Thailand Is Not Cheap

[wintermute]

In America, I have to cook at home because food is so expensive. In Thailand I can easily eat out 3 meals a day. I can also hire a maid and have her clean my house and do my laundry. How have I "lowered" my standard of living pray tell?

What he's trying to say is that those cost of living index comparisons are done with goods and services which are close equivalents in both countries. In other words the prices are still lower in Bangkok given the same goods ie. western kitchen, quality food, rent, etc.. The index isn't lowering the standards in Thailand to give it a cost advantage.

There are certainly some things that will be more expensive in BOTH countries but if a person is going to say how much more expensive cheese is in Thailand they also have to consider how much more expensive certain Thai ingredients are in the U.S. It's give or take based on how much of your lifestyle includes imported crap. I really doubt most expats drive a luxury car anyways and i'm sure certain luxury items are excluded because they are completely price dependent on regional markets.

This isn't hard to understand.

Edited November 16, 2009 by wintermute

[Dakhar]

Maids are cheap, due to labor costs.

What is NOT cheap is quality goods.

[wintermute]

Maids are cheap, due to labor costs.

What is NOT cheap is quality goods.

It depends on what you are calling quality. It's true you aren't going to be buying high end speakers or a BMW at a reasonable price in Bangkok compared with let's say San Francisco however you can buy large flat screen tvs, good quality kitchen appliances, glassware, etc.. at a price that's the same or in fact lower than the U.S. I do believe if you average it out that Thailand still comes out on top unless your diet consists solely of imported cheese and steak and you can't live without your BMW M series.

[Dakhar]

I will state that "over all" Thailand is cheaper, but not by large margins.

Before I came to Thailand, I was told I could "live like a king" off of 100K bt etc. Well I contend that I don't know of a King that would be "rolling" in a Nissan Sunny.

Here is the deal, if you just want to live out a relaxed life, live out your retirement years in a great climate with companionship 20 years your juniour and is VERY easy on the eye, Thailand is the place for that or possibly Malaysia for that matter.

But don't be fooled in to thinking that 100K a month is going to provide fun under the sun with un-limited off shore fishing, golfing, land, gorgeous home, nice cars and fine luxury goods etc.

100K is going to let you live "comfortably" without any worries of cash..... that is about it. Which is a lifestyle that around 75k-85K US a year could offer, nothing over the top, but there for some strange reason, always money in your wallet. (a guess, not speaking from experience) I never lived off of 75K, I initially started off at around 40-45K and that was struggle due to school loans etc, and then we moved forward rapidly to 6 fiqures, which provided a nice life style & allowed for building a savings account.

So essentially one has to have 10 Times the average Thai, just to live comfortably. Where in the US 2.5 times the average person will allow for a comfortable life.

[wintermute]

So essentially one has to have 10 Times the average Thai, just to live comfortably. Where in the US 2.5 times the average person will allow for a comfortable life.

Your average person's salary in either country has absolutely nothing to do with those cost of living comparisons because the indexes are comparing prices of similar GOODS AND SERVICES in both countries.

If you're a poor desperate farang making a living as a part time english teacher in Thailand of course even the basics might be considered "expensive" in Thailand.

[Pdaz]

Often they go un-noticed.. Foodlands ''Took lae Dee'' diner is no longer 'took' their 20 baht coffee now runs to 27 baht (a 30% rise) Milk has also jumped from 30 baht to 39 for the standard 830cl bottle.. (another 30% rise)

Boy a 7 baht increase on a cup of coffee how do you survive in this economic roller coaster? Here's a tip: Freshly ground coffee and a french press. Best investment you can ever make plus the price of decent ground coffee here hasn't gone up much in the past few years that I can tell. Some stalls may charge more in the tourist areas because there are plenty of suckers willing to pay.

The baht amount of the increase wasn't the point... The percentage of the increase was... French Press.. yes I have a couple that I take offshore for a decent coffee.. But at home I have a nice Saeco automatic expresso machine that grinds beans fresh for every cup.. Like you say local arabica beans can be very good and very good value... Luckily I have a friend who brings me beans in bulk from Brazil too...

