Jobs for expats in Thailand
Cost of housing in Pattaya
Food cost
Buying a home in Pattaya
Cost of living in Pattaya Housing
Living in Thailand on 500 dollars a month
75 dollar a month apartments
600 to 1,000 dollar a month apartments
Thailand visa types
Opening a bank account
American embassy outreach
Visa Overstay
Getting a Driving License
Bell Pepper, or also called capsicum as an example.
Market name price each
Big "C" Extra Pattaya Klang 60
FriendShip 30
Makro 10
Get a free month of rent every year!
Get one month of free rent by refilling your water from the water dispensers. For a long time I bought water in the stores and shops. While water is pretty inexpensive here in Thailand it can add up over time. After being here in Thailand for over two years I finally started refilling my water containers. Firstly over a year it can save you a significant amount of money. Here is some math to ponder.
Another benefit is there are no plastic bottles to dispose of.
Shopping for food in Pattaya
Food is one of the larger monthly expenses we have. While some foods are much cheaper here in Thailand, some can actually cost you more here. I think the best bargains are pork and chicken, produce is also very well priced here. Imported items are especially higher in cost because of transportation cost and import taxes. If you are a careful shopper I think you can have plenty of quality food to eat for 3,000 Baht per person per month.
Open air street markets
While I am not a fan of shopping in those open street markets I am sure there are some good bargains to be had. There are a couple things that put me off shopping in them, the biggest being handling of the food. I am used to buying most meats that are refrigerated, then there are those flies buzzing all over. The other thing, which is the biggest issue with me is many times the prices are not marked or displayed clearly on the items for sale. I really don't like to ask what something is going to cost me I also don't like how sometimes I am charged more for just being a foreigner. In all fairness I must say that being charged more isn't always the case but it does happen.
The big supermarkets in Pattaya
The big supermarkets to me are the way to go, meats and other perishables are refrigerated and no flies buzzing around. Prices are clearly marked and bar coded so there is no cheating and marking up based on who you are. Also to be honest the prices are on par or even less at times than the open air street markets. You are supplied with a cart to put your stuff in if you want and this being a hot climate it is nice to shop in air conditioned comfort. Because of the air conditioning and supplied carts I can spend more time browsing and make better decisions.
Compare and compare
While I have my favorite places to shop, the price and quality differences between them can be pretty significant. Some places will have great prices on some things then they will be sky high on others. I use mainly three different supermarkets to do my shopping usually not on the same day. I pick up items one day at one place then another day I pickup items at another place and so on. I tend to know which one I want to get certain items at that day.
Imported Items will cost you much more
Imported Items will cost you much more than locally grown or produced food or products. As an example, Heinz Tomato Ketchup that is imported will cost you more than double that of the locally produced Heinz Tomato ketchup. They are essentially the same product only the label is written in Thai but the shape of the label and the bottle are identical.
Here is how you tell if something is imported
To the left is a sticker that is placed on all import items. Anytime you see this sticker you know the item is imported and you will be paying more for that item. Some items you may think are imported may not be imported. The ketchup above was made in Thailand and will not have this sticker attached to it.
Tax Sticker attached to imported season salt
Click for larger view
Pork Loin
102 per Kg
Cheddar Cheese block
375 per Kg
Tomatoes
23 per Kg
Celery
49 per Kg
Potatoes
35 per Kg
Milk 2% low fat Formost
91 per 2 liter
White Bread Makro house brand
33 per loaf
Prices here are quoted from Makro and change frequently
Prices updated 03/11/2018 mm/dd/yyyy
Produce items seem to be a bargain right now, especially tomatoes.
Chicken has gone down in price, chicken breast with skin is now about 58 Baht per kilo.
Save 2,400 Baht a year. I buy one of the smaller containers for dailey use then refill it from the big containers
.29 Baht per gram
Small squirt bottle, I buy one of these and refill it.
.11 Baht per gram
Big plastic container.
.08 Baht per gram
The bag with 1,000 grams.
I eat a lot of ham sandwiches and I always put mustard on them, I go through about one small container each week, pictured left at 65 Baht each. This comes out to about 3,380 Baht a year for mustard, the same amount mustard cost 1,290 Baht a year purchased in the large containers. A savings of 2,090 Baht per year, the clear winner is the bag at a yearly cost of 908 Baht for a savings of 2,472. When I first tried the ARO brand it did have a different taste but a week later I was used to it and now I prefer it. It all adds up. Oh, and by the way I was amazed when I found that my yearly consumption of mustard comes out to 11.5 Kilos, Wow
The small size is 226 grams at .29 Baht per gram and cost 65 Baht = 3,380 per year
The large size is 2990 grams at .11 Baht per gram and cost 329 Baht = 1,290
The bag is 1,000 grams at .08 Baht per gram and cost 79 Baht = 908
Here are some of the places I shop, prices will vary greatly.
Friendship is a nice little market and pretty good prices and quality. I use it when I need just a few things it is easy in and easy out. Centrally located on Pattaya Thai near Soi Bhua Khao.
Friendship Supermarket
Foodland Supermarket is a medium size food store and it has a nice restaurant inside. A little more pricey but not over the top. Very clean store and a very professional staff. I shop here from time to time. Easy access in and out located on Pattaya Klang near Big "C" Extra
Big "C" Extra has it all, Great prices on most items. The bad is they make you walk through lots of junk before you get into the actual store.
Macro is my number one place, The produce and meat departments are what I like the most. Not everything is cheaper here but most items are and some items are cheaper by as much as 25 percent. I also like that I don't have to dodge through 50 other shops and vendors trying to sell me everything from gold chains to fried bugs, just to get at what I am shopping for. I walk through the front door and start shopping.
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