Going To Thailand For 3 Months First Time

[Nidh]

Hello everyone.

I have a few questions for you experts.

Im going to thailand for 3 months, i will be bringing a little over 100k baht with me. This is a trip to get away and relax, perhaps experience the thai culture and whatnot. Basically im looking for a cheap(er) place that doesnt have as many tourists as the hotspots. Koh Samui and Phuket is a big no for me. I have considered Pattaya but even though its cheaper people have told me its not much different if not worse than the latter with gang members and thugs roaming the streets.

To summarize, im looking for a calm and cheap place preferably "near" tourist hotspots since i will be traveling alot. If anyone comes up with anything then please enlighten me.

[kurnell]

A thousand baht a day? You will need to live like a Thai

[bifftastic]

I think you'll need more than that, especially if you're going to travel a lot.

I think you really need to nail down the area you want to base yourself in and the kind of thing you want to do. Thailand is a BIG country! The prices of pretty much everything vary quite widely.

If, for instance, you base yourself up north in Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai, you can reduce your accommodation costs, but then they will go up again if you start travelling. You could get a cheaper place if you stay for the whole 3 months, but then when you travel, you'll be in hotels, which will be a waste of the rent you're paying in your base. Then there's the cost of travelling, which can be done cheaply on buses, but that will wear pretty thin after say, the first 13 hour bus ride!

Food can be cheap, 50/60 baht a meal if you're careful, but when you're travelling, the options are reduced, especially if you are, as you say you want to be, near the 'hotspots'.

I'd say you have enough in your budget for about 2 months, IF you're careful.

I can see you running out of money if you want to go and do stuff, you'll rent a motorcy, you'll want a beer or two, you'll be on holiday, it's different than living somewhere. When you live somewhere, you don't 'do stuff' every day, other than go about your normal business. With more time on your hands and no Thai family/home you'll be surprised how the expenses start to add up, 100 baht for this, 200 baht for that, it will slip out of your pocket.

If I were you I'd try and get some more money together, or, have a flexible ticket back home so that if funds do start to dry up, you can cut the trip shorter.

Good luck with it all.

[tartempion]

I don't get it.

If you plan to travel a lot with a 100k budget for 3 months you don't need a place to stay.

You would be traveling backpack style and sleep at max 500B guest houses which you find in each and every town.

If you want to relax at some beach you could look at Ban Krut, around Prachuap, or Thung Wua Laen near Chumpon, but no tourist hot-spots around.

[jalansanitwong]

100,000b for 3 months ? Youre going to be roughing it on that small amount .Thailand is not cheap anymore even for backpackers. staying in cheap accomodations will increase your chances of losing your passport (end of holiday) or stolen money. you certainly wont be drinking in bars or hiring bar girls on that sort of budget.

Cut your trip to 6-8 weeks and you should be ok.

[WhizBang]

 100,000 baht for 3 months.  That's 33,000 baht per month.  Thailand is no longer a cheap destination.

When I first came to Thailand (10+ years ago), I was living on 100,000 baht  per month, and back then the exchange rate was 42 baht/$.

All I can say is good luck, you will need it.  If you eat only from the street food vendors, and sleep on the beach, you may be able to make it for 3 months.  Seriously, you will be surprised at how quickly your money will disappear.

Definately stay away from Pattaya, it is the sewer of Thailand, and very not cheap.  The Russians with all their new found money have arrived and are now the number one tourist to be catered to, witness all the signs in Russian.

For some place quiet and probably somewhat less expensive, you might look to the Krabi area.  But anywhere near a hotspot is likely to be more pricey than one further away.

[moe666]

Chiang mai there are a few guest houses for 200 baht a night never been in one but I guess ok. Eating for 30 baht bowl of soup. big bottle of beer 45 baht from 7-11. scooter rental 150 a day,wed. movie 60 baht but always crowded. walk a lot maybe you can do it but I wouldn't want to.

[ESB7]

Bang Saray, about 20 minutes from Pattaya..house rental from 5K Baht a month, reasonable beach and one or two bars..plus can get to Patters easy and all the surrounding sights, Nong Nooch etc...not ideal but your 100K will last you....

[Nidh]

Thanks people, i can rearrange the budget its not much of a problem. Its not like its carved in stone or anything

Having that settled i'd like to have some of my other questions answered. Thailand is a big place and i need a base stay. Im not saying i will be traveling daily, but i'd like to see bangkok once or twice and so on. I am not backpacking!

