How Tough It Can Be To Go Back Home

[crazydrummerpauly]

I was just pondering about how much it now costs to stay a month in the uk this summer - or any time really - and began landing on various websites covering hotel accommodation. I'm a long-time user of TraveLodge and Premier Inn - type cheapies, but thought i'd cast the net wider in a speculative way. I picked Cambridge as a location as i used to live in that area, and landed on this page / website >>>

http://www.booking.c...76a672225f04dX1

Now, this is what makes me feel seriously out-of-touch, shocked even. This hotel is upper-end, granted, but it is by no means out on its own in charging around £200 / Bt10,000 a night for decent rooms in the UK. So i was thinking : stay just one month, and that is the price of a very respectable used car : £6,000, or Bt300,000 ! ( Or, not that one would ever stay so long: a rate of £72,000 a year, or 3.5 million Bt.) The equivalent in Thailand might cost around Bt1,000 per night, or Bt30,000 a month - though it is highly unlikely that the old discount-argument wouldn't bring that down a fair percentage. So in Thailand, the month's rent would only equate to a used motorcycle. No great surprise to the well-informed ex-pat i'm sure, but to someone who, like me, has not been much of a hotel-liver through life, the UK level of charging now looks - like most of the cost of living there - completely insane. Well, completely insane for ex-pats trying to go back - that's the real point - because being in Thailand is a spoiling experience - especially for folks living on modest incomes or pensions. Spoiled by being able to afford pretty much anything we take a fancy to. The pricing of rooms and everything else might not look insane to many people who've never left the UK - but i'm sure that many of them are only affording things because the average debt being carried there now (excluding mortgages) is around a scary £30,000. How long does that take to pay off a credit-card ? Decades possibly. Before anyone jumps in with some Income-to-Price comparisons across Thailand and the UK - yes, i know about that. But that's not my point - as the title puts it, i'm just noting one of the reasons why it can be so 'Tough to go back home'.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Yes, after a dozen years here I've become a third world person, returning to upper east side Manhattan my jaw is constantly dropping, would never consider buying anything at all until I got my income back up above USD 100K and even then would think twice about "luxuries" like eating out.

Regarding hotels specifically, the tourism industry here has vastly overbuilt for demand (IMO decades' worth of growth), so over there a lot more people that can afford the rate are chasing much fewer rooms. Not to mention the vastly lower cost structures here, labour is a huge component.

[crazydrummerpauly]

Yes, after a dozen years here I've become a third world person, returning to upper east side Manhattan my jaw is constantly dropping, would never consider buying anything at all until I got my income back up above USD 100K and even then would think twice about "luxuries" like eating out.

Regarding hotels specifically, the tourism industry here has vastly overbuilt for demand (IMO decades' worth of growth), so over there a lot more people that can afford the rate are chasing much fewer rooms. Not to mention the vastly lower cost structures here, labour is a huge component.

Yep - really hit the nail on the head with that: "luxuries like eating out"...and in the uk it's a 'luxury' event even for poor quality food, which really rubs it in.

[bikkalad]

Yeah 6000 quid for a run around car 200 quid a night.....mmmmmm.............

[nickmanchester2]

well just a quick search pulled up alternatives for short term rental

http://www.gumtree.com/p/flats-houses/short-term-bed-and-breakfast-accommodation-in-cambridge-from-20-a-night/92171795

there are plenty of other ones like this on gumtree short term stuff around 200 pounds a month for the cheapest - but I agree its a rip off when you start looking at the bills - they are the real killer - £300 a month when you think about tv license, rates, gas, electricity, water and insurance?

I pay £180 a month for a 60sqm 1 bed flat in central hua hin and bills are about £40 a month.

[stiggy]

From Recent experience.

Food in Uk comparable to Thailand ( not cheap Charlie noodles but regular meals.)

Supermarkets geared up for recession so food and drink offers a plenty, iceland everything is a pound it seems

Clothes cheap when compared to Thailand

Rent Expensive expect 600-800 pound a month minimum plus bills, issue is getting short term rent.Next time we return if summer will just rent caravan on holiday park.

Transport car hire is a killer, but you can buy a real cheap car easily get low class for insurance then eco friendly less petrol,there are places that will buy back any car at a loss but still claim something back when compared to rental.

Admission to tourist sites apart from parks you have to pay for, tower of london 22 pounds each <deleted>.

Forget finding work its 100 plus applicants for each job it seems, Olympics may be different in london temp staff

In summary cost of living for us was cheaper in Uk the exceptions being , accommodation and transport (fuel).

