Thai Govt Price Claims Ignore Key Goods

[anterian]

You can gauge the rate of inflation here quite simply - and no, it is not a joke.

All of you long term ex pats - just take a look at one single food item - A can of Tuna in oil!

When I first came here in 2004, a can of Tuna was 8 Baht, the same can of Tuna today is 34 Baht, more than 300% increase in 8 years!

You don't need to be a mathematician to work that one out, more than 30% inflation per year.

Now go to ASDA or Tesco and do the same. Actually tuna is a bad example, part of the increase is due to rapidly depleting stocks.

A better indicator would be a can of baked beans. Even better, try cat biscuits ( a stable customer base and no limit on raw materials).

before returning here last month i bought 4 tins of branston BBs in asda for £1, and i actually think they are now the best, at least on a par with heinze , .... thats about 12b per tin ? ....ok it was a special offer but they have been around at this price for about 2+ yrs now, if you ever see "brooks" BBs in thailand give them a try, much better than those ayam , and i would rather have £40 in tescos in the UK than 2000b in a thai tescos , ...........2 lumps of cheese , chocky biscuits a bottle of wine and butter will knock you for half of it !! , not to mention spuds/orange juice/cake,...................i feel sorry for thais having to pay such crazy import tarrifs , .....how is orange juice cheaper in the uk ???????......mkj !

I will definitely agree on Brooks BB, much superior to AYAM , as to orange juice "

Brazil is the leading country for orange production, with the state of Florida second to Brazil in orange production. California, Texas and Arizona are the only other orange-producing states in the United States. Blood oranges are grown in Italy, Clementines in Morocco and Jaffa oranges in Israel. "

My weekly shop for two plus 8 cats is about 1500 to 2000 Baht in Thailand, I the UK my weekly shop for two plus 2 cats is about 60 to 70 pounds. So roughly double. This incl

udes toiletries but excludes smokes and alcohol. However I pay several thousands of pounds in Council tax compared to 50 Baht per month village tax. 100 pounds per month for electricity compared to 2000 Baht here, a short bus journey is 1.50 pounds compared to 15 Baht here. Clothes and shoes are a fraction of the cost here compared to the UK.

So retired on a pension Thailand is a better bet.

[Pib]

You only need to put enough Smart-Phones and RAM prices in the statistic and you'll see everything gets cheaper :-)

They do that in the west as well. bread may cost double but 512 MB Ram got very cheap.

Yea, but I'm buying bread all the time; additonal RAM once in a blue moon.

[Dah fahrang]

You can gauge the rate of inflation here quite simply - and no, it is not a joke.

All of you long term ex pats - just take a look at one single food item - A can of Tuna in oil!

When I first came here in 2004, a can of Tuna was 8 Baht, the same can of Tuna today is 34 Baht, more than 300% increase in 8 years!

You don't need to be a mathematician to work that one out, more than 30% inflation per year.

Now go to ASDA or Tesco and do the same. Actually tuna is a bad example, part of the increase is due to rapidly depleting stocks.

A better indicator would be a can of baked beans. Even better, try cat biscuits ( a stable customer base and no limit on raw materials).

The AYAM brand baked beans (the only brand I have seen locally) are imported from Malaysia. I tried the cat biscuits, but they were too fishy. Dog kibble is tastier, but I get an overwhelming desire to lick my scrotum.

[osiboy]

You can gauge the rate of inflation here quite simply - and no, it is not a joke.

All of you long term ex pats - just take a look at one single food item - A can of Tuna in oil!

When I first came here in 2004, a can of Tuna was 8 Baht, the same can of Tuna today is 34 Baht, more than 300% increase in 8 years!

You don't need to be a mathematician to work that one out, more than 30% inflation per year.

Now go to ASDA or Tesco and do the same. Actually tuna is a bad example, part of the increase is due to rapidly depleting stocks.

A better indicator would be a can of baked beans. Even better, try cat biscuits ( a stable customer base and no limit on raw materials).

before returning here last month i bought 4 tins of branston BBs in asda for £1, and i actually think they are now the best, at least on a par with heinze , .... thats about 12b per tin ? ....ok it was a special offer but they have been around at this price for about 2+ yrs now, if you ever see "brooks" BBs in thailand give them a try, much better than those ayam , and i would rather have £40 in tescos in the UK than 2000b in a thai tescos , ...........2 lumps of cheese , chocky biscuits a bottle of wine and butter will knock you for half of it !! , not to mention spuds/orange juice/cake,...................i feel sorry for thais having to pay such crazy import tarrifs , .....how is orange juice cheaper in the uk ???????......mkj !

I will definitely agree on Brooks BB, much superior to AYAM , as to orange juice "

Brazil is the leading country for orange production, with the state of Florida second to Brazil in orange production. California, Texas and Arizona are the only other orange-producing states in the United States. Blood oranges are grown in Italy, Clementines in Morocco and Jaffa oranges in Israel. "

My weekly shop for two plus 8 cats is about 1500 to 2000 Baht in Thailand, I the UK my weekly shop for two plus 2 cats is about 60 to 70 pounds. So roughly double. This incl

udes toiletries but excludes smokes and alcohol. However I pay several thousands of pounds in Council tax compared to 50 Baht per month village tax. 100 pounds per month for electricity compared to 2000 Baht here, a short bus journey is 1.50 pounds compared to 15 Baht here. Clothes and shoes are a fraction of the cost here compared to the UK.

