Trip Back Home

[Lancelot]

Good post Johnny. I am returing to the USA soon for a one month visit and I too am currious about prices back home.

One of my first purchases will be a new laptop; the other will be a nice thick, fat juicy steak

Lance

[65Craig]

Jonnie,

How much was your airfare. I might be heading that way soon & was wondering how much it went up. Ecocomy.

Thanks...Good post!

I'm flying back home to San Francisco (from BKK) on May 27th and coming back to Thailand at the end of July and I got a round-trip ticket on China Airlines for $1,028.64. Seemed pretty good with the price of oil/gas these days.

[Peregrine]

Great post, and think San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the US. Living in San Antonio, Texas. is only about 60 percent of the cost of SF.

[Ulysses G.]

burrito that is a thousand times better than anything in Thailand.

That's a very strong statement.

What if one doesn't like burrito's?

cheers

onzestan

Then one has never had a Super-Burrito with sour cream and avocado on Mission street in San Francisco.

[jonniebkk]

OK...so then...as a BKK resident...let me try to bridge the gap between those diverse points of view...

My question is... How much is a good Thai lady going for in the States these days, compared to the prices in LOS???

I guess one of the points I am making is I really don't care how much horizontal folk dancing costs in either country anymore. After living in LOS for 10 years, I am mostly already tapped out on that front Much more interested in the relative costs of electronics, food, clothes, rents, etc.

However, if I was young again, sure, there would be no comparison.

[lannarebirth]

Nice post although in different areas of the US prices will certanly vary. Also better check that Bangkok Post price. I'm on a yearly subscription and haven't bought a copy at a shop in quite a while but I just looked at todays paper and it says B25.

You are right...I completely screwed up my newspaper comparison...still seriously whacked from the jet lag I guess as I also got the price of the Chronicle wrong It is only $ .50 not the $ 1.00 I stated!

Here is what I should have reported: San Francisco Chronicle is $ .50. Post is B 25 ($ .78) so it is 50% more expensive than the Chronicle. My comments re its quality I stick too, however.

Whatever one pays for a Chronicle or Examiner is wasted money. two worst newspapers in America probably. Cough up the extra quarter for an LA Times.

Beardog, just booked a 21 day advanced notice CNX>>SFO>>CNX for 38,945 Baht - China Airlines with short layover in Taipei.

[jonniebkk]

I agree... It's like comparing a Thai meal here in LOS vs. the local Thai restaurant where I lived in Colorado. Meal here for Thai food is 1/5th the cost (or less) than what some of the so called Thai restaurants were charging in Colorado. And the funny thing was, it barely tasted like traditional Thai food.

Now if you want some pricing from a NY restaurant try looking at this photo of a menu in Manhattan that I took just a few weeks back. I had to take the photo just to show my Thai friends what they were missing out on.. Heck I can eat here in the LOS all week long (or more) for the cost of a steak dinner in NYC.... I prefer LOS......

I also do not wish to sound so negative to the OP as it is an interesting view on things however it is relatively comparing 'apples' to 'oranges'... That is like going to Pratuman and haggle the cost of one of those painted umbrellas..... Then go to the USA, into a Pier One Imports store, and price one that is comparable.....

I could spend the same money at a number of restaurants in Bangkok too. I am more interested in the little everyday things many expats who LIVE in LOS buy on a daily basis. This is really something one doesn't really understand or care about unless one also lives in-country. When you are a tourist, all the spending is just water off a duck's back and you don't even notice it.

So why is a larger cup of brewed coffee cheaper in San Francisco than a smaller one in Pattaya? Why are the Subway sandwiches the same price? Why is an English language newspaper 50% more expensive? Why is a new 2008 C-class Merc sedan $ 35,000 here and $ 109,000 in LOS?

Of course, many things are much more expensive here too...like housing and rents. Companionship, taxis, etc. I am just pointing these things out for my own edification and for others who live in LOS and may also be interested. I am not making an argument that one place is better than the other...that decision is a very personal one every expat has to make by weighing the relative importance and merits of many different factors.

