Opening a Coffee Shop in Thailand

Opening a Coffee Shop in Thailand

Starting a Café Business Could Be One Way You Can Enjoy Living in Thailand…

I know a lot of foreigners who plan on opening a business in Thailand don’t know what to start at first. Coffee shops or cafés are a good choice because of its perceived simplicity.

And who doesn’t know what coffee is? Starting a small café in any of Thailand’s major cities like Bangkok, Chiang Mai and even Hua Hin won’t require a huge start-up budget compared to the West.

Now, the easiest way to register a small business in Thailand is with a Thai partner. For me, my partner was my Thai wife.

However, registering a business under your Thai spouse, girlfriend, or boyfriend by this method means your name won’t be listed as the owner. I am sure most of you reading this most likely have a good relationship with a Thai partner.

I went into more detail in this post Small Business Ideas in Thailand including a couple of business ideas I think work great in larger cities of Thailand.

But the more cash you’ve got to invest in your small café venture the better off you will be on acquiring better equipment. And more importantly more cash to splash on café design and decor. Which is super important.

I highly recommend getting the best quality espresso machine and coffee bean grinder that you can afford. Even if it is secondhand. It makes all the difference.

A good coffee machine and trendy café could ensure a decent return on investment…

Nice furniture and decoration to give it a special café ambiance wouldn’t hurt either. And of course, you’d need an excellent location with plenty of foot traffic and easy-to-see signage.

Unless you have secret marketing skills to attract caffeine-addicted customers to your secluded location.

Before you begin serving coffee to your potential customers, you should know that certain types of Thai coffee recipes are not the same.

A coffee shop is a good business to start in Bangkok or anywhere else in Thailand with a decent local population…

And before I go any further I do want to say that I had a little café business in Bangkok for more than a few years. The operative word is “had”.

That said, I am actively searching for a new location to open up another café as of writing. Because today there is an opportunity to do so. But I would plan carefully as the coffee business is extremely competitive. However, there is a way for you to have an upper hand in the competition.

I’ll explain further about that below.

It’s Not Going to Be Easy – There’s Always a Learning Curve

Starting a coffee shop in Bangkok was not easy when I first opened. There were problems with the construction company we hired. I couldn’t find reliable workers. When all was said and done, profits were okay.

Of course, it could’ve been a lot better. Otherwise, I’d still be in the café business.

My major hurdle was that the location was not that great. But it wasn’t bad either. The price of my coffee drinks was not fairly expensive by Thai standards. I charged 55B for a 16oz. iced latté and this was back in 2014.

I honestly believe that if you’re opening a shop in Bangkok you better charge a bit higher. For example, if I had a shop today in a fairly good location with foot traffic, and plenty of space for customers to lounge around all day, I’d charge at least 100 B for 12 oz. Iced Americano minimum.

Because at the end of the day, you want to turn a profit.

Only cafés the likes of Starbucks or other international coffee house chains could get away with charging a cup of coffee for a premium price. As of writing, Starbucks in Thailand charges 130B for 16oz. lattes.

130B is not a cheap treat in Thailand. Even then, they’ve still got customers lined up through the door. Starbucks is easily one of the most popular cafés in Thailand. If they’re able to convince locals to spend that amount on their coffee then you’ve got some stiff competition.

See, I told you it won’t be easy.

Coffee Fruit – Traveling outside of Thailand searching for coffee beans was what I loved doing…

I Learned a Lot About the Café Business in Bangkok…

I learned a lot about starting a café business in Bangkok including baking. So I know having a coffee shop in Bangkok has the potential to do very well. I know where to buy coffee machines and necessary items like cups, coffee beans, and straws at good prices.

Also through a long and arduous search, I finally found a reliable contractor to build a business from the ground up.

This is one of the reasons why I feel qualified to write this post on how to start a café business in Thailand

In a nutshell, I’d start another café in Bangkok as soon as I can find a good location with heavy foot traffic.

Marin Coffee in Koh Chang – Tasty bakery and good coffee go hand in hand…

Knowing how to bake as well will be an advantage to you. Cakes, pies, cookies, brownies you name it are integral for a healthy café business. Both product offerings go hand in hand and up your profits easily. And possibly one way to sway die-hard Starbucks customers to walk through your doors instead of theirs.

But for now, I’ll share with you some of the lessons I’ve learned. The mistakes I’ve made and where you can go buy the necessary equipment and supplies, particularly in Bangkok.

Also, I’ll share what I learned about opening a business in Thailand.

A small café we visited on the island of Koh Chang…

Below is a primer about coffee in Thailand. If you know the difference already, please feel free to skip it. Otherwise, get ready to learn something new. Which is always a good thing.

Espresso-Based Coffee Drinks in Thailand

If you’ve got latté art on your coffee then it’s an espresso-based coffee…

Thais are starting to enjoy coffee as a daily beverage. And Thailand is no stranger to drinks with caffeinated jolts. Red Bull was invented in Thailand.

It’s a good way to take in some much-needed caffeine to get through the day. And they are starting to get savvy about the different varieties of coffee beans.

For traditional Thai Coffee style if you’ve ever bought coffee off the side of a street then you’ll know it’s very different from Western espresso-based coffee.

I’m sure you’ve seen a Café Amazon and Mezzo coffee chain in Thailand. Both are Thai-operated coffee shops that use Thai-grown coffee beans, never imported.

Both of these Thai coffee chains use espresso machines too. But the major difference is they add a combination of evaporated milk and condensed milk as a substitute for real dairy milk.

Western espresso-based coffee drinks use whole-fat dairy milk exclusively.

Thai coffee uses a mixture of evaporated sweet and condensed milk…

Thai coffee is typically added to a mixture of evaporated and condensed milk for that creamy texture and cloying sweetness. It’s either spooned in or pumped from a bottle right to coffee.

Thai cafés like Amazon Café, Black Canyon Coffee, and Mezzo will use whole fresh milk to create foam for lattes and cappuccinos. Because evaporated milk and condensed milk will not foam when steamed.

Every 7-Eleven in Bangkok sells espresso-based drinks also mixed in a combination of evaporated and condensed milk. That’s the main reason why they can sell their coffee cheaper.

Traditional Thai coffee is sweet due to the addition of sweet condensed milk…

The Invasion of Western Coffee Chain

Starbucks is the best example of a café serving traditional Western espresso-based beverages. Today many foreign espresso-based cafés are joining the ranks like Korea’s Holly’s CoffeeCoffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and Au Bon Pain. Every single one of those shops uses 100% whole milk, following the Western formula.

Plus there are many independent Thai cafés that roast and blend their coffee beans opening up all over the country. These Thai specialty cafés do not use evaporated and condensed milk at all and follow the Western espresso guidelines.

Consider carrying organic coffee beans for the sophisticated customer base…

The bottom line is most of the coffee beverages sold in Thailand still use the evaporated and condensed milk mixture and are thus able to be sold cheaper.

Most small Thai cafés sell 16oz. iced lattes for 35B, which they can get away with because they’re using dairy substitutes from cans.

While espresso-based beverages served in western-based cafés use whole milk and typically charge more money per cup. 100% whole dairy milk is not cheap in Thailand. It’s about 90B for 1 liter of fresh milk.

With Bangkok’s growing coffee consumers many upscale coffee companies are appearing all over the city…

Now that you know what the difference is between both coffee variations, I’ll point out a few places where you can buy the necessary supplies and equipment to power your coffee shop.

Where to Buy Café Equipment and Coffee Shop Supplies in Bangkok

Because I am still based in Bangkok where I had a café once, I’ve already researched a bunch of places to purchase café equipment and supplies to run a coffee shop.

If you’re planning to open a café in Hua Hin, Pattaya, or Chiang Mai you will be able to find coffee equipment suppliers near those cities. Just make sure they have someone who can service your equipment while under warranty. More about that later.

