Why do people move to Thailand and Complain How Much Things Cost?

[KanchanaburiGuy]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Perhaps. My sister wanted to have a plate glass installed in her house. She was quoted between $7,000 and $9,000 for labor. A friend of mine who is a glazier, specializing in plate glass told me one guy could do the work in two days. So, that is somewhere between $500 and $700 an hour, for his time. Not a crew. 

Hmmm.

 

You seem to be talking about two different glaziers, and not giving comparative details. 

 

Since your friend was apparently NOT the one giving the quote, might there have been necessary work he was not aware of, never having seen the job?

 

And did your friend say that "$7,000 to $9,000" was a fairly common and typical price for a two-day, one-man installation? Did you even ask?

 

And I'd guess that where your friend is located........... and where your sister is located.......... are different.......... (which can dramatically affect overhead costs)............ since your friend was apparently NOT one of the people she got bids from. (She DID get multiple bids........... didn't she?)

 

And, related to my post above, how much competition do the "7,000 to $9,000" glaziers have in that area? Little competition means higher prices; more competitors almost always drives prices lower.

 

See, I'd like to take what you said at face value. But there are just too many questions hanging out there to do so.

 

Im prepared to be proven completely wrong............. but I suspect if she's been quoted "$7,000 to $9,000 labor" for a two-day, one-man job............ she's been quoted a price that is 4 to 5 times higher than it should be.

 

Maybe, as the saying goes, "they saw her coming"............. (saw someone they could sucker!).......... or it was an emergency situation........... one involving an insurance company they could gouge. (I had a windshield replaced by a company that did all the insurance paperwork, waived me having to pay any deductible, AND gave me $100 cash in pocket, t'boot! Obviously.......... something seriously wrong with their insurance billing, here! Lol)

[JJ Madcow]

My Thai wife and her family talk about it all the time. Not the same as complaining.

Father in law get nearly 10k Baht per month to live on, From Government pension, So the price jump is a bit hard on them.
Vegetables and meat going up, And i think wife say the rice going to go up all so.
Power have going up and now water bill per unite is going up.
So it all add up in the end.
But they are Thai so i know the adjust to the time we living in and manager in the long run.

We can see when we do our monthly shopping at Makro we pay more total.
It is fine for us, No surprise for me as this happened all over the world and we know it that way things is.
No one need to be rocket science to know this the way it is.

Gasolien have jump many times and we can see that every time we need to get a full tank of it.
We simple skip a lot of the driving for fun we normal do, Say No to driving people around all the time and so on. 

Again no complain from me, That the way the world is and have being for every, Things all ways change.
And we do few change in our life to match the higher price and the lower Currency for Danish Krone I get right now.

Things going to change again and so do we, Well that the way we go about it.

Kindly.

[blazes]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

I guess if nothing else, it is fascinating to see an advocate for Weimer style hyper inflation. 

So, if (like you) I advocate for LAWYERS (rather than plumbers) being worthy of $300 per hour, considerations of Weimar inflation will not arise????

 

"Fascinating" comment on the class situation in the USA today!!

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Putin has just stated that the first bomb is destined for London so I have mixed feelings.

Do you follow world events or just like to make petty comment on my posts?

It was a joke, Joyce. Given the way you have reacted, best I put you on ignore now.

[KanchanaburiGuy]

1 hour ago, JJ Madcow said:

My Thai wife and her family talk about it all the time. Not the same as complaining.

Father in law get nearly 10k Baht per month to live on, From Government pension, So the price jump is a bit hard on them.
Vegetables and meat going up, And i think wife say the rice going to go up all so.
Power have going up and now water bill per unite is going up.
So it all add up in the end.
But they are Thai so i know the adjust to the time we living in and manager in the long run.

We can see when we do our monthly shopping at Makro we pay more total.
It is fine for us, No surprise for me as this happened all over the world and we know it that way things is.
No one need to be rocket science to know this the way it is.

Gasolien have jump many times and we can see that every time we need to get a full tank of it.
We simple skip a lot of the driving for fun we normal do, Say No to driving people around all the time and so on. 

Again no complain from me, That the way the world is and have being for every, Things all ways change.
And we do few change in our life to match the higher price and the lower Currency for Danish Krone I get right now.

Things going to change again and so do we, Well that the way we go about it.

Kindly.

Yeah, driving choices........!

 

I live 20km from the movie theater. But gasoline right now costs me 5 baht/km. So, to go to the before-12:00 movie at that theater cost me only 100 baht for the ticket.......... but 200 baht round-trip for the gas!

