What Things That Are Overpriced In Thailand Can'T You Live Without?

[Jingthing]

Some things in Thailand are much more expensive than back in our home countries. For the "rich" who don't deny themselves anything based on price, this topic really doesn't apply. This is for those that DO look at the price tag, and have made adjustments in their lives in Thailand to limit their expenses when they can tolerate it. So those expensive things that we still pay for have indeed become luxury items for us here in Thailand, even though they may not have been luxury items back home.

This isn't exactly an original topic, but it seems to me an amusing new years time kind of thing ...

Anyway, here are a few of mine to get this started --

Can't live without --

- Avocados

- 100 percent agave tequila

- Quality peanut butter

- Western breakfast cereals (but cut back a lot)

- Exercise equipment

- Olive oil

- Parmesan cheese

- Misc. Electronics (video screens, etc.)

Can live without --

- Wine except for special occasions (that surprised me that I was able to cut that, it's probably the most painful thing I do without but can't stomach the wine prices here for anything interesting to drink and I got spoiled before)

- Air conditioning (rarely feel the need anymore)

- Cars

- Theater tickets (you've seen one ladyboy show, you've seen them all)

Edited January 2, 2011 by Jingthing

[Pib]

SPAM luncheon meat.

[pjclark1]

I miss

Quality towels, cotton sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers

Marmite and cheddar cheese (not together of course)

Decent bread

Edited January 2, 2011 by pjclark1

[stoneyboy]

I think most Brits would agree on missing decent bread,cheese, cold meats,sausages and bacon its all stuff i can easily go without but find myself wanting sometimes.

One nice thing when popping over the Laos border to Vientiane,a decent filled baguette.

[Jingthing]

Can I ask that people stay with the proposed FORMAT?

Which is obviously to post a LIST of those expensive-in-Thailand items you can't live without, and those you can.

Like this --

Can't live without --

- item

- item

- item

- item

Can live without --

- item

- item

- item

- item

Edited January 2, 2011 by Jingthing

[transam]

I miss

Quality towels, cotton sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers

Marmite and cheddar cheese (not together of course)

Decent bread

I've bought all of those.

BUT Gherkins, the real ones, found a jar in Tesco's that was 356 bht, thats near £8

[Jingthing]

Like herding cats!

[kokesaat]

Can live without:

Doritos

American beer

Mexican food

Microwave popcorn

Paper version of American newspapers

McDonalds, Burger King, KFC

American-style Christmas season

Can't live without

Cornflakes

Microwave popcorn (made in my own paper bag with seasoning)

Foreign liquor: gin, vodka, rum, etc

American TV

Internet version of American newspapers

An occasional Swensons/DQ/Pizza Hut

Good chocolate candy

[StreetCowboy]

Can't live without

- School fees

- Western groceries for the bairns

- Foreign holidays for the family

Can live without

- wine

- car (in Thailand)

- garden

Have to live without:

- Mutton pies

- Heavy

- Haggis

- Mild

Couldn't live without:

- least said, soonest mended

- Pad See Ewe (or Char Kway Teow)

Happy to find:

- Irn Bru

- Decent samosas

SC

(Does that comply with the format requirements, boss?)

[tombkk]

I think most Brits would agree on missing decent bread,cheese, cold meats,sausages and bacon its all stuff i can easily go without but find myself wanting sometimes.

One nice thing when popping over the Laos border to Vientiane,a decent filled baguette.

I think most Germans would agree that decent bread and sausages are available at decent prices in Thailand.

Good cheese is expensive, so I buy one every now and then.

Can I do without it? Yes.

Do I think it's worth spending this much for an enjoyable evening meal every now and then? Yes.

I have good towels and cotton sheets, that's basic quality of life. Not expensive over here either (unless you need brand names), so I don't know why they are brought up inthis list.

But I couldn't do without air conditioner. I tried, as I thought it's decadent, but I simply couldn't sleep, work, or concentrate.

And the subway system is still not close-knit enough to do without a car. I wouldn't have a car in New York, Paris, Tokyo, Berlin, to name a few, but in Bangkok, it's still necessary.

I can't do without a good performance show (concert, theater, opera etc) once in a while, and the tickets are expensive. (No, I'm not talking about drag shows, I can easily live without them.)

[StreetCowboy]

....

And the subway system is still not close-knit enough to do without a car. I wouldn't have a car in New York, Paris, Tokyo, Berlin, to name a few, but in Bangkok, it's still necessary.

...

See? Even the Germans think the subway is crap. Bloody contractors!

SC

Actually, its cheaper to use taxis, its more convenient, and easier, than to have your own car. Depending on how difficult you want to make things for yourself, and how much money you have to waste.

[BlueSmurf]

I miss

Quality towels, cotton sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers

Marmite and cheddar cheese (not together of course)

Decent bread

Marmite and Cheddar cheese go well together! So does peanut butter and Branston pickle on fresh bread!!! But I cut out the cheese and get friends to bring me over the marmite and hey they normally give it to me for free...I've cut the beer virtually completely out as well...No meat except for a little chicken now and again..the meat because of the fat..Have to agree on having nice sheets but often not allowed to bring them back home with me by the Mrs.

pS I have 3 x500gr jars of Marmite in the fridge now.....

