Pattaya on a budget

[nickto21]

Hey All,
Is $30 a day enough to spend 3 months in Pattaya starting Mid December?
I am going to stay in cheap hostels, eat street food, and I don't drink. The only regret in not having more money is the nightlife, although the idea of that mostly grosses me out.
Thanks,
Steve

[frogblogger]

At today's exchange rate, that's 1000 baht a day.

Don't know what the cheapest room in Pattaya will cost you, but in Chiang Mai you would find it hard to get anything livable under 250 baht (no aircon).

If you stick to nothing but the cheapest food stalls, 350 baht can get you through the day, drinking bottled water and maybe a soda. Yes bottled water's cheap, but in that humidity you drink a lot of it each day.

If you never leave Pattaya, walk everywhere, never get sick, don't smoke, dont go anywhere except for the beach, never take a massage, then if you're lucky you might have 300 or 400 baht left over to spash out on the occasional luxury... a second-hand book, or something.

I reckon a newbie arriving in town will find it pretty hard to stick to that kind of budget in a country they don't know, but it is possible - just!

But why Pattaya? If the nightlife idea 'grosses you out' (and anyway you can't afford it), why not head for a cheaper part of the country?

[kalpattaya]

It is possible but without nightlife! You can eat meal for 30-40 Baht, can get a room for 4000 Baht per month and pay electric bill about 800 baht.

[frogblogger]

4000 baht a month in Chiang Mai would be pretty rough, so what's it like in Pattaya!?! But good point KP, if you take on a place for a minimum of a month at a time, rather than stay in a cheap GH on a daily/weekly rate, there are some good discounts. In Chiang Mai you can get a studio flat (electric extra) in the centre of town, for 5000 baht monthly. Away from the centre (but then you have transport problems) around 3-4000.

When you say a meal for 30-40 baht, I think you mean a single course - because that's roughly the rate for the cheapest soup/fried rice etc dish. Realistically, if an American hits town for the first time in Thailand and eats for less than 300 baht a day drinks included, then he's "a better man than I, Gunga Din"...

Another cost you have to include is laundry. Cheap, but on your budget, significant. 30 baht per (to be washed) kilo is about as good as you get up north, doubt it's cheaper down south.

[kalpattaya]

Originally Posted by frogblogger

4000 baht a month in Chiang Mai would be pretty rough, so what's it like in Pattaya!?! But good point KP, if you take on a place for a minimum of a month at a time, rather than stay in a cheap GH on a daily/weekly rate, there are some good discounts. In Chiang Mai you can get a studio flat (electric extra) in the centre of town, for 5000 baht monthly. Away from the centre (but then you have transport problems) around 3-4000.

When you say a meal for 30-40 baht, I think you mean a single course - because that's roughly the rate for the cheapest soup/fried rice etc dish. Realistically, if an American hits town for the first time in Thailand and eats for less than 300 baht a day drinks included, then he's "a better man than I, Gunga Din"...

Another cost you have to include is laundry. Cheap, but on your budget, significant. 30 baht per (to be washed) kilo is about as good as you get up north, doubt it's cheaper down south.

I am talking about Pattaya, Chiang Mai may be more difficult as need to travel much more. There are 2 americans in my office - big boys, about 130kg each, they feel pretty fine when we go lunch time in the Thai style restaurants near markets and enjoy the fried rice with shrimps or beef or noodle soup or friend noodles - each cost B30 as I mentioned so for 30 or 60B lunch is pretty possible. Laundry can become expensive as it is pretty hot in Thailand, but the biggest problem may be electric bill - usually when rent a cheap accommodation B4000-B5000 landlords try to compensate with manager fees for electric and water bill so you can end up with 5000 electric bill easy.

[nickto21]

Originally Posted by kalpattaya

It is possible but without nightlife! You can eat meal for 30-40 Baht, can get a room for 4000 Baht per month and pay electric bill about 800 baht.

OK, I've decided to postpone my trip to the end of March, when I'll have more money. Thanks for all the replies.
Nickto

[blue eyes]

The last time the wife and I went to Chaing Mai I took the laundry to get done.When I picked it up no problem.But the first time I wore the under garments.I had a big problem!!!They had put something in them that caused me to have burning and pain in the lower area!!!!!The wife said she had no problem.We went back together since my Thai is not the greatest and I was not in the best of moods.She was very sorry and said that she send mens clothes out to somewere else.She said sometime she have this problem before.
In my thought I think that they do this because they think that you are a tourist of the "nightlife".It was cheap though.
As to living on $30 US a day in Pattaya?Yes you can but then again I would say surviving would be a better term then living.

[frogblogger]

A number of Chiang Mai laundry ladies have done a few tons of my washing over the years, with no ill effects - think you were just unlucky!

Reminds me though of a similar unpleasant experience - picked up what looked like 7-Eleven shower gel, suitably adorned with pictures of flowers and other harmless looking things... soon to discover that it was some kind of industrial cleaner. Ouch. Gave the wife a good laugh though, the response was "som nom na (serves you right), you should have learned to read Thai!"

[robby nz]

I lived in PT for a couple of months on under 25kb a month no problem, had a nice room up the other end of the soi Craxy Daves is in 4000b a month power included, no air that would have been an extra 1kb.

Made my own breakfast, ate other meals at small Thai places 30 to 70b, went to the island a couple of days a week taking my lunch, to the swimming pool, aquarium, up the hill and generaly all over, walked or song tau everywhere, washed my own clothes, easy if you do it every day.

Wandered along the beach or around the bars in the evenings, found a place where I could play pool with a bottle of lemonade (dont drink or smoke), a couple of the bars put on a free feed once a week, had a great time and still had enough left over for a lady if I saw something I really fancied.

That was a couple of years ago things may have changed in that time but wouldnt mind doing it again but my circumstances have changed.