Transportation
Motorbike ride to a waterfall in Pai
The cost of daily transportation can vary drastically, as it will really depend on how many places you go to in a day and how far the distances is that you cover. But just to give you an idea how much rides cost in Thailand, here are some prices based on my experience.
- BTS Skytrain / MRT (Bangkok) – 15-45 THB (25-67 PHP) and up
- Taxi – 50 THB (84 PHP) for short distances and up. Flat rate is 35 THB (59 PHP).
- Multicab taxi – 20 THB per ride and up. You’ll usually find these multicab taxis in areas outside of Bangkok, like Chiang Mai. These are like their version of jeepneys where the ride is shared by multiple people. You can also talk to the drivers, though, if you need to rent a ride to a specific destination. Price will depend on distance and your haggling skills.
- Motorbike rental – 150-250 THB a day (251-418 PHP) and up, depending on the style of motorbike and CC. They can also be rented on long-term contracts, which can be a better deal depending on the length of your stay.
The motorbike is essential in some areas, like in Pai, for example. There were hardly any taxis or multicabs there. I didn’t rent a motorbike though because I don’t know how to drive it and was scared to try, but I got lucky because I made friends with people who could. I got rides with them to get around and just split the cost.
Elephant experience and other activities
There are countless activities and tours to do in Thailand, and they can cost from really affordable to pretty expensive. So I’ll just leave this part up to you to decide and research on. But my advice is shop around and research, research, research. Not just on what it will cost you, but the impact of the activity you want to do.
Pai, Northern Thailand
One of the most popular activities in Thailand is spending time with elephants, but so many of these gentle giants, as well as many other animals in the animal tourism industry, are maltreated and abused just so they can follow orders and be entertaining for you. I beg of you, please DON’T pay for activities that can abuse or hurt the environment or any other living thing. Don’t ride elephants, don’t watch them do tricks for you, don’t take your photos at any tiger “sanctuary”, and be respectful when you go on one of those “immersion tours” to indigenous Thai villages. Let’s all be mindful travelers.
Conserve Natural Forests, Pai
If you want to go on an elephant experience, I recommend Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, which is known globally to be an actual rehabilitation center and sanctuary. Entrance fees start at 2,500 THB (4,181 PHP) and up. I also recommend Conserve Natural Forests in Pai, the one I went to. They are a registered NGO working to preserve elephants and the environment. Aside from meeting elephants, you will also get to plant a tree in the beautiful mountains of Northern Thailand where they are located. One of the best days of my life. They ask for a donation at a minimum of 1,000 THB (1,672 PHP) for your visit. You can also donate more if you wish, to support their cause.
Total daily budget
Wat Pho Temple, Bangkok
The budget I set for myself was 25 USD a day, which was 1,350 PHP or 800 THB a day. And based on my experience, this was my average daily spending:
- Hostel = 300 THB (the average between the hostels I stayed at) / 502 PHP a day
- Meals = at 80 THB per meal, is 240 THB a day / 401 PHP a day
- Transportation = average 100 THB a day / 167 PHP a day
- TOTAL = 640 THB / 1,070 PHP
This total means I still had an extra 160 THB or 268 PHP a day which I spent on miscellaneous stuff (and weekly laundry). Take note that some hostels offer free breakfast, too, which means I only really had to spend on food twice a day. And though I would go over my budget on some days, most days I was under the budget, and even spending almost nothing sometimes. Remember, we’re talking about long-term trips here, so clearly you won’t be sight-seeing everyday. (Also, I had an online job to maintain daily here at When In Manila.)
Freedom Yoga, Chiang Mai
In the end, tallying up my expenses, it came out that I spent less than 35,000 PHP, which was the ceiling I set for myself. I even had some extra from my budget by the tail-end of my trip, so I spent that to treat myself to nicer dinners and a little shopping. I also got to go on yoga classes, which is also super affordable in Thailand. Really, you’ll be surprised just how affordable traveling there can be!
Thinking about going backpacking? My advise it this: just go. 😉
Yee Peng Festival, Chiang Mai
Have any questions? Let’s talk. You can reach me on Instagram at @thestillnessinmoving.
Do you have any tips and recommendations to add for this Thailand backpacking budget guide? Let us know in the comments!
