How much do you spend on your own restaurant food (including deliveries and drinks with meals) per month?

[Jingthing]

Guestimate of course.

 

Includes street food of course.

Includes drinks with meals but not bars.

Just for you, one person. 

Prorate if you're paying for more people.

 

Does not include groceries for cooking at home.

 

[OneMoreFarang]

A lot, and I don't really know or want to know how much.

But then again, I eat good tasting quality food, drink the best espresso and enjoy life.

And it doesn't always have to be expensive. I also eat noodle soup or khanom chin. I like it.

 

[Jingthing]

I started this because I'm realizing that I'm spending more than ever on such meals. 

 

While the food scene where I am (Pattaya area) isn't as great as before the pandemic, if you experiment enough the quality, variety, and value is quite excellent.

 

If you can afford better than street food and cooking at home, I think the value is pretty incredible in the global context so it's kind of crazy not to partake liberally. 

Of course, it's understood that there are health reasons to limit outside food. You don't control the ingredients in outside food.

[nigelforbes]

We're daytime people not night time so all our meals out usually comprise lunch. That can be anything from a food court in a mall to a good quality independent restaurant, typically 200 baht to 1,200 for two times about 20 days per month, in the North. 

[CharlieH]

We eat out most days for lunch, but nealry always eat at home in the evening.

Noodle shops, Cafe"s,coffee shops that kind of thing, cheap n cheerful ! ???? around -300b for both of us.

[BritManToo]

Fried chicken 2x a week = 60bht

Chicken noodles 2x a week = 80bht.

So about 560bht/month.

That's just on me, so double that if you include the family.

I prefer to cook at home.

[KhunLA]

฿2000 a month +/-

 

Main meal is usually in the house, and not a night owl /out pass sunset.  

 

Usually lite meal, or just coffee and pastry, which I'm cutting back on the latter of late.   Meals rarely go over ฿500, and coffee stops rarely over ฿300.

 

While out & about locally, sort of, the other day, think we found the cheapest ma/pa restaurant in TH.  Everything was ฿20, and besides good size serving, damn tasty.   Wish it was around the corner, but about half hour away.

If in the KuiBuri neighborhood, less than 1 kms off hwy #4:

https://www.google.co.th/maps/place/Ton+Mayom+Restaurant/@12.0685442,99.8653991,17z/data=!4m14!1m8!3m7!1s0x30fc2d7a9993080f:0x7322ec7ae6717541!2sTon+Mayom+Restaurant!8m2!3d12.0685255!4d99.8675909!9m1!1b1!3m4!1s0x30fc2d7a9993080f:0x7322ec7ae6717541!8m2!3d12.0685255!4d99.8675909

[1FinickyOne]

39 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I prefer to cook at home.

what time should I be there for lunch?

[MRToMRT]

Old man, cannot cook, no wife, staying in Bangkok. A LOT!

[1FinickyOne]

It would be very difficult to estimate... I do not keep a regular schedule but do eat out often and then sometimes, not. 

6 hours ago, Jingthing said:

it's kind of crazy not to partake liberally.

Is that like a pastrami reuben? NY style pizza and cheesecake?

[KhunLA]

9 minutes ago, MRToMRT said:

Old man, cannot cook, no wife, staying in Bangkok. A LOT!

When I was playing single parent, almost every meal was in town, Udon Thani. Since being there for brekkie, kid drop off, and dinner, kid pick up.  We had our 5 or 6 favorite restaurant and would hit each one every week.

 

I had my meatloaf or burger day, pizza day, Mexican day, Meat pie day, Roast Sunday, Greek, Thai and nigh market meals lined up for the week.  Two favorite brekkie places in town, as we lived out of town, about 16 kms.  Rack up 70 kms on the car every day, besides out & abouts, during school breaks.

[GammaGlobulin]

On 12/19/2022 at 2:33 AM, Jingthing said:

I started this because I'm realizing that I'm spending more than ever on such meals. 

 

While the food scene where I am (Pattaya area) isn't as great as before the pandemic, if you experiment enough the quality, variety, and value is quite excellent.

