Is Thailand Getting Too Expensive?

[henryalleman]

Who is still saying that Thailand became too expensive?

Maybe we stay in a different Thailand.

But again you are confusing the issue of the difference between prices in Antwerp and Thailand (the absolute difference) with the question of whether Thailand itself is becoming significantly more expensive over time and closing the gap (i.e. the relativities as compared with say 3 years ago). Yes, of course the cost of living in most Thai cities is cheaper than average Western cities (cf salaries) but the striking bargains that were there 5 years ago look less enticiing today. As I said in an earlier post, you could indeed have had a first-class hotel in KK (Sofitel) for 1500 baht a few years ago, but now the price is 2900 baht. Nor at that time would you have had a current thread on the TV travel forum asking if there are central Bangkok hotels with pools for 2000 baht. Give an honest answer: if you really have as much experience of Thailand over several years as your posts suggest, haven't you noticed the upward creep in prices?

I must tell you again I don't stay in BKK hotel, because I always stay with the family, and I don't need a pool or tennis court, because I have one in the apartment where I will move on in April. And that a 2 bed/bad room, apartment with 3 airco, front load washing machine, fully furnished, fully equipped European style kitchen have a rental price of 15 000 baht monthly, in Bangkok. Such a rental price you can't find in any European capital. In my home town you pay minimum 5 times that price.

And yes I agree that prices went up the last 5 years but also in my home town an much more than in Thailand, that's why I still stand that Thailand is still dirt cheap compared with my home town.

And for me that's the standard to compare, I don't care if the UK, US or somewhereistan is cheaper because I don't life there and have no plans to move there.

So in short, I have an European indexed government pension as income and Thai spending. Thats why Thailand will be always much cheaper for me than my home town. Only a very strong Bath can have some limited impact on my daily expenses.

[ozfarang81]

Comparisons Melbourne to Bangkok price:

Studio apartment in new building : MEL: 20,000 baht/month BKK: 6000 baht/month (bangkok includes security guards,24 hour reception, 60 tv channels (mostly thai) brand new building)

Dinner for 2 from street hawkers takeaway including 2 drinks: MEL: minimum 800 baht BKK: 100 baht-120 baht

Movie: Melbourne 340 baht, Thailand 100 baht-120 baht

Taxi: Melbourne airport to CBD (20km) - 1000 baht, Bangkok (40km)350 baht

Flights: roughly the same kind of deals are offered between the 2

Cleaner: clean your apartment in bangkok 200 baht, melbourne 1000-1200 baht

Fuel: 17 baht bangkok today, 25 baht melbourne today

Pack of Marlboro lights: 60 baht bangkok,250 baht melbourne

Beer: 6 pack of small bottles melbourne 340 baht, bangkok 180ish

i dont know what tv costs in thailand but a full cable pack in melbourne is 2600 a month for all the channels

thats just a few comparisons, and thats with the Aussie dollar at levels 25% worse than 6 months ago. so the difference was much greater back then. There is no doubt thailand is still a cheap place to be! but for me, its not about th $$, its the country i love and even if it was the same price as melbourne id still be here

[geeky]

Living on Phuket, over the last few days I've been really thinking about living costs here compared to the UK (with the plummeting exchange rate).

Rental accommodation is far cheaper here as is eating out, but I'm struggling to think of anything else!

Any suggestions of other living expenses that are cheaper here in Phuket would be greatly appreciated to cheer me up!

what about the weather, fresh fruits and almost any kind of food, what about gorgeous beaches, what about the flora and fauna, what about a little boat trip to these little island, which are so beautiful its hard to believe its for real, what about the air, no polution here !!

even if Phuket would be twice as expensive as the UK, it would still be worth it ... I'm not here for the cheap, I'm here for what makes life great and which are priceless ...

[BigSnake]

Yes it is getting Expensive, a 10klo of Rice just 18 months ago was Bt275 now it is Bt345 at all the shop in my little town. Bus ride up to Bt10. In spite of it all Thailand is still a great place to shop and visit.

[bonobo]

Left work early yesterday and got a haircut.  100 baht. Then went to the hospital to get checked out as I have had a nagging cough and a little dizziness. Came out with some pills and a total bill of zero baht. Yes, I found out after the fact that our company is registered with this hospotal, but even with great company coverage in the US, I would have walked out with at least a $25 co-pay.

