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

[spidermike007]

5 minutes ago, moogradod said:

Everything related to work (like repairs etc.) is extremely cheap here. This is good for us as customers, but many times I have to think about the people doing this work and the compensation they get for it.

 

That is clearly the more than sad part then.

I never lament the low cost of labor. It is a huge blessing for those of us on the other side of the coin. I am not trying to save the world. Just want to be fair and kind to those around me, and those I employ. 

 

On the flip side, do those laborers in the US, who fix toilets, trim trees, and repair your car really deserve $90 to $300 an hour? 

 

Do they have law degrees? 

[sqwakvfr]

The only thing I can complain in terms of prices in Thailand is wine.  A bottle of wine that costs $10 in the US is at least $20 or more in LOS.  Everything else is pretty much cheaper or about the same.  For comparison if a liter of gasoline is 50 Baht then it would be about $5.35 per gallon.  This is based upon 3.75 liters to the gallon and an exchange rate of 35 Baht to the $1. 

[loong]

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.

[murraynz]

12 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I'd be complaining if I was still in Australia. Don't have any complaints about the COL in Thailand.

Same same,  but I am surprised at some of big increases on expat foods. I'm sure that Thai supermkts are taking advantage of the increases Eg 25%-50%..on some items,. 

[worgeordie]

Not only Farangs , my wife complaining this morning about

the cost of vegetables in the market, cabbage 20 Bht ,before

10 baht for same quantity , long beans 20 Bht , before 10 Bht,

thats a big increase % wise, for poor people on 3-500 baht a day

it must be a real concern. 

regards worgeordie

 

 

Edited June 27, 2022 by worgeordie

[ThailandRyan]

7 minutes 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.

Rice to rise 30 Baht a kilo, families at Makro yesterday were loading up on the large 25kg bags, We bought 2 5kg bags as it was cheaper than a 10kg bag of what we use, had a special on it. 10Kg will last us many months as we only make a cup and a half of the bagged rice every other day.  What surprised me was how much Bacon, Salami, and pepperoni have gone up in price.  Wonder when the Pizzeria's will be raising their menu Items.  The lady on the corner who sells Khao Mon Gai on the corner near us raised her prices 10 baht per order as many of the other street stands have raised there's as well. Every morning on TNN they have a business section regarding food prices, including meats, veggies and fruits, they show what it was yesterday and what it is today, as well as what the Market prices are to be on 1 July.  My kids in the US have said that their food prices are up almost 15%.

[shackleton]

I have no problem with price rises happening everywhere 

I just look for cheaper brands 

More concerned with the exchange rate especially when I do big transfers from the UK 

[ChaiyaTH]

From my experience it is usually really never about the difference of only 10-20 baht with a dish, what it really is about is that you could see more and more businesses being taken over to fake some hyper modern first world style, and then charge 120 baht for a coffee that used to be 40. As a result, many of those decent priced shops also have died of more and more.

Anyway, today we have the inflation issue on top of that and the fact that many cheaper stalls remained closed, as there isn't enough tourism yet. I guess it is a matter of time we both see better exchange rates as well more budget options again, Thais will need it and a entrepreneur can still make a good profit offering decent prices food or drinks. 

 

Even with chicken now being 100 baht per kilo, you can still easily take 10 portions of pad thai out of that, make it 15 more for the other ingredients and they make a profit of 25 when selling for 50. That is a fat margin with often a high quantity of sales per day. TBH, I think they even get 15-20 portions out of 1KG chicken, and sell for 40 each.
 

I mean some here name examples of people who budget on 500 quid, well, even they retired back then with 2000 quid, which should been enough and is the average already, and that isn't sufficient today for a decent family life here with 1 child (well it might just be enough, if you already got savings for later done separated).

 

It is the Thais who will pay the hardcore price instead, they lived way above their means and now it's crashing down.

Edited June 27, 2022 by ChaiyaTH

[ChaiyaTH]

8 minutes ago, shackleton said:

I have no problem with price rises happening everywhere 

I just look for cheaper brands 

More concerned with the exchange rate especially when I do big transfers from the UK 

No reason to be concerned there, we will be getting more and more the coming years.

