how much do you consider as value for food?

[bertty]

Love the people who live in Thailand but don't eat Thai food, and those who only eat western food....

If you live here chances are you wont eat out every night. 5 out of 7 will be at home as per your home country.

For me 500 baht a day on food is plenty.

[Crazy chef 1]

Value is easy to find,unfortunately quality is more elusive!

but doesn't value includes quality?

[NeverSure]

Value is easy to find,unfortunately quality is more elusive!

but doesn't value includes quality?

Yes, I think so and that's why I have a hard time sometimes in Thailand. For instance I've totally wasted my money a few times buying a "good" steak that I didn't want to eat. I've bought chicken dishes that were mostly bones and skin. It takes me a while each visit to figure out where to eat.

I've never really kept track, but I'd guess I spend about 500 baht per day not including drinks and I'm not much of a drinker.

[Gecko123]

9-10,000 Bht/month. Not including alcohol. Rarely eat out.

Only Western foods: spaghetti, cheese, butter. Everything else local.

Some vegetable and fruit costs offset by gardening activity.

Keep very accurate expenditure records; not an estimate.

[chiang mai]

Between 200 and 300 typically buys a western meal of good quality and I'm comfortable with that. But I'm equally comfortable with 50 baht food hall meals and periodically, a 750 baht meal.

[tim armstrong]

Big difference between city and country. Our immediate family of 3 lives well on 200 baht per day, excluding booze. Even in Pattaya you can still live cheaply. If you choose healthy, cook for yourself and go to markets you will do well. With one or two exceptions I find the tourist restaurants in Bangkok way overpriced, predictable, and unhealthy.

[thehelmsman]

Big difference between city and country. Our immediate family of 3 lives well on 200 baht per day, excluding booze. Even in Pattaya you can still live cheaply. If you choose healthy, cook for yourself and go to markets you will do well. With one or two exceptions I find the tourist restaurants in Bangkok way overpriced, predictable, and unhealthy.

Just curious why food is cheaper in the country. In the NE at Makro we go weekly to buy shrimp, squid and chicken plus vegetables and some fruit. No farang food. Now the sea food is transported from bangkok probably, so I would expect many items to be cheaper in Bangkok.

We don't cook a set amount of food. There is always extra for whoever happens to stop by.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Rimping deli counter have a good selection of cold meats.

Usually about 70bht/100gm (6 or 8 slices).

Bread is easy to make and costs almost nothing.

I make bread rolls most days, about 1bht each.

Love fresh bread.

Go on, what's your recipe...?

350ml flour, 150ml water, 10ml Fermiplan red yeast.

Mix together, knead for 10 mins, leave to rise 2 hrs, divide into 6 rolls (without flattening), damp tops, bake 20 mins from cold (225 until top brown, then reduce to 175).

[krisb]

Rimping deli counter have a good selection of cold meats.

Usually about 70bht/100gm (6 or 8 slices).

Bread is easy to make and costs almost nothing.

I make bread rolls most days, about 1bht each.

Love fresh bread.

Go on, what's your recipe...?

350ml flour, 150ml water, 10ml Fermiplan red yeast.

Mix together, knead for 10 mins, leave to rise 2 hrs, divide into 6 rolls (without flattening), damp tops, bake 20 mins from cold (225 until top brown, then reduce to 175).

mmm mmm.

I've been considering buying a bread maker for a while now.

The only thing stopping me is my stomach. I know I will eat too much.

[Spoonman]

I don't get how you can spend 3000 or even 1000 a day for food. I mean, where are you guys eating? At The Oriental?

I usually spend not more than 100 Baht a day for food. A main dish which is around 40-60 Baht, some water and some snacks. Breakfast I eat at home.

The piece of steak I'll be eating for dinner tonight cost me Bt.1200, this will be had with some steamed vege's.

No work today so saved the 300b I usually spend for lunch. Had grilled cheese and vegemite on toast instead. (bread/butter/vegemite/cheese/electricity... lunch cost me about Bt.100).

[inbangkok]

Food is really not that important to me. I know some people think food can be as good as sex. I just don't get it. But if you can eat western food here in Thailand for $10 a day, that is pretty impressive.

[jobin]

200 baht lunch buffet at the Grandview Hotel in CM, once a month. Hardly ever more than 100 per ordinary Thai meal. No bread, or esp pastry, as it's unhealthy. Very little white rice, choose brown rice only. Hardly ever eat beef or dairy products, also unhealthy. Chicken, veg, fruit, very like oats in place of rice. Best is steel cut oats but hard to find here and expensive. 50 baht per day on can of beer. Golf sucks up most of my money. Who needs expensive food? Food 'tastes', or gustatory habits, are learned behaviour from childhood and can be unlearned and changed, usually for the better.

[Crazy chef 1]

i cook for living-tough on my off days i don't wanna cook at all.just eat some honest affordable comfy food.

[Crazy chef 1]

Food is really not that important to me. I know some people think food can be as good as sex. I just don't get it. But if you can eat western food here in Thailand for $10 a day, that is pretty impressive.

...or sex can be as good as food?but you won't get for 10$ a day

[Spoonman]

Food is really not that important to me. I know some people think food can be as good as sex. I just don't get it. But if you can eat western food here in Thailand for $10 a day, that is pretty impressive.

...or sex can be as good as food?but you won't get for 10$ a day

One can easily get sex here for $10.00 no problem..... as long as said person is not fussed with appearances.

[Ulysses G.]

