wump

Well to be fair I don't only take lettuce, but I try not to but in things that are dirt cheap by the kilo like cucumbers and pay 10 times the price. Also put a bit of beetroot, quail eggs, cocktail tomatoes etc. I just meant it would be possible to only take lettuce. Personally, I would feel a bit shy to get a whole bowl for 50 Baht cause it would look suspicious.

But I also see why someone who stays over here longer and has a girlfriend wouldn't want to pay 100 baht for a small Singha to hang out in a girly bar. Yes, there is places, even in Patong, where you get a big Leo for 70 Baht. If the objective is to only chat with your mates and have a nice bar atmosphere in the back with a bit of music I think this makes more sense.

The place I go also sells large bottles of Archa for 37 baht.

I'm not talking about a minimart here but a real bar. Actually, when compared to Leo, Archa is not that bad at all. But one of my favourites is Chang Export. It's only been available for a year and I guess they put a bit of effort into developing it. Very smooth and very tasty and way better than Leo. And doesn't change its taste from one batch to the next. Bit more expensive than Chang classic but still slightly cheaper than Singha.

I think if you were to do a blind taste test you will only be able to pick what's Singha because there is a lot of hops and maybe Heineken because its so watery. I think there is no beer in Thailand that truly tastes bad, maybe its about the rice so it all just goes down easily. Best one is imo San Miguel Original (not the light stuff), I don't know what they put in there but it is really really good.

Talking about San Miguel, they also brew Red Horse, available in Familiy Marts (not 7/11s) from 40 Baht for a big one. Tastes pretty good if you like strong beer (6.9%).

But I don't wanna derail the thread, so please keep posting bargains.

The place I go to started out as just a simple shop run by a Thai couple. It is now evolving into a bar with more and more furniture and amenities growing around the front. Nice people, good atmosphere, but a long way removed from a girlie bar.

Very handy to my place. Shop prices for beer, but certainly doesn't have the range described above.

A local watering hole, not a big night out.

But certainly sounds like a nice place with prices cheaper than 7-11. I used to frequent one of these in Pattaya right at the entrance of the entertainment area and watch everyone go to work and come back every now and then to buy single cigarettes or whisky shots for the motorbike taxis. Well, it's gone now but always had a crowd and a good atmosphere every night.

Btw not too much bargain, but if you want to have the best view over Patong drive to Kamala and head towards the road to Kamala Hills, at the very end there is a nice viewpoint restaurant. Beer and food is 60 Baht. Don't stay till after dawn though, too many insects then. Can also be reached via Patong through the jungle, you'll see on Google Maps.

I guess these meetings are on a Sunday? Will be leaving Phuket on Tuesday morning so it'd be probably a bit of a rush. Thanks for the tip though.

Well to be fair I don't only take lettuce, but I try not to but in things that are dirt cheap by the kilo like cucumbers and pay 10 times the price. Also put a bit of beetroot, quail eggs, cocktail tomatoes etc. I just meant it would be possible to only take lettuce. Personally, I would feel a bit shy to get a whole bowl for 50 Baht cause it would look suspicious.

But I also see why someone who stays over here longer and has a girlfriend wouldn't want to pay 100 baht for a small Singha to hang out in a girly bar. Yes, there is places, even in Patong, where you get a big Leo for 70 Baht. If the objective is to only chat with your mates and have a nice bar atmosphere in the back with a bit of music I think this makes more sense.

The place I go also sells large bottles of Archa for 37 baht.

I'm not talking about a minimart here but a real bar. Actually, when compared to Leo, Archa is not that bad at all. But one of my favourites is Chang Export. It's only been available for a year and I guess they put a bit of effort into developing it. Very smooth and very tasty and way better than Leo. And doesn't change its taste from one batch to the next. Bit more expensive than Chang classic but still slightly cheaper than Singha.

I think if you were to do a blind taste test you will only be able to pick what's Singha because there is a lot of hops and maybe Heineken because its so watery. I think there is no beer in Thailand that truly tastes bad, maybe its about the rice so it all just goes down easily. Best one is imo San Miguel Original (not the light stuff), I don't know what they put in there but it is really really good.

Talking about San Miguel, they also brew Red Horse, available in Familiy Marts (not 7/11s) from 40 Baht for a big one. Tastes pretty good if you like strong beer (6.9%).

But I don't wanna derail the thread, so please keep posting bargains.

