Costs in Thailand are TRULY DISTURBING
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 พ.ค. 2024
- Costs of living in Thailand are TRULY DISTURBING in 2024. I take a bike tour of Jomtien Beach to show you what living costs are like on a Thai minimum wage of 400 baht a day. We do several cost comparisons between minimum wage in Thailand working at a 7/11 store vs minimum wage working in Australia in 2024 as well as cost comparisons against the US dollar and the Great British Pound.
When I considered what a Thai person earns on minimum wage I realized how truly disturbing the realities of living costs are here for locals. The equivalent prices shocked and astounded me - imagine paying 44 pound for a scrambled egg breakfast on Jomtien beach, or filling up your car costing 5 full days worth of money at the local Pattaya gas station.
How locals survive here is an amazing story.
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Such an interesting topic. Great insight again. Look forward to seeing what LeLe adds to the story
And a pack of smokes here is $50 and there it's $4 , Thais can live on nothing there
@testicool013 not all of them, people all over the world are in the same position
Disagree. Locals in Australia buy illegal smokes from 'Tobacco" stores for $20 per pack. Even the police buy the illegal smokes in Australia.
It is hell everywhere in the world now for people in low paid jobs. People are working just to survive. It's the same in western countries.
Only in Western countries.
What this guy doesn't understand is that Thai locals do NOT shop at places tourists go.
The west is self imploding
Its only hell if you aren't dealing with your stress.
Happiness comes from inside you, not by external events.
That sunscreen is imported (possibly from Australia) so it’s going to be the Australian wholesale plus 300% import tax, very unaffordable for imported goods for people on minimum wage..
Keeping Sam in check ❤ but bugger me the reverse in Japan, and let’s do water cause that’s not imported 2 litres of water from 711 or family mart only 1 AUD and that’s from a convince store not super market , 2 litres of water in Australia pushing 4 dollars AUD from a supermarket 😂 now that’s gotta break the brain… I used the 2 litres cause well let’s not get into the cost of 500 ml of water in Australia 😂
Ahh 300%. That's the answer right there. Had no idea it was that high for general goods. They just cut import duties on wine.
I guess there arent many local brands because the locals don't need it?
The locals aren't interested in using Sunscreen which is why there's no Thai brands.
@@testicool013 Correct - they buy skin care products to whiten their skin, but they don't wear actual 'sunscreen'. Have YOU been to Thailand?
Awesome video Sam! 👏
Great topic 💯👌(I have been wanting to do this myself). However, just like you said in the last 20 secs of the video, more importantly and more interesting is to analyze the daily life of Thai's (economy). We see a lot of Thai's eating at markets for 50 baht per meal, and also analyze that level of living to income etc.. (not the imported expensive goods)..
Once again, great vid bro! 👏
Interesting, but Thai's at minimum wage have their own economy, stores and products. They buy scooters on loan, eat 30baht breakfast and use Thai sunscreens, or just stay out of the sun. You are comparing a tourist economy, products and stores for tourists with holiday funds. I agree that it is a struggle at minimum wage. Now go up country and compare housing costs, food costs and how happy people are...
@@testicool013 Cool story bro. But it doesn't change the fact that a sunscreen in a 7/11 Pattaya is not a great comparison. It's a tourist product, not a commodity. Compare something more relevant...like the long-neck Chang beer you buy and consume outside 7/11...
Finally, someone who knows what they are talking about!
Interesting! Looking forward to the follow-up!
This is a subject i've often pondered over and discussed, the price of things and the ridiculous wages is shocking.
Love the channel, keep up the great work, will be in Pattaya for Xmas and New Year.
Thank you mate!!
Great comparison video! Looking forward to see more like this!
The inflation and price of living in Australia is out of control there’s a lot of people living on the streets 🤔
100%
Plate of krapoa moo $1.50 thailand, Australia $25 555
They get thru by sharing and smiling everyday, not greedy like the farang
@@testicool013 ?
@@testicool013 100% i spend most of my time in issan not farangland, poorest and happiest ppl ever
@@testicool013 newby?
