Has Anyone Noticed How Expensive It Is To Live In Isaan These Days?

[mickjn]

I am in Australia at the moment.Cigarettes are $18 a pack.What are they in Mara Sarakham $3.If they go up to much I will not return.Also cold here but if it to expensive I will not return I will tough it out in Australia,freezing,until I go to the Great Temple.

[Elfin]

I am in Australia at the moment.Cigarettes are $18 a pack.What are they in Mara Sarakham $3.If they go up to much I will not return.Also cold here but if it to expensive I will not return I will tough it out in Australia,freezing,until I go to the Great Temple.

Is that $18 for how many in the pack, Mickjin? I quit smoking in 2004 and left Oz in 2005. I think they were $13 for a pack of 40 back then.

I left CM in February to come back to China, partly because it was too expensive to live in CM, and the wages for a teacher were too low there. It is much cheaper to live in China, and the wages are higher here than in Thailand.

Edited June 12, 2013 by Elfin

[glegolo]

I have now lived up in Isaan since 2008. I started up to give my wife 15.000 baht for food a month, two years ago I changed it up to 18.000 baht

and with that we are doing just fine. In that amount is all food and about 2500 baht in water and electric.

Go to Tesco and pay 17.500 baht is maybe good considering what you get for it.... By normally my family goes twice a week and buy at Tesco or Big C and our bill always turns out to be round 800-900 baht each time. My Family is me, wife and two kids...

I think the TS need to learn to "dance" a bit. I mean dance with the commodities and learn where to find the cheapest stuff foodwise. I.e. bacon Go to big C or Tesco buy bacon and your are ruined, it is like 140 baht for 6 slices or something like that. Go to MAKRO for good sake and buy 1 kilo baconscrap perfect in taste and that cost today 170 baht for one kilo.....

Cheese if you buy these quite small packages they cost you about 8-10 baht per slice..... Go to MAKRO and buy these long reels of cheese costing about 750 baht consisting of 150 slices at least, which than is about 2 baht a slice.....

Clothes at Tesco is not bad at all, contrary, pricewise really good. Most of it cost around 200 baht if you shop around there (childen stuff)

So 17.500 baht... no the prices havent got up that bad, but I think we can talk about some 20% I think in increase of foodcosts, but not more than that....

And compared to Sweden which is my native country, prices here are round 1/5 of it, so I am fantasticly happy.... In Sweden no chance in hell to survive with my money, here I am maybe not the king but I am certainly at least the prince in the bar...

Glegolo

Edited June 12, 2013 by glegolo

[blossombkk]

Common, I shop at tesco/macro every week.It never went over 3,500 tb. And that tops. usually it would be 2,500.That would include just everything we need for the week, including chicken, fruits, vegetables etc. That's for 3 people and plenty of guests.

I don't know what kind of stuff you buy or for what period of time, but maybe you should recalculate.

[Cluey]

I totally agree about careful sourcing yielding good savings.

If you can find a "Bangkok Ham" shop, their smoked "Paris ham" is around B250 a kilo and much nicer than domestic hams you get other places. Thinly sliced with some nice cheese - decent parmesan available bulk by the kilo around B1,200, lots cheaper than the plastic Kraft crap.

But it can't be denied, basic food stuffs have greatly increased in price, and not just farang-style imported goods.

In fact I'd say the more essential local foods purchased by normal (poor) Thais at the wet markets have increased in price most of all, and just like back home, real wages haven't kept up at all.

Imagine trying to support a family on on B8,000 a month all up just to put the issue in perspective.

No shame in a little belt-tightening if you can afford double that in one trip to the grocery store.

[belg]

when the government promised: everybody rich in 6 months, they forget to tell: everybody pays much more for everything

[1FinickyOne]

Since you are quoting in baht, the 17,500 would have nothing to do with exchange rate - - I am not sure how you could fit 17,500 into 2 trollies. We seem to fill 2 for abt 2,500 - but that is up from 1,500 some years ago.

Surely you have seen the cliched images of old people walking around bemoaning the times when everything cost a dime. And that packaged ham is not really good for you anyway.

[Card]

I'm just about to go off on holiday to central Europe (Austria, Germany, Italy etc) to wade around in the mud. Anyway, I looked up the prices in Lidl, the German supermarket chain in Austria as I will be buying groceries there. The prices compared to Thailand are amazing - like 1.2 Euro for a bottle of wine. I noticed this back in the UK last year at Lidl, Morrisons and other cheapo places - very cheap compared to say Tops or Tescos. I don't mean only the imported stuff either. Things like chocolate, processed meats, ice cream, tinned foods are a snip.

[Card]

When I was in Nan last February the only thing I could find to eat in town was rice soup... at about 35 baht a bowl. That is all I could find after stopping in about 15 cafes. I'm sure there must be some proper restaurants but I couldn't find any. I was finally stuck eating at my hotel's buffet for about 250 baht. I can get a nice Thai meal in Chiang Mai for 40 baht.

