Ten things that are cheaper in the US

[BudRight]

Like anyone else, I am very price conscious. Given rising prices in Thailand, and having relocated to the United States after many years in Thailand, I thought I would compare goods and services which are less expensive in the US than in the Kingdom. I do not intend to cheat by listing 10 kinds of cheese, but instead list 'Western Food' as a single item. I hope that others can add to this list.

1. Beer.

The incredible variety and excellent prices of US brews stunned me having been away so long. When I left the US was still by and large consuming piss water and even Sam Adams was still new. No longer. A hand-crafted stubby of Hefeweizen or Porter or IPA will set you back about 37 baht in a supermarket. Expensive nights out drinking beer can be found, but it is rare to find the 300 baht+ prices you often see in 'western' pubs in Bangkok.

2. Western Food.

This is a rather obvious, and less important for me since I still love Thai food. Still it is nice to find staples like spaghetti sauce or pickles for 33 baht for a quart jar.

3. Gasoline.

In baht/liter, gasoline is 18.15 baht here. Try finding that price in Thailand.

4. Cars.

No 100% import taxes here friends. You can get a decent used car for less than 100,000 baht.

5. Land.

Not only can anyone purchase and own land here, but outside of San Francisco and New York prices remain low. A million baht remains enough to purchase a house and the land it's on in cities like Atlanta, GA.

6. Electricity.

The US has more natural gas than it can use right now, and that means cheap electricity. Here it is 2.64 baht per kilowatt hour - 33% cheaper than even wholesale electricity in Bangkok.

7. Banking.

The US is famous for big evil banks that charge fees for everything. They certainly do exist - but with thousands of banks and credit unions there are also accounts that pay you to keep them open and using your debit card. Perks include no fees (versus 200 baht per year at any bank in Thailand), no foreign transaction fees, foreign ATM fees compensated, a 2.51% interest rate compounded monthly or even a 6,600 baht bonus just for opening an account.

8. Electronics and computers.

A 65' LG TV is a minimum of 60,000 baht on Powerbuy. On Newegg it is 24,700 baht. This is consistently true for laptops, phones or any other things that use the mighty electron.

9. Visas.

While eligibility is stricter, a ten year multiple entry visa to the US is about 4,000 baht. There is no Thai equivalent except the Thailand elite card and that is many hundreds of times more.

10. Liquor.

750mL of Bombay Sapphire is 561 baht at Total Wine and More. Drink up 'lads.

There are many more things that are conditional or require some know-how, like cigarette coupons or knowing which bus routes are free. All in all however, it may be time to require the antiquated notion than Thailand is cheaper than the 'West.'

[Thanyaburi Mac]

How about medical services, especially for those folks age 60 up? Insurance, too?

Mac

[BudRight]

How about medical services, especially for those folks age 60 up? Insurance, too?

Mac

The relevant case in not 60 or up, but 55 and up. That's the age when Medicaid asset recovery kicks in. One is better off purchasing coverage on the exchanges in the gulf between then and Medicare at 65, or continuing with exchange subsidized insurance if that option is unavailable.

In States that reformed it under the Affordable Care Act, and in cases where the person is younger than 55, the best option is to have Medicaid. There is an income test, but no asset test in such States and it is 'free.'

The 55 to 65 gap between Medicaid and Medicare is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

Edit: Paying for medical care yourself in the US should not be attempted unless you are incredibly wealthy.

Edited April 12, 2015 by BudRight

[tx22cb]

Talking about things that are "cheaper" in the US, my favourite its actually free - Consumer Protection.

Buy something that is faulty? - Most shops will refund with no questions asked.

Don't like the colour? - Exchange it.

Your steak is overdone? - We'll cook you a new one, and throw in a free dessert for the inconvenience.

[KittenKong]

The only things that are cheap in Thailand are things that involve a large proportion of labour. For example: the beer that you buy in 7/11 for 30B may only cost a couple of Baht more when served in a cheap bar, and your air-con repair or car service or haircut will cost less here. But virtually everything that is manufactured or factory-processed costs more here than it would in the West.

It's been that way forever: nothing new at all.

[T_Dog]

How about medical services, especially for those folks age 60 up? Insurance, too?

Mac

The relevant case in not 60 or up, but 55 and up. That's the age when Medicaid asset recovery kicks in. One is better off purchasing coverage on the exchanges in the gulf between then and Medicare at 65, or continuing with exchange subsidized insurance if that option is unavailable.

In States that reformed it under the Affordable Care Act, and in cases where the person is younger than 55, the best option is to have Medicaid. There is an income test, but no asset test in such States and it is 'free.'

