Auto Repair Estimates Canada
Thailand vs. Canada-Who Won?
When most people think of Thailand, the first thing that comes to mind is a Third world where it is most of the population lives in extreme poverty. These same people would never consider living in Thailand for fear of living without the necessities of life.
I moved to Thailand in November 2004 and decided to make my new home, while in retirement. Now that I've lived here for close to two years I can say exactly what it is to live here compared to Canada, where he lived for 53 years.
Climate:
For starters I'm living without the drastic change in temperature that occur annually in Canada, where half of the year is warm or hot and the other half of the year is very cold. The temperature differential required to residents to buy clothes for all seasons. To live in Canada is required summer jackets, winter coats, sandals, shoes, boots, suits and coats, and the list continues to include hats, gloves and scarves.
Here in Thailand has its different seasons, but basically the temperature is warm or hot, and for three months the year will see virtually no rain at all and during the rainy season will witness the almost daily rain. The type of clothing worn during the season does not change one iota.
You get used to the heat here as you get used to cold weather in Canada. Surprisingly, the nights are cold at night with the window open a blanket would be necessary for most of the year.
So if I had to choose where to live only in terms of climate would be here in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Thailand 1 Canada 0 Rating
Food:
In Canada, I ate my share of fast food and junk food. Potatoes in one form or another were present in most meals in the morning chips, French fries at lunch, mashed potatoes or fried for dinner.
Now I still eat potatoes that are more expensive here than in Canada, but do not eat so regularly. French fries or soup potatoes occasionally and I content.
Thais eat rice the way I eat potatoes. This is evident in almost every meal. I rarely ate rice, when I lived in Canada, but I like especially because now the sauce is added. A fried vegetables rather common rice dish becomes a very tasty meal with his secret sauce added to the dish.
Overall, I eat much healthier foods now, more rice, less potatoes, more vegetables, seafood and fresh fruits and less food scrap. Therefore, based on health, taste Thailand scores another point and that's not even taking into account the food has a much lower price here than in Canada. Expect to pay around 60-70% less on food here and still eat as much or more of the foods that are delicious fruits that are grown locally.
Thailand 2 Canada 0 Rating
Transportation:
In Canada, my main means of traveling from point A to point B was my car, something most people in the world can not live without, well at least if they stay where they are.
Because of the distances between the places that normally go in Canada, a car is a necessity absolute for me.
For most Americans the car is a necessity and an expensive one. It is not only a means of transport, but also a symbol status. If you get a raise at work rewards us with a new car, your neighbor gets a new car takes us to do the same, and a sports car is always necessary to impress the bride.
The actual cost of operating their vehicles in total, is unknown for most drivers, and I believe that the depreciation cost or leasing, insurance, gasoline, repairs totaling more than $ 10,000 for most vehicles decent. Now think about this. I can show you how retire here in Chiang Mai, Thailand on less than $ 10,000 and live comfortably, eat healthy and enjoy. Does your motor vehicle contribute to both your life?
If you live here you do not need a car. The tuk tuk (three wheel motorcycle with the bank in the back seat) or a red taxi (van pick up with new covered area with bench seating on both sides) can get around the city for almost nothing. To exit the city then chances are you can rent a car.
So forget about a car if you live here. Forget insurance costs increasing every year and high fuel costs. Forget excess speed tickets, parking tickets and car wash.
The advantage here is definitely going to Chiang Mai. Getting around is both faster and cheaper. To residents who purchase a vehicle is usually a pickup truck and pickup trucks are taxed less by the Government perhaps many are made here and so are more affordable. The auto insurance costs here are about 33% of what you would pay in Canada and if you do not have any accidents in the first year is expected a premium reduction would reduce the cost of 23% of what you pay in North America with very good coverage in a decent vehicle.
Sorry Canada, another point for Thailand.
Thailand 3 Canada 0
Life Needs:
Do not know about you, but access to the Internet 24 hours a day and a TV are an absolute necessity in my life. I can live without food for 24 hours, but I'm not sure if the same could be said of television and the internet. In Canada I had high speed cable for $ 50 a month, and cable television with another $ 50 a month for a total of $ 100 a month.
Doctors and dentists are living needs. Never want to live anywhere for a long period of time without both easily accessible. In a good old Canada has to make an appointment to see a family doctor, if after several visits to the family doctor does not know what ails you finally given an appointment for you to see a specialist who will probably know in 15 minutes what the problem is and how to treat it. Unfortunately, the appointment to see a specialist is usually a wait of 6-8 weeks.
What else is need? Hmmm .. Accommodation. In terms of Canada's accommodation prices have soared as elsewhere in the world in recent years. And we all know what can happen to balloons. When house price rises is accompanied or followed by an increase in rental prices. So why not own the apartment or condo not have the opportunity to measure consumption.
Let's see how rates in Chiang Mai compared to Canada in these categories.
I have internet and the phone here for about $ 22 per month in Canada. Internet speed is slower than it had in Canada, but can upgrade to a faster speed if I want, now this speed is perfectly satisfactory in most of the time and a little slow when more users online in the late afternoon or early evening. We had 54 channels of cable TV recently installed. Unlike many sports or movie channels, but the monthly cost of cable television is 2 about 9 Canadian dollars. So for the total telephone, cable TV and telephone is $ 31 compared to $ 130 in Canada. Canada wins that best channels, but with costs that are included as a factor I would call a draw. As for Internet speed is fine for me and cost much less give me the point of Thailand.
