Thailand Is Not Cheap

[Old Croc]

Booze

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

Doesn't matter which country you're in, you're a cheap drunk!

[citizen33]

Booze

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

Doesn't matter which country you're in, you're a cheap drunk!

Obviously both sides can pick their examples. An alternative here would be: three pints of the 'on-offer' bitter in a JD Wetherspoons pub 165 baht; three large Changs in most of the more lively bars in my Isaan city 270baht (plus ice). Thailand can still be very cheap but the UK provinces are cheaper for many things than some are saying.

The Wetherspoons' offer is 99P on some drinks.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/marketf...hellsandbutlers

[Absingjul]

In other news Mexico is not cheap when you only eat food and wine flown in from France

[5ky]

I think the OP should have changed the title to "Thailand USED to be cheap".

Back in 1993 you could bag a decent room for 40 baht !!

On the other hand nowadays, a lovely companion for the night will set you back 1000 baht in Pattaya, whereas in London you would pay 50,000+baht. No competition.

Its swings and roundabouts, but LOS wins everytime

[din1184]

Well listening to you all has helped me a bit. I live in Singapore, married with two kids. Now thats expensive!! Its the same as living in Hawaii. Rent for a single room in a flat will run you about S$500 Sing(12000baht) or more. Renting an entire 3 room flat will run over S$1000 Sing. Don't get me started on landed property(detached houses) we're talking S$4000 sing and up if you can find one. I pay S$400 a month on groceries(Local stuff) Cherries go for about S$4(95baht) and up. Movies for two people S$50 and up (1190baht) including popcorn and drink for two. My car cost me S$110,000(over 2mil baht). Now I'm sure Thailand can't be that expensive. I really want to move to phuket. Its a beautiful place with allot of things to do, like water sports and martial arts. In Singapore to sign my son up for basketball camp costs S$400. and thats for a 3 month season. The bottom line for me is, I want a place that has a good quality of life, without killing your wallet. I want a garden where my kids can play, not a concrete void deck. From what I see Thailand has the most to offer among the rest of Southeast Asia for the best price even though its not always the cheapest. If I'm wrong please enlighten me.

[Dakhar]

To live the life style I had in the US, I would probably need to earn 100K USD in Thailand, and I earned 120-160K while I lived in the US.

Now I earn around 35K-50K USD in Thailand, and my life style is pure crap compared to how things were in the states. Long hours, to earn a pittance, 2 junky cars that would not even inspire a giggle. A house with a crappy floor plan and tiny bathrooms.

A house worth living in, in Thailand will run around 6-8million baht, (and who wants to buy something that they will never really own) In the US 250-350K would be adequate to purchase a decent home.

I really think in order to live it up and have a growing savings account you have to be earning near 100K in Thailand.

[Scully]

I have just returned to the UK after 16 months in Thailand and believe me Thailand IS cheap.

When in Thailand I also used to think you could get things cheaper in your home country but now I am back I was very surprised how prices have increased in such a short time.

The way inflation is measured in the UK is a political magic trick taking into account purchases like flat screen tv's etc and is not reality.

Go home for two weeks and you will see for yourselves (no thanks I can hear) the west is not cheap.

The only benefit of UK prices is UK wages.

[Samuian]

Well, luckily there is a broad spectrum of choices, if one needs a life satisfied with costly "luxuries" well, work for it, if one has won the lottery and is happy with that - so be it!

To be content and happy, no money in the world can buy that!

Is like "the blackberry jam they've sen me from france tasted very fishy,

couldn't fancy the name "caviar" either, so was the the cider, awfully dry!"

Fresh fruit, fresh seafood, reasonable suds in the watering holes all year round, most of the time sunshine,

temperatures one never needs a heater, reasonable cheap prices in general and on top of

it all, reasonable people around, unless one gets tempted to reason with them, easy going,

all smiles, most of the time, easy to please..... 20 years, happy and still going strong!

It's not always the "price tag"...!

[highlander76]

Anything that is imported in to Thailand is not going to cheap we all know that ,rebuilding my mother in laws house just now cost of labour for the work 60000baht that is way cheaper back home I would dread to think how much this would cost me back home

[Daewoo]

To live the life style I had in the US, I would probably need to earn 100K USD in Thailand, and I earned 120-160K while I lived in the US.

Now I earn around 35K-50K USD in Thailand, and my life style is pure crap compared to how things were in the states. Long hours, to earn a pittance, 2 junky cars that would not even inspire a giggle. A house with a crappy floor plan and tiny bathrooms.

A house worth living in, in Thailand will run around 6-8million baht, (and who wants to buy something that they will never really own) In the US 250-350K would be adequate to purchase a decent home.