So retired on a pension Thailand is a better bet.

can agree with alot of what you've said , but have to disagree about clothes prices, shops like primark/peackoks etc are cheaper for clothes, and you can also change them if not satisfied , also your average pair of reebok/nike trainers are double the price here as is nearly all sportwear,.......thailand also grow oranges as im sure you've seen fresh OJ on the streets , far too sweet for my liking but surely this could be produced in cartons and sold cheaper than those from brazil /arizona etc, as for your bus fare, ...yes , buses are cheap , but try buying a 5 yr old car for under 6k here,............ in the UK i paid 40,000b for a 7 yr old bmw , and its been a top car , nothing spent on it in 3+ yrs, sure the council tax is a killer, as is all tax, but would you like to pay for your kids to go to a thai school ??? and then use a thai bus to get there and back ?,..............as for your 10 cats ??? why would you need 10 cats ? do you breed them or ..??. BTW where can i buy brooks BBs now ?

[osiboy]

You can gauge the rate of inflation here quite simply - and no, it is not a joke.

All of you long term ex pats - just take a look at one single food item - A can of Tuna in oil!

When I first came here in 2004, a can of Tuna was 8 Baht, the same can of Tuna today is 34 Baht, more than 300% increase in 8 years!

You don't need to be a mathematician to work that one out, more than 30% inflation per year.

Now go to ASDA or Tesco and do the same. Actually tuna is a bad example, part of the increase is due to rapidly depleting stocks.

A better indicator would be a can of baked beans. Even better, try cat biscuits ( a stable customer base and no limit on raw materials).

before returning here last month i bought 4 tins of branston BBs in asda for £1, and i actually think they are now the best, at least on a par with heinze , .... thats about 12b per tin ? ....ok it was a special offer but they have been around at this price for about 2+ yrs now, if you ever see "brooks" BBs in thailand give them a try, much better than those ayam , and i would rather have £40 in tescos in the UK than 2000b in a thai tescos , ...........2 lumps of cheese , chocky biscuits a bottle of wine and butter will knock you for half of it !! , not to mention spuds/orange juice/cake,...................i feel sorry for thais having to pay such crazy import tarrifs , .....how is orange juice cheaper in the uk ???????......mkj !

I doubt your average Thai is eating lumps of cheddar, chocolate hob nobs, drinking riesling, frying up chips from king edwards and supping tropicana to wash down their cherry madeira cake. Only expats give a toss about import tariffs on food.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

well,..........with the exception of the cheese , i was asked by the thai inlaws to bring them wine, chocolate for the kids and digestive biscuits so mother -in-law can make cheesecake , .........believe it or not , thais enjoy luxuries too , but for most its to expensive , not cos they are ex-pats , but becouse of import duties , ...............and they do give a toss !

[anterian]

can agree with alot of what you've said , but have to disagree about clothes prices, shops like primark/peackoks etc are cheaper for clothes, and you can also change them if not satisfied , also your average pair of reebok/nike trainers are double the price here as is nearly all sportwear,.......thailand also grow oranges as im sure you've seen fresh OJ on the streets , far too sweet for my liking but surely this could be produced in cartons and sold cheaper than those from brazil /arizona etc, as for your bus fare, ...yes , buses are cheap , but try buying a 5 yr old car for under 6k here,............ in the UK i paid 40,000b for a 7 yr old bmw , and its been a top car , nothing spent on it in 3+ yrs, sure the council tax is a killer, as is all tax, but would you like to pay for your kids to go to a thai school ??? and then use a thai bus to get there and back ?,..............as for your 10 cats ??? why would you need 10 cats ? do you breed them or ..??. BTW where can i buy brooks BBs now ?

Well I don't go in for designer labels, I buy my shoes for 200-400 Baht, same for clothes. As to cars, I drive a Transit van in England, 1000 quid second hand. I agree about education, but as my youngest kid is 31 years old and all my kids have two degrees that is not a problem.

The cats, I have a soft heart, strays tend to move in:) Brooks BB I buy at my local BigC.

[edwinchester]

well,..........with the exception of the cheese , i was asked by the thai inlaws to bring them wine, chocolate for the kids and digestive biscuits so mother -in-law can make cheesecake , .........believe it or not , thais enjoy luxuries too , but for most its to expensive , not cos they are ex-pats , but becouse of import duties , ...............and they do give a toss !

