a struggle, but maybe 2 or 3 nights out in a month, while living in a condo with not much view. $2,000 As long as some days you do nothing but lounge, hike, or spend the time doing FREE things, you'll be ok. $2,500 a month gets you a nicer place, some Western food, a few nights per week with the boys. $3,000 gets you a pool villa, whatever food you want, and some traveling. $3500 and up gets you a life you could never live in the west for under $10,000 a month.
Here you guys go again. If you go out 2 or 3 nights a month you can make it lol if you barely drink, and dont plan to have a girlfriend, and prefer thai food anyway . 1,200.00 a month no worries. Fuck health insurance i only have 20 to 30 years if im absolutely lucky
@@mazadasilva643 Yes. I spent 1 month in Thailand, so I'm not an authority, but I can tell you I drank a lot, I ate east and western food, and I stayed in $30-$80 range per day hotels. I took 2 domestic flights, a train ride from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, a bus to Chiang Rai, 3 ferry rides while visiting Phuket, Ao Nang, and Phi Phi Islands and my entire month was $4500 (including the flight tix to get there) That is the big one that will be different now. 5 Years ago you could get a ticket for $1,000 round trip, and I don't think it's that common under $1800 now. I went in peak season from early December to the first week of January. I even had a 5-star hotel stay in Bangkok on New Year's Eve. I looked at my expenses after the trip and saw where I could have seen the same things, and still had all the same experiences had I stayed in a bargain hotel. I could have shaved $1,000 off easily. I just splurged because I wanted the tourist experience.
Living like a king on $500-$1000/mo ,"Was " so true, especially when you were living in 1999 , right after the financial collapse of Thailand in 97-98 ! But times change, just like the price of gold ! I miss those 25¢ beers and $5 Super nice Rides,in the Philippines, but 45yrs, things change !😮 But, I'm Still Alive, so it's a good day, for another time in Thailand too !😊😎
I divide things up a bit differently. First, how much is it going to cost to live with an adequate level of comfort, which for me does not include a lot of "entertainment"? I can do that easily for under $1500/month. After that it's a matter of how much fun I can have while not getting into a negative cash flow, which looks to be a lot of fun, either locally or taking trips. Now this does not include the cost of various medical issues including installing and replacing various aftermarket parts, which is what I'm saving my retirement savings for. The idea is to not get myself locked into needing to spend a lot for my regular life. It's easy to skip scuba diving trips to Koh Samui, it's much harder to cut back on having breakfast at local restaurants.
I think it is a good uncomplicated overview but may be is the "made in USA" version. Europeans will propably spend a bit less for the categories - my guess: 25% discount.
$2000 is a lot less than $3000. That is another level in my opinion. I bring in 20k USD/month of passive income, but live in a cheap studio in Samui. Maybe I'll up it next year?
If you arre thinking about staying in Thailand long-term, you better plan on about $2,000 a month for a budget or about 70,000 baht. And that will be just enough to stay ahead of inflation and to be able to handle emergencies as they come up and they always come up., my basic monthly spend here is about 73,000 baht, not including a monthly allowance of 20,000 Baht each for my wife and i. That's what we use to cover any type of saving investing or emergencies and travel. I've seen a lot of guys come over here with a plan to get by on a small budget and over time the cost of living goes up and they're left to hold out hope that the exchange rate holds up. Here is my 113,000 bht Monthly spend broken down: Rent 15000 Car pmt 13000 Utilities & 2 phones 3000 Food 20000 Gas 1000 Pets 1500 Wife misc allowance 20000 My misc allowance 20000 Auto insurance 1500 Health insurance for two 8000/mo Coffee and juice 4000 Overseas p.o. Box & storage 6000
I guess people are a bit disappointed when you tell them that they can't live like "kings" for 1000 usd! You are crushing peoples dreams 😄. I am not sure, but i think the majority of the people watching this kind of videos (myself included), are hoping to live better lives for less money. But i agree with you, that is reality.
50 per day? He**, I can eat in London for that. That's a monster number for Thailand. If you can't get by VERY WELL on that, even in the U.S., you may need to recalibrate. That come to 351 a week.
Are you counting beer, wine, cocktails, high end coffee places and rooftop bars? That number is not just food although it can easily be blown through in food alone. People always assume everything in Thailand is next to free. I spend $30 on lunch a few times a week here in Pattaya alone. There are high end restaurants that serve high quality, well made dishes here as well and that isn't going to happen at $10.
