29 minutes ago, LaosLover said:

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.

Yeah that's kind of my point. 

For expats that can afford to who choose to spend a lot more than most locals for outside food, they can eat very very well and can get incredible value for money from an international perspective.

You can also spend lots and not get great food or value.

That's a matter of location and selection skills.

The most obnoxious aspect of affluent people like me is their Marie Antoinette-like protestations of thrift; about how they retain the common touch by stopping in to a chicken and rice stand every other week. I myself could not resist pointing to my local-savvy and virtuous street omelette consumption (not that often, really).

 

The income disparity between me and the locals is like Haitian-level here in the pricey Nimman area. I can but tip them well, and be a cheery and low key customer. We thank god every day to be in such luxury with such nice people for so little money.

 

If I were back in Manhattan, 1500 baht a day wouldn't buy us lunch, let alone oysters.

When I order with a app, most things I order cost around 210 220 230 240....I always check for discounts and I often can knock 20-30-40 baht off this price.......My only exception to this price range is I on occasion order a pizza from Outlaw pizza for 350 , you chose 10 toppings......

On 12/19/2022 at 6:00 AM, nigelforbes said:

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. 

useless reply

On 12/19/2022 at 7:59 AM, BritManToo said:

ried 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.

cheap cahrly

On 12/19/2022 at 8:29 AM, KhunLA said:

฿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

cheap charly

1 hour ago, vangrop said:

cheap charly

What's a charly ?

6 hours ago, vangrop said:

cheap charly

Not really.   Just enjoy cooking and prefer to eat quality food prepared properly, in AC comfort with nice view & uninterrupted by rude noisy, inconsiderate people, along with all the other noise & air pollution.

 

Like my hot food served hot, and cold served cold, and at the same time.  Not waiting, or finishing my meal before wife's even arrives or she already finished.

 

All without the need to swat flies.

 

Lobster (Maine) & salmon isn't cheap,  or quality cheeses.  

From Cafe LA

 

Or just straight up

I reckon about an average of 1k Baht a day....but I have indulgences like my favourite kraow being 139 Baht or the lasagne at Via Emilia in Bangkok at near 400 Baht....however we eat at home probably half the time.

 

Drinks are likely at least half of my monthly budget I think.

Re "deliveries", I never saw the point of restaurant food not eaten in a restaurant. it's not like most of us didn't have time to cook our own food if at home.

Personally, I married a restaurant chef, so I did get restaurant quality food at home.

On 12/19/2022 at 1:59 PM, BritManToo said:

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.

You spent a lot! I could get a big box of fried rice chicken from down the road that lasted 5 meals for 50 baht.

I bought fried rice chicken all the time as I didn't like spicy food and that was the only thing I liked that was free of the dreaded chilli.

I work next door to a TOPS Market.

I have started to get a lot of my meals from TOPS.

They have great "deli" meals in microwavable containers.

I don't know if deli is the right name but they are  like home cooked meals but inexpensive.

Green curry chicken with rice and a fried egg 45 baht.

Macaroni with chicken 29 baht.

Various items available kind of at random, just had thin sliced chicken breast 6 slices 40 baht.

Still get the Food Panda deliveries but not as often.

 

Went to Bang Bang Burger on Sukhumvit Soi 11, had beef cheeseburger w/ bacon and fries with tartar sauce for dipping.

Good stuff.

I don't remember what it cost, whatever it was it was worth it.

 

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You spent a lot! I could get a big box of fried rice chicken from down the road that lasted 5 meals for 50 baht.

I bought fried rice chicken all the time as I didn't like spicy food and that was the only thing I liked that was free of the dreaded chilli.

What year was that ... 

12 hours ago, vangrop said:

cheap charly

 

He lives in PKK, there aren't many (any?) good restos. If there are then they're well hidden because I didn't see any in my last visit there.

Obviously the range among people is quite wide.

 

In countries I lived in in the past, I employed household staff who did the shopping and the cooking. They had the weekend off, but on Sunday I would cook pizza for them and their kids, if they had them.

 

My cooking skills declined at the same rate my laziness grew, so while breakfast is at home and lunch is only a protein shake, I eat out every night. Maybe 2-3 times a week dinner is accompanied by wine, which is shared with the table and sometimes with the service staff at the restaurant, as I cannot finish an entire bottle, or choose not to.

 

I suspect my monthly number is quite high, though I've never added it up. I enjoy a good meal and try to vary among different cuisines. If I had to limit myself to one cuisine until getting in the box or the urn, I'd say Italian (with Italian wine). Second choice would be Indian, and a close third Thai. Maybe Thai over Indian...I just love spices and a little zip that chilies provide. Tough to go wrong with any of those.

16 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

 

He lives in PKK, there aren't many (any?) good restos. If there are then they're well hidden because I didn't see any in my last visit there.

@vangrop Yea, that's one main reason also.  Lucky if we average 1 meal a week out of the house.  When living in Udon Thani, it was probably 3-5 meals a week, out of the house.  When playing single parent, at least 5 meals a week out of the house.

Dunno

On 12/19/2022 at 8:41 AM, 1FinickyOne said:

 

Is that like a pastrami reuben?

Pastrami? The most sensual of the salted and cured meats!

57 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

 

He lives in PKK, there aren't many (any?) good restos. If there are then they're well hidden because I didn't see any in my last visit there.

I found a good seafood joint

1 hour ago, Lemsta69 said:

 

He lives in PKK, there aren't many (any?) good restos. If there are then they're well hidden because I didn't see any in my last visit there.

 

 

Sorry, what is PKK?

13 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Sorry, what is PKK?

Prachup Kiri Kahn

2 hours ago, Mike Lister said:

Prachup Kiri Kahn

 

Thanks.

On 12/20/2022 at 5:10 PM, 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. 

Maybe. It depends. Sometimes a 700 baht meal is crap. Sonetimes a 150 baht meal is great.

3 hours ago, bignok said:

I found a good seafood joint

 

London to a brick on says it was a Thai seafood place. If you're happy with that then, as I've said before, knock yourself out so since you seem to be still CS by Thailand.

 

I'm from Sydney so the way Thais do seafood don't impress me much. Now if it is a Greek, Lebanese or Balkan-run restaurant and the chef is an import I'd go down there again and try it.

16 hours ago, LS24 said:

Pastrami? The most sensual of the salted and cured meats!

Second to Lox if you consider fish a meat?? 

14 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

 

London to a brick on says it was a Thai seafood place. If you're happy with that then, as I've said before, knock yourself out so since you seem to be still CS by Thailand.

 

I'm from Sydney so the way Thais do seafood don't impress me much. Now if it is a Greek, Lebanese or Balkan-run restaurant and the chef is an import I'd go down there again and try it.

Agree. I regularly eat some thai seafood but I'm not overly fussed on its regular overcooking methods to gain more texture. I prefer my crustaceans to still be translucent after a gentle saute or direct / indirect heat. The bouncing rubber texture of seafood diminishes so much flavour and subtly for the senses.