How Much Does a Trip to Thailand Cost?
Plan the Budget for Your Trip to Thailand
Are you planing to travel to Thailand and experience all the fun and excitement this wonderful country in Southeast Asia has to offer? The vibrant streets of Bangkok, relaxing pristine beaches, breathtaking scenery, tropical fruit galore, fun trip adventures, festivals and hospitaliy of Thai people are waiting on you! But there is a lingering thought about the budget.
- How much would such a trip to Thailand cost you?
Over the years, I spent many months in Thailand. Typically, I spend the whole January in Chiang Mai, a city in the north of Thailand, and then February and March on the Thai island Koh Phangan. However, due to various circumctances, this year – 2024, I spent one month in Thailand. Precisely, I went to Thailand mid March and stayed there until mid April. I stayed on the island Koh Phangan for the whole month.
In this blog post, as well as the acompanying video, you will find out how much money I spent exaclty on this month-long trip to Thailand. All the expense and price details that you will learn about in this blog post, will help you plan the budget for your trip. From accommodation and transportation to food and activities, here’s a breakdown of the expenses you can expect when visiting the Land of Smiles.
Please notice, that this blog post is based on my own travel preferences and lifestyle choices. Overall, the cost of a trip to Thailand can vary depending on your travel style, preferences, and itinerary. By planning ahead and budgeting wisely, you can enjoy an incredible experience in Thailand without breaking the bank.
Pack your bags, prepare your taste buds, and get ready for an unforgettable journey through the Land of Smiles!
Table of Content
- Video How Much Did I Pay to Spend a Month in Thailand?
- Thailand Visa Application Fee
- Flights to Thailand and Other Transportation Expenses
- Sun Protection Expenses
- Accommodation Expenses in Thailand
- Transportation Expenses in Thailand
- Food, Water, Laundry, Toilet Paper, etc. Expenses in Thailand
- The Cost of Food in Thailand
- Clothes Expenses in Thailand
- Trip to Thailand – Total Cost
- My Personal Experience with the Cost of Living in Thailand
- Conclusion: Travel to Thailand Affordably
Video 'How Much Did I Pay to Spend a Month in Thailand?'
Thailand Visa Application Fee
The first item on the travel bill is certainly the visa application fee. A tourist visa that allows you to stay in Thailand for 60 days, with the possibility of an extra payment to extend the visa for another 30 days while you are in Thailand, costs 75 EUR / 65 GBP / 81 USD (this was true in 2024 with my Serbian passport).
Find out whether you need a visa for Thailand, and if you do, how to get it HERE .
In the picture: An open passport with visa stamps
image by: ConvertKit@Unsplash
Flights to Thailand and Other Transportation Expenses
After having obtained my visa, booking transportation was the next step.
You can see a detailed explanation of how I booked all the travel services HERE.
Here is the breakdown of all the transportation services I booked to travel from my home country of Serbia to the Thai island Koh Phangan:
- Airport shuttle my hometown – Belgrade Airport = 4 EUR
- Return flight Belgrade – Bangkok – Belgrade = 840 EUR
- Taxi ride Suvarnabhumi – Don Muang Airport in Bangkok = 25 EUR
- Flight Don Muang, Bangkok – Surat Thani = 112 EUR
- Ferry ride Surat Thani – Koh Phangan = 18 EUR
- Ferry ride Koh Phangan – Surat Thani = 18 EUR
- Flight Surat Thani – Bangkok, directly to Suvarnabhumi Airport = 106 EUR
- Overweigt luggage fee = 53 EUR
- Airport shuttle airport – hometown = 5 EUR
TOTAL = 1,181 EUR
Sun Protection Expenses
Knowing that I would be exposed to the tropical sun for 30 days, I made sure that my skin was protected from UV radiation.
You can find out exactly which sun protection products I use and why HERE.
Here is the breakdown of my sun protection product expenses:
- Organic Sunscreen Oil = 16 EUR
- Aloa Vera Gel = 18 EUR
- Sun visor = 8 EUR
TOTAL = 42 EUR
In the picture: A breathtaking scenere of a setting Sun over the sea on the Thai island Koh Phangan
In the picture: Me relaxing in the sea on the Thai island Koh Phangan, while wearing a sun visor as the face protection against the UV radiation
Accommodation Expenses in Thailand
The next I booked was accommodation.
Please notice the following: Koh Phangan is an island that is more expensive than some other places in Thailand. For example, in the city of Chiang Mai, the prices of accommodation, transportation and food are 2 to 3 times lower than the prices of accommodation, transportation and food on the island of Phangan. Also, you should know that accommodation prices differ depending on the location on the island itself.
This year, I didn’t stay in my favorite location, as I had done in previous years, but rather in a location that is slightly more modest price-wise. If I had chosen that more popular location that I prefer, I would have paid at least twice as much for accommodation.
Here is the breakdown of my accommodation expenses:
- Bungalow – 30 days = 355 EUR
TOTAL = 355 EUR
In the picture: Me in front of the bungalow I rented for a month on the Thai island Koh Phangan
In the picture: Me inside the bungalow I rented for a month on the Thai island Koh Phangan
Transportation Expenses in Thailand
As for transportation, most people on the island ride motorbikes and scooters.