It's nice that your inlaws appreciate the finer things in life but I would say the vast majority of Thais worry about the price staples like rice, pork, vegetables and fuel rather than complaing about import duty on foreign wines or the amount of tax they pay on impoted chocolate.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[ginjag]

Thread-Thai gov.,ignore key goods. apart from all the bits about Asda etc, pork 70 up-120 bht chicken 59, up to 89 bht green veg various -market items before 40 bht--now 70 bht. Fish double....this in 1 year. why the high price for pork-chicken, one of the worlds biggest producers---also prawns, oranges 69 bht a kilo satsuma style ..disgusting --these are what we are talking about, not OUR bit's--But I will say I do not go out and buy a leg of lamb, or cambazola, Danish blue, Tesco whisky was a good buy, but it looks like it is good bye-as I cannot get it now,, or coffee creamer. I agree Whiskas cat biscuits, and Dog biscuits at 900 bht a 20 kilo's ---rip off.

[jcw]

"So retired on a pension Thailand is a better bet."

Yes, but in UK you have a NHS, have you factored in western medical cost you may incur in Thailand into that equation? I am not arguing, just food for thought of a potential mine field.

Talking about avoiding key ingredients, I thought a Thai tend to eat allot of rice as part of their diet, name me one food a Thai consume more of than white rice???? I find it bizar that is not part of the CPI used by the Gov. It looks like some poetry and very artistic and creative number crunching was done to get those figures by the Gov last week. http://www.gogoflori...hai-government/ But this is Amazing Thailand, hopefully it doesn't need to be Miracle Thailand to keep it amazing !!!!

Edited April 9, 2012 by jcw

[Pib]

"So retired on a pension Thailand is a better bet."

Yes, but in UK you have a NHS, have you factored in western medical cost you may incur in Thailand into that equation? I am not arguing, just food for thought of a potential mine field.

Talking about avoiding key ingredients, I thought a Thai tend to eat allot of rice as part of their diet, name me one food a Thai consume more of than white rice???? I find it bizar that is not part of the CPI used by the Gov. It looks like some poetry and very artistic and creative number crunching was done to get those figures by the Gov last week. http://www.gogoflori...hai-government/ But this is Amazing Thailand, hopefully it doesn't need to be Miracle Thailand to keep it amazing !!!!

Rice is part of the Consumer Price Index....it's under the Rice, Flour and Cereal category...up 2.6% from last year. Although rice growers are paid a guaranteed minimun amount under the govt's current rice subsidy scheme which has increased rice growers income/profits and increased Thai rice export prices, the govt has also made sure the price to the "in-Thailand" consumer hasn't changed much from last year. Guess you would call this a form of price control.

[MAJIC]

You can gauge the rate of inflation here quite simply - and no, it is not a joke.

All of you long term ex pats - just take a look at one single food item - A can of Tuna in oil!

When I first came here in 2004, a can of Tuna was 8 Baht, the same can of Tuna today is 34 Baht, more than 300% increase in 8 years!

You don't need to be a mathematician to work that one out, more than 30% inflation per year.

Now go to ASDA or Tesco and do the same. Actually tuna is a bad example, part of the increase is due to rapidly depleting stocks.

A better indicator would be a can of baked beans. Even better, try cat biscuits ( a stable customer base and no limit on raw materials).

before returning here last month i bought 4 tins of branston BBs in asda for £1, and i actually think they are now the best, at least on a par with heinze , .... thats about 12b per tin ? ....ok it was a special offer but they have been around at this price for about 2+ yrs now, if you ever see "brooks" BBs in thailand give them a try, much better than those ayam , and i would rather have £40 in tescos in the UK than 2000b in a thai tescos , ...........2 lumps of cheese , chocky biscuits a bottle of wine and butter will knock you for half of it !! , not to mention spuds/orange juice/cake,...................i feel sorry for thais having to pay such crazy import tarrifs , .....how is orange juice cheaper in the uk ???????......mkj !, last year while shopping in tesco in rayong, i saw some frozen ready meals with a price of £1.99, it was marked up in thai Baht for 2.59B !

Yes, imported foods are one Big Rip Off,as you say take a look how far £40 goes in the UK compared with Thailand imported western foods.

And i'm not even going to start on overpriced imported foods,from Thailand into the the UK. but £3 for a small Papaya,is not unusual,and only 10 bahts in Thailand.

You are right about Branston Beans,IMO even better than Heinz

[jcw]

Thanks Pib #40 for clarifying that.

What you are saying just adss more weight to the title of this thread, "Govt Price Claims Ignores Key Goods". What the heck is the Gov doing not using the CPI basket of goods? This is a classic case of face saving by lying. Re reading the first 5 lines of the article on page one of this thread is disturbing at best with that in mind.

So Brooks Baked Beans are at Big C by the looks of it, what about Branston Beans? Where are they found in Amazing fantasy land?

[hellodolly]

You can gauge the rate of inflation here quite simply - and no, it is not a joke.

All of you long term ex pats - just take a look at one single food item - A can of Tuna in oil!

When I first came here in 2004, a can of Tuna was 8 Baht, the same can of Tuna today is 34 Baht, more than 300% increase in 8 years!

You don't need to be a mathematician to work that one out, more than 30% inflation per year.

Now go to ASDA or Tesco and do the same. Actually tuna is a bad example, part of the increase is due to rapidly depleting stocks.