[Jandajoy]

Excellent post. I've been looking at prices here recently after I started to feel that I often seem to spend quite a lot on just day to day items such as food. Things like a carton of pineapple juice for 75 baht doesn't make sense when they grow here!!

I am going back to the UK today for the first time in 4 years and I am very interested to see what the prices will be....

Stand by for a huge shock, mate. i went home last month and just couldn't believe the cost of just about everything. And God help you if you enjoy a beer or a smoke. Good luck

[jonniebkk]

I am going back to the UK today for the first time in 4 years and I am very interested to see what the prices will be....

Stand by for a huge shock, mate. i went home last month and just couldn't believe the cost of just about everything. And God help you if you enjoy a beer or a smoke.

Just speaking from the perspective of an American, I have had the completely opposite reaction. The general price level in my little part of the US, SF Bay Area, does not seem excessive (especially when you consider the prelalent wage levels). And this part of the US is one of the most expensive places to live after NYC. For many purchases, I find myself spending about (or even sometimes less) for everyday items. Of course I have pointed out some things that are much more expensive too (but these are mainly tourist purchases [hotel and taxi for example] and ordinary everyday living items don't seem much more expensive than what I pay in Pattaya.

I do know from my UK friends that the general price level for goods and services is very high compared to America...and is something they all complain about.

[onethailand]

Nice post, jonnie.

But to be fair, if you are going to compare Western items in BKK vs Western items in SF, you should also compare Thai items in SF vs Thai items in BKK

Hotel - $200 is way excessive... which part of town are you staying in? I was there in October and managed to get the Nikko for about $130 per night... right in the heart of downtown. Granted, that was a special price I found on Expedia - and you're right in general, most hotels in SF cost through the nose...

There are also other comparisons one could make - like the prices of fast food - there's always some special like "10 chicken leg/thigh pieces for $8.99" at Popeyes, or "2 tacos for 99 cents" at Jack in the Box... prices that generally can't be matched here in Bangkok. Then add to that the cost of supermarket goods... especially with double and triple coupons...

Living in LOS is not too expensive if you factor in rent, but if you're looking for unusual (read: non-Thai) goods in Thailand, you should expect to pay more in most cases - and vice-versa.

[lannarebirth]

Must be nice to walk into a Long's or Thriftys compared to a Walls or Boots.

[jfchandler]

I'm flying back home to San Francisco (from BKK) on May 27th and coming back to Thailand at the end of July and I got a round-trip ticket on China Airlines for $1,028.64. Seemed pretty good with the price of oil/gas these days.

That's a good price... I think it helps having the initial segment in May...before the higher seasonal prices typically kick in at the beginning of June...

I've never flown China Air...so I can't speak to their service... But when I started flying to BKK some years ago...before I moved here... I heard about them as a BKK carrier and checked their record as an airline. Unfortunately, they've had a fairly high number of jet crashes thru the years...more than most major carriers... That kinda put me off using them, not withstanding their pricing... In contrast, EVA has an almost spotless safety record, as best as I recall...

[jetjock]

I would agree with the OP that living in Bangkok could be almost as expensive as San Francisco but that being said, it is totally depending on ones lifestyle. The major difference that I notice is that, if you are so inclined, it is possible to live a fairly decent life on the cheap (so to speak) in Bangkok whereas that would be next to impossible in San Francisco unless you call being homeless a decent life ! The minimum price for a cheap house in SF is about $1,000,000. and $1500 to $2000. monthly rent for a one bedroom apartment is very common. Some of the other major price differences that I notice are the cost of electronics like televisions. I recently helped a friend in Bangkok go shopping for a HD TV and found prices in BKK to be much higher (approx. 25 to 40%) than the US. Most luxury automobiles in Thailand appear to be much higher than in the US due to heavy duties imposed in Thailand on them. On the other hand, an hour massage in BKK is about 250 Baht ($8 USD) whereas in SF the going rate is around $80. per hour. Clothing, food, and public transportation are also generally quite a bit cheaper in BKK.

