Base cost of traveling Thailand
With so many posts complaining about rising prices in Thailand's popular resort destinations, some of you may start having doubts as to how much it costs to travel across Thailand. To provide a basis for comparison, I am sharing the stats on my 60-day sojourn through eastern and northeastern Thailand to provide a basis for the cost of travel in the country. Average expenditures in one Laotian province (Xayaboury) are also included for comparison.
Yellow pins are overnight stays, while green pins are daytrip destinations.
Number of Thai provinces visited: 12 + Bangkok
Number of hotels patronized: 21 (58 nights)
Number of hostels patronized: 1 (2 nights)
Number of daytrip destinations: 15
Distance traveled by train: 2500 km
Distance traveled by bus or car: Basically zero
Average number of food vendors patronized per day: 8
Tap water in Thailand frequently tastes bad, so I recommend using the water machines. Some dispense a stingy 500 mL per baht, but most dispense 1-1.5 liters.
30-100 baht per gram is standard pricing for cannabis in provincial Thailand. Unless you are a very heavy smoker, it will cost you less to get stoned all afternoon than to drink one bottle of Chang a day.
Greater variety of food on offer in Thailand has kept my food expenditures consistently higher than in Laos, where impulse food purchases are less common.
Train travel is one of the highlights of exploring Thailand, yet the majority of the country is not accessible by train. You can expect to spend more per ride when you take road transport.
Remember, you can make a booking while sitting in the hotel lobby if the last-minute Agoda reservation price is cheaper than the walk-in rate. Novice travelers always want to book in advance for peace of mind; with experience you will increasingly gravitate toward the properties which do not take reservations. A hotel search on Google Maps will show such properties as little red dots with no price tag for any date selection.
Room rates at a bare-bones yet respectable hotel in Udon Thani
To enjoy Thailand on a small budget, attune yourself to the rhythms and habits of daily life around you. Liberate yourself to linger at any place along your chosen route where you feel welcomed and appreciated. Sixty days will go by in a flash!