Saturday, October 27, 2007

Cheap Travel to Thailand

Thailand is a country where your hard earned dollars can really go a long way. Cheap travel to Thailand can easily be obtained as their cost of living is very low there. The Thai currency is the Baht of which there are 37 to US$1. It's possible to cover all your basic needs such as food, water, accomodations and local transportion on a budget of about 200 Baht a day or just over US$5. This is certainly cheap travel to Thailand.

Thailand's most popular visitor season is the winter period from November until March. During this time of year it rains the least and is not unbearably hot and humid. If you really want to travel cheap to Thailand, avoiding the crowds and taking advantage of discounted room rates, consider coming in April, May, June, September or October. Unless you are arriving from Malaysia, Bangkok will probably be your entry port into Thailand. Bangkok is by far the biggest city in Thailand with a population approaching 7 million, it is also relatively more expensive than the rest of Thailand.

Cheap travel to Thailand from the airport to the central city can cost from as little as 3.5 Baht for the local unaircon teeth rattler or as much as 300B for a private taxi. The best option for cheap travel in Thailand is the 70B airport bus which runs every 15 minutes. This bus has about 6 stops and makes one in Banglamphu district where most of the budget accomodation and traveler services are located. Cheap travel to Thailand can be found at the hub of Banglamphu where you'll find the Khao San road made famous in the movie The Beach. You won't see many Thai faces in the crowd but you will find the cheapest accomodations in Thailand. The cheapest is about 50B a night for a mattress on the floor in a room shared with 30 or so others. The average price for a single room is 100B, about 140B for a double. rooms are really basic with just a fan, plenty of friendly cockroaches and a communal bathroom (no hot water). Hence, the cheapest accommodations in Thailand.

Khao San Road and its immediate surroundings are littered with bars and eating establishments. These are totally targeted at travelers so the prices are more than you would pay a few blocks away in a more Thai neighbourhood. Prices generally range from 50B-100B a dish and a large beer will double the bill. If you want to save money in Thailand, consider eating from the various street stalls all over the city where all sorts of exotic delights are cooked up at bargain prices.

Getting around Bangkok to see the sights can be exceedingly cheap travel to Thailand if you stick to the unaircon blue, green or red public buses. Fares are 3.5B for the first 8km. If you don't speak any Thai it can be a little difficult finding the right bus as nothing is wriiten in english. If you want the aircon option the fare is 6B for the first 8km. Other options are the exciting Tuk tuks (3 wheeled scooters), and motor cycle taxis. You will need to bargain with the driver. Expect to pay about 40B for a short journey. In a normal taxi fares within central Bangkok are about 70B.

To get from one point in Thailand to another you can take either the normal public bus (no airconditioning), or an airconditioned public bus. Even though it is double the price of the non airconditioned bus, it is still a bargain. They go regularly almost everywhere in Thailand. The 220KM journey from Bangkok to Rayong in the east costs just 90B.

The train is a great way for cheap travel to Thailand if you are heading south to the islands or north to Chiang Mai. Prices in the non airconditioned carriages are on a par with the buses.
Thailand accomodations in guesthouses and beach bungalows start at about 100B. Quality can vary greatly in Thailand accommodations so be prepared to shop around first. If you are planning on staying in Thailand anywhere for longer than a week, it can be well worth bargaining for a discount rate on your Thailand accommodations.

There is cheap food to be had everywhere in Thailand and two people can eat a substantial vegetarian meal for 40B. If you intend to purchase anything in Thailand such as clothes or souveniers, it is well worth while to bargain a little with the proprietor. Of course don't try this in department stores in Thailand!

Your biggest expense while visiting in Thailand will probably be alcohol. Every place travelers and tourists congregate has its fair share of drinking spots which act as the main meeting places. A small beer costs about 50B and 90B for a large one. The local Thai whiskies such as Mekong and Sangthip are cheaper options.

With a little wisdom you can enjoy cheap travel to Thailand with very little meony and have a great time.

1 comment:

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