My personal opinion is that although the gap is narrowing, it is still quite a bit cheaper for the average person to live in BKK as opposed to most major cities in the US. Although I live very well here in the US, I always feel like I am living like a King when I am in Bangkok. I enjoy big city life and living in the heart of the city and if it were not for the terrible air and noise pollution in Bangkok, I must admit that I would seriously consider living in BKK full time.

[Marvo]

I think a point that many people are missing is the one that Jonny illustrates with the coffee and pizza, with the same (locally) prepared product being cheaper in the States. We have established that rents, premises/accommodation, utilities and labour etc are all incredibly cheaper here in Thailand, so someone doing business (running the franchise???) in LOS is absolutely raking it in. I guess they're just cashing in on the Western "sucker's" dependency on a familiar brand/product.

[jonniebkk]

Nice post, jonnie.

But to be fair, if you are going to compare Western items in BKK vs Western items in SF, you should also compare Thai items in SF vs Thai items in BKK

Are you suggesting I take a little walk some nite around the Union Square/Tenderloin areas to see what the Thai gals who made it over here are charging or maybe make a couple calls to the Thai lasses advertising their services on Craig's List Bay Area

One comparison I can tell you is that I looked at a menu at a Thai restaurant when I was walking by and the fried rice noodle with beef (phad si siew neu) was $ 9.00 a plate. That compares with B 150 or so ($ 4.70) at fancy Pattaya Thai restaurants and B 40 ( $ 1.25) at my favorite local place. Also, a relative said a 1hr Thai massage at the Kabuki Hot Springs Spa in Japan Town was $150. A spa of similar ambiance in Thailand would be B 1500-B2000 for this; and of course, most shop house places would be only B200-B400 for 2 hours.

Hotel - $200 is way excessive... which part of town are you staying in? I was there in October and managed to get the Nikko for about $130 per night... right in the heart of downtown.

Excessive is right but I surfed all over and this was the best I could come up with in the area I needed to be in for my period of travel. I dunno, maybe some big conventions in town now or something.

Living in LOS is not too expensive if you factor in rent, but if you're looking for unusual (read: non-Thai) goods in Thailand, you should expect to pay more in most cases - and vice-versa.

Yep...those are where the real savings are...housing costs (to rent or buy) and sometimes grocery items (if local) and restaurants. There is that one other item but I won't get into that...and in my case, it's not relevant anyway.

[jonniebkk]

Must be nice to walk into a Long's or Thriftys compared to a Walls or Boots.

How about a Trader Joe's, in between a Longs and a Walgreens! I had not been in a Trader Joes in 10 years and the selection of ready made foods was out of this world. Again, prices were very reasonable. Needless to say, I'll be stocking-up on some goodies to bring back with me.

[jonniebkk]

I would agree with the OP that living in Bangkok could be almost as expensive as San Francisco but that being said, it is totally depending on ones lifestyle. The major difference that I notice is that, if you are so inclined, it is possible to live a fairly decent life on the cheap (so to speak) in Bangkok whereas that would be next to impossible in San Francisco unless you call being homeless a decent life ! The minimum price for a cheap house in SF is about $1,000,000. and $1500 to $2000. monthly rent for a one bedroom apartment is very common. Some of the other major price differences that I notice are the cost of electronics like televisions. I recently helped a friend in Bangkok go shopping for a HD TV and found prices in BKK to be much higher (approx. 25 to 40%) than the US. Most luxury automobiles in Thailand appear to be much higher than in the US due to heavy duties imposed in Thailand on them. On the other hand, an hour massage in BKK is about 250 Baht ($8 USD) whereas in SF the going rate is around $80. per hour. Clothing, food, and public transportation are also generally quite a bit cheaper in BKK.

You are correct. The main difference living in Thailand is that your cost of living a decent life varies over a much greater range than it would in any major Western (or northern Asian) city. On a couple thousand dollar salary or pension, one could live very well in Pattaya or Phuket, and even be quite comfortable in Bangkok. But in San Francisco, like you say, you would spend most of it just on rent.