Are you talking about Australian dollars or Canadian dollars? The baht is the unit of currency in Thailand. You can rent a good place for around 10000 baht a month. 70K baht a month is a good realistic budget,obviously some people will overpay for everything
You can rent a shoebox for 10K baht a month. Some people love it and that’s all they need but I won’t mislead my audience like many do telling them that.
RUclips vlogger Welshboy webby lives on less than 40k a month,he has a good lifestyle, a decent apartment and just came back from a holiday in Vietnam. Watch Reds video channel and you will see that there are plenty of good places for 10-12k and they are not shoeboxes. Some people overspend because they can afford to but they are just simply wasting money
Thanks for the common sense info. I'm trying to figure out how to have a livable space not a 30sq 'condo' with a crappy 'kitchen' and 3 foot wide living room that is just a couch jammed against a wall in a narrow hallway...yuk.
I agree overall. My spending at its high was 1000 usd per week over and above hotels. I never do bars so this was direct to thai hands. Living in thailand for me is a no go since i have a home in hawaii the US most populous asian state. Thailand is diminishing pleasures IMHO. Each visit it is more compacted with people. Now foreigners from India,Pakistan and China are moving in to live and do business. Too many people in same place same time. Poor air quality nearly anywhere. Crime on the rise teetering towards violent crime soon too. Thailand is on the downward spiral in spite of new hi rises everywhere and the offerings evident. OVERKILL at all levels of offerings thailand has become a disaster in the making waiting for the explosion. My visits were 4x per year now down to 2x and my spending down to 200 usd per week.
Spending 5000 in Thailand is the same as making 15000 in LA of NYC It is great but 80% cant do it. It is just a flex by the top 20% I have money and lifestyle and you dont unless you spend 4000 If you live well without spending 4000, then you are an exception. 15k in LA, you are good 5k in Thailand, u r good Is there anyone that doesnt know this?
I’ve done it both ways but here is something to consider. Half my audience is American and I find most other countries always know what and how the dollar stands. That said, I usually try and say both.
Income tax is coming on all money entering Thailand. Many expats are leaving Thailand because of this tax. Think twice befofe moving to Thailand. Things arn't what they used to be.Far from it.
Guarantee? No But it sure does help. I’ll give you a quick few examples. More money equals better quality and healthier food. More money means better health care. More money means you’re less stressed about feeding your family and keeping the lights on. Just to name a few. There are plenty of miserable rich people but let’s not pretend money isn’t important.
1000 usd should work without problems if you stay alone! But if you rent expensive for 20,000 baht then you're living expensive as I see it! Also if you live in tourist areas and their ridiculous prices. You can live cheap outside tourist areas -who wants to stay there?! Chiang Mai is good or was good. After living in the crap mafia Island Kho Samui for 2 years only to get ripped of constantly in the markets though the knew I lived there, I went to Chiang Mai. Best thing I ever did! Never problems, paid same as thai in the markets etc. Nah stay away from tourist places they are no good!
So true. We don't just want to Not Die, but to live a better life!
I am Thai, living in Nonthaburi. My neighbor area have a vacant townhouse for rent. The entire house includes two bedrooms, one bathroom, one parking space, and one kitchen, all for 6,500 baht.
If it's an area further from the main city or in the suburbs, rental prices for both condos and houses, as well as street food prices, are generally lower. Currently, there are many new housing estates and condominiums being developed along the MRT Purple and Pink Lines. Feel free to explore more cafe and cute little restaurants in Nonthaburi. ❤😂
Thanks again Ramze! As always, your advise and information are very helpful. Here is a thought for a helpful video, if you are so inclined. When looking at retiring affordably in another location such as Thailand or Panama, the cost of visiting first when you don't know what you're doing can be serious. The problem is largely the cost of hotels or AirBnBs when you don't know how to find good deals. I'm guessing you must have gone through this stage yourself. A video giving tips on how to find affordable accommodations during the pre-relocation visit, for that $2k to $3k budget, could be helpful to many including myself. Best wishes for you and your partner! Daniel
I totally agree with everything you said. I live in Rama 9 and my rent is $600 per month, last year It was $1200 but I move to a 1 bedroom and rent from a local Thai person. My monthly living expense in Thailand is about 2000 per month. Thailand is good. It is what it is. 😊
My first thought on this issue is that housing costs are the biggest savings in Thailand. What you get from rental prices is amazing. But there is more to this. How amazing depends on where you come from and what you living standards are. I come from the San Francisco Bay Area. Of course Thailand rents are going to be way cheaper than SF. If you are coming from rural America though the difference might not be so much. Also, if you own your home in America then you housing expense is property taxes and insurance and maintenance. This total cost is what you use to compare to rental Thailand rentals and it may not be that much of a difference.
