Cost of Living

[Hector]

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/16D55/production/_129852539_food_price_increase_24_05_640-2x.png.webp
Quite an interesting hyperlink above – if one can open it.  It is from a BBC report on today's news.  I have been getting a lot of moans from friends in the UK about the cost of living there and while we are all suffering from this, I thought that the basic foodstuffs listed here, weren't vastly different from what they are here.  I confess I haven't done a detailed cost comparison, but it seems to me that the Brits are paying more for sugar, eggs and bread while we are paying more for the rest of the items.  Not vast differences – except for cheese of course!
But it got me thinking about the other items that contribute to the cost of living:
petrol – the Brits are paying almost double what we are;
taxes; - this is the biggie, the Brits pay a lot more in taxes than we do here – if indeed we pay any!
Booze: this is an odd one, as wine costs a lot more here, whereas eg whisky is more expensive in UK.  Beer is tricky, as at about 6 quid a pint that's about 250 Baht – wow!
Swings and roundabouts, I suppose, but I still think my pension goes further here than it would in the UK even if the halcyon days of 70 Baht/£ are long gone!

[ken kenobie]

I don't know about the UK , but ever since I've been back in Thailand I seem to be ever using my ATM card when out shopping at a supermarket , and things here seem to be shooting up in cost , definitely not as cheap as it once was .

 If it keeps up at this rate I will have to give up my Cheddar Cheese buying 


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[Roger]

Hector I'm in the UK atm and have noticed as usual, how lucky we are with the cost of living in Thailand.

Some typical expenses for comparison :-

Rent UK B 40,000 pm Thailand B 10,000 (3 bed 2 bath bungalow)

Electricity UK B 8,400 pm Th B 1,500 pm

Council tax UK B 6,000 pm Th B 30 pm (dustbin emptying twice a week !)

Diesel UK B 70 per litre Th B 34

Gas UK B 4,000 pm Th B 70 pm

Water UK B 2,000 pm Th B 100 pm

Dining out UK B 1,200 Th B 500B (for 2, excl. alcohol) (restaurant not street food)

Beer UK B 160 Th B 60 (cheapest)

Car servicing and repairs - UK a dramatic multiple of Th costs

It's true that some items of Falang food and wine are more expensive in Thailand BUT overall, costs in Thailand are much lower.

(Ken -  re. Cheddar cheese - Makro have 2 kg for B700-800, (it's not the most tasty maybe but it's OK).

[Roger]

In the UK, even some on very good incomes are feeling the pinch and having to cut back spending. The costs of mortgages and rents has increased and further B o E interest rate rises are feared - 6% is mooted which would mean mortgage deals will be around 7% - there is no end in sight to the problem and it's predicted by some that these high interest rates might persist for years to come.

Another interest rate rise of shock horror 0.25% is expected next week. My 'economics' ended at 'A' level stage but it is my opinion, that our present problems have been partly caused by B o E timidity over recent years i.e. interest rates stayed low for far too long and should have been increased years ago. And, these tiny step increases have been far too timid to get on top of inflation and in fact, they just keep feeding it, as it is long embedded.

It is hard for those like me to feel too much sympathy, having paid mortgages at 15% in the 80's (?) - we just got on with it      It's likely that those who are suffering the most in the UK atm are those further down the income ladder not in a position to dream of getting a mortgage anyway . . . .