Haha thai not greedy? Have you ever been to Thailand?
@@karl4683 maybe 30 odd years, depends which thailand you talking about, farangland or real thailand
Like the bike and talk format. Very informative. I know TH but I think the value is moving further East to places like Cambodia and Vietnam, even for farang.
That's a pretty unique breakdown video. Good job bro.
Great vlog Sam! Makes you think what we take for granted in Australia
Interesting video. Food and Rent there are much cheaper than here, and I don't think Thais really worry about Sunblock lotion.
Noooo I can’t say I’ve ever seen sunblock being passed around a work site 😅
@@paulcockley-gf4bc yes, but they can do that from 100 to 200 baht and it lasts more than just 4 hours
Hi Sam locals don't buy things like us. Their breakfast is rice porridge at 30-40 baht and in the country its even less. Most Thais don't drive A big Fortuner its more like a motor cycle. Over the last 35 years I have watched my Thai family-my wife's family go from mainly motor scooters to some having cars but none of them has a Fortuner. Some have had good jobs but they really buy cars that are affordable and get really good fuel economy. Even in Australia what car did you drive and could you afford a Fortuner or Prado. But some in my wife's family have done really well and drive Mercs and BMWs but they get paid a lot more than minimum wage. The biggest difference that I see is the huge difference between the middle class and the people on minimum wage or even less that might have a market stand in a small village
Thanks for sharing your experiences!!
Yeah the Fortuner is mammoth. Lele inherited it when sister was killed. She’s hung onto it so she can drive the sister’s kids around together.
You’re so right about life up north - no one’s buying sunblock or 7/11 snacks or steaks or those kinds of things.
Also, most people are fueling up with LPG (aka propane), not regular gasoline. It's a very popular conversion to make.
@@GoneAdriftMy condolences to your girlfriends sister.
Most low income Thais don't even buy the food we consider cheap, like khao tom @ 30-40 Baht. They'll make it themselves for even cheaper with ingredients purchased from the local wet markets. Rice and ramen instant noodles (MaMa & WaiWai) are the main ingredients used to fill up on. Most 7/11 items are reserved for the middle and upper class.
very true there is a huge gap from the many super rich in bangkok to the many poor thai farmers in isaan, but there are a lot of big vehicles on the roads so some thai people must be making money, i know that many thais will live on credit loans each year and pay them off when their rice harvest comes in. but rural thai life is very different from city life
Nice one Sam
Great video comparison, and nice to see you rocking the DJI Pocket!
Hope you’re well man!
This has always puzzled me too, I know they live a much simpler life and I ponder what I can do to simplify my life a bit more, I look forward to your follow up videos.
Loved the way you broke the comparison down. We don’t know how good we have it here in aus. We still complain great video mate
Hi Sam, great content! love your work, You and Lilly are welcome to come visit in isaan once our house is built. I'm also a aussie living in Thailand with my wife (same age)
There is in fact a simple secret how some people manage... Mama (a Thai brand) instant soups. Many, many people live on that. The pricing on many things is quite weird here. Fruit, eggs, misc stuff is all pretty cheap at the Rompho market. The food at Rompho at night (it switches to a street vendor stall market at night), is very, very reasonable. Try to get local brands where possible, as the fancy foreign stuff (I'm addicted to Nivea cream lol) is stupidly expensive. Speaking of the soups, tom yum/tom kha is really cheap and if you order it without rice its quite good for weight loss.
In the Philipines it's even more crazy. Restaurants that are a step up from a cart on the street or a hole in the wall are charging what ppl make in a day for a piece of chicken and a serving of rice
I tried telling a few girls that English teacher salary at 30-35k baht a month. They told me the salary is "not bad" wow..
There's no where better for living wage than in Australia unless your a Swiss, Norwegian or Kuwaiti which have higher earning and stronger $ as an example, Australian lifestyle is so much better especially for food and weather, be generous when in Thailand, tips in moderation and give money to street people rummage through garbage and not professional beggars, basically be kind and generous or just a smile.
2 minute noodles is how we all survive on a low wage income bro
2 minute noodles are unhealthy.
