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By *ait88Man
over a year ago
Plymouth |
Things can cost more in Thailand than in the U.K. Or they can cost less. Or both!
The main westerners’ red light district in Bangkok is along Sukhumvit odd side from Soi 3 to Soi 23, plus Soi 4. Between Soi 4 and Soi 2, there is an open marketplace where the Bangkonkers buy food etc. There’s another one at the other end opposite the entrance to Soi Cowboy, on Soi 21. If you shop in these markets, you will be ripped-off, maybe paying twice what the locals pay. But you will still think that the food is very cheap. However, if you buy the same food from the pavement vendors along odd side, you’ll pay maybe twice as much again. Ripping-off tourists is an international endeavour. If you buy western food from supermarkets like Tops near Soi 19, expect to pay about the same as you would in the U.K. If you buy meals in cafes and restaurants, they will cost as much as, or more than they do here. But if you eat local food at open pavement “cafes” with the locals, you will find that the food is very cheap. Make sure that it is piping hot and untouched by human foot.
A small lager in a go-go bar in high season may set you back a fiver including tip – enjoy the view. The same drink in an ordinary tourist bar will cost about half of that. You can buy a packet of fags in Bangkok for just over two quid. Here, they’re about nine. A prostitute for “one shot” will be about £25, compared with maybe £100 here. Many of the tourist-type sites rip us off. I always visit the Samphran Elephant Park. My girlfriend negotiates the entry charge. It’s about B1,800 for me, but only about B500 for her. Four hours on the road in the Dynasty Inn’ chauffeur-driven car costs about £50.
Taxis are a big problem, of course. They all have meters, but most refuse to use them. This is a reportable offence – in theory. My girlfriend does all of the negotiating, but still about four out of five will refuse to take us where we want to go. In Bangkok, try taking a trip on the Skytrain system – you won’t believe how cheap it is. But it stops running at midnight (except on New Years Eve), and you’re then at the mercy of the taxi drivers.
So, in Thailand, like many other developing countries, if you’re adventurous and live like a local, the costs will be very low by our standards. But if you want to stay in your “western bubble”, then the cost of things may well be similar to, or even greater than at home.
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