cost of thailand?! - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

missbrandyleebell · 04-10-2007, 09:55 PM

hey there all,
I am planning a trip to thailand for september of this year and I am just wonderin what sort of moeny I should expect to spend on a backpacking budget for 3 weeks? any prices on day to day things would be awesome, or budgets from past trips. Thank you so much

jeza · 04-11-2007, 12:57 AM

i think i spend around 2000 baht a day when im there, at least 1000 of that on drinking tho.. to give u a idea i stay in guesthouses or cheap hotel for 300-450 baht a night that gets u air con, hot water, tv and fridge sometimes. at the full moon party last time i got a bungalow right on the beach for 200, the time before a guesthouse right in town for 1000 ( rip job but i was desperate and wanted to be close since was alone )
2 hour massarge 200 baht
transport is cheap - short trip 2-4 hours are normally around 150-250 baht
an overnighter for a decent bus / sleeper train 600-800?
foods good. i mainly eat in the basic cafe / restuartants for around 100-120 for a good meal with a drink and rice

RenzoMSP · 04-11-2007, 01:59 PM

Im going for 3 weeks in May. I think ill be able to be comfortable and have fun for under $2000.

**buzzingtalk** · 04-12-2007, 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RenzoMSP

Im going for 3 weeks in May. I think ill be able to be comfortable and have fun for under $2000.

your going to have a rediculously comfortable time out in thailand for that money. you could have a wicked time on half that easily. if your drinking lots, go to a seven 11 and buy a bottle of sang som whiskey it will keep ya going for ages and it costs about $7 for a big bottle. mash up!

i once went to thailand with £100 and stayed there for two weeks but that was bare minimum living. its very very cheap but take lots in case.

dont forget that when you exit thailand they charge you airport tax, its like 700baht i think.

RenzoMSP · 04-12-2007, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzingtalk

your going to have a rediculously comfortable time out in thailand for that money. you could have a wicked time on half that easily. if your drinking lots, go to a seven 11 and buy a bottle of sang som whiskey it will keep ya going for ages and it costs about $7 for a big bottle. mash up!

i once went to thailand with £100 and stayed there for two weeks but that was bare minimum living. its very very cheap but take lots in case.

dont forget that when you exit thailand they charge you airport tax, its like 700baht i think.

Awesome! I dont consider myself a big drinker (more of a social drinker), so im not worried about spending that much on booze. The most expensive things will be the flights with in Thailand, but even that is cheap. I found flights on airasia and nokair for around $40-50 one way. Last year I went to europe for 3 weeks and spent around $2500, so I know it will be cream cheese in Thailand.

**buzzingtalk** · 04-12-2007, 01:09 PM

if your travelling within thailand its even cheaper to get a coach some times. get an over night one and save on hostel costs for the night

gazz · 04-15-2007, 05:04 PM

hey

can go as cheap as you want to over there,i was there for two months last year and averaged 1000baht a day and that was drinkin many many changs which are like 20baht at the 711 normally paid 1-200 for acommadation you just gotta look around a bit

**buzzingtalk** · 04-21-2007, 10:17 AM

good thing about thailand is that it is very cheap and there is a lot to look at. lots of places to stay, lots of way to travel etc

youll have no problems on a tight budget - especially if your not a heavy drinker. food is lovely and cheap (im only veggie thou so cant comment on meat and fish but theres a lot of it) clothes and bits and bobs are cheap too should you need anything...

the people are lovely - dont be put off by the husle and bustle of bangkok - at first i was overwhelmed but i got to know some locals and if i was in their position i would be trying to entice every westerner to buy something

thailand is called the land of smiles - youll understand once you get out there (bangkok airport is a shithole though. dont be scared by it!!!)

**LiveFreeorDie** · 04-21-2007, 10:45 AM

^I thought the new airport was very nice (but poorly managed).....are you talking about Don Muang?

By far the most expensive thing in Thailand is drinking out at the bars. If you stay under control in that regard, you can live very cheaply. The street food is very good and very cheap, as are the smaller mom and pop restaurants.

As for Bangkok, Taxis are quite reasonable (the meter starts at 40 baht and a half hour taxi ride to go half across the city might run 100 baht or so), and the subway and sky train are very inexpensive for getting around certain parts of the city. Other areas of Thailand, such as the islands, you may opt to rent a motorbike, or take the motorbike taxis. Regular taxis and tuk-tuks are a bit pricier outside of bangkok if you are in a touristy area. As an example, tuk-tuks in Phuket charge a flate rate of 150 baht in the day and 200 baht at night for a short trip in-town. Motorbike taxis charge 30 baht flat rate for anywhere around town.

Also, be aware that while international flights fly into the new airport,
Suvarnabhumi (pronounced something to the effect of Soo-wanna-poom), many of the domestic flights, such as Nok Air, still fly out of Don Muang airport. Make sure you check on where your flights fly from.