Healthcare - The out-of-pocket costs for healthcare in Thailand is amazing low compared to the out-of-pocket costs in America. However, if you have decent insurance in America then you really have to compare your insurance deductible to the what you are paying in Thailand. I have had emergency room care in Thailand that is less than my American insurance deductible for the same care but what we are looking at is the difference between $100 in Thailand and $150 in the US. Medicare is not available outside of the US so healthcare in Thailand may be more expensive than healthcare in the US. My Thai insurance policy is about the same as similar coverage and cost of my previous US health insurance policy.
I bought a Honda CRV in 2022 and the cost was about the same or a little more expensive in Thailand even though these Honda's are assembled in Thailand.
I discovered Thai massage in Thailand. If massage is your thing then it is cheaper in Thailand by a lot.
I totally agree with you, except for 1 thing.
People don’t necessarily come there for a better life, many retirees come there because from their pension you simply can’t live in Europe or the west.
Average pensions in western europe are about 1500€ a month.
That’s why they come to Thailand.
That is very true and in those cases, they will get a better life here than what their small pensions would have gotten them back home.
@ For sure, unless they get sick and have no insurance.
This is true except probably for healthcare. If you come from a country with universal healthcare then Thailand is a disadvantage with a private insurance market.
@@ekimandersom4478 I can get by in the US, but that would be just getting by. I can build a comfortable life in Thailand and still have a lot left over for adventures.
Haha Love your videos buddy and I really appreciate the candor. People need to be slapped around a couple of times with doses of reality. Yes Thailand is cheap but it ain’t cheap cheap if you want to live a good life and you offered the figures with a high dose of humor. Loved it, especially the way you described the adult rides😂😂 keep it up
Good video. Your honesty and transparency are obvious and appreciated.
Maaaaaaaaannnnnn
U got me binge watching your stuff!! 😂
Thank you for that!
I’m living the same way in Thailand as I do in Vegas. I’m not trying to live less. I’m actually trying to live better. And my money buys more in Thailand
My exact thoughts 💯
Subscribed! Thanks for the content. I've got a lot of catching up to do......
🙏 Thank you for the info 👍
My pleasure
On point! Thanks for sharing!
Thumbs up 👍Ramze
Appreciated
$1,000 a month, you have no life, you eat local food only, you do not travel domestically much at all, and you cannot afford to hang with other people. $1,500 a month is a struggle, but maybe 2 or 3 nights out in a month, while living in a condo with not much view. $2,000 As long as some days you do nothing but lounge, hike, or spend the time doing FREE things, you'll be ok. $2,500 a month gets you a nicer place, some Western food, a few nights per week with the boys. $3,000 gets you a pool villa, whatever food you want, and some traveling. $3500 and up gets you a life you could never live in the west for under $10,000 a month.
Here you guys go again. If you go out 2 or 3 nights a month you can make it lol if you barely drink, and dont plan to have a girlfriend, and prefer thai food anyway . 1,200.00 a month no worries. Fuck health insurance i only have 20 to 30 years if im absolutely lucky
Are we talking US dollars here?
@@mazadasilva643yes, USD and I agree w/ his assessment.
@@mazadasilva643 Yes. I spent 1 month in Thailand, so I'm not an authority, but I can tell you I drank a lot, I ate east and western food, and I stayed in $30-$80 range per day hotels. I took 2 domestic flights, a train ride from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, a bus to Chiang Rai, 3 ferry rides while visiting Phuket, Ao Nang, and Phi Phi Islands and my entire month was $4500 (including the flight tix to get there) That is the big one that will be different now. 5 Years ago you could get a ticket for $1,000 round trip, and I don't think it's that common under $1800 now. I went in peak season from early December to the first week of January. I even had a 5-star hotel stay in Bangkok on New Year's Eve. I looked at my expenses after the trip and saw where I could have seen the same things, and still had all the same experiences had I stayed in a bargain hotel. I could have shaved $1,000 off easily. I just splurged because I wanted the tourist experience.
That's pretty accurate bro
Great video bro!
Thank you
Living like a king on $500-$1000/mo ,"Was " so true, especially when you were living in 1999 , right after the financial collapse of Thailand in 97-98 ! But times change, just like the price of gold !
