Thailand in 26 days on a budget ðđððļ ultimate guide
Itinerary overview
Here is the exact itinerary I did. More details in day to day section.
Budget overview
Accommodation 149âŽ
âLocal transport 120âŽ
Food 150âŽ
Fun 35âŽ
Total 454⎠(17⎠a day)
Food
For this trip I set my daily food budget to 180 bath (5âŽ). It was just enough to be full and try all the things I wanted but not go too crazy.
Another good option for food, especially snacks is 7-eleven. They have so many options at good price and they can heat up all the meals or even make instant noodles or coffee. Once again easier if you're not vegan but I would still go in each day for some snacks.
If you shop in 7 eleven at some point you will get stamp stickers. Those are collectibles for some bigger rewards but you can also use them as cash. They are worth 1 bath (or 3 but then the sticker will specifically say so) and you just give it to cashier. They are also super cute so I kept bunch as souvenirs.
When it comes to water - I did drink tap water in bangkok and it was not a problem. Outside of bangkok it's not recommended. All cities on this itinerary (except Koh Tao) have water dispensers all over the place. You put coins and it gives you water. Be careful though, it's super cheap so don't go crazy with coins! 5 bath will give you 5-7 liters (!) depending on machine. Much cheaper and econfriendly than buying water in 7 eleven
Local transport
Moving around will depend on the city but few things are in common:
Tuk-tuks - the classic vehicle of Thailand. Must say I didn't not use them much. They are great for very short trips, 5min or so, then they should cost 30 bath. However, I found that they do charge a lot for longer trips and inflate the price a lot. And for the short distance trips I might as well walk. The only time I used a tuk-tuk was to get a friend that got both high and drunk (be nice to people traveling with you and do NOT do that) and could not walk anymore back to accommodation. The journey was 4min walk and the tuk tuk charged us 80 bath (we took 3h train for almost the same price so super inflated). Overall would personally not recommend but my experience is very limited.
Taxis - didn't even try. Might be economic for more people?
Grab app - used a few times. Really good option for medium - long rides especially with more than 1 person. Super easy to use app, price very clear, time very clear. Overall good and would recommend but if you're solo bus might be cheaper
Scooters - all cities you can rent a scooter. Usually 250 bath for 24h. Never rode a scooter so never used that option but lots of people do so must be good.
Bikes - some cities rent bikes. 50 bath for 24h, used that a few times and really enjoyed. Keep in mind the bikes are okay, they work but don't except much, especially of the brakes ð
Local buses - especially good in Bangkok, will dicuss below. Scarce in other cities
Long distance transport
I'll go into details in the day to day but overall trains are the go to. They are cheap, slow, sometimes comfortable and quite reliable. Some destinations like islands require bus and boat. Either way for long transfers its recommended to book at least few days in advance to secure a spot.
Best way is to book at the station, prices are cheaper and you can usually pay with card if you choose to.
But if you want to book online you can use 12go
The bus prices are more less the same as at the station bus trains are more expensive. However, you will need to pay booking online fees (can be up to extra 10âŽ) so I'd still recommend booking at the station if you can.
When to visit
The high tourist season is November-February which coincides with dry season. That's when you'll find most of the tourists and the prices will be a bit higher. April-September is the monsoon season, which tourists avoid more because the rain and floods can make the trip difficult.
My trip was in October, just in between season purely by accident as that's when I had time. And I loved it. I haven't visited any other time so can't compare but here is what it was like in October:
Some tourists but really not many. In tourists spots was much more locals than foreigners. Absolutely no problem booking accommodation, even on the same day or day before. Very cheap prices, my trip extended into few first days of November, and the places I stayed at before were suddenly 40-50% more expensive. Not sure if that was because of halloween or because of starting tourists season. No problems booking trains and buses either. However, first few weeks it was occasionally raining. Not too bad to disrupt the plans, the rain although crazy intense was gone quickly. But as I arrived there were big floods happening in the North so I had to shuffle the plans, go south first and hope by 2 weeks the north will be accessible again. And it was. So just keep in mind if you travel during rain time you might need to change the plans and keep and eye on the floods.
Money
By large most transactions can be done with card, especially big ones like accommodation or big transport. For the rest, they do have local online payments but you need thai bank account for that. So for markets, eating out locally, rentals or local buses you'll need some cash. 7 eleven takes card for transactions over 200 bath.
You can withdraw money at any of the million ATMS around. Often they are free standing with for me was a bit sketchy (I usually only withdraw from ATM at a bank that is open for safety) but had no problem with them during the trip. Keep in mind that each withdrawal has 220 bath fee so it's good to take more money in one go.
