I think you should upgrade your budget to 60-70 baht and you can find almost any Thai dish in smaller restaurants/ food courts.

Big spenders like you are ruining Pattaya for everybody else.

I have lost the will to live reading this thread.

you, my friend, need a lovely warm cup of Mama Cup With Shrimp noodles to restore your faith in humanity again.

I hope I can find some 50-baht meals along Sai Song.

You will, and prolly 30 baht meals, cos that is what people pay, but you must deal with your air conditioner fixation first.

The 50baht meals will only be economic if you live closeby- or not far away for a motorbike ride --if you own one--and not having to pay for baht busses

I have found a budget hotel at Sai Song, for USD20 per night, with air conditioning and fast internet.

I hope I can find some 50-baht meals along Sai Song.

You are being ripped off. There are plenty of hotels for $16 per night with free Internet and air .

What about meals for 25 baht, where can I find them? I demand a free soup and water too.

Air con optional.

The 50baht meals will only be economic if you live closeby- or not far away for a motorbike ride --if you own one--and not having to pay for baht busses

Saving 10 baht on baht buses will drag his budget out nicely.

And some wonder why foreigners only get 30 days.

The OP has a fair question. Thai food has gone up hugely over the years and often now feels like a ripoff to me. For 40-50 baht there are still quite a few side streets where you get kao pat gai etc. Quite a few off Soi Buakao for example. This is basic Thai fare and you won't get better if you pay double. For about 40-50 baht you also get Kai man Gai but the quality varies, you have to learn which ones are the best.

Byt the way, if you don't agree food in Pattaya is getting to be a ripoff, or are just one of those people who like to pretend to be rich (so many of those in Pattaya, then their oney runs out), then why is a McDonalds about 30-50% more here than in places like Malaysia? Not that i often eat there, just when I get a cheeseburger craving, but its a good way to compare.

The OP has a fair question. Thai food has gone up hugely over the years and often now feels like a ripoff to me. For 40-50 baht there are still quite a few side streets where you get kao pat gai etc. Quite a few off Soi Buakao for example. This is basic Thai fare and you won't get better if you pay double. For about 40-50 baht you also get Kai man Gai but the quality varies, you have to learn which ones are the best.

Byt the way, if you don't agree food in Pattaya is getting to be a ripoff, or are just one of those people who like to pretend to be rich (so many of those in Pattaya, then their oney runs out), then why is a McDonalds about 30-50% more here than in places like Malaysia? Not that i often eat there, just when I get a cheeseburger craving, but its a good way to compare.

Interesting point about macs. I got one in Hong Kong airport recently and couldn't believe how cheap it was, much cheaper than here.

Whilst on the topic,does anyone know why don't McDonalds sell quarter pounders here?

McDonald's is cheaper in Hong Kong than in Thailand? That's so thai if you think about it. Hong Kong is one of the most expensive places in the world and they still manage to control the prices. Thailand is a country that struggles to make progress but the prices are constantly raised just to make sure everybody has a good laugh at the incompetence here.

Wonder how much He Tips. .

Wonder how much He Tips. .

Tipping for street food is not normal.

I have found a budget hotel at Sai Song, for USD20 per night, with air conditioning and fast internet.

I hope I can find some 50-baht meals along Sai Song.

Whats your daily budget?

I'm not on a budget. I have spent a long time in Bangkok and I often have my "Rad Khao" meals for 35 - 50 baht at aircon outlets, but Pattaya is a relatively new experience to me.

I just want to remind myself I'm still in Thailand. A 50-baht meal is a good start

You are being ripped off. There are plenty of hotels for $16 per night with free Internet and air .

Please name me a few.

Wonder how much He Tips. .

How much do you tip at the basement of Central Festival ? Or MacDonald's ?

How do you tip at a hi-so restaurant if settlement is via credit card ?

Life in Pattaya is certainly something very difficult to grapple with even for a Bangkok veteran

Edited October 14, 201312 yr by thairookie

Easy for Me, i never Tip.Most nice people do.

I have spent a long time in Bangkok and I often have my "Rad Khao" meals for 35 - 50 baht at aircon outlets, but Pattaya is a relatively new experience to me.

Not really very different here. All the big supermarkets have an air-con food court and most of them do food from about 30B. The only real difference here is that the big supermarkets are a bit away from the tourist centre. Central is in the tourist centre but the combination of this and the hordes of Russians who eat there has pushed prices up beyond those of the other supermarkets like Tesco and BigC.

Apart from that you will always find good and cheap food in and around markets.

There's also the no-name place near the corner of Soi Buakow and LKMetro which does a load of things from about 35B. I used to eat there often when I lived nearby and frequently had to queue for a seat. And the 20B "rice with 1 topping" guy still has his shop in Soi Diana but it's daytime only. I've eaten there many times too.

