Is it worth it?

[Siam Addict]

I have travelled to Thailand now for almost 20 years and back in the early days you got 7,000 Baht for £100, an enhanced economy ticket from the Uk cost £1,000. A condo near Sukumvit for £30 a night. And a girl for the night 1,000 Baht.

Now £100 gets you 4,300 Baht, a business class ticket is over £3,000, a hotel room in Pattaya £60 a night and you can easlly spend 2,000 to 3,000 Baht for a girl for the night.

So my question is, why am I sitting here about to book another trip to Thailand?

[galenkia]

Totally get you mate. The days of Thailand being a cheap holiday are long gone.

I remember the days of paying £10 a night at Sunshine Garden by the Dolphin roundabout, 200 baht barfines and 500 baht LT.

75 baht to the pound.

Could have a soi 6 St and beer bar LT, eat and drink all day for about £50.

Cost of flights alone is enough to put me off going back. It’s just not value for money anymore.

[Stillearly]

37 minutes ago, Siam Addict said:

I have travelled to Thailand now for almost 20 years and back in the early days you got 7,000 Baht for £100, an enhanced economy ticket from the Uk cost £1,000. A condo near Sukumvit for £30 a night. And a girl for the night 1,000 Baht.

Now £100 gets you 4,300 Baht, a business class ticket is over £3,000, a hotel room in Pattaya £60 a night and you can easlly spend 2,000 to 3,000 Baht for a girl for the night.

So my question is, why am I sitting here about to book another trip to Thailand?

A £1000 in 2005 is equivalent to £1,760 in 2025  ... my premium economy flight for Nov cost me £1,400  ... 

70 Baht to the pound was only around for couple of years , prior to that it had been below 40 ... 

so what's keeps drawing you back .. ? Only you know the answer .. 🤷‍♂️

 

for me it's primarily the nightlife, I still think it's fun and decent value 

Edited June 9, 2025 by Stillearly

[Lemondropkid]

3 hours ago, Siam Addict said:

So my question is, why am I sitting here about to book another trip to Thailand?

Everywhere's got more expensive, the UK and Ireland especially so.

If you are jaded with Thailand, don't book. Try a different destination, or give travelling a miss for a year

[SteveBC]

Nowhere stays the same, for instance compare the prices in the UK now to 20 years ago.

For many years, before the SE Asian economy collapsed, the Pound was around 38bt, then over a short period it went up to around 93bt ( i was on holiday here at the time and bought a load of furniture from the Rosewood Room on Soi 6, opposite the Jack Tar Bar at the time ), it included shipping back to the UK and is still now in perfect condition.

Yes, most things are more expensive these days, and the strong Baht certainly does not help matters, but it's a common problem throughout much of the world.

Hopefully one day the Thai powers to be will devalue the Baht and things may improve for visitors and expats, we can only hope.

One other thing to add, and i'm sure many can relate to this, now i'm on the downward slope of life (71) i do not have the stamina / sexual desire / wanton lust etc of my younger years. I live a far more sedate lifestyle. For sure i still have my moments and enjoy them considerably, but the need for two or more Ladies each and every day is no longer a priority, i'm more than happy to sit somewhere in a comfortable chair, sipping a cold whatever and watching the world passing by......

[Toy Boy]

10 hours ago, Siam Addict said:

So my question is, why am I sitting here about to book another trip to Thailand?

I have no idea bout your own personal situation, but you should remember that the average weekly wage in the UK has increased from around £300 in 2005 to an estimated £722 this year, according to Google's AI. So if you were the 'average' British worker your income will have gone up by 240%, much more than the prices of flights and hotels. There's nothing you can do about the exchange rate, part of it's the strength of the THB but a lot is the feeble state of the GBP as British economists and politicians cling to the old belief that a weak currency will boost exports. (How's that working out for the UK, lol?) If you think it's hard for a three-week tourist, what do you think it's been like for the expats living here full time? The current rate of around 44THB/GBP is a Hell of a lot better than the 36 or 37 THB we were getting at one time. 

[paul williams]

Sure its a bit more expensive ..most of it due to Xchange rate. But tell me where can I get the wild wild west in Rotheram ?

[Glasseye]

 

I am glad I am settled here as things for me overall are much cheaper, and daily sights (everything) are still fascinating for me.

 

But.... for those who travel back and forth the cost is definately rising. 

If you don't have the dime don't do the time.

[richy65]

I’m still loving my trips to Thailand, first time was 2014 so I’m a newbie compared to some of the guys on here, think it was 50 baht to the pound then.

Hotels are great value especially compared to the UK. I’m not so bothered about chasing women these days but enjoy the Bangkok experience going out drinking and eating etc

I only go in December due to work and it’s a nice break from the British winter which really grinds me down at times.Its a great feeling having a few daytime beers on Soi Nana when it’s nice and warm 

Airfares have obviously risen sharply since Covid and my other major expense is being a soft touch for buying lady drinks!

