Budget Thailand: Is Thailand cheap?
If you are planning a trip to Thailand and wondering about the cost, the first thing you need to know is that the budget for your Thailand trip needs to be personalised depending on the type of vacation you want.
Essentially, travelling to Thailand can cost as much or as little as you are willing to spend. To cut costs, you can stay in $3 USD rooms, or to pamper yourself you can luxuriate in $1,000 USD resorts; enjoy street food for cheap or splash out in gourmet restaurants.
Depending on whether you’re heading to Thailand for a weekend getaway, long spiritual trip, shopping trip, a luxury vacation or just backpacking: the budget can vary significantly!
We’ve compiled some budgeting advice to help you make the most of your trip to Thailand.
How to plan your trip to Thailand cost?
- What is a reasonable budget for your trip to Thailand?
- Thailand hotel prices
- Thailand food prices
- Price of alcohol and nightlife in Thailand
Thailand trip cost: What is a reasonable budget?
Understanding price ranges for your trip to Thailand is a good place to start – are you planning a low budget, mid-range, or top-end budget vacation?
Low budget (between $35 to $49 a day) – For cheap Thailand holidays
This price range will get you a basic guesthouse room or shared dorm with a shared bathroom, street food, couple of drinks, few local tours, and public transport around town. Around $35 a day is the perfect budget for a backpacker. However, you may need to forgo any trips to the nightclubs and fancy bars or ensure you pre-drink at the guesthouse or dorm.
But visiting Thailand is an experience and if you’re spending more time on the islands where things tend to be more expensive, we recommend budgeting towards the higher end or even upwards of $40 a day.
Mid-range budget ($50 – $150 per day) – For comfortable Thailand holidays
On a mid-range budget, you would be able to experience a lot more of what Thailand has to offer, including multiple destinations, splurge on a few delicious seafood dinners and fancy meals, take in more tours and activities, and upgrade your hotel experience.
High-end budget (over $150 per day) – For luxurious Thailand holidays
If you’re looking to stay in expensive resorts, eat mostly Western food, drink a lot, do a lot of tours, and fly a lot, you should consider spending around $150–200 per day. With that kind of budget in Thailand, the sky’s the limit!
Here’s a more detailed breakdown to give you a better sense of what you will need to spend on your next visit to the land of smiles.
READ MORE: What is the best time to go to Thailand?
How to budget for Thailand hotel prices
Now, let us look at hotel costs in Thailand. Just like most countries, hotel prices in Thailand also depend on the location that you are looking at.
It is easy to find high-quality accommodation for less than 1,000 Baht ($30 USD) a night in Bangkok or Chiang Mai, but once you head to popular tourist islands like Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and Koh Tao, finding decent cheap accommodation gets difficult due to higher demand.
To avoid disappointment and skyrocketing prices you should book your accommodation ahead of time in more popular areas, especially during peak times such as the July/August and December/January periods.
A pro-tip is to avoid large Western hotel chains and stay in local, independently owned places to help you save money. It will also give you a more local experience that you often miss when staying in international hotels.
To help you make a better informed decision, we have put together a simple cost structure that highlights what you can get based on your rough budget.
It is important to remember that these costs do vary depending on which city you travel to and whether or not it is peak period, but should be a very easy-to-follow guide to allow you a good idea of how much you should put aside for accommodation on your next Thailand trip.
READ MORE: What to pack for a trip to Thailand?
What to know about Thailand food prices
Food is generally extremely affordable in Thailand. Street food and open-air restaurants will always be cheaper than eating at your hotel or at a Western restaurant.
For example, a basic meal of pad thai noodles with chicken or tofu can be found at street carts and from simple restaurants for 30 to 40 Baht (around $1), especially outside of tourist areas.