Best: Radar Hill Viewpoint

Worst: The burning rubbish on the side of the road in the middle of the jungle on the way to Freedom Beach

Thanks for the help guys, I will try them.

You can find a few of Bundy's Rum at Patong Whisky shop for 950THB....I saw them the other day, while I shop for Pimm's No.1

If you don't know where it is: At the end of the soi that is opposite of Soi Sea Dragon. Also has the cheapest beer I have ever seen in Thailand by the bottle and stocks Phuket beer too.

well 2000 Baht wouldn't hurt even if it lasted for only a year. Everything else is fine... HDD, screen, RAM etc usually don't break too quickly.

I know several manufacturers deliberately put in some weaknesses when the products could in fact last longer. If you fix these bottlenecks I think you could use laptops for at least five years. If I buy a new one now it pretty much has the same specs (if I get a cheap one). But okay, that's off topic.

I had been asking around where I could fix my new laptop's keyboard (broken key on laptop) and everyone was referring me to the proper Acer shop instead of Big C downstairs.

Can anyone recommend a good shop down there? I think I once walked around there and asked who can just clean the laptop inside (they do get fairly dusty and heat up, that's when they start to break), most didn't want to do it and the other ones charged upwards of 1000 Baht for what can be done in under an hour. Got myself a cooling pad for that price.

Hi, I got a 4 year old laptop that doesn't work too well anymore. It's a Toshiba M200 and apparently there is some problems with some chipset that makes it burn out after 2-3 years. This leads to voltage problems and makes it shut down without warning all the time.

Now I read on several support forums that this can be fixed for around 2000-2500 Baht, but only if they don't change the complete motherboard.

Now my question is, where will I more likely not be ripped off? If I go to the proper Toshiba place in Phuket town will they try to say that fixing is too expensive just to persuade me into buying a new one?

And if I go to the repair shops in Big C will they likely know specific problems with certain models or will they be likely to not have a clue and want to change the whole motherboard instead of just a chip?

I know I have to go to find out, but please offer your thoughts. I know it's not too new but when compared to what is available at the moment it is still fairly okay. Only need it as a second PC to browse the web and watch streams.

Thanks for your opinions.

Well to be fair I don't only take lettuce, but I try not to but in things that are dirt cheap by the kilo like cucumbers and pay 10 times the price. Also put a bit of beetroot, quail eggs, cocktail tomatoes etc. I just meant it would be possible to only take lettuce. Personally, I would feel a bit shy to get a whole bowl for 50 Baht cause it would look suspicious.

But I also see why someone who stays over here longer and has a girlfriend wouldn't want to pay 100 baht for a small Singha to hang out in a girly bar. Yes, there is places, even in Patong, where you get a big Leo for 70 Baht. If the objective is to only chat with your mates and have a nice bar atmosphere in the back with a bit of music I think this makes more sense.

Never been interested in girlie bars myself, there is a bar at the top end of bangla road all beers were 60 baht i think 70 baht now, see all the sights without paying for company you do not want in the price of the beer

Have yet to find a bar on Bangla that does this price for a big one though. If you want to watch the girls dance while drinking cheap beer, go inside soi Hollwood, first bar on the left,3 litre tower 350 baht. Works out less than 40 Baht for 330 ml

Well to be fair I don't only take lettuce, but I try not to but in things that are dirt cheap by the kilo like cucumbers and pay 10 times the price. Also put a bit of beetroot, quail eggs, cocktail tomatoes etc. I just meant it would be possible to only take lettuce. Personally, I would feel a bit shy to get a whole bowl for 50 Baht cause it would look suspicious.

But I also see why someone who stays over here longer and has a girlfriend wouldn't want to pay 100 baht for a small Singha to hang out in a girly bar. Yes, there is places, even in Patong, where you get a big Leo for 70 Baht. If the objective is to only chat with your mates and have a nice bar atmosphere in the back with a bit of music I think this makes more sense.

well its all about perspective

to me people who drink chang and singha are no better than those looking through garbage

If you are talking to me, I drink the Heinikin for 42 baht. Although, admittedly, I don't really enjoy it that much. I would happily pay three or four times that for a good german or Australian type beer if I could find some in a convienient venue.

Get yourself to a whisky shop and buy Phuket Beer. Best beer in Thailand and it's the same price as Heineken in the big shop (38 baht). You will enjoy this one a lot I believe.

Never tried Phuket Beer, but have heard it is quite good. Excuse my ignorance, but what is a whiskey shop? A bottle or wine shop? I do like Beer Lao, but find it's supply somewhat erratic.

