When in Thailand, I try to log every expense I make in order to better plan for the next time and also to compare them on a long period. I thought I could open my books for everyone in case this helps, especially those who like me are not rich and cannot afford throwing their hard-earned money down the drain.
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| . . . . . Sparkling neon signs and flowing money . . . . . . |
I have split my expenses into seven main items and then divided each subtotal by the amount of nights I spent in Thailand (which roughly equals the number of full days, as I generally arrive in the afternoon and leave in the evening .The results are the following :
- Accomodation (including tips) : 881 THB – up from 713 THB on my previous holiday ; this would had been even lower if I had not paid two extra nights for my own convenience. For this price I always stay in full-comfort hotels with TV – pool – fridge – air-con and restaurant, including four nights in the Chiang Mai Novotel.
- Meals (including casual drinks and snacks) : 884 THB – down from a previous 967 THB – fewer expensive restaurants with Tam I guess …
- Transport : 517 THB down from 827 THB in 2006 when we rent a car for many days, and of course I had to pay for Tam’s tickets.
- Bars, discos, massage (drinks and fees ; « tip for boy » not included) : 1 601 THB which seems to be very high but some nights out with Tam and his friends could explain this.
- Tips and gifts for boys – including Tam : 2 715 THB / night, down from 3 269 THB in 2006 : spent fewer days with Tam, tried not to off the same boy for many days (but could not achieve it because of the lao cutie) – and was too generous by Pattaya standards. I did not take a boy every night.
- Others (laundry – books – newspapers – clothes – internet – health and so on) : 760 THB. I generally buy all my new clothes in Thailand.
Grand amount – flight not included : 7 357 THB a day … way over what I can afford but at least I know that more than half of it are paid to the bars and the boys. And it is markedly cheaper than when Tam was staying with me during my whole holiday - we have been staying together for only five days in 2007.
I guess I will REALLY fly back next June (another problem being what my boss will think about it) …
5 comments:
That was interesting. I also make 2-3 visits a year but tend to stay longer each visit.
If I am moving about a lot my accomodation is about the same as yours but I try to get an apartment by the month if I am based somewhere which reduces the cost enormously. I probably average about 500 B a day for accomodation.
Food costs me 200-500 B depending on if I eat alone or take someone with me
Its harder to estimate expenses spent on boys but probably 2-3000 B a time but I dont go to the bars everyday, maybe only 2-3 times a week.
All up I estimate I spend about 30-40 000 B a month or about $1200 excluding big one off like airfares or expensive gifts to myself (like cameras, laptops etc)
At around 220,000 Bahts per month, that's living like a king, you lucky guy!
I manage quite comfortably with about 1000 Bahts per day, excluding accomodation. Up to 300B for food and the rest to bars and some simple entertainment not including offs and overnight bookings.
I am living like a not rich tourist for one month and like a rat for the other eleven months .... Sure I will have to reduce considerably my standard of living once I will be on a retirement pension - supposing I am still financially able to go to Thailand then ...
Very cheap accommodation.
Do you have any recommendations for cheap accommodation that's still reasonable? (clean, tolerant of joiners etc)
In Bangkok I stay in a Saphan Khway hotel ; most are not listed in the guides and hardly on the net, I suggest you go there while you are in Bangkok and visit some on Pradiphat Road, so that you can make your choice.
In Pattaya there are many clean hotels in the 600/900 THB range (low season) around Pattaya Second Road and Soi Buakhao : they have all the basic amenities and close to everything except the gay bars - which is good if you ask me.
Never had a problem with joiners, only expensive hotels ask for joiners fees.
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