Thailand Is Not Cheap

[CrossBones]

why would anyone want to live in Australia?

Beautiful women

Beaches

Smiling People

Easy-going lifestyle

l

Why would any one want to live in Thailand erm? Actually I spent 7 years living in TL and now spend half my time in Oz and half in TL. I find all the annoying things about Thailand are forgotten and the annoying things about the west are forgotten - a bit like best of both worlds. Got a Thai wife with a decent job in OZ... ldoesnt mind me going to TL whenever I like

I guess this all depends on your lifestyle. If you want to go out every night, drink, pick up girls and live like a teenager (nothing wrong with that!) then TL definately better place. If you have a good income and family, probably better not to be in TL. Im talking to myself now!!! Im trying to do both.

I spend less in Australia and still have a good life, but its more quiet~!

On the other hand if i was dirt poor, and had no way of making more money in the west (like i was on sickness benefit or something) id rather be in TL. Maybe im contradicting myself now lol

Edited November 6, 2009 by CrossBones

[YoungNRich12]

People tell these types to go home because they are annoying. They should stop being so lazy and make more money, then they won't have to complain about the cost of cheese and brag about the cost of fried rice. The self involved mantra is always along the lines of "This isn't fair! I want a second serving. Didn't I earn it? I wish my dad was a Chinese Thai Opium Lord. Why can't I legally sell pork balls from a motorcycle? Why are there immigration regulations? Why did that girl pretend she couldn't hear me when I tried to talk to her? Why won't they give me the Thai price? Why is it so hot? If I was Prime Minister, you know what I would do?"...

[sinbin]

But of course it depends on the type of lifestyle you choose to live.

' Thecatman' has it banged to right. 10 out of 10

[neverdie]

People usually see Thailand as a very cheap place, but actually it isnt.

Examples

Trollyey full of shopping (farang food)- Tesco Thailand 4,000 Baht. Coles Australia 4,000

How long is a piece of string for this one, 4000 baht is $133 (just working on 30 baht to the dollar for ease).

I left Woolworths the other day with $189 worth of groceries in 4 bags, sure there were a couple of packets of meat, some veg and a few toiletries, but I carried the whole lot myself thru the carpark.

Kilo Good (reasonable) Steak - 1000 Baht Thailand - $20 Australia 600 baht

Medium range steak closer to $30 per kg, but only if you chose a medium quality butcher....fillet etc $35kg, pork fillet $36.

Kilo Cheese Thailand - 700 Baht - Australia 800 Baht

You fail to mention what type of cheese, decent Bega cheddar or something only 280 baht (less) per kg.

Decent bread - Thailand 60 baht. Australia 80 baht

$ 4 or 120 baht for an average square loaf at the bakery in Oz.

Beer in a foreign food type restaurant - 120 baht. Beer in a pub Australia 180 baht

Night is a cheap hotel in Bangkok - 1000 baht. Night in a cheap motel Sydney 1600 Baht

You are dreaming mate, I have never seen a hotel in Sydney for only $53 per nite, you'd get real scummy accomodation in Sydney for $3000 baht per nite, depending on where you are in Bkk, you can do it slightly less than 1000 baht per nite.

Female Entertainment Thailand for 2 hours 1000-2000 baht. Asiam Female entertainment for half an hour 3000 baht Australia

I have no idea, YOU are an Animal, you legend

Rent condo in bangkok suburb 8000 baht a month. Rent condo in cheap sydney suburb 25,000 month (bit of a diffference here I admitn)

YOu'd be lucky to get a small room in a 2bedroom condo sharing with 3 other people for $208 per week. Sydney rents are booming, theres a property shortage in Melbourne and Sydney isnt too far behind it, I reakon you could at least double your quote on this one for the sydney place.

Car ownership in Australia - Much cheaper

Purchase Price of a SR5 Toyota Hilux dual cab in Australia $55,000 = 1,650,000 baht

Annual Registration price in NSW $650 per annum = 19,500

Comprehensive Insurance (under 40) $700 = 21,000

Having a girlfriend in Australia - much cheaper (get a prenup!)