A better indicator would be a can of baked beans. Even better, try cat biscuits ( a stable customer base and no limit on raw materials).

before returning here last month i bought 4 tins of branston BBs in asda for £1, and i actually think they are now the best, at least on a par with heinze , .... thats about 12b per tin ? ....ok it was a special offer but they have been around at this price for about 2+ yrs now, if you ever see "brooks" BBs in thailand give them a try, much better than those ayam , and i would rather have £40 in tescos in the UK than 2000b in a thai tescos , ...........2 lumps of cheese , chocky biscuits a bottle of wine and butter will knock you for half of it !! , not to mention spuds/orange juice/cake,...................i feel sorry for thais having to pay such crazy import tarrifs , .....how is orange juice cheaper in the uk ???????......mkj !

I doubt your average Thai is eating lumps of cheddar, chocolate hob nobs, drinking riesling, frying up chips from king edwards and supping tropicana to wash down their cherry madeira cake. Only expats give a toss about import tariffs on food.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

When I go to the market it cost me a lot more than when the wife goes to the market.

Mind you I still have to give her more money. Of course she does not come home with dairy products or alcohol.

She brings home rice , chicken, pork and vegetables. When she sees the price in the western store's she just shakes her head.

Somehow I don't think the government is figuring in the cost of Western food in their cost of living. Maybe for Farongs it has gone up 20% a year but for the Thais I would hazard t say 3% to 5% and with the transportation problems we have had this year I don't think 7% would be out of line.

JMO

[rubl]

My personal observation is that various packages got smaller rather than as item more expensive. Furthermore the fried things you buy along the road start to look smaller as well, like the small sausages children like. Still 5 Baht, but definatively smaller. Some noodles, nam tok, khao pad, all portions seem smaller or with less beef/pork/chicken/fishballs.

That starts to hurt a lot of common people which excludes MP's and higher level officials of course

[anterian]

When visitors come to London they complain that food is expensive, but I find this not so, the difference is I am a local, I know where to shop.

The same applies here, BigC, BigC extra, Tesco Lotus, 7/11, all have special offers, then there are the street markets and mobile shops. I eat a predominantly western diet, but using local materials, the main imported foods are cheese, baked beans, Cross & Blackwell soups. To be quite honest I have not noticed any major rise in my cost of living over the last few years. Perhaps the fact that I do my own shopping and cooking is part of the reason.

[sparebox2]

You can gauge the rate of inflation here quite simply - and no, it is not a joke.

All of you long term ex pats - just take a look at one single food item - A can of Tuna in oil!

When I first came here in 2004, a can of Tuna was 8 Baht, the same can of Tuna today is 34 Baht, more than 300% increase in 8 years!

You don't need to be a mathematician to work that one out, more than 30% inflation per year.

Now go to ASDA or Tesco and do the same. Actually tuna is a bad example, part of the increase is due to rapidly depleting stocks.

A better indicator would be a can of baked beans. Even better, try cat biscuits ( a stable customer base and no limit on raw materials).

The AYAM brand baked beans (the only brand I have seen locally) are imported from Malaysia. I tried the cat biscuits, but they were too fishy. Dog kibble is tastier, but I get an overwhelming desire to lick my scrotum.

I wonder how many Thai eat canned Tuna, canned bake bean, cat biscuit or dog kibble.

These are Farang food, so let them pay for it.

Thai eat fresh Pla Tu, fresh string bean, fresh chicken & fresh pork.

[anterian]

You can gauge the rate of inflation here quite simply - and no, it is not a joke.

All of you long term ex pats - just take a look at one single food item - A can of Tuna in oil!

When I first came here in 2004, a can of Tuna was 8 Baht, the same can of Tuna today is 34 Baht, more than 300% increase in 8 years!

You don't need to be a mathematician to work that one out, more than 30% inflation per year.

Now go to ASDA or Tesco and do the same. Actually tuna is a bad example, part of the increase is due to rapidly depleting stocks.

A better indicator would be a can of baked beans. Even better, try cat biscuits ( a stable customer base and no limit on raw materials).

The AYAM brand baked beans (the only brand I have seen locally) are imported from Malaysia. I tried the cat biscuits, but they were too fishy. Dog kibble is tastier, but I get an overwhelming desire to lick my scrotum.

I wonder how many Thai eat canned Tuna, canned bake bean, cat biscuit or dog kibble.

These are Farang food, so let them pay for it.

Thai eat fresh Pla Tu, fresh string bean, fresh chicken & fresh pork.

Whilst you are correct you are rather confusing the point. We are discussing two separate issues, increased costs of Thai typical foods and increased costs of typical farang foods. Obviously there is a degree of overlap, for example chicken, pork and eggs. With imported foods it is mainly the exchange rate that affects prices, with a strong Baht they will become dearer. In common to both Thai and farang foods there are production and marketing costs.

What I have noticed is that cooked food from street vendors have gone up disproportionally to raw food prices. So I think increased profit taking is part of the cause, although cooking oil and fuel may account for part of the increase.

