Thailand holiday costs: how much money do you need?

Thailand has long been known for offering excellent value for money. You can still enjoy a Thailand holiday without spending a fortune, but there is no single answer to how much a trip will cost. Your budget depends on where you stay, how you travel, where you eat and what you want to do. A simple guesthouse and bowls of noodles from a local food court will result in a very different daily spend from a beachfront resort, cocktails at a rooftop bar and private excursions.

Location makes a difference too. Your money will generally go further in Northern Thailand and less-touristy provincial destinations than in some popular island and beach resorts.

The good news is that Thailand caters extremely well for different budgets. Whether you are travelling economically, looking for a comfortable mid-range holiday or planning something more luxurious, there are plenty of options.

How much does a holiday in Thailand cost?

As a broad guide, excluding international flights, allow approximately:

Travel style	Approximate daily budget per person*
Budget	1,000–2,000 baht
Comfortable/mid-range	2,500–5,000 baht
Higher-end/luxury	6,000 baht upwards

*These figures are intended as a general planning guide. Accommodation is based on two people sharing a room, and costs can vary considerably depending on destination and time of year.

A budget traveller might stay in a guesthouse or simple hotel, eat mainly at local restaurants and food courts, use public transport and choose inexpensive or free attractions.

With a mid-range budget, there is more scope for good-quality hotels, a wider choice of restaurants, domestic travel, organised excursions and the occasional splurge.

At the upper end, there is almost no ceiling. Thailand has outstanding luxury hotels, private villas, Michelin-listed restaurants, private tours and exclusive experiences for travellers who want them.

What affects the cost of a Thailand holiday?

Where you go

Prices aren’t uniform across Thailand. Bangkok offers options at almost every price point, while cities such as Chiang Mai can provide particularly good value for accommodation and food. Smaller provincial towns can be cheaper again.

At popular beach destinations and islands, expect some costs to be higher. Accommodation, taxis, boat transfers and imported food and drink can all add to your daily expenditure. Even within the same destination, costs can vary substantially. Staying in Phuket Town, for example, is a different proposition from booking a luxury beachfront resort on Phuket’s west coast.

When you travel

Hotel prices can fluctuate significantly according to demand. This is particularly noticeable at beach resorts and during peak holiday periods such as Christmas and New Year.

Travelling outside the busiest periods can provide much better value, with attractive hotel rates and promotions often available. But don’t base your decision purely on price. Weather patterns vary across Thailand, and the best-value period on one coast doesn’t necessarily match conditions elsewhere.

How you travel

Moving around Thailand can be inexpensive, but frequent flights, private transfers and island-hopping will increase your overall costs. A holiday based in two or three locations will normally have lower transport costs than an itinerary that involves changing destination every couple of days.

Accommodation costs in Thailand

Accommodation is likely one of the biggest components of your holiday budget, but Thailand offers an enormous range of choices. At the lower end, simple guesthouses and hostels can offer clean, comfortable accommodation at very reasonable prices. Budget hotels are widely available too.

For about 1,500–3,000 baht per room per night, you’ll generally find a good range of comfortable mid-range accommodation, though location and time of year make a big difference.

Move into the 4-star and 5-star market and the range becomes even broader. Thailand is particularly strong for high-quality hotels and resorts, and you can find excellent value compared with equivalent standards in many other countries. At popular beach destinations, prices can rise sharply during periods of high demand. Beachfront rooms and private-pool villas will naturally cost more.

One useful point when comparing hotel prices is to check exactly what is included. Breakfast, airport transfers, resort fees and other extras can alter the true cost of a stay.

How much does food cost in Thailand?

Thailand offers particularly good value for food. A simple Thai dish at a local market, food court or neighbourhood restaurant may cost around 50–100 baht. Portions, location, and ingredients affect the price, but you can still eat well without spending much.

Sit-down Thai restaurants may charge around 150 baht or more per dish. Restaurants in tourist areas, beachfront locations and hotels are generally more expensive. Unsurprisingly, international food usually costs more than everyday Thai food, particularly when it involves imported ingredients.

At the other end of the scale, Bangkok and Thailand’s major tourist destinations have a thriving fine-dining scene. Michelin-recognised restaurants, rooftop venues and luxury hotels mean you can spend several thousand baht on dinner if you choose.

For many visitors to Thailand, the best approach is a mixture: inexpensive local lunches, casual Thai restaurants and a few more expensive meals during the holiday.

What about drinks?

Bottled water is inexpensive and readily available. Coffee prices range from basic local coffee at around 60 baht to prices comparable to the UK at specialist cafés and international chains. Fruit smoothies are a tasty way to beat the heat with prices averaging around 60-80 baht.

