I have a friend over there
most of his money goes on fines to the local police
they pick people up on spurious charges and you just pay them to let you out
or you can pay them a monthly fee to leave you alone
one of the most corrupt countries on earth
lol - that really is nonsense.... unless your friend is a dealer
bottom line is - the more you want to live like a westerner, the more it becomes expensive.
Pattaya is a shite hole but a lot cheaper to live than Bangkok and as shite holes go it's not that terrible. Phuket is a fucking crime ridden shite hole and best avoided. Chiang Mai is heavily polluted a lot of the year because of farmers burning fields. Everywhere else is boring.
In Bangkok, you can get a room for $120 a month - simple room, no kitchen - bed, fan, shower & shitter. $300 a month and you have an older 1 bed place with a hot plate and separate living room - but not centrally located of course. You could also easily spend $10k a month on a luxury condo. $3,000 a month will get you something posh. Anything under $1,000 a month is going to be on the old side.
You can eat a filling bowl of street noodles for $1.20 and you can pay $15 for an good brunch. You can pay $1.50 for a large bottle of Chang or you can pay $10 for a bottle of Fullers ESB imported from the UK.
If you like English/American stuff - it's expensive and Villa Supermarket that does western stuff is waaay more expensive than say a Ralphs in California or a Tescos in the UK.
Cars are heavily taxed here and not cheap but unless you have kids, you don't need a car. Look for a BMW or Merc to cost 2x here than in the States. International schools for kids - about $15k per child per year. Local schools are useless and forget university here too when they get older.
I know guys that teach English, get about $1,200 a month, spend $300 on an apartment and live off the rest. I'd put that about as low as you can go. But no car, no kids, always on a budget and living what to me seems like a miserable fucking existence but considering they'd be in a factory in the UK otherwise, I guess it's a lesser evil. Women are friendly and it's nice & warm.