Pretty sure this should be in a different thread Mods - please move/cancel as you see fit...
A look at the exchange rate 10 years ago - big difference. But what is the cost equivalent these days? Forget GBP, USD etc... What will 1,000 Baht (my £20 x 50) buy me now as to to what it was then?
pharvey wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 2:06 am
Pretty sure this should be in a different thread Mods - please move/cancel as you see fit...
A look at the exchange rate 10 years ago - big difference. But what is the cost equivalent these days? Forget GBP, USD etc... What will 1,000 Baht (my £20 x 50) buy me now as to to what it was then?
I may not be typical, but I definitely can’t remember the exact pricing I was paying 10 years ago other than in almost all examples, prices have gone up (some quite considerably, others less so), but factor in that the exchange rate has worsened (despite the recent welcome revival) and the cost of living increase is quite noticeable. But having said that, I’m sure the same applies back in the UK, so I’m probably no worse off in that respect and overall, I’m still certain that living costs in Thailand are cheaper than the UK, but this was never the major factor that influenced my decision to move here.
Having lived and worked in Thailand for more than the past decade, I've noticed the increase in the cost of living having being paid mostly in THB (so not affected by exchange rates). It is more noticeable when you return to the UK after a prolonged period (17 years in my case) to find many things considerably cheaper in the GBP equivalent.
Mostly household/day-to-day items, food/groceries, alcohol, confectionery, health products, cosmetics, electronics, white goods, vehicles etc. On the other side of the scale are labour/services (electricians/plumbers/builders/mechanics etc), fuel, and accommodation/rent which is mostly cheaper in Thailand.
With the Baht depreciating, the inflation here is only going to get worse - day-to-day items will get more expensive than they already are. 1,000 baht doesn't go very far anymore and it will be the lower end of the economic spectrum that feels the pinch the most. It doesn't affect the rich who control the country and economy, having enriched themselves even further during the pandemic. The Thai wealth gap has grown greater than ever.
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
