Broke In Bangkok 101: The 100 Baht A Day Survival Guide

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Broke In Bangkok 101: The 100 Baht A Day Survival Guide

Steve Edwards

 

 

BANGKOK: -- And so it comes to pass one morning, after six months of robust merriment – most of which you cannot recall – that you search through your pockets only to unearth a beer Chang bottle cap, a half eaten packet of Lays Originals, and absolutely nothing resembling convertible currency.

 

Congratulations, you are skint.

 

Flat broke. Tapped out. Penniless. On the bones of your arse.

 

Bangkok isn’t a nice place to be when you have no money, in fact it’s positively terrifying. The streets and sub sois which were once pulsating veins, bristling with smiling faces and a vibrant assortment of bars, pubs and roadside eateries, are now cold, stoney corridors oozing a thick fug of raw sewage and cheap incense fumes.

 

Sitting in your apartment now, with the Channel Three news providing a soundtrack to your woeful situation, you weigh up the options.

 

Buoyed at the thought of Great Auntie Jean’s thrice annual contributions to your bank account, one of which is due next week, you go hat-in-hand to an acquaintance and borrow 300 baht.

 

It must last you three days.

 

100 baht a day.

 

Is it possible to lead a rich and fulfilling existence on such a meagre sum? Well, yes. I think you’ll find it is.

 

Starting with breakfast, you can’t go far wrong with a packet of Mama Noodles.

 

At six baht per bag, Mama comes in a variety of different flavours, the most popular being Moo Sub and Tom Yum Goong, and provides adequate carbohydrates to see you through until lunch. After adding the accompanying condiments, Mama makes for a reasonablytasty morning meal.

 

But you wouldn’t want to eat it everyday. Having to eat it everyday would be very upsetting indeed.

 

A cigarette is next on the agenda.

 

That one most sacred of postprandial activities can surely not be eschewed even in these trying times. Not only will it bring cessation to your breakfast but a few puffs of the hallowed leaf will serve to bid farewell to any remaining traces of hunger.

 

Due to our forced parsimony, the likes of Marlboro, L&M, Wonder, and even the mega-budget SMS are all off the menu today.

 

Full story: http://whatsonsukhumvit.com/broke-in-bangkok-101-the-100-baht-a-day-survival-guide/

 

-- What's new on Sukumvit 2016-09-12

[NickJ]

I don't think I've ever had a package of potato chips in my pocket. Half eaten or not.

[craigt3365]

Ummm....how about going home and getting a job.

[MockingJay]

Correct, NickJ!

I would have believed the author if he'd just stated that in his pockets he found; a condom, a lighter (20% gas left), an expired TOPS Supermarket discount voucher, a rubber band, a 25 Satang Coin, two 7Eleven 1Baht stamps, a Tic-Tac (sticky and full of dirt) and an old, whitened-out ATM slip...

 

I myself lived on 3.500 THB a month in a small town, in the very deep south of Thailand over two decades ago, and must say that those were some of the best days of my life!

[Rob8891]

40 minutes ago, MockingJay said:

Correct, NickJ!

I would have believed the author if he'd just stated that in his pockets he found; a condom, a lighter (20% gas left), an expired TOPS Supermarket discount voucher, a rubber band, a 25 Satang Coin, two 7Eleven 1Baht stamps, a Tic-Tac (sticky and full of dirt) and an old, whitened-out ATM slip...

 

I myself lived on 3.500 THB a month in a small town, in the very deep south of Thailand over two decades ago, and must say that those were some of the best days of my life!

Unfortunately, nostalgia ain't what it used to be. ?

[HooHaa]

more utter <deleted> from whats on sukhumvit.

 

makes coconuts look like pulitzer prize winners in comparison. 

 

and since when does hoi tot contain prawns and squid?  - since never.

[mcfish]

OP has never been on a bender. Beer bottle caps do not end up in your pockets and the alcohol induced carb craving will ensure that packet of chips will be empty and laying in a gutter somewhere 

[mulder12345]

100b a day? I've done it. Gets a bit boring but it's possible on less even. 3 mama noodles a day with cut up tomatoes and some other veg and you have a good meal. You can even splurge on a pad thai once in a while. I usually budget 400B a day and rarely go over. I don't smoke or drink. I live in CM old town.

[Kabula]

Better to leave Thailand before your broke!

[Bung]

What is it with all the "how cheaply can I live in Thailand" threads lately? Tax return cheques not in yet? 

[Kwasaki]

100 baht a day just leave Bkk and go North and stay in Temple you will be able save for your ticket home. 