Other delicious must-tries such as Thai curry can be enjoyed for 60 – 90 Baht (around $2-$3), and sometimes for as little as an additional 20 Baht (less than a dollar), you get some freshly cooked rice. The average cost of a basic Thai meal in a restaurant is 90 – 150 Baht (approximately $3-$5), but seafood can cost more.
However, as you explore more into Thai cuisine or experiment with the fusion dishes or fine dining options, it can exponentially increase the amount of money you should budget.
A pro-tip when it comes to food, is to make the most of the street food in Thailand, as it is delicious, cooked fresh every day and often quite a nutritious and adventurous cuisine.
Just like with the hotels, to help you set your budget for your trip and ensure you still get to experience all that the amazing Thai cuisine has to offer, we have put together a rough budget guide.
READ MORE: Thailand food – Exploring the flavoursome tastes of Thai cuisine
Price of alcohol and nightlife in Thailand
Your trip to Thailand can get a lot more expensive if you make the most of all the exciting nightlife opportunities.
If you’ve come to Thailand to party, make sure you have room for it in your budget! While not all night outs and parties need to involve alcohol, chances are you may like to indulge once in a while, so be prepared to spend some of your hard earned cash for an unforgettable night out.
You can buy beer and cigarettes at cheap prices from any convenience store. In bars, alcohol will cost a bit more. Small bottled beers are around 70 Baht ($2.20) and spirits are around the same price. Cocktails are made strong, and can usually be bought for 100 Baht ($3.20) per glass or around 450 Baht ($14.40) for a bucket which serves four.
Bars and clubs don’t usually charge for entry in Thailand, but if you want to attend events like the Full Moon or Half Moon party, add another $25 to your budget for a ticket.
Again, prices will vary depending on where you go – pavement bars are generally cheaper, but if you go to fancier places like the Bangkok Millennium Hilton, you should be ready to pay as much as 300 Baht ($9.60) a cocktail.
Here’s another pro-tip, do the same thing as you would back home – have pre-drinks in your room just to get the party started early and avoid paying the hefty markup at the bars or clubs. You’ll still be able to dance the night away, while staying in control of the budget.
To help you better budget your night out, we have put together this rough guide.
| Budget (US$) per night | Type of night out | What to expect |
| 5-15 | Roadside beers and backpacker bars | Grabbing dollar beers while seated roadside might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for some of us. So, give it a try in Thailand and have a fun-packed night filled with alcohol, lively conversation and loud techno music at a small backpacker bar or even right in the middle of a busy sidewalk. |
| 16-35 | Bars and local clubs | Want to get inside and experience a more traditional bar or pub experience, well this might be the right budget for you then. Grab a few beers, some wine or spirits, on a fun-filled night out with your friends. |
| 36-75 | Rooftop bars, cocktails and a night club | If you want something a little more upscale, then try any of Thailand’s rooftop bars. Grab a cocktail and get an unmatched view of the city (whichever one you happen to be in). You can even fit in a night at the club with dancing and a few drinks with this budget. |
| 76-500 | Bottle service at a fancy night club | If you want that rap star lifestyle, this might be your chance to do that without having to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars. For this budget, you can easily get a couple of bottles at a nice night club and a booth. Though the more you buy and more upscale the club, your budget for the night will definitely be closer to the higher-end than the lower. |
READ MORE: A guide to Thailand nightlife – How to make the best of your time in Thailand after dark
Overall, it is recommended to customise a budget for a trip to Thailand based on your preferences. Before your trip, think about the places you want to explore.
Chiang Mai, Pai, Chiang Rai, and other northern cities will tend to be very cheap, with costs increasing as you head south, especially to the islands. Other factors to consider are the time of year you’re visiting, the type of food you’d like to eat, and how many tours and excursions you’re hoping to take part in.
We hope our budget guide will help you make an informed decision for your next Thailand trip.
Don’t miss out on our Ultimate Thailand Travel Guide for tips on
everything you need to know when planning your trip to Thailand
so you can make the most of your time in the Land of Smiles!
