People keep posting, Thailand expensive, but I'm not seeing it!

[KhunLA]

3 minutes ago, Hummin said:

The only youghurt I eat is farmers union Greek, and that have gone up from 150 baht 8 years ago, to 240 - 320 depends where you buy it, and also season in tourists areas. Still find good offers on cheese at makro, but since we live 180km away from closest makro, we do not chase prices. We buy what we need when we are there.

Phaeng Mak ... ever try making your own, as kind of easy.  If using the same, farmers union Greek, as your 'starter', guess it would taste about the same.  Easy recipes on line.

[CCesar]

2 minutes ago, Hummin said:

The only youghurt I eat is farmers union Greek, and that have gone up from 150 baht 8 years ago, to 240 - 320 depends where you buy it, and also season in tourists areas. Still find good offers on cheese at makro, but since we live 180km away from closest makro, we do not chase prices. We buy what we need when we are there.

 

 

Sounds like you are mostly talking about western food, but it is a fact that prices for local products/food has increased significantly considering quality and environment  which hasn't exactly improved.

[CCesar]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Just went out to my local veg store for pineapple, tomatoes and some peppers. 30bht for the lot.

Doesn't feel expensive to me!

 

doesn't seem expensive if it  would reflect overall reality.

[connda]

People keep posting, Thailand expensive, but I'm not seeing it!

 

I don't see it out here in rural Thailand.  However, I have noticed that our trips to Makro and Big-C have gotten more expensive, but I put in into perspective.  We get a bag of lettuce or a bag of green peppers, or a bag of other vegetables, and what do they cost.  Really really inexpensive.  Usually when this stuff is in season, it's dirt cheap.  So it offset the cost of things like olive oil which is the only oil I'll use for cooking and salads.  But stuff like olive oil just reflects the cost of products on the global open market and are not specific to Thailand.  And I look at the US where a one bedroom studio apartment on the West Coast or WA state where I lived most of my life costs $2000/mo.  Then start adding in sales tax, utilities, taxes on utilities, etc etc etc.  When I left the US it was affordable.  In the 18 years since I left its gotten stupid as far as prices go.

[Lucky Bones]

59 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Pizza for breakfast, cost almost nothing ......

That not pizza. That is small snack to share with soi dog🙃🙃

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, KhunLA said:

Phaeng Mak ... ever try making your own, as kind of easy.  If using the same, farmers union Greek, as your 'starter', guess it would taste about the same.  Easy recipes on line.

We could, but we are not prioritizing things we can buy, and satisfied with. But good to know we can half our budget if we have to out of some reason out of our reach. We are living quite comfortable as it is for decent money. 

 

If I lived here permanently there is several things we could had done differently and also more of.

[JakeC]

Quote

The only youghurt I eat is farmers union Greek, and that have gone up from 150 baht 8 years ago, to 240 - 320 depends where you buy it, and also season in tourists areas. Still find good offers on cheese at makro, but since we live 180km away from closest makro, we do not chase prices. We buy what we need when we are there.

 

Farmer's Union...Greek Style is just ok, but doesn't taste nor feel like Greek Yoghurt to me. I prefer http://www.delcasaro.com.a28.readyplanet.net/images/editor/GreekYogurt_.jpg if I'm going to slum it with a copy.

[Hummin]

8 minutes ago, CCesar said:

Sounds like you are mostly talking about western food, but it is a fact that prices for local products/food has increased significantly considering quality and environment  which hasn't exactly improved.

I'm aware of meat prices have gone, but at our local marked fruits and vegetables have dropped. We produce eggs, lamb meat, vegetables, and fruit our self, and used to have fish but not this year.

 

Pork meat used to be 120 now 180 for kg, and local beef pretty much the same 280-300. This before covid and now

 

 

 

 

[Yagoda]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Just went out to my local veg store for pineapple, tomatoes and some peppers. 30bht for the lot.

Doesn't feel expensive to me!

 

Those tomatoes are lovely ripe

[CCesar]

1 hour ago, save the frogs said:

Pineapple is a local fruit. So makes sense that it would be cheap.

 

Blueberries seem exorbitant to me.

Olives are expensive.

Cheese and red meat are expensive. Cheese actually, I'm not sure. I need to do a comparison. 

 

Thailand food prices are only cheap if you stick with only local foods. 

 

For the most part though, it's way cheaper. A breakfast place back home might be 500 baht compared to 120 baht in Thailand. 

 

Well, that totally depends on the type of your personal liking and quality of breakfast plus location, because I certainly can not find what I would call a decent and nutritious breakfast for 120 baht in a pleasant environment, since we usually pay for that too.

[JakeC]

Quote

local beef pretty much the same 280-300.

 

Beef is 215 baht per kg at Go Wholesale.

[madone]

 

1 hour ago, NorthernRyland said:

People that think Thailand is getting expensive are not really living in Thailand as such

<deleted>. 

Thailand has gotten orders of magnitude more expensive than it ever was, from medical services to simple grocery shopping, 

The days of having problems breaking a 1000 baht note are long gone, now yo are lucky to get change.

not to mention the cost of building something,

[madone]

11 minutes ago, Lucky Bones said:

That not pizza. That is small snack to share with soi dog🙃🙃

yes thats what i thought. 

[roo860]

50 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Stand mixer for us.  Can use food processor also.  Made a 850gr loaf of bread the other day.  Cost all of ~฿30 to make.