[jonniebkk]

I think a point that many people are missing is the one that Jonny illustrates with the coffee and pizza, with the same (locally) prepared product being cheaper in the States. We have established that rents, premises/accommodation, utilities and labour etc are all incredibly cheaper here in Thailand, so someone doing business (running the franchise???) in LOS is absolutely raking it in.

Right you are...as there is nothing imported that is used in the Subway sandwiches in Thailand. It's all locally sourced veggies, meats, and labour. They do, however, import the specialized bread baking ovens when they set-up the franchaises. That reminds me, I have to go get that salami on sour dough roll today...with an inch of Italian dry salami in it...not that measly 2 slices thick layer you get at the Subway's in Thailand

Edited May 14, 2008 by jonniebkk

[Firefan]

I agree with the original poster that prices in BKK, when comes to my lifestyle, are no longer a bargain compared to my EU home country. Sure; some things are cheaper (local foods/rent/real estate taxes Etc.) while other stuff is more expensive (imported foods, electronics). Clothes/shoes are no longer a bargain in BKK when looking for good quality.

My personal inflation in BKK has been about 10% per year over the last 3 years.

The one advantage here, is that it is easier to adjust ones cost-of-living downwards (switch from Heineken to Leo, from import foods to local foods Etc.) than back home - as many options easily avaliable. One does not have to stagger through a local food-market to obtain cheaper prices. 1 bag of groceries at Villa is normally the same as 4 bags of groceries at Tesco-Lotus.

Personally, I have not yet changed my lifestyle despite the increased inflation (take the trains more - but for speed rather than savings) but maybe it is time for me to look into savings.

Cheers!

[Beardog]

Thank you 65Craig & Lannarebirth for the good news on China air. I have flown with them 6 times already.It's like walking across 2nd road & central in Pattaya (near Tops) If it's your time to go-it's your time. Much more chance to get taken out walking across the street than a jet crash.

Nice looking 65 Stang Craig.

Nothing beats Pizza in San Francisco! & the mission still has awesome Burritos!!!!!!

[gzu88bv]

jonniebkk, you can have it a tad cheaper in rural Isaan if you are really ready to adapt..... i.e. no Starbucks

[Ulysses G.]

People talk like Thailand used to be cheaper for electronic gear and cars, but actually it was much more expensive. I think people are thinking Thailand used to be cheaper because so many things from the West were not available that it seemed cheaper.

[smileah]

This is a great post. Thanks so much.

We are making the move back to North America in a few months, and I was wondering about things like this. I've been comparing grocery prices online

I was really happy to read this.

Thanks.

Oh, and SF is a fabulous place....hope you're enjoying it.

[jonniebkk]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the positive feedback I have received both on the board and in private messages. For all in a similar position like me who are interested in a look at some price comparisons between the two countries, I have some more interesting data from my day out and about today. One funny note before I start, it seems we are in for a little heat wave here the next few days...and the temps in the East Bay where I am staying are hovering in the low to mid 80s...Not as hot as Pattaya but not the cool refreshing breezes I could use for a week either However, the air is clean and I had the opportunity to do some comparison shopping.

Laundry: The standard price for wash/fold for a shirt appears to be $ 1.00 ea. at the laundries near my hotel. At my local laundry in Thailand, I pay B 500 for 80 pieces for wash/iron service or B 6.25 ea. ($ .20 ea.). So, as one would expect, a service that is almost all made up of a labour input costs is much cheaper in LOS...in this case, 1/5th the cost.

Famous Sundae: Anyone born and raised in East Bay, or attended UC Berkeley, will be familiar with Fenton's Ice Creamery. It is a Bay Area institution. Their ice cream sundaes are justifiably famous and HUGE and there is no analogue to one of these beasts in Thailand. If you took the largest sundae on Swenson's menu and trippled it's size, you would have something approaching a Fenton's "Black and Tan." However, the quality of the ice cream and toppings would pale in comparison. In any case, purely in the interests of gathering accurate information to add to this thread, I subjected my waistline to the abuse of consuming one of the afore mentioned Black and Tans today! Cost of this decadent pleasure: $ 8.25. I believe the large (3-scoop) sundaes at Swenson's in Thailand cost B 129 ($ 4.00) or about half the cost of the Fenton's creation. Again, however, to even approach the size (but not the quality) of the Fenton's sundae, you would have to order 3 of them ...so it would come out to B 387 ($ 12.00).

