I never been to a country where there are such huge differences in pricing of products and services as in Thailand.
A few examples that come to mind – a noodle soup can cost as low as 40 baht and as high as 200 at a neighboring vendor. Massage chair for 59000 and same model for 99000 at the mall next door. Cannabis (comparable quality) 400 baht per gram in the north to as high as 1400 in Koh Samui and Phuket. Going to a private clinic I paid 3700 just to see a doctor for a quick diagnose while I later found a public Thai G.P. who sees me for free and charges only a fraction of the price of “tourist hospital” prices for medication.
This also goes for transportation, tours, clothing and many other products and services.
Finally, I’m staying in a studio just outside of Chiang Mai at the moment. I pay 2450 per week. The very same studio costs 2600 per MONTH! :)
I don’t really invest any time into this myself (as I should), but if you take the time to compare prices and look for good deals, it’s possible to save huge amounts of money in this country.
I guess the Thai don’t invest a lot of time in market research and pricing strategy..
What was the most absurd difference in pricing you’ve seen in Thailand?
