Is Thailand Getting Too Expensive?

[tgeezer]

deleted

Edited January 15, 2009 by tgeezer

[tgeezer]

Is thailand getting too expensive?

I can say that for me it is not, yet!;I have just checked my bank book and for the months I am here 3rd week October;3rd week March I spent 200,000 last year and so far this year I have spent 100,000; so on track, if the baht loses value and they add a supplement to the airticket I could go over budget a little. In order to keep it the same in GBP the baht must go down or else, simply it will be 4000 GBP I send over in May instead of 3000GBP which I sent last year;It may be worth considering getting a single airticket and buying a return from England for Oct; I think that UK and Thailand may have swopped in respect of what the market will bear.

[rjk]

It's more a case of 'my income isn't improving fast enough'

I bought all my electronics in Aus before I left, I saved a small fortune by doing so.

Are you sure? The price of electronics in Oz is obscene. I buy stuff here instead.

Most, if not all, consumer electronics items are much cheaper in Australia than Thailand. If you know where to buy.

We buy all our major consumer electronics from JB HiFi at Knox City in outer Melbourne. We never pay the retail price as staff at JB have a lot of room to move in most cases. A little Canon Ixus camera I bought recently was 1/3rd more expensive in Bangkok. PC related items are cheaper in Australia by far, just compare your local Thai price to prices offered by companies such as Centrecom (stores all over Melbourne). Microwaves at the lower end can be routinely bought for $50 - $75 in Melbourne yet here they cost from about $90 AUD. Try to buy a Macintosh computer in Thailand then compare with Next Byte computers or again JB HiFi - the difference is astounding.

It's a matter of knowing where to buy a particular item but being quite an avid electronics user, I am yet to find something cheaper in Thailand than at home.

[Alex8]

For me, i have no choice really but to visit Thailand, so that my family can visit their family. Although i love Thailand, sometimes i wish i could change my holiday destination but that wouldn't be fair on the Mrs.

So what will i do? I'll carry on going to Thailand and having a good time but i won't splash out on luxury items that i usually would have.

It's the same for me here in Saudi. 6 months ago there was 7.4 Riyal to the Pound and now it's about 5.4. This has meant that many ex pats are not buying new cars and laptops and electronic goods etc. Say a car would have cost 100,000 Riyal, 6 months ago this would have equated to about 13,500 pounds, now it's 18,500 pounds. No thanks, i'll keep what i've got for the moment and the same ethos will apply when visiting Thailand.

Yes, a few months ago, I was strongly considering buying a top-of-the-range Toyota Camry. Not any longer. I'll stick with the perfectly good utility Toyota Soluna-Vios run-about I currently use. Thanks very much, Gordon Brown and Phoney Bliar-poodle for the continuing destruction of the Sterling pound.

Sorry if I went a bit of topic and broke fundamental rules.

Signed: Alex8

[ThaiPauly]

thailand expensive???????? im sorry guys, have you been to the west latley? ok im sure thailand is more expensive now than it was 5-10 years ago but so is the west. There only three things i have found more expensive in thailand than the west imported food, wine and cars. amazing

yes agree with you,what makes thailand seem more expensive for many that live here is the worsening exchange rates,and declining interest rates on investments back home.

Oi !!

You've stolen my avitar ....get your own

[maeowyai]

Last time I went back to the UK was july 2007 and I could'nt find a full brekky anywhere for less than a fiver. Mind you it was good bacon.

HL

Around that time 2007 the cafe opposite my flat in Leicester used to offer a 99p breakfast - pretty meagre but even the top of the range steak breakfast was only about about £4 - just off the high street as well.

[MJP]

I am an expert in the exact costs of living in Thailand.

Down to the satang.

No I'm not Scottish.

If you are established here with a house, I can tell you now it's much, much cheaper than the UK as an example. You don't have all the taxes here for a start. All the permit fees. All the government costs. If you shop efficiently it's cheaper. Utilities are way cheaper. If you smoke it's an eighth of the cost.

Now, those of you on holiday here, eating and drinking out and doing whatever it is you do, of course it's more expensive . . . but you're not comparing apples with apples.

[Tejas]

Last time I went back to the UK was july 2007 and I could'nt find a full brekky anywhere for less than a fiver. Mind you it was good bacon.

HL

Around that time 2007 the cafe opposite my flat in Leicester used to offer a 99p breakfast - pretty meagre but even the top of the range steak breakfast was only about about £4 - just off the high street as well.

Yes, Thailand is getting expensive..........it was much less expensive (in real terms) 20 years ago, even 10 years ago.

But people are not getting better quality...........

It is an odd economic plan......and it is something that is planned.

What do the masters of design believe? Raise prices and you will reach developed world status............yeah........right.

And some people wonder why rural people living on next to nothing might be upset with the system at the moment.

