Travel budget for exploring - how much??
Discussion
My friend spent several months cycling through Vietnam and Cambodia last year.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that once he was there he just booked a few days ahead on Booking.Com and was able to get decent accommodation in guest houses or equivalent for very reasonable rates.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that once he was there he just booked a few days ahead on Booking.Com and was able to get decent accommodation in guest houses or equivalent for very reasonable rates.
InitialDave said:
Huge number of countries with a huge variety of costs in "the east".
Do you have a specific list in mind of places you want to see?
Nothing in mind - Orr the beaten track would be good. Hoping for circa £1600 a month but will have emergency funds. Do you have a specific list in mind of places you want to see?
I've been watching some National Geographic stuff recently and now want to see it for myself.
Petrus1983 said:
Nothing in mind - Orr the beaten track would be good. Hoping for circa £1600 a month but will have emergency funds.
I've been watching some National Geographic stuff recently and now want to see it for myself.
I travel a bit although not S.E Asia and I can get by on around $2000.00 U.S with back up funds if required. Obviously each country is different but I understand accommodation is not as cheap as it was in Thailand but food is good and cheap. I socialise quite a bit when I travel and allocate around 40% on accommodation, I mostly eat in restaurants and drink alcohol and that can eat up a lot of cash. A lot of people I know that would usually travel to Thailand now head for Indonesia and Vietnam as their money goes further. Any special trips that involve car hire, multi day hikes and city breaks etc. wouldn't be included in my $2k budget.I've been watching some National Geographic stuff recently and now want to see it for myself.
LRDefender said:
I travel a bit although not S.E Asia and I can get by on around $2000.00 U.S with back up funds if required. Obviously each country is different but I understand accommodation is not as cheap as it was in Thailand but food is good and cheap. I socialise quite a bit when I travel and allocate around 40% on accommodation, I mostly eat in restaurants and drink alcohol and that can eat up a lot of cash. A lot of people I know that would usually travel to Thailand now head for Indonesia and Vietnam as their money goes further. Any special trips that involve car hire, multi day hikes and city breaks etc. wouldn't be included in my $2k budget.
That's really cool - I think I'm going to now target $2,100 and go from there. Worst case scenario - I come home to somewhere I already like.I travel to the far east quite a bit, 2 things to be aware of in Thailand the visa situation as its changing constantly and inflation.
The current situation is you have 60 days visa free - however this is expected to change to 30 days very soon.
As with many things in Thailand they say the law is changing and then it changes on a random day... so be aware.
So you may be better applying for a 6 month METV. This allows a 90 days stay - with a second 90 days within 6 months (visa run ok) - which you can also extend by 30 days. (rules might change on that too though)
Depends how long are you planning to go for?
On the costs - inflation is making things more expensive. Prices do vary depending on season, but expect to pay £40 ish a night for a reasonable hotel room outside of Bangkok and the islands. Nicer hotels (western brands) are 2 to 3 times that. Again out of the main tourist areas.
In BKK, KoS etc expect hotels to start around £100 a night for something reasonable.
Food, can be cheap. Thai food or 7/11 will be your cheapest options - around £2-3 per meal. A beer will cost you anywhere from £2.50 to £6 depending on location for the same beer. Western food is about 20-30% cheaper than the UK, so a pizza will be around £6-8. Burger and fries at a decent place around £8. For example.
Transport is fairly cheap - but outside Bangkok you are looking at taxis and bus. If you are ok taking scooter taxis then most trips are under £3-£4. Regular taxis for a short trip maybe £5-8 ish. Some places run ok bus services for virtually no cost, talking pence.
Wine is expensive. There isnt much for less than £20 in the supermarkets. Fresh fruit and dairy can be expensive too. Beef also.
When I was last there I was spending about £500 a week excluding accommodation. This did include everything else though, food, drink, transport, bits and bobs. I was there for about 4 months and it was high season too, FYI.
Its the little things that add up, I like to go for a coffee each morning, which leads to a slice of cake ... which leads to another coffee...
Don't forget decent insurance - Thai hospitals are decent but if you need anything serious looking at the costs can be significant.
If you plan to do a longer trip then its worth booking a cheap flight from DMK to somewhere outside of Thailand thats fully refundable and then cancel it when you arrived and in your hotel.
The current situation is you have 60 days visa free - however this is expected to change to 30 days very soon.
As with many things in Thailand they say the law is changing and then it changes on a random day... so be aware.
So you may be better applying for a 6 month METV. This allows a 90 days stay - with a second 90 days within 6 months (visa run ok) - which you can also extend by 30 days. (rules might change on that too though)
Depends how long are you planning to go for?
On the costs - inflation is making things more expensive. Prices do vary depending on season, but expect to pay £40 ish a night for a reasonable hotel room outside of Bangkok and the islands. Nicer hotels (western brands) are 2 to 3 times that. Again out of the main tourist areas.
In BKK, KoS etc expect hotels to start around £100 a night for something reasonable.
Food, can be cheap. Thai food or 7/11 will be your cheapest options - around £2-3 per meal. A beer will cost you anywhere from £2.50 to £6 depending on location for the same beer. Western food is about 20-30% cheaper than the UK, so a pizza will be around £6-8. Burger and fries at a decent place around £8. For example.
Transport is fairly cheap - but outside Bangkok you are looking at taxis and bus. If you are ok taking scooter taxis then most trips are under £3-£4. Regular taxis for a short trip maybe £5-8 ish. Some places run ok bus services for virtually no cost, talking pence.
Wine is expensive. There isnt much for less than £20 in the supermarkets. Fresh fruit and dairy can be expensive too. Beef also.
When I was last there I was spending about £500 a week excluding accommodation. This did include everything else though, food, drink, transport, bits and bobs. I was there for about 4 months and it was high season too, FYI.
Its the little things that add up, I like to go for a coffee each morning, which leads to a slice of cake ... which leads to another coffee...
Don't forget decent insurance - Thai hospitals are decent but if you need anything serious looking at the costs can be significant.
If you plan to do a longer trip then its worth booking a cheap flight from DMK to somewhere outside of Thailand thats fully refundable and then cancel it when you arrived and in your hotel.
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