Last updated on December 8th, 2023

You’ve packed your bags, booked your flight and amped up all your friends about going on this incredible trip to Bangkok. What is left? BUDGETING! It’s easy to get carried away in Bangkok without even realizing, which is why I am going to tell YOU how to survive Bangkok on just $30 a day!

In 2013, I moved to Bangkok for 4 months of school. The unique part about this experience was that I was surrounded by Thai’s and their local culture. I was able to learn how to budget like a local and travel the country like one too! The three areas I always budgeted for was food, accommodation and entertainment.

Food

Don’t expect to be living off of fast-food chains; it is more expensive to eat this way than to eat local foods. I lived off of $8 a day on food. If you think you’re going to save money by grocery shopping, you’re wrong. The best place to eat? Street vendors! Not only are you saving money but you get some of the most unique and delicious food from street vendors. Each meal should only cost you around 30 baht ($1). I would go to the bottom of my condo every night and for $1 I would get a plate of rice, chicken and cucumbers, a side of soup, 2 bags of chopped fresh jackfruit and mango, and 5 deep fried dough balls dipped in brown sugar.

Accommodation

This may be quite obvious, but on a budget of $30 a day, you’re going to need to look into booking hostels. Always book online at Agoda.com or Booking.com. These two sites allowed me to save almost three times I would have paid through the hostel! On average, I would spend $6 to $12 per night on accommodations and more often than not would end up with my own room unintentionally.

Entertainment

This is my favorite topic to discuss. DO NOT follow the trend of tourists. If you are a well-seasoned traveler, you should know this by now. While living with Thai locals, I learned all the best spots to visit. You can even go shopping on your $30 per day budget. Crazy, right? First things first, do not take tuk tuk’s or taxis, this can blow your budget right off the bat. Travel with the Bangkok Sky Train, it will get you to all the destinations you want to see. Next, visit places within Bangkok like Chatuchak Weekend Market (free entry), the movie theatres (get pampered for less than $5) or just visit the fishing docks and watch all the fishermen come in for their daily deliveries. I walked around for months and still never saw the whole on Bangkok. Trust me, there will never be a dull moment.

Now for the math,

Food = $10

Accommodation = $10

Entertainment = $10

$30 a day is that easy! Now get out and enjoy Bangkok! 

By Jenna Davis, Give for Granted 

About the Author: Aperlust