Budget Planning

Table of Contents

Is Thailand Affordable To Visit?

You don’t have to spend a fortune when traveling in Thailand. It’s one of the most cheapest destinations you can visit. With affordable hotel choices and cheap street food, planning a budget-friendly vacation to Thailand should not be hard. This will be great news for those of us with limited funds for our Thailand travel adventure.

If you prefer to have a luxurious trip, or more affordable approach to travel, rest assured that Thailand can be explored on a budget. The cost of your trip solely depends on how you want your trip to look like. I have personally experienced the amazing country of Thailand while spending as little as 800-900 THB ($25 USD/day), and it was truly an incredible experience!

What's The Cost When Travelling In Thailand

The cost of traveling to Thailand will depend on your location and the activities you choose to do. Some locations are more expensive than others, while some areas are very cheap. To provide you with an average of prices in Thailand, I’ve created this basic table of prices. It will give you an idea of what it will probably cost you for one day. The prices include, accommodation, and food and transportation.

Average Prices For 1 Day In Thailand

Budget
Prices
Explanation
Low Budget
1,250 Baht / 34$
This budget for one day is definitely possible If you pick Hostels for accommodations and avoiding restaruants and eating mostly street food
Medium Budget
2,500 Baht / 70$
It is suitable for those who want to sleep in privacy in a hotel, occasionally enjoy delicious meals in restaurants and street food, and still have some money to buy souvenirs at night markets, etc.
High Budget
7,500 Baht / 205$
For those who want a luxury vacation, stay at five-star resorts and dine at expensive restaurants and travel with taxis around the city.

Average Prices For Basic Needs:

  • Inexpensive Street Food: 1$-2$ or 50-100 Baht
  • Beer in bars: 2$-3$ or 100-125 Baht 
  • Beer In 7-Eleven: 40 Baht or 1$
  • Cappuccino: 2$ Or 70 Baht
  • Hostels: 4$-10$ or 150-360 Baht
  • Hotels: 11$-82$ 400-3000 Baht
  • Water: 0.25$ – 0.5$ or 10-20 Baht
  • Taxi Start:  1$ or 35 Baht 
  • Taxi 1KM:  1.2$ or 40 Baht
  • Motorbike Rent 1 Day: 4$-8$ 150-300 Baht
  • Gasoline: 40 Baht 1.1$

Day Tours Prices In Thailand

Organized trips are typically more expensive than individual trips, but they provide a level of comfort and peace of mind that is derived from the planning of a travel schedule by a travel professional.

The typical price for a scheduled package of tours in Thailand is $85 per day not including the accommodations. While every trip is different due to the total cost, duration, number of destinations, and quality, this is the typical daily cost based on available guided tours.

What's The Cost Of Staying In Hostels

One of the most budget-friendly ways to explore Thailand is through the hostels & dormitories. They range from the most modern pod style to your typical wooden childhood bed and all other between. The prices for hostels range from 150-360 baht per night or 4$-10$

When I traveled through Thailand i’ve mostly stayed in  hostels, during my trip to several cities. The hostles are located everywhere in Thailand, however, it was also found in In general, the rooms were more expensive in the South and in Bangkok, but more popular.

Prices For Transportation

Getting around Thailand is extremely affordable if you take public transportation as a part of your budget. For travel within cities, I always advise people to seek out accommodations that allow them to walk to many of the important sites on their itinerary.

Of course, for large cities like Bangkok, this is not always possible. If you want to circumvent the line, I suggest using the BTS train in Bangkok or taking a Grab taxi. Unlike traditional taxiing, which can be quite expensive in the Bangkok traffic, Grab taxiing is similar to Uber. Having a specific cost per journey will guarantee that you understand exactly what will cost your trip.

The price of the BTS Fares on the Bangkok route is 15-55 THB ($0.50-2.00) based on the distance traveled. When you’re at the station, you can examine the graph based on the origin and destination to determine the expense of your trip.

For traveling between different cities in Thailand on a budget, I advise people to take advantage of trains and buses. Specifically, overnight buses and trains are beneficial options that allow you to reduce the cost of accommodations on the night. The slower you travel, the less expensive it is.

This is because you will have sufficient time to travel using slower methods of transportation, you will also be moving from one place to another at a slower rate. This will obviously be dependent on the amount of time you have available for the trip.