Poll: Thailand growing more unhappy as cost of living soars

[Siani]

I have just come over to Thailand last week. Last year when in HH I think the prices were a lot less. I do think that lager prices are the same as in the UK. Here in the hotel they are 190 baht for a large Singha. In the UK it is possible to find a pint for under £2. Asda sell 4 pints of Stella for £5. I bought a soda water 40 baht, orange juice 100 baht. Food is more than last year to eat out...an average meal for 2 in an average place with drinks 500 baht...if western...900+. Mr S & I can go to the Thai restaurant in th UK for £30...on a Sunday a place in the centre of town does a buffet for £10 a head.
Tuk Tuks are far more greedy than last time, also rude with it! (Well some of them)
It does make me wonder if Thailand is shooting itself in the foot with the high property prices etc. I think we are all on our guard not to be ripped off! As you all say, if on a fixed income...not so good. The thing is that in other countries such as the UK, there are price wars...this does keep the cost of living down. Thailand is still obviously cheap, but what must be remembered for tourists is it costs a lot to get here

[STEVE G]

I think Hua Hin still has the edge over the UK on property prices:
http://www.beachhuts4hire.co.uk/90/Lyme ... splay.aspx

[Takiap]

I have just come over to Thailand last week. Last year when in HH I think the prices were a lot less. I do think that lager prices are the same as in the UK. Here in the hotel they are 190 baht for a large Singha. In the UK it is possible to find a pint for under £2. Asda sell 4 pints of Stella for £5. I bought a soda water 40 baht, orange juice 100 baht. Food is more than last year to eat out...an average meal for 2 in an average place with drinks 500 baht...if western...900+. Mr S & I can go to the Thai restaurant in th UK for £30...on a Sunday a place in the centre of town does a buffet for £10 a head.
Tuk Tuks are far more greedy than last time, also rude with it! (Well some of them)
It does make me wonder if Thailand is shooting itself in the foot with the high property prices etc. I think we are all on our guard not to be ripped off! As you all say, if on a fixed income...not so good. The thing is that in other countries such as the UK, there are price wars...this does keep the cost of living down. Thailand is still obviously cheap, but what must be remembered for tourists is it costs a lot to get here

Hi Siani and welcome back. I think you need to find a different hotel because the prices you mention are absurd. Soda water in the average shop is 8 baht, a big Singha 50 baht, and etc. i know hotels always charge more, but to be honest, I would choke if I tried to drink soda water that cost 40 baht....lol.


Tuk Tuks and their drivers were once one of the great charms of Thailand, but that seemed to change a few years back already, especially in Bangkok.

As far as food prices go, even the cost of rice has gone up quite a bit, which I'm sure has hit a lot of locals. Sticky rice for example was about 23 baht per kilo just one year ago, and now it's almost 60 baht per kilo, just behind jasmine rice.

Ah well, there's nothing we can do about it, so I guess I'll just take each day as it comes.

[Siani]

I think Hua Hin still has the edge over the UK on property prices:
http://www.beachhuts4hire.co.uk/90/Lyme ... splay.aspx

These beach huts have always been expensive Steve. Its a beach hut for life...not living accomodation. I think you can buy a flat in the Poole area, not a stones throw from the prestigious Sandbanks...maybe this should be compared to a Condo in HH? If looking for holiday home, a 2 & 3 bed place is available for £19,000 or £45,000 purpose built!
http://www.findaproperty.com/for-sale/p ... hin-1-mile

[Siani]

I have just come over to Thailand last week. Last year when in HH I think the prices were a lot less. I do think that lager prices are the same as in the UK. Here in the hotel they are 190 baht for a large Singha. In the UK it is possible to find a pint for under £2. Asda sell 4 pints of Stella for £5. I bought a soda water 40 baht, orange juice 100 baht. Food is more than last year to eat out...an average meal for 2 in an average place with drinks 500 baht...if western...900+. Mr S & I can go to the Thai restaurant in th UK for £30...on a Sunday a place in the centre of town does a buffet for £10 a head.
Tuk Tuks are far more greedy than last time, also rude with it! (Well some of them)
It does make me wonder if Thailand is shooting itself in the foot with the high property prices etc. I think we are all on our guard not to be ripped off! As you all say, if on a fixed income...not so good. The thing is that in other countries such as the UK, there are price wars...this does keep the cost of living down. Thailand is still obviously cheap, but what must be remembered for tourists is it costs a lot to get here

Hi Siani and welcome back. I think you need to find a different hotel because the prices you mention are absurd. Soda water in the average shop is 8 baht, a big Singha 50 baht, and etc. i know hotels always charge more, but to be honest, I would choke if I tried to drink soda water that cost 40 baht....lol.


Tuk Tuks and their drivers were once one of the great charms of Thailand, but that seemed to change a few years back already, especially in Bangkok.

As far as food prices go, even the cost of rice has gone up quite a bit, which I'm sure has hit a lot of locals. Sticky rice for example was about 23 baht per kilo just one year ago, and now it's almost 60 baht per kilo, just behind jasmine rice.

Ah well, there's nothing we can do about it, so I guess I'll just take each day as it comes.

I am in a hotel, but the prices in the 7/11 are 57b to 58b for large Singha...the thing is, you do like to have a meal out in a restaurant or a drink in a bar...I think they are more expensive than last year. Anyway the ordinary water is free in the hotel I am at this time

[kendo]

About 5 years ago a beer in town was about 60 baht, now around 80 baht, shock horror but at that time there was 72 baht, to the pound i remember this because this was the time i built our house.

