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British Pattaya bar owner says monthly groceries cost £130

A Wolverhampton man who moved to Pattaya three years ago says a month's groceries cost him around £131, while utilities and transport are also far cheaper than he experienced in the UK.

Macauley Haycock, 31, owns a Bar in Pattaya, lives with his girlfriend and runs the Mac TV Travel channel on YouTube and Facebook. He told BirminghamLive that his household spending has been markedly lower since relocating from the Midlands.

Food, rent and bills in Pattaya

Haycock said his latest food shop included steaks, chicken, tuna, cottage cheese, fruit, vegetables and drinks, as well as a full spice rack.

"I've just grabbed a month's supply of food and it came to around £131," he said. "Steaks, chicken, tuna, cottage cheese, fruit, vegetables and drinks, I bought a whole spice rack and there's loads of stuff."

IMG_3268.jpeg

He said he pays £25 a month for Wi-Fi, water and electricity. Before moving house, he was paying about £360 a month for a condominium with a gym and swimming pool on the 29th floor.

Haycock has now moved to a three-bedroom house costing about £580 a month. With bills included, he said his monthly total is just over £600.

The comparison cited by BirminghamLive put a 30-minute Bolt journey at £6.95 in Pattaya, compared with £14.35 in Birmingham. It listed three-bedroom rents in Pattaya at £580 a month, against £1,000 to £1,250 in Birmingham, and bottled beer at his Bar at £2.25, compared with £7.10 at Wetherspoons in the UK.

Lower prices do not remove the need to plan

Haycock said rent, food, accommodation, transport and bills in Thailand were all cheaper than in the West. However, he cautioned people considering a move not to assume they can immediately earn a living after arriving.

"Whatever country you travel to, go there on a holiday before you move there," he said. "Don't just come straight to Thailand, scout it out before you live here."

For foreigners weighing up a move to Thailand, day-to-day costs can vary significantly by location, accommodation and lifestyle. More importantly, a lower budget does not replace the need to arrange an appropriate visa and ensure any work, including online work, is permitted under Thai rules.

Haycock advised prospective movers to secure an online job before leaving the UK, saying they may not find work in Thailand. He said even a call-centre salary from the UK could stretch further in Thailand than local wages.

Warning for aspiring YouTubers and teachers

He also warned against treating YouTube as an easy route to income abroad. "People who want to be aspiring YouTubers should do more research rather than just pressing record and seeing what happens," he said, adding that people need to learn how to make and edit videos if they want to earn serious money.

Haycock said he would not advise moving to Thailand to teach, despite it being an option. "Every single one I speak to says it's a bad idea," he said, citing low salaries and long hours.

IMG_3269.jpeg

Pictures courtesy of Birmingham Mail

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21 September 2026

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candide Star Member

candide

Advanced Member
6 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Ahhh, so. Alli is available everywhere.

I know cc is a thrifty source of low fat protein....

But to me it's old man with dentures food, but I will keep it in mind when I am 90+ if my Mexican teeth don't make it that far. 😄

Screenshot_20260921_090045_Chrome.jpg

So if you eat 2 per day during 30 days it's 2780 baht, around half his "groceries" budget! 😀

couchpotato Gold Member

couchpotato

Advanced Member
5 minutes ago, 1happykamper said:

exactly 💯....he and his sweetie vacation in some nice places...his recent trip to Chiang Mai was all class and fun. So many miserable jealous wnkrs here that just WISH they had such a good life....but they never leave their sofa and their comfort zone.

You have wrong guy...

save the frogs Star Member

save the frogs

Advanced Member
20 minutes ago, 1happykamper said:

...he and his sweetie vacation in some nice places...his recent trip to Chiang Mai was all class and fun.

neither do I live my life vicariously through other youtubers though.

i don't watch his channel much.

i'm happy living a relaxed life. i might do some traveling at some point, but i'm good being lazy for now.

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member

1 hour ago, PhilipHabib said:

Sad when glorifying some fake Chav pimp

Are work permits issued for this job category ?

ali-g.jpg

Work permits are unlikely to be available for "fake chav pimps" but they are a possibility for foreign "bar managers"

Which position were you thinking of applying for ?

Ralf001 Star Member

Ralf001

Advanced Member
1 hour ago, PhilipHabib said:

Are work permits issued for this job category ?

For Bar Manager, yes.

But he cannot serve customers.

AngryMan Senior Member

AngryMan

Member
8 hours ago, GoodieAfterDark said:

Well, it is a clown, what did you expect? It looks pretty ridiculous.

