Thailand isn't cheap or expensive. It's two countries stacked on the same street, and $30 a day is real if you stand on the right side of the line.
The same bowl of boat noodles runs 80 baht ($2) on the soi where the drivers eat, or 150 to 400 baht at the riverside terrace with the English menu. Nobody's cheating you. You just crossed a line.
Stay on the Thai-price side:
- Eat where the drivers eat, not the beach strip
- Grab over metered taxis (the price is set before you get in)
- ATM fees are flat (about 250 baht), so pull the max, rarely
- Budget the farang park rate (Khao Yai is 400 baht) and let it go
Chase the Thai-price Thailand, which, not by accident, tastes better too.
