What is your Exchange rate "tipping point"?.

[marleyboy 140]

Im retiring in the next 18 months,

 

I plan to spend the U.K. winter months in Thailand, I have the use of a house over on the "darkside"...so no real hotel costs. Im "obviously"! getting older...so dont drink anywhere near what I used to...so thats more money I wont have to spend!  As for go-go bars...I prefer beer bars anyway! Sure the pound is going down and down.."hopefully"! it may recover a bit.........sometime anyway!  I find its still quite easy..ish to meet girls without going to beer bars etc....food is still reasonably not expensive....so  "personally" for me the pound would have to go down to maybe 25-30 to make me even consider going elsewhere..Of course Im lucky...in that I dont have to pay for hotels...I can only sympathise with the guys having to shell out money  for hotels on our ever decreasing low exchange rates!!

 

Ive been going to Thailand for almost 40 years now....I can remember  getting low 30s to the pound (and my salary was way less then!).

 

Ive never been a "bell ringer",  I do  (occasionally) buy lady drinks ...(though I prefer to slip them 100 baht ..if they are doing good)...so I guess Ive always been careful with my money...cos Ive worked hard for it!

 

I guess what Im saying is?  The exchange rate would have to drop quite a bit more to make me think of going elsewhere....Thailand (and particularly Pattaya) has lots going for it...sure its corrupt etc...but personally for me the pros outweight the cons! So Im planning on going for a fair few years yet!

[yogi100 1,925]

On 8/10/2019 at 12:13 AM, jacko said:

My favourite is 'it will bounce back". It is a long time coming or a bit of a dead cat bounce. Sitting waiting for it to 'bounce back' has likely cost me plenty and I am running on fumes now. And more in line with the topic, can I support myself at the current baht/ £ rate. The current UK State pension is 6000 baht/week. That is not going to pay for a night out!

Bye bye Brit tourists. 

It has bounced back.

It's bounced back to what used to be a more realistic rate before the Asian economic crash. Back in 1984 I used to get 32 baht to the £. That's the sort of sober exchange rate us British punters used to get for years back in those days of doom and gloom under Margaret Thatcher.

With our huge national debt and our 8.7 million people of working age being economically inactive (not actually contributing to our economy) what can we honestly expect. They're a heavy burden and a huge drain on the rest of us. Forget the official unemployment figures of 1.5 million our govt tries to tell us about.

Then there's the hordes of immigrants who can't even speak English let alone get a job even if they wanted one. They're another milestone around our necks that we can well do without. There's millions of 'em to be seen on the streets of our towns and cities every day of the week. They're obviously not working.

[elche 39]

5 hours ago, yogi100 said:

Back in 1984 ...

Edited August 11, 2019 by elche

[Big_Brian 179]

I planned my retirement on a "worst case" of £1 / ฿40.  Never thought I'd see it though.  Was doing OK lately until the wife's birthday - shiny shop time.  ?

 

I explained to her that it's really a form of saving and, when we get old(er) and need it, we can cash it in.  Never seen a look of horror on her face like that.  ?

[jacko 8,814]

51 minutes ago, Big_Brian said:

Never seen a look of horror on her face like that.

She was likely thinking of cashing it in next week!

Edited August 20, 2019 by jacko

[Butch 3,456]

A friend has just returned from a 3 week stay, all in all his trip cost him about 4k Sterling (including flights and accomodation). Not cheap, his biggest gripe was having to buy some toothpaste which came to about £2 lol.

On the whole, after doing some maths, it worked out the trip added about £20 a day to his usual budget, spread over 20 days came to £400 - £500 extra (sums done on a napkin, rough working out).

He's not a cheap charlie and spent his days around the poolside, venturing out in the evening and eating in places ranging from PBG/ Sailor Bar through to Hooters. His mongering was reduced somewhat, so whereas in the past Soi 6 or a GC would beckon in the afternoon, he'd just give it a miss and stay at the Hotel. Incidentally, during our chat we agreed there is a serious lack of nearby venues to Bukhao which are open in the early afternoon with a decent selection of girls and some pool tables, where a guy can just go into some A/C, have a few beers and some pool or chat to girls and just relax without having to spend a fortune.

So the amount extra needed to bring a budget back up to what it is normally for a two or 3 week tourist is not insurmountable, it does need some extra input but the savings can probably be found if a few simple adjustments made.

[yselmike 390]

On 8/11/2019 at 2:19 PM, yogi100 said:

It has bounced back.