It is not "clown costume", and I would strongly advise you not to refer it as such in front of any self respecting Thai!

It is in fact, a traditional Thai style dress uniform, as is the traditional dress the lady is wearing, both are usually worn at wedding ceremonies or other celebratory/official events!

Here endeth your lesson for today!

1happykamper Silver Member

1happykamper

Advanced Member
1 hour ago, couchpotato said:

You have wrong guy...

Your ability to present a logical argument is zero

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

For Bar Manager, yes.

But he cannot serve customers.

I have never understood why any self respecting guy would ever wish to serve customers, where I come from that's woman's work

goldenbrwn1 Silver Member

goldenbrwn1

Advanced Member

His sniffy habit isn’t cheap though

visalady Advanced Member

visalady

Member
(edited)
13 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

A Wolverhampton man who moved to Pattaya three years ago says a month's groceries cost him around £131, while utilities and transport are also far cheaper than he experienced in the UK.

Macauley Haycock, 31, owns a Bar in Pattaya, lives with his girlfriend and runs the Mac TV Travel channel on YouTube and Facebook. He told BirminghamLive that his household spending has been markedly lower since relocating from the Midlands.

Food, rent and bills in Pattaya

Haycock said his latest food shop included steaks, chicken, tuna, cottage cheese, fruit, vegetables and drinks, as well as a full spice rack.

"I've just grabbed a month's supply of food and it came to around £131," he said. "Steaks, chicken, tuna, cottage cheese, fruit, vegetables and drinks, I bought a whole spice rack and there's loads of stuff."

IMG_3268.jpeg

He said he pays £25 a month for Wi-Fi, water and electricity. Before moving house, he was paying about £360 a month for a condominium with a gym and swimming pool on the 29th floor.

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Haycock has now moved to a three-bedroom house costing about £580 a month. With bills included, he said his monthly total is just over £600.

The comparison cited by BirminghamLive put a 30-minute Bolt journey at £6.95 in Pattaya, compared with £14.35 in Birmingham. It listed three-bedroom rents in Pattaya at £580 a month, against £1,000 to £1,250 in Birmingham, and bottled beer at his Bar at £2.25, compared with £7.10 at Wetherspoons in the UK.

Lower prices do not remove the need to plan

Haycock said rent, food, accommodation, transport and bills in Thailand were all cheaper than in the West. However, he cautioned people considering a move not to assume they can immediately earn a living after arriving.

"Whatever country you travel to, go there on a holiday before you move there," he said. "Don't just come straight to Thailand, scout it out before you live here."

For foreigners weighing up a move to Thailand, day-to-day costs can vary significantly by location, accommodation and lifestyle. More importantly, a lower budget does not replace the need to arrange an appropriate visa and ensure any work, including online work, is permitted under Thai rules.

Haycock advised prospective movers to secure an online job before leaving the UK, saying they may not find work in Thailand. He said even a call-centre salary from the UK could stretch further in Thailand than local wages.

Warning for aspiring YouTubers and teachers

He also warned against treating YouTube as an easy route to income abroad. "People who want to be aspiring YouTubers should do more research rather than just pressing record and seeing what happens," he said, adding that people need to learn how to make and edit videos if they want to earn serious money.

Haycock said he would not advise moving to Thailand to teach, despite it being an option. "Every single one I speak to says it's a bad idea," he said, citing low salaries and long hours.

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Pictures courtesy of Birmingham Mail

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21 September 2026


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Yeah but he's buying loads for Beverly/Som or whatever her real name is, she looks a real mardy arse if she does not get what she wants. She is his biggest expense by far. Whatever Beverly wants Beverly gets.

Edited by visalady

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
19 minutes ago, goldenbrwn1 said:

His sniffy habit isn’t cheap though

What sniffy habit would that be? If you are going to make allegations be a man about it , Say what you mean and back it up with some evidence

PingRoundTheWorld Gold Member

PingRoundTheWorld

Advanced Member

These rent/food/utilities comparisons are irrelevant (even if lowballing it) - one night out in Pattaya can easily cost you more than rent if you go hard, and meeting the wrong woman will cost you even more. The only way living in Pattaya would save you money is if you don't drink (much), don't party (much), and don't partake in what the industry has to offer. If you're happy just EXISTING and doing very little else then yeah - you'll save some money, probably.

roo860 Star Member

roo860

Advanced Member
1 hour ago, goldenbrwn1 said:

His sniffy habit isn’t cheap though

And how do you know this? 🤔 don't say its common knowledge around Pattaya.

atpeace Platinum Member

atpeace

Advanced Member

Young guy with a beautiful tattooed stripper. What could go wrong :) Some pull it off and hope he does.