[Eff1n2ret]

I agree with the OP about hotel prices in the UK - they are prohibitively expensive, and I wouldn't go back there if I couldn't stay with friends and family - the trick is not to outstay one's welcome. This will be the third summer I go back for a few weeks, and every year I wonder if it will be the last time as airfares become more expensive. The real irritation for me is the differential between buying tickets BKK-LHR-BKK and LHR-BKK-LHR on the same flights.

[crazydrummerpauly]

From Recent experience.

Food in Uk comparable to Thailand ( not cheap Charlie noodles but regular meals.)

Supermarkets geared up for recession so food and drink offers a plenty, iceland everything is a pound it seems

Clothes cheap when compared to Thailand

Rent Expensive expect 600-800 pound a month minimum plus bills, issue is getting short term rent.Next time we return if summer will just rent caravan on holiday park.

Transport car hire is a killer, but you can buy a real cheap car easily get low class for insurance then eco friendly less petrol,there are places that will buy back any car at a loss but still claim something back when compared to rental.

Admission to tourist sites apart from parks you have to pay for, tower of london 22 pounds each <deleted>.

Forget finding work its 100 plus applicants for each job it seems, Olympics may be different in london temp staff

In summary cost of living for us was cheaper in Uk the exceptions being , accommodation and transport (fuel).

Thanks for the idea of a caravan on a park - never thought of that !

On the clothes issue - i guess living in Isaan and shopping at the numerous open-air markets, where i pay 30 to 100 baht for good 2nd-hand shirts and trousers, i've dodged that problem, so clothes much cheaper in Thailand for me.

Yep - buying a car and selling back - i do that owing to still having a couple of contacts in the motor-trade. On insurance for the car - crucial to avoid anything called 'Temporary Insurance' - hugely inflated by the month. I go through someone like Churchill on a low direct-debit, and just cancel the debit just before leaving - one thing to watch out for though - some firms have high cancellation fees - as much as £70 in my experience - but that can be checked before taking it on.

About food - what i miss most back in the Uk is eating out pretty well for £2 / Bt100 - which i can definitely do in Isaan. In some cafes in my town, that could even include a bottle of Leo.

Short-term rentals almost impossible to find - right - and even if one was lucky, the other big problem is the long-term shift to rented accommodation being Unfurnished. In my recent experience, over 90% of places were in that category, which has come about not just because landlords want to save cash, but because of all the safety legislation regarding furniture and appliances, and the legal troubles that hit landlords if any tenant is hurt in any way connectable with the contents of the house. So one is faced with all the hassle of finding affordable furniture, kitchen equipment, all the way down to cutlery...and then get rid of it all probably for nothing (charity shop pick-up) before departure. Very different to ye olde days, when 'bedsitter-land' offered stacks of cheap furnished places - though admittedly usually of dump quality.

Off to research caravan-parks !

[richard_smith237]

Indeed:

Hotels in London are about $200-£240 per night for something reasonable but affordable.

Else where they are about £100 to £150 per night...

Although we'll spend much of our time with Sisters and my Parents, my wife and I will spend about THB 60,000 on hotels when visiting other places... (the cost of hotels in the UK is 2-3 times that of Thailand).

I'll borrow my parents car - but Petrol... well, thats pricey...

Eating out - Ouch !! (we're probably looking at about £50 to £100 per day !!)...

It is expensive - but then again its a holiday, aren't they all ?

Edited May 24, 2012 by richard_smith237

[crazydrummerpauly]

well just a quick search pulled up alternatives for short term rental

http://www.gumtree.c...-night/92171795

there are plenty of other ones like this on gumtree short term stuff around 200 pounds a month for the cheapest - but I agree its a rip off when you start looking at the bills - they are the real killer - £300 a month when you think about tv license, rates, gas, electricity, water and insurance?

I pay £180 a month for a 60sqm 1 bed flat in central hua hin and bills are about £40 a month.

I get away with just £120 a month for a big 2-Bed concrete House with air-con, garden, parking - but way up in sleep Isaan, not as glamorous as Hua Hin!

[Rsquared]

I agree with the OP, I've cut my bridges (well not all) and it would be very difficult starting from scratch again.