It's bounced back to what used to be a more realistic rate before the Asian economic crash. Back in 1984 I used to get 32 baht to the £. That's the sort of sober exchange rate us British punters used to get for years back in those days of doom and gloom under Margaret Thatcher.

With our huge national debt and our 8.7 million people of working age being economically inactive (not actually contributing to our economy) what can we honestly expect. They're a heavy burden and a huge drain on the rest of us. Forget the official unemployment figures of 1.5 million our govt tries to tell us about.

Then there's the hordes of immigrants who can't even speak English let alone get a job even if they wanted one. They're another milestone around our necks that we can well do without. There's millions of 'em to be seen on the streets of our towns and cities every day of the week. They're obviously not working.

Back then the Baht was tied to the $us at 25baht to one dollar.It was floated in 1997 in 98 it peaked at 90baht for one pound.

[nkped 1,208]

Fifteen years ago, I seem to remember 29 baht to the USD.  Of course, I also remember 20 baht to the USD in 1975 but a red note went a lot further then.

Edited September 4, 2019 by nkped

[js007 795]

14 hours ago, nkped said:

Fifteen years ago, I seem to remember 29 baht to the USD.  Of course, I also remember 20 baht to the USD in 1975 but a red note went a lot further than.

Not only that, but people surely made less dollars back in 1975 than they do today.  Perhaps 1/10 of what they make today.  So it's hard to make comparisons between then and now.  US dollar inflation, Thai inflation, fluctuating exchange rates, etc.

 

[jacko 8,814]

2 hours ago, js007 said:

Not only that, but people surely made less dollars back in 1975 than they do today.  Perhaps 1/10 of what they make today.  So it's hard to make comparisons between then and now.  US dollar inflation, Thai inflation, fluctuating exchange rates, etc.

 

I just recall that the cost of flights was the main barrier back then, although that is well before even my time.  I am betting they are the same in £Sterling terms that they were back in the 80s. I always recalled a BA Club World to Bangkok came in at about £3500 back then, probably still more than it is now. People were only just becoming accepting of short hops to Spain on charter flights and suffering surcharges when they got to the airport. Everyone seems to be able to afford an economy long haul every now and again these days. I was changing my Sterling at a worse rate than it is even today during my first few trips, but still recall feeling everything seemed so cheap in Thailand. 

So what has changed, exchange rate back where it was and a pound substantially deflated in purchasing power, and yet I see things as expensive now. Could it be a lady drink in a beer bar at 150 baht when she used to get a 50 baht beer or Spy from me?  Could it be plates of mainly fried rice for over 100 that used to be 30 baht? Some GGB owner wanting 1200 baht for a LT Barfine when it was 500. Having to even think about where I go and what I buy. A non BF boozy night around the GGBs costing 6000-8000 baht when a couple used to cover it. I still think my £  should be 50 baht considering what I get for that nowadays.

Edited September 3, 2019 by jacko

[teelack 9,641]

A friend has just returned from a 3 week stay, all in all his trip cost him about 4k Sterling (including flights and accomodation). Not cheap, his biggest gripe was having to buy some toothpaste which came to about £2 lol.
On the whole, after doing some maths, it worked out the trip added about £20 a day to his usual budget, spread over 20 days came to £400 - £500 extra (sums done on a napkin, rough working out).
He's not a cheap charlie and spent his days around the poolside, venturing out in the evening and eating in places ranging from PBG/ Sailor Bar through to Hooters. His mongering was reduced somewhat, so whereas in the past Soi 6 or a GC would beckon in the afternoon, he'd just give it a miss and stay at the Hotel. Incidentally, during our chat we agreed there is a serious lack of nearby venues to Bukhao which are open in the early afternoon with a decent selection of girls and some pool tables, where a guy can just go into some A/C, have a few beers and some pool or chat to girls and just relax without having to spend a fortune.
So the amount extra needed to bring a budget back up to what it is normally for a two or 3 week tourist is not insurmountable, it does need some extra input but the savings can probably be found if a few simple adjustments made.

Butch. Re early afternoon venues in the Soi Buakhao area. I disagree with the comments in that I can easily find
a dozen Gentlmens Clubs open from 2.00 pm that I can get to on foot and I am am old man. I have accommodation in central Buakhao so this is fact, not opinion. In addition to this I believe that there are about 5 afternoon gogo places in the two small sois where the Pump House is. Again, a ten minute walk from Buakhao.

Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk

[Bullfrog 2,224]

1 hour ago, teelack said:

Butch. Re early afternoon venues in the Soi Buakhao area. I disagree with the comments in that I can easily find
a dozen Gentlmens Clubs open from 2.00 pm that I can get to on foot and I am am old man. I have accommodation in central Buakhao so this is fact, not opinion. In addition to this I believe that there are about 5 afternoon gogo places in the two small sois where the Pump House is. Again, a ten minute walk from Buakhao.

Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk
 

Far East Rock and Nevada are a couple that open at 1pm on Soi Post Office.....Can't comment on the quality or prices inside though...

[tallguy 1,475]

2 hours ago, Bullfrog said:

Far East Rock and Nevada are a couple that open at 1pm on Soi Post Office.....Can't comment on the quality or prices inside though...

Both do cheap draft beer, Far East has a happy hour until 4 o'clock with bottled beers at 85 baht, after that it's around 120-130 baht depending on your poison, LDs around 130 baht. Most of the others in the area have similar prices although the only happy hour I am not sure about is Nevada.

Quality is variable but overall I would say it's average to poor with the occasional diamond available.

Edit: To add to Teelack's point about GCs, there are five just off Soi Buakhau without having to go over Third Road: The Den, Club Excite, Club 555, Club Baku and Baku Lounge, (some open a bit later than 2 pm but still afternoon bars). There is also The Hangover Lounge which is near the Mercure Hotel in the Soi 15 area but I haven't been there.

Mods, maybe these responses could be moved to their own topic to avoid it becoming a distraction to the original thread.

Edited September 4, 2019 by tallguy
Added info 're GCs + note to mods re possible new topic.

[nkped 1,208]

11 hours ago, js007 said:

Not only that, but people surely made less dollars back in 1975 than they do today.  Perhaps 1/10 of what they make today.  So it's hard to make comparisons between then and now.  US dollar inflation, Thai inflation, fluctuating exchange rates, etc.

 

I once figured out what I would pay for the same service now as a % of my income and the price may have gone down.

[awesum4 2,333]

Club555 had some lovely girls when I called in last week. 

The Den didn't.

The others I cannot comment on as I didnt go to them.

Edited September 4, 2019 by awesum4

[keyman 1,413]

@Tallguy - no need to remove any posts. This thread has ebbed and flowed, as it is still generally about the cost of a trip to Pattaya, but also about spending patterns whilst here to adjust to coping with the low exchange rates.

 

KM

[Bullfrog 2,224]

1 hour ago, nkped said:

I once figured out what I would pay for the same service now as a % of my income and the price may have gone down.

This is something that I had never really thought about. Let's take my 2 extremes..

Upper limit:  In the '90s for 2 years I never went below 16,000 quid a month (pure profit, no overheads). My best month was 32,000 quid. Let's use 84 baht to the pound = 2,688,000 Baht a Month. 1,000 all night.  0.037%. Multiple girls most nights.

Lower limit (today): Currently living off my Army pension of 600 quid a Month at 37 baht to the pound = 22,200 Baht a Month. 3,000 all night. 13.5%. Never Again!!!!

Frightening difference really....I wish I hadn't done that calculation now....

[tallguy 1,475]

1 hour ago, keyman said:

@Tallguy - no need to remove any posts. This thread has ebbed and flowed, as it is still generally about the cost of a trip to Pattaya, but also about spending patterns whilst here to adjust to coping with the low exchange rates.

 

KM

Ok but also thought they might make an interesting topic in their own right, 'What to do in the afternoon around Soi Buakhau and Central Pattaya'.

[marleyboy 140]

When I used to go backpacking around Thailand/Asia back in the 80s...I used to get the cheapest flights...Im pretty sure they were in the 3 to 4 hundred quid b=range back then? So in comparison with today..a lot dearer?

I used to get "open return" tickets for up to 4 or 5 months then...but even so , they seemed to be a lot more expensive than they are now?

[wacmedia 277]

49 minutes ago, marleyboy said:

When I used to go backpacking around Thailand/Asia back in the 80s...I used to get the cheapest flights...Im pretty sure they were in the 3 to 4 hundred quid b=range back then? So in comparison with today..a lot dearer?

I used to get "open return" tickets for up to 4 or 5 months then...but even so , they seemed to be a lot more expensive than they are now?

Hi,

Flights back then were little cheaper than they are today if I remember rightly.(Very expensive) I think you got 30+ baht to the pound. Things seemed cheaper than they are today though. I stayed in a very nice beach hut with fan for £1 a night on Chaweng Beach. There was talk of an airport coming soon at that time. I've never been back as I've read horrot stories about Koh Samui since the airport and the property explosion. I was glad to have been there when I was. Pattaya wasn't a destination at that time, except for the US guys in Vietnam maybe ?

