Yes, the amount of the increase of the cost of living is partially dependent on how your home currency's value is changing relative to the baht. 

2 hours ago, bert bloggs said:

when i came here you could take a girl from the bar for 500 baht all night , now i hear they want you to buy them a drink as well .

you could probably get the same girl for the same price.......not saying that you'd want to........

Edited January 4, 20188 yr by tryasimight

5 minutes ago, tryasimight said:

you could probably get the same girl for the same price.......not saying that you'd want to........

 

Nah.  She's living with her husband in London.  Her 2nd, richer husband, after she dumped the guy who spent his life savings to bring her there.

 

Edited January 4, 20188 yr by impulse

1 hour ago, helloagain said:

There are three answers to what you say.

 Yes it is cos the Thai's just love new year new price and the flaming exchange rate........

at best in my 13 years here it was 74.9 baht to the UK Pound but now it 43.1 baht to the UK pound. 

Two tier pricing system, Thai price / forienger price.

And there's only one simple answer to that.

 

The rate of baht to the pound is irrelevant if your money is in Thailand in a Thai bank in Thai baht.

 

 

1 hour ago, helloagain said:

There are three answers to what you say.

 Yes it is cos the Thai's just love new year new price and the flaming exchange rate........

at best in my 13 years here it was 74.9 baht to the UK Pound but now it 43.1 baht to the UK pound. 

Two tier pricing system, Thai price / forienger price.

And there's only one simple answer to that.

 

The rate of baht to the pound is irrelevant if your money is in Thailand in a Thai bank in Thai baht.

 

When I go to Big C or Lotus I pay the same price as the locals.

Same when I put fuel in the car and bike.

How often do you experience dual pricing...really? and I mean really really  One time 10 years ago when yo went to a National Park?

 

The only time I recall paying dual pricing was with Ann from Stumble Inn when she wanted her sister to join the action. I happily agreed.  

 

 

Yes I do. it only takes the price of oil to drop and the entire index can turn negative.

 

And all that it takes to increase GDP growth is to understate inflation.

 

 

 

13 minutes ago, tryasimight said:

And there's only one simple answer to that.

 

The rate of baht to the pound is irrelevant if your money is in Thailand in a Thai bank in Thai baht.

 

When I go to Big C or Lotus I pay the same price as the locals.

Same when I put fuel in the car and bike.

How often do you experience dual pricing...really? and I mean really really  One time 10 years ago when yo went to a National Park?

 

The only time I recall paying dual pricing was with Ann from Stumble Inn when she wanted her sister to join the action. I happily agreed.  

 

 

The local Pad Thai place. Village Internet shop (in laws village; was quite adamant that I had to pay extra and wife almost lost it...said they had never even had a foreigner in there) when I needed something printed. Chainat Bird Park/water park. Etc.

 

Of course the national parks of which there are many within a few hours drive that the children like going to...but that's on me because the wee ones have to be out and about rather than flopped on the sofa with YouTube or Facebook. 

10 minutes ago, dave_boo said:

The local Pad Thai place. Village Internet shop (in laws village; was quite adamant that I had to pay extra and wife almost lost it...said they had never even had a foreigner in there) when I needed something printed. Chainat Bird Park/water park. Etc.

 

Of course the national parks of which there are many within a few hours drive that the children like going to...but that's on me because the wee ones have to be out and about rather than flopped on the sofa with YouTube or Facebook. 

I understand what you re saying but I doubt the poster i was responding to has small children and probably would not know what  an upcountry village looks like much less than having ever been to one. I may be wrong...often am.

 

Apart from the National Park pricing (which I don't disagree with)   hasn't your missus sorted it out?

 

 

39 minutes ago, suzannegoh said:

 

And all that it takes to increase GDP growth is to understate inflation.

 

 

 

If you read back you'll see a link or two showing how CPI is calculated, it's basically a basket of goods which are monitored for price change and they do seem to be quite serious about managing the basic basket. I recall one year where the government actually negotiated a delayed price increase with Proctor and Gamble who supply many of the soaps/shampoos etc for sale in Thailand, just so that CPI wouldn't rise beyond the official target. But of course we're talking about the Thai government here and almost nobody on TVF  believes anything anyone in it has to say on any subject so you'll just have to decide for yourself.

12 hours ago, Ruffian Dick said:

I've heard (via unreliable sources) that the cost of living is rising in Thailand. Is it true? How much? Bangkok? Chiang Mai?

By more reliable source the annual Inflation Rate is 0.78% per December 2017, against November's 0.99%; 

Core Inflation Rate is 0.61% annually, whilst 0.62 in November;

Consumer Price Index is 101.37, where it was 101.45 in November (about 100 in 2015);

Core Consumer Price Index is however 101.61, where November was 101.59 only, so yes, an increase...

 

The Thai Consumer Price Index was 100.33 in March, the lowest point in 2017.

 

Presume living cost prices are both based on location, an island is for example often little more expensive than on mainland, and life-style, i.e. cigarettes and alcoholic beverage has gone up – the last quite a bit, my favorite acceptable red table fruit-wine in 4-ltr. carton has raised from 719 baht in Makro to 899 with the last tax increase, so 25% up...

 

But look at the bright side of life: Eggs and some meat, and presumable a lot other products, are cheaper now than last year...

4 hours ago, sawadee1947 said:

That is as trivial to ask if there is a sunrise tomorrow.......Have a drink, mate!

..Can't afford to.. 5 years ago a big Chang cost me 47 Bt.. now 55 at the mom & pop shop across the road.. outrageous!

2 hours ago, elgenon said:

Yes, the amount of the increase of the cost of living is partially dependent on how your home currency's value is changing relative to the baht. 

Not when you are getting paid in THB :)

15 hours ago, tryasimight said:

I understand what you re saying but I doubt the poster i was responding to has small children and probably would not know what  an upcountry village looks like much less than having ever been to one. I may be wrong...often am.

 

Apart from the National Park pricing (which I don't disagree with)   hasn't your missus sorted it out?

 

 

Kinda. No luck at the bird park. The Internet shop was circumvented by never going there again. The restaurant is only bought from by inlaws  (it's really good). Etc.

 

However! Most of the time it really doesn't happen upcountry. As a side note I get out of the bull "traffic tickets" by pretending to only speak Spanish and tying up a few officers time trying to communicate with me. Thais don't have that advantage. 

On 1/4/2018 at 2:54 PM, FritsSikkink said:

Not when you are getting paid in THB :)

Sorry, I thought the OP was coming from another country.

On ‎1‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 8:15 AM, Cyclone88 said:

Common sense really.

Of course it's rising the same as everywhere else in the world.

Depends. The price of the cashews I like went up 25% overnight, but I can still buy a meal for 40 baht.

Hotel hasn't increased price, perhaps because so many cheaper places out there.

On ‎1‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 2:52 PM, Laza 45 said:

..Can't afford to.. 5 years ago a big Chang cost me 47 Bt.. now 55 at the mom & pop shop across the road.. outrageous!

Indeed, the prices now are just outrageous. I have to pay a whole 17 baht for a ready meal in Big C. The horror!

On ‎1‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 9:17 PM, Mac98 said:

With global warming, the dollar, like frost on a Canada goose, is melting away.

Damned Global Warming, that must be why its snowing in Florida.

In Makro quite a few items in the International foods section have gone up in the last year, often by about 10%. Cannot see much justification for it because these items have not changed in price back in Europe.  But Thai products haven't changed much.