Any major city in America is not paying the federal minimum wage, it's going to be more like $15.
That’s so good to hear!!
Not sure comparisons are relevant, Thai’s I imagine don’t buy sun cream , they put more clothes on & cover up they eat from the street carts & yeh they don’t buy so much from 711,maybe
I love videos with topics like this. In my opinion, you have to do the maths when spending money. Is an expense worth so much to me that I have worked so many hours for it? It also makes it easier for me to understand the expenses that very rich people make.
I don't think my salary is bad. But I often notice that, compared to many Thai people, I use an old mobile phone. Or that I don't have a car because it would be a high and unnecessary financial burden despite my salary. These are points where I always ask myself whether financial education is a big issue? Why do you have the latest iPhone or a petrol-guzzling car if you then think about how many hours you have to work just for it?
Very well said sir!
sun screen is tourist rip pff price. The measurment used to compare purchasing power between countries is PPP
Great topic Sam! I had never once taken this into consideration. Obviously rice is a huge staple for the Thai people. No wonder there are so many scams going on in Thailand in general, people just don't have the money to live a fruitful life as we do in the west for a lot of people. I know when I was in Thailand I tried to be as generous as possible to the Thai's as it also made me feel good.
It's all relative. Here in the States, we have some folks with full-time 40 hour a week jobs who can't afford a or rent for an apartment. They live in their cars, shower either at work or a gym, and barely survive.
Yeah I know about this and it makes me sad
If you think minimum wage is bad in Thailand then go to Lao, Cambodia and Myanmar, most minimum wage workers in Thailand are from those countries
Such a eye opening vid bro. Is it like this all over Thailand? Too expensive for local Thais
Not so much, as many comments have pointed out, country folk and low income families don’t shop at 7/11 or use any of the services we do in tourist spots.
Love ❤ your work keep it up big 👍up
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Ive been saying this for years, If you live on a median Thai income. Life seems impossible.
People like to say, ooh but inflation in the west is bad also... Or, it's all relative...
No no no.. It's MUCH more disparaging in Thailand. This was a thing WAY before inflation became a problem.
Yeah,you right!I just took a chance and went beat roots while I was there.can by 5 big Leo’s from big C for the price of sun screen.i chose the beers😂👊
Imported products have allways been extreem expensive.
I’m a retired guy from America living in Thailand. My pension comes every month and I was here through the whole C 19 crap I felt guilty walking home with my groceries from BigC while seeing whole families that couldn’t afford their 3000 baht a month rooms anymore living on the steps of then closed businesses. I don’t know how they do it.
There are billions that live on $2-4/day. It's a sad reality.
Cheers mate,
🙂
This is a tourist area so things will always be higher. Would be interesting to see prices outside
Great video, Sam. If you have low-paid work, the way to make more money is (to win the lottery lol) either study more or start a business. My Thai wife has a university degree and she had an 8.000 baht per month government office job offer on the table after graduation. She said no thanks because she realized that she didn't want to work for others to earn “pennies” but to have her own business. So, she started to sell cute dresses via TikTok in our small shoe box condo unit. In the first week, she already has 500, and 1.000 baht profit days. The second week she did even better. Etc etc..She is very curious to learn new things, and today she has several online income streams. I just hope more people have a curiosity to learn new skills. Thanks for your interesting content 🙏
Thanks for sharing my friend! My girlfriend does the same :)
Totally messed up!!! I live in San Francisco and it makes me wonder how the staffs working behind a Starbucks or McDonald’s counter make ends meet 🤔 Do they have another job to go to after working an 8 hours shift? That’s why outta tip them well or something 😊 Thanks for posting this video…..great topic:)
Yes I know what you are talking about I am also from Australia have spent many times in in Thailand as I have a beautiful Thai girl and family for over 10 years my darling works with a good company lucky they have AC she works 6 days a week and she gets 8000.bhat pre mouth.
Glad she’s provided air con! Yeah 8000baht ain’t a lot is it!
Crazy to think months wage FIFO can afford an apartment for a year.