This is especially true when you’re searching for a good commercial espresso machine and other necessary equipment such as a commercial coffee bean grinder.

You can find many commercial espresso machine sellers inside JJ Mall in Bangkok…

In Bangkok, I’ve learned that the best place to buy café equipment is inside JJ Mall, which is next to Chatuchak Weekend Market.

Inside JJ Mall you’ll find about 3 or 4 café supply shops with everything you’ll ever need to stock and supply your café business. From Thai coffee beans to coffee cups, lids and straws.

Here are the names of 2 shops inside JJ Mall for purchasing commercial espresso and coffee grinders and many other products you’ll need to run a proper café in Thailand:

Coffee Boulevard (website)
Double Shot Coffee (website)

Commercial espresso machines and commercial coffee bean grinders are a little bit more expensive due to the country’s high import tax. But it is still relatively affordable. I highly recommend purchasing from a reputable dealer because they are the ones that can provide warranty service for repairs.

First, you have to understand, that Thai coffee is different than espresso-based coffee…

Also, they will train you or your employees on how to use and maintain the equipment. No matter where you end up buying your commercial equipment be sure they include training on usage and instructions on daily maintenance.

A good commercial 2-group espresso machine could cost 200,000THB. A good commercial coffee grinder could cost 25,000THB. Get the best equipment you can afford. You’ll be glad you did in the long run.

Second-hand espresso machines and coffee grinders are also an option to save some money.

Maintenance, Repairs, and Warranty Service for Coffee Equipment

Wherever you choose to buy your equipment, be sure to ask the vendor what type of warranty is available. Because if you buy from Bangkok, but you’re opening a café in Rayong then you will need to find an equipment supplier near Rayong for repairs.

That way, the shop that sold you your equipment can provide service easier and quicker.

I know cities like Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and Phuket shouldn’t have any problems locating a reliable provider of coffee equipment.

But if you’re out in the boonies of Thailand you might want to check out your nearest Makro. There could be coffee shop suppliers on the premises or outside. The lesson here is to never buy anything you can’t get repaired.

What if the Warranty is Over But You Need to Find Someone Who Can Repair it Cheaper

Eventually, your equipment’s warranty will expire. Usually a year or two. Afterward, there’s a chance you’ll get charged a higher price for repairs from the place you purchased from. Usually, a good quality espresso machine lasts for years and years. But if you’re super busy it is inevitable that you will need maintenance and minor repairs.

Which can be expensive.

This is what I would do. Go to a 7-Eleven. Hey, it’s Thailand, don’t worry, you’ll find one. Inside they might have a commercial espresso machine.

Ask the employees if they can give you the phone number of the repairmen’s phone number. Make sure it’s the personal cell number, not the repair company.

Espresso machine repairs should only be done by professionals…

Do you get the idea? You might have to slip a 100THB note, just a little bit of cash or you might not. But small gestures grease the wheels.

Every 7-Eleven is contracted with a company to repair their 7-Eleven espresso machines. When my espresso machine needed some maintenance this was what I did exactly. I went next door to my 7-Eleven, got the phone number of a repairman, and gave him a call. And the repair guy charged way cheaper.

Now, I’ll get to the soul of the coffee business. The fuel (literally) billions of people consume cups of daily. And that is the coffee beans.

Purchasing the Beans

Coffee beans are the lifeblood of your café business. If you’re starting in Bangkok, Coffee Boulevard in my opinion has a better offering of Thai-grown coffee beans. You will have to do your research on where to purchase other varieties of espresso beans. But it is easier today than it was 5 years ago to find a good supplier of coffee beans.

Many Thai coffee bean wholesalers have websites so do a Google search and you’ll find a bunch of wholesalers ready to sell and ship to your location.

Also, I highly recommend attending the World of Coffee & Tea Expo which shows up yearly at Bangkok’s IMPACT convention center. You’ll find lots of coffee bean and tea wholesalers who are more than happy to let you taste their espresso lineup.

This little shop has been there forever. They have a decent variety of robusta and arabica beans from all over…

JJ Mall does have a shop selling whole beans from around the world and is located right across from Double Shot Coffee on the ground floor. This shop is called Bona and it’s more of a retail shop. However, you can speak to the owner and see if they can hook you up with wholesale prices.

I never purchased imported coffee beans from Bona for my café. Thailand is surrounded by several countries with the finest coffee beans in the world. And I can get there with a short flight in a few hours.

A Real Good Reason to Travel – Buying Coffee Beans Around Southeast Asia

When I travel around Vietnam and Indonesia I always bring back loads of roasted whole espresso beans. Because both countries have the right climate and environment for optimum coffee growth. Which yields their farms some of the best coffee known all around the world.

Purchasing coffee beans from countries neighboring Thailand is a great reason to travel…

Buying your coffee from these countries gives you a good reason to travel around and explore. And when you get back you can let your café customers enjoy that same coffee. Without having to leave Thailand.

Building Your Café (Finding a Reliable Construction Company)

Designing your coffee shop from the ground up is exhilarating. It can reflect your style, quirks, and taste. It only gets harrowing when everything that was designed on a computer comes to fruition. I’ve had my fair share of disappointing experiences with build contractors.

Besides a café business, my wife and I also have three nail salon shops. The first two shops and the contractors we hired were horrible. It was only at our third salon we found a professional construction company that works well for small businesses like mine in Bangkok.

Cafe design blueprint
Your contractor will be able to design a 2D and 3D plan of your café

Shopping Around for the Right Contractor

Normally you find at least three contractors and have them bid for your business. Your initial reflex is to hire a contractor with the lowest bid.

Well, sometimes the lowest bidder isn’t your best option.

It could mean you’re getting cheaper material. Or worse yet unskilled laborers that only do shoddy work. Manual labor in Thailand is absurdly cheap. With unscrupulous contractors that don’t care about their workmanship experience.

Focus in the Middle

From my own experience and the experiences of other business owners I’ve spoken to in Thailand, it’s best to go for the construction contractor in the middle.

Meaning when you get three contractor quotations, you may want to consider checking further into the company that didn’t charge the most expensive nor the cheapest.

It’s not that simple of course. There are many other factors to consider, like how far and different the price quotes are.

Three Most Important Tips and Advice While Dealing with Thai Contractors

  1. Do not hire a design and construction company separately. I recommend looking for contractors with in-house designers. This limits the chances of miscommunication which can end up costly and waste time.
  2. Request a detailed list of construction materials used. With breakdowns of costs and labor. This will be written in Thai of course. Unless your contractor has an English speaker which could be rare. So make sure you have someone to help translate.
  3. **Set a penalty fee if construction passes the date of business opening.
Cafe design
Designing an eye-catching café is essential

If you hire a design and construction company separately you might be shooting yourself in the foot. If both are not used to working with each other there could be major miscommunication.

Always check the materials contractors use. One time I got a list of materials for windows with aluminum framing. However, during construction, cheaper wood was used instead of aluminum to frame the windows. It was changed eventually but a headache nonetheless.

We’re not sure if the contractor just wanted to sneak one past us with cheaper materials or perhaps a major miscommunication with our designer, who was hired separately.

**Setting a penalty fee if a contractor doesn’t finish in the time promised could be an issue. Because almost all, in most of my experiences, are late.

As a result, they may not take on your job. But I’m putting this out there in case you have a deadline to open on time.

Quotation for construction
Construction quotation, contractors ask for three payments to be paid in three phases of construction…

Paying the Contractors

For small businesses when starting a construction project contractors request payments in three phases:

  1. First payment for initial construction start: 50%
  2. Second payment when half of the construction is done: 40%
  3. Final after completion payment: 10%

I must warn you, that some contractors may ask for more money in between the first and second phases of construction.

This could be because they’ve underestimated the cost of materials and don’t have any money to purchase what is needed.

