As a long-term resident of Thailand, this year I've finally had to admit, for many people, Thailand no longer offers good value as a holiday destination, and that's not likely to change. This unbelievable fact came to me after I spent five weeks in Europe at the beginning of the year and realized, for many every day items and for holiday-related expenses, Spain, and even England, were now cheaper than Thailand.
The Thai baht is too high, and has been for at least two years. With the baht hovering at 30 baht per US dollar, or 41 baht to the euro, the cost of everything in Thailand, for an American or European tourist, is now 25-30 percent more expensive than it was just five years ago.
In Spain, I paid a euro for a cafe con leche, and that was at a beautiful beachside cafe. In Thailand, the equivalent (41 baht) wouldn't even get me a small latte at an inexpensive Bangkok cafe down a dark side street. For 3 euros in Spain, I could order coffee and a brandy, or coffee and a slice of apple pie with cream. Bangkok? The equivalent, 121 baht would barely get me the slice of apple pie, let alone the coffee.
Stuck holidaying in Asia, as I have been for the better part of a decade, I've been lulled into the false idea everything European was expensive and everything Thai cheap. When I found myself in a Spanish supermarket buying the most delicious pâté for 60 cents a jar (around .80 US cents, or 25 Thai baht) and slathering it on the cheapest, and most delicious, fresh French bread I'd eaten in years, I knew the days of "cheap Thailand" were over.
Hotels too, in Spain, were less money than what I'd pay in Bangkok or Chiang Mai, better quality (ie: supremely clean, superb facilities and, in our case, all-inclusive including meals, alcohol, wine and lattes).
In the UK a pint of beer was cheaper than a comparable beer in Bangkok and, if I wanted to buy some decent chocolate, it was half what I'd pay in Thailand. Groceries at the supermarket too - 75 percent the cost of my local supermarket in Bangkok, and a much bigger and better quality selection of things.
As for clothing, hit the Spanish markets then tell me Spain isn't cheap. My parents and I were amazed to find, not only cheap Spanish clothing, accessories and underwear, but Thai products (shawls, scarves, costume jewelry) that had somehow been shipped to Spain from where they were made in Thailand, and yet were being sold cheaper in Spain than on a market back in Bangkok. Yes, I kid you not.
When you look at a holiday in Thailand, and figure out what you'll spend, most of your money will go on hotels and food, with a whopping amount on an airfare. On a trip to Europe, from anywhere else in Europe, the US or Canada, you'll spend at least 25 percent less than on a comparable trip to Thailand. And your airfare will be half the price.
Factor in day trips and tours which, again, in Spain were the same price or cheaper than in Bangkok and Chiang Mai and, as a long-time resident of Thailand, all my vacations from now on are going to be spent in Europe.
Can I recommend Thailand as a holiday destination? Yes. It's lovely.
Can I recommend Thailand as a cheap holiday destination and good value for your money? Unfortunately, no. I can't.
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