Thailand No Longer A Place For Cheap Living
- Gaybutton
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Re: Thailand No Longer A Place For Cheap Living
Based on the cost of living expenses I read on your link, it still seems cheap enough to me. For sure it's a fraction of what I would be spending if I still lived in Florida.
Besides, some things are worth paying for.
My only problem with Thailand is the current immigration rules for people who have to get their retirement visa under the 800,000 baht method.
Besides, some things are worth paying for.
My only problem with Thailand is the current immigration rules for people who have to get their retirement visa under the 800,000 baht method.
Re: Thailand No Longer A Place For Cheap Living
The data is not matched to the title of this thread.
The data shows Bangkok is more expensive than places like Chiang Hai, Phnom Penh, Penang etc. No surprise. That is not saying Thailand is expensive. Bangkok is not the same thing as Thailand.
There are pockets of high cost. For example Starbucks costs the same or more than in London. The prices of goods like shaving foam are outrageous at up to near 10x what I might pay at home.
However, I can still get a tidy hotel for not much more than 1200 baht and a meal for 40 baht.
In Isan, I can stay in nice hotels for 500-800 baht. This is good value.
The data shows Bangkok is more expensive than places like Chiang Hai, Phnom Penh, Penang etc. No surprise. That is not saying Thailand is expensive. Bangkok is not the same thing as Thailand.
There are pockets of high cost. For example Starbucks costs the same or more than in London. The prices of goods like shaving foam are outrageous at up to near 10x what I might pay at home.
However, I can still get a tidy hotel for not much more than 1200 baht and a meal for 40 baht.
In Isan, I can stay in nice hotels for 500-800 baht. This is good value.
Re: Thailand No Longer A Place For Cheap Living
Who in the hell is Numbeo?
They show the average costs of living for one person less rent between 15,000 - 17,800 TH8 across the spectrum of Asian countries which doesn't mean diddly squat. There's just too much variation in lifestyles to calculate these types of averages and one would have to ask where they obtained their data.
I know one guy who lives in Pattaya on 30,000 THB/month and guys who spend 1 million THB/month just on motorbikes...
They show the average costs of living for one person less rent between 15,000 - 17,800 TH8 across the spectrum of Asian countries which doesn't mean diddly squat. There's just too much variation in lifestyles to calculate these types of averages and one would have to ask where they obtained their data.
I know one guy who lives in Pattaya on 30,000 THB/month and guys who spend 1 million THB/month just on motorbikes...
Re: Thailand No Longer A Place For Cheap Living
On the basis on the link in the OP, numbeo is a total waste of time. Does it not consider Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo and other cities in those countries? Cost-wise they are way ahead of Bangkok in many respects. Looking at numbeo's main site, it does list many cities around the world and it states their information is based on feedback from a variety of contributors. It then adds it "uses the wisdom of the crowd to get as reliable data as possible." Looking at its statistics, I wonder where the crowd comes from!
For Hong Kong, it claims rent is 343.30% higher than in Thailand. That in itself is ridiculous given the huge variables in both countries. And rentals in Hong Kong are basically a great deal more than that. It claims -
- a mid-range bottle of wine costs HK$120 (US$15) - that is absurd! It is over double that!
- apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre costs HK$ 37,554.79 - that is equally absurd. 3 bedrooms in a central location would be between 50% and 100% more, at the very least
- meal for 2 people, mid-range restaurant, 3-course HK$400 - impossibly low. One person might get away with that. Two? No way.
Even for Thailand many of the numbers are ridiculous. It quotes "cinema, international release, 1 seat" as being Bt. 200!
'nuff said!
For Hong Kong, it claims rent is 343.30% higher than in Thailand. That in itself is ridiculous given the huge variables in both countries. And rentals in Hong Kong are basically a great deal more than that. It claims -
- a mid-range bottle of wine costs HK$120 (US$15) - that is absurd! It is over double that!
- apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre costs HK$ 37,554.79 - that is equally absurd. 3 bedrooms in a central location would be between 50% and 100% more, at the very least
- meal for 2 people, mid-range restaurant, 3-course HK$400 - impossibly low. One person might get away with that. Two? No way.