Good option is exchanging dollars for euros at exchange place. Airport has them but at a bit higher fee so I'd recommend exchanging outside airport. Check a few to compare prices or look at Google reviews. For example I exchanged 40 $ in Chiang Mai (the more you exchange the better rate) and i paid 29 bath (0.86$) in all fees all together.
Accommodation
Booking.com
I really like using booking.com, especially in the Asia. It often offers the best price (compared to other websites) and it has a great genius loyalty program (check the link below). The more bookings you make the more discounts you qualify for in the future. Especially on multi-location trips like this you can move up very quickly and I used the genius discount deals a few times on this trip.Â
Another hack is to book using the mobile app. Many locations offer a 10-19% discount just because you book it via the booking.com app. Not all but it's definitely worth having a quick look before confirming.Â
In case you didn't know if you use the booking.com link in the guide I'll receive a small comission. As I mentioned I genuinely like the website and use it a lot regardless of the commission. Sometimes if I find a better deal on other site I'll go with it so in this guide you'll also find recommendations from other websites
https://www.booking.com/genius.html
Day to day itinery
Day 1 - Welcome to Bangkok
Welcome to Thailand! You're probably arriving at the Bangkok International airport (BKK)
To get to the city you can take a bus or train. The train unfortunately doesn't go deep into the city and certainly not to the touristy area so bus it is. But you'll need cash, if you don't have already you can go to exchange point (I checked a bunch and all had exactly the same exchange rate) or use ATM. The exchange rates will be better in the city so don't go crazy exchanging all the cash. I did not use ATM at the airport but all ATMs in Thailand should have 220bath fee and no more.
Once you're ready go to floor 1 exit 7 where bus S1 depart from. It will take you to Khao San Road, where most accommodations are for 60bath
Khaosan has lots of accommodations around, depending on what you're looking for. I stayed in the area twice and stayed in those places (twin room):
What I liked about the area was food. Khaosan Road is full of options and cheap. For my fellow vegans I'd recommend mango sticky rice (50bath from the market carts) and those restaurants:
SInce you just arrived nothing crazy is scheduled for today. Check in relax get some delishious food and check out Khaosan, especially at night when it goes crazy.
Day 2 - Bangkok
Welcome to Bangkok! Let's start exploring
Khaosan road is a good starting point of exploring. I did 90% of my Bangkok excursions by foot altough I do enjoy walking. However, as every major city Bangkok is full of transport options. For short distances tuk-tuk is a good option, just make sure you ask some locals first what resonable price would be so you don't get scammed.Â
But the best way I found to move around the city were buses. Google maps is quite okay at knowing their routes but not 100%. Once on the way to train station the bus google told me to take only went half way, but luckily Thai people are incredibly nice and helpful and they told me exactly what bus to take next.
Bangkok has 2 different types of buses
REG - next to the number on google maps you will see REG. Those are the old school buses, super cool, super fun. Nothing fancy, no AC, no chargers, no wifi, nothing. They have fixed price which is 8bath and you will need cash to give to the ticket person. Don't pay too much attention to the exact time google says bus will come, they really do operate more on 'it will come when it comes' basis
AC - the modern buses. They look much more like the public transport buses you'd see in Europe. Nice, modern, AC, chargers, Wifi. The price depends on distance but usually between 20-40bath. I think they might have a card option but I'm not completly sure. Definitely best to have some cash on you.
Things to see in Bangkok
Day 3 - Bangkok
I enourage you to do some more research of what to do in Bangkok. It is a major metropoly and no matter what your interests are you will definitely find something that suits you.
As for this day, the two friends I met in Bangkok are art nerds, so they suggested MOCA
I am a nature nerd, I did enjoy the art but it is not really my things. Nethertheless I was intrigued by some pieces and did end up spending most the of the day there.
It is a bit of a hussle to get there as it's more on the outskirts. We got there with 2 AC buses (about 50bath one way) plus there is an entry fee of 280 bath so it is not the cheapest day trip (Thai standards).Â
Day 4 - Ayutthaya
Today you'll go on a day trip to acient city of Ayutthaya
Most of the trains depart from Bangkom main train station
Depending where in Bangkok you're staying your means of getting to the station will very. Google maps is quite reliable when it comes to public transport, used it for a month and only had an issue once. So start your search there. I'd recommend the REG buses, they are the local, old school ones where ticket costs only 8 bath (20 cents). AC buses as name suggest have AC and charge depending how far you're going but usually between 15-40bath (0.4-1âŽ). Of course there is always taxi and tuk-tuks but those are more expensive options.
