I wonder where you gathered your info from, as most lbs will be ok with 1k for a st, the same as I was paying 15 years ago, food and drink is still reasonably priced as inflation has been comparatively low, a glance on Agoda shows Natural Beach hotel for 608 bath and airfares if planned and booked in advance can still be found at a fair price.
Taxis are cheap, Thailand is the same as most places you can pay from expensive to cheap and still enjoy yourself.
No where else will you find so many willing lbs, I can't recall ever seeing so many, maybe it's because your interest in lbs is fading, so you are seeking excuses not to visit