In any case, this is a sign of unprofessionalism. A common practice in Thailand among small contracting companies. Could also be just an honest mistake in price calculations too. In any case, it’s a hassle and headache for you.

It’s happened to me numerous times. Normally I just pay what is asked for the sake of finishing my shop to open in time.

If you’re planning to open a business in Bangkok and in search of a reliable contractor to build or renovate space, drop me a message on my contact page.

I’ll be more than happy to recommend a good contractor in Bangkok. They can do everything from design to finished construction.

Now that you’re all set to build your shop, it’s time you start looking for baristas and service staff.

Finding Reliable Staff to Run Your Café Business in Thailand

Finding competent and reliable baristas and servers will be a big challenge. You’ll need at least one extra person to help you even if it’s a small shop. Don’t plan on working alone. It’s not feasible.

As of writing the city with the highest daily minimum wage in Thailand is Bangkok at 400THB for 8 to 10 hours per day. For a café style business, 1 day off a week is typical. And you will have to factor in overtime wages also.

Like any business searching for a reliable workforce, you can start by asking around Thai friends and family. Sticking a help wanted sign on your storefront is helpful too.

Sorting Out the Go-Getters

Interviewing your new Thai staff is important. Please don’t choose anyone just because you’re desperate for somebody to work. Remember, if you’re not inside your café, you want your employees to manage and care for the shop and customers as well as you can.

One way for me to find out if someone is a go-getter is by checking how much their salary request is. On my job application forms, I ask one simple question, “How much salary per month?”

A lot ask for a minimum between 9500THB to 10000THB. But I get a handful of prospective baristas and wait staff asking for 12000THB to 13000THB.

Which would you pick?

When you drill down the application you’ll find those that finished high school and university are usually the ones with higher salary requests. That alone doesn’t mean they’ll make the best workers.

It’s a start. But if they know their self-worth and believe they’re worth that amount in salary then I rather hire someone who knows how much they are worth.

Teach by Setting Examples

Customer interaction is super important. Remembering frequent customer names creates a bond. While training your staff it’s super important for you to ask them to watch how you deal and interact with customers. On how you clean your shop to how you prepare fresh espresso beverages along with the recipe training.

Setting an employer and employee boundary is important too because if you become too friendly it might make it difficult for you to tell them to clean the toilet or a mess a customer made. The bottom line is don’t make it too comfortable or else things won’t get done the way it’s needed to be done.

Training Your Staff to Be Nice

I know this sounds crazy but you have to teach your staff to be nice. Hey, big companies do the same thing. Everyone is not born adept at customer service. It will have to be taught. How you teach it is up to you.

But telling your staff to be nice, yes nice to people, sounds harder than you’d think. Be polite to the customer. Make friends with the customer. If a customer complains, just say you’ll consider their complaints. Even when you think they are wrong. The point is to avoid unnecessary confrontation.

To be nice, yet charge them full price is my motto. Just kidding…

My Biggest Advice on Opening a Coffee Shop in Thailand

As I already mentioned I once operated a café in Bangkok for a while. The reason why it didn’t do well was because the location was not ideal. Luckily I had an amazing and understanding landlord.

In the end, I learned a lot and so have plenty of advice to share about getting into the coffee shop business.

Location is key. Choosing a spot with a good decent amount of foot traffic will get you a big advantage. But getting a location at a high foot traffic will most likely come with a big rental agreement. That’s the trade-off. Having a top location is the difference between success and flopping.

As of writing, Bangkok is a growing city that is aggressively expanding its BTS Sky Train and MRT subway lines.

In essence, now is the best time to start scouting for that perfect location for a café business. I recommend looking for spaces that are near new BTS Sky Train stations. With lots of condos and apartments nearby, you increase your range of customer potential.

Make sure you have enough space for you and your staff behind the counters…

That is what I am personally doing. But I am willing to go one step further and look into purchasing a small 3-story building. Perhaps a townhouse. Where I can operate a café and bakery on the ground floor, rent out the second floor to café staff, and perhaps live on the third floor.

The ambiance of your café is important. Ideally, it should have plenty of space. A high ceiling helps make a small café look twice its size.

My last café space was very limited. Which limited what I could offer to my customers. So do not choose a location with too little space. Unless you are planning on serving takeaway customers only.

You will also need kitchen space. You should incorporate a variety of food and desserts. It does not have to be a vast menu. I recommend specializing in a few special items like cheesecakes or brownies. If you’ve got plenty of space go for the full kitchen so you can cover casual customers looking for a caffeine fix to customers looking for a meal.

To Sum it All Up – Advice for a Successful Café Business in Thailand:

  1. Get a location in a high-traffic area. I know this is a no-brainer. But trust me on this.
  2. Have the best café design you can afford. Contact me if you’re looking for a reliable contractor in Bangkok.
  3. Have plenty of space. As big as you can afford.
  4. In the coffee business, food is a must on the menu.
  5. Carry organic coffee. It costs more but people are willing to pay.
  6. Offer a wide variety of coffee beans to your customers.
  7. Do not buy coffee franchises. No matter how cheap or enticing their business structure looks.
  8. Hire the best people you can afford. Nice people, polite people.

I Do Not Recommend Buying Thai Coffee Franchises… Unless…

Amazon is well-known café based only in Thailand.

That’s just me. The reason why I would not buy a Thai coffee franchise is because I will not have control over my business. When I mean no control I mean I won’t have the freedom, nor the option, to make the style of espresso-based drinks that I like. Or serve the desserts I like and so on.

Let’s take Café Amazon as an example. You have to follow Amazon’s coffee recipes. There’s no deviation from their standard recipes at all. And as I already mentioned Amazon uses a mixture of sweetened condensed and evaporated milk. Which I’m not a fan of.

You also have to buy their cups, and espresso beans, purchase their proprietary furniture, and follow their corporate design structure. On top of that, you have to pay a fee to purchase and operate under their name. And last my wife checked the cost of buying an Amazon franchise in Thailand was 2,000,000THB.

There are cheaper Thai coffee franchises that can get you from the ground up to running for around 150,000THB for a small café. They’ll equip you with the espresso machines, not the best one, but one that will run for a small business. You’ll get roasted beans, hot and cold cups, straws, etc. again, it won’t be the best quality. A franchise includes logos and branding.

If you are interested about a small Thai coffee franchinse you can send me your requirements on my contact page. Smaller franchises are affordable and more personal when it comes to one on one assistance.

Instead of paying hefty franchise fees, it’s better to start a business on your own and use the capital to make your café stand out…

If you want a business in a box and not think too much about how to set up your café and have an ample supply of capital then by all means go ahead and buy a Thai coffee franchise.

But I believe, as an entrepreneurial businessman, that it’s best to go out on my own. Because I can say for certain that in the café business, you have the same chance of success and failure between opening up a café business on your own or buying a Thai coffee franchise.

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110 responses to “Opening a Coffee Shop in Thailand”

  1. Min Kühne Avatar
    Min Kühne

    Hi Warren

    Thanks for your informative post!
    I’m a student from Switzerland and I’m writing a paper about opening a coffee shop in Thailand. For my paper, I have to interview some experts and ask for their feedback for my café concept / business plan.

    I wanted to ask you if you could give me some feedback about my coffee shop ideas and if it would be ok to ask you some more questions about opening a coffee shop?

    Kind regards
    Min

  2. SuperMomBarista Avatar
    SuperMomBarista

    Hi Warren! Thank u for the delightful insights. I’ve been running a mini café myself here in TH but it’s very unpolished. Wish I could also get some infos about contractors that would suit my budget considering the uncertainties. Hope to hear from u!