The answer, of course, is to open the Thai market to real, global competition........fat chance of that happening.

That would lead to jobs and some stability in the system..........also, innovation.

[WarpSpeed]

To answer the OP, Simply put...yes.....There is little savings with many downsides for me...Not the least of which finding good employment making all things less then equal here..

Edited March 13, 2010 by WarpSpeed

[dmax]

i can buy a beer cheaper here in uk down my local british legion or working mans club, food is cheaper in uk like bacon, sausages, meat, bread out of tescos,clothes are a lot cheaper here in uk, my wife couldnt believe the prices when i took here to primark , she bought her sons a nice pair of shoes for like 250 new, shorts for 25 baht - 50pence , t-shirts for 1.50 pence ...

thailand really is too expensive now with the price of the pound.

[MJP]

You have serious inflation heading your way. Make the most of it.

i can buy a beer cheaper here in uk down my local british legion or working mans club, food is cheaper in uk like bacon, sausages, meat, bread out of tescos,clothes are a lot cheaper here in uk, my wife couldnt believe the prices when i took here to primark , she bought her sons a nice pair of shoes for like 250 new, shorts for 25 baht - 50pence , t-shirts for 1.50 pence ...

thailand really is too expensive now with the price of the pound.

[mojaco]

I'm from the USA and when I came here in 1994 it was 25 Baht per dollar. It rose to a maximum of 43 and now is around 32 for the last couple of years. So I haven't been hit *YET* but suppose I will. Don't know why the dollar is still better than 1994 - but then it seems like no one really understands these currency things, except that there must be some gain for the Thai banks propping up the Baht they way they are.

As perspective on the prices in Thailand, take a look at

http://www.price.moc.go.th/en/Default5.aspx

http://www2.bot.or.th/statistics/BOTWEBSTA...mp;language=ENG

It shows that since 2007 the average price of all commodities including food rose an average of 6.9%, and excluding food and energy the "core costs" rose about 3.05% BUT raw food rose 28% and rice a breath-taking 46%. So I guess the cost increases one remembers well are the ones that affect us the most. Certainly the rice cost increase is horrendous for the Thai people.

[metisdead]

I'm from the USA and when I came here in 1994 it was 25 Baht per dollar. It rose to a maximum of 43 and now is around 32 for the last couple of years. So I haven't been hit *YET* but suppose I will. Don't know why the dollar is still better than 1994 - but then it seems like no one really understands these currency things, except that there must be some gain for the Thai banks propping up the Baht they way they are.

As perspective on the prices in Thailand, take a look at

http://www.price.moc.go.th/en/Default5.aspx

http://www2.bot.or.th/statistics/BOTWEBSTA...mp;language=ENG

It shows that since 2007 the average price of all commodities including food rose an average of 6.9%, and excluding food and energy the "core costs" rose about 3.05% BUT raw food rose 28% and rice a breath-taking 46%. So I guess the cost increases one remembers well are the ones that affect us the most. Certainly the rice cost increase is horrendous for the Thai people.

You missed it then in 2000 when the baht dropped to 55 to $1.00.

[mojaco]

I'm from the USA and when I came here in 1994 it was 25 Baht per dollar. It rose to a maximum of 43 and now is around 32 for the last couple of years. So I haven't been hit *YET* but suppose I will. Don't know why the dollar is still better than 1994 - but then it seems like no one really understands these currency things, except that there must be some gain for the Thai banks propping up the Baht they way they are.

As perspective on the prices in Thailand, take a look at

http://www.price.moc.go.th/en/Default5.aspx

http://www2.bot.or.th/statistics/BOTWEBSTA...mp;language=ENG

It shows that since 2007 the average price of all commodities including food rose an average of 6.9%, and excluding food and energy the "core costs" rose about 3.05% BUT raw food rose 28% and rice a breath-taking 46%. So I guess the cost increases one remembers well are the ones that affect us the most. Certainly the rice cost increase is horrendous for the Thai people.

You missed it then in 2000 when the baht dropped to 55 to $1.00.

NOW you tell me!!!!

[neverdie]

I'm sorry, I just can't understand all this talk about thailand being so expensive. Sure, Im not changing the pound, but over the years my currency has dropped and risen again against the baht, it didnt get the name the Australian Paeso for no reason. Still even when we were only getting 20 baht to the dollar, it was still cheap.

I guess, if your trying to live like a farang and buy all those farang foods etc, then maybe thai can be expensive in that area, but things like, housing, certain cars, electricity, water, labour etc etc is just so dam_n cheap....the other day a small army of people turned up to give my yard the once over, its a big yard, plenty of work to do, would of taken me days, 2 and a half hours later the entire job was finished and the cost.....200 baht.

Thailand expensive, get real.

[Ulysses G.]

Neverdie is right once again.