The 55 to 65 gap between Medicaid and Medicare is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

Edit: Paying for medical care yourself in the US should not be attempted unless you are incredibly wealthy.

Doesn't the Affordable Care Act take care of that 55-65 age gap? Have friends that have it and the rates, at least in one state, sounded fair.

[MaeJoMTB]

How about a divorce, what does that cost in the US?

And that house in your name, do you get to keep it?

Edited April 13, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[BudRight]

How about medical services, especially for those folks age 60 up? Insurance, too?

Mac

The relevant case in not 60 or up, but 55 and up. That's the age when Medicaid asset recovery kicks in. One is better off purchasing coverage on the exchanges in the gulf between then and Medicare at 65, or continuing with exchange subsidized insurance if that option is unavailable.

In States that reformed it under the Affordable Care Act, and in cases where the person is younger than 55, the best option is to have Medicaid. There is an income test, but no asset test in such States and it is 'free.'

The 55 to 65 gap between Medicaid and Medicare is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

Edit: Paying for medical care yourself in the US should not be attempted unless you are incredibly wealthy.

Doesn't the Affordable Care Act take care of that 55-65 age gap? Have friends that have it and the rates, at least in one state, sounded fair.

The 'gap' I'm referring to is not a lack of insurance, it's that Medicaid Asset Recovery is very nasty - so nasty that it should not be considered. Since that begins at 55 and is not longer needed at 65, it is effectively a 'gap.'

As for purchasing insurance from the exchanges, then yes the rates can be quite reasonable.

The cheapest divorce occurs before the wedding. Those are free. If do you actually go through with it and didn't have the sense to sign a pre-nup, then provided you owned the home before the marriage it is not considered property under the jurisdiction of the family court.

Edited April 13, 2015 by BudRight

[Craig krup]

It comes as a bit of a shock to realise that there are an awful lot of things which are much, much cheaper in the West. The big issues are i) how much is your accommodation and local authority taxation as a percentage of your total spend?, ii) how comfortable are you with substitute goods - how intense are your preferences? and iii) to what extent do you like consuming durable goods?

If housing is over half your monthly spend, you can eat peanuts nearly as readily as almonds and you never buy anything unless you need it then Thailand seems incredibly cheap. My accommodation costs would fall by 80% in Thailand, I eat like a dog (all big bowls of veg, starch and protein are identical ) and I dress like someone who got last pick from the Hurricane Katrina relief effort skip.

But yes - anything manufactured (with the possible exception of scooters up to 110cc) seems more expensive.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

The food things I miss I bring back duffle bags full, I find original Kelloggs and Post cereals better quality and cheaper.. In USA we have many items found in 'Dollar stores" that are amazingly cheaper than in Thailand.

[Felt 35]

A million baht remains enough to purchase a house and the land it's on in cities like Atlanta, GA.

This have to be a writing mistake...1million Baht.....if not how do I get a settlement visa in the US

[manarak]

A million baht remains enough to purchase a house and the land it's on in cities like Atlanta, GA.

This have to be a writing mistake...1million Baht.....if not how do I get a settlement visa in the US

a 30.000 USD house in the US... 555

they probably exist... plywood walls with plastic roof 2 hours away from the next city.

wouldn't a trailer be better? at least it can move closer to the city.

[Pib]

A million baht remains enough to purchase a house and the land it's on in cities like Atlanta, GA.

This have to be a writing mistake...1million Baht.....if not how do I get a settlement visa in the US

a 30.000 USD house in the US... 555

they probably exist... plywood walls with plastic roof 2 hours away from the next city.

wouldn't a trailer be better? at least it can move closer to the city.

This CBS News article talks about under $30K homes in the U.S...mostly talking the larger cities. I included below a snapshot of the Atlanta home talked in the article.

[manarak]

A million baht remains enough to purchase a house and the land it's on in cities like Atlanta, GA.

This have to be a writing mistake...1million Baht.....if not how do I get a settlement visa in the US

a 30.000 USD house in the US... 555

they probably exist... plywood walls with plastic roof 2 hours away from the next city.

wouldn't a trailer be better? at least it can move closer to the city.

This CBS News article talks about under $30K homes in the U.S...mostly talking the larger cities. I included below a snapshot of the Atlanta home talked in the article.

Capture.JPG

according to the article, that's a renovation project, not a ready to move in accomodation

[MaeJoMTB]

A million baht remains enough to purchase a house and the land it's on in cities like Atlanta, GA.

This have to be a writing mistake...1million Baht.....if not how do I get a settlement visa in the US

You can get a condo in Spain for half that.

Not sure I'd be all that keen to live in a black ghetto in the US.