 

If you can afford better than street food and cooking at home, I think the value is pretty incredible in the global context so it's kind of crazy not to partake liberally. 

Of course, it's understood that there are health reasons to limit outside food. You don't control the ingredients in outside food.

Health reasons? 

 

Funny you should mention such a thing. 

 

After having ceased all outside dining, April of 2020, I have experienced ZERO intestinal upsets. 

 

But is ZERO intestinal upsets worth the forgoing of amazing Thai food? 

 

No! Just as ZERO Covid does more harm than good. 

 

During the past 2.6 years, I have spent ZERO on restaurant dining, food delivery, or green tea yan. 

 

Also, during the past 2.6 years, I have even forgotten how to order food in passa Thai. 

 

Sometimes I feel sorry for myself, having missed eating over 1500 Thai dishes that I would have eaten without the pandemic. 

 

And then, I think how lucky I am to have not been on a respirator while being fed via a stomach tube with not much flavor, at all. 

 

In my opinion, Chinese cuisine is the best. Thai food is a close second. True Italian food is an even closer third. 

 

Cancer patients, for example, cannot taste the difference when undergoing some types of chemo and radiation treatments. 

 

This is why I am grateful to be able to enjoy my food, no matter how meagre the menu. 

 

Please don't misunderstand me. I could easily dine on prawns and crab everyday if I wanted to. 

 

It's just that I would prefer to be eating XingZhou Chao Mifen. And, just before the pandemic hit, our chef from Sichuan returned to ChengDu. 

 

After he left, it's been nothing but rice, cabbage, boiled eggs, etc. 

 

Nobody here knows how to properly work the stove. 

 

Thankfully, we are able to divert attention from food to other artistic pleasures,such as the paintings of Van Gogh. 

 

We have been reading Vincent's letters to his dear brother. These touching letters are so poignant that they almost entirely relieve us of any fixation on food. 

 

As well, we have been reading several culinary-related books, mostly Italian. 

 

Despite what you might think, we still consider ourselves, considering the world's present state, to be living high on the hog. 

 

So, please don't cry for me, Argentina... 

 

 

[Doctor Tom]

Haven't eaten out or in a restaurant since before covid.  I prefer my own cooked food. 

[Jingthing]

15 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Health reasons? 

 

Funny you should mention such a thing. 

 

After having ceased all outside dining, April of 2020, I have experienced ZERO intestinal upsets. 

 

But is ZERO intestinal upsets worth the forgoing of amazing Thai food? 

 

No! Just as ZERO Covid does more harm than good. 

 

During the past 2.6 years, I have spent ZERO on restaurant dining, food delivery, or green tea yan. 

 

Also, during the past 2.6 years, I have even forgotten how to order food in passa Thai. 

 

Sometimes I feel sorry for myself, having missed eating over 1500 Thai dishes that I would have eaten without the pandemic. 

 

And then, I think how lucky I am to have not been on a respirator while being fed via a stomach tube with not much flavor, at all. 

 

In my opinion, Chinese cuisine is the best. Thai food is a close second. True Italian food is an even closer third. 

 

Cancer patients, for example, cannot taste the difference when undergoing some types of chemo and radiation treatments. 

 

This is why I am grateful to be able to enjoy my food, no matter how meagre the menu. 

 

Please don't misunderstand me. I could easily dine on prawns and crab everyday if I wanted to. 

 

It's just that I would prefer to be eating XingZhou Chao Mifen. And, just before the pandemic hit, our chef from Sichuan returned to ChengDu. 

 

After he left, it's been nothing but rice, cabbage, boiled eggs, etc. 

 

Nobody here knows how to properly work the stove. 

 

Thankfully, we are able to divert attention from food to other artistic pleasures,such as the paintings of Van Gogh. 

 

We have been reading Vincent's letters to his dear brother. These touching letters are so poignant that they almost entirely relieve us of any fixation on food. 

 

As well, we have been reading several culinary-related books, mostly Italian. 

 

Despite what you might think, we still consider ourselves, considering the world's present state, to be living high on the hog. 

 

So, please don't cry for me, Argentina... 

 

 

Where are you living in Thailand?

