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Cost of Travel in Thailand

Cost of Travel in Thailand ayutthaya

How much does it cost to travel Thailand? In this guide, we’ll outline the cost of traveling Thailand, share Thailand hotel prices and accommodation budgets, give you our best tip for finding cheap hostels and hotels in Thailand, and help you choose the most appropriate Thailand budget for your travel style.

Note: This Thailand Travel Costs Guide includes affiliate links. That means Go Backpacking may earn a commission if you click through to purchase or price something out. It doesn't cost you anything extra and helps support this site.

Introduction to Thailand Travel Costs

The cost of travel in Thailand has helped make it one of the world's most visited nations.

The friendly culture, the spectacular cuisine, the stunning beaches, and the reasonable prices that tie them all together, make Thailand a world premiere destination.

Though crowds of foreigners mark some areas of the country, there are still many places that are completely off the usual travel routes, and therefore rarely visited by travelers.

Predictably, popular foreign spots in Thailand are costlier than off the beaten track destinations in the country.

Thailand uses the Thai Baht (THB) — 1 USD equals about 30.7 THB (as of July 2019)

Cost of Connectivity

Instead of buying a local SIM card when you arrive in Thailand, you can check in advance the mobile data services Keepgo offers: a 4G LTE Data SIM Card ($49) or a portable WiFi Hotspot ($99).

Their mobile data plans vary between $14 (for 500 MB) and $165 (for 10GB) and provide you with 3G coverage in Thailand as well as many other Asian countries all year round.

Cost of Accommodation

With the range of tourists that visit Thailand, there is also a giant selection of accommodation and price ranges.

  • Dorm beds: $3 – $7 (100 – 200 THB)
  • Double rooms with fans: throughout most of Thailand go for $7 – $10 (200 – 300 THB)
  • Double rooms with air-con: usually in the range of $10 – $17 (300 – 500 THB)
  • The next step up will include hotel-like conditions with cold air conditioning, fridges, and sometimes even safe boxes: $20 – $33 (600 – 1000 THB) per night for a double
  • Nicer Hotels: If you are looking to splurge and go crazy, you can get very nice hotel rooms for $66 (2000 THB) per night.

The best way to find a great deal on accommodation in Thailand is to use Hotels Combined to compare prices with Hostelworld. Hotels Combined includes Booking.com and Agoda in its price comparisons.

How To Find the Best Accommodation Deals in Thailand

Most of the popular search engines (Booking.com, Agoda, Hostelworld, etc.) have a range of accommodation options in Thailand. However, we’d recommend you start your search with Hotels Combined.

Hotels Combined is a meta-aggregator. It combs the other popular booking sites and finds the best price, and then lets you book with the popular hotel booking sites (like (Booking.com, Agoda, etc.). As it doesn't include Hostelworld, you need to check that site manually.

How Much Can You Save Using HotelsCombined?

We get into the specific prices below in our Sample Thailand Accommodation Budget, but we've tried to give a high-level guesstimate about the actual savings you can expect by using this technique.

We estimate a 2-week trip through Thailand will cost you between $42 and $688, depending on your travel style (from super cheap, to more of a flashpacker style).

If we assume using HotelsCombined will save you an average of 7.5% on your accommodation budget, that’s savings of between $3 (a free night in Thailand) and $52 (a nice meal out, or an excellent tour!).

We think that’s worth it for less than five minutes of effort!

Sample Accommodation Budget in Thailand

To give you an idea of how your travel style, budget, and the types of accommodation could impact the price of your trip, we’ve priced out different Thailand hostel and hotel options for a 14-day Thailand itinerary:

  • 3 Nights in Bangkok
  • 1 Night Ayutthaya
  • 3 Nights Chiang Mai
  • 6 Koh Pha-ngan
  • 1 Night Bangkok (before returning home)

We priced this out based on three different travel styles: 

  • On the Cheap (dorms beds & as cheap as possible, please!)
  • Upscale Budget (dorm rooms in ‘boutique’ hostels)
  • Affordable Flashpacker (private rooms in boutique and luxury hostels, and 3-star hotels)

Of course, prices are based on the time of writing and will fluctuate based on season and other factors.

