BRUCE STATS - THAILAND Part 1 - Unmettled Roads

December 1, 2019 to December 30, 2019

BRUCE STATS - THAILAND Part 1

BRUCE STATS - THAILAND Part 1

Miles biked from town to town - 438

Miles biked in and around towns - 57

Miles by minibus - 75

Number of days in Thailand - 30

Number of days cycling in Thailand - 17

Number of squashed snakes seen on the roads - 39

Number of live snakes seen - 1

Most frequently heard phrase from Bruce - “This is my favorite food.”

Cheapest Bananas - 66 tiny ones per dollar in Pak Chom

Best Restaurant - A restaurant in Nakhon Thai (all in Thai) that had a very talented cook.

Average cost per meal per person - $1.25

Average cost of a really great cup of coffee - $.66

Average cost of a room - $14.73 (29 nights) - (Two included breakfast) This is up by at least 40% since our trip three years ago and way more than double from our trip five years ago.

Cheapest Hotel Room - $11.86 both in Dan Sai and Suwankhlalok

Most Expensive Room - $20 - Homestay in Old Sisatchanalai

Average daily high temperature - 90F (32C)

Number of foreign cycle tourists we saw - 5 - (4 Dutch and 1 Swiss)

Number of rain drops on us in Thailand - 0

Number of flat tires - 0

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Scott AndersonSeriously? You count dead snakes? Do you have a little counter attached to the handlebar to help you keep track?
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4 years ago

Jen RahnThat's crazy that lodging cost has increased so much in just 3 years.

Have you seen that much of a price increase with anything else?

Still amazing how affordable it is compared with so many other travel destinations.
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4 years ago

Bruce LellmanFood has increased 25-30%. I can't judge much else because all we buy is food and accommodation.
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4 years ago

Bruce LellmanTo Scott AndersonI seem to remember in one of your previous journals you describing some mental math calisthenics you performed while riding in order to keep your brain active and possibly prolong senility. I believe it had something to do with prime numbers. I keep track of the rather large number of snakes in my head as I ride and whenever I get to a prime number I think of you.
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4 years ago

Bruce LellmanTo Scott AndersonOops sorry Scott. Seriously, I didn't mean "prolong senility" I meant 'prevent senility'. Who's the senile one here!!
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4 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Bruce LellmanThat’s OK. I was mostly surprised that when you see a snake you think of me.
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4 years ago

Ron SuchanekTo Bruce LellmanHahahahaha!!!!!!
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4 years ago

Ron SuchanekTo Scott AndersonHahahahaha AAA!!!!
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4 years ago

Bruce LellmanTo Scott AndersonI think of you when I see live things too: Trees, flowers, birds and bees.
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4 years ago

Frank RoettgenTo Bruce LellmanBruce, I would love to know whether the increase you experienced and recorded is referring to the prices in local currency or after "translation" into USD? The Baht is at an all-time high at the moment, which will hopefully not last! Go again in two years and you may be delighted to report on a 10 or even 20% decrease in prices.... At least this is wishful thinking on my side.
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4 years ago

Bruce LellmanTo Frank RoettgenHi Frank,
The increase in prices in three years is: 25-30% more for food and 35-45% more for accommodation. 10% can be subtracted due to the decline in the value of the US dollar in three years. I know that Thailand was probably due for increases since things were always so cheap but they have been more than we counted on and seem quite odd to us since we are always the only tourists. I would think that hotel owners would be reducing prices to attract customers but the Thais don't operate that way I guess. But, I will say that there has been quite an increase in quality of rooms and their amenities so this maybe is reflected in a corresponding increase in price. We are not complaining, mind you. We have really enjoyed the better rooms. Another odd thing however is that the old rooms that have not been updated are just as expensive as brand new beautiful rooms. So, bottom line.....choose the brand new places because you will get much better value for your money.

Sidenote - The Thai Baht was pegged at 20 Baht per US$ all through the 1970's. It never ever varied, not even a little bit. One always knew what the rate was.

I read that the Thai Baht will be slipping a little bit all year and will be around 30.7 Baht/$ by year's end.
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4 years ago