Stickman Reports Bkk 1st World Prices, 3rd World Quality

[chinthee]

I just read Stickman's weekly Stickmark II column. He has a review in many categories and concludes that Bangkok prices are reaching unrealistic levels. Combined with the dollar exchange rate I suppose it's time to realize that Thailand is just not cheap anymore; not for tourists, not for expats.

Personally, I'm not very good about watching the budget, but now that I think about it, I have really been running through the cash monthly lately.

So, welcome all to the new upscale expensive Asian destination: Thailand!

* as Stickman is a member on this forum, please do correct me if I mis-stated any conclusions on your website.

Edited August 5, 2007 by endure
No promotional URLs please.

[joeuk1]

I have enjoyed reading stickman over the years but for a while now he has been bitching about cost of living in Thailand , imho if he realy feels that strongly about it he knows where the airport is .

JB

[samran]

Bangkok is getting more expensive, no doubt.

Still very possible to mix and match certain aspects of the lifestyle so that the costs balance out. But the basics, property, western groceries, petrol, top notch health insurance are pretty much on par with the outside world. It is our choice that we purchase these things, but we can afford it.

I love Thailand, and have an active economic stake in the place in terms of my career. I have a niche which pays well. In terms of where I am from a personal perspective I much perfer to be here I am lucky that I earn as much, if not more here than in OZ for the same job. But, the second that isn't viable, I'm off back to OZ where I'll sell myself as an 'Asian expert'.

[JimsKnight]

Bangkok is getting like London, Sticks right about the pricing thing, but thats why I usually stay the hel_l away Bangkok

[Jingthing]

Feels more expensive to me too for sure. Do people living on Euros and Pounds really feel the same way though as us weak dollar victims?

[Lancelot]

I have enjoyed reading stickman over the years but for a while now he has been bitching about cost of living in Thailand , imho if he realy feels that strongly about it he knows where the airport is .

JB

Thailand, love it or leave it!

[joeuk1]

Bangkok is getting like London, Sticks right about the pricing thing, but thats why I usually stay the hel_l away Bangkok

I cant think of anything that i pay for when in Thailand that compares with the prices i pay in London , the only and nearest thing i can think of is a cup of starbucks coffee and i think its 30/50 percent cheaper in Thailand to uk .

JB

Ps i think some people just like to complaine about everything like my next door neigbour that complained about the birds singing in the trees

[soundman]

I have been living on income earned in Thai baht for the last five years, no international income. Definately feels more expensive in the last eighteen months. Little increases here, some prices steady, major inflation in other areas.

Example: In Villa last week shopping for groceries. Normally buy a few pre-made lasagne's. Stopped to look at the price & to my surprise the 200g pre-made lasagne was an astonishing 220B. Previously it had been closer to 85B. With infation nearly triple the price of a Pizza Company one.

Soundman.

[nick2k]

thailand is going through a transitional period. normal. whether you want to get involved is up to you. I've seen it happen in hong kong, china, even in america.

do I like it? no. but I realize it is normal.

personally, I hope all factories go back to america. I don't like globalization.

[bowthai]

thailand is going through a transitional period. normal. whether you want to get involved is up to you. I've seen it happen in hong kong, china, even in america.

do I like it? no. but I realize it is normal.

personally, I hope all factories go back to america. I don't like globalization.

if all factories went back to america and with the average american wage what it is,america would need millions of more illegal aliens to make the $100 nikes not cost $1000 a pair for american kids.

[PeaceBlondie]

Definitely inflation here (no, not really). When I moved from my two room place in Hua Hin to a much bigger private home in Chiang Mai, my rent went from 8000 to 6500. Now we have to pay to have the canal cleaned, security at the front gate, etc., and I'm all the way up to 7,000. And I just went from 31 baht gasoline to 29 baht. My favorite hotel in BKK is still 1,000 baht per night, same as last 2 or 3 years. Oh, a bag of rocklettes candies cost me 12 baht each in 7-11 yesterday, but they may still be sip baht at TescoLotus.

Talk about expensive places, though: Moscow, a non air/con place in 37 degree weather: 100 euros per night. Ireland, expensive even outside of Dublin. Dinner for 8 in a mediocre restaurant in county clare, 7000 baht without booze. Four years ago, the price for 12 people in Mae Hong Son, all the Singha they could drink, was 1300 baht. Maybe dinner for 12 is 1,400 baht now.

If you can't afford Bangkok, move to Thailand.

[TopDogger]

If you can't afford Bangkok, move to Thailand.

nice 1, too true..

The problem is that a lot of other places are following Bangkoks lead in charging well over inflated prices for stuff...

Edited August 5, 2007 by TopDogger

[chinthee]

If you can't afford Bangkok, move to Thailand.

nice 1, too true..

The problem is that a lot of other places are following Bangkoks lead in charging well over inflated prices for stuff...

I suppose there's an awful lot of truth in PB's quip. In that regard, I suppose we could define places that not Thailand as Bangkok, Hua Hin, Pattaya, Samui, and Phuket? What about Chiang Mai? In between?

I suppose moving to Khon Kaen or something would be an assured way of living cheaply....

[joeuk1]

I think some of you guys including stickman need to go back to your countrys and see what the cost of living is in the real world this stuff thats exspensive in Thailand what stuff .Oh the stuff that farang like that has to be imported i suppose the Thais they should make a loss on that and give it away .

JB

[JimsKnight]

Chiang Mai is still cheap, its not got the big spenders Patters and BKK etc have and it will probably stay that way (hopefully) as generally anything near to the coast in Thailand is more expensive than inland.