I suppose I could find drinkable beers at various retail outlets to drink at home, but I did say a convenient outlet, meaning, for me, a pleasant little bar near Chalong

A whisky shop is basically a bottle shop. You need to go to a bigger one if you want Beerlao or Phuket Beer.

Also, I don't agree with the American or Australian concept of buying all fruit and veggies pre-packed. What is the point in that other than make you commit to a certain amount, half of which you'll probably throw away anyway.

I don't see how buying lettuce by weight is any different from buying carrots or apples by weight and how this can be compared to scavanging through a bin is beyond me. Yes, my main objective is to get it cheaper, but I also don't like throwing out unused food or eating it when its not 100% fresh anymore (can't finish a whole pack in one day).

Thats just the "im too dumb to read reviews of phuket before traveling" tax

If they had read it they wouldn't travel here and they wouldn't have to get scammed left and right

Thailand in itself is a scam because everything available here is available in better quality and cheaper in surrounding countries with people who enjoy doing their jobs and meeting foreigners.

You're hopeless mate. What a sad outlook on life.

As I don't eat pork cannot comment on that however there is also places where you can get shrimps or squid instead for 139 Baht. Quite a few places in Patong. But I don't quite see why I would want to go to a restaurant and cook my own food. Thais seem to love it though, look how packed MK and Oishi and Shabushi is everyday.

taxis are still around 500-900 depending on your bargaining skills

there is a gas surcharge that brings it up to 1.2k+ once they know you are over 90kg

So this doesn't sound like a scam to you when the meter fee should be 387 Baht for up to 3 people plus luggage?

Btw shop in Supercheap instead of Family Mart or 7/11. Most things 10-15 percent cheaper.

well its all about perspective

to me people who drink chang and singha are no better than those looking through garbage

If you are talking to me, I drink the Heinikin for 42 baht. Although, admittedly, I don't really enjoy it that much. I would happily pay three or four times that for a good german or Australian type beer if I could find some in a convienient venue.

Get yourself to a whisky shop and buy Phuket Beer. Best beer in Thailand and it's the same price as Heineken in the big shop (38 baht). You will enjoy this one a lot I believe.

I think we are straying into the realm of "cheap charlieness - balloon chaser territory".

Far too much effort getting lettuce at a salad bar instead of paying a bit extra for a whole one.

too much effort putting some lettuce in a bowl and hand it to packing? you serious? And why would I buy a 300 gram pack when I just want a bit of fresh one? nothing to do with balloon chasing, I actually find buying the amount I actually want more convenient. And I'm not talking about a whole lettuce but the one that grows in small batches... don't know the name.

maikb84.

I have no idea about the price of lettuce but i will try this and if it is indeed cheaper. Well thanks!

Try to bag only the expensive one so you save more:). By the way, the salad bar in Central is A LOT better than the one in Big C Extra where they don't even offer proper lettuce or other stuff like quail eggs, nuts etc. And it's only 11% more expensive and it's ALWAYS extremely fresh... I wonder how they do it? The must be constantly throwing out the stuff after a couple of hours.

Edit: After 8pm the bread in Central is half price too and still tastes very fresh. Much better than the dry stuff you get in Wine Connection (I wonder why their stuff always tastes like its a week old when buying in the evening?).

Anyone any tips for ANY cheese that's cheap? It's ridiculous that the milk is just slightly more expensive than in Europe yet even the bloody processed cheese is like 4 times as much. And why is the Australian cheese almost cheaper than the Thai one! Even in Makro it doesn't go under 460 a kilo when buying in bulk.

When Big C Extra was still Carrefour you could always find a cheese near the expiry date (where it actually tastes best) that was half price but when they changed over it stopped. Sometimes they still have it but very rarely.

Big C Extra has a marked down table near the escalator. 30 Baht Mashed potato powder ftw... makes two kilos or so.

In bigger supermarkets like Big C Extra you get items free if they scan higher than the shelf price. Go and scan the items first at the price check points before you head to the checkout. You'd be surprised how often this works as most of the workers are just two lazy to change back to the old price tags after a promotion ends. Bought a spray once for 200 baht, got it free. Next day checked if they changed the price tag. They only changed the price tag of one fragrance and not all three. Bought another fragrance. Free too .

I think Malaysian Airlines does KUL-Frankfurt for 13,000 baht most days a week. Go to KL with airasia and from FRA there is Ryanair (Ryanair has a shuttle to their airport there). Should be significantly less in the end.