As far as economy goes i figured i'd split an 10k baht a month apartment with a friend, leaving me with 30k baht a month or 1000 to spend a day. Food i heard was fairly cheap say 300, i really dont care for fancy restaurants as long as i get my kcals and i dont drink so there is no outcome there.

If i have overlooked anything let me know

Lol i noticed someone said he spent 100k a month? What the hell were you doing man?

[CharlieH]

Only point I would raise in case you havnt thought of it, is get your visa sorted, dont know what you had in mind but if it involves visa runs thats going to add to your expenses, try to get a Tourist Visa in your home country first.

If you havnt got that sorted correctly they may not even let you board the plane ! assuming your air ticket is either open or 3 months then you are going to need to make the correct choices to avoid hassle !

If you were thinking one way and get a return later then without a vaild issued Visa you'll be stopped before even leaving.

Dependant on your nationality you'll get 30 day entry without a visa and you MUST show proof of onward travel after the 30 days expires or they can refuse you.

Good luck

[irishken]

if you have 10k baht apartment a month it would be quite a nice one. dont be afraid to look were thai people live as the prices would be cheaper and for that money you would get something nice.

with 1000 baht a day that sort of cuts out flying for you so buses are the way to go. takes longer but you have 3 months so no problem.

beer and food is cheap and you can eat really nice food for that. you could have some really good soup and stir fry with rice for under 200 baht.

you say you not back packing but with that money you might find yourselve in many backing places, koh samui ect,

i have done the back packing for 6 months in 2005,my first time in thailand so believe you can make it on your budget.

you ask what people can spend 100000 on a month? you will see when you get there

i could easily spend that now in 10 days no problem and have done so many times. the more you have the more you 'll spend so start staying in now and keep it for thailand

Thanks people, i can rearrange the budget its not much of a problem. Its not like its carved in stone or anything

Having that settled i'd like to have some of my other questions answered. Thailand is a big place and i need a base stay. Im not saying i will be traveling daily, but i'd like to see bangkok once or twice and so on. I am not backpacking!

As far as economy goes i figured i'd split an 10k baht a month apartment with a friend, leaving me with 30k baht a month or 1000 to spend a day. Food i heard was fairly cheap say 300, i really dont care for fancy restaurants as long as i get my kcals and i dont drink so there is no outcome there.

If i have overlooked anything let me know

Lol i noticed someone said he spent 100k a month? What the hell were you doing man?

[Nidh]

My tourist visum only extends visit to 60 days, which would mean i'd have to leave to country and back in for another 30 days.

you could have some really good soup and stir fry with rice for under 200 baht.

one meal for 200 baht? i could get a huge pizza here for less than that lol

[muddyleopad]

just go to koh phan gan and sit on the beach for 3 months

[hedonist44]

My tourist visum only extends visit to 60 days, which would mean i'd have to leave to country and back in for another 30 days.

you could have some really good soup and stir fry with rice for under 200 baht.

one meal for 200 baht? i could get a huge pizza here for less than that lol

I'm really trying hard to not say what I would love to say. I know this is a forum for people to ask questions, but give me a frigging break! Can the "Moderators" please filter out post that are so overly redundant and just a plain waste of time?

[soihok]

100K a month is easily done. In fact 100K in two weeks is easily done in a tourist spot.

I have travelled on a budget similar as yours and had a great time.

Depends what you want to do.

What ever you do , don't ever hire a jet ski ( you may get scammed and have your total budget for your trip totally consumed ), but as the prices to hire for 20 -30 minutes are about your daily budget, I don't think you'll be doing that anyway.

Have a good time.

[soihok]

By the way.

If you have a 60 day tourist visa you can extend it for a further 30 days inside Thailand, you don't have to leave the country.

[vont]

My tourist visum only extends visit to 60 days, which would mean i'd have to leave to country and back in for another 30 days.

you could have some really good soup and stir fry with rice for under 200 baht.

one meal for 200 baht? i could get a huge pizza here for less than that lol

for 200 baht? i could get a huge pizza here for less than that lol

you must be in Esarn somewhere, correct?

a huge piz full of ..... < fill in the blank yourself > for 200 thb....

i bet the op would be really interested in where can you order a piz, a huge piz, for 200 thb....

