So we’ve covered the basic monthly expenses for living in the Land of Smiles and some surprising money sucks, now we’re on to how to save money in Thailand.
While most things are very cheap, there are a few little ways to still cut corners and save a couple baht. None of the ideas below are going to help you significantly save (and depending on your budget, may not even be worth the bother), but when you can buy things for as little as 5 baht, then every bit counts! Here are seven little ways to save money traveling in Thailand.
- Refill your water – You may not notice them at first but once someone points them out to you, you’ll see machines to refill your water bottles everywhere. Usually 1 baht fills up about a liter…while a new 1.5 liter bottle will cost 13-20 baht. You do the math.
A water refill station
- Don’t eat at the places geared toward tourists – This is an obvious one, but still worth mentioning. There are two small cooked-to-order Thai food shops right around the corner from each other near where I live. They’re both no-frills places that are good and offer a wide selection of choices. One sells dishes averaging around 50-60 baht (with some items going into the 100s) and the other sells plates for 25 baht. The main difference is that the second shop is smaller with only one sign and caters toward the locals that live and work in the area, while the first shop has better displayed menus…and prices more expensive than many Thais will pay when they know they can get the same thing somewhere else for less. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to eat at a place that’s maybe easier to navigate, but just be aware there are even differences between the places where you think you’re eating ‘like the locals’.
- Drink whiskey – In my post about what sucks up your money I mentioned booze – a large bottle of Chang beer (the cheapest brand) at 7-11 costs more than a plate of street food. Head to a bar, restaurant or club and the price naturally goes up. If you’re set on a night out though, do what the Thais do and buy a bottle of whiskey with ice and mixers for the table. Bottles of beer and cocktails will quickly add up, in fact often single cocktail prices are close to a small bottle of the Thai rum Sangsom, so purchasing a pint, or even a fifth, is the most cost efficient. Most places will have a ‘set’ including the alcohol, ice and mixers for one price.
- Barter – Most prices can be bartered down since just about everything – from tuk tuks to tattoos – is up for negotiation. If you want a cheaper price then ask for it, but be reasonable. It’s not worth your time to haggle over 50 cents and probably means more to the person you’re bartering with. (Certain stores where there are visible prices on products do not barter. Also, items like those you would get at a convenience store – soda, chips, ice, etc. – are a set price.)
- Don’t buy ‘breakfast’ – There are plenty of places that sell Western-style breakfasts…and they’re all at least three times as much as a basic Thai dish. While it just has to be done now and again (it takes a little while to get used to grilled pork and sticky rice in the morning), too many breakfasts can break the budget. Don’t want rice soup? Stock up on fresh fruit and buy some bread or yogurt at a shop.
Why would you want want bacon and eggs when you could have these mangoes instead?
- Rent a motorbike – If you’re going to be in one place for more than a day and want to see different parts of the area. it’s worth it to rent a motorbike for your transportation instead of relying on public transport or tuk tuks. Depending on where you are, a daily rental can cost as little as 120 baht and most tanks can be filled up for around 120 baht as well, so total you’re looking at around $10 for 24/7 transport. The more days you rent for, the more opportunity there is for haggling and the flexibility and freedom it gives you is priceless.
- Skip the coffee, snacks and sodas – As I mentioned (and many people commented) here, these can quickly add up to quickly cost more than your meals. While they’re not expensive themselves, it’s all relative, and compared to what you can get for the same price (i.e., a can of Coke for 15 baht or a plate of food for 30) skipping the snacks is an easy way to keep some extra baht in your pocket.
What am I missing? What have you done to cut corners and save in Thailand? Let me know in the comments.
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26 Comments
Great tips! I never understood why people went out for breakfast in Thailand when you could find everything you could want in the grocery stores, etc. Great tips!
I understand it being nice to start your day with a place to sit and some coffee…but do it too much here and I think it becomes a waste of money.
These are really great tips – especially the water one! It’s simple but something people probably always miss.
Thanks for reading, Emily — I didn’t realize the water thing until I was living in Thailand for a month+. Once you know about the machines though, you see them everywhere!
smoothy blues on nimman often bled me dry with the western breakfast option. will definitely be heading to this articles advice next time i end up in chiangers!