FYI the economic roller coaster has had very little effect on me... No debts, high salary and plenty of work when I want it... I could live very well on my salary in London, Singapore or pretty much anywhere.. So Thailand is very cheap in comparison for some items.. The others like wine and imported meats I purchase because I enjoy them and wouldn't want to to deprive myself. Even so I like to see value for money and like to shop around for a good price.. Just because I am comfortable off doesn't mean I have to be stupid with my cash or waste it...

Luckily I can enjoy a 30 baht pack of Pad Thai just as much as a well cooked NZ rib eye.. Just depends on my mood.. That to me is one of the better things about Asia.. The sheer variety of produce and eating venues available.. Just like elsewhere you have to search out the places offering the best quality for the best price...

[Dakhar]

So essentially one has to have 10 Times the average Thai, just to live comfortably. Where in the US 2.5 times the average person will allow for a comfortable life.

Your average person's salary in either country has absolutely nothing to do with those cost of living comparisons because the indexes are comparing prices of similar GOODS AND SERVICES in both countries.

If you're a poor desperate farang making a living as a part time english teacher in Thailand of course even the basics might be considered "expensive" in Thailand.

I am just making an observation of what it takes to afford those cost of goods in order to live a "comfortable" life style. That is all....

I would think the basics are fairly cheap... street food, clothes at the night market... again, if you adopt a dirt cheap life style, life can be cheap.

But it can be cheap with a dirt cheap life style too in the states. My wife and I shoped "GW" (Good Will) while in the states and lived off of a budget of around 24-28K USD a year. Which is essentially identical as what our budget is here.

[wintermute]

I am just making an observation of what it takes to afford those cost of goods in order to live a "comfortable" life style. That is all....

Well earning potential and value of time is an entirely different subject altogether. If you're talking about that there's little doubt that earning potential is vastly superior in most developed western nations.

I would think the basics are fairly cheap... street food, clothes at the night market... again, if you adopt a dirt cheap life style, life can be cheap.

I find just about everything to be the same or cheaper. I don't frequent foreign beer pubs but a night out on the town doing conventional things is certainly cheaper. A night at a very nice movie theater here in Thailand runs 100-140 baht ($3-4.24) in the U.S. it's $7.50-$12. The bill at a decent restaurant serving quality food for two rarely goes over 700-800 baht including drinks. A typical night out at an average sit down restaurant in the U.S. would not be under $40 for two. Name brand clothes can be found at a decent price during the neverending sales at some dept stores like central and there are certain local brands which are quite good which can be found in the malls. If you want to shop for versace or armani clothes then obviously it would be more productive to stock up in Hong Kong on your next holiday.

My wife and I shoped "GW" (Good Will) while in the states and lived off of a budget of around 24-28K USD a year. Which is essentially identical as what our budget is here.

The only fair comparison would be a metropolitan city in a western country with a similar population size and working demographic. I know for certain that with a budget of 24-28k in a city like San Francisco or San diego you would NOT be able to get by.

Edited November 16, 2009 by wintermute

[Dpolenz]

Thailand still is very cheap,somedays i find myself spending up to 5 thousand bht a day,on other days i can spend as little as 2hundred bht per day.Depends on what your up to

[gregb]

Services are cheaper in Thailand due to the lower cost of labour. Thus, things like eating in restaurants or hiring a maid or taxi are going to be significantly less here.

Things, on the other hand, are very nearly the same price or even more in Thailand depending on the item.

Most people's budgets are a mixture of the two, but if you are dirt poor, a package of Mama in Thailand at 6 baht or in the Top Ramen noodles in the US at 20 cents are going to set you back the same amount of money. If you are wealthy, hiring a maid, a driver, gardener and personal assistant in Thailand is quite possible, while doing so in the West would require you to be stock broker for Goldman Sacks.

Almost any position can be supported depending on where along the labour/commodity curve you wish to place your budget. Based on my budget, it is a toss up between living here or in the states. The costs are distributed slightly differently (Thailand is much less on housing, much more on the car), but the totals for similar quality of life would be almost identical. I use almost no services. My wife cooks at home. Most of my budget is for things.

So I agree, Thailand is not cheap as a rule. But on the other hand, sometimes Thailand is very cheap.

[zzaa09]

Everyone's neglecting to mention one very important factor, one that could suddenly swing around and bite you hard in the a_ss: currency risk.

It's happened before and it could happen again...