Gas: The San Fransisco Bay Area has the highest gas prices in America. This is due to a number of factors...in any case, the current price is basically $ 4.00 per gallon at local stations for "regular," which is probably the closest to Thailand's 91 gas in octane content. Now, I know to my European based readers, this will seem incredibly cheap and for you it is but for my fellow Americans it is very expensive. The average price around the country, according to the reports on TV and in the papers, is around $ 1.75 a gallon. The last time I filled up in Pattaya, gow-nueng was B 31 a litre. This equals B 118 PER GALLON (31x3.8=118), which converts to $ 3.69 per gallon. (I think I did the math right here...please correct if wrong. I think there are 3.8 litres to a gallon.) So the price of this fungible commodity is about the same, to slightly cheaper, in LOS if compared to the USA countrywide average price, which is not subject to the special environmental and formulation mandates of gas sold in California.

Electronics: Went to check out Best Buy electronics today to buy some DVDs and check on the prices of computers and electronics. Some interesting results here. Now, Apple has a fairly uniform pricing policy around the world I believe, so there is not too much variation in the MSRP from country to country. I guess price would be affected by any local imprort duties and tariffs and local dealer mark-ups. Apple products are a good price comparison item because their specs are more or less fixed (sorta like the Big Macs of computers), unlike most WinTel based machines. The Black Mac Book 160 HD, 2 GIG RAM was $ 1300 or B 41,600. Can someone in LOS provide the current prices at shops there? The white Sony Vaio T8100 250HD 3GIG RAM 14.1 notebook was $ 1250 or B 40,000. A Linksys wireless router 100 MBPS was $ 50.00 or B 1600. I purchased a Toshiba 320 MB 2.5" external HD for $ 130 or B 4160.

Things were more favorable on DVD pricing (and I am only concerned here with genuine DVDs). In Thailand, I recently purchased the boxed sets of The Blue Planet and Planet Earth, the BBC nature documentaries. I think I paid B 600 and B 900 for them...really great prices. At Best Buy, Blue Planet was $ 60 (B 1920) and a combined set of both series was $ 90.00 (B 2880). I saved big money buying my sets in Thailand. I go through allot of reams of computer printer paper in Thailand. It costs from B 100-B 130 ($ 3.00-$ 4.00) depending on paper weight. Thie paper at Office Max cost $ 7.00-$ 7.80 (B 224-B 250) a ream. I had no idea there would be such a discrepancy in price on such an item, with LOS being less than half the Stateside price, nor do I have any explanation why this would be so. Ink jet printer cartridges were $ 15.00-$ 25.00 dollars. I don't know what model/price would be for my Thai Epson printer but I buy my cartridges at Tuk Com Pattaya for B 200 BW and B 325 colour ($ 6.25- $ 10.10).

[Groongthep]

The average price around the country, according to the reports on TV and in the papers, is around $ 1.75 a gallon.

I've enjoyed your post and you make some good points but Geezus Jonnie what TV reports and papers are reporting that the average price of gasoline is $1.75?! (must be that dam_n Chronicle) According to the Department of Energy website and my personal experience ( I travel throughout the US quite often) the average price of gasoline today is about $3.78 or roughly the same as you pay in Pattaya. Not trying to nit pick, just want to get the record straight.

[grtaylor]

Perhaps a more valid food comparison would be:

Thai Food in Thailand versus Foreign Food in Thailand

and

Local food in USA versus Thai food in USA

[jonniebkk]

The average price around the country, according to the reports on TV and in the papers, is around $ 1.75 a gallon.

I've enjoyed your post and you make some good points but Geezus Jonnie what TV reports and papers are reporting that the average price of gasoline is $1.75?! (must be that dam_n Chronicle)

Obviously that was a misprint...but thank you for pointing it out. When I did the comparison, I used the correct reference price of $ 3.75 per gallon for US gas.

