A reminder why Thailand is such a great place to live

[PizzaBoi]

I see a lot of people complain about the problems Thailand has, but I just wanted to share my experience coming back to the UK recently and how absolutely insane the cost of living has become here.

 

Unfortunately I had to leave Thailand for personal reasons shortly after getting settled and it's been a number of years since I've been in the UK (I've been living in Eastern Europe for around 5 years) and I honestly can't get over how ridiculous prices are. Taxi from the airport for a 40 minute drive? £100 (4,500 Baht). What's the 2 hour drive from Bangkok to Pattaya? 1,200?

 

Chinese takeout for 2? £35 gone (1,500 Baht). A basic lunch at Pizza Express with just 1 starter, a small main and a couple of drinks... Another £25 gone. Any sort of trip to the supermarket is almost impossible without spending £40 (1,800 Baht). We were going to hire a car, but for 5 days it would have been close to £400 plus £250 security. £650 for 5 days! Compare that with the almost brand new car I rented in Thailand for £300 for the entire month with just £100 as security.

 

Renting an apt/home here is just plain awful. Aside from there being almost no choice and very few modern/new places, you'd be incredibly lucky to find anywhere for less than £1,000/month in any city or remotely central location. Then add on council tax and your bills... £1,500/month at least for even a simple place. And you can't just rent somewhere, even if you have the money. You need to be thoroughly checked out, as though you were joining the CIA. Credit check run, background check, the whole process takes 3-4 weeks if you're lucky. Compare that with literally anywhere in Thailand where for £300/month you can find nice new clean modern apartments with everything you need. And in the majority of cases get the keys the same day you view, with little to no questions asked.

 

It's cold, grey, wet and miserable here. The people are miserable. The cities are miserable. Everything is outrageously expensive for even the entry level <deleted>.

 

So next time you're going to complain about it being harder to get a visa or not liking the PM, just remember all the benefits to living in Thailand. In my mind there's no comparison and it's a stark reminder of what not to take for granted

[The Cipher]

Nice to see a rare positive take on here. Thanks for sharing.

[tonray]

I see this as less a positive take on Thailand than a negative one on the UK. 

[Olmate]

3 minutes ago, tonray said:

I see this as less a positive take on Thailand than a negative one on the UK. 

Insert (home country) here! 

[bojo]

1 minute ago, tonray said:

I see this as less a positive take on Thailand than a negative one on the UK. 

He's certainly portraying the UK negatively from a renter's perspective and being honest about the 'miserable' bit.....................Always good to pinch yourself when fed up with the Kingdom or go for some short sharp shock treatment in some other miserable country to get your mindset back on track..........................

[Salerno]

7 minutes ago, tonray said:

I see this as less a positive take on Thailand than a negative one on the UK. 

Where did you originate and how would it stack up to the UK and Thailand with respect to the points made?

[PizzaBoi]

17 minutes ago, The Cipher said:

Nice to see a rare positive take on here. Thanks for sharing.

My pleasure. I realize I went on a bit much, but this trip back has made me realize how lucky most Westerns living in Thailand really are. I think many have forgotten just how expensive their Thai lives would be back in the West.

 

Another very quick example... Our Airbnb is basically £125 a night. Crappy Internet. Crappy heating. Old useless TV, old furnishings. Tiny bathroom. Overall not very clean at all.  Compare that with the 5 star hotel we were staying in for £40 a night in Bangkok with the best bed ever, massive bathroom, all modern equipment and amazing staff. The difference in value for money and quality of life is just crazy

[Dante99]

Oh such news, Thailand is less expensive than UK!!!

[tonray]

Just now, Salerno said:

Where did you originate and how would it stack up to the UK and Thailand with respect to the points made?

I'm from the USA. Many of his points were centered around cost of living...and that's applicable to my country also. But again....Thailand has many positives and I enjoy living here, cost of living is one aspect. I appreciate the fact that as a foreigner, I',m largely ignored here and in most cases avoided...I enjoy my privacy. I enjoy the warm weather most of the time, I enjoy the availability of a vibrant street food culture and open markets everywhere, I enjoy the lack of needing credentials when renting a room, but all of these aspects also for some people might represent negatives too. Not trying to be negative about the OP but if you delete Thailand from the post it would serve as a "things we don't like about the UK" starter piece.

[PizzaBoi]

10 minutes ago, tonray said:

I see this as less a positive take on Thailand than a negative one on the UK. 

