Budget Travel in Thailand: The ultimate and A-Z guide

Things to know about Thailand before you travel:

 • Visa and other requirements

• When to go – there are two seasons: 1) dry season, 2) wet season. Budget travelers should choose the wet season because it costs almost half as much as the dry season.

• Plan the trip at least six months in advance.

• Be flexible with flight bookings to minimize costs.

• Consider staying in hostels for lower costs and the opportunity to meet other travelers who can share transportation expenses for sightseeing.

 • Renting a scooter is a must for exploring the city and surrounding areas. • For food, try local and street food options. • Lastly, beware of scammers.

In this blog, I will provide detailed information on these topics and offer insights into costs. Let’s dive in…”

VISA:

While i came to Thailand, I didn’t know anything about visas. I boarded a plane and arrived here in Bangkok because I’m from USA and I can enter Thailand using something called a Visa exemption. This grants you 30 days here in Thailand without applying for a Visa. After 30 days were up, I left the country. Little did I know, I could have applied for a Visa extension for another 30 days. Before your 30 days expire, go to a local immigration office. You’ll need to bring

• Your passport
• A copy of your passport
• A passport photo,
• The completed application form
• and 1900 baht.

 But don’t worry, in Bangkok, you can get all of that done at the immigration office. However, you will have to bring your passport and the 1900 baht. You’ll submit the application, wait around for a couple of hours, and you’ll be able to stay for an additional 30 days here in Thailand. Just remember that immigration offices are closed on weekends and national holidays, so check the calendar ahead of time. It’s very important that you extend your Visa within that 30-day period before you leave the country. Otherwise, you will be overstaying your Visa here in Thailand, and you’ll be fined 500 baht per day that you overstay. Overstays are very bad and can cause you problems when you try to re-enter the country at a later date, and they can even get you banned from the country altogether. If you plan to stay longer, you can also apply for a single-entry tourist Visa or a multiple-entry tourist Visa. I go over these visas in detail in my video on visas here in Thailand. You can check the link in the description. It’s also very important that you check the stamp that you receive in your passport when you enter the country. Immigration officers sometimes put the wrong stamp in your passport. This actually happened to me the first time I came to Thailand. The officer put a 60-day stamp in my passport when I was only eligible for a 30-day stamp under the Visa exemption. I didn’t notice because I didn’t know anything about the visas at the time. When I went to leave the country, the immigration officer told me I had overstayed my Visa by about 20 days. It was a simple mistake, not my fault, right? And it cost me a few hundred dollars. You should always check the stamp when you enter the country.

When To Go:

The country Thailand has 2 seasons: the dry season, which lasts from November to around June, and the rainy season, which lasts from June until around November. The dry season is the tourist peak season. I arrived in the middle of the dry season, which was a mistake because Thailand also has a pollution season caused by crop burning, which occurs between December and March and affects northern Thailand particularly badly. Of course, I didn’t know any of this, and I traveled to the North, to Chiang Mai, in February; you could practically taste the smoke. It also gets pretty bad here in Bangkok.

My favorite time to travel is actually early in the rainy season, around June and July. There are fewer tourists, prices are lower, the weather is pleasant, air quality is good, and it actually doesn’t rain that much. You normally get a downpour in the early evening, and the rest of the time, it’s very nice.

When I first came to Thailand, my doctor advised me to get a long list of vaccinations. But the truth is that your risk level in large cities here in Thailand is actually very low. Expensive vaccines for much rarer infections like Japanese encephalitis are usually unnecessary. I’ve still not met anybody who had it.

Anti-malaria medications are another thing that your doctor might recommend for you to take. I met one guy who took them, and he was having hallucinatory dreams and ideations; he said this is a side effect of taking anti-malaria pills. Here in the built-up cities and tourist areas, malaria is actually quite rare. They’re much more likely to catch dengue fever. I’ve actually met more than a few people who’ve had dengue fever. Your best defense against dengue fever and any other mosquito-borne illness is a good bug spray, so you don’t need to pack bug spray and bring it with you; you can buy bug spray virtually anywhere.

Backpack:

In Thailand actually you don’t need to pack a lot of stuff at all it’s very very easy to find almost anything Here and you can normally Find it for cheaper than you will in your home country when I first came to Thailand I packed way Too Much stuff and it made it much harder for me to travel because budget airlines charge you extra for bringing More luggage this is a very hot climate and you should avoid bringing things like jeans or sweaters or any Heavy garments my recommendation is to pack a light clothes that will Drive very very quickly and make sure to pack a pair of light pants as you’ll need them to get into temples and religious sight and you’ll also need shirts to cover your shoulders.