[mcfish]

Brexit aftermath..... although if it were me I would head back to work in the old country if I was under 1k a day for the bare bone minimums ie just existing .... 

Edited September 12, 2016 by mcfish

[HampiK]

3 minutes ago, mcfish said:

Brexit aftermath..... although if it were me I would head back to work in the old country if I was under 1k a day for the bare bone minims ie just existing .... 

I think there are some person in Thailand, which probably would go back, if they had the money for the ticket.

 

And then there are some even they would become a ticket home for free would stay in Thailand with maybe less than 100 baht per day.

[mcfish]

3 minutes ago, HampiK said:

I think there are some person in Thailand, which probably would go back, if they had the money for the ticket.

 

And then there are some even they would become a ticket home for free would stay in Thailand with maybe less than 100 baht per day.

I agree. Although why anyone would as a farang live poorer than a Thai farmer is beyond me..some people have no shame

[Kwasaki]

6 minutes ago, mcfish said:

Brexit aftermath..... although if it were me I would head back to work in the old country if I was under 1k a day for the bare bone minimums ie just existing .... 

 Tesco's,  Asda,  Sainsbury's,  are waiting for you. 

[Gillyflower]

It reminds me of the old days - such a long time ago - when we used travel with the book   'somewhere' on $5 a day.  They were excellent. I particularly remember The Cote d'Azur on $ 5 a day.

[Redline]

6 hours ago, MockingJay said:

Correct, NickJ!

I would have believed the author if he'd just stated that in his pockets he found; a condom, a lighter (20% gas left), an expired TOPS Supermarket discount voucher, a rubber band, a 25 Satang Coin, two 7Eleven 1Baht stamps, a Tic-Tac (sticky and full of dirt) and an old, whitened-out ATM slip...

 

I myself lived on 3.500 THB a month in a small town, in the very deep south of Thailand over two decades ago, and must say that those were some of the best days of my life!

I would love to hear the stories

[theguyfromanotherforum]

I'm not sure if I should be ashamed, but I clicked on the link and quite enjoyed the article.

[MahasarakhamMitch]

It reminds me of the old days - such a long time ago - when we used travel with the book   'somewhere' on $5 a day.  They were excellent. I particularly remember The Cote d'Azur on $ 5 a day.

You wouldn't get a tin of coke for £5 these days. I took my family there on holiday and it was very pricey

[joecoolfrog]

In those circumstances I would just head off to my favourite bar in Suk soi 22 , the girls would look after me !

[sahibji]

16 hours ago, NickJ said:

I don't think I've ever had a package of potato chips in my pocket. Half eaten or not.

neither have you lived on 100B a day. 

[sahibji]

4 hours ago, joecoolfrog said:

In those circumstances I would just head off to my favourite bar in Suk soi 22 , the girls would look after me !

you are like that?

[sahibji]

8 hours ago, MahasarakhamMitch said:

You wouldn't get a tin of coke for £5 these days. I took my family there on holiday and it was very pricey

what time frame are we talking about. there have been times when five pounds was a lot of money.

[sahibji]

9 hours ago, Redline said:

I would love to hear the stories

sounds interesting. more please of some of the anecdotes you experienced. 

[sahibji]

11 hours ago, HampiK said:

I think there are some person in Thailand, which probably would go back, if they had the money for the ticket.

 

And then there are some even they would become a ticket home for free would stay in Thailand with maybe less than 100 baht per day.

like to meet these rare species.

[sahibji]

12 hours ago, Kabula said:

Better to leave Thailand before your broke!

i have always felt that way. why impose your problems on your host country and make an ass of yourself and put your country of origin in poor light.

[sahibji]

sounds more like fiction than reality. i assume you are also going to sleep in a card box under some flyover.

[NickJ]

Years and years ago there was a guy that used to hang out with a group of us. He fell on hard times. Downgraded and downgraded.  In the end. We donated the price of a ticket. So he could go home. Even added a little extra. He was so happy. Touched even. He  didn't leave. He downgraded again. Stopped coming around.......... 

[anotheruser]

On 9/12/2016 at 4:48 PM, mulder12345 said:

100b a day? I've done it. Gets a bit boring but it's possible on less even. 3 mama noodles a day with cut up tomatoes and some other veg and you have a good meal. You can even splurge on a pad thai once in a while. I usually budget 400B a day and rarely go over. I don't smoke or drink. I live in CM old town.

 

Utterly impossible if you don't live here and need a place to sleep. 

[Bangkokazy]

There is no hard to live on 100 B per day, but to live at 100B over a period of 1 - 2 months is not good. It's better to go home.