Travelling in Thailand – How Much Will Your Trip Really Cost?

Thailand is an amazing country to visit. It really has it all! Beautiful beaches, breathtaking landscapes, wonderful people and rich culture. Thailand is not called the land of smiles without reason. Many backpackers will start their trips in Thailand with cheap flights into Bangkok and soon realise how cheap it is compared to the western world! I will go into detail through the post about different budgets and how much each individual aspect of your trip may cost. So how much is your backpacking trip to Thailand really going to cost?

So How Much Will Your Trip to Thailand Really Cost?

Accommodation In Thailand.

Accommodation can be one of your biggest costs, but it can also be super cheap while you are in Thailand! It all really depends on how you want to live and where you want to lay your head for the night. There are so many options for the budget-conscious traveller to the flashpacker!

Hostels In Thailand.

If your thinking about staying in hostels, which I would definitely recommend, then you are going to save a lot of money compared to staying in private rooms and hotels. You are going to make a lot of friends in hostels, especially if you are travelling solo and they are really budget-friendly. People always seem to worry about safety in hostels but it’s really nothing to really think about, they are great and super safe!

Now let’s get into how much you can expect to be paying for your room in a shared dorm and also the private rooms if you want to treat yourself to some extra privacy.

Hostel dorm rooms In Thailand.

You can expect to pay as little as €2 for a bed in a hostel dorm, although it’s probably not going to be pretty. I have stayed in these ultra-budget rooms and you will be hard pushed to get A/C for this price and it will probably pretty bad. However, there are pretty good hostels for this price or slightly more!

Make sure to read up on the reviews first though! For around €4-5 you will be able to find a nice hostel dorm bed with A/C, which for me and probably you, is vital in the tropical climate. These hostels will provide you (generally) with free breakfast which will also save you money during the day. I recommend staying in a mid-price range hostel as you know you will be comfortable and for most western backpackers the extra €2 really isn’t going to break the bank. Hostel dorms are so good for solo travellers as well. If you are not sure if solo travel is for you read my post on it here!

Private rooms in hostels In Thailand.

Private rooms in hostels can be a good option for those who still want to be in the hostel environment but want a little more privacy. You can expect to pay anywhere from €10-€20 for a private double room. Obviously the more pricey generally the nicer it will be. Most private rooms will have A/C and if they don’t make sure they have a good working fan! You can still mingle with other hostel guests in the common areas whilst in a private room. Also if you are in a pair travelling, or meet someone whilst travelling it can be the same price or cheaper to share a private room. Read my guide on solo vs group travel here!

• Low-range budget hostels – As low as €2 a night – No air conditioning, probably no breakfast and you probably won’t be very comfortable.
• Mid-range budget hostels – Usually around €4-5 a night – Air-conditioned, usually free breakfast and water during the day, comfortable beds, my personal recommendation.
• Upper-range hostels – From around €9 a night upwards – A/C, Free breakfast, possibly a popular party hostel, offer extra facilities like a pool, plush beds, maybe lacking in atmosphere compared to the previous category!
• Private rooms within hostels – Expect to pay around €10-€20 a night for a private double room – You will still be in the hostel environment, free breakfast (check first) A/C, the service won’t be the same as in a hotel, extra privacy, can work out about the same price as two beds in a dorm if you are sharing the room!

Hotels and Guesthouses In Thailand.

If you decide hostels aren’t for you or wish to mix between hostels and hotels then you will be pleased to know that hotels and guesthouses are also pretty cheap in Thailand. Although considerably more expensive than hostel dorms and slightly more than private rooms in hostels, hotels are still incredibly cheap compared to the west. You can expect to pay anywhere from €15-40 for a decent hotel room, with the lower prices being further outside of the city centre. If in Bangkok this isn’t a major issue as travel around Bangkok is made very easy with the public transport links. But generally, hotels in the centre will be more expensive. Once again if your room has A/C you will be paying more.