[DP25]

Overpriced but can't live without

Imported cheese

Mexican food (although I usually make my own so it's not that expensive, but sometimes I still eat at the over priced places)

Peanut butter

Delivery pizza

Gin

English language books

Can live without

Wine

Imported beer (will buy on rare occasion though)

Frozen pizza

Dr Pepper

American clothing brands

English language magazines and newspapers

Car (And I LOVE that I don't need one thanks to great public transit and cheap taxis)

[tombkk]

....

And the subway system is still not close-knit enough to do without a car. I wouldn't have a car in New York, Paris, Tokyo, Berlin, to name a few, but in Bangkok, it's still necessary.

...

See? Even the Germans think the subway is crap. Bloody contractors!

Actually, I didn't blame the contractors at all! The mass rapid transit systems in the cities I mentioned above started construction a century ago, while Bangkok only started just over a decade ago. Bangkok's system (Skytrain and subway combined and they put this new BRT bus system in the same pot, for good measure) will need a few more decades to make a personal vehicle unnecessary.

I have seen the plans (not all have been approved yet) until 2574 and believe me, Bangkok is on the right way!

Actually, its cheaper to use taxis, its more convenient, and easier, than to have your own car. Depending on how difficult you want to make things for yourself, and how much money you have to waste.

Yeah, I use taxis when I go out at night and might have a beer or two. But to take a taxi every day to work (and I did that for a while) is unnerving. Telling the driver the address, hoping he will agree to take me there, then explaining the route again on the way as he is trying to make a wrong turn... No, I prefer to take my own car in the current situation.

Mind you, it is much better than in the early days when I also had to bargain for the taxi fare. Now they have meters, and if they refuse to turn them on, I refuse to step into the vehicle. Which sometimes means that I have to wait another 5-15 minutes for the next one... :-(

[StreetCowboy]

8><SNIP ><8

Yeah, I use taxis when I go out at night and might have a beer or two. But to take a taxi every day to work (and I did that for a while) is unnerving. Telling the driver the address, hoping he will agree to take me there, then explaining the route again on the way as he is trying to make a wrong turn... No, I prefer to take my own car in the current situation.

Mind you, it is much better than in the early days when I also had to bargain for the taxi fare. Now they have meters, and if they refuse to turn them on, I refuse to step into the vehicle. Which sometimes means that I have to wait another 5-15 minutes for the next one... :-(

You must live in a a bad neighbourhood. The funny thing in Thailand, unlike Europe, is that the smarter the neighbourhood the more criminals, rather than vice versa (your experience may differ).

Anyway, I'm glad I don't live in your district

SC

Anyway, MRTs are overpriced here, higvhways are not

We are our own worst enemies

SC

[tombkk]

8><SNIP ><8

Yeah, I use taxis when I go out at night and might have a beer or two. But to take a taxi every day to work (and I did that for a while) is unnerving. Telling the driver the address, hoping he will agree to take me there, then explaining the route again on the way as he is trying to make a wrong turn... No, I prefer to take my own car in the current situation.

Mind you, it is much better than in the early days when I also had to bargain for the taxi fare. Now they have meters, and if they refuse to turn them on, I refuse to step into the vehicle. Which sometimes means that I have to wait another 5-15 minutes for the next one... :-(

You must live in a a bad neighbourhood. The funny thing in Thailand, unlike Europe, is that the smarter the neighbourhood the more criminals, rather than vice versa (your experience may differ).

Anyway, I'm glad I don't live in your district

SC

Anyway, MRTs are overpriced here, higvhways are not

We are our own worst enemies

SC

If by "bad neighbourhood" you mean no crimes such as car theft or B+E, I must indeed be living in a bad neighbourhood. I know my neighbours personally, and we have nothing to fear. If this a bad by your definition, well - good for you.

Highways (Express Ways) are overpriced. Compare the fees here to Europe, where the cost of living is much higher but the tolls are lower.

[Gladiator]

Can't ,live without

'Vintage' Cheddar Cheese

Good baguettes.

Back bacon

anchovies (for Caesar Salad)

marmite or vegemite

mcVities biscuits

coleman's mustard

olive oil

[Bagwan]

I've been away so long that I don't know what is comparatively expensive and what isn't. Some things that I have cut out have more to do with reducing the waistline than pruning financial expenditure. I'd pay over the odds for a pair of grilled Loch Fyne kippers though and rollmops are a once per month treat.

[Jingthing]

I've been away so long that I don't know what is comparatively expensive and what isn't. Some things that I have cut out have more to do with reducing the waistline than pruning financial expenditure. I'd pay over the odds for a pair of grilled Loch Fyne kippers though and rollmops are a once per month treat.

