How Much To Spend/Budget for Thailand Trip (in Philippine Peso)

A lot of us Filipinos do not see the point of traveling to Thailand because we think that it's just like the Philippines. However, that is a common misconception because Thailand offers a lot of wonderful things from its culture ranging from food down to temples, and perhaps the only thing slightly similar is the weather. Also, another reason for you to check Thailand out is the reasonability of the budget you'll need for it. In this blog post, I'll be sharing with you the typical ranges of what you need to spend for Thailand. 

Note: Take the information in this article with a grain of salt. I'm not claiming to be an expert traveler, and I only have with me 2 Thailand stamps on my passport. It will be great if you'll do your own research as you plan your travel here in the Land of Smiles, Thailand. 

Overall Budget Needed for Thailand Trip

As mentioned earlier, Thailand trip does not need to be expensive. Even with just about ₱20,000, you can already travel there and stay for about four days and three nights (4D 3N). You may need to allot about ₱5,000 peso per day in your travel, but as you stay longer in Thailand, the average daily expenses goes down to as low as P3,000 (for a two-week stay), practically because the airfare gets distributed across more days, and thus makes it more sulit. 

These estimates are as of April 2024. Prices may vary due to inflation and other macroeconomic factors

What is the breakdown of these expenses?

For Thailand, the biggest chunk of expenses goes to airfare which averages roughly about ₱10,000. However, during seat sales, you can snatch promos that are half the average, which is roughly around ₱5,000. That is if you get lucky to proceed with the booking, but it is definitely possible. 

There are a wide selection of accommodation in Thailand ranging from hotels to apartment-like places

The second largest expense is accommodation, especially if you plan to stay in a private room or hotel. On average, that is around ₱1,250 per night exclusive of breakfast, but this is only possible if you get to share a room with somebody else. The average price per night of a decent affordable hotel with a twin bed is ₱2,500, so if you split that between two (2) persons you will get ₱1,250 per night.

Travelling solo might be difficult for you to utilize hotels, so you might want to consider hostels instead. Hostels charge between ₱750 to ₱1,250 per bed, so in this way you get to control your accommodation expenses.

Pad Krapow is one of Thailand's famous dishes

All other expenses are generally low, which is why it's pretty much less expensive to travel in Thailand. Food expenses averages ₱500 daily, while transportation averages around ₱250 daily. For activities, it really depends on what type you want to take part in, but if you plan to just visit the temples that won't cost you too much because entrance tickets are low if not free.

Trains in Bangkok, Thailand are pretty decent, reliable and convenient

What are the tips to lower down cost and be within the budget?

Accommodation

For accommodation, as suggested earlier, it is best if you will be coming in groups because typically hotel rooms will allow you to share the beds, and thus splitting the cost of the room across more individuals. Also, by going for private bookings, you get to maintain privacy. Otherwise the most practical (and less expensive) way to go about accommodation is for you to check-in hostels, which is a smart choice if you plan to be outside most of the time.

In Pattaya, we decided to share the room across the 3 of us, and this allowed us to average just about ₱1,500 breakfast included

If you are planning to visit Pattaya, which is 1-2 hours away from Bangkok via private ride, you may want to check out the hotel we stayed at -- Hotel Aster in Pattaya.

Food

The way to keep food expenses low is to stick with food court and street stalls, so that your average meal will be just around  ₱100 to  ₱150. The food quality from these sources are normally as good as those offered in restaurants, with just minor difference in presentation and of course the ambiance. Hence, I suggest avoiding fast food chains and restaurants because these are commonly the more expensive ones, and may average for about ₱200 to ₱300 per meal.

This is a dish ordered from a typical food court in Thailand malls, and they are of great quality

Transportation
The cheapest way to go around Bangkok is through the trains (particularly the BTS Sky Train). Fare depends on how far the destination is, but the range is between ₱40 to ₱80. However, if you are traveling in a group of 3 to 4, it is smarter to go for a Grab ride because if you divide the fare among yourself, you'll end up with a smaller amount, and best of all, you get the convenience of just hopping in and out of the vehicle. 

The BTS Sky Trains in Bangkok are very accessible and reasonably priced

Activities
For activities, I highly suggest that you browse through Klook because most of what's in the catalogue there are reasonably priced, and it is easy to check what is available around your area. Maximize promo codes in Klook as well. If you don't have an account yet, you may want to consider using my sign-up link for ₱250 promo code. 

The temple architectures are very interesting to see, each one is built differently and possess different stories

Activities in Thailand may include temple-hopping, visiting the elephants, learning how to do Thai massage, learning how to cook Thai cuisines and many more. However, if you just want a laid back kind of activity (and a relatively affordable one), I suggest that you go see a movie instead. The cinemas in Thailand are very much breathtaking compared to Philippines and they are priced commonly cheaper than ours. We are talking about ₱250 for a great cinema experience, compared to the usual average here of ₱300 to ₱500. 

One of the possible activities is to take a dining cruise over the Chao Phraya river

Caveat

I did not attempt to dive further into the specifics of these expenses/budget because each travel experience is unique on its own. Hence, I leave it up to you and your resourcefulness in making your experience enjoyable, while still making your budget work for you. 

If you have any questions feel free to drop a comment below, and if you have some tips to share that will be appreciated.