I decided to visit Thailand on my way from the UK to Australia. I was already planning on stopping in Asia to see my best friend in South Korea, so why not add on another new country? I’d dreamed of Thailand for years, and it did not disappoint! I was on a tight budget, as anything I spent in Thailand would mean less money for my upcoming adventures in Australia. Here’s a breakdown of all my travel costs to travel Thailand for two weeks in March 2023!

Thailand Budget Breakdown: About My Trip

To briefly summarize the trip, I flew from Seoul to Bangkok. I had a few days in the capital city before flying south to Krabi and Ao Nang. Then, I went to Khao Sok for a few days, and then to Koh Phi Phi for a few days. I had one day in Phuket before ending the trip in Bangkok airport, with a long layover day. I spent exactly 14 days in Thailand.

Originally, I was going to have about 2.5 weeks in Thailand. I planned on flying to Chiang Mai, and having a few days in the north of the country. Unfortunately, I got covid in South Korea – and had to self-isolate for seven days in Jeju, pushing back the date of my arrival in Thailand. I decided to scrap Chiang Mai, and so my final itinerary focused mainly on Bangkok and southern Thailand.

For this post, all my expenses are divided into five main categories: accommodation, food/drink, miscellaneous, sightseeing, and transportation. For days where I visited two cities in one day, that day counts as whichever city I spent the most amount of time in. I have listed how much money I spent in each city (which includes accommodation), my average daily cost in each city (which does not include accommodation), the most expensive day, and the cheapest day in that city. Costs are given in the local currency, which is Thai baht (THB), as well as pounds (GBP), and US dollars (USD).

This budget guide doesn’t include my flights to or from Thailand. I flew from Seoul to Bangkok, and Bangkok to Sydney – I included these costs as part of my flights to Australia. Seoul to Bangkok cost £141, and Bangkok to Sydney cost £186. I also didn’t include the cost travel insurance, as I have a year-long policy. My two weeks in Thailand would have cost approximately £31, based on the weekly cost. Additionally, I didn’t include the costs of my non-refundable internal flights to/from Chiang Mai. These were canceled because I got covid – but they only cost 3288 THB (£74 // $94) altogether, so it’s not a huge loss.

So with all that information out of the way, here’s how much I spent in Thailand over two weeks!

Bangkok Budget

Total spent over 4 days, including accommodation: 5015 THB (£112 // $143)

Total spent over 4 days, excluding accommodation: 3607 THB (£81 // $103)

Average daily cost (excluding accommodation): 902 THB (£20 // $26)

Most expensive day: 15 March, where I spent 1421 THB (£32 // $40)

Cheapest day: 14 March, where I spent 531 THB (£12 // $15)

Random Daily Budget Breakdown: 16 March

Croissant: 100 THB (£2.25 // $2.85)

Water: 15 THB (£0.35 // $0.45)

Temple: 100 THB (£2.25 // $2.85)

Temple: 100 THB (£2.25 // $2.85)

Snacks from 7-11: 90 THB (£2 // $2.55)

Beer: 100 THB (£2.25 // $2.85)

Beers (two): 180 THB (£4.05 // $5.10)

Dinner (including beer): 300 THB (£6.70 // $8.55)

I stayed at Here Hostel in Bangkok for three nights, in a 6-bed dorm. This was a great hostel, with a cafe/bar attached to the hostel, and an outdoor pool. The dorm room was small (not loads of storage space) but had air conditioning, lockers by each bed and privacy curtains, a reading light, and plugs.

Ao Nang Budget

Total spent over 2 days, including accommodation: 3730 THB (£83.50 // $106.15)

Total spent over 2 days, excluding accommodation: 2470 THB (£55.30 // $70.30)

Average daily cost (excluding accommodation): 1235 THB (£27.65 // $35.15)

Most expensive day: 18 March, where I spent 1404 THB (£31.45 // $40.00)

Cheapest day: 19 March, where I spent 1066 THB (£23.85 // $30.35)

Random Daily Budget Breakdown: 19 March

Transfer to Khao Sok (booked on 12GoAsia): 500 THB (£11.20 // $14.25)

Croissant: 26 THB (£0.60 // $0.75)

Return ticket to Railay Beach: 200 THB (£4.50 // $5.70)

Avocado toast: 150 THB (£3.35 // $4.25)

Mango smoothie: 50 THB (£1.10 // $1.40)

Roti: 50 THB (£1.10 // $1.40)

Snacks/water: 90 THB (£2 // $2.55)

I stayed at Tan Hostel x Café in Ao Nang for three nights, in a 6-bed dorm. I loved this hostel, the air conditioning worked great, and there was a reading light and plug for each bed, along with privacy curtains. There was also loads of storage space in the locker areas under each bed. It’s a great location, about a 10-minute walk to Ao Nang Beach.