[Nightcrawler]

It's not so much the cost of things that affect my desire to keep visiting, but the fact that each trip has become more predictable. That is partly to do with the changes in Pattaya but also my sinisism after over 50 visits.

I don't think I would ever want to visit Thailand on a shoestring, working about how much I have spend every day. Neither am I a fool and his money 

As I grow older and less energetic and enthusiastic, the only reason I don't chose other places in the world to visit, is because I don't have the energy to rediscover and anywhere else  

What keeps me coming back to Thailand mostly, is because its easy. I know what is what, where is where and where to avoid. I know what's good value and what is not and I don't fall for any scams. I have come to realise that I am bot sexy man 😁 but sexy wallet although that happened years ago. 

My libido has taken a bid of a dive over the last few years as well, and I'm not the dog on heat that I used to be.  That's something money can generally not buy. 

I remember the days when I would take two or three girls together. Now one is sometimes an effort 😁

That said, I'm bound to come back in a few months, with a few more baht in my pocket.  I do still enjoy the nightlife and feel  mentally 20 years younger (at least for the first few days). 

There still isn't anywhere quite like the place. I just wish it wasn't so far away. I hate the journey back and fourth  

I find that attitudes are changing though, and many of the girls are far more mercenary and greedier than the used be. Can't blame them I guess. Probably not their chosen profession in life 😁

There are new places opening whilst others close, and I do enjoy visiting new bars and restaurants rather than just sticking to the ones I know and like, everyday. But I rarely find new places that I like enough to be a regular. 

Gentleman's clubs are a good addition to Pattaya I think, but these days I have to  load a satchel.of Kamagra before entering, just in case and often wasted 🙂

To have the same 3 or 4 weeks of nightlife, hotels and food, plus the occasional brass the night would still cost far more than in Pattaya. 

My concern would be if there comes a day when I cannot afford 3 trips a year or I get to old or too sick to take a holiday. 

I couldn't stand being miserable or too serious in Pattaya. For those that have met me, will know that I am a bit of joker and don't take much too seriously when I'm in town. I am fortunate that I can talk to just about anyone and keep a smile on my face, which is a bonus and being a social animal by nature helps toward my enjoyment of the metropolis that is Pattaya. The city of lies, and smiles😁

Just a few personal views and perspectives. 

[maipenrai]

30 minutes ago, Nightcrawler said:

It's not so much the cost of things that affect my desire to keep visiting, but the fact that each trip has become more predictable. Thatbis partly to do with the changes in Pattaya but also my sinisism after over 50 visits.

I don't think I would ever want to visit Thailand on a shoestring, working about how much I have spend every day. Neither am I a fool and his money 

As I grow older and less energetic and enthusiastic, the only reason I don't chose other places in the world to visit, is because I don't have the energy to rediscover and anywhere else  

What keeps me coming back to Thailand mostly, is because its easy. I know what is what, where is where and where to avoid. I know what's good value and what is not and I don't fall for any scams. I have come to realise that I am bot sexy man 😁 but sexy wallet although that happened years ago. 

My libido has taken a bid of a dive over the last few years as well, and I'm not the dog on heat that I used to be.  That's something money can generally not buy. 

I remember the days when I would take two or three girls together. Now one is sometimes an effort 😁

That said, I'm bound to come back in a few months, with a few more baht in my pocket.  I do still enjoy the nightlife and feel  mentally 20 years younger (at least for the first few days). 

There istill sn't anywhere quite like the place. 

I find that attitudes are changing though, and many of the girls are far more mercenary and greedier than the used be. Can't blame them I guess. Probably not their chosen profession in life 😁

There are new places opening whilst others close, and I do enjoy visiting new bars and restaurants rather than just sticking to the ones I know and like, everyday. But I rarely find new places that I like enough to be a regular. 

Genemens clubs are a good addition to Pattaya I think, but these days I have to  load a satchel.of Kamagra before entering, just in case and often wasted 🙂

To have the same 3 or 4 weeks of nightlife, hotels and food, plus the occasional brass the night would still cost far more than in Pattaya. 

My concern would be if there comes a day when I cannot afford 3 trips a year or I get to old or too sick to take a holiday. 

Just my personal view. 

Spot on, I agree with just about everything you say here, particularly this paragraph:

"What keeps me coming back to Thailand mostly, is because its easy. I know what is what, where is where and where to avoid. I know what's good value and what is not and I don't fall for any scams. I have come to realise that I am bot sexy man 😁 but sexy wallet although that happened years ago. "

Also the libido - after my age and prostate surgery, I certainly don't have the sexual will and energy I used to and I usually satisfy it with visits by regulars to my room, instead of going out on the hunt every night anymore. 

[roomark]

It's not exactly cheap to go holiday in Europe from the U.K nowadays , the days of £99 teletext holidays are well out of the window.

Was last over in Dec / Jan this year have been to Majorca since and am back in Majorca next month.

