Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
If you have money a strong baht makes you richer. If you're poor, you're still poor. If you're in the middle, foreign things become less expensive and local things continue to inflate.
Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
<< foreign things become less expensive >> i am not so sure about that. I look at foreign food at Big C or Tops and the prices continue to go up when they should come down. A lot of profiteering from the strong baht.
- Stantheman
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Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
Must agree on the strength, needed to send some of the wifes money to support mother-in-law. Bangkok Bank was giving 30.23 baht to dollar on TT rate, last time it was 30.5.
- Stantheman
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Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
Baht projected to strengthen more against the dollar in 2020 based on this article, should also effect other currencies.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/17 ... r#cxrecs_s
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/17 ... r#cxrecs_s
Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
Please show us by example in the Supermarkets Buddy. If the Thais were keeping the same margin profits then prices for imported goods should be flying down. Reality make as much money while we can, the bad times are a coming.
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Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
I first went to Thailand in 2003 and I loved it. The people were happy, my Canadian dollar went a very long way, it was not crowded and the Thais liked us being there. The interesting thing that I noticed every year when I went back was costs going up and it is still doing so along with a poor exchange on my dollars, even my Thai wife hesitates on going back because of the cost now. I am not cheap but I am not rich either,back in 2003 I actually felt a little bit wealthy when I was there and it was a great feeling to know that I could enjoy myself and not worry about the cost. It really gave you a sense of freedom.
Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
It's true that the strong baht should help reduce the cost of imports, but it has the opposite affect on exports. Maybe they are making up the loss of the exports by increasing the price of what they import?
Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
I'm not rich and I'm not poor. However, the strong baht weakens my finances. I have to spend dollars to buy baht that I have to spend to live here. I don't often buy imported things but that said, I have not seen them get any cheaper with the strong baht. It's likely that the importers make more money by not passing along the savings. That seems logical to me.
Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
if you look at a graph of usd vs thb this is not new. for 15 yrs ranging from 35-29 more stable than most. with all currencies on slide this last yr
one interesting fact, thailand holds disproportionately large gold reserves and bullion
has gone up nearly 20% in these uncertain days
one interesting fact, thailand holds disproportionately large gold reserves and bullion
has gone up nearly 20% in these uncertain days
Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
this whole gold reserve thing is very intriguing.
story about u.s. vs china trade tensions i dont buy
or import/ export flow changes. but holding strong bullion reserves when other nations printing money willy nilly. thailand is a gold bullion hub. a thought
story about u.s. vs china trade tensions i dont buy
or import/ export flow changes. but holding strong bullion reserves when other nations printing money willy nilly. thailand is a gold bullion hub. a thought
Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
Everything we already know …. https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opi ... of-economy
Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
pretty much exactly how i felt . i came here 2004 . 76 baht for pound . excellent hotel in khon kaen for 500 baht a night with good buffet breakfast for 2 .Large beer 7/11 , 25 baht, noodles and street food 15 baht.jai yen yen wrote: ↑October 25, 2019, 3:52 amI first went to Thailand in 2003 and I loved it. The people were happy, my Canadian dollar went a very long way, it was not crowded and the Thais liked us being there. The interesting thing that I noticed every year when I went back was costs going up and it is still doing so along with a poor exchange on my dollars, even my Thai wife hesitates on going back because of the cost now. I am not cheap but I am not rich either,back in 2003 I actually felt a little bit wealthy when I was there and it was a great feeling to know that I could enjoy myself and not worry about the cost. It really gave you a sense of freedom.
Now 38 baht for pound same hotel 1600 baht , beer 65 baht , street food 45 baht so income down at least 60% prices up 100-200%.
went home 3 yrs ago hotel in tenby wales overlooking the beach 1000baht a night with breakfast of all the things you could think of , lovely room lots of wardrobes . satellite tv . stella /budweiser beer from tesco 16 baht a can chinese take away 200 baht. I think cheaper for me to live back home which i would do tomorrow if not for my 2 adopted boys and still may do and see if the pound gets better
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Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
Be careful of your perspective on UK prices.dragonz wrote: ↑November 22, 2019, 11:36 ampretty much exactly how i felt . i came here 2004 . 76 baht for pound . excellent hotel in khon kaen for 500 baht a night with good buffet breakfast for 2 .Large beer 7/11 , 25 baht, noodles and street food 15 baht.jai yen yen wrote: ↑October 25, 2019, 3:52 amI first went to Thailand in 2003 and I loved it. The people were happy, my Canadian dollar went a very long way, it was not crowded and the Thais liked us being there. The interesting thing that I noticed every year when I went back was costs going up and it is still doing so along with a poor exchange on my dollars, even my Thai wife hesitates on going back because of the cost now. I am not cheap but I am not rich either,back in 2003 I actually felt a little bit wealthy when I was there and it was a great feeling to know that I could enjoy myself and not worry about the cost. It really gave you a sense of freedom.
