Cheap Charlies In Pattaya Exclusive Thread

[syd barrett]

I will kick this off with four Cheap Charlie Tips:

1. Always use an AEON ATM. You would be amazed at how many people don't do this, usually due to the sheer laziness of refusing to travel to one of the three ATM points in Pattaya. Think ahead (Don't use that 7-11 ATM)!

2. Always check out the meat & poultry & fish fridges at TOPS supermarket after 5.00pm. There are red 'reduced' tickets with anything between 40%-70% off sell by dated foods. Buy it up and throw it in the deep freeze. Great bargains to be had, especially steak.

3. If you drink Chang switch to Red Horse, it is 3 baht per bottle cheaper or 45 baht per case cheaper than Chang. That represents a saving of over 1000 baht per month. Plus it is 0.5% stronger than Chang.

4. Buy the extra large super-sized packs of cheap toilet tissue from Carrefour. It doesn't matter what you use in the bathroom for your bum and forget boxes of tissues on the household tables, simply put a cheap toilet roll in a fancy dispenser.

Now: Over to fellow 'Cheap Charlies' in Pattaya............

[bangkokrick]

Exclusive is the correct word. No replies.

[xen]

There is nothing wrong in saving money so you can spend it later on something frivolous later.

Good tips Syd.

[tropo]

Good thread!

(Has anyone else noticed how busy the fee free AEON ATM at Tesco North Pattaya is getting these days? The last few times I went there I had to queue for 30 minutes. It may have just been the wrong time of the day to go as I noticed the Thais in the line were putting money INTO the ATM, not taking it out. Does anyone know what they are doing there? Are they paying bills?)

My Cheap Charlie tips:

1. Wednesday movies at Major Cineplex at The Avenue. Only 60/80 for tickets.

2. Free cooking of fresh seafood at Carrefour.

Edited September 21, 2010 by tropo

[flyingfox]

Bella Express hotel/buffet next to Kasikorn Bank on Central Road is only 99 baht for breakfast buffet. Clean, quiet, cool, and a nice spread.

Get your haircut/shaved for 60 baht on soi Buakow next to the market (soi 19).

[FarangBuddha]

A-Eon is a finance company (appliances, electronics, cars[?]) so the Thais are making payments at the ATM on all the little toys they have bought for themselves that they can't afford!

My additions:

Forget about all other brekkies in town and go with the original CC's namesake...Crazy Dave's B 75 version...2 eggs on fried bread, 2 toast with butter and jam, sausage, 2 bacon rashers, beans, tomato, and coffee/tea or juice.

Bowling at Central Beach...B 80/game from 11:00-14:00; B 100/game 14:00-17:00. (After 17:00 is DOUBLES to B 200/game).

Best cheap coffee...Foodland counter for B 29! Ox-tail soup is great too for I think B 75. Okay, just about everything there is cheap and pretty good for the price.

Ceasar salad and Thai dishes with rice, both for B 99, at Coffee Club at Royal Garden (where Au Bon Pain used to be) are generous servings and very tasty. Nice atmosphere and free wifi as well and no service charge. (Especially like their version of chicken with cashew nuts).

Fine dining: Cherry's Sunday set-menu - bread basket, amuse bouche, fancy salad or meat/seafood tartlet, soup, sherbet palate cleanser, choice from 4 meat/fish mains, dessert, and coffee/tea. All for B 295.

Edited September 21, 2010 by FarangBuddha

[tropo]

Fine dining: Cherry's Sunday set-menu - bread basket, amuse bouche, fancy salad or meat/seafood tartlet, soup, sherbet palate cleanser, choice from 4 meat/fish mains, dessert, and coffee/tea. All for B 295.

You can get a pretty high quality Korean style, at-the-table-barbecue buffet at Red Kimchi for 299 baht pp before 5pm and 329 baht pp after 5pm. It's really worth checking out if you like beef or seafood as they have a huge selection plus salads, soup etc. It's great if you're a late diner as they are open until midnight. Be aware that for that price you have exactly 90 minutes to gorge yourself. It's 20 baht per extra 10 minutes after that.