[MJP]

Even with the Pound at 40, it'll be cheaper. Brit's forget they're at the mercy of a delayed inflationary effect of currency devaluation. They also compare a holiday lifestyle here with normal living arrangements in the UK. They don't run the numbers, all the numbers to see what the real differences are or undertand the different cost structures between living in either country.

It's always beer this, sausage 'n chips that . . . how about council tax at £1400 a year? Or fuel at 2.5 times the price? Or gas bills that run in the hundreds of Baht a year rather than hundreds of Pounds a quarter.

I think most of these blokes lose all connection with reality when they land here so no wonder it costs a fortune.

I'm sorry, I just can't understand all this talk about thailand being so expensive. Sure, Im not changing the pound, but over the years my currency has dropped and risen again against the baht, it didnt get the name the Australian Paeso for no reason. Still even when we were only getting 20 baht to the dollar, it was still cheap.

I guess, if your trying to live like a farang and buy all those farang foods etc, then maybe thai can be expensive in that area, but things like, housing, certain cars, electricity, water, labour etc etc is just so dam_n cheap....the other day a small army of people turned up to give my yard the once over, its a big yard, plenty of work to do, would of taken me days, 2 and a half hours later the entire job was finished and the cost.....200 baht.

Thailand expensive, get real.

[WarpSpeed]

Thailand is still cheap but it seems that many business prefer the high cost and lower volume business strategy as to lower price and higher volume.

How is that different than anywhere else in the world? You expect international multi-nationals to blindly subscribe to the chinese model of high volume - low margin?

I think he forgot to include that they also want to throw low quality in to the mix as well..There is nothing wrong with low volume coupled with moderate to high pricing as long as you get good service or quality but when you want the former without the latter that's where the problems begin and all to common here..

[WarpSpeed]

OT. Are the post rabies shots the ones you have to have directly into your stomach!?

No, she's been receiving Verorab which is administered in alternate arms on days zero, three, seven, fourteen & thirty following the 'incident'.

However, the nephew is also being treated (separate incident) at the local government hospital & he has had the shots in the stomach.

Why the stomach? They have stopped using that treatment years ago now.. I just went through the same series of shots last month and also did Verorab but they did not alternate arms? What's up with that?

[MJo]

You do realize you are replying to over a year old posts?

My question to you is. Is the OP's question still valid today?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

If we keep this topic running long enough, eventually Thailand may too expensive.

[eggomaniac]

If you can find a Post from a few months ago, a Brit did a comparison of the holiday he could get in Portugual and it was only slightly more and better amenities. Others chimed in with great travel 'deals' to other destinations, such as Cuba and Mexico.

Like one Poster said, I am also am 'stuck' with visiting Thailand for family reasons.

It is my opinion, in the philosophy of the Fair Trade movement, there should be no paradise, cheap travel destinations; however if they are charging western rates one should expect better maintained buildings and swimming pools.

Also, it's not much of a 'holiday' to have to view garbage dump level littering everywhere and breathe burning garbage all day long. They should at least do something about pollution and to make higher prices seem more appealing.

How do you factor what it is worth? that bombs went off a couple of days ago at the Tesco Lotus in Surat Thani that we frequented a couple of months ago???

If Thailand ever cleaned up their messes, both pollution wise and political wise, I would not begrudge industry standard pricing.

---------------

[BigWheelMan]

Thailand is definitely no longer the retirement paradise for us over 50s.

Many Middle aged and elderly Farangs came here because it was believed their pension incomes would go a lot further and could do much more here than in the West.

They wanted to re kindle they're younger days by finding much younger partners and social, where as in the home countries they would be put out to graze, feeding the ducks over by the pond.

This has really changed, falling victims of scams, especially by the younger partners, ever increasing costs of social and living expenses. Bank rip-offs with decreasing exchange and interest rates.

In the end they find themselves with as little freedom in Thailand than there would be back in the home country, not being able to afford the lifestyles they dreamed about during retirement.

Edited March 13, 2010 by BigWheelMan

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Thailand is definitely no longer the retirement paradise for us over 50s.

Many Middle aged and elderly Farangs came here because it was believed their pension incomes would go a lot further and could do much more here than in the West.

They wanted to re kindle they're younger days by finding much younger partners and social, where as in the home countries they would be put out to graze, feeding the ducks over by the pond.

This has really changed, falling victims of scams, especially by the younger partners, ever increasing costs of social and living expenses. Bank rip-offs with decreasing exchange and interest rates.

In the end they find themselves with as little freedom in Thailand than there would be back in the home country, not being able to afford the lifestyles they dreamed about during retirement.

Even if all that is true, then so what? Places get more expensive. Either suck it up or move, I think those are the options. And it's a bit harsh to blame bank's 'scams' for your currency going down the drain. Was your choice not to move it all into Thai baht while you had the chance. Seems just sour grapes to be honest. Still, I'm confident the exchange rate will go the other way again.

