18 tips for a budget visit to Thailand

Prices for accommodations and transport shoot up from November to March, coinciding with the driest weather and the most travel-friendly temperatures. The July to September low season is the rainiest time of year; some ferry routes and island resorts close down completely, but accommodation prices drop significantly, particularly away from busy-year-round stops such as Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Hotel rates also dip during the spring and fall shoulder seasons, which can be a rewarding time to visit, with mixed weather but some interesting festivals and smaller crowds. You'll also save on flight costs.

Most new arrivals fly into Bangkok’s busy Suvarnabhumi International Airport, 30km (19 miles) east of Bangkok, though a few budget carriers still use Don Mueang International Airport near the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market. At either hub, eager agents will try to talk you into expensive airport taxis, but there's no need to heed their siren song. Instead, take public transit. Airport Rail Link trains from Suvarnabhumi Airport connect with the downtown Skytrain and MRT network, and there's a free shuttle bus to a local transport terminus with cheap city buses into the center. Don Mueang has regular overground trains and slow but inexpensive local buses to the middle of Bangkok. At airports all over Thailand, you can often find a cheap taxi ride by flagging down a cab on the highway or arranging a Grab rideshare pickup outside the airport perimeter, avoiding airport charges. Just remember to check if any highway tolls apply for the journey into town.

Even if you stick to budget airlines, flying internally in Thailand and making use of those oh-so-convenient tourist minivans will raise your travel costs. Instead, use public buses or travel in second or third-class carriages on the trains. If you don’t mind sleeping in a reclining seat, you can save the cost of a berth (and a hotel room) by taking a slow overnight train or overnight bus. Buy tickets directly from bus and train operators to avoid travel agent fees. Buses run by the state transport company Baw Khaw Saw (BKS) are usually cheaper than private buses. Most bus stations have ticketing halls where all the companies advertise their destinations so that you can compare fares. Ordinary and express buses are cheaper (but less comfortable) than VIP buses or luxury VIP24 or VIP32 buses, named for the number of seats on board.

If you find restaurant dining is eating through your stock of baht, look to street stalls and wandering hawker carts. Street food meals are always gratifyingly inexpensive; just stick to busy stalls and be cautious of undercooked meat, fish or seafood and salads with raw herbs or veggies, especially if you have a sensitive stomach. As dusk falls across Thailand, street corners, parking lots, boat jetties and station forecourts transform into bustling night markets, where some of the best food in town can be had for low prices. Indeed, grazing from pad thai noodle stall to satay stand to tom yam soup vendor is one of Thailand’s great pleasures. For a real bargain, seek out the food courts attached to bus stations and other transport hubs, where bowls of noodle soup and other tasty local snacks can be had for penny prices.

Entry fees to Thailand’s many national parks are not too onerous – typically 200–300B – but you can pay a lot for organized transport into national parks and activities such as guided hikes, boat trips and scuba diving. If you’re looking to save money, competition between operators keeps prices down at Khao Sok National Park and Khao Yai National Park. Accommodation prices at national parks, on the other hand, are very reasonable, with official park bungalows going for 350-500B per night and tent spaces costing from 30B per person. Tents are often available for rent for around 150B. Most national parks with accommodations also have basic canteens offering simple Thai dishes at budget prices.

Having a vigorously relaxing Thai massage is de rigueur on a trip to Thailand, and you can pay the earth at posh hotels and luxury spas. At the other end of the spectrum, you can enjoy a pocket-friendly massage from former convicts at Chiang Mai’s Vocational Training Centre of the Chiang Mai Women's Correctional Institution and Lila Thai Massage, where many graduates work full-time. Alternatively, head to the massage pavilions on the grounds of Thai monasteries, where massages are performed by people trained in traditional Thai massage, as taught by the monks of Bangkok’s Wat Pho, the spiritual birthplace of this massage style.

Once upon a time, fierce competition brought bargain prices to backpacker hangouts such as Bangkok's Khao San Road and Chiang Mai's walled city, but rising room rates mean these established stops are not always the bargain they once were. For budget-friendly stays, look to small towns and neighborhoods slightly further from the action, such as Bangkok's Talat Noi or Wat Ket and Wua Lai St in Chiang Mai – you won't necessarily pay less, but you're likely to get more for your money. Compare prices using accommodation search sites such as Agoda.com.

Accommodation prices in Thailand have been climbing steadily for years, in line with rising standards. Many backpacker places are edging into boutique-hotel territory, with cafes, bars, wi-fi and pools, and the pocket-money-priced box rooms depicted in Alex Garland's The Beach are a vanishing breed. To keep a lid on costs, sleep in dorms; rates start from less than US$10 and many hostels offer excellent facilities, including inexpensive cafes, cheap tours and travel agencies. At seaside hubs such as Koh Lanta and Koh Pha Ngan, you can find basic rooms and bungalows with shared bathrooms and fans (or central air-conditioning instead of a unit in every room) for not much more. If you're traveling with friends, sharing triple and quad rooms can be a great way to save money. Camping can be astonishingly cheap, with tent spaces at many national parks starting from 30B per person. Homestays are another inexpensive option in rural areas such as the hillside villages around Chiang Mai; rooms tend to be rustic but comfortable, and you get authentic home cooking and cultural immersion as part of the package. Also, look out for discounted rates at hostels and budget hotels via booking sites such as Booking.com and Agoda.com.