On The Cheap

3 Nights Bangkok ($15 to $18) 

1 Night Ayutthaya ($7)

3 Nights Chiang Mai ($9)

6 Nights Koh Pha-ngan ($17.82 to $20.16)

1 Night in Bangkok ($4 to $12)

Total ‘On the Cheap’ Accommodation Costs for 2 Weeks in Thailand: $48 to $63

See also: The Best Hostels in Bangkok

Upscale Budget

3 Nights Bangkok ($34 to $46)

1 Night Ayutthaya ($8)

3 Nights Chiang Mai ($18 to $21)

  • For $6 to $7 (180-210 THB) per bed, per night, you can stay at So Hostel which is well-located, clean and has a ‘luxury hostel’ air to the common areas, with simple rooms. 7.9/10 on Hostelworld, compare on Hotels Combined.

6 Nights Koh Pha-ngan ($72)

  • If you want to stay a bit away from party-focused Haad Rin, $12 (368 THB) per night, OR $23 for two people, will get you a bungalow at the well-rated Tanouy Garden.

1 Night in Bangkok ($10 to $16) 

Total ‘Upscale’ Accommodation Costs for 2 Weeks in Thailand: $143 to $163

See also: The Best Hostels in Chiang Mai

Affordable Flashpacker

3 Nights Bangkok ($30 to $132)

1 Night Ayutthaya ($23 to $26)

  • Yimwhan Hostel & Cafe offers privates from around $23 (shared bathroom) to $26 (ensuite) (705 – 800 THB) and has a nice, urban design look to it (think exposed brick, polished concrete, pops of color, and an on-site coffee bar). Rated 9.1/10 on Hostelworld, compare on Hotels Combined.

3 Nights Chiang Mai ($81 to $123)

6 Nights Koh Pha-ngan ($156)

  • Most of the hostels in Koh Pha-ngan cater to budget travelers who want to party. If you want something slightly more upscale and quieter, the highly-rated Alcove Bungalow (9/10 on Booking.com) can be booked for around $26 (800 THB). It’s worth noting that across the water on Koh Samui, some excellent deals can be found in this price point as well if you want some affordable luxury and aren’t there to party.

1 Night in Bangkok ($10 to $22)

Total ‘Affordable Flashpacker’ Accommodation Costs for 2 Weeks in Thailand: $300 to $459

Thai Street Food
Thai Street Food

Cost of Food

Food lovers are welcomed to Thailand with open hands. Food throughout Thailand is in no short supply, and luckily, it's affordable enough to make eating out a hobby.

Street Food

  • For a meal on the street consisting of rice, vegetables, and a little meat on a single plate (more information on Thai dishes), the price should be anywhere from $1 – $1.75 (30 – 50 THB)
  • Big entire meals of street food with a selection of dishes and whole fish: $2 – $7 (60 – 210 THB) per person

Sit Down Restaurants

  • Indoor Thai food restaurants with air conditioning can cost $3 – $7 (100 – 210 THB) per person
  • Full Japanese sushi buffets and other gourmet restaurants: $10 – $17 (310 – 500 THB)

Bangkok is a melting pot of various cuisines; restaurants serving food from all over the world can be found throughout the city.

1.5 L bottle of water: $0.50 (13 THB)

Sample Daily Food Budget for Thailand

Let’s say you ate a free breakfast at your hostel, a street food lunch, and a restaurant meal: you can expect to pay $7 to $13 per day (205 to 390 THB).

If you stick to street food exclusively and eat three meals per day, you can each for much less: $3 to $5 (90 to 150 THB) per day.

Realistically, most people are probably going to do a combo of the two.

If you’re traveling on a strict budget, know that you can get away with paying less than $5 (155 THB) per day on food, not including any drinks (coffee, water, alcohol).

If you’re on a shorter trip and you want to enjoy different foods and dining experiences (within reason), plan to spend closer to $10 to $15 (310 to 465 THB) per day, per person on food.

Getting To Know Thai Food

Being a culinary capital, Bangkok is not a bad place to learn about Thai food through market tours, food tours, and cooking classes, if you have the time and interest.

Expect to pay about $35 to $40 (1,075 to 1,225 THB) for either a Thai cooking class or a food tour, if you book ahead of time online. We’ve listed some of the ones we’d like to try below

Bangkok Food Tour

5/5 Based on 69 Reviews

Over 3.5 hours, this small-group walking food tour will introduce you to around 15 different Thai dishes and drinks at eight different venues, including food stalls, restaurants, and markets. Try fruits, teas, noodles, desserts, and more. Past guests rate this tour very highly.

Thai Cooking Class & Market Visit

5/5 Based on 42 Reviews

This 4-hour cooking class starts at the market, where you pick up the ingredients for your creations.

Take a tuk-tuk to the kitchen, and begin preparing a multi-course meal, including Thai Green Curry from scratch. Past travelers advise you arrive hungry!

