Baht-Um Line

[alobar]

With news that the Yuan will begin to reflect a more competitive level, and that the Baht will be loosely tied to it's move- and for those for whom that is not a good thing; I am curious if people here have set an extraction point. Is there a point where the cost of living does not outweigh the benefits of an ersatz Thai lifestyle?

And part 2 would be; what belt tightening measures would people take to forestall such a decision- or does weather, food, conviviality, and Mai pen rai trump that at any cost?

I have been here for about 25bt/usd and 50bt/usd. 50 is better! (not earning in Baht), and don't know that I ever saw a palpable shift in ex-pat/tourist levels, just a shift in griping.

Edited June 21, 2010 by alobar

[mahtin]

What, pray, is an ersatz Thai lifestyle?

[MiG16]

doesnt a similar topic already exist

im quite sure there is a recent one running....

[alobar]

Man this is a rough crowd.

'ersatz ( ) adj. Being an imitation or a substitute', I would venture to say that at best, most transplants prefer the relative life of privilege that being a farang provides.

What, pray, is an ersatz Thai lifestyle?

[mahtin]

specious )adj.1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious: a specious argument.

[StreetCowboy]

Man this is a rough crowd.

'ersatz ( ) adj. Being an imitation or a substitute', I would venture to say that at best, most transplants prefer the relative life of privilege that being a farang provides.

What, pray, is an ersatz Thai lifestyle?

Sorry, I still don't understand. Ersatz means a manufactured imitation or substitute, so that would be like living in Vietnam and getting an ersatz Thai lifestyle by importing som tam and downloading Esaan folk music. I don't think that the life of relative privilege that you descirbe is in any way a manufactured copy of the life of Thai people. Furthermore, I think you'll find that most of us actually enjoy a life of luxury, rather than privilege. We have relatively few privileges - fewer than I enjoyed in HK, for example, where I was able to enter and exit without getting my passport chopped (quite a small privilege, now I come to think about it); most of the things I enjoy that the man in the street forgoes, I enjoy by nature of the money I spend on them; indeed, Khun Somchai could probably enjoy a life of ease, convenience and luxury for a fraction of what I pay.

I suppose the privileges that I do enjoy in Thailand are voting rights - I can vote with my feet at any time, and access to more lucrative employment, as my rights of travel to other countries are greater than Khun Somchai, and the privilege of conducting international consultancy in my own language.

Anyway, I suggest you re-phrase your question. \

You may also want to take a look at the impact of changes in currency on prices; since I live and work in an environment fairly closely tied into the global economy, and where a great deal of the value I consume is added overseas, I expect prices to fall gradually commensurate with any rise in the currency

SC