Trains to Ayutthaya are frequent but its good to have an idea which one you're aiming for. Here is correct schedule
I tried to book a day before to ensure spot but I was told at the train station that ticket can only be booked on the day. Next morning I came to the station and had no problem at all to book the ride I wanted but that was the end of the low season (October). The ticket costs 15bath (40 cents) and you need to show your passport. The ride takes about 1.5-2 hours so it's the longest form of transport but you can experience the local train which I found quite fun.
Once you arrive I'd recommend double checking the train schedule back (on trains station there is a big poster) but below is an updated schedule that was correct when I was there
Id recommended trying to book return ticket right away, however, they might tell you that booking is only 30min before the train. In that case keep in mind which return train you aim for bus make sure its not the last one! When I came to book my 1806 I was told it was sold out but they sold me 1848 ticket right away.
Once you arrive in Ayutthaya
As you exit the train station you'll find yourself in the main road. If you turn right and walk a few meters you'll see a big sign 'BIKES FOR RENT'. I'll highly recommend renting a bike for today, the main city is decent size if you were to only walk and bike will allow you to see so many more sights. Biking in Ayutthaya is easy, no hills or difficult terrain. You will end up needing to bike on main roads but they often have bike path and drivers are very respectful.
Full day rental is 60 bath (1.6âŽ). You'll be given map and instructions. The only tricky part is crossing the river to the old town. There is a bridge which is also a main road. I used it twice and had no problem but its a busy road so you might not feel comfortable. In that case go to the boat pier close to bike rental (they will show you on a map) and take a ferry for 15bath (40 cents).
Once you cross the river follow the map and the sights you want to visit. Here are my favourite ones to recommend
Day 5 - Travel day
Today you'll head to Kanchanaburi
The train leaves from Thon Buri Station
Consult Google what's the easiest way to get there from your accommodation. There are only 2 departures daily (755 and 1355) so make sure you choose the one you want and not just show up at the station. Be at the station at least 30 min early to book the ticket, I had no problem booking on the day. The price is 100bath (2.7âŽ) and the trains takes about 3 hours.
As for accommodation I stayed here. It was lovely and I can totally recommend it, however most of the things happen in the train station area so that's probably more convenient area to stay at.
Best place to find food is around train station. I struggled a lot finding vegan food around the accommodation and most nights ended up having 7 eleven dinner. As for breakfast found this absolute gem - rice with 2 toppings 35 bath (1âŽ) and all vegetarian.
Day 6 - Erawan Falls
Today you will visit Erawan Falls
It is easy to get there with local bus, all you need to do is to go to Kanchanaburi bus station (about 20min walk from the train station south) and a blue bus with big 'ERAWAN FALLS' white sign will be waiting there. The bus leaves from there every 30 min. I read that you can stop the bus at any point of the main road, and indeed locals were getting on at random points but as a tourist it is probably easier to go to the bus station. The bus costs 60bath and is cash only.
The bus ride is about an hour and will take you all the way to park entrance. Just before that it will stop at the park gate where an park official will come in and collect a 300bath park entry fee which can be paid in cash only. The ticket said that it is valid for 5 days and once in the park I saw a lot of camping option (with rental of all equipment) for under 300bath a night. Unfortunatelly I do not remember the exact price but it was very resonable and if I knew of this option before I would have totally stayed the night.Â
Once you arrive at the park (the driver stops in few other spots so if you are in doubt ask if it is the waterfall stop. It is the last stop of the bus so you can also just wait until he kicks you out) check the return timetable! Last bus is earlier than you think (1630 I believe?) and that is the one everyone will want to take so you might consider either being early or taking the earlier bus.Â
You arrived at the falls, let's go! Just follow the signs pointing to waterfalls. The whole thing has 7 tiers and to go to the very top it takes 3 miles. Along tier 1 you will see a place with lifejacket rental for 20bath. If you plan on swimming in the falls (which is super fun and refreshing and I totally recommend) you will need one, no matter how good of a swimmer you are. Each tier has a lifeguard that will yell at you if you go in past knee length without the lifejacket.Â
Once you pass tier 1 and try to enter tier 2 there will be a food checkpoint. No more food pass here so make sure you have a nice picnic before. They will ask you to leave a bag with all your food and they will give you a number to collect it later. They just are trying to reduce any trash and plastic that people unfortunately love to leave behind. You can take drinks, if you have reusable bottle just go ahead. But if you have a plastic one you will need to register it and pay 20bath deposit. If you bring the bottle back you will get money back. Once again reducing plastic waste.