Now 38 baht for pound same hotel 1600 baht , beer 65 baht , street food 45 baht so income down at least 60% prices up 100-200%.
went home 3 yrs ago hotel in tenby wales overlooking the beach 1000baht a night with breakfast of all the things you could think of , lovely room lots of wardrobes . satellite tv . stella /budweiser beer from tesco 16 baht a can chinese take away 200 baht. I think cheaper for me to live back home which i would do tomorrow if not for my 2 adopted boys and still may do and see if the pound gets better
I lived in LOS from 2000 until I returned to the UK in 2015. The UK may now be on a par in terms of the cost of some things, e.g. food shopping, because of the exchange rate comparison, but you need to be careful to look at the wider range of costs, if one is comparing the cost of living in the UK.
For example, B&B locally here c £70 per person per night. A Travelodge maybe c £55 upwards exc breakfast.
If you hunt around you can get a small breakfast locally where I live from £3.50 up, but more usually £5.50 or even £7.50. A panini/sandwich eaten in a cafe £4.50 - £6.50. Coffee latte min £2.50, often £3.00. Meals out generally much more expensive. (OK Ready made sandwiches from Tesco to take away - £1.80-£2.50, or a loaf of bread 55p up).
But you need to consider things like council tax c £190 per month, utilities gas/electric c £50 -£60 pm upwards. Water c £40pm.
Then there are things like the cost of labour. You can't get an engineer, plumber or the like to visit for less than about £60. Travel - train fares extortionate. Buses expensive, coach travel cheaper (than train) for longer distances. Car annual service at a main dealer c £250.
You do need to be sure to look at a full range of things when comparing costs.
I am hoping that once Brexit is resolved, the £ at least will rise. And agreed we certainly want the baht to weaken.
P.S. I would like to come back and visit LOS but not at 36-38 baht to £1.
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Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
" I am hoping that once Brexit is resolved, the £ at least will rise. And agreed we certainly want the baht to weaken.
P.S. I would like to come back and visit LOS but not at 36-38 baht to £1."
Hope that you are able to return soon ........ unfortunately I and many others are not allowed to "make a difference" as we cannot vote in Thailand OR in England even though both sets of politicians rule the way we have to live our lives
P.S. I would like to come back and visit LOS but not at 36-38 baht to £1."
Hope that you are able to return soon ........ unfortunately I and many others are not allowed to "make a difference" as we cannot vote in Thailand OR in England even though both sets of politicians rule the way we have to live our lives
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Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
Yes, sorry that you can't vote. And also sorry that Brits living in LOS don't get the cost of living increases on their UK state pensions. That I think is very unfair. That was a factor in my returning, along with health and other things.stattointhailand wrote: ↑November 23, 2019, 4:59 pm" I am hoping that once Brexit is resolved, the £ at least will rise. And agreed we certainly want the baht to weaken.
P.S. I would like to come back and visit LOS but not at 36-38 baht to £1."
Hope that you are able to return soon ........ unfortunately I and many others are not allowed to "make a difference" as we cannot vote in Thailand OR in England even though both sets of politicians rule the way we have to live our lives
Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
I was in LOS In May this year, getting $31.70- $31.90 baht to the US $. Coming back in February next year looking at $30.2 baht to the US $. Big difference.arjay wrote: ↑November 23, 2019, 5:13 pmYes, sorry that you can't vote. And also sorry that Brits living in LOS don't get the cost of living increases on their UK state pensions. That I think is very unfair. That was a factor in my returning, along with health and other things.stattointhailand wrote: ↑November 23, 2019, 4:59 pm" I am hoping that once Brexit is resolved, the £ at least will rise. And agreed we certainly want the baht to weaken.
P.S. I would like to come back and visit LOS but not at 36-38 baht to £1."
Hope that you are able to return soon ........ unfortunately I and many others are not allowed to "make a difference" as we cannot vote in Thailand OR in England even though both sets of politicians rule the way we have to live our lives
Re: Worries rise as baht scales six-year high...
Yes, I'm already thinking how to cut back my expenses in Thailand a bit on my next trip.
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