[ChaiyaTH]

33 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

The only thing I can complain in terms of prices in Thailand is wine.  A bottle of wine that costs $10 in the US is at least $20 or more in LOS.  

I would complain in US as much then, in Europe the average would cost 4 dollars, while its easily 30 dollars in Thailand. Anyway, it's called import.

[mrmicbkktxl]

11 hours ago, KIngsofisaan said:

Do I have to read the posted articles to you?

I think you should stop drinking lao kao,who the f... cares who is complaing about this and that,for  one guy 10 bt is a lot for another it isn't.And yes most people thinking it should be cheaper in Thailand than in Europe or USA,Australia,etc..Like another post said some items are higly overpriced and taxed without reason.Hmm and by the way who exactly is complaing about 10bt?

[MrMuddle]

3 hours ago, blazes said:

As a Canadian, I would willingly pay an extra 10 baht on everything in exchange for 6 months of sunshine and heat between November and April......

 

But I sure wish those taxes on wine were lowered...

If they taxed whining on this site, they'd make a fortune! lol

[ThailandRyan]

3 minutes ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

I think you should stop drinking lao kao,who the f... cares who is complaing about this and that,for  one guy 10 bt is a lot for another it isn't.And yes most people thinking it should be cheaper in Thailand than in Europe or USA,Australia,etc..Like another post said some items are higly overpriced and taxed without reason.Hmm and by the way who exactly is complaing about 10bt?

However, that 10 baht rise in price on one item across the board tends to be an increase that will be felt by many people, including the Thai midddle and lower class as well as those migrants living on 9 to 10k a month.  My GF handed a Lao Family who showed up at the Temple where she was cutting hair for free 1k Thb after she finished the two children's hair cuts as well as the mother, sad to see folks in such need.  We have and still do take food items as well as basic necessities to a few families down a side Soi near us, just as we have done for the past 2 years.  It is why we buy in Bulk at Makro and share what we can.  The Hi-So Thai folks will never feel the pain that those below them feel.

[Gillyflower]

13 hours ago, Hummin said:

Right now there is complaints about rising prices all over the world. 

 

A couple of minutes before I started this OP I was reading a Plymouth (UK)paper.  There was an article about 25% of women who can no longer afford sanitary products.

[KanchanaburiGuy]

10 baht? I could only hope my wife would withhold complaining until the difference was as much as 10 baht!

 

2 baht more? "Expensive!"

 

5 baht more? "Expensive!"

 

And she'll say this on something like 120 baht bottle of shampoo. One brand is 120 baht, another is 122 baht. "Expensive!" Hahahaha! And it's not like we buy a bottle every day or every week. A bottle of shampoo may last a couple of months! 2 baht on an item used over a couple of months?  "Expensive!"

 

What a relief it'd be if she'd hold off complaining until the difference is at least 10 baht!

 

Lol

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Thailand is still reasonable. It used to be cheap. Has not been cheap for a long time. But, it is still reasonable. I know people who pay 10,000 baht a month for newer 3 bedroom houses in nice towns. In major cities in the US? $2000-3800 a month. That is 120,000 baht!

 

When I travel here, I can stay in a very nice 4 star hotel for under 2,000 baht, in Bangkok. In the US now, hotels are up to $300 to $500 a nite! 

 

I had my motorbike seat recently redone on my scooter. 400 baht. A friend of mine had similar work done in the US. $275.

 

I recently had a guy come over and insulate my ceiling. I bought the insulation and paid him 2000 baht for labor. In the US? $800 and up.

I recently had an electrician do some work on the house. Nearly a full day of work. Paid him 1000 baht. In the US? $800 and up.

 

A friend of mine paid $1,500 to get his tree trimmed in LA recently. I just paid 1,000 baht to get several trees and my entire garden trimmed, and that included hauling everything away. 

 

An oil change for my scooter costs me 200 baht, with Castrol oil. In the US? $75.

