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Do you really need 1,000 Baht budget per day, backpacking in Thailand?

Replies: 52 - Last Post: Oct 11, 2012 3:55 PM Last Post By: joegoozey

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MrBridge

MrBridge avatar

Aug 2, 2012 12:25 PM
Posts:  21

Do you really need 1,000 Baht budget per day, backpacking in Thailand?

What average budget per day does a single backpacker need for a 3mth stay in Thailand, moving from BKK south, and from various island to island as I see fit?

How much per day in Thai Baht??

I will probably have about 450 Baht per day, is this enough?

mattlv

mattlv avatar

Aug 2, 2012 12:52 PM
Posts:  388

1

That's $14.30 per day. Not a lot. I don't think you'd have a lot of fun trying to live like that, and I suspect your ability to move from island to island as you see fit would be very limited.

MrBridge

MrBridge avatar

Aug 2, 2012 12:59 PM
Posts:  21

2

How many Thai Baht per night is a (cheap) beach hut in, Koh Phangnan, for example?

How many Baht is it for Beer Chang?

I think perhaps someone who has been, has been giving me misinformation?

OneScot

OneScot avatar

Aug 2, 2012 1:13 PM
Posts:  1,178

3

http://www.hostelbookers.com
http://www.hostels.com
http://www.hostelworld.com

Are all very useful sites for researching accommodation. I've budgeted around £500/month which is £17/day. That's around 900baht/day which is viewed by pretty lean by quite a lot of people. I think 450 Baht/day is cutting it very fine, especially if you account for transportation costs.

Beer costs (from Into-Asia.com):

630ml Singha beer from 7-11: 50B
330ml Singha beer from average bar: 60B-150B

mattlv

mattlv avatar

Aug 2, 2012 1:15 PM
Posts:  388

4

I have never stayed in a cheap beach hut. A beer will cost anywhere from 60 baht to 150 baht in my experience.
I think you'd be much better off staying for a month at 1350 baht per day rather than trying to last three months living like a poor Thai person on 450 baht per day.

mozziebite

mozziebite avatar

Aug 2, 2012 2:23 PM
Posts:  893

5

1000B a day is at the extreme low end of what it costs to have anything approaching a reasonably good time. 450B is nowhere near enough to survive on anything but rock bottom accommodation, water and rice, and no money to travel around on or buy anything. If that's all you've got, forget it and save up for a while longer.

greg121

greg121 avatar

Aug 2, 2012 2:44 PM
Posts:  37

6

In Bangkok you can do 450B/day. As a single traveller I sleep at the Bamboo Guest House http://bamboo-guesthouse.com/guesthouse.htm which is a 10min walk from khao san road in a lovely neighborhood. You can get a single fanned room for ~200B/night. Get street food for ~40B and chang beer from 7-11 for ~40B. Use the local bus and ferry for a few baht. But as soon as you want to travel that budget is not doable. The islands are much more expensive but with some research you can get a cheap hut and a motobike and you will still enjoy your stay.

itstime

itstime avatar

Aug 2, 2012 2:46 PM
Posts:  74

7

1000 per day no problem and one can live very good its how you live?
and what is good is the Q??\

I can live on islands for 30 days at a time no issue FOR 7000-10.000
PER MONTH for housing
Thats 20,000 pocket money..........

450 is pushing it but could be done in survival mode

can stay in bbk for less than 100 for room per day if you had to

Then there is allways couch surfers

met a pair of Brits who where 7 month in to a trip that used them and
did very well and made many friends

OneScot

OneScot avatar

Aug 2, 2012 2:58 PM
Posts:  1,178

8

I think it's be helpful if people noted what type of traveller they were. A traveller who is staying in mid range accommodation and eating in restaurants will have a different definition of, 'rock bottom,' compared to the archetypal gap year backpacker who is willing to slum it a little more in dorms and eating street food.

mozziebite

mozziebite avatar

Aug 2, 2012 3:14 PM
Posts:  893

9

^450B is rock bottom no matter what "type of traveller" you are. Even if you can survive on it, what's the point? You're supposed to be going away for an enjoyable trip, not to spend 3 months watching every single baht.

slum it a little more in dorms and eating street food.

The OP wants to island hop, not just stay in Bangkok. No dorms and not much street food down there..

OneScot

OneScot avatar

Aug 2, 2012 3:21 PM
Posts:  1,178

10

Mozziebite, you see the problem though don't you? With extreme low end and being able to survive being 500B apart?

itstime

itstime avatar

Aug 2, 2012 3:31 PM
Posts:  74

11

onescot nice blog interesting thanks,, would be interested in what your budget is or was ?

OneScot

OneScot avatar

Aug 2, 2012 3:44 PM
Posts:  1,178

12

Hi itstime, I have an estimate of £18/882B/$28 per day (24.6kB/month). This will probably be a little more in Thailand and Malaysia and less in Cambodia and Laos. This is based off blogs I have read and accommodation/transport research I have done. It does not include trans-continental transport, nor visas though (no idea if others include this in their daily cost).

I ought to have a reasonable reserve fund if things prove an underestimation though and the plan is to travel for as long as I can afford to (while maintaining a basic comfort level) rather than eek it out at the very bare minimum.

Cheers for the nice words on the blog by the way, I really appreciate it.

havemoneywillgo

havemoneywillgo avatar

Aug 2, 2012 4:30 PM
Posts:  680

13

"How many Thai Baht per night is a (cheap) beach hut in, Koh Phangnan, for example?"

Depends on season and location but you should count on 300 baht. You can find cheaper but then your options really dry up to a few places.

"How many Baht is it for Beer Chang?"

40 baht in 7/11 and more in bars.

"I think perhaps someone who has been, has been giving me misinformation?"

I think the person living on 450 baht was cutting corners or did their sums wrong and gave you the wrong info.

300 baht room
200 baht food and drinks

Then you have transport costs and other activities.

1000 baht per day would be a more realistic budget at the lower level if you want to enjoy the trip and have some freedom. So if you only have 40,000 baht just go for 6 weeks.

OceanSoundCyn

OceanSoundCyn avatar

Aug 2, 2012 6:04 PM
Posts:  224

14

I agree, the budget is very low- at minimum a beach hut on Phangan or Koh Tao will cost 300... but often around 400-450. Everything is more expensive on the islands... less street food available (compared to somewhere like Chiang mai or BKK), everything is more expensive at 7-11 even. I recommend increasing your budget, staying less time, or at least spending more time in areas such as Northern Thailand which are less expensive. The west coast of Thailand is also more expensive than the gulf islands/ east coast.
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