If you are travelling solo I really recommend you stay in a hostel dorm just to see what it’s all about. It’s going to be really difficult to meet people if you spend all your time staying in hotel rooms. Just bear in mind the accommodation you choose can really affect how much your Thailand trip can cost. Here are some of the prices you can expect to pay.

• €10-15 – A room with a bed, fan and a bathroom where the hot water may or may not work. Usually, you can find semi-decent hotels at around the €13 mark but any lower than this and don’t expect much!
• €15-25 – A room with a bed, air-conditioning a nice bathroom with complimentary toiletries (sometimes) and a change of sheets daily. These are going to be the mid-market hotels, they will be conformable but fairly basic but you will have air-con at this price range.
• €25-50 – An upmarket hotel. Comfortable beds, nice interior design, possibly a porter to carry your bags to the room. A little bit of luxury to treat yourself to if you’ve been slumming it in hostels!
• €50+ – I wouldn’t know because I’ve never stayed in them! Here you will find the luxurious Bangkok hotels. Sure if your budget allows you to treat yourself it’s going to be cheaper than staying in a swanky hotel in London. But remember your money can go a long way in Thailand, maybe better to spend it on an experience than a bed!

Food In Thailand.

One of the best things about travelling in Thailand is the food! It’s absolutely delicious and can be super cheap. Whether you’re looking to try all the street food, or maybe you want to have a €100 steak there is really everything you could ask for in Thailand. Most backpackers stick to the street food, as do I, people are worried about eating food someones prepared on the side of the road but in my opinion, it’s often better than in the restaurants.

Thailand is world-renowned for its delicious street food, and the best thing, it’s ridiculously cheap! You can literally have a meal and a drink all for the grand price of €1.50, and it’s going to be good food…like really good! There are so many different dishes to try and none of them are expensive. You can stick to restaurants if you are scared of the street food but, in my opinion, unless you are going to a high-end restaurant, the quality is usually worse.

This is just a theory but when you see a street cart selling food their kitchen is on full display. You can see if the ingredients are fresh and how they are cooking. In a cheap restaurant, the kitchen is hidden and I’ve had some questionable meals from these places. Sometimes I couldn’t identify the meat I was eating!

Anyway we are here to talk about how much your Thailand trip will cost. So let’s get into it!

Street food In Thailand. ฿40-80 Baht (€1-€2 Euros) For one dish.

Eating street food is one of the best ways to save money on your trip to Thailand. And it’s absolutely delicious! There is so much variety you will not even know what to pick. I basically lived off of street food when I was travelling in Thailand and not just because it was cheap, it’s just so good!

Street food carts are so quintessential to Thailand and you will see them everywhere. They look like they’ve been there for an eternity usually covered in rust with a buckled wheel, but the food that is prepared on these old carts is amazing. You can experience the local culture and cuisine just by frequenting these carts in every region of Thailand you visit, and have a delicious meal too. They may look scary to eat from but please give these carts a chance, you won’t be disappointed!

The prices listed in the the title are an average, they can be more and even sometimes less!

Restaurants In Thailand. ฿80-240 Baht (€2.20-€6.50) For one dish.

Restaurants are also going to be cheap, assuming you go to the right places. The food served in restaurants will almost always be more expensive than street food. But can be as delicious. The benefits of eating at a restaurant are that you have a full menu to choose from whereas a street food cart will more than likely be selling one dish. You will also have table service, oh and a table which sometimes food carts don’t offer!

I always prefer eating street food but it can be nice to have a sit-down meal at a restaurant now and again. Restaurants can be very cheap in Thailand but also they do have the more expensive “dining experience” options as well. A personal tip is to stay away from western food. It will be overpriced and will never meet your expectations, stick to the local cuisine in restaurants. I know this because inevitably it happens to everyone, you will crave western food at some point. So if you do want a pizza or burger look at online reviews and find a good place. Preferably dedicated to whatever food your craving with a western chef! Seriously western food in Thai restaurants is usually pretty bad!