[wana]

Its hard to go back to paying through the ass for stuff youve grown accustomed to being cheap

in dublin now, a sandwich from the shop and a bottle of lucozade was around 10 euros

a packet of god dam_n smokes is over 10 euros

even a can of beer from an off licence supermarket is more expensive than a beer in a nice bar in bkk with a big screen TV and a pool table

i think people stay here too long ,and forget what good value it is ,all i hear is grumbling this or that is a couple of baht more expensive than it was last year ......

i know people who are making a few hundred euros /pounds a week in london and dublin and still struggling and also dont have the financial "freedom" to go out for a beer or eat in a restaurant every weekend because its so dam_n expensive

if we need stuff in thailand ,we just go and get it , id bet half the people here dont even wash their own clothes ,have a maid or a nanny or a cleaner or a driver and probably plenty of money for drinking and prostitutes (the essentials) .......and yet they can complain about the injustice when the government decides to increase the price of a unit of electricty or beer gets 1/2 thb per bottle more than it was yesterday .........

[crazydrummerpauly]

Its hard to go back to paying through the ass for stuff youve grown accustomed to being cheap

in dublin now, a sandwich from the shop and a bottle of lucozade was around 10 euros

a packet of god dam_n smokes is over 10 euros

even a can of beer from an off licence supermarket is more expensive than a beer in a nice bar in bkk with a big screen TV and a pool table

i think people stay here too long ,and forget what good value it is ,all i hear is grumbling this or that is a couple of baht more expensive than it was last year ......

i know people who are making a few hundred euros /pounds a week in london and dublin and still struggling and also dont have the financial "freedom" to go out for a beer or eat in a restaurant every weekend because its so dam_n expensive

if we need stuff in thailand ,we just go and get it , id bet half the people here dont even wash their own clothes ,have a maid or a nanny or a cleaner or a driver and probably plenty of money for drinking and prostitutes (the essentials) .......and yet they can complain about the injustice when the government decides to increase the price of a unit of electricty or beer gets 1/2 thb per bottle more than it was yesterday .........

For domestic reasons, they're not allowed to be mine anymore, but i love your "the essentials" ! Yeah - i never forget what good value it is here, well said.

[crazydrummerpauly]

I agree with the OP, I've cut my bridges (well not all) and it would be very difficult starting from scratch again.

Yes, very difficult for me and a lot of us - the rat-race accelerates while we're looking the other way.

[crazydrummerpauly]

well just a quick search pulled up alternatives for short term rental

http://www.gumtree.c...-night/92171795

there are plenty of other ones like this on gumtree short term stuff around 200 pounds a month for the cheapest - but I agree its a rip off when you start looking at the bills - they are the real killer - £300 a month when you think about tv license, rates, gas, electricity, water and insurance?

I pay £180 a month for a 60sqm 1 bed flat in central hua hin and bills are about £40 a month.

Mmmm - feel a bit puzzled that Gumtree slipped out from my memory years ago - Thanks for the reminder - just followed it up and it looks really interesting !

Just come across another site through Gumtree, called RoomFT.com - cheap accommodation for travellers in peoples' flats & houses. I'm a bit sceptical, but some seem to be available from £1 a night for shared rooms even in the south of England - other ads look ok at £20 or £30 a night, here's a link >>>

http://www.roomft.com/

Edited May 24, 2012 by crazydrummerpauly

[yogi100]

I live in London and every newsagent/ sweetshop has advertisements for accommodation in their shop window, so it will be the same in Cambridge. Just tell them you only need it for a month and see if you can come to an arrangement. Do not tell the landlord you are leaving the UK at the end of the month or an unsrupulous one will mess you around or even try to keep any deposit you will be required to pay.

The rent and the cost of a few household items will still leave you quids in when you compare it to the cost of a hotel in Rip Off Britain.

[wana]

I live in London and every newsagent/ sweetshop has advertisements for accommodation in their shop window, so it will be the same in Cambridge. Just tell them you only need it for a month and see if you can come to an arrangement. Do not tell the landlord you are leaving the UK at the end of the month or an unsrupulous one will mess you around or even try to keep any deposit you will be required to pay.