[soihok]

An on going jet ski scam is in full swing in Pattaya. It has been for quite some time.

Please don't hire a jet ski.

[soihok]

First trip to Thailand means that he/she ain't there yet Vont.

Anyway.

Unable to get a huge Pizza in Isaan for 200b so you've obviously not been there also.

( Found one here for 225b though )

http://www.isaan.com/en/about/other-cities-in-isaan/buriram/restaurants/muang-pizza.html'>http://www.isaan.com/en/about/other-cities-in-isaan/buriram/restaurants/muang-pizza.html

http://www.isaan.com/

[thaitot]

Nice apartment in chiang Mai with elec and water and internet @ 10k or less

Rent a motorbike 150 a day or do a monthy @ 3k or less

the place I rented had a small kitchenette.

For me shoppiing

and cooking was entertainment So food can be any amount

You can take a bus ride to hua Hin and stay there a few times

motorbike to Pai for a few days.

motorbike to Chaing Rai stay there a few days

spend countless days exploring the wats in Chiang mai

Go to doi Pui, Doi Tung,Doi internon, the night market ,sunday market

There is lots of adventure to be had. If you have never been here you can do it on your budget

I would recommend getting a monthly apartment or guesthouse unit as a base.

Set some plans up for day travels and a few two or three day adventures then back to the base camp.

Good Luck

[laxbkk]

Forget the rumors you've heard about Pattaya. People love to exaggerate. It's generally pretty safe unless you go looking for trouble. Pattaya is the ideal base for your budget. Cheap accommodations, cheap food, central with 2 airports and a bus station nearby. 100 baht massage, 70 baht gym, 30 baht ferry to Koh Larn with nice beaches and clean water, 10 baht buses. So, plenty of cheap activities during the day. Tons of nightlife with no cover clubs and plenty of cheap bars if you look around.

100k is rough, you'd have to be extremely disciplined to stay within this budget, 150k is more realistic.

Chiang Mai/ Chiang Rai area is nice and should be a definite visit, but not a good base. It's far from everything, so your travel costs/time will offset any savings (which would be insignificant anyway).

Good luck and enjoy your travels

[Theo007]

I agree with laxbkk. Pattaya is centrally located and one can still find cheap accommodation and food. Just keep away from the bars and never picked up a girl/boy from Beach Road.

[smokie36]

By the way.

If you have a 60 day tourist visa you can extend it for a further 30 days inside Thailand, you don't have to leave the country.

For the OP....this costs an additional 1900 Baht.

[dundee007]

just go to koh phan gan and sit on the beach for 3 months

v v likes

[Nidh]

Forget the rumors you've heard about Pattaya. People love to exaggerate. It's generally pretty safe unless you go looking for trouble. Pattaya is the ideal base for your budget. Cheap accommodations, cheap food, central with 2 airports and a bus station nearby. 100 baht massage, 70 baht gym, 30 baht ferry to Koh Larn with nice beaches and clean water, 10 baht buses. So, plenty of cheap activities during the day. Tons of nightlife with no cover clubs and plenty of cheap bars if you look around.

100k is rough, you'd have to be extremely disciplined to stay within this budget, 150k is more realistic.

Chiang Mai/ Chiang Rai area is nice and should be a definite visit, but not a good base. It's far from everything, so your travel costs/time will offset any savings (which would be insignificant anyway).

Good luck and enjoy your travels

Thanks for the input. As i said earlier the budget is not written in stone, i can go with 150k if that works better. It seems really hard to get an answer around here...

A friend of mine stayed in Koh Samui for a couple of months, even though he spent a shitload on girls and in the bar he said you really dont need more than 500GBP a month. He stayed in a pretty nice 200GBP a month appartment which included electricity and water costs. And this is Koh Samui after all.....

As for the food some say you can get a huge meal with rice and chicken for 50 baht, another says a bowl of soup for 200. &lt;deleted&gt;? Is it truffle soup?

[Diablo Bob]

Forget the rumors you've heard about Pattaya. People love to exaggerate. It's generally pretty safe unless you go looking for trouble. Pattaya is the ideal base for your budget. Cheap accommodations, cheap food, central with 2 airports and a bus station nearby. 100 baht massage, 70 baht gym, 30 baht ferry to Koh Larn with nice beaches and clean water, 10 baht buses. So, plenty of cheap activities during the day. Tons of nightlife with no cover clubs and plenty of cheap bars if you look around.

