“Currently, I’m developing my own project, feeling good in Thailand, and increasingly thinking that after London, Bangkok is the best city for me. I’m going to tell you how my life in the capital of Thailand is organized: how much it costs, how people work here, and why I’ve grown to love Bangkok so much,” she writes.
How much does life in Thailand cost?
- Accommodation. You can find budget options around $300-$400, but that will be quite modest accommodation. A comfortable condominium with a pool, gym, and parking will cost about $600-$800 per month. And from $1,000 upwards, you’ll find even more spacious and comfortable apartments.
- Insurance. Healthcare in Thailand is very good, but quite expensive. On average, insurance covering accidents, death, and hospital stays costs approximately $400-$500 per month. Some people live without insurance, but that’s a matter of personal willingness to take risks.
- Food. You can eat in many different ways: from quite budget-friendly options to regular restaurants or home delivery. On average, I would budget approximately $500-$1,000 per month.
- Other expenses — utilities, household spending, shopping, massages, and other incidentals — can start from about $500 per month. If you need a car for long-term rental, that’s another $500-$600 on top. You can buy a new car in Thailand from $10,000 with good installment options.
So, for an economical life for one person, you can expect to spend from $1,500 per month. For a comfortable standard of living, I would aim for $2,000-$2,500. If you want to live really well – with great accommodation, a car, restaurants, spa, and other pleasantries – it’s better to budget $3,000-$4,000 per month. Beyond that, it all depends on personal needs.
Work and Visas
Now, for those who want to live in Thailand and work remotely, there are more options than before.
One of them is the DTV Visa (Digital Nomad Visa). You need to show that you officially work remotely, and this must be stated in your contract, plus have approximately $15,000 in your bank account. Such a visa is issued for five years, and you can leave the country. You cannot officially work for a Thai employer within the country with this type of visa.
Another option is to look for a job once you are there. Formally, you can come as a tourist, attend interviews, and get an offer. But if a company decides to hire you, you will need to process documents outside of Thailand. For example, in neighboring Malaysia or Vietnam.
Jobs are sought through local portals like JobsDB, LinkedIn, and networking. The local market often requires people to speak both Thai and English. But foreigners are also hired if you have strong experience. Salaries are generally lower than in European companies, but at the same level or even higher for top managers, as Bangkok has many offices of international companies.
Bangkok is the best city for me
Before Thailand, I lived in London for several years. And now I can definitively say that Bangkok is the best city for me. It also has parties, restaurants, networking, an international environment, large companies, and business life.
But it’s structured differently, more accommodating to working people. For example, festivals or events start at 7-8 PM and end at midnight. If you want to continue, go to a club. If not, you can calmly go home and work the next day. For me, this is a normal work-life balance.
And there is very good access to leisure here. In condominiums where expats live, there might be a pool, sauna, spa area, and a winter garden right in the building. Downstairs, there’s always a 7-Eleven (a popular convenience store chain), a massage salon, and a cafe. And the prices are very pleasant. In London, a medium-quality massage would cost $150, whereas in Bangkok you’d pay $10. And it would be excellent.
And Bangkok is a very safe city. In London, I sometimes felt scared walking through certain areas even during the day. But in Bangkok, I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to be constantly on edge. I can walk down the street in shorts and a top, I can find myself in not the prettiest neighborhood, and not feel threatened. Thais are Buddhists, and in their culture, it’s forbidden to steal or harm another person.
At first the heat is exhausting, then the body adapts
The climate is a separate story. In Thailand, it’s consistently hot, around 30 degrees even in the evening. At first, this can be exhausting. But after half a year, I acclimatized, even stopped sweating so much. I spend much more time indoors, only going out for walks in the evenings.
And it’s more pleasant because in Minsk, I always had to check the weather forecast, and sharp temperature fluctuations had a bad effect on my health. Here, everything is very stable, and in my opinion, it’s even better.
It really helps that there’s always water near you in the city: a pool at home, the sea not infinitely far away, spas, saunas. By the way, I only learned to go to the sauna in Thailand. You come out steamed, jump into a cool pool – and you don’t feel cold.
In three years, my immunity has even changed. I started getting sick less, but at the same time, I started feeling cold more easily. I used to be hardened, but now at +15, I’m already cold and want to dress warmer.
I’m still a foreigner
The culture in Thailand is very different from Belarusian culture. I can’t say that I fully understand Thais. Sometimes I think they are a bit like us: calm, gentle, smiling, don’t like direct conflicts.
And at work, for example, you have to be much softer. Someone once gave me good advice: if you want to explain something complicated to a junior or mid-level, imagine that you have a five-year-old child in front of you. That is, you need to simplify everything, not pressure, explain as clearly as possible. And with Thais, it’s important to build social interaction. They like it when there’s contact, when the boss or partner doesn’t just hand out tasks, but goes out with the team, talks, spends time together.
But the people here are very friendly, so I receive a lot of warmth. And there are many foreigners here from all over the world. In this sense, Bangkok is similar to London. Sometimes you even get tired of socializing.
But a big city also has its downside. Connections are often superficial. To meet up, you have to travel a long way, plan in advance, adjust to schedules. This is not Warsaw, where there are many Belarusians and you can quickly gather a close circle.
I moved alone and, of course, it was difficult for me, although the company helped, but loneliness sometimes brought suffering. There were moments of such longing for home, for family, loved ones, relatives. Because it’s very far away. Any trip home is a minimum of about $2,000 round trip and almost a day on the road. So for now, with difficulty, I am testing trips to Minsk/Warsaw and back.