Incidentally I would not eat platu if you paid me, most comes straight from the sewer, sorry I mean canal. I once put a live one in an aquarium, after two weeks its skin colour changed from black to a light pink. Chicken and pork I boil for a few minutes, then throw the water away before cooking it, I object to synthetic hormones in my food, 9 year old Thai girls might not mind growing breasts but I do mind.

[osiboy]

well,..........with the exception of the cheese , i was asked by the thai inlaws to bring them wine, chocolate for the kids and digestive biscuits so mother -in-law can make cheesecake , .........believe it or not , thais enjoy luxuries too , but for most its to expensive , not cos they are ex-pats , but becouse of import duties , ...............and they do give a toss !

It's nice that your inlaws appreciate the finer things in life but I would say the vast majority of Thais worry about the price staples like rice, pork, vegetables and fuel rather than complaing about import duty on foreign wines or the amount of tax they pay on impoted chocolate.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

ok Ed, forget the imported stuff, .....take thai wine , its £5 a bottle, ausie wine in the UK is £3,just a guess but i think thats imported........ ,i know which one i'd go for ,cooked chicken @asda is about the same price but much better quality, so is pork , i can make a bolognese cheaper in the UK than a comparative pat kapow here , if i can be arsed to go to the veg market i can buy cabbages,carotts,apples,oranges etc at comparative ,if not cheaper prices , ..............everything is relative , far more bang for your buck in the uk and most of us are earning 10x a thai salary , ............those lucky enough to have a job that is !, if your a smoker and drinker, which i unfortunatelly am}, thailand is cheaper for me to live as i spend around £80 pw in the uk compared to around £35 in thailand , .........of course if / when i get sick from my vices i know where i would rather be ,........... ohhhhhhhhhhh the thought of health insurance here in the future !

Edited April 10, 2012 by osiboy

[FangFerang]

In a related vein, companies are always looking for ways to raise prices. Once their justification for increases ceases to exist, usually supply-side cost increases that are short-term, the prices never come down again. It's not illegal or unscrupulous, it's business. Whenever they raise the minimum wage in America, companies reallocate personnel resources, and then raise prices beyond the cost to increase profits. Anytime more money is available to consumers, producers will find a justification for raising prices.

No one has ever found a solution to this, choking regulations being one evil and doing nothing the other. Unfortunately, the result is personal income that increases with less buying power. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

[sparebox2]

well,..........with the exception of the cheese , i was asked by the thai inlaws to bring them wine, chocolate for the kids and digestive biscuits so mother -in-law can make cheesecake , .........believe it or not , thais enjoy luxuries too , but for most its to expensive , not cos they are ex-pats , but becouse of import duties , ...............and they do give a toss !

It's nice that your inlaws appreciate the finer things in life but I would say the vast majority of Thais worry about the price staples like rice, pork, vegetables and fuel rather than complaing about import duty on foreign wines or the amount of tax they pay on impoted chocolate.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

ok Ed, forget the imported stuff, .....take thai wine , its £5 a bottle, ausie wine in the UK is £3,just a guess but i think thats imported........ ,i know which one i'd go for ,cooked chicken @asda is about the same price but much better quality, so is pork , i can make a bolognese cheaper in the UK than a comparative pat kapow here , if i can be arsed to go to the veg market i can buy cabbages,carotts,apples,oranges etc at comparative ,if not cheaper prices , ..............everything is relative , far more bang for your buck in the uk and most of us are earning 10x a thai salary , ............those lucky enough to have a job that is !, if your a smoker and drinker, which i unfortunatelly am}, thailand is cheaper for me to live as i spend around £80 pw in the uk compared to around £35 in thailand , .........of course if / when i get sick from my vices i know where i would rather be ,........... ohhhhhhhhhhh the thought of health insurance here in the future !

Please remain in UK and continue to shop in Asda. And don't forget to quit the fag.

Edited April 10, 2012 by sparebox2

[osiboy]

can agree with alot of what you've said , but have to disagree about clothes prices, shops like primark/peackoks etc are cheaper for clothes, and you can also change them if not satisfied , also your average pair of reebok/nike trainers are double the price here as is nearly all sportwear,.......thailand also grow oranges as im sure you've seen fresh OJ on the streets , far too sweet for my liking but surely this could be produced in cartons and sold cheaper than those from brazil /arizona etc, as for your bus fare, ...yes , buses are cheap , but try buying a 5 yr old car for under 6k here,............ in the UK i paid 40,000b for a 7 yr old bmw , and its been a top car , nothing spent on it in 3+ yrs, sure the council tax is a killer, as is all tax, but would you like to pay for your kids to go to a thai school ??? and then use a thai bus to get there and back ?,..............as for your 10 cats ??? why would you need 10 cats ? do you breed them or ..??. BTW where can i buy brooks BBs now ?

Well I don't go in for designer labels, I buy my shoes for 200-400 Baht, same for clothes. As to cars, I drive a Transit van in England, 1000 quid second hand. I agree about education, but as my youngest kid is 31 years old and all my kids have two degrees that is not a problem.

