Thailand on a Ramen Noodle Budget
Thailand is not called “The Land of Smiles” for nothing. In this article, I will be very brief and straight to the point about how you can travel through Thailand and see those smiles for yourself while not breaking the bank.
Cost of Plane Tickets
First, let’s start with how much it will cost to initially get to Thailand because this will be the most expensive purchase out of the entire trip. As of right now, you can purchase a round-trip ticket to Thailand for around 750 to 800 dollars. Of course, this will vary depending on where you live and what airport you choose. That is a pretty good number considering the last time I paid about 1100. I use Google flights to purchase my tickets. I also like to use Kiwi and Sky Scanner to keep my options open.
An excellent way to get free flights is to open credit cards with big bonuses and point incentives. You can personally contact me if you want more information on this topic. I would be happy to teach you how to make this travel hack work.
Cost of Housing
Thailand is a super cheap place to sleep!
The cheapest way to sleep in Thailand would definitely be to stay in hostels. A bed in a dorm can sometimes run you as low as 3 dollars a night. Of course, you can always scale up if you like, but on average, for a nice bed that includes breakfast in the morning, it would cost 8 to 12 dollars.
There are also super cheap condos to rent through Airbnb and Facebook groups. Facebook groups are the way to go if you try to go the most affordable route. You can find condos in the middle of the city that could cost you 15 to 20 dollars a night. Condos are especially lovely if you are trying to cook meals for yourself and have a bit more time to spend in Thailand.
Cost of Food
AAAAAHHHHH!!!! The food in Thailand <3 I love Thai food so much! However, the best thing is how much it costs with how much quality you get! It is cheaper for you to eat at street vendors every day rather than buy food to cook at home. And don’t worry, vegetarians, there are so many veggie options for us out there! My favorite restaurant in my neighborhood was called Srifaa’s, and I always got the Thai Holy Basil and Thai Tea which cost me only 1 dollar.
There are lots of bars and nightlife as well in the cities. Beer will cost you about 3 dollars for a tall bottle which is a bit pricey when you can buy the same bottle for about one dollar in a 711.
Cost of Travel in Thailand
There are a few ways to travel around while you’re in Thailand on a very cheap budget.
- Train If you need to travel long distances throughout Thailand, going by train is the cheapest way. You can get a sleeper train with bunk beds for about 25 dollars. You can also go ramen noodle budget and get a seat for about three dollars.
- Grab Grab is another super cheap way to travel around a city in Thailand. It is the equivalent of Uber. Compared to the United States, it is crazy cheap. When I lived in Chiang Mai, I could call Grab and ride from one side of the city to the other for around 3 dollars. Also, depending on traffic but that was about the going rate.
- Motorbike Another fun and cheap way to get around in Thailand is by motorbike. It will cost you about 7 dollars to rent for a whole day. You can also get weekly and monthly rates that scale way down in price. It is a bit intimidating if it is your first time coming from a country that drives on the right side of the road. You now have to have an international driver’s license to drive in Thailand, but no worries, you can easily purchase this at your local AAA for about 20 dollars.
Conclusion
As you have read in this article, Thailand is very affordable with high quality of life. It does check all of the boxes! I think this is the overall best place to visit if you’re on a super tight budget and want to get away and relax. Oh, and I didn’t mention the 3 dollar massages! Yes, you read that correctly 3 DOLLAR MASSAGES!
Anything from sitting on the beach to hanging out on a rooftop bar in the big city, Thailand does have it all! If you would like to contact me personally about anything and everything Thailand, feel free to reach me on Facebook at The Pursuit of Everwhere.
