Department 05
Dispatches
Long-form reporting on the Thai baht: macro analysis, travel money, expat finance, and field reports from Thailand.
Currently 13 published · Founded May 2026
The Bali Paradox: how a cheap country sold its most expensive island and convinced everyone it was a bargain.
Bali is more expensive than central Bangkok on rent, beer, coffee and haircuts. Yogyakarta is far cheaper. The Bali Paradox shows where the real cheap Indonesia hides.
Read the dispatch →The Macro Desk
13 pieces 01 The Bali Paradox: how a cheap country sold its most expensive island and convinced everyone it was a bargain
Bali is more expensive than central Bangkok on rent, beer, coffee and haircuts. Yogyakarta is far cheaper. The Bali Paradox shows where the real cheap Indonesia hides.
Thailand's emergency loan fight is now a baht story
Thailand's 400-billion-baht emergency borrowing decree is before the Constitutional Court while the government courts top CEOs. For baht holders, the issue is not panic. It is a wider policy-risk premium.
03 The Bangkok Middle Class Trap: what Thailand's last decade should teach you about Vietnam's next one
Thailand got more expensive without getting much faster or richer. That is the warning for anyone treating Vietnam's current cheap window as permanent.
04 The Vietnam Window: why the next 5 years are the last chance to live like it's 2005 Thailand
Vietnam is still where the pound buys cheap beer, low rent and low-cost services. But fast growth, rising wages and easier visas mean the window may be closing.
05 20 years in Thailand: what £100 actually bought you in 2005 vs 2026
In 2005, £100 in Bangkok bought a hotel night, meals, drinks, taxis and a rooftop night out. In 2026, the same £100 can be gone by lunch.
06 The Massage Index: how Thailand's signature export got quietly tourism-priced
A Thai massage cost £3 in 2005. The same massage today costs £6.50, but in tourist areas it's £15.
07 The Haircut Index: the underrated cost-of-living gauge that exposes the real economy
A haircut in Hanoi costs £2. The same haircut in Singapore costs £27. The 2026 Haircut Index reveals the truest services-inflation signal in Asia.
08 The Rent Index: what £500 actually gets you across 17 Asian cities
A one-bed apartment in central Hanoi costs £352. The same in Singapore costs £2,349. The 2026 Rent Index ranks Asian cities by what your pound actually rents.
09 The Taxi Index: how far £10 takes you in 12 Asian cities
A £10 taxi takes you 53 km in Manila, 21 km in Bangkok, and 4 km in Tokyo. The Taxi Index ranks Asian cities by what your pound actually moves.
10 The Coffee Index: how a Bangkok flat white became more expensive than a London one
A coffee in Bangkok cost 28p in 2005. Today's flat white costs £3.72.
11 The Pad Thai Index: how Thailand's national dish became a 5x more expensive lunch for Brits
A plate of pad thai cost 35p in 2005. Today it is £1.86.
12 The Beer Index 2026: where your pound buys the most beer in 14 popular expat destinations
Southeast Asia beer prices in GBP, ranked: Hanoi 75p, Bangkok £2.39, Singapore £6.14.
13 The Beer Index: what 20 years in Thailand taught me about FX, inflation, and your pound
A beach beer in Thailand cost 56p in 2005. Today it is £2.76.