Alcohol can have a surprisingly large impact on a holiday budget. Although local beer is cheap, with a small bottle averaging around 80-100 baht, wine and imported alcoholic drinks are considerably more expensive. Cocktails at hotels, beach clubs and rooftop bars can quickly increase the cost of an evening out.

Transport costs in Thailand

The amount you spend getting around depends heavily on your itinerary. Bangkok has extensive public transport, including the BTS Skytrain and MRT network, which are usually economical ways to get around the city.

Metered taxis can also be good value, although you need to factor in traffic conditions. Ride-hailing apps are widely used in many destinations and show the fare or an estimate before you travel.

Outside Bangkok, local transport can include songthaews, buses, tuk-tuks and taxis. Prices and systems vary considerably between destinations.

For longer journeys, Thailand has an extensive rail and bus network. Domestic flights can also be relatively inexpensive when booked in advance, but include checked baggage and other optional charges when comparing fares.

If your itinerary includes islands, budget for ferry or speedboat transfers, as well as transport to and from the pier.

How much should I budget for sightseeing and activities?

This is another category where individual holidays can differ enormously.

While some of Thailand’s better-known attractions charge non-Thais for admission, many temples and local attractions are either free or charge only a modest fee. Museums and historical parks are generally affordable too. Thailand’s national parks charge entrance fees, and overseas visitors will usually pay a different rate from Thai citizens. Fees vary by park but typically range from 200-500 baht. 

More substantial activities can have a much bigger impact on your budget. These might include:

• Island and snorkelling excursions
• Scuba diving
• Cooking classes
• Guided tours
• Spa treatments and wellness programmes
• Adventure activities
• Private boat trips
• Wildlife and nature experiences

Rather than trying to fit these into a rigid daily budget, it can be useful to identify your must-do activities before travelling and budget for them separately.

How much spending money do I need for Thailand?

This is slightly different from asking how much the entire holiday will cost. If you’ve already paid for flights and accommodation, your spending money only needs to cover items like food, drinks, local transport, attractions, excursions, and shopping.

For somebody who eats mainly at local restaurants, uses public transport and doesn’t take an organised excursion every day, 1,500–2,000 baht per person per day can go a surprisingly long way. Allowing around 2,500–4,000 baht per person per day provides considerably more flexibility for restaurants, taxis, drinks and activities.

If your plans include regular fine dining, nightlife, private excursions, spas or extensive shopping, you will naturally need to allow more. Think of these figures as a starting point rather than a target. Some days you might spend very little eating street food and wandering around a local neighbourhood.  But another day could see you spend several times your normal daily amount on a daytime boat excursion and an evening at a fancy restaurant.

Example budget for a two-week Thailand holiday

The destinations you choose matter as much as your travel style. Islands like Phuket and Ko Samui are more expensive compared to inland destinations like Kanchanaburi or Chiang Rai. For a couple travelling independently and staying in comfortable mid-range accommodation, a two-week Thailand holiday budget might look something like this:

Accommodation: 25,000–50,000 baht
Food and drinks: 20,000–35,000 baht
Local and intercity transport: 8,000–15,000 baht
Sightseeing and activities: 10,000–25,000 baht
Miscellaneous spending: 5,000–10,000 baht

That puts total spending at about 68,000–135,000 baht for two people, excluding international flights. This is deliberately a wide range. A couple staying in good-value hotels and eating predominantly Thai food could spend less. A couple choosing upscale beach resorts, frequent organised excursions and higher-end restaurants could easily spend considerably more.

Other costs to remember

Some smaller expenses are easy to overlook when putting together a Thailand holiday budget.

Mobile phone and data

Tourist SIM cards and eSIMs make mobile data relatively inexpensive. Packages vary by provider, length of stay, and data allowance.

Laundry

Laundry services are widely available and generally inexpensive, particularly away from hotels. This can be useful on a longer trip and means you may not need to pack as much. It’s also an easy and convenient way to support a local business.

Travel insurance

Include travel insurance in your overall holiday costs rather than treating it as an optional extra. Check that the policy is appropriate for any activities you intend to undertake.

ATM and bank charges

Using a foreign bank card at a Thai ATM normally incurs a local withdrawal fee in addition to any charges imposed by your own bank or card provider. Because fees and card conditions change, check the amount shown on the ATM screen before confirming a withdrawal. Making fewer, larger withdrawals can sometimes reduce the overall impact of fixed withdrawal charges, but don’t carry more cash than you are comfortable with.

If an ATM or card terminal offers to convert the transaction into pounds, check the exchange rate carefully. Most of the time, you’ll get a poor exchange rate. Paying in Thai baht and letting your card provider handle the conversion will almost always give you a better rate.