Yes make a vlog of how locals live. Thank you
Local Thai's don't shop in the tourist areas or buy imported goods. Most do their own cooking with local produce that's much cheaper than the West
It's actually deflation in Thailand right now. So prices are coming down. But thats not good for people with debt either. The currency system is so broken for us the little guys.. We lose either way it goes by the look of it.
I get what you are saying buy at the same time I can't go to the markets and get a full meal for a couple of dollars, and housing comparisons lol.
Looking forward to the next video for sure will be interesting. But also I guess be full of commonsense if your a local.
1. The typical basic comfortable daily accommadtion rent (1bedr, 40 Sq Mt) in Pattaya is $AUD 13, but is $AUD 58 in Australia. Therefore the daily disposable income (after basic accommodation) is reduced by $AUD 45 in Australia, compared to Thailand.
2. Also in Australia the daily income tax on the basic (lowest) adult wage is $AUD 12, but zero in Thailand.
3. In Thailand, brand sunscreen is rarely purchased by low income Thai's, therefore it is priced for foreigners and high income Thai's.
4. If you shop in thai markets that mostly Thai's visit 9not in areas which foreigners visit), the prices and products are low, as they are targetted to the tastes of low income Thai's.
There's a lot more to it than you have mentioned.🙂🙂
I’m an artist not an economist
@@GoneAdrift no problem, thats why we all chip in with comments.😉😉
There are alot of rich Thais living in Thailand as you probably know, and the government is not elected as it happens in the west, and thus not run by poor/middle income Thais who would be able to change things. Thus its not in their interest to have a reasonable minimum wage, for lots of reasons, including Thailand being a cheap place to holiday. So it is a very unequal society, and if it bothers you while in Thailand, you can find ways to help out those less fortunate than you. As a foreigner I would stay out of politics, not try and change things and instead just try and help those less fortunate than you.
Great summary. My days of affecting change at any level are over. Oz took its pound of flesh
Who make all the money in them 7/11 because they are so busy ???? Lots off rich Thai people out there for sure
Is the sunscreen like thai brand better priced? is it so expensive as its a foreign brand?
Nah import only I see. They don’t seem to make it here
Thai people don't really use sunscreen. They all just put on long sleeves and cover up with caps, umbrella's, raincoats.
Important topic, many Thais have to live on this minimum wage. Other TH-camrs have lost touch with reality in Thailand for some time now. It is not without reason that many single mothers work in the bar industry. One of the few ways to earn enough money for their family.
Do you reckon you would be able to afford live in Thailand if labour wasn't so cheap Sammy?
Not a chance Sir
But how many Thais exactly get paid the minimum Thai wage. Do go go girls only get minimum wage?There are Thais that can easily afford to buy European exotic European and JDM super cars and the 2-3x tax for importing them into Thailand as well as pool villas to rent to farangs.
IMHO, the price of raw land which can only be owned by Thais, like a small 1/4 rai bare home lot going for $40k, are expensive. That small rai lot B or multiple rai is likely owned by a person making minimum wage. So they are money poor but land rich.
Insurance link in bio? Got me flummoxed...what am I missing?
SafetyWings matey! Cheapest out!
great insite..... to be honest it is something I have not really thought about...
Yeah very interesting topic.. but yeah sunscreen is probably the most expensive thing in 7 .. I’m in surin and it’s so fkn hot, but Monday to Friday next week is supposed to be storms ☝️
But yeah on an Australian pension I can’t even afford to rent a room in Sydney..
Finally someone taking into consideration that in some other countries incomes are higher , you cant just come on holiday and say its a cheap place because money comes from the home country saved up to spend in Thailand.
Ofc u can say that, what else would you compare it to other then the country you live in?
If the Thais got a higher wage than they do now it would push up the price of everything up there for holiday makers and not make it the cheap holiday that it is for everyone now. If it goes up, less people would holiday there and end up going to alternative cheaper countries so hopefully it won’t go up much for the sake of everyone that loves going there for the cheap holiday that it is.
Minimum wage in Thailand is actually 363THB....
