How much money do I need for a Thailand trip?

How much money should you have to travel to Thailand?

Thailand... hmm. How much dosh? Okay, budget travel: $20-$30 daily... that's like, street food only.

Mid-range, though, $50-$100. Big difference, right? ฿600-฿900 vs. ฿1,500-฿3,000.

I'd probably aim for the mid-range. I need air con and decent coffee, I'm not gonna lie. Is it worth it?

• Budget: $20-$30 (฿600-฿900)
• Mid-range: $50-$100 (฿1,500-฿3,000)

Okay, food alone, if I eat Pad Thai every day, that’s ฿50. But I want mango sticky rice! That's extra.

Accommodation, hostels are cheap. Maybe $10 a night? But a nice hotel... ah, that's where the $50-$100 comes in. Plus, like, elephant sanctuaries, right? Those cost money.

It all depends on your style, I'm telling you. I'll prefer nicer food, and a fancy place!

My trip last year in Phuket, spent way more than expected. Transport is also a big factor.

• Food costs vary hugely.
• Activities (elephants, temples, cooking classes)
• Internal transport (tuk-tuks add up!)

฿ = Thai Baht. Important to know the exchange rate. It changes.

$50 a day MINIMUM. That's my rule.

Do I need to take cash to Thailand?

Do I need cash? Thailand... that trip. Twenty thousand Baht. Yeah, I remember reading about that. Seems like forever ago now.

Maybe.

The cash requirement... it's a funny thing. Legal thing, supposedly. Visa-exempt entries, tourist visas, all that jazz. Immigration, ugh.

• Purpose: They want to know you won't be a burden.
• Amount: 20,000 Baht
• Enforcement: Hit or miss, really.
• Status: For 2024. Still a thing.

It's supposed to prove you can take care of yourself, you know? Pay your way. Like anyone actually carries that much cash anymore. My grandmother's coin purse had more! Sigh.

Maybe they'll ask, maybe they won't. It's the not knowing that gets to you. Brings back that knot in my stomach, I always get that. Worry. Always.

Guess I'd better hit up the ATM. For Thailand. For peace of mind. Even if it just gathers dust in my wallet. Doesn't matter. Does it?

Is Vietnam or Thailand cheaper?

Okay, so, like, which is cheaper? Vietnam, definitely.

I remember, 2023, backpacking Southeast Asia. Landed in Bangkok. Cool city, but, man, it hit my wallet hard, fast.

Next, Vietnam. Hanoi first. My daily expenses? Seriously dropped.

Street food in Hanoi? Delicious AND cheap. $2 pho? C'mon. Thailand... everything felt more tourist-trappy, y'know?

Accommodation too. Thailand's beaches are beautiful, yeah, but finding budget-friendly hostels... Ugh. Vietnam? Hostels for days, and cheap cheap.

Even internal travel. Buses in Vietnam were dirt cheap. Sleeper buses everywhere. Flights in Thailand felt like I was bleeding money.

Thailand is beautiful but prepare to spend more.

• Cost Breakdown (Approximate, Based on My Experience):

  • Accommodation (Hostels): Vietnam was consistently $5-10 cheaper per night.
  • Food: Street food in Vietnam was amazing, like, half the price of similar stuff in Thailand (e.g., meal $10).
  • Transportation: Internal flights within Thailand killed my budget, bus rides in Vietnam? Bargain.

• Specific Example:

  • Remember that awesome pad thai I had in Bangkok? $8. Then, this pho in Hanoi. So good, like $2. No brainer.

• Important consideration:

  • Vietnam's north has a cost of living almost 50% of Thailand. Thailand's beach towns catering for international tourist have the high cost.

• My Feeling:

  • Thailand is amazing but it will cost you more, prepare.