It's not just the UK though. I'm sure most if not all Western countries aren't far off. The US is just as bad. Australia is probably worse. Western European countries like France and Germany are similar.

 

Thailand is unique in that it offers so many Western comforts in terms of quality/service/availability, but at 1/3 or 1/4 the price (bare a few things such as imported foods or luxury cars). In fact in most cases the services offered are usually better and have way less hassle to obtain them than their Western alternatives

[Salerno]

@tonray Well said, but disappointed, was hoping for a pointer to a new place to visit. One of these days I might make it back to the States but not in a hurry (like it well enough, but it's not different enough to be a high priority).

[PizzaBoi]

9 minutes ago, Dante99 said:

Oh such news, Thailand is less expensive than UK!!!

Except it's not that simple. As I stated you can have money and for example it's still a nightmare to rent here. It's not just about being less expensive, it's about the products/services offered, the ease at which you can obtain them and just the general quality/sentiment to which they're offered. Yes cost is a major factor, but it's more complex than that

[Gottfrid]

25 minutes ago, PizzaBoi said:

My pleasure. I realize I went on a bit much, but this trip back has made me realize how lucky most Westerns living in Thailand really are. I think many have forgotten just how expensive their Thai lives would be back in the West.

 

Another very quick example... Our Airbnb is basically £125 a night. Crappy Internet. Crappy heating. Old useless TV, old furnishings. Tiny bathroom. Overall not very clean at all.  Compare that with the 5 star hotel we were staying in for £40 a night in Bangkok with the best bed ever, massive bathroom, all modern equipment and amazing staff. The difference in value for money and quality of life is just crazy

I mostly agree with you points, that you stated in your start of the thread. However, you should not go too far and be truthful when you compare. In the extra post above you are talking about a 5 star hotel for about 1800 baht per night. Really? It here you have to wake up and not get fooled. There are no 5 star hotels for such prices. They do not exist! What you have here is 5 star based on very low requirements modified to Thai standards.

Absolutely not to be compared with international 5 star standards for hotels.

[bkk6060]

OP's comments right on from my experience.  Been here 10 years and the UK folks are by far the biggest complainers about the place.  Never understood why.  It is overall better especially economically, then the UK or U.S.  Lots of of rude people in both countries who think they are entitled.  But I guess, some people come here and just like to complain about everything.

[PizzaBoi]

10 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

I mostly agree with you points, that you stated in your start of the thread. However, you should not go too far and be truthful when you compare. In the extra post above you are talking about a 5 star hotel for about 1800 baht per night. Really? It here you have to wake up and not get fooled. There are no 5 star hotels for such prices. They do not exist! What you have here is 5 star based on very low requirements modified to Thai standards.

Absolutely not to be compared with international 5 star standards for hotels.

Not true at all. A lot of the 5 star hotels/resorts in Thailand are some of the best in the world, at least where I've been. The level of service you get is world class.

As for my example, I stayed in Oakwood Suites Bangkok. Right now you can get it for 2,000 Baht a night (£46). It was slightly cheaper a few weeks ago (perhaps because I stayed longer). Go read some of the reviews on Booking and see how happy people who have stayed there feel. I can tell you the same quality of room and service in the UK would cost you at least 4x-5x more, assuming it was even available

[Gottfrid]

3 minutes ago, PizzaBoi said:

Not true at all. A lot of the 5 star hotels/resorts in Thailand are some of the best in the world, at least where I've been. The level of service you get is world class.

As for my example, I stayed in Oakwood Suites Bangkok. Right now you can get it for 2,000 Baht a night (£46). It was slightly cheaper a few weeks ago (perhaps because I stayed longer). Go read some of the reviews on Booking and see how happy people who have stayed there feel. I can tell you the same quality of room and service in the UK would cost you at least 4x-5x more, assuming it was even available

Hahaha! They really got, right? You bought it all!

[tonray]

7 minutes ago, PizzaBoi said:

Not true at all. A lot of the 5 star hotels/resorts in Thailand are some of the best in the world, at least where I've been. The level of service you get is world class.

As for my example, I stayed in Oakwood Suites Bangkok. Right now you can get it for 2,000 Baht a night (£46). It was slightly cheaper a few weeks ago (perhaps because I stayed longer). Go read some of the reviews on Booking and see how happy people who have stayed there feel. I can tell you the same quality of room and service in the UK would cost you at least 4x-5x more, assuming it was even available

Thanks for the hotel tip...looks like a proper hotel....I sometimes like to stay in the city for a few days and this might fit the bill for me.