Another important factor. Dependence on credit, existing in debt. Usually unnecessarily.

[Mosha]

My eldest brother and wife have just paid a visir. Their first in 17 years, and the were shocked at how expensive clothes are compared to the UK. I've been telling them for months, some people just don't listen.

However, to compare "foreign" food to what you pay back home, is just plain daft. When in Rome...

Edited November 16, 2009 by Mosha

[Heng]

I will state that "over all" Thailand is cheaper, but not by large margins.

Before I came to Thailand, I was told I could "live like a king" off of 100K bt etc. Well I contend that I don't know of a King that would be "rolling" in a Nissan Sunny.

We recently had a server crash and you might not have gotten the updated memos. The figure is now 850,000k Baht per month, and hopefully you have already paid off any luxury items and properties you might want in cash and not include this in your monthly living expenditures.

We apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused.

[Ulysses G.]

Before I came to Thailand, I was told I could "live like a king" off of 100K bt etc.

I could live like a king on that in Thailand easily.

[MilkyWhite]

The one thing to remember is that the vast majority of the farang community does not have to pay to get girls here, nor did they or do they have to pay in their home countries now. My friend is an oil rigger, mid-forties, and he practically has to keep a stick with him in the UK to fight off the school girls. They just love that white beard and dirt under the finger nails look that he pulls off so well and I guess his chiseled upper body and wisdom acquired from all those years out in the sea helps too.

The farang that live in Thailand, do so for a variety of reasons, but only the smallest percentage of them are here for the cheap cost of women. Primarily, they are here for the Buddhist temples and architecture, bird and insect watching, the wonderful climate and beaches, and most of all, to build healthy and productive relationships and friendships with the Thai people and to embrace their culture to the fullest extent possible. I think its time that we finally shrug off this propaganda once and for all that all of these intelligent, interesting, gentle farang which call Thailand home (scientists, former Ministers, race car drivers, noble prize physicists (to name a few) are some sort of social misfits who can only get it by paying and are not productive members of society. Please remember, these types of lies perpetrated by the media and members of this forum can only damage our reputations in the eyes of our gracious hosts.

[Ulysses G.]

Sarcasm does not become you.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

ThaiVisa doesn't become him either. He is a nut case and a serial pain in the bum.

[Naam]

Maids are cheap, due to labor costs. What is NOT cheap is quality goods.

all of you who claim "Thailand is not cheap" are in my [not so] humble view a bunch of poor boys who obviously have never paid tax in their home country because you don't own anything and/or you earn(ed) only a pittance and do/did not "qualify" to pay income tax.

[Ulysses G.]

I concur - deluded dirtbags!

[siamamerican]

I thought that nice dinner last night over looking the sea, even with the outrageously priced wine, was rather cheap. My friend thought his 20k bht hospital bill for 4 nights was inexpensive. The wifes condo with beautiful ocean views would cost 4x in the states.

I think the above covers the basic necessities ( eating, health costs, and sleeping ). I guess if If I drank wine like it was kool-aid, ate imported sea food, slept with European women, and didn't do anything that another Thai might do, it would be a little pricey.

[Richb2004v2]

The one thing to remember is that the vast majority of the farang community does not have to pay to get girls here, nor did they or do they have to pay in their home countries now. My friend is an oil rigger, mid-forties, and he practically has to keep a stick with him in the UK to fight off the school girls. They just love that white beard and dirt under the finger nails look that he pulls off so well and I guess his chiseled upper body and wisdom acquired from all those years out in the sea helps too.

The farang that live in Thailand, do so for a variety of reasons, but only the smallest percentage of them are here for the cheap cost of women. Primarily, they are here for the Buddhist temples and architecture, bird and insect watching, the wonderful climate and beaches, and most of all, to build healthy and productive relationships and friendships with the Thai people and to embrace their culture to the fullest extent possible. I think its time that we finally shrug off this propaganda once and for all that all of these intelligent, interesting, gentle farang which call Thailand home (scientists, former Ministers, race car drivers, noble prize physicists (to name a few) are some sort of social misfits who can only get it by paying and are not productive members of society. Please remember, these types of lies perpetrated by the media and members of this forum can only damage our reputations in the eyes of our gracious hosts.

That's the best post I've read here for a while.