There is one food place with limited options at tier 1. Nothing pass that. There is food market about 1 mile before the park entry, but if you don't have a car it will be quite tricky to get there. So I would highly recommend getting snacks the day before.
The hike is quite self explanatory, one path, follow the signs. The top tiers close at certain time (around 15-16, I don't remember but there are a few big signs so you won't miss it). So in general it is a good idea to head out there as early in the morning as possible. Tier 4 is especially fun - do the rocks look like a slide to you? Yep, they are. You can totally slide down, the water is deep enough and it is so much fun.Â
The area is quite full of mosquitos so I'd recommend having some spray, if you are unlucky like me and mosquitos love you. Also, the water is full of the fish that eat dead skin from feet. I cannot tell you how much I hate them and what a weird sensation it is. Most of them are in the shallowest parts, just where you enter. You need to be constantly moving so they don't nibble on you. Unless you like the sensation.
Day 7 - Kanchanaburi
Today you will have a chance to explore Kanchanaburi. I encourage you to do your own research, just as Bangkok this city has many different things to offer. However, here is what I did on that day:My main focus was nature so I rented a bike from the accommodation (50bath all day) and headed over the bridge south.
Those two spots are quite far away with many big and small temples and markets in between so it already took all day. Very pleasant biking area, mix of main road and rice fields. Google maps did guide me well. Only catch is that if you have bike you cannot cross with it on the River Kwai bridge, but there is another bridge 5-10 min cycling south.Â
Day 8 - Travel day
Another travel day. Train to Bangkok leaves twice a day, at 705 and 1445 and costs 100 bath.Â
The afternoon one will let you have a slow morning and be in Bangkok in enough time to catch the overnight bus to Koh Tao if you choose to. Take break in the morning, it will be a long journey to Koh Tao. If it feels like too much of travel day, find accommodation in Khaosan area for a night and take the bus next day.
The train arrives at Thon Buri station, while the overnight bus to Koh Tao leaves from Khaosan. You will have 3 hours between train and bus so more than enough time to take a bus across and have some food in Khaosan
The travel to Koh Tao comes as a package - bus and boat ride. It costs 1250bath one way if booked at their office (you can pay card). I'd recommend booking at least a few days in advance to secure spot, it is a popular route. If you can't visit the office you can book it at 12go.com but some additional charges will be added. The overnight connection leaves at 2100 and gets you to Koh Tao at 845 next morning.Â
Even if you have your ticket booked already you will need to check in at the ticket office. Make sure you do it a bit in advance to avoid the line (maybe 1h before) and then you can head out for dinner in peace. They will ask you to come back 2030 and be ready for bus. At this point it gets a bit chaotic, there are different buses going to different places at the same time. You will receive color coded sticker so you can ask anyone using it.Â
Half way through the bus ride you will stop at some food hall/gas station mix. So it's good to get some snacks for the ride but if you forget you can get snacks or full meal there. You will arrive at the pier around 4am and wait 1-2h for the ferry. Here again are some shops and restaurants but seleciton is limited and expensive so stock up before.Â
Day 9 - Koh Tao
Welcome to Koh Tao - my favourite section of the whole trip! You will arrive at the pier early in the morning. The ferry goes to a few islands on the way but Koh Tao is the first stop. Once you get off the boat head out of the pier and the crowd. At the exit, you will be asked to pay 20bath island entry fee. At this point I'd recommend booking return bus since the office is just around the corner.
There are no buses on the island so your options will be walking, taxi or scooters. Depending what you're after you can stay in the main area (just where the pier is) for most night life, food and markets. But if you're more after diving and marine life you might want to stay on the south edge (25min walk)
Day 10-11 - Diving
Koh Tao is diving paradise and one of my goals was to come here and do my PADI advanced training. And regardless if you dived before or not I would strongly recommend it. The place is mindblowing when it comes to marine life.
But of course diving is expensive. I didn't not include it in the budget, and it is a treat not everyone will be interested it.
My advanced course cost 9500 (260âŽ) bath, which is actually half price I seen anywhere else in Europe. So if you are to do diving courses it is best place to do it. The price includes everything from boat to equipment rental. Advanced took 2 days and I think Open Water takes 3.