Khao Sok Budget

Total spent over 3 days, including accommodation: 4972 THB (£111.50 // $141.65)

Total spent over 3 days, excluding accommodation: 4027 THB (£90.30 // $114.75)

Average daily cost (excluding accommodation): 1342 THB (£30.10 // $38.25)

Most expensive day: 20 March, where I spent 1962 THB (£44 // $55.90)

Cheapest day: 21 March, where I spent 460 THB (£10.30 // $13.10)

Random Daily Budget Breakdown: 21 March

Pastry: 20 THB (£0.45 // $0.55)

Banana pancake: 80 THB (£1.80 // $2.30)

Laundry: 40 THB (£0.90 // $1.15)

Snacks: 60 THB (£1.35 // $1.70)

Dinner: 160 THB (£3.60 // $4.55)

Cocktail: 100 THB (£2.25 // $2.85)

I stayed at Chillax Hostel in Khao Sok for three nights in an 8-bed dorm. The staff here were super helpful in booking my daytrip to the lake, finding me somewhere to do my laundry, and booking my transfer to Koh Phi Phi. There were no lockers or privacy curtains in the room – my first two nights I was with a group of 7 girls traveling together, which was a bit awkward as they weren’t super courteous towards me (or each other) – plus there was only one bathroom for all of us. I’d still definitely recommend this hostel though!

Koh Phi Phi Budget

Total spent over 3 days, including accommodation: 5786 THB (£129.70 // $164.85)

Total spent over 3 days, excluding accommodation: 4166 THB (£93.40 // $118.70)

Average daily cost (excluding accommodation): 1389 THB (£31.15 // $39.55)

Most expensive day: 24 March, where I spent 2394 THB (£53.65 // $68.20). This is a slight outlier, as I paid for both my sunrise trip to Maya Bay and my ferry to Phuket on the same day.

Cheapest day: 23 March, where I spent 384 THB (£8.60 // $10.95)

Random Daily Budget Breakdown: 24 March

Sunrise boat trip to Maya Bay (total costs): 1018 THB (£22.80 // $29)

Ferry to Phuket (booking in advance): 463 THB (£10.40 // $13.20)

Mango smoothie: 50 THB (£1.10 // $1.40)

Snacks from 7-11: 53 THB (£1.20 // $1.50)

Taxi (boat) from Long Beach: 100 THB (£2.25 // $2.85)

Dinner: 210 THB (£4.70 // $6)

Beer: 120 THB (£2.70 // $3.40)

Cocktail: 200 THB (£4.50 // $5.70)

Cocktail: 180 THB (£4.05 // $5.15)

I stayed at Voyageur’s Hostel in Koh Phi Phi for three nights in a 10-bed dorm. The room is pretty basic, but there are lockers for everyone and privacy curtains. There were two bathrooms (with a toilet and shower in each) and not loads of storage space for everyone’s bags. There isn’t a common room (the reception is just like a stall in the street), but it’s easy to meet people in the room and in the communal area outdoors. It’s one of the most affordable hostels in Koh Phi Phi that doesn’t have terrible reviews. It’s clean and the air conditioning works great! Because there’s only about 20 people staying here, I found it easy to make friends. I had a lot of fun with the people I met here, and I’d definitely recommend it!

Phuket Budget

Total spent over 1 day, including accommodation: 1617 THB (£36.25 // $46.05)

Total spent over 1 day, excluding accommodation: 1117 THB (£25.05 // $31.80)

Average daily cost: 1117 THB (£25.05 // $31.80)

Most expensive day: 26 March, where I spent 1117 THB (£25.05 // $31.80)

Cheapest day: 26 March, where I spent 1117 THB (£25.05 // $31.80)

Random Daily Budget Breakdown: 26 March

Snacks: 58 THB (£1.30 // $1.65)

Minibus transfer to hostel: 100 THB (£2.25 // $2.85)

Sunglasses: 100 THB (£2.25 // $2.85)

Mango smoothie: 50 THB (£1.10 // $1.40)

Snacks: 34 THB (£0.75 // $0.95)

Taxi to airport (booking in advance): 650 THB (£14.60 // $18.50)

Dinner: 125 THB (£2.80 // $3.55)

I stayed at Book a Bed Poshtel in Phuket for one night in a 4-bed dorm. The hostel is massive, with a shallow wading pool, kitchen, pool table, and lots of space for socializing. My dorm room was super clean, with huge beds with privacy curtains, reading lights, and plugs. The staff were really helpful in booking me a taxi to the airport super early the next morning.

Interesting Facts From My Trip

Most expensive day: 24 March, where I spent 2394 THB (£53.65 // $68.20). This was when I paid for both my sunrise trip to Maya Bay, and my ferry to Phuket. Besides that, my next most expensive day was 20 March, where I spent 1962 THB (£44 // $55.90). This is when I paid for my lake trip in Khao Sok.

