How much does it cost to travel Thailand?

If you’re looking for a guide for how much it costs to live in Thailand, you can find that here.

Thailand has never been the absolute cheapest destination to visit, and it has seen prices rise due to inflation and the strength of the Thai baht over the years, but we still think baht for baht it delivers the best value, and has superior flexibility with the ability to budget. You’ll have a great time with a small travel budget from your leftover student loans (as I did), but Thailand’s offerings also scale to meet the needs of the ultra wealthy.

Let’s get in to it.

TLDR; Key takeaways

Assuming you’re already here, these are the ranges we think make sense:

Backpacker budget: 1,000-1,500 baht per day (~$30-45 USD). Dorm beds or sharing a cheap hotel room in low season or outside of popular destinations, local Thai food, public transport, free or cheap activities, little or no alcohol. 1,000 baht per day is probably technically possible if you’re doing nothing but paying for food and accommodation.

Budget: 2,000-3,000 baht per day (~$60-90 USD). Clean but budget friendly hotels outside of popular destinations. Mix of local and mid range Thai restaurants, budget for weekend drinks and daily coffee. Cheap motorbike rentals and DIY activities.

Mid-range: 3,500-5,000 baht per day (~$110-155 USD). Well rated low to mid-range chain hotels with breakfast in Bangkok, slightly higher end hotels in smaller cities like Chiang Mai (outside of high season). Mix of Thai and western restaurants, tours and activities, local Thai massage or cheaper spas, domestic flights for travel and motorbike or car rental.

High end: 6,000-10,000 baht per day (~$185-310 USD). Reaching the upper limit of maximum value, especially if sharing accommodation. This budget accommodates four and sometimes five star hotels. Almost all restaurants, spas, activities, car rental. At this budget, most cost will be spent on hotels, especially if looking to experience Thai food rather than western.

Luxury: 15,000+ baht per day (~$465+ USD). Where a midrange hotel in some cities in the west can cost $500 per night, in Thailand you are already staying in some of the best all inclusive resorts. The luxury bracket is very large. If you really wanted to, you could rent a super car and stay in hotels for over 100,000 baht per night. Thailand, and specifically Bangkok, Phuket and other destinations like Koh Samui are ready to scale to your budget with extreme luxury.

Flights to Thailand

International flight costs vary depending on the season and where you’re coming from. We’d assume flights from outside of Asia are going to cost between $700 and $1,300 for return economy tickets.

• From the UK: 15,000-30,000 baht (~$430-860 USD) return
• From the US (West Coast): 20,000-40,000 baht (~$570-1,140 USD) return
• From the US (East Coast): 25,000-45,000 baht (~$715-1,285 USD) return
• From Australia: 12,000-25,000 baht (~$340-715 USD) return

Book 2-3 months ahead for the best prices. Low season (May-October) saves ~30%. Flying in to Bangkok is usually cheaper, but if you’re planning to head straight to somewhere with an international airport like Chiang Mai or Phuket, try that as your final destination in comparison sites because sometimes it’ll route you London->China->Chiang Mai instead of London->China->Bangkok->Chiang Mai, saving time and money.

Domestic transport

Trains – the overnight sleeper from Bangkok to Chiang Mai costs 941-1,653 baht ($27-47 USD) depending on class. Second class upper berth at 941 baht is the backpacker favourite. Book in advance – sleeper berths sell out days ahead. Trains depart from the new Bang Sue Grand station, not Hua Lamphong as they did in the past.

Buses – Bangkok to Chiang Mai on a VIP bus (1+2 seating, reclining seats, onboard toilet) costs 780-1,020 baht ($22-29 USD) with Nakhonchai Air or Sombat Tour. Bangkok to Phuket is 600-1,430 baht depending on class.

Ferries – 200-800 baht per trip. Koh Samui to Koh Phangan is 200-350 baht. Phuket to Phi Phi is 450-500 baht for the regular ferry, 700-1,300 baht for speedboat. The Phi Phi national park fee of 400 baht isn’t included in ferry tickets.

