TikTok star Phattaradej ‘Top’ Luechai, 29, who became famous for sharing his extreme frugal monthly meal prep for himself and his partner due to inflation, poses next to stored food for one month to illustrate his tight budget grocery shopping under $109 on his channel, in Samut Prakan province, Thailand, August 29, 2022. REUTERS/Kwang Jiraporn Kuhakan

A Thai TikToker‘s tips on grocery shopping on a budget of just 4,000 baht ($109) a month are attracting thousands of followers amid a global food crisis as the southeast Asian nation grapples with its highest inflation in more than a decade.

 

Phattaradej ‘Top’ Luechai, 29, creates bite-sized videos of himself buying cheap food in bulk, preparing it in small portions, and trying out different menus for his viewers.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-tiktoker-builds-following-with-tips-on-frugal-living/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-09-08

 

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Nonsense - he's spending too much

What's the big deal? 1000's of families will do this every week of every year

"A Thai TikToker‘s tips on grocery shopping on a budget of just 4,000 baht ($109) a month...."

 

Sure Thai pensioners on 600 bht a month love watching his vids.

I hope his followers see that he has to spare on food, because he bought a printer worth 2,5 month of food.

What a weird world where poor people become stars on social medias for displaying their precarious lifestyle. Our system - whether you wanna call it industrial, capitalist, liberal or whatever - is really FUBAR. Or maybe I'm the one getting old I don't know...

 

Christ, I spend around that in Makro every month and I buy some highly taxed foreign foods too.

 

You could live off chicken thighs, potatoes, carrots, and onions for 1000 baht a month.

This could be start of a new trend. Although we have many similar threads on here. Maybe someone could start a What is the absolute minimum I could live to eke out an existence as a destitute expat trying to survive in Thailand.

In short, just cook at home

6 hours ago, webfact said:

and his partner

More virtue signaling

 

Why does everything need to be reduced to one's sexuality these days?

 

 

Old Thais are really skint - even wealthy ones.

 

Edited September 8, 20224 yr by BonMot

3 hours ago, Baron Samedi said:

What a weird world where poor people become stars on social medias for displaying their precarious lifestyle.

There's so much absolute garbage shared online with millions of followers it beggars belief.  Clearly fake videos that you watch for a second and get the feeling that only someone who was lobotomised could enjoy are clearly very popular.

 

Tips on living frugally are actually on the average end of things.

Edited September 8, 20224 yr by BangkokReady

I do not know about living cheap ,what about the environment ,typical Thai look at all those plastic bags ,where will they all end up.

Bulk purchasing is not really in the psyche of most Thais, it’s more of a day to day thing.

Many in Bangkok don’t have cooking facilities or freezers in their rooms, so eating out or buying take away it is…

 

What this a chap is doing is what many western families have been doing for decades. My old dear used to love taking advantage of sales at supermarkets and would  bulk cook a few things to put in the freezer for a few weeks until it was all eaten. 

 

Likely the future of food in Thailand will be different, with more people cooking at home as eating out becomes more of a luxury, than the norm. I have certainly observed a big increase in the microwave ready meals range at seven, for example, although Thais still like their fresh cooked food a lot more. 

 

 

Easy enough for anyone if they don't buy imported premium foods and any form of alcohol, although Lao Khao is pretty cheap.

In my GF's village, there are people who are living on incomes of 2 - 2.5 K baht/month, they are not starving. They raise their own protein, grow their own vegetables. There's quite a lot of bartering.

Personally, I don't believe in living frugally, just within my means.

 

9 hours ago, ourmanflint said:

What's the big deal? 1000's of families will do this every week of every year

+1 

Without broadcasting it on the internet

I assume its 2k per person but still not special or impressive at all, yet I can see how it sheds a new light, many poorer thais buy at 7:11 and honestly never went to makro or even understand the impact of price differences.

 

4K is plenty to live even for farang food if always cooking home, for 2-3 people.

 

but why live that life in the first place, earn more is a better focus

He’s not from Isaan it would just be piled up with Som Tam ingredients?

20 hours ago, edwinchester said:

"A Thai TikToker‘s tips on grocery shopping on a budget of just 4,000 baht ($109) a month...."

 

Sure Thai pensioners on 600 bht a month love watching his vids.

Nah, they can't afford internet.

I cook mostly at home, easy to have good food cheaply, but yes prices are rising