Anyone in Thailand/Laos at the moment? Or in last couple of months?

kraggy

Hi guys and gals, just want to get figures, as up to date as possible, on the following costs in both countries:

Laos:
Cheap Guesthouse room per night
Large bottle of beer Lao
Basic rice and veg dinner/curry/cheap pizza
Bus ticket from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng or Vientiane


Thailand:
Room in guesthouse in north (Chiang Mai, Pai or somewhere)
Basic, cheap bunglow/hut on islands in south
Large bottle of Chang/Tiger/Singha
Cheap Curry dish/noodle dish in local restaurant


I know the above is very specific. I've been to all of South East Asia a few times but the last time was nearly 3 years ago. I might be heading back soon but not for the usual backpacking and would like to keep the costs to a minimum, hence the enquiry.

Again, I'm looking for replies from folk who have been there in the last couple of months.

Thanks a million.

K.

wallpaper12

Ok il try and do my best to remember, was there last summer. Shared rooms most the time so of course this kept the cost down.
This is for luang prabang/vang vieng/vientiene
Room in Laos between 5 and 9 euro, these rooms would hold 2/3 people.
Beer lao, found it for 80c in a restaurant in Luang prabang think it was usually 1.10 or 1.20.
Basic veg/rice dish between 1.20 and 1.50 i think, i dont eat meat so cant remember what those prices where, think usually around the same though. pizza maybe 4 or 5 euro.
paid 10 euro from luang prabang to vang vieng. 6 euro from vang vieng to vientiene.
Chiang mai I stayed in a hostel it was 100 baht a night, was def the cheapest I could find.
Cant really help with the islands, only stayed for a week i koh phangan during full moon and the room was 1200 baht for 3 of us so pricey enough but as i said it was full moon time.
Can get (****) beer for as cheap as 25 baht in 7/11's expect to pay anywhere between 60-120 baht depending on location for beer. think 70-80 was average.
In chiang mai think dinner was about 50-60 baht for a decent curry dish.
Hope that helps, my memory sucks though but i think thats about right.

Sappa

Kraggy,
We were over in October, a couple of weeks in Lao and Thailand.
It had been almost 2 years previously since I was there and I saw a massive change in Thailand price wise.
With a weak euro getting 40 baht at best compared to 49 baht and a significant price increase in local products probably another 25%,Thailand is not the cheap country it was 3-4 yrs ago never mind 12 yrs back.
It can still be done on a budget but it all depends on what you want to spend your money on,drinks in bars have gone up a lot,Bangkok I actually handed the bartender 500 for 3 singha just off Silom,he said it was more than that and the price was 180 baht a beer,robbery.
Prices in Bangkok are really taking the phiss even around Koh San which has lost its charm a longtime ago,very hard to haggle with the street vendors.
Budget an extra 400 euro into your travels and you should be fine,you have already been before and should`nt make too many rookie mistakes and I am sure you can hunt out many a bargain but you will definitely see a change.

kraggy

Thanks a million for the comprehensive replies folks. Great info on everything that I asked.

Had a feeling that Thailand has risen in costs again. I was first there in 2005 and then went back in 2009. Couldn't believe the increase in prices. Add to that the bad exchange rate and I was shocked.

Going by the prices you mentioned it seems to have gone up again in the last 2 or 3 years. Laos however still sounds very reasonable. And what a lovely country it is. The only bad thing is that I've heard that Vang Vieng has got a bit out of control. The owner of Travelfish.org and his wife went back there recently having first gone there years ago. In an interview with the Guardian, she said that that was the only time that she saw him cry on their travels. He was saddened by the debauchery that's going on there now. Young loutish pissheads shouting and roaring their way through the village streets til all hours. I saw a bit of it when I was there but seemingly it's got worse.

Shame, as Vang Vieng is such a pretty little place.

Sappa

Kraggy
Vang Vien has been ruined unfortunately and the friendly Lao welcome you used to get there is almost non existent.
I forst went there in 2001 and it was class,2005 not a whole lot had changed and in 2007 I really noticed the change,we were back there in 2009 and I could`nt stand it .
Young yobs male and female screaming up and down the street,wearing swimwear which is a major no no in Lao culture,puking at 11 am in the morning and just all about the booze.The river itself is overcrowded,gathering litter and the general atmosphere of the place is Kao San road,I remember 2001-2005 cycling my bike back from the town at 11pm when everything shut down and you just follow the moon lighting the limescale cliffs,it was simply an amazing spot.
I would only stop there for a coffee passing through to break up the journey now,funny thing is the vast majority of backpackers who use vang vien as a base actually never venture 10km outside the main strip where the scenery is class and the Lao culture is alive and well and they take nothing away from the place except a hangover and totally missing the point of traveling to a new country.
Another coouple of years the whole place will be shut down and the Lao govt have plans to turn it into a more eco tourist zone rather than a cesspit,I hope they get their finger out sooner rather than later.
Rant over