Edited April 14, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[BKKdreaming]

you can buy cheap old houses in some of the "ghost towns" in the Midwest USA

these are far from a big city , kids have moved away and population keeps falling as kids leave and parents/grandparents die off,

this is small town USA , but with good internet and Amazon prime to deliver stuff to you you could live a good life,

[Pib]

The reason many things are higher in Thailand is due to their tax system that relies heavily on import and excise taxes....the taxes that are applied before they reach the consumer. Then the customer pays another 7% VAT tax...but in the U.S. many states/local governments apply local taxes which approximate the 7% VAT in Thailand so the VAT is pretty much a wash in the comparison. Since the majority of Thais do not pay income taxes (or even file tax returns) Thailand has always relied heavily on import and excise taxes which people can not escape unless they just don't buy anything and that's pretty hard to do if you want to survive....it's a regressive tax system that hits the poor the hardest.

[Muzarella]

Most numbers on your list seems right...but a land with a house for 1 million TBH???? in the US???? Send me a picture and I will buy it now! And the address please.

I hope its have a street number, and what you mean for "house" is not the mail box, or it is on wheels.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Muzarella

[Craig krup]

Well, "cheap housing" is a very, very deceptive notion in the US. You can buy houses for less than $1,000 and as soon as you're the owner you get a bill for many times that in local taxation. You don't pay it and the house gets sold again on the steps of the state legislature to someone else who hasn't spent two seconds working out why assumptions they make from their own country might not apply somewhere else, and why if someone seems too good to be true then it probably is.

Housing cost - leaving aside capital gains and losses - is i) cost of acquisition - legal fees and so on, ii) the opportunity cost of having the dough tied up in the property and iii) maintenance. In the real world you can then add, iv) cost times probability of catastrophic loss of title, v) possible capital gains and losses, and vi) cost of disposal (including any capital gains tax).

Brits in particular have real problems understanding that US property might not be as cheap as it seems. In 2006 a taxi driver in Texas told me that he was paying $6,000 in various forms of local taxation, including a separate tax for the schools.

[Pib]

Most numbers on your list seems right...but a land with a house for 1 million TBH???? in the US???? Send me a picture and I will buy it now! And the address please.

I hope its have a street number, and what you mean for "house" is not the mail box, or it is on wheels.

Here you go and it's only $6,000 (approx Bt200K) on a 5,227 sq/ft lot....looks like you are moving to West Virginia...your street number address will be:

2 Holly Grove Road

Forest Hill, WV 24935

You'll need to fix it up to be liveable,...but with the Bt800K savings on a Bt1M budget you should be able to make it quite liveable and still come way under Bt1M equivalent in USD And the house even comes with a mobile home as a guest home. I didn't see the outdoor john so maybe the house has indoor plumbing.

Be sure to keep us posted on how you are doing in the hills of West Virginia and don't start running moonshine. And with a street address of "2" that means you should have at least one neighbor....someone has to have the "1" address.

Link

Edited April 14, 2015 by Pib

[BudRight]

Well, "cheap housing" is a very, very deceptive notion in the US. You can buy houses for less than $1,000 and as soon as you're the owner you get a bill for many times that in local taxation. You don't pay it and the house gets sold again on the steps of the state legislature to someone else who hasn't spent two seconds working out why assumptions they make from their own country might not apply somewhere else, and why if someone seems too good to be true then it probably is.

Housing cost - leaving aside capital gains and losses - is i) cost of acquisition - legal fees and so on, ii) the opportunity cost of having the dough tied up in the property and iii) maintenance. In the real world you can then add, iv) cost times probability of catastrophic loss of title, v) possible capital gains and losses, and vi) cost of disposal (including any capital gains tax).

Brits in particular have real problems understanding that US property might not be as cheap as it seems. In 2006 a taxi driver in Texas told me that he was paying $6,000 in various forms of local taxation, including a separate tax for the schools.

You need due diligence when buying any property. I don't know what 'cost of disposal' is.

It may be that the taxi driver was paying that per year. You must check local property tax rates. They range from extremely high to 0% in States like Washington.

Really though, rent is a person's biggest expense in the US. Finding a way not to pay that is most of the battle.

[Craig krup]

You need due diligence when buying any property. I don't know what 'cost of disposal' is.

It may be that the taxi driver was paying that per year. You must check local property tax rates. They range from extremely high to 0% in States like Washington.

Really though, rent is a person's biggest expense in the US. Finding a way not to pay that is most of the battle.

"Cost of disposal" - selling it. A lot of people would say that part of the cost of owning a house is getting rid of it at some point, which in the UK means (usually) dealing with an "Estate Agent" (realtor) and handing over several thousand pounds for not a lot.