 

I eat well here. In a smaller town you can get a three course meal for 200-250 baht. In the US? 2000 baht and up, plus tax and a nearly mandatory 15% tip.

And I get attitude for leaving a $15 or $20 tip. Here, I get nothing but gratitude for a 20-40 baht tip. Recently I was in the US and wanted to order from a delivery service. Besides the meal costing $45 for two dishes, tax and delivery service fees was well over $14. So, $59 for two dishes? I made a sandwich instead of engaging in that foolishness. 

 

I visit the emergency room here to visit a specialist, and with x-rays I am out the door for 2000 baht, at a private hospital. In the US? $300-2000.

 

Friends of mine, who are single, enjoy the company of a young, beautiful woman for a couple of hours, for 2000 baht. In the US? $800 an hour now for a decent looking woman with an attitude problem.

 

I could go on and on, all day long. I live at a level here, that I would never be able to live at, in the US, in most of Europe, in Oz, or Canada.

 

A quote from a friend recently in the US:

 

My neighbor told me she got a quote for a wood fence around her house. It was around $8,800 ($2800 for the materials, labor (2 days), $6,000. 2 days at 8 hours a day = 16 hours of labor)

 

For $6,000 labor/16 hours that works out to be around $375 an hour labor.

 

Another neighbor got some quotes to get the outside of his house painted. Average quote was around $5,000. He bought all the paint and supplies for $1500. Labor $3,500 and the house would have been finished in 1 day.

 

$3,500 divided by 8 hours of labor = $437 an hour to paint a one story ranch house.

 

So, expensive is very relative. Thailand is still reasonable. 

 

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, and graduated with an MD, is able to charge. You know the economy is upside down, and is an unsustainable position when that happens. 

 

I am thankful we live here, when it comes to daily expenses, so count me out, when it comes to beefing about inflation here. It is happening, but it is minor. 

Edited June 27, 2022 by spidermike007

[Old Croc]

I don't complain about cost increases here. My foreign income still goes a hell of a lot further than it would back in the west and allows me a quality of living unachievable in Australia.

Locals on a local wage certainly feel the pain, especially considering how the epidemic has cruelled the economy here. For many, wages haven't risen for sometime and have even ceased altogether. Prices still rise. I can understand their complaints.

Small economies like Thailand are greatly affected by outside factors such as radical politics, wars, oil prices, currency and stock market manipulation, disease, tariffs and big business putting profit ahead of the looming global warming catastrophe. I have no financial complaints about my decision to retire here.

I just hope the radioactive clouds don't descend in my valley when everything hits the fan. 

[Lacessit]

50 minutes ago, murraynz said:

Same same,  but I am surprised at some of big increases on expat foods. I'm sure that Thai supermkts are taking advantage of the increases Eg 25%-50%..on some items,. 

I'm not buying much in the supermarkets nowadays,  local yoghurt and Mainland Cheese, the occasional treat of camembert. On a reduced carb diet, heavy on vegetables, packaged foods almost non-existent.

[Lacessit]

Just now, Old Croc said:

I just hope the radioactive clouds don't descend in my valley when everything hits the fan. 

My my, we are feeling cheerful this morning.

[richard_smith237]

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. 

[spidermike007]

4 minutes 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. 

Spot on! Though absolute contentment must be a beautiful state of mind, it is not something most of us are blessed with.

 

The fact that I complain, does not mean I do not love Thailand, nor most of it's people. I do. I love my life here, I have a very good life here, and I am grateful. But, I do have some complaints, and there are some things I would love to see improved. 

Edited June 27, 2022 by spidermike007

[gamb00ler]

There is definitely price gouging in Thailand.  I see it often when looking for house finishing goods particularly if you want something generally only purchased for high end houses in Thailand.  The two examples that I encountered recently are plantation shutters or custom countertops made of solid surface material with a seamlessly integrated undermount sink and backsplash.  Both of those are considered standard or mid-range quality in the West.  Neither of those are common here in Thailand.  Consequently the cost is significantly higher than in my home country.  Those products do require a somewhat higher level of skill to fabricate but still the price is out of line with the cost of materials and labor.  A thin market often means exorbitant pricing.