Cheapest day: 23 March, where I spent 384 THB (£8.60 // $10.95). This was my transfer day from Khao Sok to Koh Phi Phi.

Average daily cost (14 days, including flights and accommodation): 1874 THB (£42.05 // $53.40)

Average daily cost (14 days, excluding flights and accommodation): 1230 THB (£27.60 // $35.05)

Most expensive accommodation: Voyageur’s Hostel in Koh Phi Phi where I paid 540 THB (£12.10 // $15.40) per night for a 10-bed dorm

Cheapest accommodation: Chillax Hostel in Khao Sok, where I paid 315 THB (£7.05 // $9) per night for an 8-bed dorm

Wondering how much money I spent in each category? Here is the specific cost for each category:

Accommodation: 5733 THB (£129 // $164)

Food/Drink: 7310 THB (£165 // $209)

Miscellaneous*: 2450 THB (£55 // $70)

Sightseeing: 3898 THB (£88 // $112)

Transportation: 6556 THB (£148 // $188)

*My miscellaneous costs included ATM fees, printing, a swimsuit coverup (I got horrendously sunburned haha), laundry, sunglasses, and my 14 days of luggage storage for my suitcase at Bangkok airport.

The Takeaway

Thailand is an AMAZING destination for budget travelers. Southeast Asia is a blissfully affordable region for travelers with pounds, euros, or dollars. Your money will go far here. I stayed in nice hostels (there were definitely cheaper ones with worse reviews!), ticked off major items on my bucket list (like Maya Bay), and ate out for almost every single meal. While many of my “meals” were snacks or takeaway treats from 7-11, none of my main meals in restaurants cost very much money. I treated myself to a mango smoothie most days, simply because I love mango smoothies and I could afford to!

My transportation costs were fairly reasonable, considering I paid more money to take internal domestic flights – rather than buses or trains, which take more time. I also moved around pretty quickly, taking flights, minibus transfers, or ferries every few days in between destinations. I didn’t include my flights to/from Bangkok, but these were pretty cheap as I flew with budget airline Air Asia.

One thing to be prepared for if you visit Thailand is ATM fees. Thailand is very much a cash-only country, and it was rare that you could pay with card for things in restaurants or shops. Some hostels required payment by cash – they didn’t accept card at all. Most places that did accept card allowed card payments with a 3% surcharge. You need to get cash out, and (as far as I’m aware) every ATM in Thailand charges an ATM fee. Fees were pretty standard at 220 THB (£4.95 // $6.25) per transaction. I recommend getting out big chunks of cash, to avoid having to pay the ATM fees more than needed.

So how much money did I spend in Thailand? How much did my two weeks in Thailand cost me?!

GRAND TOTAL: 22,664 THB // £511 // $649

I’m a seasoned budget traveler – simply put, I’ve been doing this for over a decade. I know what I’m doing. I know how to cut costs, I know how to keep expenses low. I’ve also learned over the years what I want spend money on. I made sure every accommodation I booked had air conditioning in the room. As a solo traveler, I booked hostels that had good reviews about the social atmosphere (without being a party hostel – I’m too old for that lol). I also splurged on experiences like my lake trip in Khao Sok, and my sunrise trip to Maya Bay. I came to Thailand to eat, and so prioritized eating good food every day – not that it was very expensive!

There are so many resources online to help you find the best travel deals. I use Skyscanner to book my flights. For accommodation, I use Hostelworld and Booking.com. Booking.com has a rewards program, and I often checked hostel prices with my Genius discount on Booking.com versus the price on Hostelworld. If it was cheaper, I’d book the hostel with Booking.com. I have travel insurance on all my trips. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Thailand is an incredible destination for budget travelers. It’s easy to get around to the popular destinations, as there’s such a well-trodden backpacker trail here. While my trip focused mainly on the beaches and islands in the south, I’d absolutely love to go back and explore more of the country (especially the northern part!) on another trip. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly destination, where you’ll get excellent value for money, Thailand is one of the best in the world. I hope this post helps in planning and budgeting a trip to Thailand!

Have you visited Thailand before? What was your budget like?

You might also like my posts:

A Sunrise Trip to Maya Bay in Thailand

What to Do in Seoul: 5 Days in the South Korean Capital

What to See and Do on Jeju, South Korea

Visiting the DMZ in South Korea as a Daytrip From Seoul in 2023

How Much Does it Cost to Travel the Balkans for 2.5 Weeks?

How Much Does it Cost to Travel the Caucasus and Istanbul for 2.5 Weeks?

How Much Does it Cost to Spend 1 Week in Rome?

How Much Does it Cost to Travel Eastern Europe for 6 Weeks?

All of my budgeting and money posts!

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