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
2 minutes ago, roo860 said:

And how do you know this? 🤔 don't say its common knowledge around Pattaya.

My mate had a "sniffy " habit , not what your thinking . womens underwear was his thing , not as expensive as the marching powder but it did cost him his best mate, They fell out when his mate caught him sniffing his sisters knickers, and gave him a slap. Understandable really , what with her being so young , and the fact that it was on the day of her funeral can't have helped matters much I don't suppose

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
2 minutes ago, atpeace said:

Young guy with a beautiful tattooed stripper. What could go wrong :) Some pull it off and hope he does.

He ain't no victim, he'll be ditching her and moving on soon , just wait and see, and remember where you heard it first

CallumWK Diamond Member

CallumWK

Advanced Member

Where is the link to the YouTube?

atpeace Platinum Member

atpeace

Advanced Member
3 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

He ain't no victim, he'll be ditching her and moving on soon , just wait and see, and remember where you heard it first

I wouldn't take that bet. Easy transition other than the bar. Not sure how that would be handled in a divorce. Remember watching the only video I watched of his and it was them getting married. Remember thinking that cute sexy style of her's is going to get old real quick and embarrassing.

pomchop Ruby Member

pomchop

Advanced Member
(edited)
14 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

British Pattaya bar owner says monthly groceries cost £130

The standard cheese and white bread diet

NOPE.

Where do you buy cottage cheese?

And how do you make it not taste like cottage cheese? 😄

you don't buy very much edible steak or cottage cheese on that budget much less decent cheddar or swiss type cheese...

Edited by pomchop

roo860 Star Member

roo860

Advanced Member
14 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

My mate had a "sniffy " habit , not what your thinking . womens underwear was his thing , not as expensive as the marching powder but it did cost him his best mate, They fell out when his mate caught him sniffing his sisters knickers, and gave him a slap. Understandable really , what with her being so young , and the fact that it was on the day of her funeral can't have helped matters much I don't suppose

We've all done it!🤣

saintdomingo Gold Member

saintdomingo

Advanced Member
10 hours ago, cookie1974 said:

Why

7 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

How can he be a bar 'owner'? I guess that means he leases it and has nominees?

I think bar renter would be more like it.

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
5 minutes ago, atpeace said:

I wouldn't take that bet. Easy transition other than the bar. Not sure how that would be handled in a divorce. Remember watching the only video I watched of his and it was them getting married. Remember thinking that cute sexy style of her's is going to get old real quick and embarrassing.

I wasn't aware they are officially married AI says they are just boyfriend / girlfriend you are correct about the rest though

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
15 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

Where is the link to the YouTube?

its generally just called "You Tube"

pomchop Ruby Member

pomchop

Advanced Member
13 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

At every major supermarket.

take a lot of $$ for cottage and any other decent cheese

Ralf001 Star Member

Ralf001

Advanced Member
2 minutes ago, pomchop said:

take a lot of $$ for cottage and any other decent cheese

Is English your primary language ?

Airalee Platinum Member

Airalee

Advanced Member
7 hours ago, NanLaew said:

More BS. Last month I drank at Wetherspoons in both England and Scotland and NONE of their bottled beers are close to seven quid, nor are their draft beers by the pint. The most expensive I encountered in Lancs was about six quid for a pint of 5.9 abv cask ale.

https://thewetherspoonsmenus.uk/drinks-menu/

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IMG_4083.jpeg

pomchop Ruby Member

pomchop

Advanced Member
3 hours ago, AngryMan said:

It is not "clown costume", and I would strongly advise you not to refer it as such in front of any self respecting Thai!

It is in fact, a traditional Thai style dress uniform, as is the traditional dress the lady is wearing, both are usually worn at wedding ceremonies or other celebratory/official events!

Here endeth your lesson for today!

You sure it is a "lady" he is with? Maybe.

PhilipHabib Advanced Member

PhilipHabib

Member
3 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

What sniffy habit would that be?

thought he was sniffing arounf ur jock size XS , the way you are defending it

wiff of jiff perhaps ?

Bohemianfish Advanced Member

Bohemianfish

Member
11 hours ago, baansgr said:

It's common knowledge he pimps out his gf for 4,000 baht.

To cover his grocery bill?

roo860 Star Member

roo860

Advanced Member
(edited)
1 hour ago, Bday Prang said:

I wasn't aware they are officially married AI says they are just boyfriend / girlfriend you are correct about the rest though

They were near Chiang Mai, this is the YouTube link. They aren't married

Edited by roo860

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