Flights – 1,200-4,000 baht. Varies due to a lot of factors. Other than supply/demand based on time of year, weekends and public holidays, it’s worth knowing that some small airports such as Trat (to get to Koh Chang) and Koh Samui are owned and operated by Bangkok Airways, so you don’t have budget airlines as an option. Flights departing from one of Bangkok’s two airports to any domestic location such as Krabi are usually always cheaper than a direct from Chiang Mai to Krabi. If flying with Bangkok Airways or Thai Airways, checked luggage is included, while flying AirAsia or another budget airline – it is not.

Low season vs high season

The main considerations are your flights getting to Thailand (book early), and hotels. Visiting in low season means you may get a slightly better hotel for the same money, but a variety of things can affect that due to festivals etc.

Christmas and New Year (December 20 – January 5) – Most expensive time to visit, especially islands.

High season (November – February) – peak prices, especially on islands, beaches and Chiang Mai where the cold season makes Chiang Mai a top destination.

Songkran week (April 10 – 16) – Bangkok and Chiang Mai prices spike for hotels and domestic flights.

Low season (May-October) – prices drop on islands and tourist heavy locations. Bangkok and Chiang Mai change less.

We always joke that it’s always a good time to be in Thailand, and if you’re flexible on dates, visiting the islands in May or June can be nice. The weather is still mostly fine – you’ll get some rain, but it’s usually a heavy downpour for an hour, not all-day drizzle. Check our guide to Thailand’s weather and seasons for the full picture.

Other than flights and hotels, food and other prices should not change.

Food & drink

Food is the second biggest expense after hotels. There’s just so much food that it’s easy to get carried away. Most guides will tell you that eating western food is super expensive, but that’s only true if you compare it to the cheapest Thai food. You should experience all of the Thai food that there is, but if you want to eat a pizza or a steak, you’ll likely find a pizza and steak that rivals the best you’ve ever had, for less.

Cheap Thai “street” food (50-150 baht) – Thai food from street vendors or cheap shop houses. One meal averages 50-150 baht with either free filtered water or a bottle of water.

“Fancy” Thai food (150-300 baht) – Nicer air conditioned restaurants or shop houses with table service. Different forms of dining including larger dishes commonly shared by families or groups of people. Depending on drinks, seafood vs pork/chicken, cost between 150 and 300 baht.

Budget western (100-175 baht) – This category is super common, breakfasts will use hotdog sausages and cheap bread from 7-Eleven, the butter is margarine, the orange juice is from a carton, or the pasta reminds you of a microwave meal from back home. Not usually worth it.

Best value western/foreign (200-500 baht) – This is where western or other foreign foods such as Indian really stand out. With only a little bit of research on Google Maps, you’ll always find very well rated restaurants in almost all cities where expats have relocated to Thailand and set up shop.

High end western (500-2,000 baht) – This price point mainly reserved for steaks and fine dining. Famous restaurants in Bangkok can reach much higher.

Beer and alcohol – Alcohol is not cheap due to taxation. Leaving out exceptions such as high end pubs in Bangkok and rooftop bars. A small bottle of local beer (Singha, Chang, Leo) costs between 75 and 120 baht. Imported beers of the same size are between 200 and 300 baht. Wine below 200 baht will be bad, and cocktails are from 200-500 baht.

Coffee – A wide variety of prices here. Highest prices are Starbucks and niche high end coffee establishments charging 140-170 baht, 7-Eleven coffee is between 40-60 baht, and then the majority of coffee shops are coming in between 50-100 baht depending on location and if you’re sipping a latte or americano.

Accommodation

Very location and season dependent. The same quality room can cost double or triple on an island compared to Chiang Mai, or double when comparing the same hotel in low and high season.