 

If wanting quick pizza dough or a flat bread, just cut 100-150gr of that, and I have.  Still have a large loaf of bread.  Or if really lazy, just the bread for a quick pizza.  Options abound 

 

 

Pizza looks grand!!!

[madone]

3 minutes ago, CCesar said:

120 baht

yeah sure, 120 baht quality breakfast. 

[BritManToo]

24 minutes ago, JakeC said:

 

No.

Edam cheese in the U.K. £3 for 300 grams at Sainsburys. That's nowhere near 1 baht per gram. 

So your UK purchased Edam is 44bht for 100gm.

Aro vintage cheddar 198bht for 500gm = 40bht/100gm

 

Not that much in it, I prefer the strong taste of vintage to the bland taste of Dutch.

[JakeC]

Quote

So your Edam is 44bht for 100gm.

Aro vintage cheddar 198bht for 500gm = 40bht/100gm

 

Not that much in it, I prefer the strong taste of vintage to the bland taste of Dutch.

 

@sandyf was discussing Edam, suggesting that it was the same price in Thailand and the U.K.

 

Personally, I wouldn't choose either of them. I have Somerset Vintage imported.

[Hummin]

15 minutes ago, JakeC said:

 

Beef is 215 baht per kg at Go Wholesale.

How come your reply is without addressing the one you replying to? 

[bendejo]

I was bouncing around SEA playing visa bingo in the wake of the 2008 crash.  In Thailand quite notable was that the portions got smaller, e.g. those 5 baht packets of cooked rice.  Commodity items like rice, sugar and Arabica coffee were just about same price in all countries.  Crafty Malaysians were filling boats with sacks of gov't subsidized sugar to smuggle into LOS for a profit of app. US$0.05 per kilo.

 

[Hummin]

19 minutes ago, CCesar said:

Well, that totally depends on the type of your personal liking and quality of breakfast plus location, because I certainly can not find what I would call a decent and nutritious breakfast for 120 baht in a pleasant environment, since we usually pay for that too.

We all have different choices based on location, where we come from, budget and also activities we do which requires different diets. 

 

Seems some is more concerned what other people eat than what they eat themselves. 

 

Strange forum culture 😁

[JakeC]

Quote

How come your reply is without addressing the one you replying to? 

 

Do you have Go Wholesale up country? It's addressed to anyone who has a Go Wholesale in their vicinity. 

Did you find the link to your US$10 Bordeaux Blend?

[msbkk]

47 minutes ago, Hummin said:

The only youghurt I eat is farmers union Greek, and that have gone up from 150 baht 8 years ago, to 240 - 320 depends where you buy it, and also season in tourists areas. Still find good offers on cheese at makro, but since we live 180km away from closest makro, we do not chase prices. We buy what we need when we are there.

 

 

I personally like the 1 kilo pots of Chobani for around 300 Baht and the Carolina non fat greek style. Both are very protein rich and do not last long in my kitchen.

[newbee2022]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Pizza for breakfast, cost almost nothing ......

I got a glass of water this morning.

Costs really nothing 🥰. For free❤️

[HappyExpat57]

The single largest expense for most is rent which has gone up noticeably over the last few years.

As well, my Makro bill is up at least 25% from a year ago, and my spending habits are very consistent. I don't track individual items, I just see my final cost at the cash register up.

[thesetat]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Just went out to my local veg store for pineapple, tomatoes and some peppers. 30bht for the lot.

Doesn't feel expensive to me!

 

30 baht for the lot is a complete LIE. Unless they were almost rotten. The pineapple would cost you that or more just by itself. 4 tomatoes would be another 20 baht minimum. And the bell peppers would be an added 40 baht. 

[BritManToo]

Just used up the rest of the dough

One more pizza and a loaf of bread.

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, thesetat said:

30 baht for the lot is a complete LIE. Unless they were almost rotten. The pineapple would cost you that or more just by itself. 4 tomatoes would be another 20 baht minimum. And the bell peppers would be an added 40 baht. 

The pepper is expensive with us, but pineapple and tomatoes is give away prices now. mangos impossible to sell for decent prices.

 

Big buyers comes from south and buy mangoes for 4 baht kg now. Many farmers struggles now to sell if they do not have the correct strain and quality.

 

[Al BB]

57 minutes ago, JakeC said:

 

No.

Edam cheese in the U.K. £3 for 300 grams at Sainsburys. That's nowhere near 1 baht per gram. 

My ex Company's Cheddar " The King's Deli" is (Usually) Baht 179 for 200g in Villa Market. "ARLA" for example is around Baht 265  for 200g. Iceland around 195 Baht for 200g. As a retired Food and Beverage buyer, I understand the costs of Imported Food etc , my main gripe is the Cost of wine here.  (Import Duty 50% - 60%,  and excise Tax of Baht 1000 per litre)  I've tried some Thai "Monsoon" wines which were ok but still as expensive as Imported. Theres a Monsoon restaurant and shop in Hua Hin, as always "Caveat Emptor".

[frank83628]

Depends where you are and if you're a tourist or cheap Charlie.

 

People moan and complain regardless.

 

 

 

 

 

[BritManToo]

4 minutes ago, Hummin said:

The pepper is expensive with us, but pineapple and tomatoes is give away prices now. mangos impossible to sell for decent prices.

 

Big buyers comes from south and buy mangoes for 4 baht kg now. Many farmers struggles now to sell if they do not have the correct strain and quality.

 

The hill tribes grow massive poly tunnels filled with pepper plants up in the hills at Mae Rim/Mon Jairm. At peak season they just leave them to rot as not worth picking. At the local markets often 10bht for 4.