Mae Hong Son, Thailand
Credit: Justin Landrum | ©Justin Landrum
If you are looking for the best bang for your traveling US buck, you have found your destination with Thailand. Food and sleeping accommodations are incredibly cheap and the sight-seeing is world class. Enjoy the favorable exchange rate while exploring ancient ruins, relaxing on dream island beaches, or hiking in the mountains. Thailand has got it all!
Formerly known as Siam, the Kingdom of Thailand resides in South East Asia and is bordered by Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. The southern tail of the country is surrounded by the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. Such a fortunate location enables travel to equally cheap neighboring countries and vast beach real-estate for relaxation.
The unavoidable expenses of a budget traveler, regardless of the budget, are food and lodging. Luckily enough, this is where Thailand shines its favorable face. Meals at street vendors and at food markets are always under 30 Baht ($1). Upgrade to a full service restaurant for only 65 to 200 Baht ($2-$6). Lodging accommodations at hostels and backpacker rests are also a great deal at 60 to 200 Baht per night ($2-$5). Upgrade to larger rooms at major hotels for 500 to 1000 Baht per night ($15-$30).
The sky is always the limit, especially in major cities like Bangkok, but wise and conservative spending can easily limit your costs to $5 per day. When you factor in local transportation, nightlife beverages, and other extras, expect to spend $10 per day.
With your wallet at ease, it's time to enjoy all the incredible sights and adventures Thailand has to offer.
Ruins of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai: Ayutthaya sits just 50 miles north of Bangkok and is the former capital of the Kingdom. Fantastic ruins sit in the middle of the modern town today. Sukhothai is further North and is home to the original capital of Siam. A national park holds the ruins of temples that survived over 20 Burmese invasions until the town was finally sacked.
Formerly known as Siam, the Kingdom of Thailand resides in South East Asia and is bordered by Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. The southern tail of the country is surrounded by the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. Such a fortunate location enables travel to equally cheap neighboring countries and vast beach real-estate for relaxation.
The unavoidable expenses of a budget traveler, regardless of the budget, are food and lodging. Luckily enough, this is where Thailand shines its favorable face. Meals at street vendors and at food markets are always under 30 Baht ($1). Upgrade to a full service restaurant for only 65 to 200 Baht ($2-$6). Lodging accommodations at hostels and backpacker rests are also a great deal at 60 to 200 Baht per night ($2-$5). Upgrade to larger rooms at major hotels for 500 to 1000 Baht per night ($15-$30).
The sky is always the limit, especially in major cities like Bangkok, but wise and conservative spending can easily limit your costs to $5 per day. When you factor in local transportation, nightlife beverages, and other extras, expect to spend $10 per day.
With your wallet at ease, it's time to enjoy all the incredible sights and adventures Thailand has to offer.
Ruins of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai: Ayutthaya sits just 50 miles north of Bangkok and is the former capital of the Kingdom. Fantastic ruins sit in the middle of the modern town today. Sukhothai is further North and is home to the original capital of Siam. A national park holds the ruins of temples that survived over 20 Burmese invasions until the town was finally sacked.
Comments
The example costs listed in this article are actual costs that I paid in Northern Thailand from Mid-November to Mid-December, 2007. I was not aware that costs have increased so much as of late, but even with the poor USD-Thai Baht exchange rate, Thailand is still great deal for backpackers. At least the north is - the south sounds more expensive. Neighboring SE Asian countries may be cheaper, but Thailand is still dirt cheap compared with other popular vacation spots (Europe, Australia, Japan, North Ameria). Regarding the hotel price, I stayed at a very nice hotel for one night Mae Hong Song (all the cheap places were booked the first night I was there) for 800 Baht. As far as visas are concerned, I have no knowledge of long-term policies. Short term 30-day stays, however, are no sweat - they are issued on the spot at the airport.
Actually you're incorrect. I live in Thailand and costs have gone up almost 30% in the last 6 months. Plus the very bad exchange rate with the US dollar and the Thai baht have affected it even more. And NO you cannot stay at 'major hotels' for between 500 to 1,00 baht a night - any decent major hotel is now at least 2,000 baht a night. Thailand is NOT the cheap place it was. A lot of backpackers are moving on to Vietnam and Cambodia instead - Thailand is expensive and the Thai government is NOT friendly to backpackers at the moment, making it difficult to get long-term travel visas etc.
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