Renting a scooter or motorcycle is a remarkably cheap way to get around in Thailand, particularly for local exploring. In most traveler centers, you can pick up a scooter for as little as 150B per day, and petrol costs around 40B per liter. However, be aware that Thailand has a shocking rate of traffic accidents, so ride cautiously and slowly and make sure liability insurance is included as part of the hire (it may not be enough to rely on your own travel insurance). Follow minor roads rather than major highways wherever possible.

Going out in Thailand can be surprisingly expensive because of the taxes on alcohol. Knocking back those bottles of Singha or Chang beer can easily double your meal bill, so sip slowly or do as locals do and share a bottle of Thai whiskey or rum (usually enjoyed with ice and soda or cola) with friends. If only a beer will do, Chang is usually cheaper than Singha.

Thailand’s most famous monasteries – including Wat Pho and Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok – charge pricey entry fees for tourists. If you’re watching the pennies, smaller monasteries are often completely free to visit, and they are arguably more interesting because of the absence of photo-snapping crowds. In any town you pass through, ask a local for tips on the most interesting wat in the area – there’ll always be something intriguing to see.

Budget travelers can breathe easy – Thailand is one of the cheapest places in the world to learn to scuba dive. An open water dive certification course on Koh Tao will cost around US$315, and dives start from 1500B if you go in off the beach and not too much more for boat dives. While Ko Tao is the cheapest dive hub, other inexpensive spots include Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi.

Bangkok is one of Asia’s cheapest destinations to reach by air, particularly if you take advantage of the competitive prices offered by Gulf States carriers to undercut their rivals, or more circuitous routes via mainland China. However, prices creep upwards during the peak winter season. If flights to Bangkok look costly, investigate flights to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Shanghai and other Asian hubs, and see if you can find a cheap connection to Thailand on Air Asia or another budget carrier. Just factor in checked baggage costs. Alternatively, connect to Bangkok by train. Malaysian trains run from Johor Bahru (just over the causeway from Singapore) to Kuala Lumpur and Padang Besar, connecting with Thai trains north along the isthmus to Bangkok for around US$80 one way. The trip takes around 48 hours and it's one of Asia’s most enjoyable rail journeys.

For inexpensive local trips, treat tuk-tuks (motorized rickshaws) as a travel experience rather than a serious means of transport. Prices are routinely hiked for tourists, and trips often involve detours to souvenir shops and other commission-paying establishments. Saamlaw – three-wheeled pedicabs – also work on a bargaining system, but they’re not too expensive for short hops. A metered taxi is usually a more stable bet – just be aware that traffic jams can make even a short journey slow and expensive. Rideshares can be summoned through Grab and other apps, but you’ll often pay more than you would for a regular taxi. For trips around small towns (or from town to nearby villages), by far the cheapest option is the songthaew – pick-up trucks with benches that operates like local buses.

For inexpensive evening entertainment, a trip to a live music bar gives a lot of bang for not many baht. There’s rarely a cover charge, and most venues offer tasty snack food and have a rotating line-up of bands playing adept covers of popular songs. Seek out bands singing Thai songs to Thai audiences for the best vibe and music.

Thailand’s spas are world-famous, and the sky is the limit when it comes to prices at the luxe end of the market. However, you can find therapeutic treatments for a song at dozens of natural hot springs dotted around the hills of northern Thailand. Chiang Mai in the north is ringed by government-run hot spring complexes, where therapeutic baths and other treatments come at highly agreeable prices. At the Pong Arng Hot Springs near Chiang Dao, access to the pools costs just 100B, and you can camp for 30B to 100B per person; entry prices are similar at the nearby San Kamphaeng Hot Springs.

Every imaginable adrenaline activity is possible in Thailand, from canyoning and kiteboarding to bungee jumping, zip-lining and jungle trekking. However, prices can be steep, particularly for organized, tourist-oriented trips that include transport. If you want thrills at minimum cost, head to Railay near Krabi, Thailand’s favorite rock climbing playground, where epic limestone routes start right off the beach. There’s no charge to climb with your own gear (or it can be rented cheaply), and budget rooms are available at Hat Ton Sai. If you've got your own snorkeling gear, you can see the underwater world for free at beaches across Thailand.

Across Thailand, you'll find opportunities to take inexpensive public transport as an alternative to pricey sightseeing tours. Traveling by local bus, train or songthaew will give you a much more atmospheric way to see the countryside than taking a tourist minibus or organised tour, at a much lower price. Many ferry routes offer amazing views of coastal islands, and Bangkok's Chao Phraya Express Boat passes many of the city's most striking riverside landmarks, with fares as low as 15B.