There are multiple decent real Chinese food options in Pattaya. 

For me Thai is just one of the options here including Sichuan. Sometimes I'll go weeks without a Thai meal.

[worgeordie]

Nothing , although my daughter sometimes orders a cardboard pizza from

Pizza Hut ,

 

Was watching on Youtube about  people on benefits , 21,000 quid a year ,

single mother , 2 kids , complain not enough , go to food banks , and order

from KFC and McD , 

 

3 Bones with meat on them , leek , carrot ,potato , onion ,celery , Garlic ,made

a big pan of broth , especially good in this cooler weather , more nourishing

than fast food krap , and a lot cheaper , cook my own food , at least I know

what goes into it.

 

regards worgeordie

[GammaGlobulin]

24 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Where are you living in Thailand?

There are multiple decent real Chinese food options in Pattaya. 

For me Thai is just one of the options here including Sichuan. Sometimes I'll go weeks without a Thai meal.

CM, of course. 

 

When in Thailand, I eat only Thai food. 

When in ChengDu, I eat nothing but Sichuan cuisine. 

When in Taiwan, I never eat Taiwanese food, other than SanBeiJi. 

 

One thing I NEVER do is to Chi Doufu (eat beancurd) in Taiwan, just because it's sort of a pun. 

 

I will never again be in the Tri-state area. Therefore, I have long-ago banished Tri-state food, such as lebanon baloney from memory. 

 

Maybe I am better off without the nitrates and nitrites? Who knows. 

 

Concerning extravagant meals, I have already lost my interest. 

 

Concerning extravagant anything, I have lost my interest. 

 

Maybe it's the Thailand Effect? 

 

People can achieve happiness and fulfillment with a heck of a lot less. 

 

CM is better than Naples, Florida. 

 

In Naples, Florida, it's almost impossible to live without at least two Mercedes and many pairs of designer shades. 

 

Here in CM, one can subsist with a dozen 3M two dollah sunglasses which will last beyond the grave. 

 

In fact, I have included my dozen cheap 3M sunglasses in my will. 

 

One box of a dozen 3M sunglasses, 24 bucks, to my relatives. 

 

I just hope that they will use them wisely, and not squander them. 

 

Great Topic! 

 

Who does not like food? 

 

Who does not like peaches? 

 

Who does not like a peach tree painted by Van Gogh? 

 

Who can afford to buy a Van Gogh peach tree? 

 

Here, where I am, who can afford to buy a kilo of broccoli? 

 

Almost nobody at Bt.100 per kilo. 

 

[JeffersLos]

The ranges in the poll are too small, so I went with the lowest one.

 

5,000THB meals 3 or 4 times a week. 

 

So, between 60,000-80,000 p/m. 

[Jingthing]

16 minutes ago, JeffersLos said:

The ranges in the poll are too small, so I went with the lowest one.

 

5,000THB meals 3 or 4 times a week. 

 

So, between 60,000-80,000 p/m. 

I don't understand your complaint. 

The choices are zero to 85K plus  Thar covers everyone well except people spending absurd amounts like 500k a month which I guess you could do if you hsd the best wines everyday.

[Jingthing]

27 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

CM, of course. 

 

When in Thailand, I eat only Thai food. 

When in ChengDu, I eat nothing but Sichuan cuisine. 

When in Taiwan, I never eat Taiwanese food, other than SanBeiJi. 

 

One thing I NEVER do is to Chi Doufu (eat beancurd) in Taiwan, just because it's sort of a pun. 

 

I will never again be in the Tri-state area. Therefore, I have long-ago banished Tri-state food, such as lebanon baloney from memory. 

 

Maybe I am better off without the nitrates and nitrites? Who knows. 

 

Concerning extravagant meals, I have already lost my interest. 

 

Concerning extravagant anything, I have lost my interest. 

 

Maybe it's the Thailand Effect? 

 

People can achieve happiness and fulfillment with a heck of a lot less. 

 

CM is better than Naples, Florida. 

 

In Naples, Florida, it's almost impossible to live without at least two Mercedes and many pairs of designer shades. 

