I am still amazed when I see how much food cost in the tourists areas.
Coffee shop in Pattaya with sandwiches 180 thb (US $5.45).
All western food ridiculously over priced for tourists.
Maybe living in rural Isaan has spoiled me to thinking nothing should cost over 40 thb?
But then again, we do NOT have any tourists, western food is made by Thai vendors and is very cheap.
Chicken fingers and fries from a Thai vendor 40 thb.
Fried chicken reasonably cheap.
Sushi? 5 thb per piece. Same with doughnuts.
The prices in tourist areas life Pattaya and Phuket are on par with your home countries.
Nothing cheap here if you want to eat branded western fast food or pizza.
As cheap as everyone on social media thinks Thailand is, they really have no idea because all they know are the tourist area prices.
They have never been to the rural areas, void of tourists, where prices are much less where Thai people can afford them.
That being said, if you need to shop at Tesco or Big C, you are going to pay those prices.
The disadvantage is you will not have any vendors selling at local Thai prices.
If you want to move to Thailand and live like a westerner or tourist, it is going to cost you a lot more money.
If you don’t need western touristy things, visit rural Isaan.
You might just find it is a wonderful and cheap place to call home.