Thailand trip planner

Everything you need to know to plan a vacation in Thailand—the daily costs, the top destinations and sights, and how to find the cheapest airfares, hotels, and tours

• Thai costs
• Top Thailand attractions
• Thailand tours
• Thailand trip-planning FAQThailand is a land of golden wats and hilltribe village treks, of riding in tuk-tuks and atop elephants, of pondering the bridge over the River Kwai, swimming under waterfalls, chilling on idyllic beaches, and thrilling to the chaos and excitement of Bangkok, one of Asia's most brilliant and rewarding megalopolises.

Thailand might be well and discovered by now, but surprisingly this hasn't spoiled it (much). As popular as it gets, as firmly onto the tourist path it strays, Thailand manages to remain a beautifully rich country to explore and an astounding bargain.

How much does a trip to Thailand cost?

The currency in Thailand is the bhat (THB). US$1 will buy you about 30 THB. Here's a rough estimate of what things will cost in Bangkok. Obviously, the farther off the beaten path you go, the cheaper things will get. Airfares are round-trip; hotel rates are for double rooms.

Transportation

 

It's hard to get around the high cost of transpacific airfare to get to Thailand—though, once you're over there, prices on the ground are pretty inexpensive. That's why sometimes a tour that includes airfare (which tour companies can buy in bulk at a discount) can be a great bargain—notice that the 9-day tour below costs only $300 more than airfare alone, meaning the touring itself—hotels, meals, guides, etc.—costs only $33 a day!

If you do go it alone, you can get any of a number of inexpensive land-only tours, or simply get about by public transportation. Thai trains and long-distance buses are ludicrously cheap, if not very fast. Even better are the super-cheap plane tickets (thanks to such low-cost carriers as Bangkok Air), which bring the one-way cost for most flights within Thiland and the surrounding SEA region to about $80–$140.

For example: instead of a 12-hour, $TK bus/ferry ride from Bangkok to Ko Samui, you could simply hop a TK-minute plane for just $TK. Practically speaking, that's an extra $TK to buy yourself back an entire day's worth of time on the beach—and that, my friends, is vacation funds very well spent.

Lodging & meals

Bangkok is the one place where even backpackers save to splurge on staying in a five-star hotel. Why? Becuse you can easily get one for under $150 a night. Even a super-chic temple of luxury like the TK charges only $TK, if you book online.

Not that you need to splurge. You can get a perfectly clean (if cramped and utterly dull) room in one of half a dozen priperites the Sawasdee hotel chain for just $15—that's right: just $15. The rooms may be bland, but the public spaces usually have a nice vibe (my favorites are TK and TK).

In between the luxe hotels and the backpacker flophouses are loads of modern, tourist-class three-and four-star hotels charing aroudn TK to TK.

Outside of Bangkok, the prices for a tourist-class hotel drop to TK. However, I prefer looking those places that advertize themselves as "guesthouses." That's the Thai equivlent of a B&B, something usually a bit nicer than a hostel but smaller than a hotel, often with a friendly host, and patronized by budget-minded travelers and those backpackers with slightl more generous budgets. If won't necessarily have all the amenities of a hotel, but you get a more authentic experience—and they only cost around $TK.

Attractions & activities

 

Top attractions in Thailand

Bangkok - This sprawling, overwhelming metropolis is home to such marvels as the National Museum (the largest and most encyclopedic collection of art and cultural artifacts in all of Southeast Asia), the Grand Palace and Wat Phraw Kaew (Temple of the Honorable Emerald Buddha, one of the wonders of Asia), teh Wat Pho monastery complex (where the world's top Thai massuesses and masseurs train), and an impressive collection of cheap hotels and banana pancake/Internet access shacks lining the alleyways off Khao San Road, the center of the backpacker universe for Southeast Asia...

Thai Islands - Chill in you own hut under a shade palm on a island beach in Southern Thailand for as little as $15 a night, whether your idea of a good island time be the sugar-sand beaches of Ko Samui island or the Full Moon Party island of Koh Phangnan (both in the Gulf of Thailand), or the tourist resorts of Phuket, the backapacker Shangri La of Koh Phi Phi, and the laid-back island retreat of Ko Lanta (all on the Andaman Sea).

Chiang Mai - The ancient Royal City of Chiang Mai sprouts an impressive 300-odd temples and home base for Northern Thailand's most popular activity: hilltribe treks.

Feature: Hidden Lagoons and Jungle Treks on Thai Isles

I was in a Southeast Asian jungle, waist-deep in stagnant water and having Vietnam-movie flashbacks, when something slithered past my leg... » Treks to visit hilltribe villages - Spend three or four days hiking into the mountains surrounding Chiang Mai to meet the varied ethnic groups of locals and bunk down in village huts, taking time out to learn the finer points of riding an elephant and lazing down the rivers aboard bamboo rafts.

Ayuthaya - Thailand's ancient capital city located largely on a large river island. It is now a restored national historic park of wats, temples, and buildings dating back to the period that in the West constituted the Middle Ages (from about 1300 until the city was sacked by Burma in 1767).

Kachanaburi - This TK is the base for paying your respects to the infamous bridge over the River Kwai and the WWII Allied cemetery and touring nearby Erawan Falls National Park to hike and swim in the pools of a mile-and-a-quarter-long waterfall.