Money management: ATMs

You’ll see lots of ATMs all over the country, and it’s very easy to withdraw money using a foreign ATM card here in Thailand. But just know that you’ll be paying pretty high fees for the privilege of doing it. ATM machines here in the country normally charge 220 baht per transaction, and your home bank may charge additional fees. If you need to use ATMs, you’re better off making a few large withdrawals rather than a lot of small ones. If the ATM machine asks you if you want to do a currency conversion, always select ‘no conversion’; the conversion will always be more expensive. And you want to avoid the ATM fees altogether.

You can go into a bank branch with your bank card and your passport, but you might need to try a few banks before you find a teller who knows what you’re talking about. Personally, I’d recommend you try Krungsri Bank; they seem to have the best track record.

But the cheapest way to get Thai baht, which is the currency of Thailand, is actually to bring cash directly with you from your home country and exchange it here in Thailand. You can bring up to $20,000 without declaring it at customs. The best place to exchange it for Thai baht is a place called SuperRich; they have the best rates here in Thailand and no additional fees. And because you probably don’t want to be carrying around $20,000 in cash, you can also get SuperRich debit cards.

Transportation:

It’s really easy to travel here in Thailand. There are lots of sleeper buses and an excellent train and rail network, but it can often be cheaper to fly, as long as you’re not carrying a lot of extra luggage, which is why you should travel lightly.

One of my favorite ways to travel is to hire a car from one of the ride-sharing apps, Bolt and Grab. These are the Ubers of Thailand; they’re very inexpensive, especially if you’re sharing the ride with a couple of friends. I personally prefer Bolt because it is a little bit cheaper. You can travel from Bangkok to Pattaya for only 1200 baht. Despite taxi’s being inexpensive, most travelers make mistakes with taxis and taxi drivers. Taxis are quite cheap here in Thailand, but you’ll also encounter a lot of problematic drivers. They often can’t speak English and won’t understand your directions, or they refuse to turn on the meter and overcharge tourists. Sometimes they engage in outright scams and hustles. For that reason, I recommend using Bolt and Grab over taxis whenever you can. You can even order it using an app called “Move Me” to get the famous tuk-tuk experience without all the scams and hassles.

When you’re traveling in Thailand, a scooter will definitely make your life easier. They are very inexpensive and normally cost only about 200-500 baht per day. Just make sure to document any damages by taking photos of the bike before you take it out. There are a few scams where shops will try to charge you for pre-existing damages. Personally, I’ve never had a problem dealing with scooter shops. You can rent one without an international license, but if you don’t have an international license, the insurance will not cover you. Always wear a helmet; it will help protect your head and engagement with the police, as it is very common for police to pull over tourists that don’t have a helmet. You may end up paying some cash to get out of that. If you’ve never ridden a scooter before, don’t let your first time be in a city like Bangkok, where you have very chaotic traffic. Thailand has one of the highest road death rates in the world, and this is almost all with scooters.

Hotels:

When I’m traveling, I normally use Booking.com or similar hotel booking websites. They offer great discounts, especially in the off-season, but their reviews are often inaccurate. Thailand has very strict defamation laws, making it easy to get sued for negative reviews on websites like Booking.com. Therefore, it’s advisable to rely on Google reviews instead.

Recently, my parents visited me here in Thailand, and we booked a supposedly family-friendly hotel based on reviews from a booking website. However, upon arrival, we realized that the rooms were located next to the biggest club on the island, with loud music and yelling throughout the night. After checking Google reviews, I found a much more accurate representation of the hotel’s quality and atmosphere.

Before booking a hotel, I recommend checking Google reviews. As for Airbnb, short-term rentals under 30 days are illegal in Thailand without a hotel license, leading to issues for Airbnb guests, especially in condos. Many condos have policies against Airbnb and display signs stating its illegality. A friend of mine booked an Airbnb a few months ago and was instructed to sneak through the parking lot to avoid being seen by security, which doesn’t sound like an ideal holiday experience.

Your Airbnb experience will greatly depend on the condo’s policies and whether it explicitly prohibits Airbnb. Make sure to read reviews closely to avoid booking into an anti-Airbnb condo.