    1. Darin Nicha Avatar

      “May I invite you to join us at the ASEAN Cafe Show at BITEC, Bangkok, from July 26 to 29, 2023, between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.? Register in advance to visit the show and avoid queuing, plus you could win prizes: [Insert Registration Link]

      Admission is free for all attendees. Inside the show, you’ll find four zones spanning over 10,000 square meters: Roaster Street, Tea Street, Sweet Zone, and Champion Village.

      There will be plenty of exciting activities, including the Thailand National Roasting Competition, a barista workshop, gelato and bakery demonstrations, and more.

      Explore thousands of products from around the world, including equipment, tools, ingredients, and ready-to-eat/drink coffee, tea, bakery items, and ice cream, all at special prices.

      The show is the perfect place to discover new products, stay updated on industry trends, and network with like-minded professionals. Don’t miss out!”

  3. Rocky Avatar
    Rocky

    Warren
    You gave me a deep understand of Opening a Coffee Shop in Thailand. Your articles are practical and realistic. Hope we can meet one day and have a cuppa,
    Cheer with coffee

  4. Seah Avatar
    Seah

    Hi Warren Very informstive article. I m from Singapore Hope to open a mini cafe at Bangna or Hua Hin. Looking for partners to start. Hope to meet you up one day Cheers Seah

  5. Jova Avatar
    Jova

    Hi Warren, I am planning to open a cafe in Bangkok and in search of a reliable contractor to build or renovate space, do you have any recommendations?

    1. Warren Avatar

      Hello Jova, I do. I’ll send it to your email Jova****@gmail.com. If you don’t see it check your spam box. Good luck!

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How I Stopped an Ant Home Invasion in Thailand

How I Stopped an Ant Home Invasion in Thailand

HAVE AN ANT PROBLEM IN THAILAND? HERE’S WHAT WORKED FOR ME

Even If You Don’t Live in Thailand

My wife and I recently bought a home in the suburbs of Bangkok. After living in apartments and condos for years, one thing I thought I would never have to deal with is an ant problem.

So I searched around for different ways on how to get rid of ants. There are lots of information out there and one of them has got to work for my situation.

But I specifically needed something that was non toxic; as we share our living space with three cats inside our house.

Ants thrive in Thailand’s hot and moist environment. And there are plenty of food sources as well for them. So when they find something they like they get determined like the Terminator.

So I came across a few non toxic to cats and humans ant deterrents. But there are lots of ant species. And discovered that one method might not work on certain ant species.

FIRST STEP – IDENTIFYING THE CULPRIT

So far I’ve come across 3 types of ants..

There are 3 methods that was the solution to my ant problem. However, if you don’t want to read through all this, my biggest tip is to keep your home clean.

  1. Keep Your House Clean
  2. Talcum Powder
  3. ARS Chalk

1. DON’T GIVE ANTS ANY FOOD…

Okay, so I wish it was that simple. But mother nature has made the ants one of the best sanitation workers on the planet. Those little suckers will find that piece of donut that dribbled out of your mouth and rolled under your couch.

Now if you’re a cat lover you will know that cats are not the tidiest eaters. Bits of kitty kibble and canned tuna typically end up on the floor near the food bowl after every single meal. So for my wife and I, keeping our house clean all the time is not that simple.

Cleaning up after your furry pals is important for an ant free house…

Ants being the little food seeking missiles will always find our cats’ leftovers. Matter of fact right after the first night inside our brand new home when we got back we found a bunch of ants surrounding our cats’ dry food bowl.

We even got the ant-proof food bowls where you can fill the edge of the bowl with water. Kind of like making a moat that ants can’t get pass. However, it’s the little bits of crumb or wet food that attract ants outside of the moat.

So it’s not perfect. But I have to admit if I didn’t have this there would be a continuous line of ants having a buffet of kitty kibble. Also be sure to place your dry cat food in an airtight container.

2. Talcum Powder (a.k.a. Baby Powder)

Ants don’t like walking on talcum powder supposedly. So they try to avoid it. I throw talcum powder on the areas where the ants make their port of entry. For me the ants usually come in through the gaps of my window frame.

On the picture above you will see some reddish brown stuff. That’s cinnamon. I read somewhere that cinnamon makes a great non toxic ant repellent. However it seems to work part of the time and I don’t know why.

But I’ve given up on cinnamon. It makes your place smell great. But gram for gram ground cinnamon is too expensive for my ant problems.

Talcum powder acts great as an ant deterrent. Cheap too and quite effective. But again not effective for too all types of ants.

Sometimes you just have to use something a bit stronger. Preferably something I can use outside of my home so I won’t poison my house kitty cats.

3. ARS Chalk

This chalk works great for small red ants, carpenter ants. But not so much for much larger black ants…

Like it says on the box, this little item is a cockroach and ant killer. I had a little ant problem on my second floor where I kept another set of dry cat food. It looked like small field ants. I used this ARS chalk in the morning after applying it where the ants were coming in from.

When I got back in the afternoon all the ants were gone. All I did was simply draw a line of ARS chalk around the small little crack under the stairs where I guess the queen ant was holed up. And by night time when I got home not one ant was in sight. ARS is some powerful stuff.

I decided to test out ARS chalk on some small red ants near the entrance of my home. As you can see on the second video after applying ARS chalk the ants seemed disoriented instantly. Eventually they died off. So ARS is quite the effective ant killer

From my short ant exterminating and prevent experience, not all methods work for all ants. As you can see on the video below, the larger black ants looked like they were not affected at all. Matter of fact the next day they were still around. Even right after I dumped talcum powder on top of them.

Luckily these types of ants haven’t found its way inside my house yet. They seem to stick mainly on the pavement sidewalk. Because as of writing they’re still there.

I haven’t tried this one out yet. But from my research this type of ant killer is the most effective…

Now there is something I’ve read somewhere that is quite effective at eliminating a small ant colony. It’s the one pictured above. And it contains boric acid. Ants take it back to the queen and thats how the entire nest gets a one way ticket to ant heaven.

Seems kind of drastic and I probably won’t resort to using it until I get into a real bad ant issue.

All kinds of pest control can be purchased easily at your local Tops Supermarket…

You can purchase all these over at your local Tops supermarket, Big C and maybe the 7 Elevens.

In Thailand it’s not difficult to locate bug killers and they usually charge 6000THB a year. And the exterminators will visit once every few months to spray around your property and check for termites.

Keeping your home clean is the best and most effective way to deter ants from invading your space. But if you find none of these solutions working for you, then you’ll have to go find a good exterminator.

Have any of my tips worked for you? Do you have any recommendations to handle an ant problem? Drop a comment below, thanks for reading!

2016 Guide to Living in Bangkok

2016 Guide to Living in Bangkok

What to Think About Before Moving to Bangkok?

There is no doubt Thailand is becoming a popular choice for foreigners to move to. Particularly to the capital city of Bangkok. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Certain neighborhoods around my area have a lot more foreigners moving in.

But before making that all important final decision on packing up and moving to Bangkok for short term or long terms you probably still have a lot of questions.

Is Bangkok still cheap and affordable? Is it safe to live in? And most importantly is Bangkok the ideal place for you to move into to make a living?

I’ll delve into all of that and hopefully I can give an answer that is to your satisfaction. So I’ve broken up all the important bits into sections for easy reading. And I’ll add a bit of info on my life in Thailand. You can skip all of the about me info of course and get right to the nitty gritty on living in Bangkok.

  1. Cost of Living in Bangkok
  2. Apartments and Condos
  3. Shopping for Groceries
  4. Eating Out in Bangkok
  5. Safety

But First a Little Background from Yours Truly

I wrote a post on what’s it like living in Bangkok 3 years ago here. There are small and big changes in certain aspects of life in Bangkok. Which is natural of course.

Now I am an avid blog reader of other digital nomads, transiting and based in Bangkok. And everyone has their own perspective. Some aren’t so happy living in Thailand. But much more love it.