I really think in order to live it up and have a growing savings account you have to be earning near 100K in Thailand.

When you look at the relative cost, housing is the by far the largest component...

I live in Sydney... you can not buy a house to live in if your work in the city for under 25 Million Baht... that is with a 45min-1hr commute each way... I understand it is almost impossible to buy a house and commute to work in BKK, but I might be wrong... Appartments in the city are between 35KTHB and 50KTHB/month... for a reasonable two bedroom... nice ones near my office are 185KTHB/month... I understand about 30KTHB/month is the Suk expat standard...

Utilities are about 9KTHB/month...

I think a big difference is that in Australia, most people eat at home 6 days a week, and spend 1000THB/head only once a week to eat out because of the price... In Th, you can eat out every meal if you like simple Thai food...

Drinks are about the same price in a bar in either, but in Australia you are only paying for your own

Our company has a good rate at a Star City Casino for staff in town, 5,600THB/night... we pay 4,000THB/night at Amari Boulevarde...

A Toyota Corolla costs about 650KTHB... about 30KTHB/year for registration...

From what I can see, Thailand is a bit cheaper but there is more temptation to spend more...

One last thing - speed 30Km/h>45km/h 20,000THB - I repeat 20,000THB... plus 1 month license disqualification... there are 172 Fixed Speed Cameras, and 900 Highway Patrol police for the state of New South Wales, an 801,600 square kilometre area comparable in size to Texas in the USA and double the combined geographic areas of England, Scotland and Wales

The last one alone is reason enough for me to want to move to Thailand ...

Cheers,

Daewoo

[KunMatt]

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

Clearly you've never been to Australia then! After two years working here I'm still shocked at the things grown offshore men will complain and whinge about like little girls. The whole "whinging POM" statement is a total hypocrasy.

And Australia is by far the most expensive country I've ever been to. Supermarkets, Restaurants, Bars, Housing, everything all way above the prices of the UK, UAE, US, Singapore and every other expensive developed country I've lived in (Aussies also get paid better than anywhere I've been too). Sure you can find things cheaper in Australia than the most expensive find in Thailand but that doesn't make Australia cheaper than Thailand.

You are generally comparing the most expensive find in Thailand to the cheapest finds in Australia, so your analysis is totally slanted. If you compare apples to apples then you would have a point (or whores to whores like you did, no shame for you is there?! ). For example, take 5,000 Baht of local Thai produced shopping from a supermarket in Thailand, and see how much local Australian produce you would get for the same money in a supermarket in Australia, I bet you would get tonnes more for your money in Thailand.

Ironically enough, the "whinging POM" backstory (of Brits being lured to move to Australia on the promise of a much better life which was vastly overexagerrated to them and then bitching about their situation when they got to Oz) is very similar to all the expats who move to Thailand thinking that they will live like a King in a perfect paradise for no amount of money, just because they come from a developed country, and then when the Thai bubble bursts and they face reality they have to whinge about something to make themselves feel better.

[KunMatt]

From what I can see, Thailand is a bit cheaper but there is more temptation to spend more...

Exactly, I probably spend the same amount of money when I'm in Thailand as when I'm in the UK, but I do and get so much more in Thailand.

If I want to live the same lifestyle in UK (if it was even possible) I would end up spending 5 times as much money.

[donmac]

Female entertainment 1000-2000 for 2 hours, Asiam entertainment.

Why pay when you can get it for free

Of course it is known that if you are going to drink, bang whores and eat bread and cheese every night it is not cheep.

And who says culture is dead.

[caf]

I think the OP should have changed the title to "Thailand USED to be cheap".

Back in 1993 you could bag a decent room for 40 baht !!

On the other hand nowadays, a lovely companion for the night will set you back 1000 baht in Pattaya, whereas in London you would pay 50,000+baht. No competition.

Its swings and roundabouts, but LOS wins everytime

One thousand pounds. !!

[Heng]

Why pay when you can get it for free

Endless no strings attached variety without the need for bothersome ice breakers like 'how are you?' and 'what's your name?'

[norwayeagle]

"Female entertainment for half an hour 3000 baht Australia"

I thought you guys just drove around until you spotted some livestock.

.Sorrryyyy. ok!We also have some of those livestock "feeders up in the hills back home .But ,Wherever,yes, that is cheaper than in Norway.Compared to Norway Thailand is a haven.

[brahmburgers]

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

you must be in a tourist packed area. In the boonies, it's one eighth as much, and the gal is probably a good deal less worn for wear than what you might get in a touristy area.

[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.