 

Here in CM, one can subsist with a dozen 3M two dollah sunglasses which will last beyond the grave. 

 

In fact, I have included my dozen cheap 3M sunglasses in my will. 

 

One box of a dozen 3M sunglasses, 24 bucks, to my relatives. 

 

I just hope that they will use them wisely, and not squander them. 

 

Great Topic! 

 

Who does not like food? 

 

Who does not like peaches? 

 

Who does not like a peach tree painted by Van Gogh? 

 

Who can afford to buy a Van Gogh peach tree? 

 

Here, where I am, who can afford to buy a kilo of broccoli? 

 

Almost nobody at Bt.100 per kilo. 

 

I don't know the current Chinese food scene in CM.

To me only eating local food makes sense if you're a tourist or on a tight budget.

 

I can afford brocolli.

[OneMoreFarang]

Maybe part of this survey, or another survey, could be: Could you afford to spend more? Or are you just happy with what you have?

 

I.e. I love good food and I spent a lot of money on it. If I would have more money, then probably I would also drink good wine. But that gets really expensive.

On the other hand, I just don't see the value of buying expensive clothes. I could buy now more expensive clothes, but I don't do it because I don't care. If I would have more money, I still wouldn't buy it.

We have all our priorities how we spent our money. 

 

[Jingthing]

38 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Maybe part of this survey, or another survey, could be: Could you afford to spend more? Or are you just happy with what you have?

 

I.e. I love good food and I spent a lot of money on it. If I would have more money, then probably I would also drink good wine. But that gets really expensive.

On the other hand, I just don't see the value of buying expensive clothes. I could buy now more expensive clothes, but I don't do it because I don't care. If I would have more money, I still wouldn't buy it.

We have all our priorities how we spent our money. 

 

Yeah money psychology is a personal thing.

For me value is much more important than getting the cheapest.

I've noticed since I moved to Thailand that with food spending just a little bit more can often get you much better.

On the other hand with Thai food the price is often about how fancy the venue is rather than the best flavor 

 

Wine is such a poor value here that I basically gave it up. 

[ozimoron]

Typical Thai meal about 80 to 120 baht.

 

Fruit from a cart outside the local 7/11 about 60 baht a day.

 

Last Sunday 420 baht at Hops House (plus service charge and tax).

 

German lunch just now 160 baht.

 

Yesterday, grilled Teriaki Saba (mackeral) with rice and seaweed at Big C central. 80 baht.

 

1 or 2 coffees a day, usually Amazon but today Starbucks 140. Coffee may be my biggest spend. 

 

Salad from Central Festival around 300 baht plus a can of sardines, 100 baht. Usually enough for 2 days. I top it up with small tomatoes from Big C extra about 30 baht a punnet.

 

[GammaGlobulin]

25 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yeah money psychology is a personal thing.

For me value is much more important than getting the cheapest.

I've noticed since I moved to Thailand that with food spending just a little bit more can often get you much better.

On the other hand with Thai food the price is often about how fancy the venue is rather than the best flavor 

 

Wine is such a poor value here that I basically gave it up. 

If you want cheap food which is delicious, nutritious, wholesome, and healthy, then please just head for the nearest university. 

 

Don't be afraid of the students. 

 

If you don't bother them, they won't bother you. 

 

Major universities have up to a dozen cafeterias strategically located throughout the campus. 

 

Also, while at Chula, you can also sign up for an intensive Thai language course. 

 

15 hours per week of Thai. 

Plus food at the cafeteria. 

 

Sounds like pig heaven to me. 

 

Most tourists are idiots. 

 

Why bake oneself on a beach, when one can just as easily learn Thai at Chula in an air-conditioned classroom with dynamite instructors? 

 

[huangnon]

Around 10-15k / month. I go out to eat locally with the family 1-2 times  / week in Banchang, Rayong. Choosing between Thai (seafood), Italian, Japanese, Vietnamese, etc.

Sometimes if it's a special occasion we'll book a table at a fine dining outlet in Pattaya or environs. We'd probably eat out a bit more if the missus didn't enjoy cooking at home most days. Fortunately, most of our favourite local restaurants here have seemingly survived the 'rona. ????