Its lights out at Nan at 8pm up at 5 am,beautiful place

Tony's place, now in the centre, is a great restaurant and talking shop for both Thai and western food in Nan. He will also do takeaways and has a web site. His sausage and mash and pizzas are delightful. You can also buy bread and sausages to take home. Not many other places, I agree. There are also many coffee places opened up. The Dhevaraj Hotel does a good cheap lunch buffet incl western food.

[NoshowJones]

Along with minimum wages, the cost basics have all gone up. Cooking oil, sugar, gas and the like. The situation isn't limited to Isaan, restaurants prices have crept up all over Thailand in the last 18 mon

Along with minimum wages, the cost basics have all gone up. Cooking oil, sugar, gas and the like. The situation isn't limited to Isaan, restaurants prices have crept up all over Thailand in the last 18 months.

Along with minimum wages, the cost basics have all gone up. Cooking oil, sugar, gas and the like. The situation isn't limited to Isaan, restaurants prices have crept up all over Thailand in the last 18 months.

If the OP has notced, the exchange rate has gone up a bit in the last two weeks. today it is over 48 baht to the GBP.

[pattayadingo]

Definitely a big bill.

My two most expensive single items are bacon and sausages. 275 for a kilo of good bacon with no fat. 175 for 20/24 sausages. They last between 2 - 4 weeks.

Ham scrap is about 170 Baht a kilo and tastes as good as any other.

A kilo of cheese was about 700 Baht and lasted at least 5 weeks - but I eat (ate) too much cheese and stopped buying it.

17,500? Yest it sounds like a cashback.

On that note, I read an article recently - granted from the U.K. - that cashiers were adding cash-back to the bills. The cashiers would not give the cash-back to the customer, but often hand it to a friend in the checkout queue.

Did you check the bill? I count the items I've bought against how many are on the bill itself and only takes a few seconds.

[Jasun]

If you go by the 'mama index', prices are up 15-20%.

[Johnniey]

I've lived in Issan for 24 years and seen inflation but it would be the same anywhere. Nothing to do with the exchange rate. There was a period when the baht was weak against the pound. Now it is normal in my opinion.

If I went to Tesco in UK and filled two trolleys with all the food and clothes that I wanted I'd pay slot more. Welcome to the real world.

I have 3 kids and never spend nearly that much on my monthly trip to Tesco.

[asiamaster]

Been to Tokyo, and at the supermarket prices for almost anything, including imports, are lower than in Bangkok.

While the quality and hygiene is much higher, wages and rents are much higher.

Thai Baht need to devalue at least 20%. It's ridiculous having first world prices and third world standards.

If the Baht would devalue 20% imported goods could become 20% more expensive in Thai Baht....

[wamberal]

There's not much point being shocked at the price of a packet of ham after you have bought it. Better to check the price before, I would have thought.

Although I, for one, would not eat any processed meats at all, by choice.

[winstonc]

well if you insist on tescos then youl pay,wages,lighting,aircon,etc it all adds up,dont eat farang food ,why come here if you cant adapt a wee bit more,maybe you bought a years worth of clothes for the lad,that could be it,baht 48=gb pound looks like your being ripped off everywhere you go,,,watch the wife i say,,you never can tell,,,good luck sir,,

[GreenSnapper]

If the Baht would devalue 20% imported goods could become 20% more expensive in Thai Baht....

I'm afraid, you may be right.

They rised the prices for imports when the Baht became stronger and stronger. They will certainly do it again when the Baht gets cheaper.

[glegolo]

Oh shit ,another one gasping about adapting. I find it extremely easy to eat the food I like, and to live the life I like. Who cares if the thai dont like my falangfood!! I am worth enjoying my last years in style, and eat whatever I like, NOT what some rainwaterdrinking Som Tam-eater tells me to eat...

Glegolo

ps. me I found that the raise in costs immediately started when Yingluck proudly presented the new minimum wage here in Thailand of 300 baht.. Everybody here in Isaan took advantage of that...

Edited June 12, 2013 by glegolo

[prakhonchai nick]

The bath is going up and up,

The "bath" is plummeting at the minute actually.

My bath isn't doing anything. We've got a power cut and therefiore no pump and no water!

If it's money you are referring to it is the BAHT!!!

[terryp]

As seems the norm now on TV the thread which has very valid points has been hi-jacked by numptys that even most probably have never cooked a meal in Thailand ever, just live off MSG laden street crap and only converse with BG.

I totally agree with the OP as most people with family’s living here will also agree,,,Thailand is no longer the cheap place to live..I noticed the change around 5 years ago and it is accelerating, as one poster said you can live cheaper in the UK at the moment and that includes rental properties (excluding parts of the SE)

I am Not interested in troll reply’s I know how much we spend a week in Tesco and its never less than 3,500-4000 BAHT ...(to all the Bath lovers try actually spelling the Country’s currency that you are using daily...if you are in fact here in Thailand)

[realenglish1]

He Just cut out the "Pork" LoL

[yoslim]

Yep life becomes expensive when you let the wife in charge of the shopping and let her buy all the useless crap junk and other food you fon't really need.. Thai girls are the worst money managers in the world when they spend somoene else's money

[Cluey]

Can live more cheaply in Somalia too, doesn't mean you'd actually want to. . .