As long as you keep her locked away in your cheap asssed appartment..... yeah right.

Cable TV - australia, cheaper than Thailand

Basic ozstar tv in Oz - $120 = 3600 baht per month, Plat True $2000

Electricity cheaper in Australia

No way in the world, here I pay about 3.5 baht per kilowatt unit, in Australia its 6.5 baht to 8 baht per kw unit.

Fuel Cheaper in Australia

$1.36 for unleaded fuel in Oz is this weeks price in sydney, thats 40 baht per litre, I just paid 35.29 baht per litre for it this afternoon.

The only thing much cheaper in Thailand is if you live in the villiage, drink beer at the local Karaeoke, eat at Thai places or cook local (market) food at home. But then you run the risk of supporting a Thai family and have problems with all the people wanting to borrow money from you!

In Australia you can even find cheap places to stay near beautiful beaches (caravan parks, motels etc).

Since you mention beaches, a night in a tent site with power at Narrabeen lakes on Sydneys northern beaches is 1500 to 2000 baht per nite (based on 2 people) thats provided you supply your own tent. A little scabby bungalow there is $210 to $280 per nite thats 6300 to 8400 per nite.

Crossbones,

Mate I read your post and just about fell out of my chair, no offence but what you have written is a complete load of rubbish, well not complete, but about 90% of it is wrong.

I've just spent 10 weeks in Oz and want to run thru what you have priced there for prices, I'm not going to comment on the thai prices because alot of stuff that youve mentioned I dont eat here, such as bread, so I will take you word for it on those matters.

Mate, you need to duck back to oz and check it out, things there are alot dearer than they were a few years ago, i dunno how far out of touch you are, but it seems as if alot to me.

I will go above in red for the real Aussie prices.

Ive got no idea what your talking about man, Thailand is way cheaper, you simply cant compare.

[citizen33]

Generally a lot of things are still cheaper in Thailand but the gap isn't as big as it was. Probably 54baht to the GBP has a lot to do with that. Thus my weekly shop from Tesco Lotus

doesn't seem much cheaper than my weekly shop when I'm in the UK (and I have done a lot of shopping in LOS). Admittedly this may partly be because family members add on the odd item. Strengely enough I wouldn't say reasonable quality clothes are any cheaper in the 'sales' in Bangkok malls than in UK stores like TK Max. Away from London and the big city centres the price of beer isn't so different anymore either. On the other hand I am very impressed with the price of things like car repairs. So I don't think the OP is as wide of the mark as some say.

[anothertorres]

why would anyone want to live in Australia?

Beautiful women

Beaches

Smiling People

Easy-going lifestyle

l

Why would any one want to live in Thailand erm?

the same reasons you listed above, silly! and thanks for taking my comment with a bit of humor. i was only joking. i've never been there but i've seen that show Bondi Beach, looks like nice place

[nisakiman]

You forgot Pizza, much cheaper in Australia.

Thailand is cheap if you want to live like a Thai, but if you want to live like an Aussie you have to pay the premium price.

I like Sang Som, somebody recently gave me a bottle of Bundy Rum from Oz had one drink and it's in the back of the cupboard till someone else wants it.

How many Aussie women will sign a prenup?

Electricity cheaper in Oz I don't think so, fuel is cheaper in Thailand also.

If your pissed of with Thailand go home for a while you might think differently when you get back there or maybe not.

Thailand is not for everyone.

Sorry couldnt resist. Live like an Aussie? they sell shorts and flip flops here mate.

When I lived in Oz inthe 70s, they were called stubbies and thongs.

But back on topic, sure, if you want to eat farang food and live the high life, then there's probably not a lot to choose between them. When I'm in LOS however, my living costs are a fraction of what I spend here in Europe.

Edited November 6, 2009 by nisakiman

[RakJungTorlae]

People usually see Thailand as a very cheap place, but actually it isnt.

