Money-saving travel tips on backpacking Thailand

Posted by admin on December 15th, 2007 filed in Transportation, Visiting

Thailand was the first non-European nation I’ve ever visited and before the beginning of my voyage some of my travel-experiences mates convinced me that fully enjoying this exotic Asian destination was definitely not going to be very expensive. However, when my holiday was over and I returned back home, I realised too late that the amount of money I’d spend during my Thailand experience was nearly the same as when I’ve travelled to European destinations.

My mistake was that I forgot to precisely plan my first journey to Thailand. Carefully planning would have saved me a considerable amount of money. To avoid you make the same mistake, I would like to give some useful money-saving tips:

A) Make use of the cheapest transportation option. If the distance between Bangkok and your final holiday destination is very far than you should travel by bus or rail. Compared with flying it will undoubtedly save you a lot of cash.

B) Choose the right season. Travelling in “the land of smiles” during the months of the low season will be less expensive. At the beginning of the low season the rates for various accommodation establishments usually decrease with 25 percent and more. Don’t worry about the weather as the height of temperatures compared with the busy tourist is miniscule.

C) We Westerners assume that if the price for a meal is pretty high, than the quality of the served food will be high as well. Well, not in Thailand! The country’s more expensive restaurants usually offer a selection of international dishes as well and therefore charge much higher prices. However, the authentic Thai meals, which are served in the poorly decorated but cheap restaurants, are mostly even tastier than the food in an expensive restaurant. Eating at the right places will save you again another load of money!

D) The choice of your location. Likewise the standards held in most holiday spots on the globe, the lodging prices on the country’s islands depend on the location’s popularity. That charming central beach villa, which is ideally positioned nearby the vibrant nightlife and not so far away from the airport, will probably cost twice as much as a similar villa on a peaceful and more isolated beach.

E) The rate for an air-conditioned guestroom can be much higher than a unit, equipped with a fan only. If you’re not visiting Thailand during the hot season, than air-conditioning will probably not be necessary and the cool breeze, created by a fan, will be sufficient, while you cut your costs significantly!

F) The psychology factor. Although, everything seems to be much cheaper than back home, let the seemingly inexpensive prices not fool you! You should control your daily expenses and not forget that purchasing a huge load of cheap goodies can surely add up to an unexpected rather high amount of money.

G) Bargaining is a must. In Thailand’s holiday spots price negotiation is a must and a national tradition. Also in the country’s less touristy regions bargaining is a common custom as well. Don’t be embarrassed and just go for it. It will only cut your expenses.

H) Calling home. The best way to save on international calls is to either make use of the available internet shops or buy a cellular local telephone with a pre-paid SIM card.

During my second visit to the Kingdom, I consequently followed the advice above and I was delighted to conclude, that the reason for travelling on a budget across Thailand is not solely an economical issue. The trip can also be a highly enjoyable and unforgettable experience. Also very interesting is that the less you spend in Thailand, the more authentic the local experience will be. While browsing the net I came across this great website about Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. They even provide handy budget tips for backpackers.