Me, I’m a semi-retired New Yorker in my early 40’s. Hmm… What else has changed in my life? Oh, I got married back in 2014 to a wonderful Thai lady. And that’s the biggest change in my life on this side of the planet.

Do I enjoy living in Thailand? I’m somewhere in the middle but tending more towards I do like living here. There are certain aspects of living in Thailand, particularly in Bangkok that I like. And certain aspects about life here that makes me want to punch a hole in the wall.

I’m still Chinese-American though. So that hasn’t changed. Like I mentioned in my old post about what it’s like to live in Bangkok, there really isn’t much of a culture shock to me. Food and culture between the Thai and Chinese although unique, share many similar qualities. Like taking off shoes while visiting peoples’ homes which is the same in almost every Asian culture.

Finally, this post will give you a glimpse of what it’s like to live in Bangkok from my perspective. My lifestyle and my income level. So it could be totally different from what you would expect.

Cost of Living in Bangkok

xe.com

As of writing the exchange rate is $1USD to 34.60THB. Three years ago when I wrote a post of living in Bangkok a $1USD got you a 30.30THB exchange rate.

Earlier on in this year, a US dollar was slightly even more strong hovering above the 36THB barrier. Believe me I was rooting and cheering on for the dollar to break that barrier. But since then has gone back down.

One of the primary reasons why one would choose to travel around Thailand or plan on retiring here is the stronger exchange rate.

But believe me when I tell you that today, living in Bangkok could be just as expensive as NYC. That is unless you can go completely native and live like a local. Which many do.

One way to go native is to rent a basic apartment. Renting a condo could cost a bit more but not by much and depends on location. Both are very affordable and will certainly surprise many in terms of quality.

Apartments and Condos in Bangkok

Currently I live in a condo that we purchased right before I got married. That was a few years ago. Before that I was living at an apartment building for about 3 years. I still keep in touch with the owner of the apartment building because we’ve become good friends.

You’re going to be surprised that housing won’t be the most expensive factor in your budget. Rental prices for units, whether apartments or condos have not increased. Matter of fact, I can’t remember the last time I’ve heard of rent increases ever.

When I used to live in my friend’s apartment building the rent was 8000THB per month based on a 6 month rental lease. The longer you sign the lease you can get slightly reduced monthly rental rate. With electricity and water my total rent bill came out to 95ooTHB. There’s basic television and internet Wi-Fi. Included is a room with very basic fitness equipment. There’s round the clock security and key card for residents only access. Not bad at all for a total of $275USD a month for a 30 square meter studio.

Guess what? You can find an apartment for rent for 3000THB. These apartments are older and may not be in the best shape or condition. Or it can be located further deep inside a neighborhood. And they might not have air condition or even hot water.

The hot water maybe you can do without. But I highly recommend you find an apartment that has an air conditioner.

Areas in Bangkok with Reasonable Rent

  • Lad Prao
  • Suttisan
  • Huay Kwang

Those three areas in Bangkok have MRT subway stations nearby. And you won’t have any problem finding nice affordable apartments with a little bit of walking distance.

It’s a smart idea to find a place to live in Bangkok close to a supermarket. Whether in walking distance or a short motor taxi ride to get to one.

7 Elevens are apartment dwellers best friend. There's always one close by...

7 Elevens are apartment dwellers best friend. There’s always one close by…

Nearly every block in Bangkok though has a 7 Eleven convenience store or similar type shop selling cold drinks, packaged foods and house hold necessities.

Shopping for Groceries

Milk in Tops Supermarket Bangkok

Dairy products are still expensive compared to the USA…

Now that you’ve learned rentals in Bangkok are not expensive, you’re going to find out that shopping for groceries could make up the bulk of your expenses.

Now I’m basing this fact on myself. As I mentioned I have not gone totally native just yet. I still enjoy a ham sandwich with all the fixings which is not cheap in Thailand compared to the USA. Check out my post on making a sandwich in Thailand. Buying a small sandwich at a store in Thailand still ain’t cheap and making it home is cheaper but not by much.

Dairy products in Thailand is still expensive. Milk is affordable. However, butter and cheese prices are insane. 4 squares of good quality cheese slices can cost you $1USD a slice. Though organic eggs are reasonably price here in Thailand.

Despite the cost of groceries, if you really want to save a lot of cash you can really save a lot by eating Thai food sold on the streets of Bangkok.

Grilled chicken is a common staple sold on the streets of Bangkok...

Grilled chicken is a common staple sold on the streets of Bangkok…

Eating Out in Bangkok

Food is my favorite subject. Just recently there is a foreign food craze taking over the city. Many fine eateries are popping up all over. It’s not cheap. But it’s not exactly expensive either by my NYC restaurant standards.

Food trucks are also showing up though believe it or not most of the food trucks out in Bangkok serve gourmet styled international food.

You can save a lot of money by eating out on the street. Usually you’ll find a cart selling noodles or rice dishes cooked to order near apartments and condos. You’ll save the most money eating on the streets like most Thai do. Usually a bowl of noodles or a rice dish cost between 30THB to 45THB depending on the hawker stands location.

But there are also many bigger local restaurants popping up all central Bangkok serving top notch Western sized meals with reasonable prices. Jones the Grocer, Dean and DeLuca and Tim Ho Wan have their shoes in Bangkok now. Even celebrity Brit Chef Jaime Oliver is planning on opening up an Italian restaurant by end of this year.

But there are also local Thai restaurants keying in on Thais voracious appetite like this Thai owned BBQ and Seafood Buffet restaurant my wife and I enjoy so much. But the fact remains, very popular cheap hawker type eatery in Huai Kwang neighborhood will always be super popular with local Thai working class.

Safety Issues in Bangkok

Bangkok is a big city and relatively safe. But always keep your common sense with you...

Bangkok is a big city and relatively safe. But always keep your common sense with you…

Like any major city in most countries there’s always going to be crime. Of the 10 years I’ve been traveling back and forth and staying most of the year in Thailand I’ve never been robbed, beaten or stabbed.

But you will see and hear a lot of horrible stuff that happens all over the country, maybe on the local news or Facebook groups centered on Thai news.

To me, as a guy, it’s still safe to take a walk out and use taxis alone at night. For women, it’s better to be in a group rather than alone when doing the same. Violent Thai on foreigner crimes does occur around the Kingdom but not at an alarming rate so don’t be concerned.

Probably still a very good idea to not talk to strangers especially ones that approach you. And I’m not just talking about Thais. Many foreigners in Thailand that approach you should be eyed suspiciously as well.

Why Thailand?

Everyone has their own reasons. For me, it’s a different life. I’ve been living in New York for most of my life and all those years ago I decided to make my home somewhere in Southeast Asia. And I chose Thailand.

Thailand is a good place to live because it is truly affordable. There is stable internet and we all know how important that is. There are train systems that are expanding. Though taxis are still ridiculously cheap.

And, it’s a great jump off point for visiting other parts of Asia and Southeast Asia. Hell, I’m sitting in a café right now in Kuala Lumpur writing this post.

But you’ve got to have something to do. For me, my wife has a business. So that keeps me busy as well.

There’s certainly a lot to cover on the subject and making the decision to move to Bangkok or anywhere else in Thailand. And I just touched on the tip of the iceberg.

So if you have any questions, please drop a comment or shoot me an email.

Where to Find the Best Nail Salon Artists in Bangkok

Where to Find the Best Nail Salon Artists in Bangkok

Getting The Best Manicures, Pedicures and Nail Art in Bangkok

So how would I know which is the best nail salon in Bangkok? Okay, so if you don’t already know by now I’m a guy. And I don’t know much about nail salons. Or even what the difference is between gel color manicures and regular color pedicures.

The answer is the same way I did my research for my post on where to find the best stinkiest durian in Bangkok. Even when I don’t eat durian myself.

I asked my wife and her Thai friends and friends of friends which nail salons they go. After all, locals know best.