[ciaociao]

Bella Express hotel/buffet next to Kasikorn Bank on Central Road is only 99 baht for breakfast buffet. Clean, quiet, cool, and a nice spread.

Get your haircut/shaved for 60 baht on soi Buakow next to the market (soi 19).

Is the price at the Bella Express Hotel going up next month. 120B and 180D??

[ciaociao]

Bella Express hotel/buffet next to Kasikorn Bank on Central Road is only 99 baht for breakfast buffet. Clean, quiet, cool, and a nice spread.

Get your haircut/shaved for 60 baht on soi Buakow next to the market (soi 19).

[Bizz]

syd would have a problem with no 4 I like 3ply toilet roll fingers break the cheap ones.not nice.

[craigt3365]

syd would have a problem with no 4 I like 3ply toilet roll fingers break the cheap ones.not nice.

Agreed with that one! There are some things you can go cheap on...others are a no go!

I like the recommendation for Red Horse. I am a beer lover, so it hits my budget quite hard.

Question: where is the cheapest place to buy beer? I have seen some shops down these little soi's with boxes of booze out front. Kinda like a small warehouse. Are they any cheaper?

[Naam]

mow my lawn for free when our gardener is busy teaching my dogs quantum mechanics.

[sharecropper]

3. If you drink Chang switch to Red Horse, it is 3 baht per bottle cheaper or 45 baht per case cheaper than Chang. That represents a saving of over 1000 baht per month. Plus it is 0.5% stronger than Chang.

Syd - is that 45 Baht saving for a case of 12 bottles? If so, on my calculations, to save 1,000 baht you're buying 22 cases of the stuff, or guzzling 266 bottles of Red Horse a month, or over 8 bottles a day!?

[bob4you]

SB

If you are going to save B1000 per month buying Red Horse, that is 22 cases a month @ 6% alcohol, how do you even manage to find your way home, much less the liquor section at Carrefour?

[neilf]

ride about looking for ballons outside bars--------parties and go in and say to whichever lady appears to be boss ' i am meeting a friend-----mick / john / dave-----any name ------here he told me about this place yesterday and how good a bar it is so i will have a drink and wait for him '

then get the cheapest drink and tuck into the grub---------------you need to be doing this about 8 pm ish--------finish drink and say " well he hasnt turned up i will go to 7 to top up my phone and ring him '

then b****r off sharpish like to the next one

i only know the aon in tesco north can you tell me the others i didnt think was any more

Edited September 22, 2010 by neilf

[somtampet]

I would just invent some ways of saving money,

1/ tell everybody u have just been with a lady for 200 baht

2/ u go to cheap bars all the time

REly gets up the snotters of barowners,as most of them are in big trouble with no customers

[timekeeper]

ride about looking for ballons outside bars--------parties and go in and say to whichever lady appears to be boss ' i am meeting a friend-----mick / john / dave-----any name ------here he told me about this place yesterday and how good a bar it is so i will have a drink and wait for him '

then get the cheapest drink and tuck into the grub---------------you need to be doing this about 8 pm ish--------finish drink and say " well he hasnt turned up i will go to 7 to top up my phone and ring him '

then b****r off sharpish like to the next one

i only know the aon in tesco north can you tell me the others i didnt think was any more

Aeon at carrefour ground floor last ATM on left on run to toilets

Aeon at Homeworks south pattaya -outside front door to the right

Edited September 22, 2010 by timekeeper

[contemplating]

Just wondering how long it will take you to drive to these free ATM's, and how long do you want to wait in line to use the machine? Sounds like driving a hundred km to fill up on cheap gas. In other words, are you really saving anything, or just pretending to save? If you are actually near one, when you need money, then thats ok,

If you want to save on beer, just leave out one of the eight bottles. By the way, seems some of the bars raise the price of drinks, when they serve the free food. Of course you could bring your own bottle of water, and just eat free! You would be their most preferred customer!

[LennyW]

Agreed with that one! There are some things you can go cheap on...others are a no go!

I like the recommendation for Red Horse. I am a beer lover, so it hits my budget quite hard.