[jonniebkk]

Continuing on with some more comparisons:

Restaurants continued: I had a pork burrito supreme at my fav local shop today. This is their "top of the line" and largest model. It cost $ 6.00 (B 192). I have heard good things about the burritos at Sunrise Tacos in Bangkok but have not been yet and don't know how they would compare in size, taste, and quality to the one I had. Maybe someone can provide at least the pricing information for a comparison. Walking past a Japanese restaurant, I noted the price of a fried pork cutlet lunch set (tonkatsu) was $ 6.00. It looked comparable to the same set at Fuji, which is B 110 ($ 3.43). As anyone who lives in LOS knows, Fuji's food is very good value for the price and it shows here again, with the price about half the cost of the Stateside set. (Thought those Fuji cutlets keep getting smaller and smaller. )

I am a big fan of bagels and we are spoiled for choice on this score in the Bay Area. We've got Noah's, Posh, Boogie Woogie, and more. Nothing better than a toasted poppy seed bagel with garlic/herb spread to get the day started in my book. In Thailand, the only bagel I have found that is remotely comparable are the ones at Au Bon Pain. They are nothing to shout about but in LOS, they're about the best you're gonna get. The Bay Area bagels cost $ 1.00 ea. At ABP Pattaya, they are B 50 or B 55 ($ 1.56-$ 1.72). I have no explanation why the Thai ABP ones are so expensive compared to the bigger one's here; is the cost of wheat floor so much more expensive in LOS that USA? What about the cost of water or salt...maybe they are 50-75% more expensive...it certainly isn't the wage costs of the Thai baker or shop clerk...that I do know!

A Trip to the Grocery Store: We all gotta eat no matter where we choose to call home and that means trips to the local grocery store. In either country, we can see the benefits of Globalization, with the plethora of goods (both local and from around the world) on offer. I poked my head in a couple stores today to do a little price snooping.

A staple of the Thai diet...those Japanese boil and eat ramen noodle packs (the ones you boil for a few minutes - not the instant ones) cost $ .39 ea. at Walgreen Drug Store. At Foodland in Pattaya, they cost B 26 ea ($ .81). I am talking about the Nissan brand and not the cheapo Maggi brand. This is really an eye-opener - that this simple food staple that I am almost positive is LOCALLY produced cost TWICE the USA price. So the average Thai, who makes maybe 1/8th the salary of an American gets to pay 2x the price if he buys this product! I never buy the Maggi brand...maybe someone can supply a price point for them...they may be about the equilivent cost of the Nissan brand in USA (but are a smaller package and of lesser quality). Bag of Starbucks pre-ground coffee 12 oz is $ 11.00 ( B 352). Anyone buy coffee at a Thai Starbucks recently and know the cost?

I bought a bottle of Walgreen store brand daily multi-vitamin/mineral supplements to keep my aging body going a little longer. Cost for 220 pill bottle $ 13.00 [.06 per pill] (B 416). I don't recall specifically, but the last time I priced a similar 100 pill bottle of multi-vitamins at Boots or Watsons, it was something like B 600-B 800 [ .22 per pill using the mid-prie of B 700]. So again, a Thai or foreign expat who wants to stay healthy by taking a vitamin supplement gets to pay 4x the price. [Caveat: Due to their outrageous price in Thailand, I have never bought vitamins in LOS, and don't even bother to price them anymore. If anyone has recent pricing info that contradicts mine, please correct my post.]