And who would know where to find the best nail salon for manicures and pedicures in Bangkok than the locals that work and live in the city.

And it has to be a nail salon that they recommend to you.

I know a fair share of my blog readers are females. So I have been getting emails with questions about where they can find an inexpensive salon with nail spa services in Bangkok.

But the catch is not only do they want to know where they can find the best salons for manicures and pedicures in Bangkok. They also want to know which salon has talented nail artists that don’t charge crazy prices.

So what did I learn from my Thai friends?

They tell me one of the top five best budget nail salons in Bangkok with a reputation for fine nail art skills is a small little shop called Glamour Girls Nail Art Salon (2022 Update they moved to a new location in Huai Kwang). And they do a pretty good job on gel manicures and gel pedicures too as I learned (psstt… I finally found out what the difference is).

I checked out their Facebook business page and saw they have 13,000 likes. And they have four salon branches. That’s quite impressive. But I can’t rely on Facebook for my first ever nail salon review for Bangkok.

And I’m sure as hell not going to get my nails painted for the sake of this blog.

Thankfully two of my wife’s best friends wanted to have their nails done at Glamour Girls recently. So my wife and I tagged along so we could check out the place and snap some photos too.

Glamour Girls Nail Art Salon

According to my female Thai friends, Glamour Girls Nail Art Salon is the place to be for quality professional nail art as well as manicures and pedicures…

The Best Nail Salon in Bangkok (With reasonable rates you won’t find in major tourists areas)

Bangkok is a huge city and nail salons with manicure and pedicure spa services are plenty. So I primarily focused on an area that I’m very familiar with and one that is super easy for foreign tourists to get to.

And said salon has to be easily reached by train, which is the best way to get around central Bangkok in my humble opinion.

Also, I know that the best nail salon in Bangkok I recommend to my blog audience also has to have staff on premise that can speak and understand some English.

The fact is, if you don’t want to pay a lot of money but still want fantastic looking nails for 250THB within Bangkok, you will have to get out of the main tourists areas like Sukhumvit, Siam Square, Thonglor and Pratunam, where tons of expensive nail salons businesses can be found.

Even MBK Mall which has a lot of nail salons charge expensive prices. I’ve been told most of the customers inside MBK nail salons aren’t even locals but practically all tourists.

Which is why most local Thais would rather go to the Amantara Hotel where Glamour Girls is located to get their nails done at prices reasonable for Thai people.

Front of Amaranta Hotel Huai Khwang

Amantara Hotel Front Entrance on Soi 5 Pracharat Bamphen Road

Where to Find Glamour Girls Nail Art Salon

My Thai lady friends recommended I write a blog review about Glamour Girls Nail Art Salon which is located inside the Amaranta Hotel in Bangkok’s fun and exciting Huai Khwang district. Out of the four GG nail salons in Bangkok, the Amaranta hotel branch is the easiest for tourists to reach as it’s closer to Chatuchak Weekend Market and train station.

Glamour Girls is a tourist friendly shop because it’s easy to find, has plenty of nail polish colors, a large selection of glitters, nail accessories and charms. And they usually have someone who can speak English too on site.

However, from what I’ve gathered out of all the nail shops in the area, Glamour Girls has a reputation for nail artistry like tattoo artists pride themselves for their own specialized craft.

Plus Glamour Girls have a popular hand and feet spa package that cost only 1300THB. A popular choice for most customers before getting colors painted on their nails. And yes they do provide spa mani and pedi service for men.

GG Nail Salon Spa Chairs

Top Five Reasons Why My Thai Friends Recommend Glamour Girls Nail Art Salon to Tourists

  1. For a budget nail salon in Bangkok, Glamour Girls Nail Art has strict hygiene guidelines.
  2. They pay a higher than standard industry salary to attract the best nail technicians and artists.
  3. Just like a tattoo parlor, this nail salon specializes in creative one of a kind nail art.
  4. They have English speaking staff on premise.
  5. Glamour Girls uses genuine branded nail polish products only. I learned that a lot of small budget nail salons in Bangkok use fake knock off or inferior nail polish products that won’t last long.

Glamour Girls’ nail technicians also specialize in acrylic extensions and gel extensions. As a man, I’m not even going to pretend I know what those are. I just thought nail salons paint nails on fingers and toes.

But if you’re reading this and enjoy getting your nails done all pretty then you know what I’m talking about.

5 Best Areas to Stay in Bangkok Banner

In Bangkok Glamour Girls Nail Salon is Best Known for Acrylic Extension and Gel Extension Nail Services

Also one of the primary reasons why Thai locals go to Glamour Girls Nail Salon for acrylic and gel nail extension is because one or two of their salon technicians won nail competitions.

It’s like you can win anything for doing anything these days. I’m still waiting for my blogger of the decade award…

This shop can get quite busy, best call them to make an appointment 095-253-8187. Best to have your hotel receptionist help you call to make an appointment...

This shop can get quite busy, best call them to make an appointment 063-875-2276. Have your hotel receptionist help you call to make an appointment…

Anyways, Glamour Girls is well known in the Huai Khwang area as the best nail salon in Bangkok to get your acrylic extensions and gel extensions done professionally at reasonable prices.

I’ve been informed if you do the same services in central tourists areas you’ll be paying 2 to 3 times more. And that’s without any nail art and other extras.

With a hotel right above the salon even hotel staff recommend their guests to Glamour Girls for nail and spa services. That’s what I heard while I was inside a few flight attendants from Jordan Airlines came in to get a set of French acrylic nail extensions that cost 1800THB.

How Much They Charge: Mani and Pedi Prices

You can check out their website for how much they charge for their nail salon services. But here is the basic rate for their most common services:

  • Regular Color – 200THB
  • Gel Color Polish – 250THB/300THB/400THB/450THB (Price depends on which brand of nail polish you choose)
  • PVC Extensions – 450THB
  • Acrylic Extension – 1300THB full set. They use OPI products. I don’t know what OPI is but somehow my wife says it’s important to note. And I always listen to my wife.
  • Gel Extension – 1800THB with no gel polish color included. They use CND products for gel extensions.

They only charge 50THB for removing old colors.

Price menu at Glamour Girls in Bangkok

A short price menu at Glamour Girls Nail Shop…

Going to Glamour Girls

We got to Glamour Girls on a Sunday afternoon and they were busy with customers. Our friends had to wait on queue but the wait wasn’t too long because the nail technicians worked fast and customers looked happy as they left.

The nail salon isn’t huge nor is it small. They have about five tables and two sofa chairs that double as spa chairs. But no doubt they look quite serious about the nail salon business and full of nail polish choices even for the uninitiated like myself.

Glamour Girls Nail Art Salon Bangkok

Busy nail technicians and artists working professionally and quickly…

My wife’s friends are already familiar with Glamour Girl’s salon technicians so they knew which nail polish products they liked. They picked some nail polish brand called Gelly Fit.

When finished my friends were so happy with their newly painted nails. Who knew shiny nails could put such a huge smile on a lady’s face. Women…

Next time I do something stupid to my wife I’ll just take her to Glamour Girls. Just kidding. Even for a guy I have to admit hand painted nail art looks pretty cool.

So for a guy that doesn’t know anything about nail salons, Glamour Girls Nail Art Salon seems like a decent place to get your nails done.

Are there any other places that can do it cheaper and better? My Thai lady friends tell me there are many that charge really cheap. But it’s cheap those shops use cheap products which won’t last long.

So they go there because they know their gel polishes will last long because they use top quality products applied by experienced nail technicians.

I saw a lot of happy faces walking out of that shop so they must be doing something right. Which is why many Thais say Glamour Girls Nail Art Salon is one of the best nail salons in Bangkok.