Foods:

Thailand boasts a renowned food culture, cherished by travelers worldwide. For budget-conscious travelers, there are two main dining options to savor. Firstly, indulging in street food is a must, often costing as little as $1 per meal. Secondly, dining in restaurants can also be economical, with prices ranging from $1 to $3. Locals frequently opt for outdoor dining due to its convenience and affordability. Therefore, wherever your travels take you in Thailand, rest assured that delicious and budget-friendly food options abound.

Drinks (Alcohol):

Don’t drink too much when you are in budget. Use 7-Eleven for some beer because bars are expensive.

One thing that surprises tourists is that you can’t buy alcohol between 2 PM and 5 PM. Shops like 7-Eleven will simply block off the alcohol sections, but you can still have a drink at a bar or a restaurant. They banned alcohol sales at this time because this is when schools are let out, and they don’t want kids drinking. Shops like 7-Eleven that are in proximity to schools are also banned from selling alcohol at any time. Alcohol sales are also banned on Buddhist holidays, as well as election dates. So, if you’re planning a night out, make sure to check the calendar

Entertainment:

Entertainment adds a vibrant flavor to your week-long adventure in Thailand, with an estimated daily cost of $15.70. This budget includes admission fees to museums and attractions, expenses for sightseeing tours, day trips, and indulging in the nightlife scene. However, keep in mind that these costs may fluctuate depending on your travel preferences and the destinations you choose

BUDGET: the most important things you want to know!

How much money will you spend? Thailand has great options for every budget. You can stay in a great hostel for as little as a few dollars a night, find budget hotel rooms for $5 to $10 a night. Then, jump up to mid-range hotels for $30 to $50 a night, or go full luxury and spend hundreds of dollars. The same is true for your food options. You can eat locally and find great small restaurants and food vendors in mall food courts and spend $1 to $2 per meal. Alternatively, you can eat more Western food at $5 to $10 per meal, and you can spend hundreds of dollars per meal. It also depends on where you choose to travel and spend the most time. The South of Thailand is significantly more expensive than the North of Thailand, so the more time you spend traveling around all those beautiful islands, the more money you’ll spend. When I was traveling, I spent between $50 and $60 per day, and I would recommend a minimum budget for backpacker-style traveling of $20 to $30 a day.

Thai culture: You should know about it

For that reason, it’s important to get out of the very touristy areas of Thailand and experience some of the real local Thai culture. Many tourists come to a city like Bangkok and stay in areas like Khao San Road or Sukhumvit for their entire trip. These are actually the tourist ghettos. Spend some time in local Thai areas; you’ll find Thai culture is actually one of the warmest, friendliest, and most welcoming cultures. But you won’t find any scams; it’s a totally different experience, a totally different culture. It’s very important to respect Thai culture and religion when you’re here in the country. For example, you’ll find small houses on every corner, and normally there’s a red fence sitting on it. These are actually Thai spirit and deity houses. A couple of years ago, one tourist seemed to think that it was a table and decided to sit down and eat their fast food meals there. It ended up on Thai news. There’s always an oblivious traveler that shows up on social media doing something totally idiotic and disrespectful of the culture. Don’t be that tourist. Just means learning a little bit of Thai etiquette. First are the feet. It’s very important to avoid pointing at things with your feet as the feet are considered the lowest part of the body in Thai Buddhist culture. It’s also inappropriate to put your feet up on things like chairs, and you should even avoid pointing your feet at Buddha statues; that can disrespect the heads. You should also avoid touching people’s heads; the head is considered the highest part of the body. The last one to remember is to avoid taking selfies with Buddha statues or images as this is considered disrespectful

SCAMS!!!

This is the most visited city in the world, and with that title, you do get plenty of scams. There is one rule that you can follow to avoid 90% of the scams: when you’re in varied tourist areas, don’t stop and talk to any overly friendly strangers. When I first arrived in Thailand, I wasn’t used to people stopping and talking to me on the street all the time. I’m from the USA, where we don’t even have people on the street. I thought maybe it’s just the friendly culture, and I stopped to talk to everyone. Now, I walk straight past anybody who starts talking to me on the street in a tourist area, and you should too. Don’t let the scams ruin your trip; this is simply something that you encounter in every major tourist city in the world, and it is not indicative of the actual Thai culture.

there are lots of island and have many places which i visit. maybe next blog i will review those places if you like

So, this is all my experiences about Thailand. I wish you will not fall into trouble like my first time here. Best of luck and enjoy your Budget Venture.