Some bar-stool sages preach that the farang will eventually move inland in large numbers and leave behind the coastal resorts and cities but thats as likely as me winning the National lottery.

[kiakaha]

haven't noticed a thing, business as usual

[TopDogger]

I think some of you guys including stickman need to go back to your countrys and see what the cost of living is in the real world this stuff thats exspensive in Thailand what stuff .Oh the stuff that farang like that has to be imported i suppose the Thais they should make a loss on that and give it away .

JB

It would be nice if you made sure u knew what you were talking about before posting....

[PeaceBlondie]

Maybe inflation of prices has occurred in Thailand in recent years; surely fuel prices have a huge ripple effect in any economy dependent on imoprted oil. I think housing costs are still much cheaper in Chiang Mai than Bangkok, but there are no statistics.

[lannarebirth]

I remember 1/3 of everything I made was payed to some government agency befor I ever saw a dime. I now live better just on their cut alone. Until Thailand introduces a ######ing Alternative Minimun Tax I won't even bother making comparisons.

[skippybangkok]

Was in Patters recently, they (falang housing agents) were trying to sell condo's there more expensive than bangkok (soi's 23 thru 55 )

[think_too_mut]

Stickman is right with one fundamental flaw in his report: those expensive places have not replaced the inexpensive ones. They are an ad-on.

No street vendors have taken up stewardship of Starbucks and dropped their carts.

I have not noticed anything significant other than petrol. And that is not a worry to me.

[pumpuiman]

Come to Isaan.....we can have a contest to see how many days it takes to spend 1000 baht

[joeuk1]

I think some of you guys including stickman need to go back to your countrys and see what the cost of living is in the real world this stuff thats exspensive in Thailand what stuff .Oh the stuff that farang like that has to be imported i suppose the Thais they should make a loss on that and give it away .

JB

It would be nice if you made sure u knew what you were talking about before posting....

And so what does that mean ?

Would you like to compare some prices of cost of living in Thailand to Uk , i do know what i am talking about i live in BOTH .

Where would you like to start ? shall we start with a packet of cigarettes marlboro red 5.50 pence in uk to 60 baht in Thailand , which direction would you like to go ? i had mini cab yesterday short journey 6 pounds you cant get a mini cab now for less than a fiver how much in Bkk ? mmmm i get 25 minute train journey everyday when in uk 5.30 how much for the same on the BTS .

You name it .............

As to your post of knowing what i am talking about ..........

You go back stick your head in the sand .

JB

[chinthee]

Come to Isaan.....we can have a contest to see how many days it takes to spend 1000 baht

You know what Pumpman, you may regret that, because I have a feeling that a lot of the folks who've been whining on this forum and threatening to go to Cambodia haven't discovered your secret yet!

[Fred Sanford]

Yeah but the cambo people are thinking of moving for visa reasons

[TopDogger]

I think some of you guys including stickman need to go back to your countrys and see what the cost of living is in the real world this stuff thats exspensive in Thailand what stuff .Oh the stuff that farang like that has to be imported i suppose the Thais they should make a loss on that and give it away .

JB

It would be nice if you made sure u knew what you were talking about before posting....

And so what does that mean ?

Would you like to compare some prices of cost of living in Thailand to Uk , i do know what i am talking about i live in BOTH .

Where would you like to start ? shall we start with a packet of cigarettes marlboro red 5.50 pence in uk to 60 baht in Thailand , which direction would you like to go ? i had mini cab yesterday short journey 6 pounds you cant get a mini cab now for less than a fiver how much in Bkk ? mmmm i get 25 minute train journey everyday when in uk 5.30 how much for the same on the BTS .

You name it .............

As to your post of knowing what i am talking about ..........

You go back stick your head in the sand .

JB

Ok, your right.. The price of everything in Bangkok is rising nice and steadily inline with inflation. I might go get a taxi & buy a packet of cigarettes tomorrow so I can see how cheap Thailand is becoming..

[Jersey_UK]

Not read Stickman for many years, but will agree with his (reported) comments about BKK becoming more expensive.......at least the civilised bits

I went up to Chiangmai in May (first time for 12 years - that place has really come on), made me realise that BKK inflation had really crept up on me slowly when now and again I had problems breaking up B1,000 notes and remembered that this USED to be a bit of a problem in BKK.....although I don't remember exactly when (for me) it stopped being a problem.....and I stopped asking "for small money" in the banks.

But increase in the cost of living doesn't worry me - I don't earn and I don't in live in Thailand . And earnings in real money (at least in £ notes ) back in Farangland over the same period have far outstripped any rises in the cost of living / cost of being a <deleted> in BKK.

My assessment is that BKK is still cheap as chips to live in (for a Capital City) as it ever was, as long as your earnings have matched the increases in western levels of income (note that £100 a week is no longer a good wage in the UK ) - and then IMO worth (in purely £££ terms) putting up with the downsides of living 24/7 in the 3rd world.......for as long as I have been hitting Thailand the salary of a bog statndard English Teacher seems to have stuck in the B20-30k pcm bracket. ouch.

Edited August 5, 2007 by Jersey_UK

[wasabi]

Come on we need a real benchmark what's the latest ST & LT prices.

[Austhaied]

Come to Isaan.....we can have a contest to see how many days it takes to spend 1000 baht

It used to take my ex-girlfriends family about 5 minutes.

[wasabi]

I have enjoyed reading stickman over the years but for a while now he has been bitching about cost of living in Thailand , imho if he realy feels that strongly about it he knows where the airport is .

JB

You could also argue if you don't like what he says you don't have to read it.