The Best Nail Salon in Bangkok is Mainly Known for Nail Art

At Glamour Girls they mainly focus on nail art. Inside the shop customers can browse through photo albums, books and magazines for examples of cool unique nail art. Just point which one you like and they’ll paint it on your nails.

Glamour Girls Gel Polish Colors

Glamour Girls has tons of nail polish to pick and choose from including nail art samples…

If you see a particular nail art photo on Instagram or anywhere else on the internet just show a Glamour Girls Nail Tech and they’ll be able to reproduce it on your nails too.

Prices aren’t that expensive for nail art but obviously the more difficult the nail art the more they charge for time and material.

That’s about it. I’ve learned more about the nail salon business then I have ever wanted.

I’m going to get a beer. Watch some basketball and find something manly to do like barbecue some meat.

How to Find Glamour Girls Nail Art Salon

The best way to get to there is to ride the MRT  subway train to MRT Huai Khwang subway station.

  • Once out of the train, find Exit #1, which is the exit for Pracharat Bamphen Road.
  • Walk 200 meters to Pracharat Bamphen Road Soi 5 and make a left hand turn at 7 Eleven. You will see Amaranta Hotel to your right.

Walk straight through the lobby where you see a set of glass doors and Glamour Girls will be to your immediate right.

And by the way, the amazing Chatuchak Weekend Market is just six stations from Huai Khwang MRT subway station.

Glamour Girls Nail Art Salon accepts credit cards. I’m assuming Master Cards and Visas only.

Hours: 11:o0am to to 9pm everyday.
Website: https://www.glamourgirlsnailsalon.com/
Telephone: 063-875-2276

Find Cheap Tasty Food in Huai Kwang Bangkok

Find Cheap Tasty Food in Huai Kwang Bangkok

Here’s Where I Share One of My Favorite Neighborhoods in Bangkok for Delicious Food!

One of my favorite neighborhoods in Bangkok is an area called Huai Khwang. It’s not far at all from main tourist areas such as Sukhumvit. Just hop on the MRT subway at Sukhumvit station and in four short stops you’ll hit Huai Khwang MRT station.

I know a lot of people like to stay in this area because it’s close to Sukhumvit via MRT subway plus there are many budget hotels in the area like Hip Hotel, Park Residence, and CMYK that are about 5 5-minute walk to the station.

Even though Bangkok has plenty of restaurants where you can get a noodle or rice dish for a little over $1 USD, Huay Khwang is the place I highly recommend you go for cheap and tasty rice dishes and bowls of noodles with generous portions.

Huai Kwang is Mainly A Residential Area in Bangkok

So what else is so great about Huai Khwang? It’s a food mecca especially for the late-night owls looking for good food or for those that have a bit of extra cash to spend for shopping. There are a lot of very good budget and pricey restaurants in Huai Khwang.

Huai Kwang Bangkok
Huai Kwang has long been a popular section of Bangkok for the working class…

But I’ll tell you where you can find some really good Khao Man Gai (chicken and rice) and other popular Thai dishes that are tasty and cheap too!

A simple shop with 4 carts serving popular Thai rice and noodle dishes...
A simple shop with 4 carts serving popular Thai rice and noodle dishes…

The Restaurant Name Sounds Weird But Trust Me the Food is Good and Cheap!

Okay, so the name of this restaurant I recommend is called สี่จ่า loosely translated as “Four Sergeant”. It’s an open-air restaurant just 30 meters down Soi Pracha Songhkhao 36. It’s very easy to find and locals know this place well. So even if you’re bad with directions you can show them this post and they’ll point you in the right direction.

I’m quite confident that this is the first time this restaurant has been mentioned anywhere else on the blogosphere. It’s not exactly on the tourists’ path. But as I mentioned the locals know this place very well. And when you find Four Sergeants you will be glad you did. And you might as well pat yourself on the back for being a foodie adventurous!

This is the corner of Soi Pracha Songkhao 36 and Huai Kwang. When you see this turn left...
This is the corner of Soi Pracha Songkhao 36 and Huai Kwang. When you see this turn left…

Whenever I feel like I want a quick, cheap, and tasty plate of Khao Man Gai (ข้าวมันไก่) or chicken and rice that’s where I go. Doesn’t matter what time of night it is. Not only are they well known for their succulent chicken and awesome rice, but สี่จ่า is also very popular because of their noodles with sliced duck which my wife loves.

But I like their Yong Tau Fu which is an assortment of fish balls, fish cake, a fish dumpling, and cuttlefish bits. I typically choose either the flat rice noodles or egg noodles depending on my mood. With the noodle dishes, you can choose 4 types: egg noodles, broad flat rice noodles, thin rice noodles, and glass rice noodles.

Not Exactly Char Siu but it’s Still All Good

I also enjoy their Khao Moo Daeng (ข้าวหมูแดง), rice with red pork. It’s not the Char Siu or red roasted pork I love so much and can find in typical Chinese restaurants. Even the restaurants in Bangkok’s Chinatown don’t make the Char Siu which is a total bummer.

Thai-style red pork is different than the traditional Char Siu done in Hong Kong style. It’s gently grilled so you can barely see any grill marks. Thai red pork is also not marinated or covered in honey and other spices while on the grill. To me, Thai red pork is a bit dry because they use leaner cuts of pork. However, whenever you order a plate of Khao Moo Daeng the plate is liberally doused with brown gravy.

As a guy who grew up on typical Hong Kong-style roast pork, it was a bit odd for me. But, the sauce grew on me. And Four Sergeants makes one damn good gravy.

Khao Moo Deng - Rice with red pork, another popular rice dish in Thailand...
Khao Moo Deng – Rice with red pork, another popular rice dish in Thailand…

The Best Khao Man Gai You’ll Find in Bangkok in My Book

Khao Man Gai hawker stands are all over Thailand. In Bangkok, chicken and rice shops are as ubiquitous as pizza shops in NYC. And if you poll a group of Bangkokians on which shop has the best chicken and rice you’ll get pulled in all different directions with no clear winner.

To me, Four Sergeants has the best Khao Man Gai. Their slices of chicken are tender and moist. The rice is of good quality and not heavily soaked in artery-clogging chicken fat. Too many places emphasize greasy oily rice. Four Sergeants makes their rice just right, a perfect combination with their succulent chicken.

All rice dishes come with a small bowl of chicken soup. There’s some MSG in it but not so much that your lips will be smacking for some water.

The classic Khao Man Gai, chicken and rice...
The classic Khao Man Gai, chicken and rice…

What does it All Cost?

Everything you find at Four Sergeants costs about 40THB or around $1.20 USD. A small bottle of water costs 10THB and they do sell bottled soda and beers. There is a 7-Eleven right next to the restaurant and the staff don’t care if you buy drinks from there and have them on their tables.

Their food is not expensive at all. I often order a rice dish followed by a bowl of noodles. One time after a late night of drinking I remember putting down 4 plates of Khao Man Gai.

Four Sergeants closes late, around 4am. But they open around 6pm daily. So they get quite packed as the night gets later because local Thais living in the area often finish work late.

Customers just find a table with an open seat and sit down...
Customers just find a table with an open seat and sit down…

There’s a food court atmosphere at Four Sergeants restaurant. Just pick a seat at an empty table. They do have menus but not a lot. Just say “Kor Doo Menoo Noy” ขอดูเมนู that’s how you ask for a menu in Thai. The menu has photos so you can just point and pick.

This is one of the few restaurants I frequent often. They don’t have a lot of choices. But they have just the right amount. The atmosphere is great if you want to feel like you’re one with the locals. And the food is consistently good.

FourSergeants has been around in the same location for at least a decade. And they’ve got a strong following of locals. Today, Huai Kwang is rapidly changing. Every time I’m there, I’ll often hear Cantonese or Mandarin spoken at a nearby table. And that’s why the menu has Chinese written on it.

