clothes in uk cheaper & better quality than thailand now

[biscuitz]

yep thats the truth, for many years ive been coming here i used to travel here light & return back to the uk up to my max, now its the other way round... im on a (o non im visa) so went shooping in the uk for all my clothes i would need & i was right in doing so because not only are the items i bought alot cheaper in blighty but also of a higher quality.. the january sales are still on in the uk & its now march

[vainiac]

i agree. the clothes in the usa are cheaper and better quality than the stuff i've seen here. even something like a t-shirt. plus, here you're never quite sure if you're getting a real name brand product or a copy. it's hard to trust the clothing labels either. lots of shirts say 100% cotton, but they feel like polyester.

you'd figure that since lots of the clothes sold in the west are made in thailand (nike, addidas, etc), you could get them cheaper here. instead, they're as or more expensive. too bad for me. now i've got to carry more luggage when i come visit the land of smiles;-)

[jackspratt]

In Oz I would estimate that (on average) clothing and footwear is 2 - 3 times as expensive as in Thailand.

2 recent examples from some shopping in Pattaya.

- surf branded T-shirts (definitely cotton) 180 baht (A$6) each. In Oz $30 - 50

- good quality sandals (without the sox ) 1250 baht ($40). In Oz $60 - 100.

As far as being the real thing, or a rip-off, does it matter so long as it looks the same, and the quality is still present. Only you will know the difference.

A number of years ago I did some supply chain work for the Australian license holder of one of the biggest US brands of surfwear (and other goods). I was horrified when I compared the landed price of this imported stuff against the price in the specialist surf shop. At least a 500% markup in T-shirts for instance.

[MALC]

just had a few months back in the uk not by choice. but food and clothes are definatly cheaper than here.at the moment

[mally]

just had a few months back in the uk not by choice. but food and clothes are definatly cheaper than here.at the moment

Totally agree with you on this. A few years ago I used to buy 20 polo shirts in UT, get them embroided with my work logo, and take them back to the UK. Now it's much cheaper to buy them here, (and the sizes mean what they say ).
The same with my casual clothes, cheaper in the UK. (Except for 'made to measure' items, I still find this is cheaper in LOS).
Food too, I can eat out for very little, so farang food in LOS is so expensive compared to home, however, Thai food in the UK is really expensive, so if you like to eat Thai (as I do), then it's cheaper in LOS than the UK.
For example, Steve at Irish Clock is opening a fish & chip shop, I can buy them here at £3.00 (approx 150 tb)
A 10" pizza from my local pizza place is the same price(150 tb), and comes with a can of pepsi/7up,
Sunday roast lunch at my local pub is £4.00 (200 tb), and if there's 2 adults eating then kids eat FREE.
On the other side, if I go to any Thai place in the UK for a meal, then I expect to pay around £15 - £20 per head, plus drinks, (750 - 1000 tb).
As it happens, I love to eat Thai when in LOS, and am ok with the small outlets that give great value. Just a pity that I now have to bring all my clothes with me instead of travelling light.

[rick]

Mally, your prices are incredibly cheap - you must live up North! 10" pizza - £5.55 (thats an offer?). Fish and chips - £4.50. Pub lunch - from £5 - thats Hampshire. Clothes i might agree, but still can buy cheap sandals (proper ones not thongs) in Thailand for under 200 baht. tee shirts about the same in UK and Thailand - about 100-200 baht. i did buy a pair of jeans in thailand for 99 baht as well ( yes they fitted and have not fallen apart yet). Problem with fish and chips and roast dinners in Thailand is the ingredients tend to be expensive. However, if i eat at home in UK can still do it cheaper than in Thailand.

[Welshboy]

[quote] Mally.
Just a pity that I now have to bring all my clothes with me instead of travelling light.

3 shirts, 3 tee shirts, 3 vests, 3 shorts, hat, & sunglasses ect. All in at day sack will do for 2-4 weeks.
Whats the problem ? Ever heard of aThai laundry.

[mally]

Mally, your prices are incredibly cheap - you must live up North!

Yeh, West Yorkshire, but I think that's a fair comparison with Issan, BKK to London, Phuket/Pattaya to Yarmouth / Blackpool, Yorkshire to Issan.
For sure it's getting cheaper to eat here in North UK, so much competition and less cash to go round, but pubs are becoming dearer for drinks and closing daily (bit like falang bars in UT ! ), hence the trend to offer cheap food to lure you in and hope you buy a few drinks whilst you are there. Other eating places are forced to follow the trend and offer good prices.
On the clothes scene, Asda (Wallmart to you Yanks) offer really cheap clothes from their "George" brand that are as good, or better than I've bought in LOS,and at better prices, and ther's plenty other cheap outlets out there.

3 shirts, 3 tee shirts, 3 vests, 3 shorts, hat, & sunglasses ect. All in at day sack will do for 2-4 weeks.
Whats the problem ? Ever heard of aThai laundry.

Use them all the time Welshboy, but on ave I use 3 shirts/3 pants / 3 pairs of socks per DAY (I take 2 weeks to get used to the heat, and hate to smell sweaty), never wear shorts, I think they are ok for the beach, but not for town use. I go through light trousers at a rate of 1 pair every 2 days. The laundry girl I use always greets me with a big smile and never gives me a ticket, she remembers me 'cos when I visit UT it's bonus time for her

[Welshboy]

Mally.
So you must be one of those people at the Airport check in. That people do not want to stand behind.
The guy with 3 suit cases complaning about the extra baggage charge.