Not sure when I'm back in LOS at this moment in time , but I always miss it and always will.

It's never gonna leave me .

Am half thinking of buying a place for a couple mill and putting it in both my sons name (they are half Thai born and raised in U.K)

Time.will tell and its never gonna leave me I look at mates my age group now that didn't do the things I did and I often wonder how my life would have planned out if I never made it out there ...

Think I made the right choice.

[Lirchenfeld]

If one has doubts over whether or not it is worth it, then it is most likely not worth it for that person. 

Most of us are no way near that doubt and still enjoy our visits.

[coxyhog]

I'm 72 in a couple of months & have been a regular visitor to Thailand since I was 27.

If I was 27 now I'd probably consider it too expensive,back in 81 it was very cheap but also I was on very good tax free dosh in Saudi so that helped,I think the FX was 48 on my first trip.

Having been married for a long time & with having a house in Korat there's no other place that I'd rather visit but I like a few days in Bangkok on the way in & on the way out of Thailand & I do indulge in a bit of debauchery occasionally.But I certainly live a lot cheaper in Korat than in the UK.

But once you get out of Pattaya/Bangkok/Phuket things do get a lot cheaper,although without the attractions of the fleshy kind.

Just remember one thing,life ain't a practice,you only get one shot at it.

 

Edited June 10, 2025 by coxyhog

[Zeb]

2 hours ago, coxyhog said:

Just remember one thing,life ain't a practice,you only get one shot at it.

Yep and we cannot take whatever we have with us.

I'm more than inclined these days to spend while I can to do what takes my fancy.

[Glasseye]

9 hours ago, Nightcrawler said:

It's not so much the cost of things that affect my desire to keep visiting, but the fact that each trip has become more predictable. That is partly to do with the changes in Pattaya but also my sinisism after over 50 visits.

I don't think I would ever want to visit Thailand on a shoestring, working about how much I have spend every day. Neither am I a fool and his money 

As I grow older and less energetic and enthusiastic, the only reason I don't chose other places in the world to visit, is because I don't have the energy to rediscover and anywhere else  

What keeps me coming back to Thailand mostly, is because its easy. I know what is what, where is where and where to avoid. I know what's good value and what is not and I don't fall for any scams. I have come to realise that I am bot sexy man 😁 but sexy wallet although that happened years ago. 

My libido has taken a bid of a dive over the last few years as well, and I'm not the dog on heat that I used to be.  That's something money can generally not buy. 

I remember the days when I would take two or three girls together. Now one is sometimes an effort 😁

That said, I'm bound to come back in a few months, with a few more baht in my pocket.  I do still enjoy the nightlife and feel  mentally 20 years younger (at least for the first few days). 

There still isn't anywhere quite like the place. I just wish it wasn't so far away. I hate the journey back and fourth  

I find that attitudes are changing though, and many of the girls are far more mercenary and greedier than the used be. Can't blame them I guess. Probably not their chosen profession in life 😁

There are new places opening whilst others close, and I do enjoy visiting new bars and restaurants rather than just sticking to the ones I know and like, everyday. But I rarely find new places that I like enough to be a regular. 

Gentleman's clubs are a good addition to Pattaya I think, but these days I have to  load a satchel.of Kamagra before entering, just in case and often wasted 🙂

To have the same 3 or 4 weeks of nightlife, hotels and food, plus the occasional brass the night would still cost far more than in Pattaya. 

My concern would be if there comes a day when I cannot afford 3 trips a year or I get to old or too sick to take a holiday. 

I couldn't stand being miserable or too serious in Pattaya. For those that have met me, will know that I am a bit of joker and don't take much too seriously when I'm in town. I am fortunate that I can talk to just about anyone and keep a smile on my face, which is a bonus and being a social animal by nature helps toward my enjoyment of the metropolis that is Pattaya. The city of lies, and smiles😁

Just a few personal views and perspectives. 

 

Great post Night !

[Glasseye]

2 hours ago, Zeb said:

Yep and we cannot take whatever we have with us.

I'm more than inclined these days to spend while I can to do what takes my fancy.

 

I'm more than inclined these days to spend while I can to do what takes my fancy.

 

I generally agree with the above. However it can be easy to find yourself below comfort level with the dosh. I am bouncing back and the future is looking good, but there were a couple of very tight years (mostly with things that were unexpected). Moving ahead I will be much more careful. Being settled here now has helped me considerably in stabilizing expenses. I have reduced costs, save more and know when I can afford a little fun time (without entering into a "stress zone"). Also my interests have shifted a bit as I enjoy just a normal day at home and not getting pinged several times a day by girls asking to help pay their rent.

[coxyhog]

9 hours ago, Zeb said:

Yep and we cannot take whatever we have with us.

I'm more than inclined these days to spend while I can to do what takes my fancy.

This is why I fly BC these days,we haven't any kids & I only have my mother in the UK so whatever is left will be going to Thailand.

Whatever happens the missus will be fine.