There are many cheap Thai restaurants in the Huai Kwang area, even the seafood restaurants where you can find fresh sea snails, giant grilled prawns, fresh grilled fish, and crabs all for a reasonable price.

However, the cheapest meals are of course the single rice dishes and bowls of noodles, such as the ones found in Four Sergeants.

How to Get There

Four Sergeants isn’t widely shared on inter web. But it’s practically an institution in Bangkok. Four Sergeants has been in the same location for nearly a decade.

huai-kwang-road
Huai Kwang Night Market, keep walking down and you’ll find Soi Pracha Songkhao 36…

It’s not difficult to walk there at all. If you’re coming from the Huai Kwang MRT subway station use Exit #3.

Make your way to Huai Kwang Market and when you reach the first intersection which is Soi Pracha Songkhao 36 make a left. It’ll be about a 10 minute walk.

Hope you find this place. The food is good and I’m sure the experience of finding this restaurant will be fun. And be sure to check out the Huai Khwang night market while you’re there, open from 8pm to 2am!

So I have here a Google map that can help you out a bit. I placed a star on the restaurant’s location:

The Cost of Making a Sandwich in Thailand…

The Cost of Making a Sandwich in Thailand…

Not Same Same in Thailand…

Whenever I head back home and come across friends I have not seen in a long while they ask me, “Is it cheaper living in Thailand?”. It’s hard to answer that question without giving an example. So my example is the sandwich. Simple and easy to make.

But in a nutshell my answer is it really depends. If you can eat like the locals the answer is a resounding yes. If you eat like the way you eat back in the US then the answer is no. Let’s take the good ol’ sandwich for example and look at the prices.

When I was a kid one of the first things I ever made to eat on my own is a sandwich. There’s not a huge learning curve so it’s right up my alley. Ham, cheese, a heavy slather of mayo between two slices of Wonder Bread. And there’s a 98% chance that whoever reads this and is from the USA made the same too.

According to the Smithsonian every day 50% of Americans consume some form of a sandwich. And that sounds about right. Putting together a sandwich in the US is economical. Packing a sandwich for lunch to work is just one of the best ways to save money. And finding a grocery store with all sorts of cold cuts and cheese is easy peasy too back home in US.

It’s kinda like that too in Thailand. Though there are a few surprises or shall we call it sticker price shock…

Sandwich Ingredients and Costs

Whole wheat bread from Yamazaki 55THB (8 Slices)...

Whole wheat bread from Yamazaki 55THB (8 Slices)…

I always buy bread from Yamazki bakery. You can find them just about everywhere there is a Tops Supermarket. A bag of 8 slices cost 55THB, nearly $2USD. I like this style of bread because it taste good. But most importantly, it is not loaded with preservatives. You’ll find a expiration date right on the bag which is 3 days from date of purchase. But I find that if you stick it in the fridge it’ll last an extra 2 to 3 days.

There is a certain brand of cheaper whole wheat bread you can buy in most major supermarkets and convenience stores such as 7-Eleven. I don’t buy the cheap stuff because it lasts about two to three weeks. There’s just something sinister about bread that takes that long to go moldy.

Good ol' Oscar Meyer Ham or Bologne...

Good ol’ Oscar Meyer Ham or Bologne…

Every supermarket in Thailand has some sort of deli/cold cuts department today. The better ones are mainly located inside supermarkets with many expats or foreigners nearby. The best cold cut department I’ve ever seen is at the Emporium Supermarket in the basement level of Siam Paragon Mall.

But I don’t live anywhere near there so I purchase packaged Oscar Meyer ham near the deli section of a local Tops Supermarket at Central Ladprao.

Normally a 6oz. (170 grams) package of Oscar Meyer ham cost 164THB ($4.86USD). 170 grams is about 10 slices of ham. Yes, that is expensive right? And it doesn’t get any cheaper if you buy local produced ham.

Local ham is even more expensive too...

Local ham is even more expensive too…

Swiss Chalet is a Thai brand of ham that is of good quality and sometimes I buy it when it goes on sale. Normally, it costs 98THB ($2.90USD) for 6 slices of ham, 200 grams.

Back in NYC near my local Key Food Supermarket I pay $4.99USD for 453 grams of quality ham. Right about now you must be thinking this can’t get any worse right?? Wait for it…

Your sandwich cheese options...

Your sandwich cheese options…

Allowrie is a Thai dairy company and their cheese is comparable to packaged Kraft Cheese back in the states. A pack of 12 slices cost 139THB ($4.13USD). In the US I stay away from the packaged sliced cheese and buy right from the deli counter.

Back in the US I know I can buy a whole pound of good quality American cheese for $4USD.

Imported swiss cheese ain't cheap in Thailand...

Imported swiss cheese ain’t cheap in Thailand…

Even though you’ll find a wide variety of block cheeses mostly from Europe and USA it’s expensive. Even the lower quality package cheeses have crazy prices. 10 slices of cheddar cheese from the Netherlands cost about $8USD.

In general dairy products are expensive in Thailand. Butter and in this case cheese are not common items found in the fridge as it is in most countries.

Mayo ain't cheap in Thailand...

Mayo ain’t cheap in Thailand…

Condiments

Mayo, the glue that holds the sandwich together, is expensive as well. A 443ml Kraft Mayonnaise jar cost $3USD. That’s a small bottle and the way I use it would last me 8 sandwiches. I rather just make my own these days using Alton Brown’s mayo recipe. Eggs and oil which are essential in a mayo recipe is very affordable in Thailand.

99THB for a small bottle of mustard...

99THB for a small bottle of mustard…

Sometimes I like to switch out mayo for mustard. But mustard is also a bit pricey. Luckily for my taste a little bit of mustard goes a long way. 340g of French’s Mustard cost $3USD.

Tomato and lettuce are affordable but not exactly cheap either. And it doesn’t help that I’m a bit picky about the raw vegetables I buy. You can save a bit of money purchasing vegetables for sandwiches at local Thai wet markets instead of supermarkets. But if you don’t live near one it could be a bit inconvenient. Also I find that vegetables in supermarkets are cleaner and better quality.

In general, it’s cheaper to eat Thai food outside then it is to cook Thai food at home. And also consider you don’t need to prep the ingredients and wash dishes afterwards. So you save time too.

A large bag of chips cost about the same in USA, about $3USD a bag...

A large bag of chips cost about the same in USA, about $3USD a bag…

However, for the sandwich, it’s actually cheaper to make at home than it is to buy it outside. There are many shops that sell pre-made sandwiches. You can buy a ham and cheese between two pieces of white bread for $1.75USD. But if you make your own sandwich at home it could cost you about $1USD but with lettuce and tomato.

I do miss the days I could make myself a hero sandwich, with a few inches of stacked ham and turkey with cheddar cheese and the works. Sadly here in Thailand, you don’t really have that choice. Hell, I can’t even find turkey cold cuts.

Granted a lot of the ingredients I buy for my sandwiches are all imported I can still tell you locally produced ham and cheese are not cheap and nearly the same price as imported.

You won't run out of food options on the streets of Bangkok...

You won’t run out of food options on the streets of Bangkok…

But there’s plenty of cheap Thai food all around where I live and travel often. I can get a small entree with rice for about $1.30USD to $1.60USD. Though I usually double my order because I can eat a lot. Even noodles I would order 2 bowls.

This tasty bowl of fishball with egg noodle and soup cost about $1.20USD...

This tasty bowl of fishball with egg noodle and soup cost about $1.20USD…

It is still possible to live off of $10USD a day on food, assuming you’re only eating Thai.

So there it is. Familiar foods that we can readily and easily prepare back home can be expensive to make here in Thailand. Don’t get me started on cereal. A box of shredded wheats cost $8USD here but I remember back in NYC it cost about $5USD.

And there are no Costcos or BJ Wholesale Clubs here. Man, I miss those places.

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