Food is really not that important to me. I know some people think food can be as good as sex. I just don't get it. But if you can eat western food here in Thailand for $10 a day, that is pretty impressive.

...or sex can be as good as food?but you won't get for 10$ a day:clap2:

One can easily get sex here for $10.00 no problem..... as long as said person is not fussed with appearances.

If you avoid bars and such, you can do it pretty easily, but speaking Thai and having street smarts is pretty much a necessity.

[Anthony5]

Food is really not that important to me. I know some people think food can be as good as sex. I just don't get it. But if you can eat western food here in Thailand for $10 a day, that is pretty impressive.

...or sex can be as good as food?but you won't get for 10$ a day

There are dozens of posters on this forum who claim to get free sex, haven't seen one yet that claimed he got free food.

[Kitsune]

around 50 to 100B a day

Mostly organic

Yes sometimes free (at temple restaurant)

[roamer]

Rimping deli counter have a good selection of cold meats.

Usually about 70bht/100gm (6 or 8 slices).

Bread is easy to make and costs almost nothing.

I make bread rolls most days, about 1bht each.

Love fresh bread.

Go on, what's your recipe...?

350ml flour, 150ml water, 10ml Fermiplan red yeast.

Mix together, knead for 10 mins, leave to rise 2 hrs, divide into 6 rolls (without flattening), damp tops, bake 20 mins from cold (225 until top brown, then reduce to 175).

mmm mmm.

I've been considering buying a bread maker for a while now.

The only thing stopping me is my stomach. I know I will eat too much.

You could be wrong there, never had bread the same quality out of a bread maker. I guess if you don't have an oven though....

Thing is bread making is wonderfully therapeutic and the baking aromas heaven.

[SoiBiker]

One thing I've learned living in Bangkok is that you can spend as little as a quid a meal, or as much as it would cost back in London, if not more - but the quality of what you get doesn't necessarily increase with the price.

[nickmanchester2]

I spent 1300b a week ago at foodland and going back tomorrow, but as well as this have eaten at Foodland before my shop 82b for Szechuan noodles, Carls Jr 145b on saturday and last night a bowl of bame nam moo dang at 50b + always having to buy extra bread and milk + fruit at 100b so.... I reckon....

80b per meal with snacks included on average, but still have a lot of foodland stuff left in fridge / freezer.

less than 7000b a month - I dont like paying more than 150b for western food as I can cook it better myself as I have got an oven now

[namdocmai]

If you want more value for food than do as the thai. Go to Sizzlers, order the cheapest steak but don't eat it. Eat as much saladbar as you can eat and let them pack the steak for at home. Loads of them do that.

[Crazy chef 1]

If you want more value for food than do as the thai. Go to Sizzlers, order the cheapest steak but don't eat it. Eat as much saladbar as you can eat and let them pack the steak for at home. Loads of them do that.

and the dogs will be happy.

[tim armstrong]

Big difference between city and country. Our immediate family of 3 lives well on 200 baht per day, excluding booze. Even in Pattaya you can still live cheaply. If you choose healthy, cook for yourself and go to markets you will do well. With one or two exceptions I find the tourist restaurants in Bangkok way overpriced, predictable, and unhealthy.

Just curious why food is cheaper in the country. In the NE at Makro we go weekly to buy shrimp, squid and chicken plus vegetables and some fruit. No farang food. Now the sea food is transported from bangkok probably, so I would expect many items to be cheaper in Bangkok.

We don't cook a set amount of food. There is always extra for whoever happens to stop by.

Not allthe seafood is saltwater. Near to us there are many fish farms in the rivers - and mostly consumed via local markets. Vegies and meat products are mostly produced in the country, and simply repackaged for supermarkets at production plants nearer to Bangkok. All our pork , chicken and vegies are local and largely chemical free. The imported stuff comes through Tesco, Makro and Big C, but we don't use much of that.

[tim armstrong]

Rimping deli counter have a good selection of cold meats.

Usually about 70bht/100gm (6 or 8 slices).

Bread is easy to make and costs almost nothing.

I make bread rolls most days, about 1bht each.

Love fresh bread.

Go on, what's your recipe...?

350ml flour, 150ml water, 10ml Fermiplan red yeast.

Mix together, knead for 10 mins, leave to rise 2 hrs, divide into 6 rolls (without flattening), damp tops, bake 20 mins from cold (225 until top brown, then reduce to 175).

AOA, Thanks for your recipe. Do you know where you can get good multigrain or rye flour for baking ?

[AnotherOneAmerican]

AOA, Thanks for your recipe. Do you know where you can get good multigrain or rye flour for baking ?

YOK sell everything, but I find anything apart from TFM Bread Flour (32bht/Kg) problematic.

1KG of TFM produces 30 small rolls, and is very quick.

Once you go multigrain/rye, it's a whole different ball game, way harder to make, and way longer for rise time (think days not hours) unless you want to use all sorts of additives.

[baneko]

If I'm at home 100 for 3 thai meals. If I'm on the farag grup 300 up.

[tim armstrong]

AOA, Thanks for your recipe. Do you know where you can get good multigrain or rye flour for baking ?

YOK sell everything, but I find anything apart from TFM Bread Flour (32bht/Kg) problematic.

1KG of TFM produces 30 small rolls, and is very quick.

Once you go multigrain/rye, it's a whole different ball game, way harder to make, and way longer for rise time (think days not hours) unless you want to use all sorts of additives.

Thanks AOA I have made bread before, but the problem I find here is getting good quality flour, as its not a basic commodity in the Thai diet.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Just out the oven.