Examples

Trollyey full of shopping (farang food)- Tesco Thailand 4,000 Baht. Coles Australia 4,000

Kilo Good (reasonable) Steak - 1000 Baht Thailand - $20 Australia 600 baht

Kilo Cheese Thailand - 700 Baht - Australia 800 Baht

Decent bread - Thailand 60 baht. Australia 80 baht

Beer in a foreign food type restaurant - 120 baht. Beer in a pub Australia 180 baht

Night is a cheap hotel in Bangkok - 1000 baht. Night in a cheap motel Sydney 1600 Baht

Female Entertainment Thailand for 2 hours 1000-2000 baht. Asiam Female entertainment for half an hour 3000 baht Australia

Rent condo in bangkok suburb 8000 baht a month. Rent condo in cheap sydney suburb 25,000 month (bit of a diffference here I admitn)

Car ownership in Australia - Much cheaper

Having a girlfriend in Australia - much cheaper (get a prenup!)

Cable TV - australia, cheaper than Thailand

Electricity cheaper in Australia

Fuel Cheaper in Australia

The only thing much cheaper in Thailand is if you live in the villiage, drink beer at the local Karaeoke, eat at Thai places or cook local (market) food at home. But then you run the risk of supporting a Thai family and have problems with all the people wanting to borrow money from you!

In Australia you can even find cheap places to stay near beautiful beaches (caravan parks, motels etc).

I can see this must be your biggest problem. Yes it's totally outrages!! How dare they raise the price on?

If it's your plan to make people move to OZ you failed miserably.

Latter skippy.~~~~~~

EDIT- LMFAO

Edited November 6, 2009 by RakJungTorlae

[smokie36]

People usually see Thailand as a very cheap place, but actually it isnt.

Examples

Trollyey full of shopping (farang food)- Tesco Thailand 4,000 Baht. Coles Australia 4,000

Kilo Good (reasonable) Steak - 1000 Baht Thailand - $20 Australia 600 baht

Kilo Cheese Thailand - 700 Baht - Australia 800 Baht

Decent bread - Thailand 60 baht. Australia 80 baht

Beer in a foreign food type restaurant - 120 baht. Beer in a pub Australia 180 baht

Night is a cheap hotel in Bangkok - 1000 baht. Night in a cheap motel Sydney 1600 Baht

Female Entertainment Thailand for 2 hours 1000-2000 baht. Asiam Female entertainment for half an hour 3000 baht Australia

Rent condo in bangkok suburb 8000 baht a month. Rent condo in cheap sydney suburb 25,000 month (bit of a diffference here I admitn)

Car ownership in Australia - Much cheaper

Having a girlfriend in Australia - much cheaper (get a prenup!)

Cable TV - australia, cheaper than Thailand

Electricity cheaper in Australia

Fuel Cheaper in Australia

The only thing much cheaper in Thailand is if you live in the villiage, drink beer at the local Karaeoke, eat at Thai places or cook local (market) food at home. But then you run the risk of supporting a Thai family and have problems with all the people wanting to borrow money from you!

In Australia you can even find cheap places to stay near beautiful beaches (caravan parks, motels etc).

For anyone who likes to sit on a beautiful beach gazing out over shark infested water Oz is a paradise.

Edited November 6, 2009 by smokie36

[sassienie]

I guess it is time for you to head back to Australia if you are not already there? Thailand is much cheaper to raise a family. You can get taken advantage of anywhere,not just Thailand. People that do get taken usually have poor judgment so they tend to screw themselves no matter where they live.

If you are buying mostly falang food then of course you are going to pay out the arse. I admit that to own a car is expensive here, but no more than my home country. At least I can tool around on a cheap motorbike to save putting gas into my car, and often times it is much more convenient.

Im trying to compare Farang lifestyle in Thailand to farang lifestyle in farangland.

You make some good points and I find your analysis very interesting.

It`s true, that if one can be content living a basic Thai lifestyle in Thailand, than it is possible to subsist on a very low budget here.

But for those who find it difficult or impossible to adapt their way of living and hope to continue on a Farang lifestyle the same as in the home country, yes, It`s going to be much more expensive.

Those thinking of settling in Thailand should consider these facts before making the big move.