[yselmike 390]

5 hours ago, Bullfrog said:

This is something that I had never really thought about. Let's take my 2 extremes..

Upper limit:  In the '90s for 2 years I never went below 16,000 quid a month (pure profit, no overheads). My best month was 32,000 quid. Let's use 84 baht to the pound = 2,688,000 Baht a Month. 1,000 all night.  0.037%. Multiple girls most nights.

Lower limit (today): Currently living off my Army pension of 600 quid a Month at 37 baht to the pound = 22,200 Baht a Month. 3,000 all night. 13.5%. Never Again!!!!

Frightening difference really....I wish I hadn't done that calculation now....

84 to the pound was around the Asian currency crisis about 1998 so it's not a good comparison, about 55 to a pound would be a more realistic number.

Really the pound is a low as it's ever been since the Baht was floated in 97 and my Euro is about where it was when the notes and coins were introduced in 2002 and it's not over yet.

[Bullfrog 2,224]

3 hours ago, yselmike said:

84 to the pound was around the Asian currency crisis about 1998 so it's not a good comparison, about 55 to a pound would be a more realistic number.

Really the pound is a low as it's ever been since the Baht was floated in 97 and my Euro is about where it was when the notes and coins were introduced in 2002 and it's not over yet.

Totally agree! but these were my two extremes...

[marleyboy 140]

10 hours ago, wacmedia said:

Hi,

Flights back then were little cheaper than they are today if I remember rightly.(Very expensive) I think you got 30+ baht to the pound. Things seemed cheaper than they are today though. I stayed in a very nice beach hut with fan for £1 a night on Chaweng Beach. There was talk of an airport coming soon at that time. I've never been back as I've read horrot stories about Koh Samui since the airport and the property explosion. I was glad to have been there when I was. Pattaya wasn't a destination at that time, except for the US guys in Vietnam maybe ?

I dont remember exactly how much I was getting for a pound to be honest. I used to spend the winter months of the year, in Koh Samui, usually Lamai beach.

 

Used to get a bungalow on the beach too! Seem to remember paying about a pound a night though. I did actually go to Pattaya for a few days, would have been the late 80s........nothing like it is now of course! Though I thought it was more "touristy"! (remember I was a backpacker in those days!)..than Koh Samui.?

I first went to Thailand and Samui in 1982...saw major changes in Samui and Thailand too....Saying that..I did fly once from Bangkok to Samui! Amazing airport it was! 

[Butch 3,456]

On 9/4/2019 at 9:30 AM, Bullfrog said:

This is something that I had never really thought about. Let's take my 2 extremes..

Upper limit:  In the '90s for 2 years I never went below 16,000 quid a month (pure profit, no overheads). My best month was 32,000 quid. Let's use 84 baht to the pound = 2,688,000 Baht a Month. 1,000 all night.  0.037%. Multiple girls most nights.

Lower limit (today): Currently living off my Army pension of 600 quid a Month at 37 baht to the pound = 22,200 Baht a Month. 3,000 all night. 13.5%. Never Again!!!!

Frightening difference really....I wish I hadn't done that calculation now....

Those are 2 very extreme extreme's and serve well to illustrate the difference between earning a regular wage vs retirement income, shocking as you say and the figures don't make pleasant reading.

I have a friend who retired in 2002 with £250k in the bank, getting almost 8% on his money PA plus a small pension all added up to , give or take £20k pa, around 16k pa net (approximate figures) all at over 60 baht to the £. Today he's lucky to get 2% PA at half the value of his sterling, as such he's running out of options fast due to having already eaten into the lump sum he had originally.

Personally , myself and the wife intend to retire in the RP, (sooner rather than later with any luck), and given that I'll be cashing in all of my assets here in the UK with the exception of the house, his situation has tought me a valuable lesson - not to assume that the current economic climate is guranteed, regardless of how favourable it looks and to prepare for hard times, even though they may seem distant. Fortunately we have income streams in the RP but again, I'll never assume anything when it comes to potential budgets and retirement.

Is your Army pension index linked despte you being in Thailand though Bullfrog?  - I know my Dads Forces pension is, but he's in the UK.

[Bullfrog 2,224]

27 minutes ago, Butch said:

Is your Army pension index linked despte you being in Thailand though Bullfrog?  - I know my Dads Forces pension is, but he's in the UK.

Yes it is mate ....My state pension kicks in just as my Health Insurance starts to ramp up too so all is OK here with me nowadays as long as Nightwish etc don't influence the prices on soi Honey and "the poon" like they did on soi 6 that is...