How much does a Thai vacation cost?

[bucknaway]

Often when I talk to my friend about going to Thailand the first thing they want to know is the cost.

I seldom suggest what I think the total cost is, instead I tried to remember what I paid for food, lodging, and entertainment. I also remind them that is a foreigner they are expected to tip and negotiate.

After reading many of the trip reports here I find that a lot of you guys do a lot more sightseeing and I have ever done. I'm happy enough just to be on holiday away from my home country and sell them do I venture into the tourist traps.

I think on average I spend a total of $5,000 with each visit which covers everything from airfare, Hotel, food and entertainment.

I'm wondering if that is the norm or mi spending too much or am I on the low side?

[dab69]

probably depends on how long your stay is.
two weeks usually averages me $4000-4500 but I deliberately overtipped my friend this year.
which reminds me he needs money again...

[bucknaway]

I usually stay 3 to 4 weeks.
One thing that was costing me a lot of money were times when I let my Thai friends pick where we eat and they always seem to pick a place that was going to calls near 1000 baht for our meal.

I'm on holiday and I am content to spend less than 100 baht at a food cart for my meal.

[Dodger]

bucknaway wrote:


I'm wondering if that is the norm or mi spending too much or am I on the low side?

If you're having a good time during your LOS holidays and spending $5,000 - then $5,000 is exactly the correct amount for you.

I'm an absolute maniac when it comes to money and I've always been that way. I work hard in the U.S. to make it and play hard in LOS spending it. I bring enough money on my holidays to allow myself to do whatever I want - with whoever I want - whenever I want - with no regard whatsoever for maintaining anything that resembles a budget, making my opinions on this subject almost meaningless...LOL I came into this world without a penny in my pockets (actually, I didn't have any pockets) and quite sure I will be leaving the same way...so everything I get to experience in between is all that really matters.

[mrb43]

OK....I give up.

What does LOS mean?

[Forky123]

Land of Smiles

[Forky123]

As to how much a holiday costs, my last visit was around ┬г3500 all in for 3 weeks. You can do it a whole lot cheaper, and no doubt a lot more expensive. I prefer to fly Premium Economy and mid-range hotels. I think if I flew Economy, took a hotel at the cheap end and didn't have so much "fun" I could easily save half that, but for me it would no longer be a holiday. I prefer to spend what I spend while on holiday and save when I'm at home.

What does LOS mean?Land Of Scams

[Mancs]

I spend about ┬г3,000 in 4 weeks, including about ┬г800 on men and maybe ┬г35 a night on hotel rooms. I often get an Etihad flight from the uk for about ┬г450. I try to be generous with 40-50 baht tips too, as tips mean a lot to employees on 300 baht a day, especially when there is a shortage of farang tourists at the moment. As for it being the land of scams I think you have to hold on to your sixpence tighter in Saigon.

[egel]

I believe it primarily depends on how long your stay is. If I stay for 4 weeks, I spend more per day than if I stay for 12 weeks.

One of the reasons is that the airfare is lost over a longer period and I need more "days off" during an extended period and spend very little during these days off.

I stay in a Condo (700 Bt per night) which I far prefer to an hotel, and is a lot cheaper too. I don't money pinch when I'm out and about either.

For a 4 week trip ┬г3500, all in, is about right.
For a 12 week trip I plan on ┬г9000 all in.

[goji]

For 4 weeks, ┬г3500 all in would be about right if I spent the entire 4 weeks in Pattaya.

It would be more in Bangkok and less in the rest of the country. My last 4 week peak season trip cost about ┬г3200 all in including flights.
I had some rather expensive days in Bangkok, followed by some very cheap days in places like Sukhothai & Ayyuthaya.
In the case of Sukhothai, there was a very nice hotel for about 600 baht a night, no paid for sex options and one welcome free sex option. Shared a baht bus to the park, hired a bicycle and had a nice time.

It kind of depends on what you do and where you are. In Bangkok, I would budget about ┬г150 a day for living and gogo bars. Pattaya ┬г100 a day.
However, I actually budget in baht to take the exchange rates out of the equation.

[TravellerDave]

I go to pattaya about three times a year. Travel economy - about 500-600 pds I cant justify spening a lot more on business class to avoid 12 hours of mild discofort.
I spend about 2000 per night 40 pds on hotels. I am a gay sex tourist and spend about the same each day on boys.
Maybe a bit less in bars because i dont drink a lot.
Probably i spend about 120 pds per day, so a three week trip would be around 3000 including airfare.

[christianpfc]

You should take out the airfare and divide what's left by the numbers of nights you stay to get a number you can compare to others.

I shared full expense reports here (in chronological order)

2011 holiday 2815 THB per night
http://66.199.190.19/~sgt/forum/viewtop ... 40&start=0 (http://66.199.190.19/~sgt/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=21540&start=0)

2012 holiday 2386 per night
http://66.199.190.19/~sgt/forum/viewtop ... 08&start=0 (http://66.199.190.19/~sgt/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=27808&start=0)

2013 living and working 21851.25 Baht per month
http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic ... june-2013/ (http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/9122-expenses-june-2013/)

2014 living (no work) 45434 Baht per month
http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2014/0 ... -2014.html (http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2014/09/expenses-june-2014.html)

Collection of links about cost of living or holiday in Thailand
http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2014/0 ... iland.html (http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2014/09/cost-of-livingholiday-in-thailand.html)

[llz]

You should take out the airfare and divide what's left by the numbers of nights you stay to get a number you can compare to others.