Question: where is the cheapest place to buy beer? I have seen some shops down these little soi's with boxes of booze out front. Kinda like a small warehouse. Are they any cheaper?

One of these drinks wholesellers near my house, always a little bit cheaper than Makro, if you are in Ban Amphur Craig take the Pheonix road, just over the railway on your left, i think it is either the first or maybe second shop, they are a cheap outlet for beer!!

[dave2]

craigt3365

re .... have seen some shops down these little soi's with boxes of booze out front. Kinda like a small warehouse. Are they any cheaper?

yes .....

3 large beer archa in my mom and pop booze shop yesterday 99 baht with no licencing laws

the same in tesco lotus yesterday 108 baht and booze sale laws

enjoy .... dave2

[Lancelot]

craigt3365

re .... have seen some shops down these little soi's with boxes of booze out front. Kinda like a small warehouse. Are they any cheaper?

yes .....

3 large beer archa in my mom and pop booze shop yesterday 99 baht with no licencing laws

the same in tesco lotus yesterday 108 baht and booze sale laws

enjoy .... dave2

I too have found the prices lower at many Thai Mom and Pop wholesale places. If they get to know you and want repeat business, they will sometimes give you a small discount, as in a case (12 large bottles) of beer that normally sells for B520, your price might be B500.

Generally speaking, its important to know prices; what you thought was a good deal may not have been one...

Edited September 22, 2010 by Lancelot

[craigt3365]

Thanks guys! I will check out that one for sure, LennyW. I live just across from the Ambassador...

I usually don't have a problem with the selling hours as I always buy enough...or is that too much?????

[Phil Conners]

Question: where is the cheapest place to buy beer? I have seen some shops down these little soi's with boxes of booze out front. Kinda like a small warehouse. Are they any cheaper?

Thai whole sellers, a box of 12 large Leo = 485. Same from 7/11 is 12 x 47 = 564.

[hanno]

Get your drinking water from one of the dispensers inside banks?

[chops]

SB

If you are going to save B1000 per month buying Red Horse, that is 22 cases a month @ 6% alcohol, how do you even manage to find your way home, much less the liquor section at Carrefour?

Pattaya has some real boozers, didn't you know?

[Rumcabal]

Get your drinking water from one of the dispensers inside banks?

:D:D

[balo]

Forget about being a Cheap Charlie.

Just stop smoking and drinking , you will be a rich man soon.

[morphious]

Words fail me

[bob4you]

The bottom rung on this ladder or barrel is the "balloon chasers" next rung up is the "cheap Charlies", next comes the "frugal Freddy" Someone who wants to spend wisely and get good value for that spending. I run a Frugal Freddy weekly dinner group at the Pattaya City Expat Club where our motto is "expats helping expats". Our goal is dining at Frugal Prices at Frugal Restaurant or "affordable & premium restaurants" where they give us a 20% discount. We generally have 20-25 of us meet up each Monday. Bob's BBQ was our host this past Monday and 26 of us showed and got a 20% discount on food and beverage.

Any member wanting to get on my e-mail list to give you updates can PM me or register at Yahoo groups Frugal Freddy.

Any restaurants wanting to host our group please PM me.

This coming Monday we will be hosted by Little Italy on 2nd road across from Royal Garden Shopping center in the private dining room upstairs, the usual 20% discount to our group will be on offer. PM is you want to join us.

[tropo]

Just wondering how long it will take you to drive to these free ATM's, and how long do you want to wait in line to use the machine? Sounds like driving a hundred km to fill up on cheap gas. In other words, are you really saving anything, or just pretending to save? If you are actually near one, when you need money, then thats ok,

If you're driving a gas guzzler long distance, of course it wouldn't be worth it but if you live in Pattaya you can coordinate your ATM visit with your shopping or when you happen to be in the area. For example the AEON at Tesco North gives 40K per pull, so if you pull 80K you're saving 600 baht compared to the average ATM which dispenses only 20K per pull. Carrefour gives 20K per pull. I haven't been to the Homeworks machine in South Pattaya.