They all seem to have the latest pickup truck cost more then a house
@@michaelhiggins3724 exactly
You have to know where the Thais shop and eat not the tourists
A raise in minimum wages raises the price of everything, they tried that in the USA now the business are closing and they now can't work at all.
When i was akint here i lived on 100 baht a day. 😂😂😂
Thais dont need sunscreen fortunately lol
If it's so bad, why won't our thai girlfriends let us leave a tip! 🤣. I'm American and I cannot leave a grab or bolt driver without 30 baht. If I try to leave 20% at a restaurant my girl freaks out, so we agreed on 10% + the coins... Plus mandatory donations to all the disabled people singing/playing/walking around the market. ,🤷 don't know what else to do?
So be a good tipper when you can.
I am so glad that you are happy with your new life! Glad you got out of the west rat race!
Well, that's the reason why so many girls are working in the red light districts. They can earn much more money.
Next do donuts. They're crazy expensive for Thai people if you think about it.
Very informative. Very unfair. 😢
That ocean breeze must be amazing down there mate. Let alone having the sea to jump in a cool down in 🫠
I feel for you matey!!!
If a 7/11 worker goes to hand you your change and you tell them to keep it, I'd like to think that it is theirs and it doesn't go back in the register.
Gosh you’d hope so wouldn’t you!
Good idea.
It's farangs invasion, what do you expect?
👍🏼🍻🇦🇺
Speed daemon!!!
@@GoneAdrift Yooo , yes sir 👍🏼🍻🇦🇺
We could continue to raise the minimum wage like they keep doing in California where it’s $20 an hour and businesses are closing up, everyone is losing their jobs, and nobody can afford to buy groceries. The wage is dependent on what the market will bear. This is economics 101. Not hating on the video, just pointing some key facts out. How much is rent in Australia? How much is Uber? I know in LA California a 5 min to 10 min Uber ride is around $25-$30. Raise the minimum wage and everyone suffers cause the prices of everything goes up starting with groceries and food cause they have to pay the employees more
Also, you’re often in the tourist area where everything costs WAY more money. If this is something that changes (the minimum wage) expect that you will no longer be able to have a great place like Thailand to visit cause it’ll be cheaper in Hawaii long term. Raising minimum wage has never been a good idea. In any society.
$5.25 per gallon San Francisco Bay Area at Costco. I think thats why a lot of people drive Teslas here. I took a tour to Bangkok once, our tour guide was from a poor family. He said his family sent him to Buddhist temple as a kid to raise him bec they are a big family and cant afford to feed him. I found that impressive bec I went to school in Manila when kids under 10 years old sold cigarettes and mints hopping on and off buses and cars in traffic. When I was on tour in Bangkok, I had flown in from Manila. It felt and looked similar but the air was clean and incredibly found no garbage in any street and I said I hope Philippines could be like this. Min wage in Manila is about $10 US a day. For Philippines, a lot of families get support from family working overseas which is also why their foreign reserves is a lot better than most countries in the region. I'll settle in Philippines first bec I grew up there (navy brat) but I like Thailand and maybe thats next.
Do they have any kind of welfare system? As a support mechanism
I believe there’s a monthly payment for single parents, around $40 per child. Beyond that, I don’t think so
@GoneAdrift no there is no welfare payment for single mothers .. the only welfare payment is if u are over 55 you get 1200 thb a month
@@liamharding5704 Sorry I got that wrong. My girlfriend's family received the 1000 baht payment because they were victims of a crime.
I don't get your video. Name any country where someone is earning minimum wage can afford anything? Minimum wage is not meant for someone to live off but rather a transitionary wage as they get better jobs. Thai people on minimum wage wouldn't be buying a Fortuner let alone filling it up every week. If you want to make a proper video, do one on cost of living and you'll be shocked that that Australia cost of living is crazy given the bad fiscal management of the government (thus everything costing so much there despite being a "1st world country").
That’s a pretty bold assertion that minimum wage globally is meant to be a “transitionary wage” and that people are going to have the mobility to find better paying jobs later as a given. This is a policy question and the answer varies depending on location.