[HeijoshinCool]

.

 

Moving day. From BKK, 400kms to my house.

 

One (filled to the brim)  box truck, driver who helped load, gas, door-to-door: ฿3250.

 

Said no passengers allowed, held out ฿200, and he smiled and said, get in.

 

Saw my dog, said, oh, no, cannot! Another ฿300 and we were on our way.

 

Try that in the UK or US.....

 

 

 

 

.

[Pravda]

This is really a sad comparison.

 

So the price of Chinese takeout and rent is cheaper. But the wages are also higher in UK. I'm sure people don't work there for 350 baht an hour.

 

Prices in Bangkok are not 40 pounds a night in a 5 star hotel. These are covid prices. Hilton and other known chains used to cost 100 pounds per night. It this continues soon there won't be any hotels left which I am really not looking forward to. Because when there is less competition the price goes up and the quality drops, especially here. 

 

The whole post is about prices, but when I go to Canada I find the prices of quality food cheaper than in Thailand. The only thing more expensive is rent and transport. But even that is debatable as rent in nicer Bangkok condos is actually more expensive if you do 1:1 comparison. Many condos here are boxes with no real kitchen, no bathtub and zero closet space. You want that you have to rent a premium Bangkok condo which goes for well over 2000 pounds a month unless you rent in old building full of cockroaches.

 

 

[PizzaBoi]

4 minutes ago, HeijoshinCool said:

.

 

Moving day. From BKK, 400kms to my house.

 

One (filled to the brim)  box truck, driver who helped load, gas, door-to-door: ฿3250.

 

Said no passengers allowed, held out ฿200, and he smiled and said, get in.

 

Saw my dog, said, oh, no, cannot! Another ฿300 and we were on our way.

 

Try that in the UK or US.....

 

 

 

 

.

Oh how about booking a private transfer for just 200 km, being charged 12,000 Baht in advance (paying online) and then getting a call 6 hours later and being told there are actually no drivers available for when you want to travel. Meanwhile the cash is blocked for at least a week. Welcome to the UK

[Orinoco]

I think the Op is a victim of his own poor planing

by not having an effective plan B in place.

Now moans about how bad the uk is.

 

Here's a couple of plus point for the uk

NHS. Free

Can do what you want, mostly in the uk

You can say what you want in the uk, up to a point.

You can own land in the uk

Your Thai partner can own land in the uk.

The minimum hourly rate for work in the uk is about to be 9.50 per hour

Thailand daily rate is !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL.

This list is way to long mate.

 

 

[PizzaBoi]

2 minutes ago, Pravda said:

This is really a sad comparison.

 

So the price of Chinese takeout and rent is cheaper. But the wages are also higher in UK. I'm sure people don't work there for 350 baht an hour.

 

Prices in Bangkok are not 40 pounds a night in a 5 star hotel. These are covid prices. Hilton and other known chains used to cost 100 pounds per night. It this continues soon there won't be any hotels left which I am really not looking forward to. Because when there is less competition the price goes up and the quality drops, especially here. 

 

The whole post is about prices, but when I go to Canada I find the prices of quality food cheaper than in Thailand. The only thing more expensive is rent and transport. But even that is debatable as rent in nicer Bangkok condos is actually more expensive if you do 1:1 comparison. Many condos here are boxes with no real kitchen, no bathtub and zero closet space. You want that you have to rent a premium Bangkok condo which goes for well over 2000 pounds a month unless you rent in old building full of cockroaches.

 

 

I'm going to bed but I'm sorry to say your post is mostly nonsense. I've rented lovely apartments in Thailand for the equivalent of $600 a month. That's in an expensive area like Phuket and my friends told me I was being ripped off at that rate, other areas of Thailand are even cheaper. And the notion you can't rent anything premium in Bangkok for less than £2,000/month is complete and utter BS.

 

The whole post was not just about prices. It was also about the availability and ease of attainability of things too.

 

Yes hotels are at discounted rates now, but even if they double post-COVID, they will still be far cheaper than their Western alternatives. Not quite sure why that's sad... If anything my post encourages people to visit/live in Thailand, which is exactly what their economy needs right now

[The Cipher]

29 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

What you have here is 5 star based on very low requirements modified to Thai standards.