Since I still don’t know how to ride a motorcycle and a scooter (I know, I know, shame on me), and I honestly like riding bicycles, I used a bicycle as a means of transportation.
You can definitely get to many beautiful beaches by bike, but honestly… if you want the freedom to move around the island, and to go faster than on a bike, then you definitely need to rent a motorbike, or a scooter, or perhaps a car. Renting a motorcycle or scooter for a month costs around 100 EUR + the fuel expenses.
Here is the breakdown of my transportation expenses:
- Bicycle – 30 days = 60 EUR
TOTAL = 60 EUR
In the picture: Me in front of my bungalow, on the bicycle I rented for a month on the Thai island Koh Phangan
Food, Water, Laundry, Toilet Paper, etc. Expenses in Thailand
Under the daily expenses I include products and services like food, drinking water, laundry, toilet paper, etc.
Here is the breakdown of my daily expenses:
- On average per day = 9 EUR
TOTAL = 280 EUR
The Cost of Food in Thailand
Now you will get the picture of how much the food cost in Thailand. In this section, I can only give you the prices of fresh fruits and vegetables in Thailand, because I personally eat only these foods.
Please notice, food prices in Chiang Mai for example, are significantly lower than food prices on Koh Phangan. Also, keep in mind that the prices of fresh fruits and vegetables are different in different seasons of the year.
The currency of Thailand is the Thai baht, but I will show you the prices in EUR.
These are the prices of some fruits and vegetables in March and April 2024:
- One fresh coconut – between 75c and 1 EUR depending on the size
- Papaya – about 1.5 EUR per kg
With this price, I would spend somewhere around 2.5 EUR for my one meal of papaya. - Mango – about 1.2 EUR per kg
With this price, I would spend somewhere around 2 EUR for my one meal consisting of mangoes. - Dragon fruit – about 1.5 EUR per kg
With this price, I would spend about 2.2 EUR for my one meal consisting of dragon fruit. - Chempedak – about 2 EUR per kg
With this price, one whole cempedak costs between 4 and 8 EUR. Cempedak was expensive because it was only at the beginning of the season. But… if you ask me, a good cempedak is worth every penny! - A package of jackfruit – about 1.7 EUR
- Durian – between 4 and 6.2 EUR per kg, depending on the variety
- Pineapple – about 1.2 EUR per one whole pineapple
- Vegetables: 1 head of lettuce about 75c, a pack of about 10 small cucumbers about 75c, 1 sweet corn about 25c, a pack of about 10 tomatoes around 1.2 EUR, a pack of my favorite sunflower sprouts about 75c…
In the picture: Me next to a tabel filled with tropical fruits
Clothes Expenses in Thailand
I also bought some clothes, which of course were absolutely optional. And just to give you an idea of how much I spent on my new clothes, I’ll show you what I bought and how much I paid for each clothing item.
Here is the breakdown of my clothes expenses:
- Suspender pants = 4 EUR
- Workout set = 9 EUR
- Bikini = 13 EUR
- Lingerei = 7 EUR
- Beach set = 13 EUR
- Bag = 7 EUR
- Dress = 24 EUR
TOTAL = 77 EUR
Trip to Thailand - Total Cost
With all the breakdowns and detailed prices openly displayed above in this blog post, we have arrived to the final verdict of how much a trip to Thailand cost.
As I mentioned at the beginning, the total cost of a trip to Thailand, or anywhere for that matter, will vary from person to person, based on personal travel preferences and lifestyle habits.
Here is the breakdown of total expenses on my month-long trip to Thailand in 2024:
In the picture: A detailed breakdown of all expenses on a mont-long trip to Thailand in 2024.
My Personal Experience with the Cost of Living in Thailand
From my personal experience, the cost of living in Thailand varies between different locations. As I typically stay in Chiang Mai, and in Koh Phangan, I can speak for these two places.
Chiang Mai, a city in the north of Thailand, is quite affordable in terms of housing rent, bicycle rent, transportation, tourist activites, food, daily expenses like laundry, toilet paper, etc.
On the other hand, as it is a classical case with islands, most, if not all, life expenses are higher on islands. Understandably, since most products have to be imported, thus shipping fees have to be included in the prices.
Koh Phangan is quite a popular island, which in itself raises the prices of accommodation and various products and sevices.
Overall, Thailand is considred an affordable place to live. Certainly, it is definately worth of every investiment!
In the picture:
Me on a beach swing on the Thai island Koh Phangan, April 2024
Conclusion: Travel to Thailand Affordably
Now that you have seen all the detailed prices and realistic cost of living in Thailand, you can make your own conclusion about how much a trip to Thailand costs. Is it affordable, or is it pricy? Please, let me know what you think in the comments below this blog post.
I trust you will find a way to travel to Thailand efforlessly and affordably. Enjoy all the wonders that Land of Smile has to offer, while keeping your bank account happy.
I hope this article was useful to you. Thank you for stepping by on my website.
If you have any further comments or questions, please free to leave them in the comment section below. I will be happy to reply!
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