What to pay on your next stay in Thailand

A big question when visiting Thailand is what should I be paying for things, what are the best deals.  In this section we try and answer how much you should be paying for something and what is a good deal, so that you can make sure you’re getting your money’s worth.  All prices are in Thai baht, please convert to your currency to get an idea. If you spot an error please email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will correct it right away.

Transport prices

Taxi from  Suvarnabhumi airport to Bangkok expect to pay around 200-300 baht maximum for a metered taxi to main districts of Bangkok (Silom, Sukhumvit, Khao San Road etc.).  You may also pay for a toll to take the express way that saves time and bother (the taxi driver will pay this for you but ask you for the change up front) and shouldn’t be more than a total of around 70baht.  If you are unlucky enough to fall for one of the touts who try and catch you as your walk out, you may pay 500 or up to 1,000 baht and get fleeced.

An alternative is to take the train and there are various train services. The best article we have come across on transportation in Bangkok is  http://www.davestravelcorner.com/articles/bangkok/transportation-skytrain-metro-taxis.htm

For getting around town in Bangkok it’s very inexpensive to take taxis, but do make sure they’re using their meters and don’t try and rip you off.  It’s not just the extra cost if the taxi driver isn’t willing to use his meter, do you really want to trust your safety in the hands of someone who is unscrupulously breaking the law and trying to make a fast buck.  Tuk Tuks and motorcycle taxis are also very cheap, but it’s up to you as to whether you feel safe taking these modes of transport.  Bangkok is blessed with a fabulous SkyTrain and MRT system that interconnects, and we recommend using these to save time getting around town, as Bangkok traffic is legendary.

Hotel prices

Hotel rates vary depending on what type of hotel you choose to stay in.  Suffice it to say there are amazing hotel deals available if you choose a package holiday, and you probably will never know just how cheaply the hotel sold its room to the package tour company.  Hotels need to be occupied to make money and pay staff wages, so particularly in low season the hotel owners will provide some amazing rates for tour companies. If you’re holidaying yourself, and you’re your own package tour operator, then we recommend using a website like www.agoda.com that will save you a lot of money.  They are not only of the biggest hotel room aggregator sites in Asia, they happen to specialise in Thailand and their business operates out of the country.  You’ll see banners thoroughout our website for Agoda, and that’s becaue we think their service is really great, and their prices are about the best you can get.

Here’s a rough idea of what you’d expect to pay for a hotel room in Bangkok, which varies a bit on the resorts, but it gives you an indication.  Also, bear in mind that high season prices are different from low season, so we’re giving you a range rather than a fixed price. We’ll be providing you with more details on the differences at different resorts in the near future.

One star – two star, basic accommodation, clean room, air con, few amenities, don’t expect room service     500 baht to 1,200 baht per night

Three star, expect above plus nice pool, probably a gym, some kind of restaurant/food service on site    1,000 baht to 2,000 baht per night

Four star, expect a well known name, higher standards, swimming pool(s), restaurant(s), dry cleaning, room service   2,000 – 3,500 baht per night

Five star expect top end service and amenities  3,500 baht to 8,000 baht per night, some can even be higher if they’re world famous

Food prices

Food is generally very cheap in Thailand.   Never forget that you can get a fabulous meal almost anywhere in Thailand for around 25-35 baht, and that kind of sets the standard for anything else you can pay.  The downside is you’re probably buying off a street vendor, and you may be taking a chance with hygiene and not necessarily enjoying your dining in the most comfortable surroundings. 

Here’s our guide as to how much you should be shelling our for a meal in Thailand, prices are in baht.

Street vendor  25 – 50 baht, includes drink

Food hall (very popular)  50 – 75 baht includes drink, if with alcohol, then aim for around 100 – 120 baht all in

Normal restaurant (usually opens on the street)  100 – 150 bath per person, includes drink

Fancy restaurant for locals   around 150 – 300 bath per person

Famous Thai food restaurant  around 300 – 500 baht per person maximum

Fancy restaurant for foreigners  300 – 1,000 baht per person, but not necessarily any better than any of the above

Private transport

One great way to get around Thailand is to hire a luxury van with driver.  The most common luxury vans (and you see these everywhere) are the Toyota 6-8 seater vans.  They are extremely comfortable, tend to come with DVD/TV, fully air conditioned, in good shape, and easy to get around Thailand.

Expect to pay around 2,000 baht per day with driver.  If you are paying much above 2,500 baht, you may be getting ripped off, and if you’re paying a lot less than 2,000 baht, make sure that obvious things like does the driver have insurance, is he a good driver, etc. are covered. Note that gas/petrol is extra and you’ll be expected to pay this.

If you’re looking for a tour guide as well, you can find professional tour guides who will spend the day with you and will charge around 1,000 – 1,500 baht for a day, it shouldn’t cost you much more. Some of these tour guides can be only earning 500 baht for their day, so don’t expect much if you’re paying closer to this.

Shopping

Shopping is covered in other sections of our website but suffice it to say that the cheapest shopping will be at the local markets.