I’ve never been there…I’ve tried to stay away from Nimman restaurants in general, so I don’t know what I’m missing ;)
I love any list in which “Drink whiskey” is a tip. The breakfast thing reminds me of friends I have who go out for brunch every weekend, sometimes both days, and I just can’t believe how expensive it is to do that! Going out for breakfast is nice but it’s always a treat for me, whether I’m traveling or not.
I do my best to try and provide tips people will want to follow ;) and true on the breakfast, I rarely go out for breakfast or brunch at home either.
Great tips Alana! we spent a few weeks travelling in thailand and we saved a lot by using machines to refill our water bottles. the machines were nearly everywhere and it was cheap and convenient. besides, you can grab some fruits and dining out more than 3 times per day in bangkok is way too expensive. i could never understand why people spend so much money on food, c’mon! thanks for the info about the whiskey – it’s a huge price difference :)
Thanks for reading!
that’s right even myself also do it the same, this tips you can do it everywhere but in BKK might not good idea to rent motorbike, it’s dangerous….
That looks exactly like the water machine I use in CM. Same grating and blue pipes and bricks in the background. Wait, just went and checked and it’s the same wear and tear on the cement foundation! Noticed recently you get less water for the baht. I can’t fill a 1,500 liter bottle with a baht anymore, but at another machine it will overflow if I don’t turn it off. Still dirt cheap and ultra convenient, but interesting that they can adjust the machines so you get less and less.
How funny — I haven’t used many others in that same area, but I know it’s (slightly) more expensive than the ones near my house outside of the tourist central. Sneaky…
I love reading your blogposts Alana! You’re an amazing writer and can think of the best things to write about! Luv it. Thanks for the great read and many useful tips! =). Anyhow, safe travels!
Thanks for reading, Monique!
I went back to CM in Jan after ten years. It’s no wonder every second shop is a coffee shop. You can get two regular meals for what they charge for one of their coffees. Thailand really is the best place in the world to get safe high quality food at cheap prices. On average price isn’t comparable to quality.
Kanchanaburi has a get rat arsed for 10 baht bar..alcoholic drinks 10 baht. Just a stall on the side of the road with buckets for sitting on, but great atmosphere and saves a fortune compared to the bars and even 7/11.
Good to know ;)
If staying in a guest house for up to a month, ask about a reduced rate for a long stay. I asked at SAMs place in Kanchanaburi for a reduction if I stayed for 1 month. He gave me the room for 100 baht per night …50 baht per night less than the usual 150 baht per night rate. It saved me 1,500 baht in total.
Great tip
Great tips on how to do Thailand on a shoestring… $70 per week in kanchanaburi will get you a en-suite raft room on the river kwai, cover laundry expenses, 3 good thai meals per day at a basic restaurant, ( cheaper from a stall) including western food like pizza twice per week at the famous “jolly frog”. Water refills from the machine, one fruit shake per day, a bottle of thai rum with coke and a bucket of ice and a couple of crazy nights at the “get wasted for 10 baht bar”, lol.
That’s kanchanaburi on just $10 per day. :)
Hi! I’m so glad I found your blog. Are you still based in THailand? I am Che Adlawan and I’m from the Philippines. Me and my friends have a scheduled trip to Thailand this coming October. Is it possible if you could help us a bit with our “D.I.Y.” itinerary by looking at it? We would really be glad if someone who’s been there would help us. Please do tap me if you have time. My e-mail add is che.adlawan@yahoo.com. [PS.: If it bothers you, You can check up on me (Che Adlawan) on the internet to assure you that I’m not a bad person haha] Hoping for your reply!
This is great! We are off to Chiang Mai in March to do a bit of volunteering for about a month, so we need to save as much money as we can. :)
Loved the water tip and the don’t buy breakfast tip… Are there many fresh food markets around? Would it be cheaper to buy from there??
Thanks!!
SO many fresh markets! And plenty of small, cheap fruits and fruit shake stands everywhere too.
Yeah, i like two points here: ‘don’t buy the breakfast’ and ‘skip the snacks’. I also prefer to eat late heavy breakfast and skip the lunch. Also I travel much on feet (obviously you can’t go much solely depends on your feet), but at least if you full of energy and take 10 kms walking everyday to explore things, you can understand the city well, and save money at the same time.
There is another one thing one can do. For example, if traveling to outskirt of Thailand, one can carry a small tent always, so that they don’t need to depend always on hotels or home stay.
Spending so much time here, I do splurge on Western breakfasts occasionally, but your money can go so much further… Thanks for the other tips!