affordability, competence and accessability Medan vs. Bangkok

[hermespan]

In my limited experience Bangkok has priced itself out of budget traveller/expat targeted destinations. I am not a tourist. I visit sites such as supermarkets in order to learn produce prices (Malaysia os better, Philippines worse) and I try to get simple household errands accomplished to see if a city is livable and good value.

Let's compare one tier one city of Thailand with a tier two city of Indonesia: Medan

I was in Medan 2 weeks ago and am now in Bangkok. Aside from horrendous traffic and unfriendly people (even compared with Jakarta, though I admit food and infrastructure is better here) I am failing to get a simple task accomished quickly in this Thai mega metropolis.

I bought three pairs of shoes in India that are poorly contructed - plastic instead of metal parts. In Medan I was able in one day to find a bag spare parts supplier within a angkot (songthaew)

ride and get them filed down to perfection and tool them to a popular mall shoe repair kiosk to be repaired for next day. Nott cheap but very well done, flirtatious gals too. Stitching machine and technicians on premises.

I have two more pairs and the spare parts ready. The footpath repairmen in Bamgkok appear to be retards and the results of myI hiring footpath seamstressess the results have been mixed. I have learned from experience in Bangkok to deal with craftsmen in shops and NEVER when they are just intermediaries.

Anyway, tonight I found at Central Chidlom basement a ladeedah 'shoe spa' which is just a depot and astronomical prices. At Terminal 21 near Asok BTS another basement kiosk called somethong 'Express' would do it but at too cheap a price really. I knew something was wrong - he was going to *cut* a crucial for strength part, totally against commom sense and professional shoe repair practice. And I had to ask for details - he was going to do the job the cheapest instead of the best more time consuming way.

In another post I will enquire which shoe repair places are good value. Just wanted to say how much easier I found Medan for household problem solving. Even Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia or Phnom Penh in Cambodia, even Koljata in India - are easier for me for finding and hiring experts (and Hanoi tops them both for speed and efficiency)

Something to consider when deciding on a place to settle in SEA - where will be easy to deal with little problems if you don't have servants, and whete can you *hire* help if you don't fancy doing much of the running around yourself.

[hermespan]

I found a Pro Express nearby which seems more professional. See under Bangkok section.

The price per replaced loop in Medan was 83 USD cents each, here in Bangkok $1.56 I do not expect the results here to be twice as good as the Indonesian Mr. Cobbler type chain kiosk results were 99% perfect (aproximate colour match for thread)

[MrWorldwide]

Are you from India originally ?

[hermespan]

No, I am neither ethnic Indian nor an Indian citizen, though I speak two Indian languages and was once Hindu. What is the televance?

[MrWorldwide]

Because I can't think of anyone who would bother trying to have cheap shoes from India repaired in the first place, much less carry them all over SE Asia for that purpose. Using that example as the premise for this thread, and throwing a few insults at Thai people into the bargain, makes me even less inclined to read anything further. Given that I'm the only board member who has bothered to reply, I'm guessing I'm not alone in that summation.

[hermespan]

i didn't think $50 shoes were cheap in india. but a bargain compared to $300 German shoes retail in Canada. In fact they are the Indian version of Timberland. One loop broke in the store so I guessed what it would cost to modify them.

[recom273]

So .. What your basically saying is .. you can get decent eyelets in Medan.

Nice ..

And in short, that proves that Bangkok has out priced itself to the budget traveller.

I like Medan, you can get a clipper lighter topped up with butane by the same guy who wants to apply black boot polish to my Nike Airmax 95's. I have to agree with you, Bangkok is finished, lets all move to Medan.