The rent and the cost of a few household items will still leave you quids in when you compare it to the cost of a hotel in Rip Off Britain.

how do you get your 2 months deposit and 1 month rent in advance (ok,thats gone anyway ) but renting a flat and not telling landlord your leaving

and then sneaking off after 4 weeks sounds like you deserve everything you get

then theres utility bills to set up ,all direct debit thesedays ,and a deposit and internet if you need that (who doesnt thesedays ? )

i think a cheap guesthouse or b+b would be better than the deception youre considering ......but each to his own

i would financially crucify tenants if they lied to me ,signed a contract and decided to bail out after 28 days ,set up bills ,and then i had to find new tenants AGAIN a month later ,have the place cleaned again ,re-organise the utility bills and make new contracts as well as advertise the room again and waste days showing it to new prospective clients

I think you will find most landlords dont want to rent their property out on that basis to someone back for a holiday

[crazydrummerpauly]

I live in London and every newsagent/ sweetshop has advertisements for accommodation in their shop window, so it will be the same in Cambridge. Just tell them you only need it for a month and see if you can come to an arrangement. Do not tell the landlord you are leaving the UK at the end of the month or an unsrupulous one will mess you around or even try to keep any deposit you will be required to pay.

The rent and the cost of a few household items will still leave you quids in when you compare it to the cost of a hotel in Rip Off Britain.

how do you get your 2 months deposit and 1 month rent in advance (ok,thats gone anyway ) but renting a flat and not telling landlord your leaving

and then sneaking off after 4 weeks sounds like you deserve everything you get

then theres utility bills to set up ,all direct debit thesedays ,and a deposit and internet if you need that (who doesnt thesedays ? )

i think a cheap guesthouse or b+b would be better than the deception youre considering ......but each to his own

i would financially crucify tenants if they lied to me ,signed a contract and decided to bail out after 28 days ,set up bills ,and then i had to find new tenants AGAIN a month later ,have the place cleaned again ,re-organise the utility bills and make new contracts as well as advertise the room again and waste days showing it to new prospective clients

I think you will find most landlords dont want to rent their property out on that basis to someone back for a holiday

Yep - the days of hit-and-run accommodation are long gone in my opinion, and the life-style we now want or need with decent tele-comms complicates matters. Deposits, contracts, and especially the way the 'phone and internet companies now want to hook everyone into longer and longer commitments - a real problem. The kind of period i often need to be back - 2 or 3 months - is a nightmare - last time i gave up on signing with BT (18-month contract) and all the internet firms, and mobile-phone contracts of course. I knew one guy who inadvertently signed up for a 3-Year contract with a mobile company and they did not bend over at all when he needed to leave. So i ended up with an Orange 'dongle' (v.expensive internet browsing and comms of course), and a pay-as-you-go mobile - again, expensive. It's just the way things are set up in modern business culture - no easy way round it. As for signing up for contract and then just doing a runner - haha - i have access to my own Experian file - see what happens to your credit-rating if you start bailing out of legal commitments all over the place. As a sometime landlord over a 15-year period i also completely agree with the comments about a landlord's reaction to runners. But the 'Gumtree' and the 'RoomFT' routes are giving me new hope !

[tutsiwarrior]

I've thought about 'going home' but there ain't no place to go to...I've been gone 25 years and have lost connection with all friends and family and it ain't no good to just appear and say: 'here I am!...' I have a comfortable arrangement now with the wife and her family in Thailand but would not like to burden them if a short term terminal illness was diagnosed...I'd just head back to 'the prairie that I know the best', the northwest coast of north america in a rented or purchased Ford Econoline van with a mattress in back and a sleeping bag and a Coleman cooker and lamp and an ice cooler...it's a big country around there and you can just pull off the road and sleep and relax with minimum hassles from the local cops...('I'm sorry to cause any trouble, officer but I'll be gone in the mornin'')

I was just on a business trip to NYC and a flop was $290 per night (paid by the company) near 96th and Broadway and ain't no way something like that would be sustainable...I'd just go to SF and get the van and the kit together and head up the coast...shit in the woods like a bear and stop at coastal university sports facilities for a quick shower...people do it all the time...and a decrepid old man in a baseball cap does not threaten anyone...

and then in the evenings listen to the local radio and whistle cowboy songs before turning in in the sleeping bag in the back of the van in a rubble of vodka bottles and empty baked bean cans...not a bad way to go out, I must admit...

oh, come with me to tutsi's US northwest coast paradise...