I miss those 25¢ beers and $5 Super nice Rides,in the Philippines, but 45yrs, things change !😮 But, I'm Still Alive, so it's a good day, for another time in Thailand too !😊😎
I take the 300 studio, it's perfect.
LMAO ... I still have a S4. Not my daily driver but I still have one that get's use. Just upgraded my well enjoyed/used 2018 S9+ to the S24 Ultra.
I divide things up a bit differently. First, how much is it going to cost to live with an adequate level of comfort, which for me does not include a lot of "entertainment"? I can do that easily for under $1500/month. After that it's a matter of how much fun I can have while not getting into a negative cash flow, which looks to be a lot of fun, either locally or taking trips. Now this does not include the cost of various medical issues including installing and replacing various aftermarket parts, which is what I'm saving my retirement savings for. The idea is to not get myself locked into needing to spend a lot for my regular life. It's easy to skip scuba diving trips to Koh Samui, it's much harder to cut back on having breakfast at local restaurants.
I think it is a good uncomplicated overview but may be is the "made in USA" version. Europeans will propably spend a bit less for the categories - my guess: 25% discount.
$2000 is a lot less than $3000. That is another level in my opinion. I bring in 20k USD/month of passive income, but live in a cheap studio in Samui. Maybe I'll up it next year?
Only person you have to answer to is you ✌️
$1000 a week Aussie dollars will give you a good lifestyle , food drink massage entertainment and golf ⛳️
Thailand may not be "cheap" anymore but certainly cheaper than most of our home countrys. Imho
Bro, you are the GOAT 👍🏽
For sure.
🐐
What does $800/month rent get you in Pattaya or Bangkok?
Nice apartment with ocean view in new building or a 160 sq meter home on the dark side.
More or less same for Bangkok
You can't live off 1500 a month in the states so why the heck even go to Thailand if you can't live descent off of that.
Good overview, are you in Jomtiem area?
Siam Country Club
If you arre thinking about staying in Thailand long-term, you better plan on about $2,000 a month for a budget or about 70,000 baht. And that will be just enough to stay ahead of inflation and to be able to handle emergencies as they come up and they always come up., my basic monthly spend here is about 73,000 baht, not including a monthly allowance of 20,000 Baht each for my wife and i. That's what we use to cover any type of saving investing or emergencies and travel. I've seen a lot of guys come over here with a plan to get by on a small budget and over time the cost of living goes up and they're left to hold out hope that the exchange rate holds up. Here is my 113,000 bht Monthly spend broken down:
Rent 15000
Car pmt 13000
Utilities & 2 phones 3000
Food 20000
Gas 1000
Pets 1500
Wife misc allowance 20000
My misc allowance 20000
Auto insurance 1500
Health insurance for two 8000/mo
Coffee and juice 4000
Overseas p.o. Box & storage 6000
Thanks for sharing that!
I guess people are a bit disappointed when you tell them that they can't live like "kings" for 1000 usd! You are crushing peoples dreams 😄. I am not sure, but i think the majority of the people watching this kind of videos (myself included), are hoping to live better lives for less money. But i agree with you, that is reality.
I live in a van bud= Living like a king in Pattaya ❤🛹🛹🛹
You money will go further here in Thailand regardless of your income level. However, there are expenses and risks that come with moving abroad.
@martypoll for sure but being a very light drinker helps a lot !!
@@martypoll Your
50 per day? He**, I can eat in London for that. That's a monster number for Thailand. If you can't get by VERY WELL on that, even in the U.S., you may need to recalibrate. That come to 351 a week.
Are you counting beer, wine, cocktails, high end coffee places and rooftop bars? That number is not just food although it can easily be blown through in food alone. People always assume everything in Thailand is next to free. I spend $30 on lunch a few times a week here in Pattaya alone. There are high end restaurants that serve high quality, well made dishes here as well and that isn't going to happen at $10.
Are you talking about Australian dollars or Canadian dollars?
The baht is the unit of currency in Thailand.
You can rent a good place for around 10000 baht a month.
70K baht a month is a good realistic budget,obviously some people will overpay for everything
70k is the minimum
You can rent a shoebox for 10K baht a month. Some people love it and that’s all they need but I won’t mislead my audience like many do telling them that.
RUclips vlogger Welshboy webby lives on less than 40k a month,he has a good lifestyle, a decent apartment and just came back from a holiday in Vietnam.
Watch Reds video channel and you will see that there are plenty of good places for 10-12k and they are not shoeboxes.