The prices in the title are average, the lower end being small independent Thai restaurants and the higher end being more upmarket restaurants and also western chains like McDonald’s and KFC. Just to make you aware high-end restaurants will be more expensive than the average listed above.

Drinking In Thailand.

As a typical Brit, I like to know the prices of a beer before I go on holiday somewhere. Luckily for me, the beer in Thailand is cheap and good! I don’t want to go into too much detail about drinking as it’s not a massive topic so ill just give you the average prices and how much to expect to pay in different establishments. So how much will drinking on your trip to Thailand cost?

Local stores/ 7/11.

For those of you who don’t know, 7/11 is an American convenience store chain that is all over Thailand. You can find everything you need at the 7/11 including ice-cold beers, local Thai spirits and also western brands. The price of a beer in local stores is generally around ฿50 (€1.30) for a 500ml bottle of Chang or Leo (local Thai beers) which isn’t a massive amount cheaper than what you would pay in a local restaurant or bar. Although it is cheaper. You can also buy local Thai spirits really cheaply ฿250-300 (€6.50-8) for a bottle of Sangsom (Rum) or Hong Thong (Whiskey). Just be prepared for a bad hangover! Water is extremely cheap around ฿7-14 (€0.20-€0.40) for 1.5 litres, the water from the tap in Thailand is NOT drinkable. You will become ill if you drink tap water!

Restaurants In Thailand.

The prices for drinks in restaurants only slightly increase to that in convenience stores. Expect to pay around ฿80 for a large beer and around ฿20 for a small bottle of water (500ml). When you consider how much restaurants in the west charge for beverages it’s really not even a cost you should be worried about in Thailand. Soft drinks will also be around ฿40 so nothing you drink is going to break the bank!

Bars, Pubs and Clubs In Thailand.

Obviously, the prices are going to be higher in Bars, Pubs and Clubs. But not as high as you may think. Pubs are bars are generally cheaper than nightclubs in Thailand and to be honest, generally have a better atmosphere. You can expect to pay ฿80-150 for an alcoholic drink in a pub or bar whereas in a club expect to be paying ฿150+. There is also a trend in Thailand and the rest of Asia where some clubs give you a table and you buy a bottle of alcohol on arrival. Usually, these bottles will start at around ฿700 with some mixers but the prices vary from place to place and are dependent on which bottle you want.

Personally, I don’t really like Thai nightclubs, the music is the same in most places you go, I can’t tell you the genre but it’s not my cup of tea. But they can be a cool place to meet people and cut some shapes! In essence, you won’t ever be paying extortionate prices for drinks in Thailand. That is unless, unfortunately, you find yourself a scam bar… But these places are usually seedy and you’ll feel something isn’t right.

Transportation In Thailand.

There are so many ways of getting around in Thailand, I actually have a dedicated post on Transport in Bangkok you can read, a lot of the information is also applicable to the whole country. Once again, as you probably guessed, transport is super cheap in Thailand. There as so many ways of getting around as you can see in the post linked above. But I will go through them again here, as well as some of the transport not mentioned in the post!

Taxis In Thailand. ฿57 Baht (€1.50) for a 5 km journey.

Taxis are a cheap way of getting around in Thailand as long as you get the driver to turn on the meter. Most taxis will try and charge you a fixed price but just say no and hail another taxi. Eventually, you will find someone who will take you to your destination for a fair price. Seriously just walk away if they will not turn on the meter for you. Or if needs must negotiate a fair price beforehand.

Tuk-Tuks. Starting at ฿80 (€2.20)

Tuk-tuks are what most people think of when they think of Thailand. But they are not the cheap method of transport everybody thinks they are! In actual fact, they are usually over double the price of the taxis. Tuk-tuks are more of a novelty than a cheap way of getting around in Thailand, and you will always need to negotiate a price.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying don’t use the iconic Thai Tuk-tuks. But just don’t think they are the cheapest way of getting around! Tuk-tuk drivers are often relying on tourists that want to try out the “Thai way” of getting around. When really most Thais would rather use taxis over tuk-tuks every day of the week! You do need to be aware of the scams used by tuk-tuk drivers as well, never agree to stop at shops, never get in a tuk-tuk someone has hailed for you and avoid parked tuk-tuks in busy tourist areas!

