Quote:
Originally Posted by smile_santa
hmm.. I dont know whenever im there I think the food is still okay. For a bowl of rice or noodles you can still get something decent from 40-50 baht. Some commodities are still cheap like shampoo, toothpaste etc but theres also some items that are more expensive or comparable with Singapore such as hair care products etc.
But I agree with the BTS. Its really expensive with comparison to Singapore.
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Don't forget the portion of Thai food is very small.
Using SGD 1 : THB25 as exchange rate.
THB40 = S$1.60
In Singapore the cheapest chicken rice is around S$2.50.
A waiter with low income of S$1000 can reasonably afford it.
S$1000 x THB25 = THB25,000
Is there a job in Bangkok thats pays a waiter THB25,000?
So a plate of chicken rice at THB40/S$1.60 is considered expensive to a Thai with low income.
What you're using to compare is by using exchange rate as a means of increasing purchasing power which cannot represent the affordability factor in a local context.
If one day chicken rice in Big C food court crash from THB40/S$1.60 to THB25/S$1.00 then yes I would say it is cheap even by local standards!
The only exception is Singapore real estate and private transport are very expensive compared to many other countries.
The expensive part is due to many factors which is another story for another time.