The cats, I have a soft heart, strays tend to move in:) Brooks BB I buy at my local BigC.

thanks for the info on brooks btw , will be stocking up this eve before the price increases !, dont kno if you were agreeing with me about cars ?? you seemed to make the same point , buying a second hand car here must be the most expensive place on the planet , and with a choice of only about 10 cars , a 5 yr old honda/toyota in the UK will knock you around 25-30,000b ? you can get a few local bus rides with that here , as for shoes and clothes here is a link for you , if you can find the same quality in thailand for the price , please let me know www.sportsdirect.com / mens shoes

[osiboy]

well,..........with the exception of the cheese , i was asked by the thai inlaws to bring them wine, chocolate for the kids and digestive biscuits so mother -in-law can make cheesecake , .........believe it or not , thais enjoy luxuries too , but for most its to expensive , not cos they are ex-pats , but becouse of import duties , ...............and they do give a toss !

It's nice that your inlaws appreciate the finer things in life but I would say the vast majority of Thais worry about the price staples like rice, pork, vegetables and fuel rather than complaing about import duty on foreign wines or the amount of tax they pay on impoted chocolate.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

ok Ed, forget the imported stuff, .....take thai wine , its £5 a bottle, ausie wine in the UK is £3,just a guess but i think thats imported........ ,i know which one i'd go for ,cooked chicken @asda is about the same price but much better quality, so is pork , i can make a bolognese cheaper in the UK than a comparative pat kapow here , if i can be arsed to go to the veg market i can buy cabbages,carotts,apples,oranges etc at comparative ,if not cheaper prices , ..............everything is relative , far more bang for your buck in the uk and most of us are earning 10x a thai salary , ............those lucky enough to have a job that is !, if your a smoker and drinker, which i unfortunatelly am}, thailand is cheaper for me to live as i spend around £80 pw in the uk compared to around £35 in thailand , .........of course if / when i get sick from my vices i know where i would rather be ,........... ohhhhhhhhhhh the thought of health insurance here in the future !

Please remain in UK and continue to shop in Asda. And don't forget to quit the fag.

tool box; , another member of the "if you dont like it go home" brigade , if you dont want to contribute with anything more than that ,.......... why dont you find another website ,i would advise one with a similar intelect to yours , ..............xenophobia for plants for example .

[anterian]

can agree with alot of what you've said , but have to disagree about clothes prices, shops like primark/peackoks etc are cheaper for clothes, and you can also change them if not satisfied , also your average pair of reebok/nike trainers are double the price here as is nearly all sportwear,.......thailand also grow oranges as im sure you've seen fresh OJ on the streets , far too sweet for my liking but surely this could be produced in cartons and sold cheaper than those from brazil /arizona etc, as for your bus fare, ...yes , buses are cheap , but try buying a 5 yr old car for under 6k here,............ in the UK i paid 40,000b for a 7 yr old bmw , and its been a top car , nothing spent on it in 3+ yrs, sure the council tax is a killer, as is all tax, but would you like to pay for your kids to go to a thai school ??? and then use a thai bus to get there and back ?,..............as for your 10 cats ??? why would you need 10 cats ? do you breed them or ..??. BTW where can i buy brooks BBs now ?

Well I don't go in for designer labels, I buy my shoes for 200-400 Baht, same for clothes. As to cars, I drive a Transit van in England, 1000 quid second hand. I agree about education, but as my youngest kid is 31 years old and all my kids have two degrees that is not a problem.

The cats, I have a soft heart, strays tend to move in:) Brooks BB I buy at my local BigC.

thanks for the info on brooks btw , will be stocking up this eve before the price increases !, dont kno if you were agreeing with me about cars ?? you seemed to make the same point , buying a second hand car here must be the most expensive place on the planet , and with a choice of only about 10 cars , a 5 yr old honda/toyota in the UK will knock you around 25-30,000b ? you can get a few local bus rides with that here , as for shoes and clothes here is a link for you , if you can find the same quality in thailand for the price , please let me know www.sportsdirect.com / mens shoes

The last time I bought any clothes was so long ago that I literally can't remember when. In my middle age as a head of department in a school, I had to dress the part, now apart from the occasional family wedding or funeral, I can't be bothered, just jeans and a shirt is fine and over the years I've accumulated a lot of both.

Now in Thailand I'm not allowed to buy clothes, my partner is a dressmaker and would be very offended if I bought from a shop.

Incidentally whoever it was said tinned tuna was imported, is very wrong http://www.alibaba.com/countrysearch/TH/canned-tuna.html

The same goes for sardines and mackerel, however I would not advise eating Thai sardines, go look where they fish.

