Neil Aronson Updated December 2023
Are you looking to travel Thailand in 2024? And perhaps on a budget? Find out from people who have traveled dozens of times to Chiang Mai, and now live there, how to do it well for little cost. We will advise you on how to travel Thailand for very little money, but still do lots, eat well, and stay at nice hotels.
How many place can you travel internationally and travel really well for less than $100 a day? I have traveled all over the world, and the answer is not many.
Just this past November 2023, my wife and I traveled in and around Chiang Mai city for a month. We have a house an hour away from the city, but I wanted to explore to update all the local places. I can honestly say I spent exactly $1,000 for an entire month, not including hotels. That’s only a little over $30 a day with all meals out, activities everyday, and bars just about every night.
So I know $100 a day can be done easily with a nice hotel. We stayed at greats hotels about half of the month, which I recommend below.
For the purposes of this article we are only talking about in-country costs. Not flights and travel insurance.
I feel like I am sort of an expert. That is because whenever I travel I try to get the best deals for hotels and other parts of travel. Even though Thailand is relatively cheap, I am still making my decisions all day on how much something costs. For me it is sort of fun making your money go further.
Visit amazing waterfalls like this one for just a few dollars.
Oh, and if you are like me and always want the best airfare you can get then check this out. Sign up for Going (formally Scotts Cheap Flights), and get access for low cost flights. Going is an email subscription service that sends out flight deals for international and domestic (U.S.) destinations. It has free and paid options, and the service claims that most of the deals it sends out are 40% to 90% off average prices.
Why Visit & Travel Thailand?
Is this travel Thailand article, we are focusing on costs. But of course there are so many reasons to visit Thailand. The culture and people are amazing. The outdoor activities are endless. The historical attractions such as the thousands of temples, are like no other. Of course the food and social life is one of a kind. The list goes on. For more, read our article Ultimate Guide To Chiang Mai.
In this article we will focus on how to travel our home area of Chiang Mai. However, you can travel Thailand all over the country for less than $100 a day. That includes Bangkok and the tourist Islands of Koh Samet or Koh Samui. And I don’t just mean sharing bathrooms at a hostel, although you can do that and spend even less. But how to travel Thailand staying at good hotels in good areas. And being able to go out and do activities.
A lot of friends in Thailand and travelers I know would actually say spending $100 a day to travel Thailand too much. So I will break it down so you and your partner can have a somewhat glamorous stay.
For the purposes of this article we are only talking about in country costs. Not including flights and travel insurance.
Southeast Asia has a real grip on me. From the very first time I went there, it was a fulfillment of my childhood fantasies of the way travel should be.
Anthony Bourdain
Typical Costs To Travel Thailand
Figuring how to travel Thailand without spending your life savings is easy compared to a lot of other vacation spots around the world. That is because a lot of the best things to do are very inexpensive or even free.
Visiting the incredible temples are mostly free, just a small donation should be made. Hiking the trails, or walking the cool side streets is a free activity. Visiting museums and even National Parks is relatively cheap.
Perhaps you are able to travel Thailand during a holiday and festival time like Songkran or Loy Krathong (above). If that is the case, then you will be treated to a once in a lifetime experience for no extra cost.
Here are some typical costs of everyday items in Thailand. The exchange rate is usually a little over 30 baht for 1 US$.
Food and nightlife costs are a big factor in how to travel. If you are someone that like local Thai food, then you will will be treated to great food at inexpensive prices. Even in the touristy areas of Chiang Mai, local a meal at a local sit down restaurant is only around 85 baht (less than $3).
There are so many great Thai food restaurants in the city. At Aroy Dee on Moon Muang near Tha Phae Gate, noodles with crab, are 90 baht or less. Of course you can get Pad Thai.
Same for Number 9 restaurant just a block away, pictured below. Where else in the world can you get this deal! Noodles with pork and crab, yum.
