Living Like a Thai Day 5: It’s a Wash

by Talen on June 5, 2011 in Living in Thailand, Thai life 11 Comments - Leave a comment!

Table of contents for Living Like a Thai

  1. Living Like a Thai
  2. Living Like a Thai Day 1: The 200 Baht a Day Challenge
  3. Living Like a Thai Day 2: Losing Money in My Sleep
  4. Living Like a Thai Day 4: Pee Baa Falang
  5. Living Like a Thai Day 5: It’s a Wash
  6. Living Like a Thai Day 6: The Frugal Tightwad
  7. Living Like a Thai Day 7: I’m Bored
  8. Living Like a Thai Day 8: Going AWOL
  9. Living Like a Thai Day 9: Falling Down That Mountain
  10. Living Like a Thai Day 10: The Belt Tightening Begins
  11. Living Like a Thai Day 11: Tofu, Really?
  12. Living Like A Thai Day 12: Going Native, Almost
  13. Living Like a Thai Day 13: Lunch with the Ladies
  14. Living Like a Thai Day 14: The Late Edition or Quiet Be
  15. Living Like a Thai Day 15: Halfway there!
  16. Living Like a Thai Day 16: Beer & Vegetables
  17. Living Like a Thai Day 17: Red Moon Eclipse Edition
  18. Living Like a Thai Day 18: Once in a Blue Moon
  19. Living Like a Thai Days 19 & 20: Ringing the Bell
  20. Living Like a Thai Days 21 & 22: Aircon Down Pigs Cooking
  21. Living Like a Thai Day 23: Put a Fork in it…I’m Done

Bananas and mangostreens

Living Like a Thai Day 5

I started off my day with a walk to the market to get some fresh fruit for breakfast and just to have around the condo to snack on. I ended up getting a half kilo of mangosteens and a nice heavy bunch of bananas all for 60 baht ( $2.04 ). I had a nice breakfast of 2 mangosteens and a bannana and then headed out for a long walk around town. The photo shows whats left after breakfast.

One thing that I haven’t been able to figure out on my budget is my laundry. Obviously Thai people will wash their own clothes in the sink or a large bucket and then hang it out to dry . I don’t have anything like this at my disposal nor do I have the inclination to wash my clothes like this. I’m willing to change some of my lazy habits but I think this is one that will remain. I looked into laundromats and I’ll be damned if I can find any in Pattaya, there might be one but I can’t find it.

Laundry all washed and folded

Without worrying about it too much I called up my regular laundry people and they picked up my laundry yesterday. Even though the budget will take a hit they are still one of the cheapest laundry’s around and when all was said and done I got my clean clothes back today and a weeks worth of wash cost me 215 baht ( $7.32 ). That’s 12 shirts, 5 pair of shorts, 4 towels, 7 underwears and 2 pair of levis..not bad considering my laundry only charges 10 baht for pants whether they are shorts or levis.

I think the budget can absorb this…it’s not like I went out to a gogo bar last night and spent half my months budget on drinks and women. Although the thought did cross my mind 4 or 8 times :P

Tonight I will dig into some ramen noodles on hand and save a few baht.

Observations today: I forgot how much I love mangosteens and need to purchase fresh fruit more often. Another observation: I am almost at the halfway mark of my 6000 baht budget for the month if you count in rent and electric…it’s only the 5th and I have roughly 3168 baht ( $107.86 ) left for the month!

Living Like a Thai Day 5 Totals

Purchase Amount Cost Total
Fresh Fruit 1 kilo 60 baht 60 baht
Laundry 1 week 215 baht 215 baht
Todays Total 275 baht ( $9.36 )
June Total 832 baht ( $28.32 )
talensig
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11 Responses to Living Like a Thai Day 5: It’s a Wash
  1. Joe
    June 5, 2011 | 8:18 pm

    Looks like about $4 per day left on the budget. Good luck Talen !

    Hint: stay far away from Walking St. 5555

  2. arch stanton
    June 6, 2011 | 12:41 am

    nice thread.
    guess you will not be renting too many jet ski’s this month!!

  3. Claudio
    June 6, 2011 | 1:24 pm

    I don’t know of any laundromat in Pattaya, but most apartment buildings (those 2 or 3 story buildings with rooms for 3 – 6K) typically have coin operated washing machines. One load will cost around 30 baht. You don’t have to live there to use the machines.
    Claudio recently posted..How To Pitch To Investors With 13 SlidesMy Profile

    • Catherine
      June 6, 2011 | 3:06 pm

      Claudio, I’d forgotten all about those. There’s a lineup of machines a couple of blocks over from me, in a condo’s parking garage.
      Catherine recently posted..Interview- Dan Ogilvie is Getting by in ThaiMy Profile

    • Talen
      June 6, 2011 | 8:13 pm

      Claudio, this is very true, unfortunately I have no apt buildings near me with such facilities…I just now remembered one on third road that has 5 machines outside but I ain’t walkin that far.

  4. Snap
    June 6, 2011 | 4:02 pm

    Talen, interesting experiment! I’ve been reading your daily log entries and just thought I’d let you know :)

    With your change in diet have you noticed any differences? Feeling better or worse for it? I wonder when the month is over if you’ll have gained or lost any weight.
    Snap recently posted..Getting around Chiang Mai by busMy Profile

    • Talen
      June 6, 2011 | 8:10 pm

      Snap, I am feeling a tad bit lighter in the first week of the experiment and I am one notch higher on the belt so I suspect at the end of the month there will be a loss. I weighed myself before I began and will do so again on the last day and give the results in the wrap up.

  5. BangkokDan
    June 6, 2011 | 7:57 pm

    Great topic Talen! I wouldn’t have survived a few hours this month…

    • Talen
      June 6, 2011 | 8:09 pm

      Dan, I didn’t think I would last past the first day but it’s not so bad if you don’t mind not drinking, smoking or generally having a good time :P

  6. arch stanton
    June 7, 2011 | 1:29 am

    where is today’s episode?

    • Talen
      June 7, 2011 | 10:20 am

      Arch, Lost internet yesterday so there will be 2 updates today.