Fully agree on this, added to the fact that everything should be accounted in THB to avoid change variations. Some problems to tackle :
- what about costs during stays in Cambodia or Laos (I convert expenses made in USD to THB)
- what about special gifts and donations if you have a local boyfriend (I do not take them into account)
- what about purchases for your own use in your home country (clothes, mobile phone ...) - I do not take them as well, as not related to holiday expenses

My own accounts are :
- February 2015 : not done yet because I am afraid of the results
- June 2014 (Thailand & Cambodia) : 5 123 THB http://llz.blogspot.fr/2014/08/one-month-in-thailand-financial-record.html
- October 2013 (Thailand) : 4 959 THB
- October 2012 (Thailand) : 4 395 THB
My heart bleeds when I pay more than 900 THB for one night in a hotel. Differences mainly come from transportation (car rent or not, many interior flights or not).

[Forky123]

Feb 15 - 6050 Baht/night. It's artificially a bit low as I injured my back which somewhat curtailed my activities.

[a447]

I don't keep tabs on what I spend - what price fun?- but your question got me thinking and doing a few quick calculations.

I normally spent my time in Pattaya with the same guy. Accommodation, food, purchases at 7/11, fun in Eros and Goodboys and sex (twice a day with my "friend") would probably average around 8000 baht per day minimum. The only meal we have together is dinner, but he has expensive tastes and I usually spend anything between 1500 ~ 3000 baht.

On my recent trip I decided to be a butterfly. I expected to spend a lot more. But the cost of going from bar to bar looking for a partner was offset by the fact that I ate alone and dinner cost next to nothing. All the expenses mentioned above, including sex twice a day, probably cost the same.

The only time I spent more per day was when I offed two guys from Boyzboyzboyz. (You can do that if you bottom). But that only happened twice. On those days I probably spent closer to 11000 baht.

Being a bottom means you can have more sex. But, of course, it costs more.

But having said that, it's still much cheaper than paying for sex at home. Not being surrounded by gorgeous guys here 24/7, I don't feel the need to have sex twice or more a day. I have a number of hot guys I can call upon for sex, but just one session can cost $150~200, plus at least $100 for the taxi! Thailand, by comparison, is an absolute bargain.

[Dodger]

a447 wrote:


I normally spent my time in Pattaya with the same guy. Accommodation, food, purchases at 7/11, fun in Eros and Goodboys and sex (twice a day with my "friend") would probably average around 8000 baht per day minimum. The only meal we have together is dinner, but he has expensive tastes and I usually spend anything between 1500 ~ 3000 baht.

Just curious what the duration of your holidays are.

Personally, I prefer the low-maintenance guys who don't drink and prefer eating Thai food rather than pricey farang meals...but then again, I've never met a boy who wanted to dine at Bruno's either.

[a447]

I normally spend around three weeks in LOS, although recently I've been spending a bit of time in Cambodia. It's much cheaper there, but not quite as much fun.

I'd like a low-maintenance guy, too, but I only find they are high-maintenance after I've met them! My regular guy likes eating steak every night. He also likes Japanese food. I let him order whatever he wants and he kind of starts at the top of the menu and works his way down....lol

He also likes one of the seafood restaurants on Walking Street and again, he orders huge amounts of food. I've never seen someone so small devour so much food. But in Australia it would cost at least double, so I'm not complaining.

When we part ways at the end of the night, we are both smiling. We've both eaten well and had great sex. That's what it is all about, as far as I'm concerned.

[Dalewood]

I think I spent about B4,000/night in Thailand. I spent less on barfines/etc. than I expected but like Bucky, more on food (106 pounds, but he could really put it away :) ) I am going to spend more on hotels next time ---Ganymede instead of Bondi, for example. Anyone else find the beds a bit hard at Ganymede??

I got lucky with the airfare at $990 from Baltimore. Anybody on US East Coast should check the fares out of JFK/EWR. I have been planning ahead for my next trip and even allowing for the train ride from Baltimore I am probably $400 ahead on coach and $2-3,000 business class =---at least on Delta.

[goji]

You should take out the airfare and divide what's left by the numbers of nights you stay to get a number you can compare to others.

Fully agree on this, added to the fact that everything should be accounted in THB to avoid change variations. Some problems to tackle :
- what about costs during stays in Cambodia or Laos (I convert expenses made in USD to THB)
- what about special gifts and donations if you have a local boyfriend (I do not take them into account)
- what about purchases for your own use in your home country (clothes, mobile phone ...) - I do not take them as well, as not related to holiday expenses
.

If we are comparing costs, I think it's best to exclude the air fare for getting there. Averaging it out means the numbers look very different for a short holiday and perhaps what is of interest to most of us is what people spend on the ground.

On my last 2 trips to Cambodia, I spent $75 and $85 per day respectively -including bus tickets, taxis, but excluding air fares. It kind of depends on where I go. In somewhere like Battambang or Sihanoukville, I usually end up sleeping alone, so that is cheaper than Phnom Penh. The average cost of my hotels is creeping up. I was frequently paying $25 or less in the past, but now tend to pay a little more to get some quality.

In theory, I would exclude purchases for use at home, however as there are no big ticket items, I forget about any small purchases.

[egel]

So for Pattaya our figures (excluding the airfares) are remarkable similar at about ┬г100 ,or 5000Bt per day!
Its curious that, wherever I go in the world, it also works out at ┬г100 per day!!