Health care is cheaper here. I will probably be treated by a doctor who received his training abroad and speaks English excellent. A doctor can be seen the same day and a specialist in a few days. I can expect to receive timely treatment for a fraction of the cost in North America. A dental cleaning here was $ 9 to $ 50 – $ 100 in Canada and the repair of a broken plate set me back $ 18 here and I imagine it would have cost me $ 100 150 in Canada. So a safe point for Thailand.
Accommodation is a winner hands down in Chiang Mai. Not only cheap accommodation repeat cheap, but I give all they need and want. Soon after arriving in Chiang Mai I stayed in an apartment two months service for $ 250 Canadian. Monthly rent including water, utilities, cleaning and changing sheets and towels twice a week and cable television. The apartment had a swimming service Swimming pool on the top floor, massage on the fourth floor, restaurant, beauty salon, rental bikes on the main floor. It was clean, comfortable, owners were extremely hospitable and it was within walking distance of the largest shopping mall and numerous restaurants many of which are superb entertainment in the evenings.
The food is another necessity. Despite residing in the area of the Niagara Peninsula of Canada has been blessed with an abundance of fruits and vegetables, The point here is clearly to Chiang Mai. Many fruits are grown locally here too, and you the added benefit of fresh seafood, so the sum of the scores Canada's ½ point for a draw on television, Thailand 1 point for the doctor and dentist, a housing, 1 ½ point online and ready for television.
Thailand 6 ½ ½ Score Canada
What to do:
I lived most of my life in and around Toronto, a city reputed to be very clean and safe, a city that is home to a diverse population that intends to stay in Canada and a city that is in an ideal location for summer and winter activities. Niagara Falls is more than 1 ½ hr. drive, lakes for boating and fishing a mere 1 hour. north of the city, and skiing in winter to less than 1 hour drive. Overall, a great city, in my opinion and that performs well in polls of the best places to live.
But by looking honestly I can do all I could do there, except for skiing here and do it for less money. A trip to the reserve is similar to going on a trip to Hamilton Beach. Children swim, play with the inner tube, the unit is quick and without traffic, there are walking areas and food from the restaurant at the edge of the prey is plentiful and cheap. So after leaving the deposit I paid for meals, drinks, tickets, rent a tube and this is what I would have paid for the car to win the entrance to the beach in Canada.
The singers in restaurants and nightclubs here affected local copy songs to perfection. The malls have the latest movies in theaters. There are pool halls, bowling, an abundance of restaurants and plenty to do from shopping for bargains in the bazaar in the evening, hot springs, elephant trekking, Chiang Mai zoo, parks, golf courses and many more.
There is something fun I want to share with you. We were watching a new program on television, where three singers on stage and everyone sings a song. The same song is performed by three, but it was just a really song and the others were just pretending. Then the judges tell who was the real singer and explain the logic behind his decision. Tonight they play a Patsy Cline song. I swore Patsy had come to life rest in peace. An artist was in his twenties, thirties and one by one rather than a child who seemed I was only 11 years old. It off quickly as the song required a mature voice and the program hosts were trying to put a member of the family on TV, so I thought. Well, wrong again. After completing the judges guess the three artists back on stage and sing the same song to same time and gradually stops singing one and then another, leaving the real singer stopped singing the song. Well, I could have bet a dollar to a donut and says saying that the youth was not the singer. Glad I did not. A very entertaining.
Oh, and one Thai film I rented recently came to mind that I speak Thailand, but was rented for the amusement of others in the family. To get to the fun part of the film has two sets of approaching a bridge. Both want cross first. A group is a funeral and the other a wedding procession. A Buddhist monk comes to the rescue. He suggests that a group of crusaders in a row on one side of the bridge while the other group gets in at the same time on the opposite side of the bridge. This works, but what's funny is that a group is smiling, cheerful and happy, while the another is sad, crying and crying. The duel is to the other side of laughter rather than mourn. I guess you have to see for yourself to appreciate it.
The final score For those of you who are tracking is 7 ½ ½ Thailand and Canada.
When I was in Canada that saw him as a great place to live. It was safe, clean, with reasonable cost of living, and numerous activities throughout the year. Now that I've lived here in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in all honesty, I have to say I feel safer here, is not as clean, but not as bad as some would believe, and the cost of living here is much less than you can actually live here comfortably and happily for less than you ever imagined.
So for the benefit of those who thought they would never want to live here for fear of living I would say the following without. Chiang Mai, Thailand is already home to thousands of foreigners who have realized that this city has everything you need and want, and best of all, can also be affordable to live here with many things to do in and around this beautiful city in Thailand is commonly known as "The Rose of the North." It I'm living now, if they are snow, freezing cold temperatures and high living costs and items that I can live without it.
About the Author
The author Mr. George Dowhan is a Canadian senior who decided to take early retirement to Chiang Mai, Thailand, a city that thousands of foreigners are now callling home and yet unknown to many in North America.
Mr. Dowhan has created a website to help others to vacation in or to retire to Chiang Mai.
The address is: http//www.retire-on-550-month.com
The website shows that it is possible to retire comfortably on only $550 US a month.
Suburban Auto Body – Little Canada, MN