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

Just a point, I did say food, which isn't everything, for instance council rates (shire rates) are quite a bit cheaper in Oz and so on (compared to UK). for instance my home in Australia is 1/3 of the rates I pay on my home in the UK, both homes have similar values. Then coming back to the original post compare the whole lot to the land tax I pay on my main property in Thailand which is 59 Baht a year, no contest.

[David006]

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.

Just a point, I did say food, which isn't everything, for instance council rates (shire rates) are quite a bit cheaper in Oz and so on (compared to UK). for instance my home in Australia is 1/3 of the rates I pay on my home in the UK, both homes have similar values. Then coming back to the original post compare the whole lot to the land tax I pay on my main property in Thailand which is 59 Baht a year, no contest.

I was in Perth day before yesterday and I would suggest that the OP is very much off the mark on practically all his prices. A$10 for a pint! A good sandwich was A$12-16!

Had a good conversation with a couple of expats getting visas and the consensus was that none of us could afford to live the same "life style" in Australia. The price of food , gas, housing and the stunning female population were the primary issues.

The things we lack here are those which many of us came here to avoid..i.e. taxes, micro-government, bovine- ball busting women..the list goes on... Anyone tried to get a smile on the street from a pretty lass in the west..good luck, must admit the old ladies smile back..maybe they thought I was retarded..maybe their right...

Glad I'm back!! Oh yes... what's the price of a kilo of FRESH fish cost in POME land...bet it ain't 25- 120 baht..!

[siamamerican]

To live the life style I had in the US, I would probably need to earn 100K USD in Thailand, and I earned 120-160K while I lived in the US.

Now I earn around 35K-50K USD in Thailand, and my life style is pure crap compared to how things were in the states. Long hours, to earn a pittance, 2 junky cars that would not even inspire a giggle. A house with a crappy floor plan and tiny bathrooms.

A house worth living in, in Thailand will run around 6-8million baht, (and who wants to buy something that they will never really own) In the US 250-350K would be adequate to purchase a decent home.

I really think in order to live it up and have a growing savings account you have to be earning near 100K in Thailand.

Earned over 300k last year in the US but only spent 36k. We lived in an expensive part of the country ( just east of San Fran)and managed to enjoy ourselves on that budget. More or less did the same for the prior 4 years so I could move to Thailand and live outside BK on 36k. 36k(105K bt) budget in Thailand has provided the wife and I a wonderful life and just goes to show that we all are so very different. I have a hard time grasping how you struggle spending the same amount but I'm sure you have good reasons. .

[KunMatt]

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.

Just a point, I did say food, which isn't everything, for instance council rates (shire rates) are quite a bit cheaper in Oz and so on (compared to UK). for instance my home in Australia is 1/3 of the rates I pay on my home in the UK, both homes have similar values. Then coming back to the original post compare the whole lot to the land tax I pay on my main property in Thailand which is 59 Baht a year, no contest.

I've also spent quite a bit of time in Perth and various other places in WA, I can't think of one thing that is cheaper in Oz than anywhere in the world, let alone Thailand.

Taxis are extorionate in Oz, in Thailand a 100 Baht Taxi would be 80 to 100 bucks in Oz (about 2,500 Baht).

The OP is seriously out of touch on this.

I was in Perth day before yesterday and I would suggest that the OP is very much off the mark on practically all his prices. A$10 for a pint! A good sandwich was A$12-16!

Had a good conversation with a couple of expats getting visas and the consensus was that none of us could afford to live the same "life style" in Australia. The price of food , gas, housing and the stunning female population were the primary issues.

The things we lack here are those which many of us came here to avoid..i.e. taxes, micro-government, bovine- ball busting women..the list goes on... Anyone tried to get a smile on the street from a pretty lass in the west..good luck, must admit the old ladies smile back..maybe they thought I was retarded..maybe their right...

Glad I'm back!! Oh yes... what's the price of a kilo of FRESH fish cost in POME land...bet it ain't 25- 120 baht..!

[soihok]

To give all an idea of costs over the last 6 months.

....Family of 4, not including school fees.

....Having a good life including a holiday in Patts and buying a new Yamaha Fino ( 46,000 Baht).

....90,000 Baht on air fares to the UK for a visit.

....Running a 3 litre Vigo , insurance and tax( about 28,000 baht). Done about 6000km in fuel with a 4000 baht service.

....Helping the family out , as you do ....minus 30,000 Baht.

....All house bills including phone connection.

....Holiday to Malaysia.

....As much food and drink as we can handle,,,imported and local. With not thinking about the price of it.

....Hospital exspenses for minor things with the kids.