Oh, yeah, what the taxi driver was talking about was per year, but it was still a scary amount. I was staying in a fantastic townhouse in the Bancroft area of Houston which seemed staggeringly cheap to buy, but of course once bought the local taxation plus the cost of upkeep and maintenance made it look less of a bargain. Security and grounds maintenance is an awful lot cheaper in (say) Thailand. So when people look at housing costs in the US they need to bear in mind that some areas absolutely roger you, and things change: a change of administration and a loss of the tax base (see Michigan) can see those left being royally rogered. The whole California 1970's taxpayer rebellion, and the fiscal crisis it produced twenty years later, was caused by squeezing immobile property owners who finally responded with ballot initiatives/"Propositions" which said "No more".

As to avoiding rent, nobody really accepts my "accountant's" view on the issue. Everybody rents. You either rent from a landlord, rent money from the bank with a mortgage, or (if you own outright) you rent from yourself: you're your own tenant because you're giving up the rent you could have had by putting someone else in the property. The national accounts in the UK treat owner occupiers in this way: they're renting from themselves. This is why I really despair when people fall over themselves to buy property in Thailand. If you have $30,000 you have to ask what it could deliver if it was invested in the US in a spread of bonds and shares, and the answer is about 5%. You then need to look at what you could rent for $1,500 in Thailand, and think about what maintenance and other costs would be if you owned what you were renting. Most people are (I think) much better off renting. Bang Saray is (say) £20,000 for a Brit for a studio. Could I rent something similar for 50,000 baht a year. Probably not, but I probably could for a very little more, and all things considered that extra bit of money is an insurance policy. But Brits, unable to question the assumptions they are making about property ownership which all depend on their UK experience, are falling over themselves to buy Thai property. It might all work out, but sanity means playing the averages.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Craig krup

[slipperylobster]

I pay 5000 baht for a 5 bedroom/4 bath house on the outskirts of chiang mai. A similar house in my home state of New York would be 60,000 a month.

That blows away all the other deals combined. Not to mention the free snow removal here.

I can't afford a vacation back in New York...the hotels are 6000 baht a night *even in the dead of winter * for a 3 star hotel. Here in Thailand, on the beach, it is only a third of that.

LOL all the way to the bank............... send more margarittas, I am running out.

PS....property taxes back in New York s.u.c.k. As do all their other taxes.

that negates the savings on fresh apples and steaks. for the year.

Edited April 14, 2015 by slipperylobster

[slipperylobster]

I pay 5000 baht for a 5 bedroom/4 bath house on the outskirts of chiang mai. A similar house in my home state of New York would be 60,000 a month.

That blows away all the other deals combined. Not to mention the free snow removal here.

I can't afford a vacation back in New York...the hotels are 6000 baht a night *even in the dead of winter * for a 3 star hotel. Here in Thailand, on the beach, it is only a third of that.

LOL all the way to the bank............... send more margarittas, I am running out.

PS....property taxes back in New York s.u.c.k. As do all their other taxes.

that negates the savings on fresh apples and steaks. for the year.

Had to add the following obscenely high costs of living in my home country compared to Thailand.

All in baht

Heating (during winter)....15000 per month

cable internet................... 5000 per month

electric/water...................4000 per month

taxi service....................... 2000 per trip

Insurance (all)...................4000 per month

restaurants (all).................double or triple for average food

garden/snow removal........2000 per month

walking in the park/atm retrieval...............possibly cost your life.

A trip to the Dentist (a few cavities)..........15000 minimum

A divorce............(don't ask, that is why I moved here)...your life savings and your future earnings.

lol.....no comparison. add all that to 60,000 per month for rent...and 20,000 for groceries.

awwwwwwwwww forget it. I save nothing there. Here I save 1/3 my income and live three times better.

These expenses are all unavoidable...so comparing salmon eggs and cavier is unfair...and foolish

construction/plumbing/elect.... no need to say...out of this world...(2000 per hour)

Edited April 15, 2015 by slipperylobster

[StefanBBK]

Large size clothing is cheaper in US.

Overall we are doing much better here though. School fees are my only concern.

[slipperylobster]

Large size clothing is cheaper in US.

Overall we are doing much better here though. School fees are my only concern.

English speaking private schools are a killer. very true

[patongphil]

Where's the U.S?

[boike]

Most numbers on your list seems right...but a land with a house for 1 million TBH???? in the US???? Send me a picture and I will buy it now! And the address please.

I hope its have a street number, and what you mean for "house" is not the mail box, or it is on wheels.

Phoenix Arizona

Sent from my S4 LTE