We are discussing the increase in banking fees on one thread as well as the exchange rate fluctuations causing problems for those of us who get our money from abroad as we get less for our dollar/pound than we used to on another thread.
At the same time the costs for a lot of other things are going up, some dramatically.
I use EMS to mail important documents like my tax return back to the U.S. A document a couple of years ago to the states was 400 baht, last year 500 baht, today 600 baht (one page). Last year and every year since I've lived here I've paid a fee between 100 and 200 baht for a post office box. Today it was 500 baht. I mentioned on another thread where Truevisions has gone to a 30 day billing cycle instead of monthly so that they get paid for 5 or 6 more days in a year than they used to.
They keep raising taxes on items like alcohol and cigarettes. Building materials and costs have gone up by around 4000 baht per square meter in the last few years.
These are all small things but it seems to be happening with nearly everything and when you add it all up over time, it can wreak havoc on your budget after a while.
Are they going to price us out of here soon so that we have to look for a cheaper place to live?
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
prices here seem to fluctuate wildly between tourist bubbles like HH, Bangkok, and the provinces. HH is one of the most expensive places in Thailand to live as I understand it.
Things seem a lot more expensive - 33% or so - because of the weak pound/baht exchange rate...for Brits at least. Whilst its not killing me it is making life tougher.
Things are gonna carry on yo-yo ing for some time as I see it. Thailand needs political stability and recovery time, and the current political climate offers neither.
"Science flew men to the moon. Religion flew men into buildings."
Yeah overall I've noticed prices increasing as less customers are here, that weird Thai business logic thing. Only exception is noticing guest houses/3 star hotels reducing room prices though, as book these a fair bit.
Also seen some farang run places offering food/drink deals to attract customers.
HH is still way cheaper overall than living in Phuket, Samui or Bangkok (understandable as capital city) from what I've seen/payed on my trips.
Would be interesting to see a price comparison between different destinations in Thailand. I have been around a bit through the years and I heard the "this is the most expensive place in Thailand" - statement from expats living on Koh Samui, in Phuket, in Bangkok, in Hua Hin and now I hear the same in Krabi.
When you walk the tourist walk, visiting bars, frequenting farang food serving restaurants, using private taxis, buy imported groceries and rent a place of 20,000+ baht I do not know. But when I compare the prices of a meal in a Thai food stall, of fruit, meat and vegetables on the local market as well as the rent for a Thai style house I really cannot see a big difference between the above mentioned destinations.
We are all living in 'the good old days' of the future.
hhfarang,
Just an aside on the PO Boxes. I renewed mine today. It's 500 THB, but they refund you the 300 key deposit you would have paid in the first year - I've got to go back on Friday morning to get it after the lady's done the paperwork. Hope you were told that as well
Cost therefore just 200 THB a year.
Just an aside on the PO Boxes. I renewed mine today. It's 500 THB, but they refund you the 300 key deposit you would have paid in the first year - I've got to go back on Friday morning to get it after the lady's done the paperwork. Hope you were told that as well thumbs up
Cost therefore just 200 THB a year.
Thanks Lomu, I was not told that! Why only this year? It has always been 200 baht (or less?) for five years and we never had this key deposit thing before.
I'll have to send the wife down to sort 'em out!
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
Maybe you're being charged 500 because you didn't pay the 300 key deposit the first time round? That's all I can think of. The woman checked her book and going back some 9 years ago when I first got mine there's a note that I paid whatever the annual fee was plus 300.
Other friends told me a few days ago that the PO is just having a clear out. There are a lot of boxes that are basically lying idle and havn't been paid for some time and there are quite a few that have been "sold on" privately to others different to those whose name the contract is in.
Quite why I had to pay 500 today to be given 300 back when I next go there is beyond me.
If either your wife or you go, do so in the morning. The woman seemed to be stressing that she was only there until lunchtime. Not on Saturdays either.
Similar Lomu concerning electricity. The rented house I had in Pattaya all of a sudden showed a 3,000 baht credit on the bill one month. Turned out to be a deposit the owner had paid to hook up the service some six years prior. She had totally forgotten about it. Some honesty there concerning some of these Thai companies. Pete
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Pete