Now only 48 baht, to the pound it doe's seem really expensive, yes Hua Hin has got more expensive year on year but i really think to myself weak, weak, weaker pound is the bigger factor.

Kendo.

[Big Boy]

I found during our last holiday that central Hua Hin prices had risen considerably. However, there were numerous options all within 10 minutes walking distance that gave us excellent well priced food and drink - probably half the price of the central area (and real seats as opposed to the plastic rubbish as well).

You don't have to go too far to escape the tourist prices.

[STEVE G]

I think Hua Hin still has the edge over the UK on property prices:
http://www.beachhuts4hire.co.uk/90/Lyme ... splay.aspx

These beach huts have always been expensive Steve. Its a beach hut for life...not living accomodation. I think you can buy a flat in the Poole area, not a stones throw from the prestigious Sandbanks...maybe this should be compared to a Condo in HH? If looking for holiday home, a 2 & 3 bed place is available for £19,000 or £45,000 purpose built!
http://www.findaproperty.com/for-sale/p ... hin-1-mile

It looks a bit grey in Poole today, whatever the price:
http://www.pooleharbourweather.com/webcam.aspx

[Super Joe]

Just quickly on those U.S. house prices, the first one in 'Nashville' is actually 18kms away in a town that everyone's fleeing from due to hispanic gang violence. You could have a large 3 bed house 18kms outside Hua Hin for about 50-60% of those prices, or a smaller 3 bed with a pool 5kms from the town/beach for 75-80% of them: "Antioch experienced construction of many low-rise apartment complexes and mobile home communities. The area continues to experience some of the highest growth rates in Nashville-Davidson County. In recent years, high crime rates and fleeing business has since defined Antioch. The fact that the mall is closing should be an indicator of the general state of Antioch."

But even if you did get a good deal on a purchase, the high running costs make it more expensive than Thailand. The average retired couple in the U.S. spend 66k Baht/month on property costs, taxes, insurance, utility bills plus healthcare, before thinking about groceries etc. In a like-for-like popular coastal resort, it's about 80k Baht/month.

SJ

[Siani]

I think Hua Hin still has the edge over the UK on property prices:
http://www.beachhuts4hire.co.uk/90/Lyme ... splay.aspx

These beach huts have always been expensive Steve. Its a beach hut for life...not living accomodation. I think you can buy a flat in the Poole area, not a stones throw from the prestigious Sandbanks...maybe this should be compared to a Condo in HH? If looking for holiday home, a 2 & 3 bed place is available for £19,000 or £45,000 purpose built!
http://www.findaproperty.com/for-sale/p ... hin-1-mile

It looks a bit grey in Poole today, whatever the price:
http://www.pooleharbourweather.com/webcam.aspx

LOL! Yes quite right, it is the end of Feb/March in the UK! However we have had some great sunshine this last month..winter sun....but not hot! I like the weather in Thailand also...you cannot compare the two places. We are comparing prices here

[hhfarang]

Just quickly on those U.S. house prices, the first one in 'Nashville' is actually 18kms away in a town that everyone's fleeing from due to hispanic gang violence. You could have a large 3 bed house 18kms outside Hua Hin for about 50-60% of those prices, or a smaller 3 bed with a pool 5kms from the town/beach for 75-80% of them: "Antioch experienced construction of many low-rise apartment complexes and mobile home communities. The area continues to experience some of the highest growth rates in Nashville-Davidson County. In recent years, high crime rates and fleeing business has since defined Antioch. The fact that the mall is closing should be an indicator of the general state of Antioch."

SJ, and the reason you are able to find out things like that is because the police and press publish honest statistics in western countries like the U.S.

I suspect the crime rate here is as high if not higher than a same sized town in many western countries but it goes unreported due to a lack of local press and police corruption or ineptitude. I personally know of 5 homes that have been burgled and one mugging in the past few weeks in Hua Hin but I know by word of mouth. You will never see this in on line statistics or anywhere else other than maybe forums like this because the government does not want tourists to know the crime statistics here (if any are even kept).

I have gone to the expense of a two meter wall, a hard wired half million baht alarm system on house and wall with dialer to call me if it goes off and I'm not home, two guard dogs, and yard lighting left on all night every night. I never had to do any of than anywhere I lived in the U.S., so there are a lot of those extra costs of living here too that I never experienced anywhere else before. Just go out into the Bor Fai area and look at the developments that have high walls with a meter of angle iron with strands of barbed wire on top. I've only seen that at prisons in the U.S. I've also never seen walls with the tops embedded with broken glass anywhere else before so don't talk to me about crime here. All you have to do is open your eyes and look at what people do to try to protect themselves (or start an alarm company when you realize it's a good business).

[caller]

Nashville, TN
For sale: $151,990
This brick home includes four bedrooms and 2,224 square feet.

As you say HHF, a nice looking house - but how would you get your car into the garage?

[Big Boy]

[PeteC]

An appropriate video for this thread.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/multimedia/v ... -blue-flag

Good idea for residents and visitors alike to keep an eye out for this Thong Fa (Blue Flag) decal. I've yet to see one in my neck of the woods. Pete

[HHADFan]

The 'land grab' is happening in lots of places now since the flooding of the last few years, especially towns and cities within a 3 hour drive of the capital.

Exactly!