[hellodolly]

can agree with alot of what you've said , but have to disagree about clothes prices, shops like primark/peackoks etc are cheaper for clothes, and you can also change them if not satisfied , also your average pair of reebok/nike trainers are double the price here as is nearly all sportwear,.......thailand also grow oranges as im sure you've seen fresh OJ on the streets , far too sweet for my liking but surely this could be produced in cartons and sold cheaper than those from brazil /arizona etc, as for your bus fare, ...yes , buses are cheap , but try buying a 5 yr old car for under 6k here,............ in the UK i paid 40,000b for a 7 yr old bmw , and its been a top car , nothing spent on it in 3+ yrs, sure the council tax is a killer, as is all tax, but would you like to pay for your kids to go to a thai school ??? and then use a thai bus to get there and back ?,..............as for your 10 cats ??? why would you need 10 cats ? do you breed them or ..??. BTW where can i buy brooks BBs now ?

Well I don't go in for designer labels, I buy my shoes for 200-400 Baht, same for clothes. As to cars, I drive a Transit van in England, 1000 quid second hand. I agree about education, but as my youngest kid is 31 years old and all my kids have two degrees that is not a problem.

The cats, I have a soft heart, strays tend to move in:) Brooks BB I buy at my local BigC.

thanks for the info on brooks btw , will be stocking up this eve before the price increases !, dont kno if you were agreeing with me about cars ?? you seemed to make the same point , buying a second hand car here must be the most expensive place on the planet , and with a choice of only about 10 cars , a 5 yr old honda/toyota in the UK will knock you around 25-30,000b ? you can get a few local bus rides with that here , as for shoes and clothes here is a link for you , if you can find the same quality in thailand for the price , please let me know www.sportsdirect.com / mens shoes

Now let me get this rite this thread is about key goods.

And you are talking about designer clothes and used autos. Do you really consider them Key Items for the Thai people.

I have lived here in Chiang Mai for 6 years and seen many farongs and I would say that 50% of them where flip fops and maybe 5% Nikes and other high priced shoes.

Edited April 10, 2012 by hellodolly

[anterian]

I think mods permitting, a thread often expands it scope. In this instance a disagreement over what should be seen as key goods. Is the cost of living truly based on food items or should other factors be included. As an example, not many Thais over the age of 5 do not have a mobile phone, often an upmarket one. Now apart from the initial cost there is a regular expenditure on calls, should this then be included in the cost of living index?

The same goes for Scooters/motorbikes, every family I know has at least one, and I live in a very poor village.

Whilst the cost of living in say the UK may seem irrelevant, it does help to put the Thai situation into perspective, it makes it clear that inflation is not just a local problem.

Farangs in Thailand are obviously in a different category from a poor Thai, yet we also experience upwards prices on what we buy, again I think this contributes towards a better understanding of the situation rather than just numbers and statistics. Increases in living costs affect but rich and poor, we are simply fortunate in being better buttressed against them.

[sparebox2]

One thing I know for sure.

Yingluck egg is CHEAPER that Mark egg.

[louse1953]

Shame they don't have price control on imported food.

Last week;

biscuits I buy 80baht

This week; 120baht

last week;

HP sauce 90baht

This week; 130baht

Mars bars and Snickers are much smaller.

But only a few to mention.

Buy my frozen pizzas, ready cooked so can eat them cold or hot prices do not change.

Just doing my bit to help.

I 'd watch that diet if i was you.

[louse1953]

You can gauge the rate of inflation here quite simply - and no, it is not a joke.

All of you long term ex pats - just take a look at one single food item - A can of Tuna in oil!

When I first came here in 2004, a can of Tuna was 8 Baht, the same can of Tuna today is 34 Baht, more than 300% increase in 8 years!

You don't need to be a mathematician to work that one out, more than 30% inflation per year.

Now go to ASDA or Tesco and do the same. Actually tuna is a bad example, part of the increase is due to rapidly depleting stocks.

A better indicator would be a can of baked beans. Even better, try cat biscuits ( a stable customer base and no limit on raw materials).

before returning here last month i bought 4 tins of branston BBs in asda for £1, and i actually think they are now the best, at least on a par with heinze , .... thats about 12b per tin ? ....ok it was a special offer but they have been around at this price for about 2+ yrs now, if you ever see "brooks" BBs in thailand give them a try, much better than those ayam , and i would rather have £40 in tescos in the UK than 2000b in a thai tescos , ...........2 lumps of cheese , chocky biscuits a bottle of wine and butter will knock you for half of it !! , not to mention spuds/orange juice/cake,...................i feel sorry for thais having to pay such crazy import tarrifs , .....how is orange juice cheaper in the uk ???????......mkj !, last year while shopping in tesco in rayong, i saw some frozen ready meals with a price of £1.99, it was marked up in thai Baht for 2.59B !

Don't worry about Thais,they don't buy farang food at crazy prices.

[jcw]

Anterain "quote" : "Whilst you are correct you are rather confusing the point. We are discussing two separate issues, increased costs of Thai typical foods and increased costs of typical farang foods."

