Prices and living cost in thailand

Before we traveled to Thailand I tried to gather information about prices of goods for example food and clothes. If you are operating within a budget then it is important to know what the prices of goods are. I read a number of blogs and forums but couldn`t find the information that I was looking for. It is also difficult because prices are constantly changing.

I hope the information in this post will help other travelers that are looking for similar information. At the time when I traveled to Thailand the conversion rate was as follows: 1 USD=29 Baht.

Food – Depending where you eat but a meal could cost anything between 30 to 350 Bhat. There are many markets in Thailand where you can buy cheap food. Be careful with meat products because you never know what you eat. Vegetables are always a safe option and very good. In Koh Samui we paid at Sunrise Bungalows for breakfast between 70 and 120 Baht. It was a decent breakfast! In Surat Thani we paid 150 Baht for Sushi in a restaurant. The most expensive meal that I had was lunch in a restaurant in Koh Phangan.  I really wanted to try the salmon steak and paid 350 Baht. A burger in Mc Donalds costs 140 Baht.

Cocktails and Drinks – Cocktails and drinks will set you back quite a lot of money. In Koh Samui we paid between 150 and 250 for a cocktail. In the bungalows were we were staying a Piña Colada was costing 120 Baht. Tiger beer is very popular and will cost you anything between 70 and 110 Baht depending where you buy. A can of coca-cola will cost you 14 Baht in the supermarket but in the restaurant expect to pay between 25 and 35 Baht. Water will cost you between 60 to 80 Baht. It is cheaper to buy water in bulk from the supermarkets. Fruit shakes are also very popular and will cost you about 40 Baht in the street markets.

Fried insects in Khoasan Road – A photo of the scorpions and other fried insects will cost you 10 Baht!

Transport – Prices vary and also depends where you want to go to and the distance traveled. A trip from Suvarnabhumi Airport  to Khaosan Road cost me 200 Baht. Keep in mind that I took the speed train (Rail Link) to Phaya Thai Station which set me back another 90 Baht. A local bus in the city from Khoasan Road to MBK Shopping centre will cost you 12 Baht where in taxi it will cost you 200 Baht. Ferry prices vary and from Surat Thani to Koh Samui we paid 150 Baht one per person. From Koh Samui to Koh Phangan we paid 250 Baht one way per person. Renting a Jeep will cost 800 Baht per day. Scooters will cost 200 Baht and gasoline will cost you 100 Baht for 3 litres.

Flights – We have flown with Thai Smile Airlines and Nok Airlines on two occassions to reach our destination in Koh Damui. Prices varied between 2000 and 3000 Baht one way per person. There are many travel agencies and try to get the cheapest tickets. Sometimes it is cheaper to fly to another destination for example Surat Thani and then take the ferry to Koh Samui. They also offer combos: flight+airport transfer+ferry which works out a lot cheaper.

Clothes – The markets are packed with clothes and you don`t have to travel to special markets to buy things. T-shirts will cost you between 120 – 280 Baht. Khaosan Road was cheaper than Patpong street. A sarong costs between 100 and 200 Baht. Fishermen`s pants costs between 250 and 280 Baht. Shoes between 150 and 800 Baht (for leather sandals).

Accommodation – will cost anything between 300 to 1500 Baht. Please don`t expect too much from the cheaper accommodation.

Thai Massage – An oil massage for 30 minutes will cost 120 Baht in Khaosan Road and a foot massage in Koh Samui will cost you 200 Baht.

Grand Palace – This was the most expensive and costs 500 Baht.

I hope the above information will give you some idea if you are looking for prices in Thailand.

Where: Bangkok,Koh Samui,Koh Pangang,Surat Thani – Thailand

When: 4 to 14 March 2013