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Making the Most of Your THB in Bangkok

 

 

Whether you’re a seasoned expat living in the City of Angels or you’re fresh off the plane, money-saving tips are always useful. One of the great things about living in Bangkok is the adaptability to budgets that this crazy place offers. Bangkok is the ultimate paradox. It’s both expensive and dirt cheap, green and completely urban, clean and dirty—all at the same time. You can live it large here or, if you’re keen, learn a number of ways to make your budget stretch farther than you anticipated.

 

#1 If you’re living here for a long time than one of the joys of Bangkok is the accessibility to so many surrounding countries and cultures. Traveling to these places doesn’t have to be expensive either. If you make your trips between May and November, during the low season for tourism, you’ll find more accommodation, transport, and food discounts on even high-end places.

 

#2 While most blogs will tell you to turn to street food for cheap eats, that piece of advice has been done to death. For an alternative money saving food option, and a huge range of restaurants to choose from that may perhaps normally be out of your budget, check out Eatigo.com. You can save up to 50% off at 4000+ restaurants over Bangkok from low-end budget eateries ($) up to five-star cuisine venues ($$$$$).

 

#3 While most rentals or condos tend to come furnished, there are some that don’t. Avoid buying new furniture items from places like Ikea or Index Living Mall, if you’re looking to make the most of your money here. Craigslist.co.th, Thaivisa’s very own Classified section, and forums such as Facebook’s Bangkok Classifieds Forum and Bangkok Expats are great places to get furniture deals—often from expats doing moving sales of their own! Markets like the famous Chatuchak Weekend one or individual stores like Yesterday Once Again on Rama IV are also great places to find unique or custom pieces for those with an eye for something unusual.

 

#4 For transport in Bangkok you again have a range of options to suit all budgets and risk tastes. Walking, cycling, and Bangkok buses sit at the lowest end of the budget spectrum when it comes to making your way around the city. Motorcycle taxis come in hard on the heels of those three for quick local journeys. Though like all hired service forms of transport here, this depends entirely from where you’re picking a motorcycle up from. Expect to pay more around tourist-centric spots whichever transport mode you choose from. Taxis come next on the budget spectrum in terms of expense, with tuk tuks too. If you’re new here, tuk tuks can work out very expensive for farangs so try it once for the novelty, but then avoid for your pockets’ sake. Use the Grab app to get the best set deals on all forms of Thai taxi transport; bike or car.

 

#5 One of the most surreptitious money traps in Bangkok is banking costs. Let’s start with the ATM. As well as the upfront cost of 200THB everytime you make a withdrawal from your native country’s bank account, many cards will also charge you an in-house conversion fee and a transaction fee ON TOP. These costs swiftly rack up. Next up is transferring money out of Thailand. Looking to send money back to your native country or anywhere else in the world? Avoid the Thai local bank transfer costs of up to 1500THB and use DeeMoney instead.

 

A single flat fee of 150THB per transaction and market competitive exchange rates are just two of the reasons to register at a local DeeMoney branch today. Need a third? Once you’ve completed the in-person registration process and made your first transfer, you can earn up to 1500THB up until the end of 2018 for introducing three friends to DeeMoney. Best of all, they each earn a 500THB voucher too! It’s a win-win situation. So, what are you waiting for? Make the most of your THB today.