Koh Tao is absolutely filled with dive centres, with prices varying between 9000-10000 (for advanced). However, while diving in other places I heard people saying that if you do diving course in Thailand it won't be recognised anywhere (because in some centres you can just pay and not do the training). So I made sure to book through PADI website for peace of mind.
Day 12-13 Koh Tao
This section of the trip was beach holiday âąïļ
Few things you can do:
You can get a scooter and do a lapse around the island. I can't drive one so can't tell you much more about good spots, but even for the below spots it's nice because the island is quite hilly)
Day 14 - Travel day
Today you'll head back to Bangkok. Unfortunately for the return journey there is no convenient overnight option. You can either choose the 1015-2030 option or 1445-0045. I went for the earlier one just because I didn't want to walk around Bangkok after midnight. Both options are the same price (1250bath) and I'd recommend booking it in person at the pier (you can pay card) at least a day or two in advance. You can also book it online on 12go.com but there will be additional cost.
The bus does stop halfway at the big gas station with many food options so even if you don't pack snacks you can grab something there.
After the long travel day I stayed a night at At Home Hotel because its so close by
For food you are in the busy area, head to Khao San Road and you'll find something around every corner.
Day 15 - Travel day
Today you will head out north to Chiang Mai. The main two ways to get there are domestic flight or train.
From what i heard, domestic flights are easy and cheap. They depart from the Don Mueang airport (mosty but of course always double check). It is located in the north edge of Bangkok but quite easy to get to, either by bus or by train. Prices vary and often start around 1000 bath plus luggage. Those are budget airlines so of course they will charge probably a lot for a bag. I took the train, so I don't know much more about flight option.Â
The second option and the one I opted for was train. All trains to Chiang Mai depart from Bang Sue Grand Station (Krung Thep Aphiwat), NOT from Bangkok central station. They used to a few years ago but it's not a case anymore. Keep that in mind because when I took the wrong bus the helpful locals tried to send me to central, thinking north line still departs from there.Â
There are multiple daily departures, but the overnight trains are the most comfortable and popular. I would recommend booking few days in advance. I showed up on the day, 2h before departure and no spot were left. Luckily there was a 3rd class seat available for the last train of the day, 4h laters. Although the great price (250 bath) I would strongly discourage 3rd class, it's quite miserable. 14h on the quite hard and very small seat (regular space for 2 people has 3 people sharing). Also my bag got infested with ants, took me 2 days and multiple washes to get ride of most of the them.Â
Other option is the sleeper, whichupon arrival I immediately booked for the return. Different departures have slightly different prices but the one I bought was 850 bath. A comfortable single seat that later staff member turns into a bed, AC, clean. I do love a deal but here the extra money is worth it. Once again it is cheaper to book at the station than online, but the train station is signicantly out of town. I'd recommend booking at least the train to go there online (12go.com) to avoid no seats or 3rd class. Once you arrive in Chiang Mai you can book return ticket at the station right away.
In 3rd class occasionally someone walks around with food and drinks to buy. I believe in sleeper class you get acces dining cart but I never tried. I just brought my own snacks for the ride.Â
Once you are in Chiang Mai you need to get to the centre, the train statio is quite far. You can walk (about 40min), try to take a songthaew or grab.
Songthaew - a local mix of taxis and buses. They have no fixed route and try to collect as many people on the way as possible. The price depends on distance and number of people and varies between 30-100 baths. There will be plenty of them waiting outside the station so you can ask for price.
As for accommodation, here are the two places I stayed at
As for my favourite food places
Day 16 - Chiang Mai
Let's explore Chaing Mai!
Chiang Mai is a city of temples, with over 300 temples in the city and surrounding area. Their main accumulation is in the old town area (the obvious square on the map surrounded by canals). Most of them you can visit free of charge as long as you make sure you are respectful and dressed modestly. I will not even try to list any because they are literally on every corner of the city.Â
If your visit falls on the weekend, make sure to check out the Sunday walking market. It takes place as the name suggests on Sunday and starts at the Phae Gate and continues through most of the city
Day 17 - Monk's Trail
Day 18 - Chiang Mai
Once again I highly encourage you to do your own researchof of things available in the area. Especially today, because as for me I decided to do absolutely nothing today. Sleep in, watch a movie, go get some food and small walk. It felt like a perfect moment half way through the trip to get a breather and regenerate some energy.Â
Day 19 - Travel day
Day 20 - Chiang Rai
Day 21 - Chiang Rai
Day 22 - Travel day
Day 23 - Bangkok
Day 24 - Bangkok
Day 25 - Bangkok
Day 26 - Departure
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