Thailand on ฿1,000 a day.
That is about $30. It buys a dorm bed, three street-food meals, the BTS across Bangkok, two beers and a temple. Here is how to do it, and where it costs more.
- 30 days visa-free from 15 Sep 2026
- ฿33.5 to the US dollar
- ฿220 fee at every ATM
- Dorm bed฿300
Typical 2026 prices · see every source
Where your baht goes furthest
Everyday spend for a backpacker, before tours: bed, food, local transport and a couple of drinks. The north is cheapest, the islands cost the most.
Bangkok
Temples, river boats and the best street food in the country. Cheap if you ride the BTS and eat at stalls.
฿740about $22 a dayChiang Mai & the north
The cheapest base in Thailand. Old City hostels, ฿30 songthaews, khao soi for under $3, Pai up the road.
฿610about $18 a dayAndaman coast
Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi and Koh Lanta. Limestone cliffs and the best water from November to April.
฿1,130about $34 a dayGulf islands
Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. Cheap dive courses and the driest weather from February to August.
฿1,130about $34 a day
Compare all destinations and the cheapest places in Thailand
Start with these guides
Written for first-timers and repeat visitors who want real numbers, not "it depends".
Plan the expensive parts first
Flights, beds and transfers are where most of your money goes. Get these right and the rest of Thailand is cheap.
How to land in Bangkok or Phuket for less, and when to book.
Where to stayDorms from ฿250, private rooms from ฿400, and the areas worth it.
eSIM or SIMAIS and True tourist SIMs from ฿499, or an eSIM before you fly.
Airport to cityAirport Rail Link for ฿45 or a taxi for about ฿450–650.
Tours worth paying forWhich trips to book ahead and which to do yourself.
Money & ATMsEvery Thai ATM charges ฿220. Here is how to pay less.
Why trust these numbers
Every price on this site is a 2026 figure taken from operators, transport timetables and travel guides that publish their own update dates. We convert baht at about ฿33.5 to the dollar (the rate in October 2026) and say on every page when it was last checked. When a rule changes, like the September 2026 visa change, the pages change with it.