Anyone living out in upcountry Nakon Nowhere just because they thought it would save them some money should get their head examined, I sure hope you all have better reasons than that!

[Somnambulist]

Who is doing the shopping and picking for you?

Surely it cant be that bad. You where just shocked at the bill you had to pay.

The bath is going up and up, but that doesn't mean I don't have to remain critical and seriously aware when i go shopping

The baht is "going up" vs. many other currencies but it is going down in real terms, as are all currencies due to money printing.

[Neeranam]

As seems the norm now on TV the thread which has very valid points has been hi-jacked by numptys that even most probably have never cooked a meal in Thailand ever, just live off MSG laden street crap and only converse with BG.

I totally agree with the OP as most people with family’s living here will also agree,,,Thailand is no longer the cheap place to live..I noticed the change around 5 years ago and it is accelerating, as one poster said you can live cheaper in the UK at the moment and that includes rental properties (excluding parts of the SE)

I am Not interested in troll reply’s I know how much we spend a week in Tesco and its never less than 3,500-4000 BAHT ...(to all the Bath lovers try actually spelling the Country’s currency that you are using daily...if you are in fact here in Thailand)

When criticizing spelling you should make sure your spelling/grammar is correct!

People with family's???

Here I can rent a nice 3 bed-roomed house for 3500 baht a month. That is with air-con and two bedrooms en suite. This is in Khon Kaen city.

I have a buddy with a nice house in the country that pays 1000 baht a month.

I don't know the rental of houses in the UK apart from my brother's house which he rents for GBP 2500 a month. This is in Aberdeen and about the same size as my house. That is how many baht?

I'm building a new house at the moment - 3 bed-roomed and big garden in the city - for about GBP 55k

What on earth do you buy in Tesco? My monthly bill is about 6k and I have 2 kids.

I don't know what a numpty is but I'd question how long you've been living here.

[HUAHIN62]

Now lets see. I can buy 2x5kg rice for B 400, 10 kg pork for B 1100, 10 kg chicken for B 1200, cooking oil 5 l for B 450, fish+soya+oyster sauce for B 350, vegetables onions+carrots+spring onions+beans+cabbage for B 500, fruit - lemons+oranges+watermelon+mango for B 500 and say I splash a little on biscuits etc another B 1000. My total gets to B 5500 or GBP 113 at todays exchange rate. So that will leave me with B 12000 for clothes and plenty spare for beverages.

[Emdog]

I do not have lots of sympathy for those who blame the rise in the cost of their prime rib on the raise in pay so common Thais can afford to buy rice. Eat Thai, eat local. I recently came back from USA and was also shocked by price increases. More people chasing fewer goods (or the same amount) = price increases.

[calumn1]

There are two tricks that I have found at these Suprmarkets

1. The ring up items twice - you pay twice they benefit.

2. Items disappear (at least one from a trolley full. You don;t notice until you get home. where is that Ham I bought, It is back on the shelf and you have paid for it!!!

Clever tricks to keep the staff bonuses high (stock levels)

TIP -- Watch the cashier VERY closely. Speak some Thai. No Farrang TingTong

[SSSlongtime]

try eating out in France 60 euros for 2 salads and drinks ,supper market shopping about 4 times the price as thailand ,so on shopping lucky to be in thailand ,eat what thai do cost nearly nothing , grow your own food ,can eat out along the mekong at Samkong 120 Bt including a drink ,nice view ,food OK so thailand is cheap ,but for sure not like the good old days ,world over

[glegolo]

As seems the norm now on TV the thread which has very valid points has been hi-jacked by numptys that even most probably have never cooked a meal in Thailand ever, just live off MSG laden street crap and only converse with BG.

I totally agree with the OP as most people with family’s living here will also agree,,,Thailand is no longer the cheap place to live..I noticed the change around 5 years ago and it is accelerating, as one poster said you can live cheaper in the UK at the moment and that includes rental properties (excluding parts of the SE)

I am Not interested in troll reply’s I know how much we spend a week in Tesco and its never less than 3,500-4000 BAHT ...(to all the Bath lovers try actually spelling the Country’s currency that you are using daily...if you are in fact here in Thailand)

When criticizing spelling you should make sure your spelling/grammar is correct!

People with family's???

Here I can rent a nice 3 bed-roomed house for 3500 baht a month. That is with air-con and two bedrooms en suite. This is in Khon Kaen city.

I have a buddy with a nice house in the country that pays 1000 baht a month.

I don't know the rental of houses in the UK apart from my brother's house which he rents for GBP 2500 a month. This is in Aberdeen and about the same size as my house. That is how many baht?

I'm building a new house at the moment - 3 bed-roomed and big garden in the city - for about GBP 55k

What on earth do you buy in Tesco? My monthly bill is about 6k and I have 2 kids.

I don't know what a numpty is but I'd question how long you've been living here.

Whatever you say it is still BAHT and NOT BATH....

Glegolo