[crazydrummerpauly]

I've thought about 'going home' but there ain't no place to go to...I've been gone 25 years and have lost connection with all friends and family and it ain't no good to just appear and say: 'here I am!...' I have a comfortable arrangement now with the wife and her family in Thailand but would not like to burden them if a short term terminal illness was diagnosed...I'd just head back to 'the prairie that I know the best', the northwest coast of north america in a rented or purchased Ford Econoline van with a mattress in back and a sleeping bag and a Coleman cooker and lamp and an ice cooler...it's a big country around there and you can just pull off the road and sleep and relax with minimum hassles from the local cops...('I'm sorry to cause any trouble, officer but I'll be gone in the mornin'')

I was just on a business trip to NYC and a flop was $290 per night (paid by the company) near 96th and Broadway and ain't no way something like that would be sustainable...I'd just go to SF and get the van and the kit together and head up the coast...shit in the woods like a bear and stop at coastal university sports facilities for a quick shower...people do it all the time...and a decrepid old man in a baseball cap does not threaten anyone...

and then in the evenings listen to the local radio and whistle cowboy songs before turning in in the sleeping bag in the back of the van in a rubble of vodka bottles and empty baked bean cans...not a bad way to go out, I must admit...

oh, come with me to tutsi's US northwest coast paradise...

Don't know how you managed it - good writing skills i'd say - but you manged to make me feel sad and smile pretty much at the same time....

In the same way, you somehow managed to make a 'short terminal illness' sound like a bizarrely attractive option - and that is a tall order !

I guess for most of us, it's not the thought of the short terminal ones that can bring on a sleepless night - more the drawn-out 'chronic' illnesses when we could be staring bankruptcy in the face or a long run off a short pier.....

Thanks for a top post!

[tutsiwarrior]

I've thought about 'going home' but there ain't no place to go to...I've been gone 25 years and have lost connection with all friends and family and it ain't no good to just appear and say: 'here I am!...' I have a comfortable arrangement now with the wife and her family in Thailand but would not like to burden them if a short term terminal illness was diagnosed...I'd just head back to 'the prairie that I know the best', the northwest coast of north america in a rented or purchased Ford Econoline van with a mattress in back and a sleeping bag and a Coleman cooker and lamp and an ice cooler...it's a big country around there and you can just pull off the road and sleep and relax with minimum hassles from the local cops...('I'm sorry to cause any trouble, officer but I'll be gone in the mornin'')

I was just on a business trip to NYC and a flop was $290 per night (paid by the company) near 96th and Broadway and ain't no way something like that would be sustainable...I'd just go to SF and get the van and the kit together and head up the coast...shit in the woods like a bear and stop at coastal university sports facilities for a quick shower...people do it all the time...and a decrepid old man in a baseball cap does not threaten anyone...

and then in the evenings listen to the local radio and whistle cowboy songs before turning in in the sleeping bag in the back of the van in a rubble of vodka bottles and empty baked bean cans...not a bad way to go out, I must admit...

oh, come with me to tutsi's US northwest coast paradise...

Don't know how you managed it - good writing skills i'd say - but you manged to make me feel sad and smile pretty much at the same time....

In the same way, you somehow managed to make a 'short terminal illness' sound like a bizarrely attractive option - and that is a tall order !

I guess for most of us, it's not the thought of the short terminal ones that can bring on a sleepless night - more the drawn-out 'chronic' illnesses when we could be staring bankruptcy in the face or a long run off a short pier.....

Thanks for a top post!

cheers...I'm always here to entertain...with an occasional astute observation...

[Shot]

I've thought about 'going home' but there ain't no place to go to...I've been gone 25 years and have lost connection with all friends and family and it ain't no good to just appear and say: 'here I am!...' I have a comfortable arrangement now with the wife and her family in Thailand but would not like to burden them if a short term terminal illness was diagnosed...I'd just head back to 'the prairie that I know the best', the northwest coast of north america in a rented or purchased Ford Econoline van with a mattress in back and a sleeping bag and a Coleman cooker and lamp and an ice cooler...it's a big country around there and you can just pull off the road and sleep and relax with minimum hassles from the local cops...('I'm sorry to cause any trouble, officer but I'll be gone in the mornin'')

I was just on a business trip to NYC and a flop was $290 per night (paid by the company) near 96th and Broadway and ain't no way something like that would be sustainable...I'd just go to SF and get the van and the kit together and head up the coast...shit in the woods like a bear and stop at coastal university sports facilities for a quick shower...people do it all the time...and a decrepid old man in a baseball cap does not threaten anyone...

and then in the evenings listen to the local radio and whistle cowboy songs before turning in in the sleeping bag in the back of the van in a rubble of vodka bottles and empty baked bean cans...not a bad way to go out, I must admit...

oh, come with me to tutsi's US northwest coast paradise...

Nice post. I know that area well, and everything you said is true.