Anterain "quote" : I think mods permitting, a thread often expands it scope. In this instance a disagreement over what should be seen as key goods. Is the cost of living truly based on food items or should other factors be included. As an example, not many Thais over the age of 5 do not have a mobile phone, often an upmarket one. Now apart from the initial cost there is a regular expenditure on calls, should this then be included in the cost of living index? "

Hi Anterain, I agree with you in principle and do not want this to be a pissing match, but I would like to point out a couple of things, or bring them to your attention. What you are saying is logical, the CPI does take these into consideration already, communication equipment is included, I have given you some useful links below with a full breakdown. What this thread is about, is not Farlang food vrs Thai food, or Farlang supposed better quality of lifestlye compared to the Thai, or Farlang being hit harder from import duties. It is all about Thailand having a CPI that is out of control at best, and I quote this threads lead story,

" Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyaphirom keep on saying that prices are under control and the cost of living has not risen during this administration."

I try to keep out of politics but this stinks of deceit, when they chose a few items that were probably effected seasonally anyway to try and showcase them selves when their own Ministry show very different, and anyone in Thailand over that time knows very different.

The FACT IS, Thailand CPI is not made of these 12 cherry picked items, but,,,,,,,,,

"From the monthly price survey of 417 items of goods and services across Thailand, the Ministry of Commerce reported Consumer Price Indexes of Thailand in March 2012 as the followings: ..."

Take a look at the links and learn a bit, your ideas are fundlementaly spot on in my opinion, just the thread has drifted a bit causing confusion.

"So retired on a pension Thailand is a better bet."

Yes, but in UK you have a NHS, have you factored in western medical cost you may incur in Thailand into that equation? I am not arguing, just food for thought of a potential mine field.

Talking about avoiding key ingredients, I thought a Thai tend to eat allot of rice as part of their diet, name me one food a Thai consume more of than white rice???? I find it bizar that is not part of the CPI used by the Gov. It looks like some poetry and very artistic and creative number crunching was done to get those figures by the Gov last week. http://www.gogoflori...hai-government/ But this is Amazing Thailand, hopefully it doesn't need to be Miracle Thailand to keep it amazing !!!!

Here is another link that may interest you from Pib: http://www.indexpr.m..._region=country

Edited April 11, 2012 by jcw

[anterian]

Anterain "quote" : "Whilst you are correct you are rather confusing the point. We are discussing two separate issues, increased costs of Thai typical foods and increased costs of typical farang foods."

Anterain "quote" : I think mods permitting, a thread often expands it scope. In this instance a disagreement over what should be seen as key goods. Is the cost of living truly based on food items or should other factors be included. As an example, not many Thais over the age of 5 do not have a mobile phone, often an upmarket one. Now apart from the initial cost there is a regular expenditure on calls, should this then be included in the cost of living index? "

Hi Anterain, I agree with you in principle and do not want this to be a pissing match, but I would like to point out a couple of things, or bring them to your attention. What you are saying is logical, the CPI does take these into consideration already, communication equipment is included, I have given you some useful links below with a full breakdown. What this thread is about, is not Farlang food vrs Thai food, or Farlang supposed better quality of lifestlye compared to the Thai, or Farlang being hit harder from import duties. It is all about Thailand having a CPI that is out of control at best, and I quote this threads lead story,

" Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyaphirom keep on saying that prices are under control and the cost of living has not risen during this administration."

I try to keep out of politics but this stinks of deceit, when they chose a few items that were probably effected seasonally anyway to try and showcase them selves when their own Ministry show very different, and anyone in Thailand over that time knows very different.

The FACT IS, Thailand CPI is not made of these 12 cherry picked items, but,,,,,,,,,

"From the monthly price survey of 417 items of goods and services across Thailand, the Ministry of Commerce reported Consumer Price Indexes of Thailand in March 2012 as the followings: ..."

Take a look at the links and learn a bit, your ideas are fundlementaly spot on in my opinion, just the thread has drifted a bit causing confusion.

"So retired on a pension Thailand is a better bet."

Yes, but in UK you have a NHS, have you factored in western medical cost you may incur in Thailand into that equation? I am not arguing, just food for thought of a potential mine field.

Talking about avoiding key ingredients, I thought a Thai tend to eat allot of rice as part of their diet, name me one food a Thai consume more of than white rice???? I find it bizar that is not part of the CPI used by the Gov. It looks like some poetry and very artistic and creative number crunching was done to get those figures by the Gov last week. http://www.gogoflori...hai-government/ But this is Amazing Thailand, hopefully it doesn't need to be Miracle Thailand to keep it amazing !!!!

Here is another link that may interest you from Pib: http://www.indexpr.m..._region=country

Don't worry about pissing contests, I'm always willing to expand my knowledge.

If we look beyond food prices I have noticed that Thais have an extraordinary number of clothes, every day the outside of their houses are festooned in what looks like a shopfront display. Bear in mind I live in a very poor village, most are casual workers if at all. Yet the street is full of parked cars, from old bangers to the latest models, every teenager has a motorbike, every kid has a mobile phone, every house has a big TV, many have karaoke/sound systems, yet many have unpaid credit bills with the local mum and pop shop. Even so I can guarantee that a crate of whiskey bottles will be consumed every night.

What I'm saying, in a round about way, is that it is not just a rising CPI which is the problem, it is an entirely distorted understanding of income versus expenditure. Fortunately poor Thais don't have credit cards or the shit would really hit the fan.