Travel to Thailand: The Best Way to Budget

Dr. Theodore (Professor Bear) 6 min read

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Do you want to figure out how to travel to Thailand on a budget? 🧐 If you answer yes, you're in luck because there are many ways to travel around Thailand without spending too much money 💯 

As a tourist, you're always looking for the best ways to save money and travel in style 🎓 The good news is that Thailand is a perfect place for budget-minded travelers to visit because you'll find plenty of affordable activities, food, and entertainment 🧐 But the key is that you have to know where to look.

Now, let's explore more about how to travel to Thailand on a budget.

Quick Guide for Your Budget Trip to Thailand 

• Food: Eat street food
• Stay: Use hostels and/or double/triple rooms with friends 
• Use: Public transport 
• Travel: In cheap destinations and free cultural sites
• Limit: Alcohol consumption and Thai clubs
• Shop: In the weekend market
• Don't: Buy more kinds of stuff and travel to more islands

Thailand has a lot to offer to travelers, no matter their budget 💯 You have numerous alternatives to traveling on a budget to Thailand because it is an inexpensive country. It's hard to overspend instead on things that will blow your budget, such as alcohol, nightclubs, and trips to the islands 🧐 The best thing to save your budget is to plan your route correctly, which will save you time and money 🎓

Accordingly, this article will tell you how to travel to Thailand on a budget, what to avoid, how much things cost, tips to save your budget, and everything in between! 💯 So, make sure to continue your reading to see the best way to travel to Thailand on a budget 🎓

How to Travel to Thailand on a Budget?

Prices rapidly increase during the high or peak season from October to March. So, the best option is to travel to Thailand between April and September to save money on airfare, accommodations, transport, and even food 🧐 However, the low season is the rainy season. So, visit in September and October to avoid the heavy rain and the heat of April. Surprisingly, during this time, it's half the price of airfare 💯 Suppose you're paying for hotels and hostels on arrival. It is easier to bargain prices during the low season as many rooms will be empty around this time of the year 🎓

Food

Street food is the best way to eat on a budget 💯 Do you feel afraid of the word? No. Don't be afraid to eat street food in Thailand. It's safe and maybe even safer and cheaper than restaurant food. You will see many clean local street-side stalls and restaurants. If not, Thai people wouldn't work in the food stalls each day. Eating Western food will be poorly affected your budget 🧐

Accommodation

Overall, accommodations in Thailand are very cheap. Still, the north is far more affordable than Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok) and the southern islands 💯 You can find cheap guesthouses for as little as $9 per night in cities and $6 per night in the countryside. Another budget-free accommodation is using hostels. There are tons of choices to prepare to save a lot of money! 🧐

In Thailand, booking your accommodations online via websites is usually cheaper. The benefit of online booking is that many booking websites offer discounts for you 🧐 So, always book online if you can! You can bargain for a cheaper weekly rate when you hope to stay in one place for an extended period 🎓

Transportation

Local transportation in Thailand is very cheap if you use public buses, as they cost you very little. Overnight buses and trains can be much more affordable than day journeys and save money 💯 Trains are the cheapest way to travel long distances across Thailand, although they may take some time and offer less comfort than the others 🧐

And if you are taking a Tuk Tuk, negotiate a reasonable price with the drivers. You can rent a motorbike if it is much more fun than taking taxis and can save you a small budget 🎓

Shopping

If you hope to travel to Thailand on a budget, consider reducing your shopping cost 🧐 The local markets are the best place to find great product deals. You will surely enjoy it because you can’t beat the deals here. Make sure you decide how much you want to spend before entering because you could blow your budget 💯

 Quick Trivia! 

Despite being a magnet for tourists, Thailand can be very cheap to travel to during the low season. Thailand annually receives over 40 million visitors resulting in a boost to the economy, around 17% of total GDP.

Budget Tips When in Thailand

If you are looking to create a cheap travel plan for Thailand, here are some ideas 🧐

Bargain Hard for Reasonable Prices

When you use Thailand's markets, tuk-tuks, and shops, you will bargain hard 💯 Never take the first price; don't be afraid to bargain with sellers, but make sure for reasonable prices. Remember to bargain hard while being decent 🎓 In Thailand; you can mainly bargain for your goods and services as price levels differ from locals to foreigners. Then use your haggling techniques to down the prices to a reasonable limit 🧐

Plan your Destinations 

Thailand receives an enormous amount of tourists all year long 💯 All destinations are not the cheapest places to go. And just being able to see a new country, observe a different culture, and gain life experience in Thailand may be the most valuable part of traveling 🧐 Most importantly, it can be done on a very cheap budget.

So, the best tip to save money by traveling is to avoid touristy destinations. Enjoy beautiful destinations such as Koh Chang or Koh Lanta rather than the tourist hot spots of Phuket and Koh Samui to save money 🎓 Staying outside Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok) will get you better value hotels and hostels.

Control your Drinking

You can travel on a low budget by limiting the amount of alcohol you drink 💯 Because alcohol is quite expensive in Thailand. So, you can go for water if you want to save more 🎓

Thailand is the best country to travel to on a budget 💯 Suppose you manage your activities and costs properly. In that case, you will surely save more money, rather than stay in any other country you have traveled to 🧐

You can plan a budget journey to Thailand by staying at hostels and guesthouses, eating at budget-friendly establishments, using cheaper forms of transportation, avoiding unnecessary drinks, negotiating for goods, and a little discipline and determination 💯 Then you’ll come back from the Land of Smiles with a smile 🎓

🇹🇭 Vocabulary Time!

Bargain
A thing bought or offered for sale at a much lower price than is usual or expected

Budget
To approximate the amount of money you will earn and spend during a particular duration

Haggling
An act of negotiating or arguing over the terms of purchase, agreement, or contract

Negotiate
Obtain or bring about by discussion

Numerous
Great in number; many