[Maigo6]

what you have written is a complete load of rubbish, well not complete, but about 90% of it is wrong.

C'mon Neverdie, for a ThaiVisa poster, that ain't bad !

[Nignoy]

CrossBones, you are 100% correct . . . I have now moved back to Oz after living in Thailand and now realise that LOS is not as cheap to live as it was 10 years ago.

Of course the cost of living has not changed in Australia in the last 10 years has it?? Bought a little weatherboard house in ningi 8 years ago for 62000 dollars, sold same house 3 months ago for 300000dollars and at that time it was 1 of the cheapest houses in the area, cost of living is changing everywhere,as pensioners we try and spend 6 months a year in aus and 6 in Los,of course in thailand I dont have to pay centrelink 50cents on the dollar on my overseas pensions, so its awin win situation,

[tb86]

Well i moved from nyc and i would disagree with you on almost every point, but i guess the concept of expensive is relative to what your used to,

drinks in manhattan at a nice bar 15-25 usd

dinner at a nice place 75-100 usd per person

nice 2 br apt 3600-4500 per month

taxis to work 20 usd a day

cigarettes 8.75

cell phone 120 a month

maid once a week 400 a month

forget about "professional" girls 250++ for 30 min

grocerys for the month 500++

gas elect. 100

im pretty sure you could spend the same here but your gonna have a nice life,

hel_l i spend half of what i did in nyc and get 10x the fun out of it

[IanForbes]

Crossbones does make SOME good points. Thailand is not so cheap if you try to have a totally western style of living. But it is like trying to compare apples to oranges. Things are just different. And, as the old saying goes..."Vive la difference!"

There are many things I can do in Canada that I can't do in Thailand, and the reverse is true. We've debated these topics continually and no need to go over them all again.

[Laganside]

And what price to live in Thailand and not among Australians?

Some of we more civilised expats would put a premium on that.

Cheap at half the price ...........

[neverdie]

what you have written is a complete load of rubbish, well not complete, but about 90% of it is wrong.

C'mon Neverdie, for a ThaiVisa poster, that ain't bad !

Of course you are CORRECT Maigo6, I stand corrected .

Seriously though, life in Oz is as expensive as, then theres the taxes, Income tax, GST, Stamp duty, Fire levies, Capital gains tax, tax tax and then when you finally neck yourself because of the taxes they hit you with death tax, not to mention GST on ur coffin and a carbon tax when they cremate your ashes .....meanwhile deadshites like kevin rudd just keep handing money out hand over fist for assssholes who couldnt be bothered getting off their 6 foot wide backside.

[a2396]

NONSENSE!! Why would I live in Thailand if I only wanted to eat farang food? No doubt farang food is expensive here, but it also is back home (USA). Any Thai food in USA is at least 3 times the cost of Thailand and not as good. Most average restaurant food in USA is microwaved crap at 300-400 bht + per dish. Quality restaurants maybe 1,000 bht up per person. Transportation ? Purchase of new cars maybe cheaper in USA, but insurance is not and cost of maintenance very high. Labor cost per hour ridiculous. I can drive a motorcycle in Thailand, which I would not dare do in USA (to dangerous). Female "entertainment" per hour? How about 4-8,000 bht per hour, if you can find it and don't get arrested in the process. Your are welcome to the "good life" back there. I'll take Thailand.

[vrsushi]

So many of the posts make me think that many posters are talking about their life in Thailand as if they were on perpetual holiday.

How much is a breast of chicken, some potatoes and veg in Thailand.........to cook yourself? More than Farangland? I don't think so.

How much is a regular house......... away from the tourist areas?

How much is a beer where a middle class Thai on 30,40 or50k a month drinks?

Caught hungry out shopping in Thailand spend 40bt.....caught hungry in England......?

Take a nice girl out here......A 500bt dinner is enough if you aren"t a loser. How much would a dinner date cost back home?

[thaihome]

I don’t think in terms of cheap or not, but I certainly couldn’t keep a mia noi, 30 years younger then me, in the States for $1,500 a month.