[henryalleman]

Pack of Marlboro lights: 60 baht bangkok,250 baht melbourne

Today 65 Baht

[Heng]

Maid and nanny's payday coming up on the 15th. 10,500 Baht.

In the US that would be more like 90,000-110,000, and that's for illegals.

[tb86]

Thailand is cheap, your not gonna be able to argue your way out of it. Dollar for dollar you get much more over here, for example I live on the same ammount of money here as I did in new york, im happy with that. So thailand isnt cheaper for me but I get much more for my money. Inorder to live the way I do here in the west my salary would need to be 50,-100 k usd a month. Just build a house here and the cost differences are very noticeable. Yeah designer clothing is more expensive here, but thats what Hongkong is for.

try and get these things in the west for less in a big city like bangkok

driver

cooks

maid

nanny

3500 sq m house / pool / underground parking for 10

Edited January 10, 2009 by tb86

[desi]

Some posters mention quality clothes in europe compared to here.one only needs shorts and tops to live in thailand,so no suits to purchase,ties,long sleeved shirts,trousers,all expensive.

I can just see walking into a major International company in Thailand wearing only shorts and a singlet. What a hoot!

1/ i dont wear singlets

2/ i am retired early so dont get jealous

3/ i can do what i want when i want

4/ happy hunting with your job in hot weather,sweating like a rpaist

So your post was just about YOU... not advice for others in Thailand? It was a reference to the 'royal' one? Hehh hehhh...

1) I don't either.

2) Whatever is there to be jealous about?

3) Ditto, but I don't get silly over it.

4) I don't need a job as my lovely credit card works just fine (but thanks for your concern)

Edited January 10, 2009 by desi

[dumball]

Pack of Marlboro lights: 60 baht bangkok,250 baht melbourne

Today 65 Baht

In Cambodia I buy a CARTON of LM for B132 , in Thailand that buys you just 2 packs and a stick of gum to chew on . More , buying the 14 per pack carton also gives me 210 cigarettes , bonus of 10

[dumball]

tbs, never needed driver , maid or nanny , had a stay at home wife that covered those and many more delightfull essentials of life .

[tb86]

tbs, never needed driver , maid or nanny , had a stay at home wife that covered those and many more delightfull essentials of life .

thats great for you , mine manages the her familys money, plus our finances and all marketing for our buisnesses. So we need others to do the domestic duties,

[dumball]

Fantastic tb86 , it takes all kinds to make up this world of ours , just enjoy what we have .

[tb86]

Fantastic tb86 , it takes all kinds to make up this world of ours , just enjoy what we have .

amen..

[Jimjim]

I don't see how people can talk for 6 pages about this.

[tb86]

8-10 word replies plus boredom, thats how

Edited January 10, 2009 by tb86

[Naam]

tbs, never needed driver , maid or nanny , had a stay at home wife that covered those and many more delightfull essentials of life .

a question, no derogatory thinking: am i right to assume you never could afford to employ domestic staff?

[Naam]

Maid and nanny's payday coming up on the 15th. 10,500 Baht. In the US that would be more like 90,000-110,000, and that's for illegals.

wages for a "cleaning lady" in one of Germany's big cities = 600 Baht / hour.

[Naam]

Some posters mention quality clothes in europe compared to here.one only needs shorts and tops to live in thailand,so no suits to purchase,ties,long sleeved shirts,trousers,all expensive.

I can just see walking into a major International company in Thailand wearing only shorts and a singlet. What a hoot!

of course you can't do that if you work for that company. (except when travelling) i wear shorts and a t-shirt since 19 years, 1 month and 10 days. perhaps i should mention that i hate to wear socks and shoes.

[dumball]

tbs, never needed driver , maid or nanny , had a stay at home wife that covered those and many more delightfull essentials of life .

a question, no derogatory thinking: am i right to assume you never could afford to employ domestic staff?

Sorry , never had a need or a thought for them , other than a baby-sitter when we dined/partied/went to meetings outside the home , employed people to work in the buisiness however . Good question to set the answer straight though

[Naam]

tbs, never needed driver , maid or nanny , had a stay at home wife that covered those and many more delightfull essentials of life .

a question, no derogatory thinking: am i right to assume you never could afford to employ domestic staff?

