put off by prices, help

hi

i am going to pattaya on april 1st for 2 weeks.

we already have our accomodation sorted out.

we dont want girls so really just food drink(beer and spirits) and daytrips waterparks etc.

i just dont have a clue.

i dont have a lot of money so probably will be budgeting.

we chose thailand cause we went to goa last year and we where told it was nearly as cheap, but looking on here prices dont look much differant to the uk.

i was hoping to spend 25.00 or under a day but judging by peoples comments it doesnt look likely.

please help, i only have a week to go and i am taking cash in sterling as i dont have any cards, i am so worried i wont have enough money.

the worry is putting me off going, so please tell me ime being silly.

thanks

put off by prices, help

Dont worry mate cheap as chips,many happy hours through out the day beer can cost only 60 /70 pence,even on walking street cost around £1 in the open air bars.Food costs next to nothing.I suppose day trip will be most that you wil pay for but again cheap.Go out and enjoy yourself pattaya can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be.If you are stopping at expensive hotel dont buy food or drinks as these can be expensive eat and drink out you will be ok

put off by prices, help

Tony,

Thailand is way cheaper than the UK, if you look around you can eat for a couple of hundred baht including a couple of beers and softies for the kids.

Generally you will find that the restraunts near the beach and bigger hotels are more expensive as they think that the europeans have bottomless pockets.

Have a look away from the beach areas, and you can save a bit, of course thai food is the cheapest, european food can be expensive. Try the thai food it is great, and if you don%26#39;t like spicy ask the cook to leave out the chillies.

If you really desperate there is MacDonalds, Burger King and KFC.

Spirts are about the same price as here in Australia as the Thai Government taxes it pretty highly, the cheapest spirts is the Thai Wiskey, but if you drink it beware as some is a bit rough.

Buy your beer at the local 7 eleven, or supermarket or some of the little thai shops around the place, you can pick up Chang Beer for around 30 - 40baht.

If you like wine forget buying in Thailand as the government has about a 200% tax on it, for example I can buy a bottle of good Cab Sav here in Australia for about $15 Aust in Thailand the same bottle is $70 Aust.

I don%26#39;t know where your staying but, the best way to find out things is ask the locals, just be polite and friendly and they will point you in the right direction.

In regards to tours, get the booking agent to fully explain to you what is included in the price,I usually check the tour desk at the hotel and compare with one of the many agents around the area, (hotels get paid higher commisons by the tour operator- which is added to the price) I have saved as much as 2000baht ($58.aust, about $20 pounds) in the past by checking.

Hope this helps

Enjoy your holiday

thanks guys

i feel a bit better now.

we have no kids so no worries there.

we are staying at the dusit and do realise it will be expensive to eat and drink there so we will be going out.

once again thanks i just hope the sun is shining for us but i am sure it will.

tony

25 quid a day is plenty - unless you are a real glutton. As you say buy nothing in the Dusit - great hotel but nothing cheap. You can fill up your fridge at Best supermarket opposite the entrance to the hotel - can of coke maybe B12 a tin - if you want to eat cheaply the more inland you go the cheaper it gets - so for example if you go up soi diana inn, next to the diana inn on second road, and walk to the end of this soi, stroll around and you will get for example a full english breakfast with juice and tea/cofee for about a pound. I don%26#39;t like to spend over 3 pounds on a meal in pattaya and drink comes in at around a pound for a bottle of beer - though I am told in the new Avenue shopping mall on second road opposite soi post office you can get a pint of draught lager for maybe a quid and a half.

1500 baht a day for 2 people......or each??.....lets assume it%26#39;s for 2.

your hotel is payed for so you don%26#39;t have to worry...is breakfast included?

If you insist on eating western food you will find the prices are higher, but still less than UK.

English Breakfasts are from 60 baht (1 pound to 180 baht)

Most western meals can be bought for under 200 baht anywhere. Watch out for the buffets - get food poisoning

If you want to splash out, go to Symphonies (2nd Road) for about 400 baht main course each.....really good.