[jerrymahoney]

12 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Spot on! Though absolute contentment must be a beautiful state of mind, it is not something most of us are blessed with.

Well I do not have absolute contentment but, based upon your posting history, I seem to be more content than you. And if I maybe also have a 'discerning mind', I seem to more readily be able and willing to stick it in neutral gear.

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, jerrymahoney said:

Well I do not have absolute contentment but, based upon your posting history, I seem to be more content than you. And if I maybe also have a 'discerning mind', I seem to more readily be able and willing to stick it in neutral gear.

Posting about something on a forum is different than moaning about it all day long in person…

For many, the forum is a discussion. 
 

For example, I hate dual pricing and will post strong objections about it on this forum. But I do not let it negatively impact my daily life. 
If it’s a restaurant or business I simply chose and alternative if convenient, if not convenient I suck it up. 
 

[anandra]

Thailand has only cheap accommodation and cheap travel expences, that is all. Most of you compare the prices with the prices of Australia, Switzerland, where one needs to work few hours to buy all necessary food per day. Before my arrival in Thailand I spent 3 months in Poland. Most grocery products there are much cheaper than in Thailand, having better choice of different goods. Dairy products in Poland enormous choice of different types of mil and yoghurts with price 11 baht for 150 gr yoghurt, 28 baht for 1 litre of milk,  79 baht 1 kg of chicken, 16 baht for 1 kg of potatoes, and yes, as it was mentioned earlier, juices are weak point here. No big choice, with high prices, in Poland 1 litre of orange juice is 24 baht, never seen here such price for any juice)) beer half litre can 25 baht. I am not talking about cheese, sour cream and other things. While comparing these prices, I gave example of average proces in Poland, some of thise products can be found even cheaper. Yet, rent and travel expenses in Poland are higher for sure, and of course the weather, Thai weather has no value it is priceless)))

[userabcd]

No harm at all by complaining, everyone does it for various things.

 

Depends on the price of a product and if the 10 baht price increase as a percentage is an excessive prices increase in relations to inflation and also depends if its a once off purchase or a multiply purchase of a daily necessity which would then have a greater impact on a persons income.

 

Don't forget, its 10 baht here, 10 baht there, govt services price increases, size reduction of goods, it all adds up and becomes more than just a measly 10 baht.

Edited June 27, 2022 by userabcd

[blazes]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

I never lament the low cost of labor. It is a huge blessing for those of us on the other side of the coin. I am not trying to save the world. Just want to be fair and kind to those around me, and those I employ. 

 

On the flip side, do those laborers in the US, who fix toilets, trim trees, and repair your car really deserve $90 to $300 an hour? 

 

Do they have law degrees? 

 

Dude, it should be the other way round: do lawyers deserve to pocket $300 per hour (an abysmally low estimate of what it costs to hire a lawyer these days) for a job that scarcely challenges anyone who's got a reasonably decent brain?

And to answer your rhetorical question: yes, the labouring classes do indeed deserve $90 to $300 per hour for doing the $hitty jobs they do.  How would you like to spend most of your working life on your knees as a plumber, only to retire early because your knees can't take it any longer?

[Kwasaki]

15 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Posting about something on a forum is different than moaning about it all day long in person…

For many, the forum is a discussion. 
 

For example, I hate dual pricing and will post strong objections about it on this forum. But I do not let it negatively impact my daily life. 
If it’s a restaurant or business I simply chose and alternative if convenient, if not convenient I suck it up. 
 

I would of thought someone like you who has been here a long time wouldn't be bothered by anything by now. ????

[Photoguy21]

14 hours ago, Padthaigoong said:

Probably because the years after the Asian financial crisis and devaluation of the Baht created a powerful narrative that still exists today...Thailand is cheap

 

And then they realise that was 15 years ago.

 

Depends on your lifestyle. It can be very cheap now or very expensive depending on how you chose to live.

[jerrymahoney]

19 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Posting about something on a forum is different than moaning about it all day long in person

Well that's ok as long as you mean the 'occasional' posting on a forum.