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Thailand Daily Budget Builder
"How much per day?" depends on city, hotel style, and how many 7-Eleven meals you're willing to admit to. This builder gives you a daily breakdown by category so you can adjust any one item and see the total move.
Inputs
What this solves
Trip total = days × daily cost. The most-misquoted number in travel blogs. This tool lets you pick each category and see how a 5,000 THB "experience day" sneaks into a 2,500 THB average.
How to read
- Hotel: nightly rate. Mid-range is 1,200–2,500 THB in Bangkok; 1,000–1,800 in Chiang Mai.
- Food: 3 meals + 1 snack. Street food at 60 THB/meal × 3 = 180 THB.
- Transport: depends on city. Bangkok BTS ≈ 60 THB/day; Chiang Mai songthaew ≈ 100 THB.
- Activities: 1 temple or museum (200 THB), 1 massage (300 THB), 1 show (500 THB).
- Alcohol: beer at restaurant 80–150 THB; cocktail at bar 250–400 THB.
Limitations
- Doesn't model festival weeks (Songkran = hotel +300%).
- Doesn't model day trips (Ayutthaya, Koh Tao ferry).
- Alcohol in tourist zones is 2× the supermarket price.
FAQ
Can you really do Bangkok on 1,500 THB/day?
Yes, mid-range easily. 1,200 THB hotel + 600 THB food + 200 THB transport + 200 THB activities = 2,200 THB. Drop hotel to 600 and you're at 1,600.
Why is Chiang Mai so cheap?
Lower hotel rates, fewer tourists, more local food. Nimman area is more expensive than Old City; Pai is cheapest.