If you eat Thai food (highly recommended), you can eat off the street stalls (highly recommended) and cafes for as little as 20 baht per dish (noodles).

Almost any Thai place will give you a good meal for 200 baht per head......or sea food for 300 baht. Crab/lobster will up the price.

Transport is cheap...the about town buses are 10 baht per trip.

taxi from the airport 1300 baht negotiate before setting off......

bus from the airport 150/200 about??

Alcohol is in general cheaper than UK but relatively expensive by Thai standards......in some bars all drinks alcoholic or not can be 70 to 140 baht each....especially if you tipple is Johnny Walker etc.

MONEY - don%26#39;t change in UK...you%26#39;ll get a much better rate in Thailand even at the airport - there are simply LOADS of places to buy Baht there.

I%26#39;m surprised you don%26#39;t even have an ATM card - if you let your bank know you are going abroad, it will work at the many ATMs all over Thailand. there is a fee usually but it is SOOOOO convenient.

If you are thinking of bringing CASH only....I would strongly recommend you think again and at least buy some travellers cheques before you come...as they are at least a good back-up......if your cash is stolen what will you do?

AlSO - I believe now that some banks will give you a ';pre-topped-up'; visa type card that you can use at ATMs

Remember - the minimum daily wage in that region is about 180 baht per day (3 quid) and people live off that .... you%26#39;re trying to live off 1500....got to be possible..

You can make it as cheap or expensive as you want.

Eat Thai food, stay in an hour or two longer in the evening and have a drink in your hotel (buy beer from the 7-11, not the mini bar), don%26#39;t fall in love...

If you drink at the big name ex-pat bars, eat English food every day, etc, you%26#39;ll obviously spend more. Me, I spend the daylight hours reading on the beach and being brought bottles of cold beer and thai nibbles, all at rock-bottom prices.

One other thing - if you go out for the day, to Ko larn, the tropical gardens, etc. Make your own way there. It%26#39;s not hard. The public erry to Ko larn is a fraction of the rip-off speedboat price.

Personally I budget for about 3000 baht a day. If I%26#39;m alone (I have a Thai girlfriend in rayong) I can easily get buy on half this.

I don%26#39;t know why you would want to go to Pattaya. I have just gotten back to the states from Thialand. I went to Pattaya for look see, nothing but booze and loose women. Granted there is the beach but it sonds like you are going at the wrong time of the year. The rainy season is slowly getting started. The prices in Thailand are fairly cheap. Check your local money conversation rates. This will be a great help to you. I would visit the interrior of Thailand and stay away from the tourist trips. I think you may enjoy Thailand more. Hope this helps.

You could move to a hotel that is half the price of the Dusit and almost triple your spending money!

It is easy to find a hotel room with air, hot water, private toilet, cable TV, etc. for around 400-900 baht pretty easy. This way you have more money left for shopping and tours. A hotel in the 1200 baht to 1800 baht is pretty good! Cheaper hotels often offer free breakfast buffets too!

A hotel like the Areca is pretty good at less than half the price of the Dusit. http://www.arecalodge.com/

Unless you are totally stuck with the same hotel for your entire stay in Pattaya check out some of the other hotels in the Pattaya 2nd Road area and see if you can get a cheaper hotel but still end up in a nice place and giving you more available cash. Check some other places out anyway for your next trip to Pattaya!

Lots of supermarkets in Pattaya, you can save some money by doing some food shopping and making baloney and cheese sandwiches and bringing cheap beer back to your expensive hotel.

Good luck.

agree with last post i stay at the areca lodge ,great hotel ,2 swimming pools ,staff are brill and very central what more can you ask for.Also for a deluxe room around 1300 bahts bargain if you ask me

%26lt;%26lt; I don%26#39;t know why you would want to go to Pattaya. I went to Pattaya for look see, nothing but booze and loose women%26gt;%26gt;

And your point is?? :-))