9k budget in Thailand is a joke...
if you are single guy without luxuries frugal life stay in one town = 500 bucks, beer massages here and there
1 k bucks = travel as single, massages, cheap guesthouses etc.
1 k bucks stay in one place - live like a king :)
family of 4 stay in one place = 2-3 k usd easily like a kings/ modest kings.
dude, people earn there 200-300 dollars per month, what the fuck these people talk about ?
many nice places in Thailand, depends what you want, what are your plans.....forget about BGK and most of the islands..IMO
be smart.....

We are going to be spending next winter in Jomtien Beach which is near Pattaya. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

As I mentioned before, I can do that in Italy staying on a safe European infrastructured side, i dont really need a "king" thing.

:) I know that. So now you have an answer if "9k" per month was realistic or not from someone that has way too much money in his hands IMO :)
let me rethink that...
Songkhla Apartment for Rent - | RentHub.in.th
Apartments & Homes for rent in Thailand
you may be fine probably with 1,5 k - 1,8k usd as a family of four in Thailand :-)

Very nice indeed:
Plus Condo Hatyai 1 near Big C Extra Hatyai 2 bedrooms 2 bathrooms | RentHub.in.th

( nearly European price but def more amenities )

И это на четверых? Бюжетненько... Я без подъеба, если че. Реально завидую умению экономить.

Thailand can be done for 1500 - 2500 Euros.

I stayed on an island for 1 year, no problem with food, internet problems etcetra.
Sure, 1 day a month Internet may stop for a few hours, that means it is beach time!

I just stayed in Brazil for 14 months, just went to Mexico. I could have get my permanent visa in Brazil.
They had a "pardon" last year for everyone who stayed there without a visa for longer than 6 months... You never know when they have this 'general pardon" again. I had a 3 bedroom house with seaview in a small nice city for 450 euro a month.

With Children i think Europe is a good place. If you want to raise your children well in most third world countries, you need private school, good neighbourhood and they must learn the language.

I can't choose yet beteween Asia ans South/Latin America. So i keep traveling. Where i steayd on the small island in Brazil, i saw only 1 woman wih a headscarf. I hope they put her of the island by now.

WORD

None for me, as I understand. I have a big private space requirements and I heard people do not tolerate any out there.

I believe I should take a honourable torch from Anal Hobbit and start my own CheapAssEU series.

that´s correct - but he is talking about a family. and with wife and 2 kids it is not really realistic exept you do not care the education your kids will get fro free and don´t plan with medical costs or other emergencies.

i know europeans who can live in thailand for 1000 us per month - and it works.
it always depend on what you expect from life and you can never compare thais with europeans.

thais are living today and they dod not care if they suffer tomorrow.
thais are mostly living the buddhist way - they give you but they expect to get back what they gave you.

i personally admire this way of thinking but i am not able to think this way becasue i gorw up in the western world.

i think there are only 2 options: to love it or hate thailand. i personally love thailand and that´s because i can accept many things what are not part of my own personality or conviction and they can do the same.

Well said, and thanks for mentioning that live by a day thing, now I'm sure it's not for me.

Thanks for that tip. Didn't know it, looked it up and you are right.