[crazydrummerpauly]

Because of the way it avoids all the hassle and expense of getting involved with utility companies and internet providers, tv-licence people etc etc, and also avoids insane hotel prices...it looks to me that going down the flat-share / house-share route via Gumtree is well worth a look. Here's a couple of links for the Cambridge,UK area to show the best kind of ads, those with photos, but there are many more to check out on Gumtree >

http://www.gumtree.c...-night/92171795

http://www.gumtree.c...r-rent/99524397

[yogi100]

I live in London and every newsagent/ sweetshop has advertisements for accommodation in their shop window, so it will be the same in Cambridge. Just tell them you only need it for a month and see if you can come to an arrangement. Do not tell the landlord you are leaving the UK at the end of the month or an unsrupulous one will mess you around or even try to keep any deposit you will be required to pay.

The rent and the cost of a few household items will still leave you quids in when you compare it to the cost of a hotel in Rip Off Britain.

how do you get your 2 months deposit and 1 month rent in advance (ok,thats gone anyway ) but renting a flat and not telling landlord your leaving

and then sneaking off after 4 weeks sounds like you deserve everything you get

then theres utility bills to set up ,all direct debit thesedays ,and a deposit and internet if you need that (who doesnt thesedays ? )

i think a cheap guesthouse or b+b would be better than the deception youre considering ......but each to his own

i would financially crucify tenants if they lied to me ,signed a contract and decided to bail out after 28 days ,set up bills ,and then i had to find new tenants AGAIN a month later ,have the place cleaned again ,re-organise the utility bills and make new contracts as well as advertise the room again and waste days showing it to new prospective clients

I think you will find most landlords dont want to rent their property out on that basis to someone back for a holiday

I've rented out a room in my house in the past and if someone approached me and said they only wanted it for 28 days I would be amenable to such a request. I'd still want a deposit to cover possible damages and might charge a bit extra rent as it is only short term but I'd be agreeable to it.

In my post I did advise the OP to say he only wants it for a month. The reason I said to not tell the landlord that I was leaving the UK would be that he would then be less inclined to pull a fast one on him regarding the deposit. Many of London's foreign landlords are bereft of any scruples and morals and will rip a tenant off as soon as look at him especially a native Englishman.

[smokie36]

Op is talking <deleted>. If he sends me a PM I can direct him to a place he can get a room for £150 a week.

[tinfoilhat]

After 15 years in Thailand, a great ex-wife, a daughter, a cat, good friends, a lovely house in bangkok, and another at the beach --my only question is: where exactly is home?

Edited May 25, 2012 by tinfoilhat

[crazydrummerpauly]

After 15 years in Thailand, a great ex-wife, a daughter, a cat, good friends, a lovely house in bangkok, and another at the beach --my only question is: where exactly is home?

Yep - 'where exactly is home?' - know that one - but i guess as long as there's contentment on hand where one is, it's not the important question it is when gloom and stress about being 'home' sets in. Happy to see you have a 'great ex-wife' ! Not so many can say that :-)

[crazydrummerpauly]

Op is talking <deleted>. If he sends me a PM I can direct him to a place he can get a room for £150 a week.

Why on earth you'd think i would PM anyone who starts a post with such an offensive comment is beyond me.

[thaibeachlovers]

Yes, after a dozen years here I've become a third world person, returning to upper east side Manhattan my jaw is constantly dropping, would never consider buying anything at all until I got my income back up above USD 100K and even then would think twice about "luxuries" like eating out.

Regarding hotels specifically, the tourism industry here has vastly overbuilt for demand (IMO decades' worth of growth), so over there a lot more people that can afford the rate are chasing much fewer rooms. Not to mention the vastly lower cost structures here, labour is a huge component.

Yep - really hit the nail on the head with that: "luxuries like eating out"...and in the uk it's a 'luxury' event even for poor quality food, which really rubs it in.

I can safely say that I never "ate out" in London, unless it was Macs or the Chinese all you can eat buffet for 4 quid, and I was on an above average wage. The top earners must be on some huge salary for my pittance to have been above average. Yes, if I hadn't wanted to save, or travel I could have afforded it, but what would have been the point?

As for accomodation, I joined the NHS just to be able to afford to live in London ( they provided subsidised housing ), and not a 1 1/2 hour journey from work.

It's ironic that in LOS, Macs is more expensive than a meal in a Thai restaurant!

Edited May 26, 2012 by thaibeachlovers

[smokie36]

Op is talking <deleted>. If he sends me a PM I can direct him to a place he can get a room for £150 a week.

Why on earth you'd think i would PM anyone who starts a post with such an offensive comment is beyond me.

My apologies.