17 DAYS IN THAILAND: Budget and saving-tips

This post is an extract from the whole Asia budget which I continuously update. 

You can find the original post 

- HERE -

Oh Thailand. You blow my mind every time. How you can be so gentle, so open, so warmhearted and still so breathtakingly beautiful and unbelievably inexpensive.

In this post I counted for EVERYTHING, everything, we bought and ate and paid for our 17 days here and put it in to neat piles so you guys easily can track and get a picture of how much your own trip would cost.

I mean, everyone doesn't have a spare account solely for coffee..

In the end of the post there is a list of extra tips to make your trip even more affordable!

I'd be happy to hear your thoughts after reading.

Kisses! 

●●●●●

17 NIGHTS

:THAILAND:

VISA:
FREE FOR 30 DAYS


ACCOMMODATION: 
~ 1780 SEK // ~ 217 USD
PRICES PER PERSON

Bangkok 3 NIGHTS: 335 SEK // 42 USD
Chiang Mai 7 NIGHTS: 841 SEK // 102 USD
Pattaya 5 NIGHTS: 528 SEK // 64 USD
Bangkok, again 1 NIGHT: 77 SEK // 9 USD

We always stayed in rooms with AC and mostly even fridge. Free wifi everywhere except for 1 night. The hotel had a pool in all the places except for one.
In transfer-days we tried to cut down the cost by living simpler and when we stayed longer in places we took a more comfortable alternative.
In Chiang Mai we had the luxury to stay in a very nice place for under 17 USD per night and person, because then we split the cost in three.

AVERAGE PER NIGHT: 

~ 111,3 SEK // ~ 13,6 USD

FOOD:
~ 6750 THB // ~ 1765 SEK // ~ 214 USD 

A lot more money turned into caffeine than actual food...

"REAL" FOOD: 
~ 3260 THB // ~ 850 SEK // ~ 103 USD
Water, dinners, lunch, breakfast... Fruits. Heaps and loads of fruit. And saga pao from 7Eleven...
My maintenance of a heavy pepsi max addition is also accounted for as "real food", obv...


FIKA, SNACKS, CANDY (MEEEEENTOS) & ALCOHOL: 
~ 3490 THB // ~ 915 SEK // ~ 111 USD
Eh.. Yes. Even mentioned I LOOVE coffee? Fika, anyone?
(660 of these was two drinks on Hilton,
does that makes me look like less of an coffee-o-holic? No?)



TRANSPORTS:
~ 5100 THB // ~ 1340 SEK // ~ 162 USD 
PRICES PER PERSON 

Taxi from Don Muang Airport to Bangkok city: 450 THB  //  117 SEK //  14 USD
Total cost of MRT, Skytrain and taxi in Bangkok 4 days:  520 THB // 135 SEK //  16,5 USD
Nightbus to Chiang Mai: 640 THB // 165 SEK // 20 USD

Buses in Chiang Mai 7 days: 370 THB //  96 SEK //  12 USD
Songthaew to Doi Suthep and back: 200 THB // 52 SEK // 6 USD
Roundtrip songthaew Ban Mon Muan and Maesa Waterfall: 650 THB // 170 SEK // 21 USD

Flight Chaing Mai to Pattaya: 1822 THB // 480 SEK // 58 USD
Taxi Utapao Airport to hotel in Pattaya: 250 THB // 65 SEK //  8 USD
Songthaew to busstation Pattaya: 75 THB // 20 SEK //  2,5 USD

Bus to Bangkok: 108 THB // 28 SEK // 3,5 USD



ACTIVITIES:
~ 745 THB // ~ 200 SEK // ~ 24 USD 

MASSAGE x 3: 600 THB // 158 SEK // 19 USD
TEMPLE/WATERFALL ENTRENCES: 145 THB // 38 SEK // 4,6 USD



OTHER:
~ 1080 THB // ~ 284 SEK // ~ 35 USD 

SHOPPING: 370 THB // 97 SEK // 12 USD
BEAUTY AND HYGIEN PRODUCTS: 710 THB //  187 SEK // 23 USD
Shampoo, tampons, nose spray, facial masks, nailpolish remover, alcogel... 

TOTAL THAILAND

~ 5400 SEK // ~ 652 USD

AVERAGE COST / DAY

~ 320 SEK // ~ 38 USD

Note:
It is possible, easy even, 
to use less than this in Thailand. 

Third time here, 
I know what I want to gain from 
my time in this beautiful country.

 That often includes lux-ing it up 
and not caring about 
every little baht leaving my wallet. 

That being said, 
I know people who had made it 
on 15 dollar a day in Thailand.
I know nothing, however, 
about the quality of these people's trip.

You do you and you'll probably have a great time whichever way you choose. 

●●●●●

And now...

HOW TO MAKE IT CHEAPER

• GO BY WHEELS, NOT WINGS 

Although domestic flights in Thailand are one of the cheapest I've ever happened upon, the same can be said about the train and bus tickets. 44 baht (around 1 dollar) from Bangkok to Hua Hin. Under 500 to Chiang Mai. 

That's  just a whole new perspective on inexpensive.

• SLEEP WHILE MOVING

For around 1000 baht you can get an luxury sleeper from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. For even less you can go by bus or take the little less comfortable alternatives on the train. It's a no-brainer that this will be a cheap way to travel from one city to another and save one night on accommodation at the same time. 

• WESTERN STUFF = WESTERN PRICES

This is always my number 1 tip:
LOCAL IS THE BOMB. 

Local food are not only cheaper, it's bursting with flavour the food chains and western food section in the menu can't even dream of. 

Vendors are selling simpler dishes right from the street for around 40 - 70 baht (1-2 dollar) and they are so delicious I sometimes got to bed hungry just so I would have space in my belly for a whole portion som tam for breakfast. 

The same when it comes to hygiene products - whatever is sold in Europe, Thailand has its own version of it for a forth of the price. 

Markets makes it possible to buy all souvenirs and clothes you want to bring home for less than you pay for a pizza in Sweden. 

• NEVER ACCEPT THE FIRST OFFER 

My bargain skills were not sharpened this trip, mostly because Jennifer was the haggler queen b during our week together. She shamelessly bid her counteroffers with the same fake-offended face the vendors had practiced for years and was not afraid to walk away if the price didn't suited her. 

Did the driver want 500 B for driving us around the whole day, you can bet your ass Jennifer suggested 100 and didn't go higher than 240. Or else she just winked at another taxidriver and started the same procedure again. 

Needless to say, she helped save a lot of money on this trip. 

• ONLINE REWARD SYSTEMS 

My dad has this idea that if you walk up to a hotel and demand a good price from the person in the lobby, he will magically give you the deal of your life. 

Now, way after the new millennium and internet's fast-pacing occupation of our brains, no receptionist can give you what comparing sites already given you 20% discount on. Sign up to as many sites as possible for entering their reward system and after that you can pick and choose your dream room cheapest possible. 

SITES WE USE:

Agoda 

Hotels.com 

Expedia 

Booking.com 

(The downside with the last one though is its habit of only making the reservation for you, not letting you make the payment online which means more money from the ATM = risk for withdrawal fees or bad exchange rate that you can skip by paying the whole lot online.) 

We also use comparing sites like Kayak, TripAdvisor, Trivago, Momondo and Skyscanner and THEN compare these with each other. 

"The internet better have milk because there sure are a lot of cookies here..."