TH

[siamamerican]

Lived in a simple house in the rural American and can't imagine many places being more affordable. Also lived in beautiful beach towns that are nearly as expensive as London and Paris. My time in NE Thailand was comparable to country living in the USA. The list could go on …

My point being, there are so many factors that determine individual living expenses. Probably better to take a non-individualistic approach, using purchasing power parity (PPP) pertaining to a basket of goods. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund both calculate Thailand's per capita income doubles using this approach. As you would expect, most countries in Europe per capita GDP drops substantially.

One caveat - because of Thailand's large income disparity service related costs are much lower here than developed countries. Tourist benefit the most from this but even X-pats benefit more than the average Thai.

Edited November 7, 2009 by siamamerican

[lioness]

When were you last in Australia? None of the prices you mention have anything to do with reality, Australia is horrifically expensive after you are used to Thai prices, and as an aside to that food in Australia is more expensive now than the UK.

I would say that Thailand is about 50% cheaper overall than Australia, this is based omn a recent visit and prices.

[sokal]

People usually see Thailand as a very cheap place, but actually it isnt.

Examples

Trollyey full of shopping (farang food)- Tesco Thailand 4,000 Baht. Coles Australia 4,000

Kilo Good (reasonable) Steak - 1000 Baht Thailand - $20 Australia 600 baht

Kilo Cheese Thailand - 700 Baht - Australia 800 Baht

Decent bread - Thailand 60 baht. Australia 80 baht

Beer in a foreign food type restaurant - 120 baht. Beer in a pub Australia 180 baht

Night is a cheap hotel in Bangkok - 1000 baht. Night in a cheap motel Sydney 1600 Baht

Female Entertainment Thailand for 2 hours 1000-2000 baht. Asiam Female entertainment for half an hour 3000 baht Australia

Rent condo in bangkok suburb 8000 baht a month. Rent condo in cheap sydney suburb 25,000 month (bit of a diffference here I admitn)

Car ownership in Australia - Much cheaper

Having a girlfriend in Australia - much cheaper (get a prenup!)

Cable TV - australia, cheaper than Thailand

Electricity cheaper in Australia

Fuel Cheaper in Australia

The only thing much cheaper in Thailand is if you live in the villiage, drink beer at the local Karaeoke, eat at Thai places or cook local (market) food at home. But then you run the risk of supporting a Thai family and have problems with all the people wanting to borrow money from you!

In Australia you can even find cheap places to stay near beautiful beaches (caravan parks, motels etc).

what about....

hotel with room service and breakfast for 400 bht a night ?

Taxi rides ?

1600cc Jet ski for 600 bht for a half hour ?

bike for 150 bht a day ?

room rent for 100 bht a month ?

[sokal]

thailand has a greater proportion of western whingers than any other country i know that's for sure

Whos whinging? Im just making a comparison. You must be a pommie!

Im not complaining, just saying that people see Thailand as cheap place. But I am saying its not that cheap for things that we spend money on every day. I accept luxury items may be better value in Thailand (such as holidays and 5 star hotels), but for those who stay in Thailand for the reason of being that cheap.. well it isnt.

If you want to drink samsung with the locals, you can compare that to drinking rum in the park with the locals in Australia. Im not a drinker anyway!

Personally i splash out and live well in Thailand since the more expensive things offer better value (nice hotels, nice house, nice restaurants etc etc.... forget about the nice car though ill drive a second hand honda).

Cell phones service is waaaay cheaper in thailand.

[sokal]

why would anyone want to live in Australia?

Beautiful women

Beaches

Smiling People

Easy-going lifestyle

l

Why would any one want to live in Thailand erm? Actually I spent 7 years living in TL and now spend half my time in Oz and half in TL. I find all the annoying things about Thailand are forgotten and the annoying things about the west are forgotten - a bit like best of both worlds. Got a Thai wife with a decent job in OZ... ldoesnt mind me going to TL whenever I like

I guess this all depends on your lifestyle. If you want to go out every night, drink, pick up girls and live like a teenager (nothing wrong with that!) then TL definately better place. If you have a good income and family, probably better not to be in TL. Im talking to myself now!!! Im trying to do both.