Budget (hostels and guesthouses)

Dorm beds – 150-500 baht per night (~$4-14 USD). Chiang Mai is the cheapest at 150-280 baht in low season. Bangkok’s Khao San Road area 300-500 baht. Islands are more expensive – Koh Lipe barely has hostels, so you’re looking at basic bungalows from 600 baht.

Private rooms – 400-1,200 baht (~$11-34 USD). In Chiang Mai where 600 baht gets you a private room with air conditioning and hot water. The same would cost 800-2,000 baht in Bangkok, Phuket or on the islands.

Mid-range (3-4 star hotels)

1,500-3,000 baht per night (~$43-86 USD). You’ll get a hotel with a pool, breakfast, and a decent location. In Bangkok, 2,000 baht gets a pool hotel near a BTS station in Sukhumvit. Chiang Mai is cheaper still at 1,200-2,000 baht for boutique-level places in the Old City.

Islands cost more. Koh Samui’s mid-range starts around 2,000-4,000 baht, and Koh Lipe pushes 2,500-5,000 baht because everything has to be shipped in.

Luxury and resorts

From 5,000 baht per night ($143 USD) upwards of 100,000 baht++ depending on level of luxury.

Getting around

BTS and MRT in Bangkok – 15-65 baht per trip. Cheapest and fastest. Read our guide to getting around Bangkok.

Grab (Thailand’s Uber) – short rides 100-200 baht, medium rides 200-400 baht. GrabBike is 20-60 baht and gets through traffic. Use Grab instead of negotiating with tuk-tuk drivers – you’ll pay less and you won’t get scammed.

Tuk-tuks – will quote 200-400 baht for a ride that should cost 60-100 baht. Fun once or twice, terrible value as regular transport. Read our guide to Bangkok taxis.

Songthaews (red trucks in Chiang Mai) – 30-50 baht for in-city trips. Flag one down, tell the driver where you’re going, hop in.

Scooter rental – 150-300 baht per day (~$5-9 USD). How most travelers get around the islands and Chiang Mai. Motorbike accidents are the number one insurance claim in Thailand (by a long way), and most policies won’t cover you without a valid motorcycle licence.

Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok

Airport Rail Link (ARL) – 35-45 baht, 26 minutes
Metered taxi – 300-500 baht plus tolls and 50 baht airport surcharge
Grab – 400-600 baht, more during rush hour
S1 bus to Khao San Road – 60 baht, slower

Activities and entrance fees

Thailand has a dual pricing system at most government run attractions. Foreigners pay more, sometimes 10x more than Thai nationals. It’s not a scam, it’s official policy, and there’s no way around it (though some successfully try). We’ve listed the foreigner prices below.

Temples

Grand Palace (Bangkok) – 500 baht (~$14 USD). The most expensive entrance fee in the country. Worth it once, but you don’t need to go twice.

Wat Pho (Bangkok) – 300 baht (~$9 USD).

Wat Arun (Bangkok) – 100-200 baht (~$3-6 USD).

Doi Suthep (Chiang Mai) – 30 baht (~$1 USD). One of the best value temple visits in the country.

White Temple (Chiang Rai) – 200 baht (~$6 USD). This doubled from 100 baht on January 1, 2026. Most travel blogs and Google still show the old price.

Hundreds of other temples across Thailand are free to enter.

National parks

Standard parks are 200-300 baht (~$6-9 USD). More popular parks like Khao Yai and Phi Phi are 400 baht. Similan Islands are the most expensive at 500 baht. Thai nationals pay 20-40 baht for the same parks.

Tickets are valid for one calendar day and one entrance fee covers all attractions within the park – waterfalls, caves, viewpoints, trails. If you camp or stay overnight inside the park, your ticket extends to 3 days with re-entry. The exception to watch out for is Khao Sok, where the main park entrance (200 baht) and Cheow Lan Lake (300 baht) are 65 km apart with separate checkpoints, so you can end up paying 500 baht total if you visit both on different days.