Leo Beer - the cost of travel in Thailand quickly raises with one's beer tab
Leo – My Favorite Beer in Thailand

Cost of Drinking / Going Out

The cheapest way to drink in Thailand is to purchase alcohol from a 7/11 or other convenience stores.

  • A big bottle of local beer costs: 35 – 65 THB ($1 – $2)
  • 1 L bottle of whiskey: 155 – 410 THB ($5 – $13)

Local or small style bars: $3 for a beer (100 THB), around $3 – $7 (100 – 210 THB) for a small shared bucket of whiskey and soda (called a bucket in Thailand)

Some of the fancier clubs can charge a cover of a few hundred THB (especially true in central Bangkok).

Traffic in Bangkok
Traffic in Bangkok

Cost of Transportation

Bangkok

Taxis are in abundance all over Bangkok, and the fare starts at $1 (30 THB) and goes up from there. Going most places within central Bangkok should not cost more than $5 (150 THB).

BTS / MRT: The BTS is an elevated train, while the MRT is an underground train. The lines are not overly extensive, though they do cover the main center of Bangkok. The fare costs anywhere from $0.75 – $1.50 (20 – 40 THB) per ride depending on length.

Buses are quite easy to use and cover Bangkok with the most extensiveness. Fares are anywhere from $0.25 – $0.75 (6.50 – 20 THB) depending on the route and what kind of bus. If you plan to take buses, I would recommend purchasing a bus map route before getting started.

Tuk Tuks: Many tourists like to take tuk-tuks for the thrill, but taxies are usually cheaper unless you know how to negotiate – upwards of $1 (30 THB) for a ride.

Motorcycle Taxis: Used for short distances or down neighborhood roads for $0.25 – $0.75 (10 – 20 THB) per ride

Out of Bangkok

There are loads of options for traveling around the country of Thailand. Buses are easy and efficient, and there is a big range of transportation classes.

Motorbikes are available for rent all over Thailand for around $7 (210 THB) per day, but be careful as there are quite a few scooter accidents.

Bus

  • VIP from Bangkok to Chiang Mai (10 hours): $23 (700 THB)
  • Standard class from Bangkok to Chiang Mai (10 hours): $12 (370 THB)
  • VIP class from Bangkok to Krabi (12 hours): $27 (820 THB)
  • Standard class from Bangkok to Krabi (12 hours): $12 (370 THB)
  • The local 4-hour bus ride from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet (4 hours to Cambodian border): $7 (210 THB)

Train

  • 1st Class Sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai (12 hours): $40 (1,250 THB) with own bed and air condition
  • 3rd Class train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai (12 hours): around $8 (250 THB)
  • If you are really on a budget, I took the 3rd class train from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani (12 hours) for $8 (250 THB)

Plane

Air Asia offers the most competitive prices on budget flights. Two months or so in advance and it's possible to get a flight from Bangkok to Phuket for $33 – $50 (1,000 – 1,500 THB) one-way.

If you’re on a budget, it’s best to map out your main flights and purchase them in advance, while planning your trip. That’s when you’re likely to get the best deals!

We use Skyscanner to find the cheapest flight deals. If you’re itinerary is somewhat flexible, you can use the “show whole month” function to show the cheapest days to fly on your route.

Here are some example fares on via Skyscanner, booking two to three months before traveling.

Blue Pool in Krabi, Thailand
Blue Pool in Krabi, Thailand

Sample Cost of Attractions in Thailand

  • Grand Palace Entrance in Bangkok: $8 (250 THB)
  • Bangkok snake farm and show: $7 (210 THB)
  • Thai cooking course: $40 (1,200 THB) for a day
  • Tha Pom Khlong Song Nam nature park in Krabi: $2 (50 THB)
  • Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi (pet tigers): $13 (400 THB)
  • Thai massage: $7 (200 THB) per hour
Beach in Southern Thailand
Beach in Southern Thailand

Overall Cost of Travel in Thailand

Thailand is not as cheap as a few other neighboring destinations in SE Asia. However, if you steer clear of real touristy areas, the cost of travel in Thailand is still quite decent.

Spending time on the country's southern islands and beaches is a sure way to rack up a higher bill than spending time in places like Chiang Mai.

I would say that to have a good time and travel freely, the cost of travel in Thailand is anywhere from $15 – $35 per day, highly varying on where you go and what activities you choose to do.

I live in Thailand, with an apartment in Bangkok and spend $220 – $300 per month (and I eat like a king!).

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