10 products and services that are really cheap in Thailand
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The price level in Thailand is attractive to many foreigners, mainly because of the lower costs for various goods and services compared to prices in many Western countries. This attractiveness is due to several factors, including lower living costs, labor costs, favorable exchange rates and the local economic structure, in short, in many situations Thailand is cheap.
Thailand is a great destination for many tourists because everything here is not as expensive as in Belgium or the Netherlands. Especially the prices for it eten is a big plus. The tourists who visit Thailand love how cheap you can eat here, especially on the street or at local tents. Services such as massages or going to the spa also cost much less than in Europe. This is due to the low labor costs and because there is a lot of competition, so prices remain low. Clothing and handicrafts, especially those produced locally, are also relatively cheap. This is due to the low production costs and the fact that many of these products are sold directly on markets by the producers, without the involvement of middlemen.
Affordability also extends to transport, with cheap public transport and budget-friendly domestic flights. This makes it easy and cheap for foreigners to explore the country. These low prices attract many tourists and expats, who take advantage of the affordability of life in Thailand.
However, it is important to note that the costs of some products and services, especially imported goods and luxury goods, may be comparable to prices in Western countries. The combination of a low cost of living and a rich cultural experience makes Thailand a popular destination for those looking for an affordable lifestyle without sacrificing quality and experience.
All in all, due to the low costs and fun culture, Thailand is a popular place and cheap for people who don't want to spend too much but still want to have a good time.
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10 products or services that are really cheap in Thailand
In Thailand, several products are known for their very low prices, especially compared to many other countries. Here is a list of 10 current products known for their cheap prices:
- Street Food: Thailand is famous for its delicious and cheap street food, ranging from Pad Thai to fresh fruit salads.
- Local fruits: Exotic fruits such as mangoes, dragon fruit and rambutan are much cheaper in Thailand than in many other countries.
- Clothing: Local markets offer a wide range of clothing at very low prices, especially T-shirts, shorts and flip-flops.
- Massage and Spa Treatments: Traditional Thai massages and other spa treatments are considerably cheaper than in most Western countries.
- Local handicrafts: Handmade souvenirs, such as wood carvings, leather goods and silk products, are often very affordable.
- Electronic Accessories: Small electronic accessories such as phone cases and cables can be very cheap.
- Coconut water: Fresh coconut water, straight from the coconut, is both refreshing and affordable.
- Local beer brands: Thai beer brands such as Chang and Singha are much cheaper in Thailand than imported alcohol.
- Public transport: Local buses, trains, Bold and even tuk tuks provide very affordable transport options.
- snacks: From grilled meat skewers to local sweets, snacks at street markets are an inexpensive way to get a taste of Thai cuisine.
These prices may vary depending on location within Thailand, with generally lower prices outside the major tourist areas such as Bangkok and Phuket.
Do you have any additions yourself? Reply!
Well, many things are cheaper in Thailand.
But for some, but not all, products, the quality is correspondingly high.
So it is important to pay attention to this, for example with street food. Cheap can mean a frequent visit to the toilet. Be careful and use your common sense.
The same goes for phone cases and clothing. The stuff often comes from China or Taiwan and you can throw it away after a short time. When it comes to brands, there is a lot of counterfeiting on the market. It could cost you dearly if you wear your fake Rolex when you are back at Schiphol.
I miss taxis in the list…….
You're a bit behind Chris, a fake Rolex for your own use is allowed. Many years. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/aanpak-belastingontwijking-en-belastingontduiking/vraag-en-antwoord/namaakartikelen-meenemen-nederland
learned something again
Today I will be an exception because after 9 years of living in Thailand and often eating on the street and since '77 I have been there several times on holiday visits but I have never been sick of street food...and I find it tasty and fun...and Chris where do the covers come from at bol.com and lazada in Belgium?
Certainly street food is very cheap compared to what we know from most European countries.
Although if we really compare, the cause often lies in the extremely poor equipment, less strict hygiene regulations, and very low wages.
Please spare me the comments that I have been eating here for years and have never been sick, this may all be true, but many of these eateries would not even be available for 2 hours due to the strict regulations.
Worse still, they would not even get a permit to even start with such a concept.
As far as the small cheap electronic accessories are concerned, this often concerns Chinese imports, which our EU inspection tests would never exist.
Anyone who is not immediately after expensive brand clothing can make a move in Thailand, although the downside of low wages and uncomparable working conditions often play a major role there.