Some people overspend because they can afford to but they are just simply wasting money
Thanks for the common sense info. I'm trying to figure out how to have a livable space not a 30sq 'condo' with a crappy 'kitchen' and 3 foot wide living room that is just a couch jammed against a wall in a narrow hallway...yuk.
Hey Ramz is your
Condo for rent any time soon?
No sir. I just use it when friends come through and don’t want to stay at the house with us.
@@RamzeTravels was worth asking
It is scary to move to a different country away from family.
Most big changes are scary.
$2,500 USD/month minimum or why move to a foreign country.
Only other reason is if you only have $1500 or less, which means you're homeless or sharing a room with 5 others. 😊 Then it's great !
$1500.00 a month for food?
For two people? Not that hard once you stop eating purely night markets.
I agree overall. My spending at its high was 1000 usd per week over and above hotels. I never do bars so this was direct to thai hands. Living in thailand for me is a no go since i have a home in hawaii the US most populous asian state. Thailand is diminishing pleasures IMHO. Each visit it is more compacted with people. Now foreigners from India,Pakistan and China are moving in to live and do business. Too many people in same place same time. Poor air quality nearly anywhere. Crime on the rise teetering towards violent crime soon too.
Thailand is on the downward spiral in spite of new hi rises everywhere and the offerings evident. OVERKILL at all levels of offerings thailand has become a disaster in the making waiting for the explosion. My visits were 4x per year now down to 2x and my spending down to 200 usd per week.
How much does it cost for you to live in the US....?
10% that is the cost for you in Thailand.
I think the true number is more like 20-30% based on where in the USA you’re coming from.
@@RamzeTravelsdefinitely 30+ if you have vices, especially drinking and women. If neither, then the 20+% depending on your taste buds, or both😊
Apartment 200.00 food350.00 transpertation 50.00 fun 250.00 groceries 200.00 =1,050.00 easy !!
Is that yearly mate
😅😅😅 are You dreaming, cause you are leaving a lot of things out ?!
@@mauimixer6040 so is that a million baht a month your spending mate?
@@mauimixer6040 ahhh I get it now mate was reading the figures wrongly 😅😅 1050 US a month correct??
@@mazadasilva643 ha ha tell em
Spending 5000 in Thailand is the same as making 15000 in LA of NYC It is great but 80% cant do it. It is just a flex by the top 20% I have money and lifestyle and you dont unless you spend 4000 If you live well without spending 4000, then you are an exception. 15k in LA, you are good 5k in Thailand, u r good Is there anyone that doesnt know this?
Dude, you should do prices baht, then everybody considering Thailand knows what you are talking about...
I’ve done it both ways but here is something to consider. Half my audience is American and I find most other countries always know what and how the dollar stands. That said, I usually try and say both.
“Economics teacher in jr high” lol
"Ride the rides" LOL
The question is how do you want to live? Not how cheap it is to live. 🤔
Great way to say it!
🤣 "Like to ride the rides" Some of the rides are like mopeds. Might be a lot of fun to ride, but don't really want your friends to know. 🤣
I think another positive thing is saving on income tax by living abroad.
Income tax is coming on all money entering Thailand. Many expats are leaving Thailand because of this tax. Think twice befofe moving to Thailand. Things arn't what they used to be.Far from it.
Depends on which country you’re from and what that income is.
Bargirls? How much for her family's sick water buffalo? ;-)
Good one!
People still fall for that ?
As much as she can squeeze out of you. Avoid this trap!
Less than the kids mom's caring for ! 😊😮. Switching every other month 😅
Close to America expense, why move?
Because the US sucks
Because it’s a beautiful country that is safe and you will get way more lifestyle and bang for your buck.
Spending more money doesn't guarantee happiness and healthy long life.
Guarantee? No
But it sure does help. I’ll give you a quick few examples. More money equals better quality and healthier food. More money means better health care. More money means you’re less stressed about feeding your family and keeping the lights on. Just to name a few. There are plenty of miserable rich people but let’s not pretend money isn’t important.
1000 usd should work without problems if you stay alone!
But if you rent expensive for 20,000 baht then you're living expensive as I see it! Also if you live in tourist areas and their ridiculous prices.
You can live cheap outside tourist areas -who wants to stay there?!
Chiang Mai is good or was good. After living in the crap mafia Island Kho Samui for 2 years only to get ripped of constantly in the markets though the knew I lived there, I went to Chiang Mai. Best thing I ever did! Never problems, paid same as thai in the markets etc.
Nah stay away from tourist places they are no good!
Thanks for sharing. We have very different opinions on quality of life and “expensive” but that’s why it’s great Thailand has options for all.