Thread: Is Thailand expensive now?

And of course let's not forget that fish and chips in Sizzler has gone up from 225 baht to well over 300 and a plate of teeny tiny chicken wings at Pizza Company has gone up from about 80 baht to 139.

This could be something to do with inflation in Thailand or just the company owner giving us a good arse-raping when we present our final bill at the counter.

...on a somewhat related note...

anyone notice the price inconsistencies between the tag on the shelf under the product and the price that results from the scanner at checkout?

I normally don't pay attention to such details...but yesterday I was in bigC and I bought a jug of Merlot and 2 cans of spaghetti sauce...the price on the tag was 499 for the wine and 44 for the sauce...at the checkout it scanned 539 and 49 respectively...so in true falang style I mentioned it(the wine) and they did a red light price check and sure enough the woman returned to the checkout and I was right...so they changed the price to 499...

but it reminded me of a program I once saw about this very subject and how department stores were raking in millions extra in profits annually by setting their scanners this way with the understanding that most people either wouldn't notice or if they did would feel compelled to not mention it due to coming off as too frugally minded...

But given The face system in Thailand one wouldn't be flirting with tinhats to believe that that type of policy would only make sense to a Thai retailer...

Originally Posted by Thaitanium

so they changed the price to 499

What about the sauce? . . .

I let it go...I didn't want to come off as too frugal minded you see...

Originally Posted by Thaitanium

I let it go...I didn't want to come off as too frugal minded you see...

You ruined it for the rest of us!!!

...timely

And then there's the social tax; that can get down right expensive.
You know; funerals, weddings, ordinations, housewarmings, graduations, etc., etc., etc.
A thousand here, 1500 there, 500, 300, 2,000 and so it goes. In and of itself not a huge thing, but; many times a month can be killer and there are 12 months in every year.

^ But, but, I'm married. It's all my wife's fault.

Originally Posted by THX 1133

And then there's the social tax; that can get down right expensive. You know; funerals, weddings, ordinations, housewarmings, graduations, etc., etc., etc. A thousand here, 1500 there, 500, 300, 2,000 and so it goes. In and of itself not a huge thing, but; many times a month can be killer and there are 12 months in every year.

Often very much forgotten and not figured into your budget.

"What are you doing sticking a thousand baht note into an envelope, you hardly know the bloody woman. It's the only reason she's invited you"

"Yes love, I know she was 108 years old and lived on a drip in the living room for 45 of 'em - but no, I don't think 200 baht is being too stingey. A thousand? A thousand!"

"Yes, I know Nui is you best friend but let's be honest, all she had to do to get the degree was fucking turn up and sign the register for six days of every semester. And are you sure Nui's got room in her Rangsit shoebox for the giant teddy bear? She has. One giant teddy bear please."

Originally Posted by Bangkok Phil

Often very much forgotten and not figured into your budget.

Since our wedding, almost 8 years ago, my wife has kept a book with meticulous records of how much every person in her entire social has given us.
The record keeping involved is incredible; but every time, she looks it up so she knows the score and adds accordingly. Oh, Khun Lek gave us ฿1,000 for our house warming, so we will give her ฿1,500 for her son's ordination, wedding, graduation, etc., etc., etc.
We're hosting her nephews ordination on Tuesday; Ouch!

That social equity I spoke of on another thread...

Thankfully my girl doesn't buy into all that crap...


well let me qualify that statement somewhat...in the last 3 years I can remember twice that she put 500bht in an envelope for two of her close friends weddings...but she doesn't succumb to the pressure of attending every excuse to siphon money out of friends and family that Thais use...

we pretty much keep to ourselves and that's the way we like it...

Originally Posted by THX 1133

Since our wedding, almost 8 years ago, my wife has kept a book with meticulous records of how much every person in her entire social has given us.

Just to go off on a slight tangent THX but I think you'll like this.

I worked at a very small private language school some years ago. There were only four teachers there in total. One of the receptionists got married and invited us to the wedding. Lovely girl. We all liked her and she liked all of us teachers equally.

I was horrified when I found out that the other teachers were all going to stick 2,000 - 3,000 baht in an envelope. "Are you lot fuckin' nuts!" I said "she's a receptionist at the place where we work. 500-1000 baht is more than enough"

But they stuck to their guns and I stuck to mine.

A few days after the wedding, the receptionist and blushing new bride came into the office with gifts for us all. My three colleagues all got a lovely quality wooden incense candle set (probably worth about 500 baht) and I got a small purple cushion which looked like it had been fished out of a fuckin' skip behind Klongtoey market. All because I had been 'stingey' with my envelope. I was not worthy.

I very recently learned that she caught her husband - a Thai engineer - dipping his cock into half of the Thai maid population of Singapore. I remembered the purple cushion and just grinned.

Originally Posted by Bangkok Phil

I very recently learned that she caught her husband - a Thai engineer - dipping his cock into half of the Thai maid population of Singapore. I remembered the purple cushion and just grinned.

Thanks for that, very funny. You got lucky on that one, no?
As it does in every culture, social status counts for a lot. The 2 - 3,000 baht does seem excessive; but without background (which only Thais will know) I can't say that with certainty (who knows her family connections?).
I've been dealing with it for so long, it just seem normal, if not inconvenient some times.