Thailand has become a cheap holiday, and for many also a country of residence, where I also like to stay and benefit from, but if wages, regulations and employee rights here reach an almost comparable level as in Ned and Belgian, many could get away with it. and spend their holidays elsewhere.
Thailand is cheap, especially when it comes to longer stays and of course living there
What I am also missing from the list is housing, which is on average 1/3 cheaper in terms of rent than the Netherlands
Phone services are significantly cheaper
Electricity and gas (bottled) consumption is also a lot cheaper
This also applies to fuel for motorcycles and cars
With an AOW and supplementary pension of let's say 1600 per month it is doable. This of course depends on the way you live, but compared to the Netherlands it is doable.
You can make it as expensive as you want there, just like in many other countries...expensive restaurants. .fancy club and exclusive nightlife, expensive villas with a swimming pool, but let's face it, you didn't even do that in the Netherlands... In short, Thailand is a great country to stay in with a small budget.
It makes a difference, but not as much as many would have you believe, go to Big C or Makro and get a big cart of groceries, especially if you buy milk, yogurt and some cheese, it goes fast and a few thousand ฿ is nothing.
Electricity is cheaper than in the Netherlands, many say, nice to go to a warm country, no heating costs, well make no mistake about the cooling costs.
My experience is that when it is very hot in April and we turn on the air conditioning in the bedroom at 18.00 p.m. because of the heat and watch TV there and then the air conditioning is on until 08.00 a.m. the next morning (modern Daikin inverter) that it increases quite a bit and then you only cooled one room.
Gr. Arno
Well look Arno, when I still lived in Belgium we (myself and my Thai wife) went to do our weekly shopping in Colruyt. I remember we paid around €200 on average every week.
Since we live here we usually shop in Tesco (Lotus) and Makro. Our weekly average here is currently around 3000THB.
If we round up a bit, I'm confident it will be half the price here. If you buy a lot of imported products (including cheeses, wines, etc.) then the difference will of course be somewhat less. But if you look a little carefully, it is certainly a lot cheaper here.
And electricity, petrol, car insurance, restaurant visits, ... all this is certainly a lot cheaper.
The services and hourly wages in particular are a lot cheaper. Go for maintenance on your car in B or have a professional come to your home.
That's right Fred.
I went to the Toyota garage last week. Complete inspection and oil change. And as an extra free service: complete cleaning of the car (inside and outside). Total cost: 2500 THB. And not to forget, a nice lounge where you can wait with free coffee and some snacks.
My son is renovating his house in Belgium, but has to have most of the work carried out by professionals. When I hear the cost price I sometimes fall back. They are not ashamed to charge €50/hour.
I recently had a small terrace constructed here with some tiles. Two people passed by, but they were painfully slow. They worked for 2 days but the work could easily be done in 5 days. The finish was fine. I was dreading the bill... Unbelievably, I had to pay 2THB.
Thailand is not ideal, but in many areas we cannot complain. I can live relatively comfortably here with my pension and can even save quite a bit every month. In Belgium I probably wouldn't have enough to make ends meet for the two of us and my wife would have to go back to work.
Walter, I assume you meant to say that a monthly disposable income of 1600 euros in Thailand state pension including pension is a good thing to do.
Many expats here would like to raise their hands for a pension of 1600 euros net excluding state pension.
Local beer brands: Thai beer brands such as Chang and Singha are much cheaper in Thailand than imported alcohol.
Yes, a BMW or Mercedes is also much more expensive than an Asian Isuzu or Honda.. Everything you import from distant countries has a price tag, but I thought it was about Thai products.. And yes,,:: The Thai beer like named Chang or Singha is more expensive per liter than you buy a liter of beer in the Netherlands..
The Thais are not beer drinkers at all, but mainly drink spirits.
But we beat the Thais in both beer and spirits.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_beer_consumption_per_capita
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/alcohol-consumption-by-country
Thai spirits are dirt cheap here…………..
You're missing the point here, Henk, regarding your car comparison.
BMW and Mercedes are not more expensive due to imports.
BMW is made in Rayong and Mercedes is made in Samut Prakarn.
Many brands produce in Thailand to avoid import taxes.
So many are made in Thailand that they even produce for other Asian countries.
Everywhere in the world, BMW and Mercedes are more expensive than Isuzu or Honda.
I see local beer under number 8, which is cheaper than in the Netherlands. But local Thai beer in Thailand is still more expensive than local Dutch beer in the Netherlands. In general, beer is cheaper in the Netherlands. I am talking about the supermarket, because the catering industry in the Netherlands has become extremely expensive