[BigWheelMan]

Thailand is definitely no longer the retirement paradise for us over 50s.

Many Middle aged and elderly Farangs came here because it was believed their pension incomes would go a lot further and could do much more here than in the West.

They wanted to re kindle they're younger days by finding much younger partners and social, where as in the home countries they would be put out to graze, feeding the ducks over by the pond.

This has really changed, falling victims of scams, especially by the younger partners, ever increasing costs of social and living expenses. Bank rip-offs with decreasing exchange and interest rates.

In the end they find themselves with as little freedom in Thailand than there would be back in the home country, not being able to afford the lifestyles they dreamed about during retirement.

Even if all that is true, then so what? Places get more expensive. Either suck it up or move, I think those are the options. And it's a bit harsh to blame bank's 'scams' for your currency going down the drain. Was your choice not to move it all into Thai baht while you had the chance. Seems just sour grapes to be honest. Still, I'm confident the exchange rate will go the other way again.

What a load of crap Ninnie.

If what I say is true, then why are you disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing?

And people on pensions that receive a regular income from abroad, perhaps monthly or yearly, do not have the choice of bringing over their money to Thailand all at once. If they could then there would be no concerns about the exchange rates, you silly, winnie.

What do you mean, blame the banks for my currency going down? Are you excempt from the falling bank rates? Do you have a secret source from where you obtain your income?

The title of this thread is: Replying to Is Thailand Getting Too Expensive?

My answer to that is I believe the financial gap between the cost of living in the West and Thailand is closing. It doesn`t mean that all of us are on the breadline just yet.

And why do you defend the banks? What sort of banker are you? We get ripped-off by these institutions everyday of our lives. The odds are always with the house and that's the banks.

Edited March 13, 2010 by BigWheelMan

[BugJackBaron]

No it is not. At least not for Canucks. 200 bucks canadian (7000 baht) to live near beach(view talay)? no way you could do that in Canada

!80 baht(5 dollars Canadian) for buffet? no way you could do that in Canada..

Dating, motorbike rental(not to mention stupid license requirements)?

obviously much cheaper in Thailand

Edited March 13, 2010 by BugJackBaron

[kikoman]

Yes some prices have gone up since, I have been here, I do not eat out much, there are no big /expensive Bangkok style restaurants out in the country where I live. Only street food that remains very inexpensive.

I try to make as much of my own food as possible, it is fun to do, keeps me busy and keeps my western food expenses low, you will be surprised at the ease in making your own Tortillas,pickles, mayo, mustard, pickled pigs feet, ham, bacon, sausage etc.

All recipes available on the Internet and I have found a couple of posters on this forum very helpful !

Cheers:

[witold]

The only thing cheap in Thailand is food and sex.

Many farang are in denial in Thailand.

I guess if you are coming from central London, it is cheaper. But you don't have to go to Thailand to lower costs.

Come to USA and you find many things are comparably - or lower - priced than Thailand.

100,000 USD house? You can have that in many parts of US, including Florida and 25 miles outside of my city, Washington, DC.

Cars and vehicles? Waaay more expensive in Thailand.

Comparable education? Appears to be more expensive as well.

Any sort of goods - electronics, clothing - almost everything is more expensive in Thailand.

[Naam]

The only thing cheap in Thailand is food and sex.

Many farang are in denial in Thailand.

I guess if you are coming from central London, it is cheaper. But you don't have to go to Thailand to lower costs.

Come to USA and you find many things are comparably - or lower - priced than Thailand.

100,000 USD house? You can have that in many parts of US, including Florida and 25 miles outside of my city, Washington, DC.

Cars and vehicles? Waaay more expensive in Thailand.

Comparable education? Appears to be more expensive as well.

Any sort of goods - electronics, clothing - almost everything is more expensive in Thailand.

there is no IRS in Thailand and property tax does not exist. tell us how much property tax and income tax you pay, how many servants are working in your house and garden, what is your heating oil consumption and then we can discuss the topic again. until then stay put where you are and let us enjoy life in Thailand.

p.s. the Greatest Nation on Earth™ has no provision for retirees walking its holy grounds.

[neverdie]

The only thing cheap in Thailand is food and sex.

Many farang are in denial in Thailand.

100,000 USD house? You can have that in many parts of US, including Florida and 25 miles outside of my city, Washington, DC.

Common mate, who are you trying to kid. You talking about the US housing market, AFTER THE <deleted> BUBBLE BURST and its still got a way to fall yet, although I understand its firming in some states. At least the thai housing market wont fall, theres no bubble here, you wont get much capital gain (of course all the fools that blew 20 mil on condos will now chime in).

In 3-5 years time, the USA will become its very own third world nation, your going to get belted with inflation & u will be scratching around trying to figure out <deleted>. Good luck.