Songthaews. Starting at ฿20 (€0.50)

Songthaews are like a hop on hop off shared taxi. It’s usually some kind of truck or pick up truck that has been converted in order to carry passengers in the back. You can hail a songthaew and tell them where you need to go and they will quote you a price. Usually starting at ฿20 but increasing the further you want to go. Now, this is a method of transport Thai people use frequently and not many travellers take advantage of it. So jump on a songthaew and give it a go!

Moped/scooter hire In Thailand. ฿150-500 (€4-€13)

Now I’m absolutely shocking on a moped. I rented a lot of mopeds whilst in Thailand, but only actually drove once and it was a disaster! My Thai ex-girlfriend was the dedicated driver on my last trip to Thailand! I don’t want to seem boring, but the roads in Thailand are dangerous. So if you are planning to rent a moped make sure you’re wearing a helmet. I’d also recommend getting some riding experience before hiring one out!

That being said they are really a great way of getting out into the hard to reach areas of Thailand. If you rely solely on taxis you will be spending a fortune and to be honest, it’s just really fun whizzing around the Thai countryside on a moped!

I really recommend that you take photos or a video of the bike before renting it out, especially any damage on the bike. I was hit with a €40 bill after I took a bike back and the renter said I had scuffed the paintwork and snapped a piece of the plastic bodywork. Now I knew that this damage was already on the bike when we rented it, as I’m sure he did. But you have to leave your passport as a deposit at most rental companies. And to be honest it was annoying but after the arguments were not going anywhere I just paid for the damages. Begrudgingly. So yeah if you rent a bike take photos of any damage (or a video of the bike) so if this situation does happen you have proof!

Long Distance Buses In Thailand.

If your planning on travelling around Thailand your probably going to be taking some long-distance buses. These buses are generally pretty cheap, but generally not very comfortable. There are however “VIP” buses which usually have air-con and slightly more comfortable seats. I usually opt for the VIP buses purely for the slightly added comfort. I’m not going to lie to you, there isn’t much comfortable long-distance transport in Thailand that’s budget-friendly. But I think with the buses you get what you pay for. There are also sleeper busses available that have beds on board, they are also not great. I’m 6″1 and I don’t really fit in the beds so bear this in mind if you’re tall.

I have done some research and have found roughly how much a few long-distance journeys from Bangkok will cost you to give you an idea.

• Bangkok to the north (Chiang Mai) is around ฿400 (€10.50) for a 9 hour 700km journey.
• A bus from Bangkok to Pattaya is around ฿200 (€5) for a 2 hour 150km journey.
• Bangkok to the south (Phuket) is around ฿600 (€16.00) for a 12 hour 850km journey.

As you can see long distance busses are very affordable in Thailand.

Long Haul Trains In Thailand.

Now, I only took one train whilst in Thailand, from Bangkok to Surat Thani it cost me around ฿1000 for an air-conditioned sleeper carriage. They are really not that cheap compared to the busses and they are so slow! For me, it didn’t make sense to take the trains very often. However if doing a long haul overnight trip, I would definitely recommend a sleeper train over a sleeper bus. I was still a little bent up being 6″1 but not uncomfortably, besides I was used to beds being too small for me by then!

You should definitely consider taking the trains in Thailand. Just make sure it makes sense financially and that you don’t book the economy wooded seats!

Domestic Flights In Thailand.

Domestic flights around Thailand are cheap and a lot faster than busses and trains. You can find domestic flights around Thailand as cheap as €15 which is crazy cheap! However these prices will shoot up if you have baggage that you want to take on board, I have been looking at a few airlines Viet Jet charges around €20 for 20kg of checked luggage. Air Asia around €25 for 20kg and Thai Lion Air gives you 10kg for free! I’m actually surprised by how low these prices are. When I was in Thailand I didn’t take any domestic flights because I assumed my luggage would be expensive to check-in. Hindsight is a beautiful thing. Flights are obviously cheaper if booked in advance so if you know when you will be travelling book early! I have a full post that covers how you can save money on flights you can read.