Yeah I could see how that may happen over many years. On the other hand, with the net, you can easily check current prices anywhere. There was a wine I found the other day that was sort of OK for 300 baht here (which is of course super cheap for a bottle in Thailand) but I still rather perversely wondered what the wine cost in the US. Turns out 150 baht and my reaction to that was double the price, that's not bad! I definitely still check online on big ticket electronic items to see how badly I am getting reamed here, etc.

Edited January 2, 2011 by Jingthing

[Ulysses G.]

I plead guilty to violating the formatting rules, but I can get most of these things that I want - other than a car and wine, which I don't want anyway - for a reasonable price here and air-conditioning is probably cheaper than back home, so I am not sure why that is included.

Some of the brand new electronic stuff, like tablet computers, are over-priced right now, but I am not desperate for one and in a few years, they will be much better and much cheaper anyway.

Fritos are too expensive, but I do not want them often and they can't be found in Chiang Mai anyway.

There are not many Western items that I can not find a reasonably priced substitute for here, so it is much cheaper and much more enjoyable to live in Thailand as opposed to back in the land of Walmart and frowning females.

Edited January 3, 2011 by Ulysses G.

[StreetCowboy]

8><SNIP NESTED QUOTES DELETED ><8

If by "bad neighbourhood" you mean no crimes such as car theft or B+E, I must indeed be living in a bad neighbourhood. I know my neighbours personally, and we have nothing to fear. If this a bad by your definition, well - good for you.

Highways (Express Ways) are overpriced. Compare the fees here to Europe, where the cost of living is much higher but the tolls are lower.

By ''bad neighbourhood' I meant somewhere you could not safely take a taxi.

I have always found the expressways to be excellent value, and almost invariably use them.

You can't really compare Bangkok highways to the highways built by other governments, since they do not follow competitive routes. The measure of overpricing is whether it is sufficient to deter you from purchasing the product or service. If you still persist in using highways, then clearly they are priced at or below market value.

SC

[backsoon]

Can't live without:

good cheeses

good wine

good olives

buy them anyway, but at shark's prices...

Can live without:

BMW

Mercedes Benz

Designer labels

Diamonds and Gold

Very much overpriced, but who needs them anyway?

:jap:

[backsoon]

Can't live without:

good cheeses

good wine

good olives

buy them anyway, but at shark's prices...

Can live without:

BMW

Mercedes Benz

Designer labels

Diamonds and Gold

Very much overpriced, but who needs them anyway?

:jap:

[backsoon]

Can't live without:

good cheeses

good wine

good olives

buy them anyway, but at shark's prices...

Can live without:

BMW

Mercedes Benz

Designer labels

Diamonds and Gold

Very much overpriced, but who needs them anyway?

:jap:

Sorry, forgot to say, thanks, Jingthing. Good one. Made me smile

[andrewbkk]

There was a wine I found the other day that was sort of OK for 300 baht here

Did you know they're now selling a South African cabernet sauvignon in 7-11 for 299 Baht?

Perhaps that's the one you're referring to. I thought it was okay, but have no idea how much it would cost elsewhere.

[Thailaw]

Don't live without (some of these are not, I think, significantly more expensive than in the west, but may not be "essential" there):

Balsamic vinegar

Marinated artichoke hearts

Extra virgin olive oil

Avocados

Dijon mustard, horseraddish, US hot sauce, BBQ sauce

Southwestern US chilli powder

Iceberg, rocket, and oak lettuce

ham and sausages

fine wine and champagne

Air conditioning

Electronic "toys" (LCD TVs, mobile phones, computers)

Gas grill

Private schools (in the US, "public schools" are an option, here, not)

Live without:

High end cars

Fast food

"Fine wine dine" (in Pattaya)

Cheese (except for Boursin)

Imported beef, turkey

Stuff from Toys R Us (except on rare occasions)

Doritos

Marmite or vegemite (what the hell are these? No problem living without them).

[LarryBird]

Can't live without Golf!

[SantiSuk]

Can live without most things as i go back to UK every 2 months and drink real ale and wine and eat cheese and curries. No wonder I also have to stock up on antacid.

I drive my fast sports car that would be outrageously expensive here as much as I can and I bring back peanut butter shaving gel and proper sized condoms, cos the prices are ridiculous here (furniture polish also).

I can't live without an expensive Sports inclusive TV package - True Visions Gold is about the same as Murdoch's packages in the UK which makes it hugely expensive in terms of relative earnings

[SantiSuk]

Can live without most things as i go back to UK every 2 months and drink real ale and wine and eat cheese and curries. No wonder I also have to stock up on antacid.

I drive my fast sports car that would be outrageously expensive here as much as I can and I bring back peanut butter shaving gel and proper sized condoms, cos the prices are ridiculous here (furniture polish also).

I can't live without an expensive Sports inclusive TV package - True Visions Gold is about the same as Murdoch's packages in the UK which makes it hugely expensive in terms of relative earnings

[DP25]

US hot sauce

If the sauce I wanted was available, it would definitely be in the 'overpriced but can't live without' column. But I've never seen Tapatio or Cholula for sale in Thailand. All they seem to have here is tabasco sauce, which I hate. I would love to give my money to a store for the convenience of being able to buy it at a supermarket