Shopping

Shopping is hard to fit into an average daily budget. One traveller may buy only a few souvenirs, but another might return home with an extra suitcase. Set a separate shopping allowance if markets, handicrafts, clothing, or shopping malls will be a significant part of your holiday.

Cash or card: how should you pay in Thailand?

Although Thailand has become increasingly digital for residents, visitors should still expect to use cash. QR code payments are extremely common among Thai consumers, but not all of the systems used by Thai residents are available to overseas visitors.

Cards are widely accepted at larger hotels, shopping centres, supermarkets and many restaurants. Smaller businesses, markets, street-food vendors and local transport may still be cash-only.

For most travellers, a combination of cash and card remains the most practical solution. Carry smaller banknotes rather than relying exclusively on 1,000-baht notes, especially when paying for inexpensive food, taxis, and local transport.

Ways to make your Thailand holiday budget go further

Saving money in Thailand doesn’t have to mean travelling as cheaply as possible. Eating at local restaurants and markets is often cheaper and more enjoyable than relying exclusively on restaurants aimed at tourists.

Public transport can also save you money. In Bangkok, using the BTS or MRT instead of taxis for every journey can cut costs and save time when roads are congested.

Consider how many destinations you genuinely need to include. Constantly moving between islands, cities and resorts adds transport costs and uses up valuable holiday time. You can also save significantly by travelling at quieter times of year. Hotels often offer attractive rates outside peak demand. And don’t assume the best experiences are necessarily the most expensive. Markets, local neighbourhoods, beaches, temples and independent exploration can provide some of the most memorable moments of a Thailand holiday.

Is Thailand expensive?

Thailand is no longer the ultra-cheap destination portrayed in some older guidebooks, particularly in the most popular tourist areas. Prices have risen, and travellers seeking international-standard hotels, restaurants, and experiences can spend substantial amounts.

However, that doesn’t mean Thailand has stopped offering good value. One of the country’s strengths is its range of options. You can spend 60 baht on a tasty bowl of noodles or a few thousand baht on a fabulous dinner. You can sleep in a simple family-run guesthouse or a private-pool villa. You can take a local bus or arrange a chauffeur-driven transfer.

For most visitors, the question isn’t really whether Thailand is cheap or expensive. It is deciding what level of comfort and which experiences matter to you and building your holiday budget around them.

Thailand holiday costs: frequently asked questions

Is £50 a day enough for Thailand?

It certainly can be, especially if you’ve already paid for accommodation. £50 worth of Thai baht provides a reasonable daily spending allowance for local meals, everyday transport and sightseeing. Expensive excursions, nightlife and higher-end restaurants will increase that figure. If the £50 also needs to cover accommodation, you’ll need to budget much more carefully.

How much money do I need for two weeks in Thailand?

There is no single figure, but a couple taking a comfortable independent two-week holiday might spend approximately 68,000–135,000 baht in Thailand excluding international flights. The choice of hotels, destinations, activities and restaurants will determine where you fall within (or beyond) that range.

Is food expensive in Thailand?

Everyday Thai food is good value. You can often find local dishes for around 50–100 baht, although prices are higher in tourist resorts and upscale restaurants. International food, imported products and alcohol can increase your food and drink budget considerably.

Should I take cash to Thailand?

It is useful to arrive with access to more than one method of payment. Cash remains important for markets, small restaurants, local transport and smaller businesses, while hotels, shopping centres and larger establishments widely accept cards.

Are credit and debit cards widely accepted?

Yes, in many tourist-facing businesses, but Thailand isn’t a destination where visitors should rely entirely on cards. Always have some Thai baht available for smaller purchases and places that don’t accept international cards. If you want to pay by card for larger purchases, check whether a fee is added.  

Which parts of Thailand are more expensive?

Popular islands and major beach resorts are generally more expensive than provincial Thailand, particularly for accommodation and transport. However, prices vary widely within destinations, and you can still find affordable options in most places.

Plan your budget, but leave room for flexibility

A detailed budget helps when planning a Thailand holiday, but you don’t need to account for every baht before you leave home. Work out the major costs first: flights, accommodation and travel between destinations. Then consider the activities that matter to you, and allow a realistic daily amount for food, drinks, and local transport.

Build in some extra spending money for unexpected experiences too. You may find a restaurant you want to try, decide to take an extra day trip or spot something at a market that wasn’t part of the original plan. Thailand can accommodate a remarkably wide range of holiday budgets. Knowing where your money is likely to go makes it much easier to decide where to save, and where it is worth spending a little more.