Finally, Activities and Excursions In Thailand.

Now you probably will want to do some activities and go on some excursions whilst you are away. But how much will they cost on your trip to Thailand? Probably less than you would expect! I will go through a few things to see and do whilst in Thailand with prices and you should be able to get a good idea of how much to expect to pay for different activities.

Thai massage. ฿200-400 (€5-10) Per hour.

Now you’ve probably had or heard of Thai massage before. But it would be criminal to visit Thailand and not have an authentic Thai massage. You will find massage parlours literally everywhere and they are great! I was hesitant to go at first but eventually came to my senses and I was not disappointed. You will leave feeling like a new person. The prices are so low you just have to have a few massages whilst in Thailand. It’s a massive luxury to be able to access these services for such a low price, here in the UK the lowest you will find a Thai massage is around £40.

Go To A Muay Thai Fight! ฿400-1000 (€10-26)

Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) is traditional Thai martial arts. It consists of two fighters going full throttle at each other, and it’s much more brutal than regular boxing! The fighters are allowed to use their feet, shins, elbows, knees and fists to fight and grappling is well within the rules. These fights can get bloody so they are not for the faint-hearted. If you’re in Thailand you really should check out a fight night though, you won’t be disappointed! The prices listed above depend on the venue and the seats.

Diving In Thailand. ฿2500-฿20,000 (€65-€525)

Thailand is one of the cheapest places in the world to dive and also to earn your diving certifications! You have the opportunity to dive with manta rays and whale sharks in Thailand, and it doesn’t have to cost the earth. There are many great diving locations across the enormous Thai coastline so if you are interested in learning to dive you’re in the perfect place! The prices vary a lot from place to place but I have found that a 2-day dive course will set you back around ฿2500-3000 (€65-80) whereas an extensive dive course with full PADI certification will be around ฿20,000 (€525). But like I said this will be one of the cheapest places in the world to do it. Here’s a good guide to some of the best dive schools in Koh Tao.

General excursions in Thailand.

Now I don’t want to write about each and every activity there is to do in Thailand, but I hope the above activities and excursions will give you a rough idea of how much things will cost on your trip to Thailand. There are so many tour operators in each city/town in Thailand. They are all competing with each other for your custom which helps keeps prices low. Just shop around and you will find yourself a bargain. There are so many options like multi-stop tours, tours with food included, day trips, multi-day trips and more. There is really something for everyone and they are all relatively low cost!

Different Daily Budgets.

€20-30 A Day.

Now you can get by easily on this budget in Thailand. However, you will be scrimping a little bit! Air-con dorm rooms may not always be an option. You probably won’t be going out drinking very often. Restaurants are going to be a treat and you may struggle to go on some of the pricier excursions! But like I say very doable as long as you stay disciplined with your spending!

€30-50 A Day.

This is much more comfortable as a budget for Thailand. You will always be able to stay in air-conditioned rooms, with the option of a few private rooms if you wish. You’ll be able to eat at restaurants regularly and go on excursions now and again. You will still need to keep track of your spending but you will have a much easier time if you can afford to have this budget.

€50+ A Day

To be honest it’s not really necessary to spend this much on your Thailand trip. But if you wanna live the high life then go for it! You can stay in private rooms your whole trip, eat in restaurants every night and party whenever you want! If I had this budget I would definitely go for the mid-range option and extend my trip to be longer. Remember once the moneys gone, your trips over!

Here is my guide to saving money to travel!

In Summary.

I hope that this post has given you some idea of how much your trip to Thailand will cost! If you play the game right it can be really cheap. Probably less than your daily expenses are back home. I absolutely love Thailand it’s really an amazing country and you should definitely visit! Especially if you’re on a tight budget. Just get out there and have a great time!