Shocking Tips for Traveling in Thailand under 1000THB a day

Just because your on holidays it doesn’t have to break the bank, and that’s especially true when are traveling in Thailand. Your not going to have to live on fried grasshoppers and coconut milk. Living and holidaying in Thailand can literally be as cheap or as expensive as you want to make it. Sure you can get taxi’s everywhere, stay in 5 star hotels with breakfast included, or you can live like a local staying in local accommodation found on AirBnb and buy your food at street vendors like the locals do. This can save you heaps of coin for those more important trip expenses like visiting eco friendly elephant sanctuaries or spending a weekend on a remote island.

Accommodation – Thailand is very cheap, dirt cheap at some places. Though traveling to the north of Thailand can be cheaper than say Bangkok, Phuket or Pattaya, but you don’t have to miss out on the main tourist haunts just to save money. You can find cheap guesthouses for as little 235 THB per night in cities and 135 THB per night in the countryside. Some decent hotels can be had if you prefer being by yourself for around 700THB. On the islands or for a nicer room with air-conditioner, expect to pay 575 THB and up per night.

Hotels in Pattaya and Phuet can start at around 1,000 THB per night and go up from there depending on your tastes.

Food – Food is so cheap in Thailand, that’s why so many locals live in housing that doesn’t have a kitchen. Street food can cost you as little as 30 THB per meal including a beverage, athough on average expect to spent about 35-50 THB per meal eating on the street. If you eat local food you can eat for around 120-170 THB a day. Western dishes tend to really kill the costs being between 170-340 THB, though they can be higher in the swankier establishments. Khao San Road in Bangkok has some great food, there is street food but some of the restaurants are basically a step up from this offering somewhere to sit and eat.

Transportation – Like everything in I’m talking about above, transportation is also afford ably cheap. Local buses cost as little as 8 THB per trip, the Metro and BTS Skytrain in Bangkok cost between 15-50 THB per trip, and metered taxi rides are usually 60-100 THB each.

Tuk-tuks are un-metered and generally more expensive, costing 100-235 THB per ride but make sure you always negotiate the price first.  Motorbike taxis (in orange vests in Bangkok) are available all over the country and great for short trips which can cost about 35 THB, again negotiate these before you jump on the back of the bike with a lone wolf.

Boats to the islands from either Pattaya or Phuket can cost 235-475 THB. It’s often better to get a bus/boat package then pay for them separately.

Booking these from any of the tourist agents is your best bet, but do shop between them and even try and negotiate a better price. I have found visiting these places late at night when you want to book for the next day gives you good bargaining power. Read my other story on Taxis, Tuk Tuks, Songthaew Scooters and Trains.

Tours –Day tours cost 575-1,200 THB per day from most of the tourist agents in major areas. Keep in mind, you have more bargaining power if you go with a group, or try and book later in the evening for the next day when the tour doesn’t have lots of people on it. A PADI dive certification course (very popular in Thailand) costs around 10,100 THB.

An Ethical Elephant Nature Park (Chiang Mai) day tour can set you back about 2500THB, but bear in mind your paying to be picked up and dropped off, and these tours are using their money to rescue more elephants from the abuse that some operators inflict on them in Thailand.

Going to see tigers in Chiang Mai can cost you from 500TB up to 3000THB. Obviously the higher is a pack to see all sizes of tigers. If you want to save some money and not wait in long queues I suggest taking the “medium tiger” package as most people either want to see the young, cute and cuddly tiger, or the huge alpha males.