Holidays in Thailand – How Much?

Thailand is, and has been for at least a decade, right at the top of both the world’s holiday resorts and travellers’ wish-list destinations. The same goes for retirees and expats. The question people ask me most often, as someone who lives in Thailand is, how much are holidays in Thailand?

This is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string. However, if you will bear with me a while, I will try to give you a relevant answer.

Asia, in general, is quite cheap in comparison with Europe, and so is Thailand. Once you get there, and therein lies a variable that I cannot predict – the flight to Thailand   My first flight to Bangkok, Thailand ten years ago cost me more than £600, but a friend told me today that he had been pleased to get a flight for £500. You may be lucky with great holiday deals.and low cost flights.

Most foreigners that I have met here come for a month, or at the very least a fortnight. Therefore, a thirty-day holiday starts at about £20 a day, a two-week holiday about £40

However, most tourists need a hotel. The cost of those varies with the star-rating and location, as it does everywhere in the world. Cheap hotels cost £10 per night, expensive ones £800. Most people have a lovely time in a hotel with swimming pool costing £15 a night.

That brings our total to £35 a day.

Food is another unpredictable variable. If you want to eat Western food, you will probably spend £5 a meal minimum. However, if you want to eat Thai, then the cost comes down to between 80p and £2.

We are now on £37 a day for a thirty-day experience.

Drinks

Drink? Let’s generalise it to entertainment. A bottle of the strongest beer in Thailand costs about £1. That is ‘Beer Chang’ – Elephant Beer. I a village that will buy you a pint bottle, but in a city such as Pattaya or Bangkok, a half.

The same goes for soft drinks. Few bars offer tea or coffee, unless it’s cold in a can or a bottle, but they are cheap by Western standards.

So, if you like to drink five bottles a night, that’s another fiver a day.

We are now on £42 a day. Let’s call it £50.

That is for one person. Most men would rather come to this country alone, but the cost of a hotel room is the same for one or two occupants.

People come to Thailand for many reasons including the hot weather, the incredible beaches, the islands like Koh Samui, the sea, the millions of beautiful Wats (Thai Buddhist Temples), the famous food and the unbelievable night life.

Holidays in Thailand – How Much? – written by +Owen Jones

All the best,

Owen

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Podcast: Holidays in Thailand – How Much?