Absolutely not to be compared with international 5 star standards for hotels.

I apologize for being blunt about this, but you're wrong.

 

There are some spectacular properties in Thailand and they're up there with anything you'd expect to find internationally. Many have prices to match, which could explain why they're relatively less explored in the mass market.

 

I specialize in hospitality and casino investments as a day job, so I hope I'd know what I'm talking about here.

[PizzaBoi]

3 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

I think the Op is a victim of his own poor planing

by not having an effective plan B in place.

Now moans about how bad the uk is.

 

Here's a couple of plus point for the uk

NHS. Free

Can do what you want, mostly in the uk

You can say what you want in the uk, up to a point.

You can own land in the uk

Your Thai partner can own land in the uk.

The minimum hourly rate for work in the uk is about to be 9.50 per hour

Thailand daily rate is !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL.

This list is way to long mate.

 

 

Let's not assume what I have or have not planned. Sometimes life is very unfair and you have to make decisions and choices you would not have usually made.

 

I agree the NHS is amazing.

 

The hourly rate is 9.50 an hour because it needs to be. I know plenty of people with full-time jobs here slogging it out Mon-Fri barely able to pay their mortgage. Just because the minimum wage is higher, doesn't automatically mean you have a higher quality of life or that you aren't completely miserable.

 

You can also have a visit from the police for hurting someone's feeling on Twitter in the UK. It's all relative. Freedom of speech here is all but dead.

 

Of course I wouldn't move to Thailand to find work or start a business. But for someone who already has money, or perhaps works online or has an alternate source of income, then in my mind Thailand wins hands down. I see absolutely no reason to stay in the UK in those cases. That was my only real point

[Pravda]

4 minutes ago, PizzaBoi said:

I'm going to bed but I'm sorry to say your post is mostly nonsense. I've rented lovely apartments in Thailand for the equivalent of $600 a month. That's in an expensive area like Phuket and my friends told me I was being ripped off at that rate, other areas of Thailand are even cheaper. And the notion you can't rent anything premium in Bangkok for less than £2,000/month is complete and utter BS.

 

 

 

 

Maybe if you worked, saved and owned a property back in your country instead of being a forever renter you wouldn't be so angry by the simple facts I stated in my post. Enjoy Thailand. 

[Orinoco]

8 minutes ago, PizzaBoi said:

Let's not assume what I have or have not planned. Sometimes life is very unfair and you have to make decisions and choices you would not have usually made.

Yes life can be unfair.

but that's why you have a plan B in place.

( the rainy day does come sometimes )

 

Quote

You can also have a visit from the police for hurting someone's feeling on Twitter in the UK. It's all relative. Freedom of speech here is all but dead.

And what can happen to you in Thailand !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

[PizzaBoi]

Just now, Pravda said:

 

 

Maybe if you worked, saved and owned a property back in your country instead of being a forever renter you wouldn't be so angry by the simple facts I stated in my post. Enjoy Thailand. 

You have absolutely no idea about my work, savings or property situation in the UK, or what I do or do not own. In fact you know absolutely nothing about my financial situation at all.

Just because I'm looking to rent somewhere now, doesn't mean I don't own property. Perhaps you should stop making silly assumptions and stick to the discussion at hand.

 

You said you can't rent premium apartments in Bangkok for less than £2,000/month. That's nonsense, plain and simple. The variety and choice of apartments in Bangkok is insane right now. It's 100% a buyers/renters market, as are other parts of Thailand too

[Pravda]

2 minutes ago, PizzaBoi said:

You said you can't rent premium apartments in Bangkok for less than £2,000/month.

Yes. This is exactly what I'm saying.

 

Prove me wrong.

[Orinoco]

9 minutes ago, PizzaBoi said:

You have absolutely no idea about my work, savings or property situation in the UK, or what I do or do not own. In fact you know absolutely nothing about my financial situation at all.
 

If it was good, you would not have started this thread.

( uk time now, 01:50 ) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL 

 

 

[BritManToo]

54 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

OP's comments right on from my experience.  Been here 10 years and the UK folks are by far the biggest complainers about the place.  Never understood why.  It is overall better especially economically, then the UK or U.S.  Lots of of rude people in both countries who think they are entitled.  But I guess, some people come here and just like to complain about everything.

Not me, I love it here and say so in many posts.