Thailand is the ideal country for novice travelers because it will allow you to experiment with your comfort zone to find what type of travel suits you. It’s the perfect combination of culture and tourism; it’s a country where finding the sweet-spot between leaving your comfort zone without getting overwhelmed is easy.

Saying something a hundred times is not as good as living it once.

We all have preconceived notions of what kind of travel we enjoy, but until you actually get out there and do it, you won’t be sure. Are you a budget traveler who enjoys trying to experience a country as inexpensively as possible, an adventure junkie collecting epic experiences or someone who wants to see a new culture without feeling overwhelmed? Thailand allows this experimentation because it is relatively inexpensive, safe, easy to get around, has an accepting culture, offers a large variety of activities and the language barrier is manageable.

If planning and logistics aren’t your thing you might enjoy my favorite photos from Thailand or some select Thailand Stories.

The Quick Break Down

Total Spent: 23,914 Thai Baht ($781.57 USD)

Total Days: 25

Distance Traveled: 3,700 km (2,300 miles)

Average Daily Spending: 957 Thai Baht ($31.26 USD)

Top 10 Experiences I’d Recommend

Expenses

Food & Alcohol

At a combined 38% of my expenses, food and alcohol are where I spent the majority of my money in this country. Thai food was my favorite food country-wise on the entire trip. It’s affordable, spicy, delicious and there’s a wide variety of dishes to choose from. The street food scene makes my mind drool thinking about it. The prices are affordable and often you will come upon a food stall only making one dish, all-day-err-day so you can bet they have their dish down to a tasty, tasty science. Recommendations? Chicken stir fry with cashew nuts, pumpkin curry and spring rolls.

I was traveling with a friend from California for this leg of the trip and needless to say, we did a lot more partying and drinking than I did in previous countries because of the good company and its affordability. Our favorite game to play was dubbed “Chang Roulette.” Chang beers have varying alcohol content, which aren’t printed on the labels. We would buy our spoils for the evening, mix them around and begin drinking, inevitably one person picked more alcoholic beers than the other, thus losing (winning?) Chang Roulette.

Accommodation

I didn’t do any couchsurfing here in Thailand and because the prices were so modest; Howard and I had our own private rooms with bathrooms for most nights. I ended up averaging under $8 USD per night on accommodation, which is a staggering difference from Australia where I was paying $20-$25 USD for a multi-person dorm room.

Transportation

It’s really easy to get around in Thailand. With the network of trains, buses, ferries and tuk-tuks (three-wheeled motorcycle taxis) you can get just about anywhere in the country. There’s also many places to rent motor scooters if you want to explore a city more thoroughly without having to walk.

Most accommodation will have an employee who will help you book whatever you need, which makes the language barrier much easier to manage.

Entertainment

Scuba diving, island tours, Muay Thai, massive parties, cooking classes, beautiful landscapes, extravagant resorts, delicious cuisine, relaxing beaches…You will find entertainment to fit any type of budget and adventure level.

Itinerary

Day 1 – Flew into Bangkok from Singapore

Day 2 – Bangkok – Chiang Mai

Day 5 – Chiang Mai – Pai

Day 8 – Pai – Chiang Mai

Day 9 – Chiang Mai – Surat Thani

Day 10 – Surat Thani – Koh Samui

Day 13 – Koh Samui – Koh Pha Ngan

Day 14 – Koh Pha Ngan – Koh Samui

Day 15 – Koh Samui – Krabi

Day 16 – Krabi – Ao Ngan – Krabi

Day 18 – Krabi – Railay Beach – Krabi

Day 19 – Krabi – Ao Ngan – Daeng Island – Paradise Island – Hong Lagoon – Hong Island – Ao Ngan – Krabi

Day 20 – Krabi – Bangkok

Day 25 – Flight from Bangkok to Hong Kong

Thailand Expenses, Travel Tips and Itinerary