 

Can I afford it? Sure, no problem. But it becomes a question of whether I WANT to waste my money this way. The ticket price is a bargain. But the gas to get there? I dunno! 

 

-------------

 

The gas math for anyone who's curious.

 

Fill-up to fill-up was 2060 baht.

 

KM driven on that fill-up was 396.

 

(I'm tracking right now to show the step-son just how much he spends of the gas we pay for, as he complains we "dont give him enough money!" Lol)

 

2060 baht divided by 396 km = a little over 5 baht per km!

 

------------------------------

 

Found a street vendor burger grill in one of the touristy parts of Kanchanaburi. "Kan King" the place calls itself.

 

I'm American............. I love my cheeseburgers! She makes a really nice beef cheeseburger with a fresh bun, tasty fixin's, and a load of perfectly cooked, fresh, crispy-soft french fries for 120 baht.

 

But it'll cost me 160 baht round-trip to drive there!

 

Aargh!

 

 

[brewsterbudgen]

Complain means "to express dissatisfaction or annoyance about something".  Why wouldn't people in any country complain about inflation?  I don't see why living in Thailand is any different!  I'm certainly complaining about the increase in gasohol prices.

[Kwaibill]

18 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Just for some clarification, who are the people complaining about ten Baht price rises ?

My wife.????She is local, so the increases seem "real ". Beginning  to be notable to me, too, over the last six years.

[4MyEgo]

17 hours ago, KIngsofisaan said:

Is 10 extra baht really hurting some folks that much?

Most expats moved here with nothing in the bank and live on what their pensions give them on a monthly basis, that said the exchange rate can affect their cost of living as much as prices going up, and yes they live on a budget and complain if something goes up, that is human nature.

 

Other expats moved here with their fortunes and lost all of it or most of it through either a wrong choice in women or business and anything going up would also affect their living standards.

 

There are few of us here who have been fortunate enough to avoid the above through either hard work and planning or a large inheritance, that said, we might not complain about things going up, but we might cut a few things (imports) out here and there as they go up as we simply refuse to pay more for such items until they wake up and drop the prices back, which I have seen first hand.

 

If someone complains about small increase, regardless if it's for 10 baht, accept it, that is their right, if your in a better position than them and it doesn't effect you, don't go complaining about it as it doesn't help their situation IMO.

 

 

[KhunLA]

17 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Most expats moved here with nothing in the bank and live on what their pensions give them on a monthly basis, that said the exchange rate can affect their cost of living as much as prices going up, and yes they live on a budget and complain if something goes up, that is human nature.

 

Other expats moved here with their fortunes and lost all of it or most of it through either a wrong choice in women or business and anything going up would also affect their living standards.

 

There are few of us here who have been fortunate enough to avoid the above through either hard work and planning or a large inheritance, that said, we might not complain about things going up, but we might cut a few things (imports) out here and there as they go up as we simply refuse to pay more for such items until they wake up and drop the prices back, which I have seen first hand.

 

If someone complains about small increase, regardless if it's for 10 baht, accept it, that is their right, if your in a better position than them and it doesn't effect you, don't go complaining about it as it doesn't help their situation IMO.

Most I know, friends, Yanks, Brits, and 1 Aussie, had well planned retirements when arriving here, and didn't fall into any of the above traps.

 

Other 'acquaintances', apparently didn't plan well, and or fell into above mentioned misfortunes.  Have already left.

 

Sadly, being the youngster on the block, when I got here, a few have passed away, and couple others on borrowed time, in their 80s +/-.  Not many left, from early days, 5 maybe.  3 my age, going strong, 2 in that 80's bracket.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, jerrymahoney said:

Well considering the volume and length of your posts, I think I have shown restraint. I mean, how many times have you said the current PM should Get OUT NOW! and i have just kept it in neutral?

Exhibit #3! 

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, KanchanaburiGuy said:

Hmmm.

 

You seem to be talking about two different glaziers, and not giving comparative details. 

 

Since your friend was apparently NOT the one giving the quote, might there have been necessary work he was not aware of, never having seen the job?

 

And did your friend say that "$7,000 to $9,000" was a fairly common and typical price for a two-day, one-man installation? Did you even ask?

 

And I'd guess that where your friend is located........... and where your sister is located.......... are different.......... (which can dramatically affect overhead costs)............ since your friend was apparently NOT one of the people she got bids from. (She DID get multiple bids........... didn't she?)

 

And, related to my post above, how much competition do the "7,000 to $9,000" glaziers have in that area? Little competition means higher prices; more competitors almost always drives prices lower.

 

See, I'd like to take what you said at face value. But there are just too many questions hanging out there to do so.

