Bangkok prices.

**Cujo** · 23-10-2007, 01:33 PM

I'm having an argument with my (stingy) company over my expenses.
They're saying THB200 is enough to eat per day in Bangkok.
I disagree.
What do you say? I'm not talking eating noodles by the road or on the other hand 5 star cuisine.
Just being reasonable, how much do you reckon per day to eat in Bangkok?
How much for a cup of coffee?
Thanks for your input.

**kingwilly** · 23-10-2007, 01:36 PM

FFS, would think in the order of 2000 baht.

**kingwilly** · 23-10-2007, 01:37 PM

cup of coffee about 70-100 baht

**stroller** · 23-10-2007, 01:49 PM

Yes, 'real' coffee is quite a luxury item.

It really depends on the location and what kind of food you want to eat.
But for somewhere like Silom 200bt is very low when you have to eat out 3-4 times a day and don't want to rely entirely on foodstalls and fast-food.

The other question is your position in the company, if you are expected to represent and maybe eat out with contacts, than KW's budget sounds reasonable for one person.

**Frankenstein** · 23-10-2007, 01:50 PM

If you eat at hole-in-the-wall restaurants, a Thai dish over rice with water or soda will set you back around 50 baht, so yes, 200 baht is possible. It depends what you deem to be an acceptable meal I guess.

**kingwilly** · 23-10-2007, 01:54 PM

I would guess that a meal at a 3-4 star dinerery would cost about 400-1000 baht per meal

**stroller** · 23-10-2007, 01:57 PM

Sure, you can spend much more than 2k a day on meals.

**keda** · 23-10-2007, 02:00 PM

I'd say 300-400 for a fair to nothing special meal, or 1000 daily.

**pugforever** · 23-10-2007, 02:25 PM

200 for bf, 200 for lunch, 400 for dinner.

**Cujo** · 23-10-2007, 02:28 PM

Well for times I have to entertain clients I have a seperate budget, the 200 is for the whole day, so breakfast, not usually provided with the room, but charged seperately, (in most of the hotels I've stayed at) Lunch and dinner.
I found a couple of places in Sukhumvit where I could get some decent bangers and mash and stuff like that. Good old comfort food. (I live in China and that sort of thing's difficult to find here) But quite expensive.

**chinthee** · 23-10-2007, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by cujo

Well for times I have to entertain clients I have a seperate budget, the 200 is for the whole day, so breakfast, not usually provided with the room, but charged seperately, (in most of the hotels I've stayed at) Lunch and dinner.
I found a couple of places in Sukhumvit where I could get some decent bangers and mash and stuff like that. Good old comfort food. (I live in China and that sort of thing's difficult to find here) But quite expensive.

Wow! 200 Baht corporate allowance for all meals? Who do you work for, some Bangladesh flood control company or something?

**Dalton** · 23-10-2007, 02:33 PM

I would say not less than 1.000 baht/day, and that is being cheap...If the company you work for cant understand that, then ask your boss to try and live for 200 baht/day in Bkk...

**Cujo** · 23-10-2007, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by chinthee

Originally Posted by cujo

Well for times I have to entertain clients I have a seperate budget, the 200 is for the whole day, so breakfast, not usually provided with the room, but charged seperately, (in most of the hotels I've stayed at) Lunch and dinner.
I found a couple of places in Sukhumvit where I could get some decent bangers and mash and stuff like that. Good old comfort food. (I live in China and that sort of thing's difficult to find here) But quite expensive.

Wow! 200 Baht corporate allowance for all meals? Who do you work for, some Bangladesh flood control company or something?

Exactly, thanks, I'll pass that message along.

**pugforever** · 23-10-2007, 02:36 PM

ask for the receipts from where you usually eat. show them to your company, see what they say.

**chinthee** · 23-10-2007, 02:42 PM

^^ Honestly, I've owned & run companies in Asia for years and formulated travel policies. Normally, you don't have a country-specific food limit, but if you did for Thailand, something in the range of 2000 Baht might be ok, if not entertaining clients. Your per diem is slave labor level. Do you book a hotel with breakfast included?

**stroller** · 23-10-2007, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by cujo

I found a couple of places in Sukhumvit where I could get some decent bangers and mash and stuff like that.

Try Foodland on Soi 5. Vely nice food, including various European dishes at reasonable prices. Open 24 hrs, it's not a restaurant, but an eatery attached to the supermarket.

**dirtydog** · 23-10-2007, 02:45 PM

If you wanted to eat in aircon places then your not going to do it on 200baht perday, maybe 200baht per meal at the low end type places.

**chitown** · 23-10-2007, 02:53 PM

Maybe your boss eats out at White Castle at home.

Here is the real question......what are they giving you for a housing allowance? What are they giving you for a salary? What other benefits are involved? Insurance? Travel money? Taxi money? BTS money?

I mean, let's look at it easonably.....if they are giving you 200,000 baht a month, paying you a housing allowance and other benefits, then I would say 200 baht a day for food is ok.

If they are giving you 75000 baht a month and no housing allowance, then that is another story.

I owned a company back in the states. There was one guy working for me out in the field and about 200 miles form home. He was gone from Sunday night unitl Thursday morning and then he drove home. He had a company vehicle, a gas card, a rented apartment, a company provided cell phone with permission to make personal calls, and after the tax man took his part, he was pocketing about US$1800 a week. Some guys in the company got him all jazzed up about per diem the cost of food. Mind you, that this guy ate fast food three meals a day anyhow! He walked in my office and asked for US80 a day for a food allowance. I bounced him right out of the office and took his area away from him. Every other guy in the company that got him jazzed up came begging for his area.

This guy was 21 years old. I took a lot of time to teach him all I knew about the business and was like a father too him. At his age he was knocking down over $100,000 a year and should have been happy. His friends were making about 25% of that!!! By the way he is making about $150,000 a year working for the guys that bought my company.

So it depends on what you get. At least in my opinion!!

**chinthee** · 23-10-2007, 02:55 PM

Maybe I misunderstood the OP. I thought he was traveling to Thailand doing business here. If he's based in Thailand he gets NO food allowance, that's my policy. That's not done.

**Dalton** · 23-10-2007, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by stroller

Try Foodland on Soi 5.

Try Eden at Soi 7 1/2 that's much more fun, but 200 aint gonna get you far..

**baldrick** · 23-10-2007, 03:05 PM

50 USD per day per diem for food

**chitown** · 23-10-2007, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by chinthee

Maybe I misunderstood the OP. I thought he was traveling to Thailand doing business here. If he's based in Thailand he gets NO food allowance, that's my policy. That's not done.

Traveling here and based here are 2 different stories. I agree!

**Blake7** · 23-10-2007, 03:24 PM

i would say 1000 baht.
The general rate for per diems (not including accomodation or transport) is about 50 usd a day...

**chinthee** · 23-10-2007, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by Blake7

i would say 1000 baht.
The general rate for per diems (not including accomodation or transport) is about 50 usd a day...

Yes I agree with you and Baldrick, and my figure of 2,000 was based on my stupid old reluctance to admit the exchange rate is not at 40 anymore. That would now be, what about 1650?

**cali kid** · 23-10-2007, 03:28 PM

2000 baht a day??? For yourself???? There must be some spoiled people in here that forgot where they are..

200 baht a day is kind of low.. But lets say 300 baht a day gets you 3 Macdonald's meals a day, that is between cheep thai food and good farang food. Check Gulliver's on soi 5 good food decent prices...

I'd say 400 baht a day is fine, if want something more upscale than use some of your personal money..

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