Continuing down the grocery aisle, we come to some Pringles potato chips. The standard size canister is $ 1.29 or 3 for $ 3.00 (B 41 a can or B 32 ea for 3). Don't know what these cost in LOS but do know they sell them - again, can anyone supply the price for comparison? Price for a small bottle of drinking water is $ .60 or $ 1.00 for 2 ( B 19)l. Here LOS pricing is much cheaper at B 9-B 10 or half the cost. Great because with the hot Thai weather, we must all drink lots of water. Lets continue onto the fruits, where we can get some easy comps for coconuts, mangoes, and pineapples. (I think the store clerks must have thought I was some sort of government inspector checking their product quality or the accuracy of the scales the way I went about picking up pieces or fruit, weighing them, jotting down notes, then putting them back on display ) Here is what I found: Rather sickly looking medium sized (3/4 lb) "organic" mangoes cost $ 1.19 ea. ( B 38). In LOS, a bigger (if maybe not "organic") mango would cost B 20 ea. or about half the cost. Small coconuts (for drinking) cost $ 1.80 ea. (B 58). The last time I bought a coconut at the beach in Pattaya it cost B 20 or about 1/3 the Stateside cost. Hawaiian pineapples were $ .99 per lb so a typical 3-1/2 lb one would cost $ 3.50 (B 112). So as expected, tropical fruits are much cheaper in LOS than in the States. Of course, the price of peaches, pears, cherries, and other temperate fruits would even the scales on this score.

Smokes: Marlboro Reds cost $ 4.00-$5.00 per pack ( B 128-B 160) and $ 42.00 for a carton. The price of Marlboros in LOS are B 55 a pack or 1/3 the price. My friends who smoke claim the tobacco in the Thai Marlboros is not of the same quality and taste of those sold in Western markets so the comparison may not be completely apples to apples but close enough for our purposes.

Condoms Finally, and maybe most important - at least in my hometown of Pattaya, we come to the price of condoms! A 3-pack of Durex condoms cost $ 6.00 ( B 192). In Thailand, they cost B 45-B 55...or almost 1/4 the price. So we can all continue to engage in maximum sanook activities as the cost of our condoms is a great value compared to what one would pay for them in America. But come to think of it, some of us may not have much use for condoms in America so their high prices would not crimp our budget much and we could spend those savings on expensive smokes instead

Edited May 15, 2008 by jonniebkk

[onethailand]

Re: Instant noodles - Nissin produces those locally in the US as well, somewhere in Southern California and they produce in much greater volumes. As far as I know, Nissin does not produce here in Thailand. For a better comparison, you should use Mama or WaiWai at 5 baht per pack, which is about 17 cents - half the US price.

(I correct myself - Nissin does have a factory here in Thailand).

The other important thing to compare - jasmine rice. I would guess that the price is significantly higher in the US, considering that Thailand is the world's largest exporter...

Meat products - pork and chicken will be cheaper in Thailand, beef (and significantly higher grade at that) will be cheaper in the US.

Pringles are about the same price depending on where you buy them in Thailand, can be as high as 50 baht though.

Bagels - can't compare ABP with Noah's, and besides ABP has a virtual monopoly so they can charge what they like. Obviously competition is another factor.

Then you have volume... for example electronics volume is way lower than the US, especially when you have a nationwide brand like Walmart or Best Buy which is buying in volume of at least 1000x what all of Thailand is buying.

Then you have import taxes...

... and then you need to deal with customer demand.

On the whole I'd say prices in Thailand are quite fair, except for some of the imported goods which are horrendously expensive in some cases. In the end - living in Thailand is a fair bit cheaper for me than living in SF or LA would be.

Edited May 15, 2008 by onethailand

[LooseCannon]

I bought a bottle of Walgreen store brand daily multi-vitamin/mineral supplements to keep my aging body going a little longer. Cost for 220 pill bottle $ 13.00 [.06 per pill] (B 416). I don't recall specifically, but the last time I priced a similar 100 pill bottle of multi-vitamins at Boots or Watsons, it was something like B 600-B 800 [ .22 per pill using the mid-prie of B 700]. So again, a Thai or foreign expat who wants to stay healthy by taking a vitamin supplement gets to pay 4x the price. [Caveat: Due to their outrageous price in Thailand, I have never bought vitamins in LOS, and don't even bother to price them anymore. If anyone has recent pricing info that contradicts mine, please correct my post.]

Very wise.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2096672.stm

A quote...

Dr Jane Armitage from the University of Oxford's clinical trial services unit said the £21m five-year study had given disappointing results for vitamin use.

"It was disappointing we did not see any benefits at all in either heart diseases or cancer."

As has been suspected for a long time, better to eat fresh fruit & veg.