[zorro1]

The one thing to remember is that the vast majority of the farang community does not have to pay to get girls here, nor did they or do they have to pay in their home countries now. My friend is an oil rigger, mid-forties, and he practically has to keep a stick with him in the UK to fight off the school girls. They just love that white beard and dirt under the finger nails look that he pulls off so well and I guess his chiseled upper body and wisdom acquired from all those years out in the sea helps too.

The farang that live in Thailand, do so for a variety of reasons, but only the smallest percentage of them are here for the cheap cost of women. Primarily, they are here for the Buddhist temples and architecture, bird and insect watching, the wonderful climate and beaches, and most of all, to build healthy and productive relationships and friendships with the Thai people and to embrace their culture to the fullest extent possible. I think its time that we finally shrug off this propaganda once and for all that all of these intelligent, interesting, gentle farang which call Thailand home (scientists, former Ministers, race car drivers, noble prize physicists (to name a few) are some sort of social misfits who can only get it by paying and are not productive members of society. Please remember, these types of lies perpetrated by the media and members of this forum can only damage our reputations in the eyes of our gracious hosts.

That's the best post I've read here for a while.

[thaiman]

Why pay when you can get it for free

Nothing of good quality is ever free!

[soihok]

The one thing to remember is that the vast majority of the farang community does not have to pay to get girls here, nor did they or do they have to pay in their home countries now. My friend is an oil rigger, mid-forties, and he practically has to keep a stick with him in the UK to fight off the school girls. They just love that white beard and dirt under the finger nails look that he pulls off so well and I guess his chiseled upper body and wisdom acquired from all those years out in the sea helps too.

The farang that live in Thailand, do so for a variety of reasons, but only the smallest percentage of them are here for the cheap cost of women. Primarily, they are here for the Buddhist temples and architecture, bird and insect watching, the wonderful climate and beaches, and most of all, to build healthy and productive relationships and friendships with the Thai people and to embrace their culture to the fullest extent possible. I think its time that we finally shrug off this propaganda once and for all that all of these intelligent, interesting, gentle farang which call Thailand home (scientists, former Ministers, race car drivers, noble prize physicists (to name a few) are some sort of social misfits who can only get it by paying and are not productive members of society. Please remember, these types of lies perpetrated by the media and members of this forum can only damage our reputations in the eyes of our gracious hosts.

That's the best post I've read here for a while.

Well just to add to this that we no longer buy toilet paper .

[Dakhar]

Maids are cheap, due to labor costs. What is NOT cheap is quality goods.

all of you who claim "Thailand is not cheap" are in my [not so] humble view a bunch of poor boys who obviously have never paid tax in their home country because you don't own anything and/or you earn(ed) only a pittance and do/did not "qualify" to pay income tax.

I may be poor compared to you, and I did pay tax in the US, earning over 100K, it is hard to avoid. I also payed employment taxes etc etc. The fact I was getting constantly bombarded with taxes is one of the reasons I thought comming to Thailand would be a good idea. (As it turns out, Malaysia, has a friendlier business tax position than Thailand)

I had lunch yesterday with a HI So, and he said himself Thailand is not cheap any more. (He had just come back from a visit in Singapore) Funny thing is, he said the "costs of coruption, and purchasing positions within the govt is sky rocketing.

I guess when you are hi so, this too has to be considered.

[Heng]

Um, sorry Dak, I just said that to make you feel better. Hey, and no need to pretend like you're reaching for your wallet okay? It's just a couple of tacos, on me, no worries.

[MarkBKK]

I think the above covers the basic necessities ( eating, health costs, and sleeping ). I guess if If I drank wine like it was kool-aid, ate imported sea food, slept with European women, and didn't do anything that another Thai might do, it would be a little pricey.

Wine ... ''a little pricey''. I get it.

Imported seafood ... ''a little pricey''. I get it.

Sleeping with European women ... <deleted>?

[Heng]

Yeah, they usually don't settle for somtam and a couple of cokes.

[Dakhar]

Um, sorry Dak, I just said that to make you feel better. Hey, and no need to pretend like you're reaching for your wallet okay? It's just a couple of tacos, on me, no worries.

Thanks for understanding Heng

Really, we should do lunch some time, I know a great place with awesome Mexican.

[Heng]

I'll have my people get in touch with your people.