 

Im prepared to be proven completely wrong............. but I suspect if she's been quoted "$7,000 to $9,000 labor" for a two-day, one-man job............ she's been quoted a price that is 4 to 5 times higher than it should be.

 

Maybe, as the saying goes, "they saw her coming"............. (saw someone they could sucker!).......... or it was an emergency situation........... one involving an insurance company they could gouge. (I had a windshield replaced by a company that did all the insurance paperwork, waived me having to pay any deductible, AND gave me $100 cash in pocket, t'boot! Obviously.......... something seriously wrong with their insurance billing, here! Lol)

I was told, as you say, that installing plate glass is far more specialized, than installing typical windows. Especially in a home. That is the only difference I can see. So, you are right. There are less plate glass specialists, so they are able to gouge. Does it make it moral or ethical? No. Is it a reality? Yes. It is still a crime. However, not the kind punishable by law. 

 

Covid has presented alot of opportunities to mankind to demonstrate what we are made of. Unfortunately, many have shown their darker nature and have chosen cold, hard cash over nobility and grace, and are taking advantage in any way they can. 

[BritManToo]

34 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Other expats moved here with their fortunes and lost all of it or most of it through either a wrong choice in women or business and anything going up would also affect their living standards.

I moved here with nothing and I still have most of it left! 

[4MyEgo]

5 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Most I know, friends, Yanks, Brits, and 1 Aussie, had well planned retirements when arriving here, and didn't fall into any of the above traps.

 

Other 'acquaintances', apparently didn't plan well, and or fell into above mentioned misfortunes.  Have already left.

 

Sadly, being the youngster on the block, when I got here, a few have passed away, and couple others on borrowed time, in their 80s +/-.  Not many left, from early days, 5 maybe.  3 my age, going strong, 2 in that 80's bracket.

I have to admit, from all the guys that I know that live here, most are on the pension, and cannot return to their countries because they have no plan B back up plan ($), maybe two of us not on the pension and can return if we wanted to, that said, those on the pension are very frugal which I can understand as 40k-50k a month won't get you much if your a drinker and have a wife and a couple of kids, hers or both yours, still at school or uni, and have a car and his and hers motorbike.

 

Also seen a few go down by the wayside, varying in age, drunk and killed on motorbikes after a few too many, strokes in their 70's, and a few in their 60's from infections that they didn't get looked at, others returning to their home countries before they closed them as the pandemic hit, gets a little depressing watching people die, but that's life.

 

Living in Thailand makes it much better if you have money from your days of working back in the slave trade, but to me, that doesn't mean you stop and live off of it, you keep looking for opportunities to make some because your monthly expenses don't stop and will bite into your savings, and if you like to travel domestically and internationally every now and again with family, well, like I said, you got to keep earning or eventually you will run out of it by the time you reach 101 ????

[Mavideol]

18 hours ago, moogradod said:

I moved here from Switzerland where a lot of things are expensive (in fairness it needs to be mentioned that they are as well of high quality). And many things here are not so expensive.

 

But some are overly expensive. I am complaining about the price of exactly the same good sold here at 4-5 times the price (some even more) which cannot be justified by anything real (purchase price, logistics like transport, storage etc.). Most probably this is due to tax which is excessive for some items and nothing short of a simple rip-off.

 

Unfortunately this does not only apply to luxury items like sport cars etc. which I do not need to buy that frequently ????, but to simple things like orange juice or risotto rice. There is no delicious orange juice available here (something like "Andros") or apple juice (line Gravensteiner) - even irrespective of price for the imported (a bit better) ones which sell at exuberant rip-off prices. I think that these are specific product ranges that some are complaining about (think "wine" - guess there are a lot who are not that happy with the pricing).

for me mostly complain is about Gillette shaving blades and Nivea after shave, high way robbery price 555

[Mavideol]

7 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Cooking oil, 40bht/ltr before COVID, 80bht/ltr today.

My woman complained this morning after getting back from the market.

Bertoli Olive oil at Makro not long ago was 380 baht, went to 482 and now 455 don't think it will go back to 350 as it was 5 years ago

[Golden Triangle]

I have 3 pensions, army, state & civil service, I also have in excess of 1 million baht in my current account, + I have money in the UK that I may never touch, I could try to spend it but I have most of what I need, unfortunately I had to wait until I was in my late 60's for this to happen, all my life prior to age 65 was a struggle, I wish I had been this well off in my 30's.

[KanchanaburiGuy]

24 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

for me mostly complain is about Gillette shaving blades and Nivea after shave, high way robbery price 555

Lol

 

May I recommend you stop by Mr DIY if you have one handy. A handle and 24 double-blade cartidges for 65 baht. They work good, but are not long lasting. Good clean shave, though.

