reader Posted January 5, 2020 Posted January 5, 2020 From Bangkok Post The recent global cost of living survey sees Bangkok for the first time among the top 50 most expensive cities in the world due to the baht's appreciation. The index was announced in December last year by ECA International, which publishes cost-of-living data for over 480 cities around the world to help companies calculate proper allowances for their employees working abroad. Bangkok has leapt 43 places to 47th while its Asean counterpart Singapore ranks 13th. Ashgabat, Tokyo, and Zurich are the priciest cities in the world respectively. In line with the findings, people on the street interviewed by the Bangkok Post lamented that the city is becoming increasingly unaffordable. Continues at https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/1829034/folk-in-capital-struggling-to-stay-afloat#cxrecs_s Quote
Boy69 Posted January 5, 2020 Posted January 5, 2020 No wonder the off fees, drinks and fees to the boys in the bars are so expensive this days. Quote
vinapu Posted January 5, 2020 Posted January 5, 2020 4 hours ago, reader said: The index was announced in December last year by ECA International, which publishes cost-of-living data for over 480 cities around the world to help companies calculate proper allowances for their employees working abroad. that ranking may be crooked toward underscored ( by me ) criteria. Residents may have their own and tourists their own still , all three not necessarily aligning. Not many cities of Bangkok size and attractiveness have so many affordable and of decent standard hotel rooms available right close to the center and main attractions. This is bonus for travelers but doesn't show on resident's radar. so while we feel burden of rising baht Bkk is still good value for money. Even that feeling is not distributed evenly as some currencies are tanking faster than others. 4 hours ago, Boy69 said: No wonder the off fees, drinks and fees to the boys in the bars are so expensive this days. this is even more relative. More than that used to be , yes but expensive ? We couldn't even probably name 20 ,not to mention 50 cities with options available in Bangkok. Where you have 6 boy bars and a man-to-man massage place all in stretch of 103 meters like in Patpong 2. And where one can walk 500 m like from Patpong to Tarntawan swimming in choice of attractive guys offering massage ? Is 17 $ for a right to remove employee from the premises in order to explore his charms , sometimes for as long as whole night really that much/ How much coffee in paper cup costs where we live? Or a bus ticket? Jasper, BL8gPt and ggobkk 3 Quote
ggobkk Posted January 6, 2020 Posted January 6, 2020 As of the 1st of the year, 5 hours ago, vinapu said: How much coffee in paper cup costs where we live? Or a bus ticket? Where I live, as of the first of the year, we have to pay a surcharge if we buy a coffee and need a disposable cup! BL8gPt 1 Quote
vinapu Posted January 6, 2020 Posted January 6, 2020 3 hours ago, ggobkk said: As of the 1st of the year, Where I live, as of the first of the year, we have to pay a surcharge if we buy a coffee and need a disposable cup! very good as it's single use item and after emptied it is landing in garbage. Hope surcharge is equivalent of bottle of gin Quote
Guest Posted January 6, 2020 Posted January 6, 2020 18 hours ago, vinapu said: that ranking may be crooked toward underscored ( by me ) criteria. Residents may have their own and tourists their own still , all three not necessarily aligning. It depends what they count. These things are typically for an expat to live as he might at home. So western food, services, schooling etc. A coffee at Starbucks costs more in Thailand than in London, so things like that might increase the cost. I can stay in a fine hotel in Bangkok for as little as 1250 baht, but this is unlikely to appear in the expat allowance, since they look at good quality appartments. I doubt they look at dining options like the 50 baht veggie lunch I had in a Silom food court. I'm fairly sure they don't look at the cost of a boy from a gogo bar. Quote
vinapu Posted January 7, 2020 Posted January 7, 2020 14 hours ago, z909 said: I'm fairly sure they don't look at the cost of a boy from a gogo bar. you can't be serious ! Quote
pong Posted January 20, 2020 Posted January 20, 2020 On 1/6/2020 at 1:49 AM, vinapu said: Not many cities of Bangkok size and attractiveness have so many affordable and of decent standard hotel rooms available right close to the center and main attractions. This is bonus for travelers but doesn't show on resident's radar. so while we feel burden of rising baht Bkk is still good value for money. Even that feeling is not distributed evenly as some currencies are tanking faster than others. this is even more relative. More than that used to be , yes but expensive ? We couldn't even probably name 20 ,not to mention 50 cities with options available in Bangkok. Where you have 6 boy bars and a man-to-man massage place all in stretch of 103 meters like in Patpong 2. And where one can walk 500 m like from Patpong to Tarntawan swimming in choice of attractive guys offering massage ? Is 17 $ for a right to remove employee from the premises in order to explore his charms , sometimes for as long as whole night really that much/ Taken all in all BERLIN is likely the best contest: HTL rooms can be nearly as cheap, plenty of gay pleasures srpead out but for a large part close by one another and walkable, and even decent cf cost about the same as here in BKK (though they lack the cheapo instant 3in1 from the 7) AND-thanks the VNese, also 1000s of padthai shops, though they call it a little different. Yes, the bus cost more, but tickets are valid for 2 hrs and for as many trips also on train/metro as you can do in that time. And anyway-those of you taking BKK citybuses (BMTA) must be less as 50 I estimate. I only know der christian. Then comes Barcelona. A short time in the sauna there cost hardly more as the nowadays quoted short time price for BKK-but then quality in TH here reamins much better. On 1/6/2020 at 1:49 AM, vinapu said: How much coffee in paper cup costs where we live? Or a bus ticket? Quote
vinapu Posted January 21, 2020 Posted January 21, 2020 13 hours ago, pong said: Then comes Barcelona. A short time in the sauna there cost hardly more as the nowadays quoted short time price for BKK-but then quality in TH here reamins much better. that statement is good enough for me to stick to Bangkok and it's little sister Pattaya Quote
Boy69 Posted January 21, 2020 Posted January 21, 2020 Thailand become much more expensive compared to ten years ago prices almost doubled for sex services and bars but in general Thailand is still much cheaper than the west in terms of accommodation, food and transportation so overall still good value for money. Thailand have had economic boom and become more expensive for the locals so I guess you can't expect the boys and the bars not to raise the fees they are charging. Quote
Guest Posted January 21, 2020 Posted January 21, 2020 19 hours ago, pong said: Taken all in all BERLIN is likely the best contest: HTL rooms can be nearly as cheap, plenty of gay pleasures srpead out but for a large part close by one another and walkable, and even decent cf cost about the same as here in BKK My last hotel in Bangkok cost about 1250 baht, which corresponds to Eur 37. I end up paying more like Eur 60 in Berlin. Then if I go to the rent boy bars, they are now full of big dodgy looking hairy middle easterners who I wouldn't even have in the hotel room if they paid me. The last time I did have a lad from one of those bars, I had to physically kick him out of my room. He had no intention of honouring any promises and I had no intention of paying him purely to leave. More promising are the Thai and Khmer masseurs on Planet Romeo. Something like Eur 60 to 100, if I remember correctly. However, there are not many of them. Quote