Here are some typical costs, updated for visits December 2023.
| Item | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Local Meal | 85 Baht (each meal) |
| Western Meal | 180-350 Baht |
| Local Beer (7-11) / Restaurant | 45 Baht / 80 Baht |
| Bottle Water .5 litter | 25 Baht |
| Smoothie | 90 Baht |
| Cappuccino | 45 Baht |
| Tuk Tuk Ride / Bus Ride | 150 Baht / 40 Baht |
| Massage | 180 Baht |
| Museum/ Botanical Gardens | 60-150 Baht |
| Temples | Free (Should Donate) |
| Cooking Class | 800 Baht |
| White Water Rafting | 2400 Baht |
| Night Out At Local Bars | 600 Baht |
| Hotel 3-4 star | 1400 Baht/night |
So I have to admit I love the pizza around Chiang Mai, among other types of food like Japanese. These cost more, but if you mix half local with half more touristy places, your within budget.
Since we are focusing on how to travel Thailand on a budget, then you need to make sure you also get the best exchange rates. We use Wise for transferring money, the Wise Card for paying to things. Wise gives you the most bang for your buck. Learn more from our article: The Best Ways To Pay For Everything While Traveling Abroad.
Areas To Stay In Chiang Mai
Like any city, some areas are more expensive than others. However, in Chiang Mai that is not really the case. There are great hotels and hostels in all the neighborhoods. That said, when figuring out how to travel Thailand, where you stay will have to impact on pricing of all your other daily costs.
Most all areas including the middle of the Old City are still local enough that there are lots of great places that are well within our budget. Even though it is a tourist area, you can still get great meals for only a few bucks, and nice hotels for $40-$50 a night.
Inside the Old City (Walled City), there are a lot of restaurant choices. Also many of the top tourist attractions, such as popular temples and museums, which are free of little costs to visit.
Also, an advantage of staying in the Old City is also that you can walk to most attractions, activities, restaurants and bars. This means you don’t need to spend much getting around.
In the area known as Nimman, you will find yourself paying more for going out to bars and restaurants. Located northwest, just outside the Old City, this area caters to trendy shops and restaurants. A lot of westerners, digital nomads, young professionals live in this area. This organically drives up pricing. Typical costs for food and nightlife are double from the Old City.
A couple other areas that tend to have a little higher costs are right around the Tha Phae Gate, and across the Ping River. The area called Riverside, like Nimman, is populated by young professional and western types, looking for contemporary and trendy places.
One of my favorite areas outside the city is Mae Rim. Less than an hour north of Chiang Mai city, and up in the mountains with endless activities. There are excellent boutique hotels, with in our budget, such as Pak Ram pictured below. I just stayed there recently for about $55.
Recommended Bargain Hotels
When figuring out how to travel Thailand on a budget, booking a hotel is the biggest challenge. Obviously you want to get the nicest one possible. You want to be able to walk to attractions, restaurants, bars, entertainment.
In most cities being ideally located at a great price for an excellent hotel is next to impossible. Not in Thailand, and particularly not in Chiang Mai.
My wife and I have a house about an hour east of Chiang Mai, out in Chom Thong. Often we come to Chiang Mai city for a few nights of fun. Inevitably we end up at one of a handful on hotels in or next to the Old City, for reasons already mentioned. So we have experienced these many times.
Check and see if breakfast is included, most of the time it is, and that will help with the budget.
MD Boutique – Old City, recently stayed here and was excellent. Located on Ratvithi Rd, which is central to a lot of things. Close to Zoe In Yellow if you like to party. And great coffee shops all around. Very nice rooms, parking, and the staff was so friendly when we were recently there.
Somwang Boutque House – Old City – Also recently stayed here and was excellent. Friendly staff and walk to everything. Huge rooms.
Eurena Boutique Hotel – Old City, we just stayed here 4 nights. It is recently remodeled and nice. The locations is my favorite area. They charged a deposit for your room key, which was ridiculous.