Tours and activities

Phi Phi island day trip (from Phuket) – 1,890-2,590 baht (~$54-74 USD) plus 400 baht park fee on top. Speedboat trips cost more but you get more time at each stop.

Elephant sanctuary half-day (Chiang Mai) – 1,600-2,500 baht (~$46-71 USD). If you’re going to do one “experience” activity, make it this. Avoid anything that offers riding.

Cooking class (Chiang Mai) – 1,000-1,500 baht (~$29-43 USD) for a half day including a market visit. Full day classes run a bit more.

PADI Open Water – 9,900-13,000 baht (~$283-371 USD). Koh Tao is one of the cheapest places in the world to get your dive certification. Most schools include accommodation in the price.

Fun dives (certified, 2 dives) – 2,500-3,500 baht (~$71-100 USD).

Similan Islands snorkeling day trip – 3,600 baht plus 500 baht park fee (~$117 USD total). Departs from Khao Lak, not Phuket.

Full Moon Party (Koh Phangan) – 200 baht (~$6 USD) entrance. Buckets (mixed drinks in literal sand buckets) are 400 baht. Budget 800-1,500 baht for a night including drinks and a taxi back. The bigger cost is accommodation – hotels near Haad Rin spike 2-3x on party nights.

Thai massage

You can’t come to Thailand and not do multiple massages.

Street or local shop – 100-300 baht for an hour (~$3-9 USD). Foot massages are at the lower end, full Thai massage at the higher end.

Tourist area shop – 250-350 baht.

Spa – 600-4,000 baht. Hotel spas charge the most but the experience is completely different to a street massage.

Money tips

Getting your money into Thai baht efficiently makes a difference to your budget, especially on longer trips. Most travelers lose more money on bad exchange rates and ATM fees than they realize.

Cash vs cards

Thailand skipped credit cards and went straight to QR payments through their local banking apps. Almost everywhere accepts PromptPay QR codes now, even street food vendors. The problem is that PromptPay requires a Thai bank account, so as a tourist you can’t use it. That means you’re stuck with cash for most day to day spending – street food, markets, tuk-tuks, massage shops, ferries, small restaurants. Credit cards work in malls, hotel chains, and 7-Eleven (but many branches enforce a 200 baht minimum spend).

ATMs

Every withdrawal on a foreign card costs 220 baht (~$6.30 USD). That’s the Thai bank’s fee, on top of whatever your home bank charges. AEON ATMs (usually inside Big C and malls) charge 150 baht instead, which helps a bit. Krungsri ATMs let you pull out 30,000 baht per transaction where most other banks cap at 20,000, so fewer withdrawals means fewer fees.

When the ATM asks if you want to be charged in your home currency, always say no. Their conversion rate adds a 3-5% markup. Let your own bank handle the conversion.

Exchange rates

If you’re bringing cash to exchange, rates vary a lot depending on where you do it. From best to worst:

1. SuperRich (green or orange logo) – best rates in Thailand. Branches all over Bangkok, main one near BTS Chit Lom. There’s one at Suvarnabhumi arrivals too, but city branches are slightly better.
2. Bank branches – slightly worse than SuperRich, still decent.
3. ATMs – you get the Visa/Mastercard wholesale rate which is fine, but the 220 baht fee eats into it.
4. Airport exchange booths (not SuperRich) – poor rates. Exchange just enough for transport to the city.
5. Hotel front desks – 5-10% markup. Never do this.

Consider getting a travel-friendly card or a Wise account before your trip. Wise uses the real exchange rate with a small transparent fee, and their card works at Thai ATMs. You still pay the 220 baht Thai ATM fee, but there’s no Wise fee up to your monthly limit. For more on this, read our guide to the best way to send money to Thailand.

Bring cash for immigration

Thai immigration can ask you to show the equivalent of 20,000 baht per person (40,000 per family) when you arrive. It doesn’t have to be Thai baht – USD, GBP, EUR or any other currency is fine as long as it adds up. This isn’t a theoretical rule – it’s being actively enforced again as of 2025-2026. Travelers have been denied entry and put on return flights for not having it. Bank statements on your phone are sometimes rejected – physical cash is the safest option.