I have spent a long time in Bangkok and I often have my "Rad Khao" meals for 35 - 50 baht at aircon outlets, but Pattaya is a relatively new experience to me.

Not really very different here. All the big supermarkets have an air-con food court and most of them do food from about 30B. The only real difference here is that the big supermarkets are a bit away from the tourist centre. Central is in the tourist centre but the combination of this and the hordes of Russians who eat there has pushed prices up beyond those of the other supermarkets like Tesco and BigC.

Apart from that you will always find good and cheap food in and around markets.

There's also the no-name place near the corner of Soi Buakow and LKMetro which does a load of things from about 35B. I used to eat there often when I lived nearby and frequently had to queue for a seat. And the 20B "rice with 1 topping" guy still has his shop in Soi Diana but it's daytime only. I've eaten there many times too.

You had to queue for your rice? Do you mean like in war times?

Where is Tukcom ?

And what about 50 baht meal in an aircon environment ? Is that too much to expect ?

put a wet towell over your head

put a wet towell over your head

I believe most of you have misinterpreted my preference for air conditioning as fear of heat.

It's really just to keep away your friendly neighborhood maIeng wan.

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You had to queue for your rice? Do you mean like in war times?

That place was often completely full at busy times like 6-8 in the evening, in spite of having 12+ tables and seating for perhaps 50 people or more. I dont know what it's like now but when I lived locally for a couple of years I often had to wait a few minutes for a seat or share a table with someone.

The place I go to for noodles in Jomtien also does very good business. It has seating for 8 but her customers often have to sit at the tables that belong to the vendors on either side.

It's a completely different world to the many Indian and farang restaurants one sees that rarely seem to have more than one table in use.

You had to queue for your rice? Do you mean like in war times?

at some popular street food places around Tuckom you also need to wait in to get a seat if you go at busy time, not sure about war time.

The best time time to visit fat guy who makes best Kao Pat Gay in town near Tukcom is after 1AM or so, then all the working girls and boys visit the place, long wait but very scenic and if you lucky, there are groups of lady boys eating there, it is never boring

Edited October 14, 201312 yr by valgehiir

You had to queue for your rice? Do you mean like in war times?

at some popular street food places around Tuckom you also need to wait in to get a seat if you go at busy time, not sure about war time.

The best time time to visit fat guy who makes best Kao Pat Gay in town near Tukcom is after 1AM or so, then all the working girls and boys visit the place, long wait but very scenic and if you lucky, there are groups of lady boys eating there, it is never boring

''if you lucky, there are groups of lady boys eating there''

OMG, did you hear that?

he knows.

this is very basic info, and not news to even newby ladyboy connoisseurs.

Edited October 14, 201312 yr by valgehiir

The chinese duck place on Pattaya Klang near soi bukow. LengKee?

I think I had duck w rice and water. 50 Bt.

I believe they have an air con room too.

Edited October 14, 201312 yr by UncleJ

The "gems" are beginning to surface as we sift out pebbles from sandy soil.

Problem is these B40/50 meals only fill you for an a while, they are just a snack for me between meals. Expensive way to eat for a farang

Where is Tukcom ?

And what about 50 baht meal in an aircon environment ? Is that too much to expect ?

Tukcom is here: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=pattaya,+tukcom&hl=en&ll=12.924093,100.878777&spn=0.003315,0.005761&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=46.226656,94.394531&t=h&hq=tukcom&hnear=Pattaya,+Chon+Buri,+Thailand&z=18&layer=c&cbll=12.924085,100.87888&panoid=3NmuM5veXQTm-i0Wq39o6Q&cbp=12,217.48,,0,-16.99

You can go to the "Food Park" at BigC Extra (first floor) if you're looking for an air-conditioned environment.

Try the food court in the basement at Tukcom, they have a feeble excuse for air-con. Should get something for 50 baht there, unless your expecting two courses and a large Sing for your money.

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Big C extra or Tuk Com will work. Tuk Com has the best banana shake stand around. The lady fills up that cup with substance. I think the noodle soup in Tuk Com is good, and much better than what they have at Big C. At Big C there are only 1 or 2 stalls that actually make the fried rice to order. I just don't like piles of food sitting in a pan for hours. Too much fly vomit from the flies that have probably visited the toilets. I wish the Thais would take a lesson from Rommel and Montgomery North Africa campaigns. Read the statistics on illness related to the simple open trenches the Germans tended to use versus the more proper work the British did.

Problem is these B40/50 meals only fill you for an a while, they are just a snack for me between meals. Expensive way to eat for a farang

Agreed, snacks.

There's always a 2 or 3 polystyrene cartons full of stuff on the side at home in the kitchen just to keep the wife and step kids topped up. (that along with loads of noodle packets.

Maybe thairookie could eat at mine, I'd charge 45bht including water, discounted from 50bht as theres no AC.