I spend less in Australia and still have a good life, but its more quiet~!

On the other hand if i was dirt poor, and had no way of making more money in the west (like i was on sickness benefit or something) id rather be in TL. Maybe im contradicting myself now lol

Sloppy pale women

expensive beaches

not compared to Thailand..

rat race debt riddled western lifestyle

[TallForeigner]

I feel that most comparisons here are dirt wrong and as some others mentioned already many here don't compare apples to apples. If you look at the cheapest prices and the low-end lifestyle in the West then you need to compare to the lower end in Thailand. Now tell me: can a family survive in middle Europe, in UK, in OZ or in the US and live a decent lifestyle on let's say US$ 300 a month? OK, those who live on US$ 300 a month are not the poor minority in Thailand - these are the lower-middle class majority. How much does a lower middle class family has to spend in the West to survive without debts? OK...now tell me how this all should be possible if living in Thailand was not many times cheaper than living in the West or in OZ.

I personally like to live a better lifestyle, I eat at least 2-3 warm meals a day with healthy ingredients with plently of fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. Luckily my wife is an excellent (formerly also professional) cook and it's one of her daily hobbies to go to the markets and buy the best (but still dirt cheap) food and ingredients she can get and produce the best meals in the world. Doing the same in Europe was at least 2-5 more times expensive. One key to this: i don't feel that I depend on imported stuff - there is so much good local food available especially if you know where. I always preferred chicken and fish to beef - that's why I actually didn't know that beef seems to be so expensive here. The only exception for me is that for breakfast I love a good Swiss (maybe a bit locally adapted) Birchermuesli with Yoghurt and fresh pineapple. Interestingly enough you can get top quality original Swiss Birchermuesli ("familia" brand) in Central department store for only about 20% more than what you would pay in Switzerland. For example when I lived in Korea I had to pay about 5 times the price - and I didn't mind. The fresh pineapple is just about 10-15 Baht that's up to 1/10 of what I would have to pay for a good "fresh" imported pineapple in Europe.

So, my expenses for the best food I personally can wish for are about 1/5 or less than compared to in Europe.

Sometimes my wife and I love to go out and eat in top restaurants. Even the top end restaurants here are much cheaper than Europe. For example prices in top Italian restaurants (like for example Giusto) are at least 30% to 50% lower than in comparable top end restaurants in Europe.

What keeps my costs down a bit is the fact that both me and my wife don't like any form of alcohol at all and we don't drink any.

I live in the heart of Bangkok just at a skytrain station. Even though I could easily afford a wonderfully expensive car I don't feel that I need one and therefore I don't have one. My office is in the same building complex as my apartment, I have the skytrain nearly in front of my door, taxis are plenty available, I can rent car and driver very cheaply when I need to - so I decided I don't need to add to the congestion and pollution of Bangkok and buy another car. That reduces my costs quite a bit...

At the end of the day I actually don't compare individual prices one by one. I look at the more global picture. My wife does the shopping and takes care of the details and I can just compare the costs at the bottomline for a wonderful lifestyle here and the cost for a good lifestyle in Europe. Living as an expatriate in Thailand who loves Thai food and who has the luck of still getting a higher end Western salary is Paradise on Earth for me.

Here in Thailand I work as hard as I did in Europe, I live in a luxury apartment and apart from that I live a lifestyle that doesn't leave any wish open - and at the end of the day my expenses are still only a fraction of what they used to be when I was living a comparable lifestyle in Europe and the UK - (and yes, I happened to live also in the UK for 2 years, but I'm happy that that period in my life is over for good...). Now how could I live a better lifestyle here and at a fraction of the cost than in Europe if Thailand wasn't overall considerably cheaper??

Edited November 7, 2009 by TallForeigner

[TomBombadil]

When were you last in Australia? None of the prices you mention have anything to do with reality, Australia is horrifically expensive after you are used to Thai prices, and as an aside to that food in Australia is more expensive now than the UK.

