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*NEWS* |
Approximate costs of day to day living expenses in Pattaya, Thailand For interns (dive
professional trainees), Pattaya can be
extremely in-expensive indeed. You’ll get a very good meal every time on the boat and also the
diver accommodation in Pattaya is included within the price of the dive internship. Please
find below some of the additional expenses that you might incur when here for
duration. We usually say that $300 - $400 will be enough per person, per month, to live on. Those that account for $400 per month usually have change at the end of the month as they are under budget. I do not know of any web sites that give an accurate account of prices here so I shall list a few things that might help to give you an idea of the cost of living. All of the prices are based on mine and peers everyday expenses here. TRANSPORT: is VERY
in-expensive in Thailand. It's approximately 3 Kms from the dive shop and intern accommodation
into Pattaya town. Believe me this is good. Pattaya is VERY much fun but it's
nice to go into the action when you wish rather than stay there 24/7. Our
accommodation is in the quiet part of town. To travel this 3 Kms is $0.2 (20
cents) - now that's cheap. Transport is becoming cheaper here - even internal
flights due to promotions (brought on by mass competition) are ridiculously
cheap. If you fancy a little break during study, to fly about 250 Km's north to
Udon Thani (a nice retreat) is only $10 - $15 these days - it's crazy. No more sitting
for years on buses. FOOD: is going to
play a major part - as eating is something that we have to do - like it or not
:-) Bear in mind, as stated, that when you are on the boat you get a meal and a
very good one at that. If I eat well one time each day it's on the dive boat. Thai
food is very inexpensive and you can expect to pay $0.50 to $1 per meal. Even if you
fancy a Burger or something western at times you'll be looking about $2 per
meal. - Again very cheap. Eating from the street carts is both clean and tasty.
Once you have got in to that your bills will decrease - having said that your
appetite might increase as the food is good! A very nice western meal in a restaurant
will cost approx $5 - $10. CLOTHING: I travel around Thailand a lot for certain things and I must say that this is one country that I never really worry too much if I have left anything behind. As long as I have my house and motorcycle keys, my wallet and my laptop - there's no problem. If I get short of clothes, I simply buy some. So many people insist on bringing out entire wardrobes of clothes. This is not necessary as when on the boat you'll only be wearing a wetsuit, shorts and a T-shirt all day. And also most people's wardrobes are not really suited to the climate here. For $100 or under you can kit yourself up with an entire and APPROPRIATE wardrobe of clothes. T-Shirts and Shirts are about $5. Jeans or Shorts about $7-10, sandals are $5-$10 (for a good pair) - again - all is cheap. Even if you bring all of the clothes that you want - you'll still end up buying more over a 6 month period but do not worry about the cost of this venture. Diver PERSONAL HYGIENE: Regarding personal hygiene, toothpaste, soap and de-odorant etc is about half the cost of that in the western world. A big double pack of toothpaste (Colgate or other know brands) is approx $2. Soap is extremely cheap (again branded). Perfumes etc are NOT cheap but hey if it means that much - make use of the Duty Free on the way out here :-) BEER: If you wish to go out on the town and listen to some live music or enjoy a few drinks with other interns etc then it is far from an expensive night out. Orange juices and cokes cost approximately the same as one beer (certainly orange juices). A premium bottled beer is approximately $1.5 (Heineken etc). Glasses of beer are approx $1 where ever you go. So for a night on the town in the bars is really quite cheap, unlike the west. CINEMA: Other entertainment is still very cheap. For a seat at the cinema it’s approximately 80 baht so $2. If you include your popcorn and coke look at paying a hefty $4 all in. The cinemas in Thailand are of Western Quality with great sound and setting also. A NICE MEAL: As mentioned a meal is very cheap but if you fancy dining out for a special occasion look at spending about $20 for two people – drinks on top. Many places in Pattaya (the Captain’s corner being one) have buffets of all you can eat for approximately $7. These are extremely good value, set in a lovely atmosphere and when you taste the food – well…the value becomes even better. LIVE MUSIC: There are many gardens and pubs that have live music that you can enjoy of an evening and again a beer will cost $1 - $1.5. BEACH: A walk along the beach of an evening watching the sunset if FREE of course. PERSONAL TRANSPORT:
You might consider renting a little motor scooter by the month whilst here.
Malai our super secretary deals with this as the demand is high. They are
approximately $65 for the month. Fuel is extra but believe me even with the
increases in the world right now it's still very good value. Having a rental
motorcycle in Pattaya will not only save money on the buses but also be a lot
more convenient - door to door travel. Most of the guys and gals have them here
as it allows them to shoot off to the unexplored parts and distant beaches etc
as well as being convenient for a quick trip to the shops etc. If you do not
care to rent a motorbike by the month then they are for rent at approx 150 baht
or $4 per day. STAYING IN TOUCH: is very cheap with email. There are hundreds of internet Cafes all over Jomtien and Pattaya that can accommodate you. The cost in most is 1 baht per minute and hence works out to be $1.5 per hour. If you have a laptop then emails can be written on this and then saved to disk – they can then be sent in minutes costing on cents. AN ISLAND EXCURSION: The local paradise island is Koh Larn and even though very close to the bay it never gets busy. The ferries leave every 20 minutes from Pattaya Pier and the journey takes 45 minutes. The cost is 20 baht or $0.5 – 50 cents. Once on the island you can catch a motorbike or car over the big hill to Laem Thong Bay (or Golden Bay) for about $1 ($1 return also), this is a truly wonderful day out. Snorkel and see the corals and small sharks (NOT dangerous) under the rocks. When I have free time I grab my mask, snorkel and fins and hop over to the island for the day. Take a pack lunch or buy a meal for 50 cents or so and have a complete day out for about $4. Superb. LOCAL SITES of INTEREST in Pattaya: are in abundance. We have local temples, zoos, elephant farms, parks, beaches – there really is much to see. With the aid of a little personal transport, all make a good day or many days out.
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