But yes, its a bit more hassle. But might save you 200 pounds for being busy for a couple of extra hours.

Buy 12 Baht fried rice and noodles in Big C Extra. Add other stuff at home to make it delicious. Can be put in freezer and baked in mini oven.

Go to the salad bar in Central Food Hall and put only lettuce in your salad bowl. About 3-5 times cheaper than the one already bagged as it is priced by weight (200 baht a kilo)

How do any of the complaints listed (except for the airport taxis) justify the outrageous prices asked by the tuk-tuks and taxis compared to the rest of Thailand?

It is these very same cooperatives that force tuk-tuks and taxis to make the return journey empty as they are not allowed to pick up passengers outside "their area".

Except airport taxis? Have you used them recently? Let me recap:

2 years ago: Meter Taxi to Patong, 287 Baht on the meter plus 100 Baht airport fee

1 year ago: Only fixed price, Patong listed as 450

6 months ago: Patong still listed as 450 Baht, but asking 500. Arguing for one hour doesn't change that. One driver agreed but was quickly interrupted by other drivers threatening him

NOW: Taxi Meter stand has a big sign NO TAXI, don't ask me what the lady in there is doing except sending everyone away in a rude manner by saying "No taxi!" and rolling her eyes. Won't answer any questions. Taxis now asking somewhere in the range of 1100 to 1300 baht.

And while you can avoid the tuk tuk scams in Patong by just renting a bike, it's hard to avoid the airport taxi scam. Not everyone wants to make a trip to Phuket town in the bus first of use the scam minibus that takes 2-3 hours to Patong. Most people will arrive with a long-haul flight.

So don't except the airport taxis from the list as they are actually one of the worst.

I think you are referring to the first picture where it says Bangkok-Colombo for 790 all-in. The way it is advertised it is indeed wrong when it has always been around 1990 Baht. I guess they either deliberateness advertise wrong fares just for the Thai market (maybe its no big deal here) or it was an honest mistake. I did get hold of a flyer for the Sri Lankan branch of AirAsia where the correct price is advertised. I used to get the newsletter from the Malaysian headquarters and the fares mentioned in the email have always matched the advertised ones on the website. So make a guess...

Open the email, hit the PrtScr button on your keyboard, open Paint and press Ctrl-V to paste. 5 seconds, done.

And then just save the image and attach it in your post here.

Alternatively you could use the snipping tool to make a screenshot, found in Vista or Win 7 under Start-->Programs-->Accessories

I agree with you there, that shouldn't be the case. I still believe the customer service representative didn't know what she was talking about and just made that up. I asked you earlier if you can post a screenshot so we can see if it is just deceptively written or plain fraud on the customer.

I remember getting emails that stated

50 destinations in Asia on sale in our Easter promotion starting from RM99.

We have over 50 on sale now for booking now until 30th of May. Booking Period blablbala. Destinations included in the promotion include blablbala cities

I think this would still be acceptable as the headline mentions there is a promotion where you can fly very cheap and then in the email it mentions which cities are included IN THE PROMOTION but it doesn't state a price there, it says for pricing go to the website. So the 99 Ringit is for people to get the fact that there is a promotion and in the email body people can see whether their destination is included.

If it would say Fly to these 50 cities for RM99 then yes, that would be very wrong.

If Ryanair sent you an email 100 cities on special now in our Euro Promo with fares starting at just 99 cents

would you expect that all of the cities 99 cents?

Wording is the key here. The price refers to the bottom price of a range of cheap fares in the promotion and not to all the destinations. The destinations refer to the promotion and not the price.

AirAsia has without a doubt the most devious bassackwards website in the biz. I'm used to it now. I use them so much I'm wise to their <deleted>. Charges for Insurance, meals, picking your seat, don't even think about trying to correct something once you've started. Just go back to the beginning and start again. I hate AirAsia and use them all the time. Bought a ticket this morning. Hate em.

If you're willing to go through all that <deleted> just to save a thousand baht here or there, it says a lot about the state of your bank account.

So it is such a big deal for you to pay 1000 baht plus a couple of other clearly indicated fees that add up to perhaps 500 baht and then simply book? You rather fly Bangkok Air for 3000 baht for basically the same flight you could have with Airasia? Airasia uses brandnew planes and if you arrive early or late or check-in online you can jump the queues (really the only negative thing I found is the long waiting lines but I had that happen with 5-star airlines too).