Wolf Money/Bargain(Bangkok กรุงเทพมหานคร)
I am back after a short holiday to Bangkok. As usual the story telling part before I go into the bargain side of things. I heard the shocking news of the sinking of the Titan submersible during my trip to Bangkok. My condolences to the families affected by the tragedy.
As the richest of our society pushes the frontier of travelling, going to exotic destinations for extreme adventure is the last untapped goldmine of tourism. Going into space or deep diving to the deepest ocean where no man had went is an attractive proposition for Billionaires that have everything. Gone are the days where a shopping trip to London or Paris on a private jet can satisfied the most discerning Billionaire. Even a visit to Iceland had became common. Iceland was not known to be a popular travel destination just 15 years ago, it had grown to be the country of choice for people with money to spend. Btw Iceland is an expensive country to travel. The growing desire for the next trophy destination is an addiction equalling to a junky needing his next pot. Having the bragging rights to speak on those exotic adventures around the dinner table of fellow billionaires were just too great to resist. I hope common sense will prevail for those pushing the limit of extreme tourism, mother nature needs to be respected.
It was my first family trip to Bangkok after the covid reopening, there was an air of anticipation for the trip. Much have changed in Bangkok, the general population were still struggling with the aftermath of covid 19 pandemic that had ravaged the Thai economy. Many prime shopping malls were struggling to see full recovery. Some malls were half empty. Isetan departmental store was one of those victim of the pandemic which had devastated many retail businesses in the shopping belt. Isetan closed their operations for good in 2020 after 28 years in Bangkok. Takashimaya at Iconsiam was deserted during my visit to the mall. New tenants replacing those empty spaces were young entrepreneurs trying their hands on setting up trendy cafes. Shops selling beauty products and handicrafts were aplenty. I saw some students in their school uniform working as cashier in BIG C supermarket after school. The more enterprising students were doing busking, I sighted one showing off his footballing skill by controlling a toilet roll in the air to earn a few Baht from curious passer-by. Thai are hardworking people. The tenacity and resiliency of the Thai people are to be admired.
I find most young people especially those working as front of the house staffs in fast food outlets or retailing to be lacking basic proficiency in spoken English and Mathematics. Most can’t speak a word of English, many of my transactions turnout to be a “finger pointing” exercise. I was given wrong change a few times during my visit. Given English is an international language where it is spoken by at least 25% of the world’s population, strangely English communication was not given more weights in Thailand especially with the country reliance on tourism as a main source of income. Thailand received close to 30m visitors a year before covid.
The trip to Bangkok was one after many years. I remember visiting the Capital 7 years ago. I felt much had changed. The value proposition had more or less diminished. Bangkok was known to be a bargain destination, well like by many Nationalities around the world. The truth is Bangkok is as expensive as any other big cities around the world now. Prices are chasing those in Singapore. I did a sample summary in SGD. For example, a visit to a cafe in one of the high end mall would set you back prices similar to those in Singapore. A piece of fanciful cake in a fancy cafe cost $12-$14, expensive even for Singapore standard. A hotel room in a 5 stars hotel in Central Bangkok cost around $250 which was close to double of what I paid 7 years ago. My McDonald’s meal is similarly priced to those in Singapore. Chicken rice at roadside shop was around $17 which included two plates of rice, a lemon grass drink and a small plate of bean sprouts only. Where are the bargain now? I am sure you are not here to read about Lone Wolf complaining how expensive things were in Bangkok. Here are my top 3.
Suvarnabhumi Airport Link
Transportation from airport into the city can be a problem during peak hours which can take up to 2hrs if the traffic jam is bad. It costs around 300 THB around SGD $12 for a taxi ride from the airport to the city. The Airport link takes passengers to Makkasan and Ratchaprarop Station at the heart of Bangkok shopping belt within 30 mins. It cost only 40 THB around SGD $1.5. You will be shopping your heart’s content in no time. The rail service is reliable and clean.
Big C Super Center(Ratchadamri Road)
Many giant pharmaceutical companies have manufacturing operations in Thailand. It is not surprising some locally produced drugs were cheaper. A 20 tablets Panadol cost only THB 30 around $1.20 vs $8 in Singapore. Basic eyedrops from Teva pharmaceutical cost THB 60 around SGD $2.60. If the falling stock market is giving you headache and sore eyes, stocking up on some Panadols and eyedrops may reduced that irritation. This particularly Gillette Flexi Vibe shaver costing THB 109 around SGD $4.5 with four blades is the cheapest I can find. I suspect those were made for the local consumer. A regular Gillette March cost SGD $25.
Taroto Dessert(Central World Third floor)
Thailand is famous for their yam and purple sweet potato. This dessert shop sell taro and purple sweet potato focus dessert. They are similar in concept to Nine Fresh Taiwan desserts in Singapore. I ordered a hot ginger soup with purple sweet potato beancurd that cost THB 135 around SGD $5.30. The serving is big, good enough for two. The set come with peanuts and yam dumplings, caramelised lotus roots and crackers. The beancurd is smooth, every bite is filled with aroma of purple sweet potato. The ginger soup packed a punch, great for warming up the stomach. It is a must try if you are heading down to Central World. This is your Lone Wolf signing off Sawasdee Karb🙏.
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