Thanks for that, because hordes of Europeans were already packing for Australia after reading the OP.

[pjclark1]

In the UK (monthly)

My house rental 50,000bht, Council tax on house 7500bht, water 2500bht, elect 1250bht

Total 61,250bht (I didn't include the 50,000bht a year to fill the heating oil tank in the UK)

In Thailand (monthly and a nicer house)

Mortgage on gfs house 7000bht, water 40bht, elect 450bht

Total 7,490bht

Food

UK meal out for 2 steaks in pub with a beer 1500bht, Thailand steak or big fish in Riverside 700bht

(meal in Thai restaurant pat prik geng gai for 2 with a banana shake each, 70bht)

Booze

UK Night in the pub to get plastered (3 rattlers) 250bht, Thai night in the bar to get plastered (3 large Changs) 150bht

I can see a little bit of difference there!

My total monthly spending in Thailand is less than my basic house rental in the UK, and out here I am including a live-in girlfriend 20 years younger than me!

(Not to mention the fact that I haven't been cold since I came out here)

Edited November 7, 2009 by pjclark1

[minefield]

People usually see Thailand as a very cheap place, but actually it isnt.

Examples

Trollyey full of shopping (farang food)- Tesco Thailand 4,000 Baht. Coles Australia 4,000

Kilo Good (reasonable) Steak - 1000 Baht Thailand - $20 Australia 600 baht

Kilo Cheese Thailand - 700 Baht - Australia 800 Baht

Decent bread - Thailand 60 baht. Australia 80 baht

Beer in a foreign food type restaurant - 120 baht. Beer in a pub Australia 180 baht

Night is a cheap hotel in Bangkok - 1000 baht. Night in a cheap motel Sydney 1600 Baht

Female Entertainment Thailand for 2 hours 1000-2000 baht. Asiam Female entertainment for half an hour 3000 baht Australia

Rent condo in bangkok suburb 8000 baht a month. Rent condo in cheap Sydney suburb 25,000 month (bit of a difference here I admitn)

Car ownership in Australia - Much cheaper

Having a girlfriend in Australia - much cheaper (get a prenup!)

Cable TV - Australia, cheaper than Thailand

Electricity cheaper in Australia

Fuel Cheaper in Australia

The only thing much cheaper in Thailand is if you live in the village, drink beer at the local Karaeoke, eat at Thai places or cook local (market) food at home. But then you run the risk of supporting a Thai family and have problems with all the people wanting to borrow money from you!

In Australia you can even find cheap places to stay near beautiful beaches (caravan parks, motels etc).

what about....

hotel with room service and breakfast for 400 bht a night ?

Taxi rides ?

1600cc Jet ski for 600 bht for a half hour ?

bike for 150 bht a day ?

room rent for 100 bht a month ?

, I lived in Sydney for 22 years

I think you must be in La-La land or on some drugs to quote of the prices you have quoted...........Cars in Australia are the dearest in the western world and your Rego and compulsory third party car insurance that would be like a Thai paying between 80-90.000 THB to keep there car on the road, I lived in Sydney for 22 years so I think i have some idear , I left 10 years ago because of House prices car prices and running cost were over the top and through in your capital gains tax I'm glad I have left.

Even New Zealand is a lot cheaper than Australia to I have been checking Thailand over the past six months with the idear of retiring there and found that even compared to New Zealand thailand is still 25-40% cheaper to live and housing is about 40-60% cheaper cars about the same price, But we are still 40% cheaper than Australia for cars

[jackspratt]

Of course you are CORRECT Maigo6, I stand corrected .

Seriously though, life in Oz is as expensive as, then theres the taxes, Income tax, GST, Stamp duty, Fire levies, Capital gains tax, tax tax and then when you finally neck yourself because of the taxes they hit you with death tax, .............

A big day for corrections nd.

It is many years since there have been death taxes in any state of Oz.

[HalfSquat]

When people ask me I say if you want to live Thai-style its much cheaper but if you want to live a Western lifestyle, shopping at Marks & Spencer, Waitrose etc and drink Stella then you gonna get raped.