Smile Robotist Hostel This would be your budget dorm style backpackers spot with shared bathroom. Great location to walk everywhere.
Sri-Pak Guesthouse is in my favorite area, which is the northeast corner of the old city on Moon Muang Soi 7 by Eurana Hotel. Walk to alleys of great restaurants, coffee shops and temples.
The Eight Ratvithi House is a family owned guesthouse on a great alley (Ratvithi Rd Lane 1) that has access to everything by foot. There is also a fantastic coffee house next door called Mountain Coffee. During Covid they remodeled and expanded.
Yindee Stylish Guesthouse is practically right across from The Eight mentioned above. This guesthouse is down a small alley also on Ratvithi Rd Lane 1. Hidden in a quiet alley with friendly staff. The rooms a fairly basic, and has several nice outdoor spaces to hang out.
Changpuak Budget hotel north of the walled city by a few blocks with a nice pool.
Hostel Lullaby Located in a perfect location in the city center. Walk to everything. Free bikes and classes including cooking and yoga. There are lots of communal spaces to hang out, both indoors and out as well. It’s right in the middle of the Old City so it’s super easy to get around from here.
Mad Monkey Chiang Mai is super lively, with lots of things happening every night, from bar crawls to drinking games. Making this a great spring break location. It is more expensive than other hostels. You get a free drink on arrival, which really sets the tone for the hostel. It’s super easy to meet people here. There’s a saltwater pool as well as a bar and restaurant on site as well as lots of common spaces, including a gym and yoga space.
Pak Ram Hotel – Mae Rim (Outside City in the Mountains). Get a private villa for the cost of a bargain hotel. Just stayed here, outstanding.
Maesa Greenary Hill Hotel – Mae Rim (Outside City in the Mountains)
This is just a small list of places we have stayed at and know are good. But there are many more, and depending on your dates, you might get a resort type place within budget. Two of my favorites is Bodhi Serene or POR Tha Phae Gate. Check, you might get lucky. I have booked them for $40, including breakfast.
Things To Do Within Budget
As we try to figure out how to travel Thailand for $700 a week, we need to consider what activities we can do. Well pretty much everything. If you save a little on a couple of days, then you could do a more expensive activity on other days. We will take a look at these.
A lot of the fun things to do around town are very cheap. Walking around seeing the sights including temples is free. Museums and other cultural sights are around 60 Baht. Visiting a national park as a tourist is 100 baht.
If your looking to do something like a cooking class or white water rafting, which I highly recommend both, there are many tour companies in town. Often you can negotiate the price, especially for tour company thing like rafting or an elephant farm.
Viator is also a great source to book activities. They have a huge selection, which they use local companies.
For a full lists of things to do, read our articles:
Best Half Day Activities To Do In Chiang Mai
13 Popular Nightlife Activities
Sample Cost Breakdown
Sample Day Costs for couple (@ $1 = 34 Baht)
| Item | Cost $ | Cost Baht |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel (incl breakfast) | 36.76 | 1250 |
| 4 Meals | 16.17 | 550 |
| Beverages & Snacks | 7.64 | 260 |
| Transportation | 5.88 | 200 |
| Totals | $66.45 | 2260 |
| Optional: | ||
| Activity / Shopping | 23.52 | 800 |
| Alcohol | 12.35 | 420 |
| Totals | $102.32 | 3480 |
Ok I am off by a couple bucks. But you get the idea. If you took a couple days off from doing any pay activities, then you could do a more expensive one another day.
Now that we have shown how to travel Thailand on a budget, and without missing out on anything, the next thing to do is book it. Let us know if you have any more questions, we are happy to answer them.
Again, looking for bargain fares, check out Going (formally Scotts Cheap Flights), and get access for low cost flights.
These are the travel companies we use to book our trips. Using these links helps support these free articles. Thanks you for your support.