Good luck!

missbrandyleebell · 04-21-2007, 07:53 PM

thanks so much you guys! all your input really helps alot.... does anyone have photos or specific tips?? Anything at all will help!

Up2Eleven · 06-06-2007, 08:05 PM

One thing to keep in mind is that the average exchange rate is about 40 baht to $1USD. The easy way for me to remember was thinking of every 100 baht as $2.50, ore very 200 baht as $5. Easier to add in the head that way because a calculator interrupts the flow of haggling, and let them know you just got there.

When you arrive in Bangkok, ignore the guys in the airport trying to get you into a taxi. They are a ripoff. Walk outside and hail your own cab and ask them to use the meter. Specifically ask them and don't get in if they try to get out of it. Just find another taxi. If you have the option of taxi vs. tuk tuk, opt for the taxi. Tuk tuks tend to rip you off more often and are known for several scams.

Don't be afraid of the street food. If you see locals gathered around a stall, that's generally a good sign. You'll have amazing food this way and sometimes some nice conversations with local Thais.

You should get by on less than 1000 baht per day pretty easily for room, food and drinks, even if you drink a lot.

Also, travelfish.org is a goldmine of great info and has traveler's reviews of accommodations. Helped me immensely.

Keep scouring this and other forums for more info.

I highly suggest getting out of Bangkok ASAP and going up to Chiang Mai. I stayed at the Julie Guesthouse and wanted to stay forever. It was so much more laid back and less chaotic than Bangkok. The night market is amazing, the tours and treks are wonderful, cooking classes are very nice, and the whole feel of it is just all around better. Internet is everywhere, cheap laundry, cheap and amazing food (especially if you like spicy!), cheap massages. I liked to get foot massages a lot due to bad circulation, and found that I had to go to a few before I found a really good place. Some of them tend to be really lackluster. And yes, these are "normal" massage places, not "happy ending" places.

One more word of advice: the buckets will mess you up. A bucket is a drink where they give you a small toy bucket with ice, cheap whiskey, coke, and Red Bull. Tastes nasty but after a couple you don't care. Often shared as a communal drink with several straws. You can always just have your own, though, if you feel safer.

Hope this helps!

Up2Eleven · 06-06-2007, 08:08 PM

In that first paragraph, I meant to say that the calculator tells them you're a novice. Don't actually tell them you just got there!

**buzzingtalk** · 06-06-2007, 09:56 PM

even cheaper than cabbing it from the airport (either one) to town is getting on a local bus, i did this a few years back from the old airport (thats the one thats really nasty, i last went in 2005 will look forward to a nicer new one next time) i cant rememeber what buses go where but there 3 or 4 that go into bangkok, different areas. exit the airport and cross over, the bus station is somewhere along there. even cheaper is the train, into humphalong (cant spell it) station a good hub if you dont know where your staying in bangkok. these options cost you next to nothing and give yuo a good sense of direction as you enter bangkok.

also consider using trains and buses to get around, the trains in thailand are wicked, theres flash ones heading south to malaysia and old skool rickety ones heading to cambodia. they are dirt cheap, more environmentally freindly and take a much more scenic route than a plane

Up2Eleven · 06-06-2007, 11:30 PM

buzzingtalk is correct about the bus being cheaper, and I would have taken it myself. Problem is that flights from the US west coast often land around midnight when there are no buses available. So, you can hang around for 6 hours or so, or find another way. It's definitely a better option back to the airport than a taxi or tuk tuk.

**buzzingtalk** · 06-07-2007, 01:57 AM

what a crap time for a flight to arrive. i never fly in to asia via thailand always kuala lumpur and the time of arrivals is reasonable. remember they bump the fare up after 12.00
the train will not be running then (i dont think) so late, looks like a late arrival will have to be a taxi

flag one down yourself, or by it from the cheap token place opposite the sliding doors to exit the airport. mine cost around 250BAHT 2 years ago. dont pay more than 300 - barter, and if your not sure, flag down another taxi

**raysen** · 06-19-2007, 12:56 PM

Sorry to post jump but Have just read all of this and planning on going to thailand as part of our trip next year and it has got me very excited and has made me feel very comfortable about the transports and locals :D

**LiveFreeorDie** · 06-20-2007, 06:38 AM

^If you have any spcific questions, feel free to post them or ask. I am sure you you will have a great trip.

slcblade · 07-04-2007, 10:55 PM

that sounds about right. Enjoy!

blue crush · 08-01-2007, 07:14 PM

I'm planning to go to Thailand too. This is a very helpful thread indeed. My aunt went to Bangkok last May and according to her, she only spent $400+ for a 3-day and 2-nights stay. She didn't drink much while she was there as she came with her family. Only went sightseeing and stuff...

**Esterina** · 08-02-2007, 09:56 AM

^^^Did you mean $40 for 3 days ?