Chiang Rai - The epicenter of the Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Burma (Myanmar), and Laos converge, terraced with rice paddies, laced by the mighty Mekong River, historically plagued by the world's first great international drug trade (opium), and hemmed by dramatic, craggy mountains where hill tribes still proudly practice their traditional lifeways (albeit, some of which involve remaining traditonal so tourists will come and visit).

Sukothai - A 13th-century planned city.

Khao Sok National Park - TK.

Thailand tours

THAILAND TOURS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS

Intrepid Travel 2011 Thailand trips
Short breaks
• Chiang Mai & Golden Triangle (3 days; from $380)
• River Kwai & Ancient Kingdoms (3 days; from $315)
• Hilltribe Experience (3 days; from $250)
• Bangkok City Break (3 days; from $135)
• Bangkok Stropover (3 days; from $180)
• Chiang Mai Cooking School (3 days; from $110)
• Active Chiang Mai (4 days; from $310)
• Thailand Tropical Adventures (5 days; from $560)
• Canoeing & Caves in Krabi (5 days; from $435)
• Active Chiang Mai (4 days; from $310)

Week-long tours
• Essential Thailand (8 days; from $665)
• Thailand Discovery (8 days; from $820)
• Explore Northern Thailand (8 days; from $845)
• Angkor Trails (9 days; from $1,000)
• Thailand Beaches (9 days; from $980)

1–2 week tours
• Tribal Thailand (10 days; from $845)
• Amazing Thailand (11 days; from $870)
• Thailand Family Adventure (10 days; from $1,055)
• Highlights of Thailand (10 days; from $1,395)
• Beautiful Thailand (15 days; from $1,325)
• Active Thailand (13 days; from $1,430)
• Thailand Experience (15 days; from $1,425)
• Thailand Family Beaches (10 days; from $1,825)

» More Thailand and Southeast Asia trips from Intrepid



Gap Adventures 2011 Thailand trips
Short breaks
•  Chiang Mai Hilltribes Trek (5 days; from $179)
•  Thai Sailing Adventure - Koh Samui to Koh Tao (4 days; from $749)
•  Chiang Mai and the Golden Triangle (5 days; from $459)

Week-long tours
•  Southern Thailand Sojourn (9 days; from $699)
•  Northern Thailand Discovery (9 days; from $829)
•  Thailand Island Hopping (9 days; from $969)
•  Amazing Thailand (8 days; from $1,129)
•  Treasures of Thailand (8 days; from $1,599)

1–3 week tours
•  Roam Laos and Thailand (12 days; from $999)
•  Tribal Thailand (12 days; from $999)
•  Thailand Family Adventure (12 days; from $1,099)
•  Roam Thailand (16 days; from $1,159)
•  Northern Thailand Experience (14 days; from $1,199)
•  Thailand Hike, Bike & Kayak (14 days; from $1,529)
•  Northern Thailand & Koh Phi Phi Sailing Adventure (12 days; from $1,599)
•  Thailand Discovery (17 days; from $1,619)
•  Roam Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand (22 days; from $1,699)
•  Thailand Experience (21 days; from $1,989)
•  Best of Burma & Thailand (14 days; from $2,199)
•  Northern Thailand & Koh Samui Sailing Adventure (15 days; from $2,249)
•  Thailand and Angkor Wat Cultural Journey (14 days; from $2,399)
•  Northern Thailand & Phuket Sailing Adventure (15 days; from $2,399)

» More from Gap Adventures



iExplore Thailand trips 2011
• Thailand Jungle to Beaches (7 days; from $575)
• Northern Hill Tribe Trek (8 days; from $640)
• Phnom Penh To Bangkok (8 days; from $945)
• Amazing Thailand (9 days; from $1,195)
• Journey Down the Mekong (9 days; from $1,445)
• Thailand Beachcomber (10 days; from $920)
• Overland Indochina (10 days; from $1,095)
• Siam Encounter (10 days; from $745)
• Tropical Island Paradise (10 days; from $1,433)
• Rainforest & Island Safari (10 days; from $1,398)
• Northern Encounter (10 days; from $795)
• Thai Community Encounter (12 days; from $1,678)
• Hidden Gems of Thailand (12 days; from $1,590)
• Andaman Adventure (13 days; from $1,853)
• Jungles and Beaches (13 days; from $1,625)
• TK (13 days; from $)
• TK (13 days; from $)

Privately Guided trips
• Privately Guided: Thailand Experience (8 days; from $3,509)
• Privately Guided: Thailand & Cambodia Experience (9 days; from $4,089)
• Privately Guided: Thailand & Laos Experience (12 days; from $5,219)
• Privately Guided: Thailand, Cambodia & Laos Independent Journey (13 days; from $3,345)
• Privately Guided: Indochina Experience (16 days; from $3,969)

» Other Thai and Southeast Asia adventures


Friendly Planet 2011 Thailand tours
• Incredible Thailand (14 days; from $1,699) *
• A Taste of Thailand (9 days; from $1,299)*
* Includes airfare from the U.S.

Thailand trip-planning FAQ

• Thailand tourist information: www.tourismthailand.org. Also helpful, the main English language newspaper: www.bangkokpost.com.
• Can I take a day trip to Angkor Wat? - While it is possible to fly from Bangkok to Angor Wat (in neighboring Cambodia) and back in one day, you'd only get a few hours in the complex—a complex which covers 300 square kilometers! There's a reason tickets are only sold for three-day and seven-day entry periods; it's impossible to do the site any sort of justice in less time.
  

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