 

But at 65 baht for 24 razors, who needs long lasting? Lol

 

 

[jerrymahoney]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Exhibit #3! 

Wow that may be the shortest post you have  ever put up here.

[KIngsofisaan]

8 hours ago, loong said:

What an arrogant OP!

Why shouldn't people complain? They can complain if they wish and I really don't suppose that they care what the OP thinks, possibly wonder why the OP cares about people complaining. Almost certainly wondering why the OP should complain about their complaints!

Is it just expats complaining that upsets the OP so much or should Thais stop complaining about how much more expensive things have become over the last year? Believe me, Thais are complaining.

A year ago chicken breast in Big C was around 50 Baht/Kilo. Today it is 103 Baht! That is hardly a small increase. Many items are 50-100% higher than they were a year ago.

Have you any idea how these price increases affect a single Mother on minimum wage? They are paying more and have less money in their pocket to start with because it costs the so much more in fuel to get to work.

10 Baht increases may mean nothing to smug expats who like to look down on people with less money than them, but those 10 Baht's add up and mean a lot to lower paid Thais.

Maybe the OP should learn some humility and empathy for people who have less money to spare.

 

Just for the record, the price increases don't affect me much at all as I still spend less than my income, but I still feel for people who are affected.

If I was crossing a busy intersection in Bangkok, and ten baht fell out of my pocket, would I leave it or stoop down and pick it up?

 

The post is about complaining about an amount as little as 10 baht.

 

If you have to post and complain that prices went up 10 baht, you probably shouldn't live here.

 

Why should I have any empathy for people that go nuts over a 10 baht price increase? If you cannot afford it, go home and pay even more. These people chose to move thousands of miles from their home and for some odd reason, never thought the prices would increase or the exchange rate would crash?

 

Thai gov't subsidies won't last for ever and prices will continue to go up.

 

Heaven help the forum if the Songtaew goes from 20 baht to 30 baht.

 

We will never hear the end of it.

[KIngsofisaan]

7 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I don’t get this attitude… 

Some (such as the op) seem to believe that because people have made a choice to move here they have to agree with every single facet of life here & how things operate.

 

It is as if the Op (and those who think like him) believe that when people move here they lose their right to an opinion. 
 

Whereas a heathy and balanced mind recognises both pros and cons, positives & negatives….
 

It’s ok to discuss those opinions in the right situation… a forum designed for discussion is the perfect place for such discussions. 

Totally off track.

 

I do not think people have to lose a right to an opinion.

 

My question is more about not being able to afford a 10 baht increase?

 

Did these folks move to Thailand and NEVER think the prices would go up?

 

The whole world is more expensive and it will continually to be that way.

 

If  person moved all the way to Thailand and did NOT think prices would increase over 20 years (When their pension is fixed), that is not loosing an opinion, that is just plain not thinking.

 

I suspect the reason the govt subsidizes many products, is so that the low income Thai's can afford them, and then not bother when the government is stealing billions for their own pockets through corruption.

 

Complaining about 10 baht increases give me the feeling that some folks are just barely scraping by and it prices continue to rise, they will be screwed as most have no money and no way/place to go home?

 

No blame here, folks are all grown adults and made their own decisions to move here.

 

If there were not smart enough to think that prices would never increase, they probably asked for it.

 

 

[Excel]

I think I may start a new thread " Why do people complain about other people complaining ? "  ????

[KIngsofisaan]

10 hours ago, pomchop said:

Because there are millions of people who have zero clue about how to budget or manage their resources and continue to be unable to differentiate between needs and wants and what they can and cannot afford....so they have to blame somebody/something for their own failure to have learned over decades how to plan to live within their means.  If you can't live a decent life in Thailand on a relatively limited budget it is not Thailand's fault.  It is your fault.  

Hit the nail on the head with this one!

[Lacessit]

3 hours ago, KanchanaburiGuy said:

Yeah, driving choices........!

 

I live 20km from the movie theater. But gasoline right now costs me 5 baht/km. So, to go to the before-12:00 movie at that theater cost me only 100 baht for the ticket.......... but 200 baht round-trip for the gas!

 

Can I afford it? Sure, no problem. But it becomes a question of whether I WANT to waste my money this way. The ticket price is a bargain. But the gas to get there? I dunno! 

 

-------------

 

The gas math for anyone who's curious.

 

Fill-up to fill-up was 2060 baht.

 

KM driven on that fill-up was 396.

 

(I'm tracking right now to show the step-son just how much he spends of the gas we pay for, as he complains we "dont give him enough money!" Lol)

 

2060 baht divided by 396 km = a little over 5 baht per km!