Bringing cash from home also saves you ATM fees. Each 20,000 baht equivalent you bring is roughly 220 baht saved in withdrawal fees, which you’d otherwise pay on top of whatever your home bank charges. Bring whatever you’re comfortable carrying and exchange it at SuperRich when you arrive.

Tipping

Thailand is not a tipping culture the way the US is. It’s appreciated but never expected. Leave the small change at restaurants if you want. For massages, 50-100 baht is generous. Tour guides, 100-300 baht per day if they were good. One thing to know – don’t tip with coins, it’s considered rude.

Travel insurance

Get travel insurance. A broken leg at a private hospital like Bumrungrad in Bangkok costs 200,000-500,000 baht ($5,700-14,300 USD). A basic two-week policy costs $15-30. Comprehensive cover with motorbike coverage is $40-80.

We use SafetyWing which covers motorbike accidents up to 50cc with a valid licence and helmet. If you’re planning to rent a 125cc scooter (and most travelers do), check your policy carefully because many insurers won’t pay out without a proper motorcycle licence, even if every other tourist on the island is riding without one.

Sample budgets

To put all of this together, here’s what we think realistic trip budgets look like. These don’t include international flights or travel insurance.

Backpacker – two weeks

Add one domestic flight (1,500 baht), a couple of ferries (1,000 baht), and a bigger activity like diving or a cooking class, and a realistic two-week backpacker trip comes to 20,000-25,000 baht ($570-715 USD).

Mid-range couple – 10 days

That’s roughly 70,000 baht ($2,000 USD) for two people for 10 days. You’ll stay in comfortable hotels, eat well, do activities, and not feel like you’re watching every baht.

High end – two weeks

If you’re staying in 4-5 star hotels, eating at nicer restaurants, booking private tours, and flying between destinations, budget 7,000-15,000 baht per person per day ($200-430 USD). Two weeks comes to 100,000-210,000 baht per person ($2,850-6,000 USD) before international flights. At this level, Thailand is giving you an experience that would cost 3-5x more in Europe or the US.

Cheapest and most expensive destinations

Cheapest – Chiang Mai, Pai, Kanchanaburi, Issan (northeast Thailand). Accommodation and food are 20-40% cheaper than Bangkok and you can still eat and stay very well.

Middle – Bangkok, Krabi, Hua Hin.

Most expensive – Koh Samui, Koh Lipe, Phuket (especially Patong). Everything costs more on islands because of transport and logistics. Some locations like Koh Lipe even have more expensive 7-Elevens.

If your budget is tight, spend more of your trip on the mainland and pick one or two islands rather than trying to do them all.

FAQ

Is 1,000 baht a day enough in Thailand?

Technically yes, but almost ready to switch this to a no. You’ll be in dorms, eating only street food, and skipping anything else that costs money. 1,500 baht would be our minimum recommendation.

How much spending money do I need for 2 weeks?

For a mid-range trip, budget 25,000-35,000 baht per person (~$715-1,000 USD) for in-country expenses. That covers accommodation, food, transport, and activities but not international flights or insurance.

Is Thailand still cheap in 2026?

It’s not 2010 anymore. Prices have gone up with inflation and a stronger baht, but compared to Europe, North America, or Australia, you still get significantly more value for your money.

Should I bring US dollars or Thai baht?

It doesn’t matter as long as it’s equivalent to 20,000 baht. Bring whatever you’re comfortable carrying. USD, GBP and EUR get the best exchange rates at SuperRich in Bangkok. Don’t exchange at your home bank before you leave – the rates are always terrible.

Do I need cash or can I use cards?

Without a Thai banking app, you need cash for most things. Cards work in malls, hotels, and some restaurants, but the majority of your daily spending is cash only.