....Buying around 60,000 Baht on house things( furniture etc,)

It works out at about 600,000 baht, so take away the 254,000 for insurance,holidays not including Patts as it is in Thailand, bike, furniture and help out the family ( my choice)is 346,000 Baht for a family of 4 to live in Korat....NOT Bangkok or some over priced tourist spot for six months.

If you choose to live in a tourist spot, you will be obliged to pay tourist prices. Its a fact.

Beautiful weather, friendly people, always guaranteed a smile.

What more do you want from life?.............and dont say Jaffa Cakes.

Edited November 7, 2009 by soihok

[soihok]

And to put things in perspective.

In my next job I will earn about 350,000 Baht a month.

Not in Korat though,,, I,m off to Singapore.

Edited November 7, 2009 by soihok

[sokal]

After reading most of the responses I think it is reasonable to conclude that the OP made a foolhardy statement that "Thailand is expensive" :D

case closed.

[joorakee]

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.

So we come to the conclusion that Thailand might be the perfect place for a hedonist making the most of his life but not for someone who has a family to feed.

P.S. What do you mean by 'living like a teenager'? When I was a teenager and in my early 20s, I was spending most of my time reading books and riding my bicycle.

[Dakhar]

To live the life style I had in the US, I would probably need to earn 100K USD in Thailand, and I earned 120-160K while I lived in the US.

Now I earn around 35K-50K USD in Thailand, and my life style is pure crap compared to how things were in the states. Long hours, to earn a pittance, 2 junky cars that would not even inspire a giggle. A house with a crappy floor plan and tiny bathrooms.

A house worth living in, in Thailand will run around 6-8million baht, (and who wants to buy something that they will never really own) In the US 250-350K would be adequate to purchase a decent home.

I really think in order to live it up and have a growing savings account you have to be earning near 100K in Thailand.

Earned over 300k last year in the US but only spent 36k. We lived in an expensive part of the country ( just east of San Fran)and managed to enjoy ourselves on that budget. More or less did the same for the prior 4 years so I could move to Thailand and live outside BK on 36k. 36k(105K bt) budget in Thailand has provided the wife and I a wonderful life and just goes to show that we all are so very different. I have a hard time grasping how you struggle spending the same amount but I'm sure you have good reasons. .

Oh sure you "can live" of of 10K - 105K baht etc etc. But you can not have a 25+ft sport fishing boat, fuel it, bait it, and have all the gear you need to enjoy such a hobby. In other words, you get to live life, but you don't get to enjoy life. Not unless you find sitting around under a house/porch swatting musqiutos and listening to the in-laws yapping away about things that could fascinate a 4 year old.

So this is why I contend you have to have "big" bucks here to be able to afford the things that brought you joy in your home land.

(not necessarily food)

[neverdie]

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.

Thanks Jack, (Of course my first correction was said in jest, thats about humour, jacky, I know something you don't understand that well. It must be hard for a man whos got a fist up his rear cavity to laugh )

You are correct, Oz has done away with death taxes, I put that one in because it sounds good and I wanted to see if you were on your toes. Having said that, they didnt really do away with death taxes, they just renamed them . Lets not forget at the rate your mate Kevin Rudd is handing out free cash, taxes are going to be jacked up in the future to compensate for it and you might just find the old death tax raises its ugly head again.

Edited November 8, 2009 by neverdie

[neverdie]

One last thing - speed 30Km/h>45km/h 20,000THB - I repeat 20,000THB... plus 1 month license disqualification... there are 172 Fixed Speed Cameras, and 900 Highway Patrol police for the state of New South Wales, an 801,600 square kilometre area comparable in size to Texas in the USA and double the combined geographic areas of England, Scotland and Wales

The last one alone is reason enough for me to want to move to Thailand ...

Cheers,

Daewoo

Daewoo, I find it interesting that on a thread about costs in thailand, that the statistic regarding Highway Patrol Police in NSW would come up

Since your raised the point, you say that there are 900 HWP police to cover an area of 801,600 square kilometres. If you take into consideration that each of those police officers only works 76 hours per fortnight and also has approximately 7 weeks holiday leave to take each year, consider time off the road for training, court appearances and finally paperwork then look at the amount of kilometres square that you mention, then I'd be surprised if you actually bumped into one of these nasties out on the roadway

As opposed to thailand when the boys in brown litter the roadways and then want to extract money from farang using just about every trick in the book .

Id rather take my chances in Oz.

[balo]

Almost everything is cheaper in Thailand.

Even western food is cheaper if you know where to look.

[zorro1]

^ Sadly, I remember the days when 1000 baht would give you two thai supermodels ....ohhh and pay your beer tab at the bar ....not that I ever took two

you never had 2 beers? you dont know what you missing