 

------------------------------

 

Found a street vendor burger grill in one of the touristy parts of Kanchanaburi. "Kan King" the place calls itself.

 

I'm American............. I love my cheeseburgers! She makes a really nice beef cheeseburger with a fresh bun, tasty fixin's, and a load of perfectly cooked, fresh, crispy-soft french fries for 120 baht.

 

But it'll cost me 160 baht round-trip to drive there!

 

Aargh!

 

 

3 baht per km with an elderly Vios, I guess you are driving something bigger.

[SW Happy]

20 hours ago, moogradod said:

I moved here from Switzerland where a lot of things are expensive (in fairness it needs to be mentioned that they are as well of high quality). And many things here are not so expensive.

 

But some are overly expensive. I am complaining about the price of exactly the same good sold here at 4-5 times the price (some even more) which cannot be justified by anything real (purchase price, logistics like transport, storage etc.). Most probably this is due to tax which is excessive for some items and nothing short of a simple rip-off.

 

Unfortunately this does not only apply to luxury items like sport cars etc. which I do not need to buy that frequently ????, but to simple things like orange juice or risotto rice. There is no delicious orange juice available here (something like "Andros") or apple juice (line Gravensteiner) - even irrespective of price for the imported (a bit better) ones which sell at exuberant rip-off prices. I think that these are specific product ranges that some are complaining about (think "wine" - guess there are a lot who are not that happy with the pricing).

Buy fresh oranges and squeeze your own juice. 100% natural.

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

 

Living in Thailand makes it much better if you have money from your days of working back in the slave trade, but to me, that doesn't mean you stop and live off of it, you keep looking for opportunities to make some because your monthly expenses don't stop and will bite into your savings, and if you like to travel domestically and internationally every now and again with family, well, like I said, you got to keep earning or eventually you will run out of it by the time you reach 101 ????

I get an Australian part age pension, and income from investments in Australia. At my current rate of capital depletion, I'll be dead broke by the time I am 112 years old.

For me, the difference is living very modestly in Australia, and watching every dollar like a hawk. Here, I don't have to, and have a much better lifestyle. I do still watch what I spend, but that's more habit than necessity.

It beats me why Australian pensioners are not stampeding to get into Thailand, rents, utilities and food have gone through the roof there.

[LaosLover]

8 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

And the real question is, since when did a laborer with a minor skill, become able to charge per hour, what a psychiatrist, who went to university for 8 years or so,

When your toilet is backed up, it's an emergency. If you're a little depressed or neurotic, it can wait.

[Thailand Today]

Check out my new Video about prices in Grocery Stores Thailand VS USA

 

[LaosLover]

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I was told, as you say, that installing plate glass is far more specialized, than installing typical windows.  

Like the guy earlier in the thread getting gouged for his nice counter tops, anything that's not off the shelf at DIY store is way marked up because they know that a profitable segment of people will always moan, but can't resist house upgrades.

 

We like having a better grade of outdoor furniture on our porch. It very improbably costs more for a simple outdoor sofa than a complicated indoor sofa. But we like to sit out on our porch, so we paid.

[rickudon]

A couple of points. 

1. Fixed pensions.

Not that common these days (except UK state pension if you live in Thailand), well you have to plan ahead and expect inflation. Just because inflation was only 2%  the year you retire doesn't mean it will stay that low. You can easily live 20 years after retirement and in that time everything could easily double in price due to inflation (and, maybe, much more). Anyone who retires to another country with only a fixed income needs either a lot or an exit plan (low balcony?).

2. why so many brits?

Pensions for many Brits are pretty <deleted> (I know!). For those of us who have no partner, retirement in the UK is just a slow death for most - the pension means survival, but all holidays, sports and other leisure activity are expensive. Thailand offers more opportunity to enjoy your sunset years. For me the idea of living in a bedsit with just a tv and a computer for entertainment, and miserable weather, for half the year, was not an appealing prospect. I chose the Thai option.

3. Why complain?

See 2. Low pension, high cost of living means many of us had to budget, have ALWAYS had to budget. Existence was always a bit McCawber like. So 10 baht here, 10 baht there and a bit of shrinkflation means choosing what to go without. Thailand has it's attractions, but why anyone who was rich would choose to retire here is beyond me. If when i retired i had a million pounds i doubt i  would live in Thailand - holiday maybe, but live no. I had a nice property in France, and another in Florida on my retirement options, but redundancy and divorce sunk those.

 

Ok moan finished!

 

[CrossBones]

Why do people come to Thailand and then complain about all the foreigners complaining about  things?