[Jingthing]

I have a kind of daily "budget" for out and delivery food which is more like a guideline than anything strict.

 

It's more than doubled over the years.

 

I don’t drink or eat Thai food much.

 

So now I "budget" 500 baht if it's one out meal and 600 for two out meals.

 

Not so rarely about 600 or 700 but then usually with delivery some leftovers to use for special cooking or to add to.a future delivery meal.

 

Typically I'll do one out meal and hitting about 500 more often than not.

 

Sometimes about 300,  more rarely about 200 and 0 only a few times a month. Spending 1000 or more for one meal is for celebrations.

 

Yesterday I had an expensive Chinese meal with Sichuan cumin lamb.

 

I'll use the leftover lamb in a pasta with pesto dish that I cook.

 

So as I said before my spending has been trending up but I feel it's totally worth it.

 

I will probably up the "budget" for 2023.

 

[redwood1]

On 12/20/2022 at 3:53 PM, Jingthing said:

I have a kind of daily "budget" for out and delivery food which is more like a guideline than anything strict.

 

It's more than doubled over the years.

 

I don’t drink or eat Thai food much.

 

So now I "budget" 500 baht if it's one out meal and 600 for two out meals.

 

Not so rarely about 600 or 700 but then usually with delivery some leftovers to use for special cooking or to add to.a future delivery meal.

 

Typically I'll do one out meal and hitting about 500 more often than not.

 

Sometimes about 300,  more rarely about 200 and 0 only a few times a month. Spending 1000 or more for one meal is for celebrations.

 

Yesterday I had an expensive Chinese meal with Sichuan cumin lamb.

 

I'll use the leftover lamb in a pasta with pesto dish that I cook.

 

So as I said before my spending has been trending up but I feel it's totally worth it.

 

I will probably up the "budget" for 2023.

 

What delivery service do you like most...

[Jingthing]

24 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

What delivery service do you like most...

My favorite was the defunct Hungry Now.

I use Grab, Panda, and Lineman depending on restaurant selection and current promotions. My current favorite restaurant is on Lineman only. The service is acceptable on all three. It really comes down to the drivers rather than the company and all have their share of problematic ones but most are OK..

[LaosLover]

Gonna go with $300 a week. But that's for 2 people, every single meal out, every other meal in a place of the standard that might have wine by the glass.

 

The only food I keep at home is peanut butter, bread, and hot sauce for takeaways.

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, LaosLover said:

Gonna go with $300 a week. But that's for 2 people, every single meal out, every other meal in a place of the standard that might have wine by the glass.

 

The only food I keep at home is peanut butter, bread, and hot sauce for takeaways.

So divide by two and convert to baht.

20,001 to 25,000 baht a month.

[LaosLover]

Call it about 1500 a day for the two of us.

 

I know that's crazy money to someone here (who I would def envy and feel a bit inferior to) drinking hootch in Kalisan and plucking a mango off of tree. But for people like us in a nice condo in NImman CM, that's about right.

 

Breakfast is 250 baht. 2 cappa's and hot croissants. We're not on an Issan-mango frame of reference, we're from the states where that would cost triple.

 

Lunch? Who cares? Tend to skip it. Or just grab a vendor omelette or a rice and-plate. Toss another 150 baht a day in the 7/11 fund for iced tea's. Yes, we could make that ourselves. but it's like having the laundry done. Fuji Natural Green Tea, I should buy stock. Its refrig. cooler row in 7/11 is always 34/s empty.

 

Dinner seems to alternate between an 800 baht Thai meal in cafe-type place with 3 dishes and no booze and THEN an 1800 baht blow out of say, a daily special menu at Why Not? Italian with a half a carafe and some oysters.

 

Or today, we'll be lobster-rolling it at the Central Festival Mall. Tomorrow, maybe an Indian takeaway for 600 baht.

 

Nimman is only about 8 streets but it will be impossible to even sample all of the food choices here. We retired to Mexico first. We're spending 20% less here and eating lobster rolls instead shrimp taco's.

 

So while our food budget is someone else's entire budget, we're grateful for Nimman prices.