Sorry , never had a need or a thought for them , other than a baby-sitter when we dined/partied/went to meetings outside the home , employed people to work in the buisiness however . Good question to set the answer straight though

fair answer! i hope you don't look down on people who enjoy the luxury of domestic staff especially if there is a bunch of children, a big home to take care of and/or the private lifestyle asks for it.

[henryalleman]

Pack of Marlboro lights: 60 baht bangkok,250 baht melbourne

Today 65 Baht

In Cambodia I buy a CARTON of LM for B132 , in Thailand that buys you just 2 packs and a stick of gum to chew on . More , buying the 14 per pack carton also gives me 210 cigarettes , bonus of 10

LM and Marlborough are not the same quality of tobacco in Cambodia and Laos. Even in Thailand there are 2 quality's of Marlborough.

[henryalleman]

gentleman please the topic is

Is Thailand Getting Too Expensive?

and not comment someone's lifestyle.

[bonzor]

Living on Phuket, over the last few days I've been really thinking about living costs here compared to the UK (with the plummeting exchange rate).

Rental accommodation is far cheaper here as is eating out, but I'm struggling to think of anything else!

Any suggestions of other living expenses that are cheaper here in Phuket would be greatly appreciated to cheer me up!

Are you insane? Laundry, tailoring, having something fixed, hair cuts, movies... I could go on all day.

Not forgetting:

petrol, gas, electric, council tax, water rates, eating in, eating out, alcohol (in most places), clothing, public transport - including taxi's, road tax, MOT, car service, car valet, VAT, internet, satallite TV, clothing, dental treatment, fixing the plumbing......

that took about 30 seconds and I too could continue. Thailand is getting a lot more expensive than it has been for the last few years - especially in places like Phuket, but in comparison to the UK, still.....cheap as chips.

Petrol? Good point -FAR cheaper!

Gas/electric? More expensive than in the UK. I pay around £70 a month for a mid sized modern, well insulated family home - do you really pay more than this?

Council tax/Water rates? No council tax, but water is cheaper. However, the convenience of drinking water on tap is sorely missed! If you don't pay council tax, then you're already about £1,500 a year up on me. I'd also miss the tap water though.

Clothing? The crap is marginally cheaper, but otherwise there's little difference. I don't know where you're shopping, but comparing 'like for like' I find it far cheaper in Thailand for everything from shorts to suits, unless you are buying from tourist malls such as Siam Paragon.

Eating in? No cheaper now here than in the UK. Fresh fruit, fish and rice, are you really telling me they are more expensive than in England? Mango's £1+ each in Tesco this week.

Alcohol? Check the prices. Beer is cheaper, but anything else is only slightly cheaper. I only drink beer ......and the odd single malt, I'll give you that one.

Internet/satellite TV? Slightly cheaper, but the service is FAR worse!! I pay about £60 a month for Sky, not including installation and servicing etc - is this only slightly cheaper than Thailand? I paid for the Ashes series a couple of years ago for just a few hundred baht.

VAT? Included in the above prices when comparing to the UK. I'll give you this one, but I was trying to make the point about much higher taxes in The UK.

Dental services? Yes, but hardly something that one takes into account in day to day living expenses! I take it into account as it has to be done and has to be paid for - and with far less hassle regarding registerring and booking appointments.

Have I missed anything? Quite a lot it seems

Gas/Electric - I pay about 60 pounds a month for a 2 bed place, but only 1 is used.

Clothes? Most come from Zara in Central Mall, and they're not cheap with the current exchange rate!

Fresh fruit and veg? - Yes, I can no longer see the difference in price. Mangos might be cheaper, but little else is.

Inernet/satellite? - I pay about 45 pounds a month for a VERY basic TV/ internet service. Believe me, the TV stations are crap, and the internet is appalling!

Please try again.

Of course thailand is cheaper than most of western liberal europe, the us and japan, aussie etc. Of course there is inflation in thailand and the cost of living has risen. Anyone who cant see that thinks the earth is flat. Comparative rates of price inflation are interesting and of course it depends on indivudual lifestyles. If you shop in Emporium of course theres not much difference in prices. Thats because the same sorts of people shop there all over the world. Rural Thailand is very cheap when I stop for a snack of sticky rice and mango with roti on the way home it costs a fraction of a european takeaway.