Even for Thailand many of the numbers are ridiculous. It quotes "cinema, international release, 1 seat" as being Bt. 200!
'nuff said!
- Gaybutton
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Re: Thailand No Longer A Place For Cheap Living
I couldn't care less what some study or survey says. It means what to whom? What I care about is am I living how I wish to live, where I wish to live, and do I have enough money to comfortably support my lifestyle, my needs, my wants, and unforeseen contingencies that might pop up?
For me, the answer is yes, so why would I care about this survey (or whatever it is)?
Also, if I were to ever consider living elsewhere, I wouldn't consult a survey. For what reason? I would consult the appropriate message boards and seek advice from those already living there long term. Their answers would be far more relevant than a survey. Many have consulted this board, the Gay Thailand board, and the Sawatdee board for information about life in Thailand, and most of the time we are able to reliably provide it. Why on earth anyone would lend even the slightest credence to this study, or any other study, goes beyond me. Let whoever conducted this study in the first place make his own plans according to his findings. I have never seen anyone who sought advice from the boards refute the advice by saying, "But such-and-such survey tells me different."
For me, the answer is yes, so why would I care about this survey (or whatever it is)?
Also, if I were to ever consider living elsewhere, I wouldn't consult a survey. For what reason? I would consult the appropriate message boards and seek advice from those already living there long term. Their answers would be far more relevant than a survey. Many have consulted this board, the Gay Thailand board, and the Sawatdee board for information about life in Thailand, and most of the time we are able to reliably provide it. Why on earth anyone would lend even the slightest credence to this study, or any other study, goes beyond me. Let whoever conducted this study in the first place make his own plans according to his findings. I have never seen anyone who sought advice from the boards refute the advice by saying, "But such-and-such survey tells me different."
Re: Thailand No Longer A Place For Cheap Living
Can't dispute your other numbers, but 200B is pretty average for a single seat in a modern SF/SFX Or Major Cineplex for most releases (except on a Wednesday). Expect to pay more if you want to sit towards the back of the theatre (where it is less cold!)fountainhall wrote: Even for Thailand many of the numbers are ridiculous. It quotes "cinema, international release, 1 seat" as being Bt. 200!
Re: Thailand No Longer A Place For Cheap Living
Surely that can not be true. I admit I have not been to see a movie for about 3 months and I have never gone on any specific day. But I don't recall paying more than Bt. 120 - 140 for a ticket to any movie at Paragon or Terminal 21- apart from at an iMax theatre or one of those tiny theatres where you get business-class airline-type seats . And I usually sit in the back 3 or 4 rows. Have prices gone up that much in the last few months?colmx wrote:200B is pretty average for a single seat in a modern SF/SFX Or Major Cineplex for most releases (except on a Wednesday). Expect to pay more if you want to sit towards the back of the theatre (where it is less cold!)
Re: Thailand No Longer A Place For Cheap Living
Unfortunately they have
I just looked up afternoon (~16.00-17.00) tickets for Captain marvel (2D showing) on Thurs March 7th and pricing is as follows for bog standard seats
Major Paragon (270B)
SF T21 Asok (240B)
SG T21 Pattaya (240B)
Major Bang Na (220B)
SF Central Festival Pattaya (220B)
SF MBK (200B)
SF Robinsons Buriram (120B)
Lesson learned is to move to Issan!
I just looked up afternoon (~16.00-17.00) tickets for Captain marvel (2D showing) on Thurs March 7th and pricing is as follows for bog standard seats
Major Paragon (270B)
SF T21 Asok (240B)
SG T21 Pattaya (240B)
Major Bang Na (220B)
SF Central Festival Pattaya (220B)
SF MBK (200B)
SF Robinsons Buriram (120B)
Lesson learned is to move to Issan!
- Gaybutton
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Re: Thailand No Longer A Place For Cheap Living
Or don't bother going to see garbage movies in the first place, even if admission was free . . .colmx wrote:Lesson learned is to move to Issan!