[ozfarang81]

Marlboro lights in Laos are rubbish!

[excaliber]

It all depends on the currency, for the Japanese to be able to get a full English breakfast in Jomtien for about 400 Yen is incredibly cheap to them.

A beer in a bar in Tokyo will set you back 1000 Yen around about 370 Baht.

So a full English for 148 baht is excellent value.

What would a full English Breakfast cost you in a restaurant in England ?

Or Norway ?

But I agree, for many folks Thailand is now a much more expensive place to visit due to currency problems.

(maybe off topic a bit, but relevant non the less) Not long ago one could purchase (in wife's name of course) a rai of land near where I live for 50,000 baht. Now the price is 150,000 baht per rai and not because of the currency devaluation. A rich farang came to buy some land and the land owner knowing he had tons of money increased the price three-fold. The farang, young and snotty who has very rich parents paid the asking price and set a new price standard for the entire area. I saw this happen on the Islands years ago also. It's mostly due to farang and greedy farang real estate agents. Typically, the land or homeowner tells the agent "I want xxxx baht, anything over that you can keep". I've witnessed this for more than twenty years living here...(any negative replies to this post will probably come from un-real estate people and farang who come here to do business buying and selling land, houses, condo's etc.) Local food is pretty much the same price for years. If more farang ate somtum & kowneeo the price would be higher)

Edited January 11, 2009 by excaliber

[brahmburgers]

Last year, I stayed in a big, somewhat dumpy room with a porch and large screened windows on each end for Bt.250/night. And that was 12 minutes walk from Siam Center in downtown BKK. It's called White House g.h. - and may still be there, on a side soi.

It comparable to getting a room in London or NYC - right downtown for $10/night.

If a person doesn't mind staying in a simple guest house, he can save hundreds of dollars per night.

My ex-wife called me monk-minded, thinking it was derogatory - it wasn't (to me).

[tgeezer]

If more farang ate somtum & kowneeo the price would be higher)

I agree with this but not many farang do this: I went to the Mayo Clinic in Phaholyothin yesterday for the post exposure to rabies jabs. First jab of five 1196 Baht, I had to see a doctor (250)and pay to listen to a lot of bullshit about some dogs being carriers, about how important it was to have the full set of jabs, have a nurse dress the scratch (104) antibiotics and paracetamol(145!) the jabs (647) International cost of six of these jabs $40. hospital services made up a few baht more. My next jab is Tuesday for which I will need to pay again and not just for a jab, doctor fee etc as well : the whole deal if I did it all would be over 7000baht. Now that is expensive. I am sure that Thais with as much money as me do not pay that. It is the offense as much as the money; the knowledge that I am only tolerated for my money I find deeply offensive, they don't even know me these Thais, but they all think it is perfectly fair to rip me off. To some extent it can hurt them too as it does with the baht busses in Pattaya where they get kicked off if a farang is a better fare. Now I have to shop around to get the next few jabs until I find that the dog hasn't died which I am 90% sure will be the case. This is an extreem case; the place is expensive but they should be honest, normal Thais go there and wouldn't if they were overcharged, in fact I was the only farang.

From the establishments point of view the more a farang pays the better it makes the deal that the Thais are getting, keeps them grateful and in their place, so that is an added benefit that we provide unrealized by many including the Thais. On the other hand the public trasport is fair value, we even benefit from the free busses.

I can handle it normally anything in the street I can't put up with or walk away from, it is these semi-official rip-offs that get to me.

Edited January 11, 2009 by tgeezer

[wamberal]

Maid and nanny's payday coming up on the 15th. 10,500 Baht. In the US that would be more like 90,000-110,000, and that's for illegals.

wages for a "cleaning lady" in one of Germany's big cities = 600 Baht / hour.

Frankly, I would far prefer to live in a country where menial workers get paid a decent wage. Maybe that's just me.

[Zombienation]

Agreed, I'm never sure what to say to people who brag about paying people awful wages, just because it's cheap. People reply that it's the going rate. Well how about compensating your employees well if you are so well off? Exploiting people is, I would've thought, a rather lame thing to be proud of, but what do I know?