100k is rough, you'd have to be extremely disciplined to stay within this budget, 150k is more realistic.

Chiang Mai/ Chiang Rai area is nice and should be a definite visit, but not a good base. It's far from everything, so your travel costs/time will offset any savings (which would be insignificant anyway).

Good luck and enjoy your travels

Thanks for the input. As i said earlier the budget is not written in stone, i can go with 150k if that works better. It seems really hard to get an answer around here...

A friend of mine stayed in Koh Samui for a couple of months, even though he spent a shitload on girls and in the bar he said you really dont need more than 500GBP a month. He stayed in a pretty nice 200GBP a month appartment which included electricity and water costs. And this is Koh Samui after all.....

As for the food some say you can get a huge meal with rice and chicken for 50 baht, another says a bowl of soup for 200. &lt;deleted&gt;? Is it truffle soup?

You never really said that you wanted to stay on/near the ocea. You did mention Samui, Phuket and Pattaya in the OP, but is the ocean a requirement?

Given your budget and the fact that you haven't been to Thailand before, I would recomend that you bring more money and cut the length of the trip from 3 months to 6 weeks. Spend those weeks traveling around by bus/train to different parts of Thailand. Stay in good but not great hotels. The next time in Thailand you will then know areas to explore further and areas to avoid.

One of my hidden spots is Chaeng Saen, on the Mekong River at the Golden Triangle. At night the food vendors set up their tables and chairs and you can spend the evening relaxing while watching the river barges & long tail boat taxi's ply their trade. Very mellow......

[Mrjlh]

Your accommodation will be your biggest expense. There are a couple of cheaper but nice places in Bangkok for 300-800 Baht a day and that's at the Monthly rate. You can rent places for 5,500 Baht a month all the way to millionaire status. The cheaper the crappier! Old worn out furniture etc. Also the cheaper the farther away from centralized transportation. Next problem getting a 3 month lease. The shorter the time the higher the price. You will need 1st months rent plus security deposit up front! Usually 3 months total. Do a lot of searching on the websites for a place. Farther outside of town the cheaper but then how do you get to places. Transportation now starts to be a problem.

Emergencies do happen...plan on it! Make sure you have funds available that you can get in 24 hours time. On moments notice.

Transportation is cheap here.You can rent cars (expensive but safer) or motorbikes cheaper but more dangerous. You need to understand Thai driving skills. Bring an International Drivers License. Airfare on cheapest airline average is 1700B one way most places but don't count on it. VIP Buses range 300B to 800B one way,depends on the distance. You can take mini vans (dangerous in my opinion by the way they drive) anywhere from 300-1500 Baht one way. Again depends on where you are going. Avoid Tuk-tuks...you can't see a dam_n thing, they're noisy and they cost more than a metered taxi. The city bus line is cheap 6-15B per trip. An experience all in its own. Outside of town there are many other cheap modes of transportation. Every city has some form available. Don't plan on tasking a motorbike on long trips. Aside from it being dangerous some highways don't allow them. Some may say I'm being over board on the safe driving but consider that there are 14,000 fatalities ever year, 70% are motorbikes in Thailand.

Over all I think you underestimated your finances. You can in fact live quite well on 50K a month but with a longer lease on your accommodation and cutting out all the touristy traps which are over priced and there nothing you can do about it. And if you pick up a young lady along the way better triple your expense account. They have away of going through money fast!

Come an enjoy. :jap:

[laxbkk]

Forget the rumors you've heard about Pattaya. People love to exaggerate. It's generally pretty safe unless you go looking for trouble. Pattaya is the ideal base for your budget. Cheap accommodations, cheap food, central with 2 airports and a bus station nearby. 100 baht massage, 70 baht gym, 30 baht ferry to Koh Larn with nice beaches and clean water, 10 baht buses. So, plenty of cheap activities during the day. Tons of nightlife with no cover clubs and plenty of cheap bars if you look around.

100k is rough, you'd have to be extremely disciplined to stay within this budget, 150k is more realistic.

Chiang Mai/ Chiang Rai area is nice and should be a definite visit, but not a good base. It's far from everything, so your travel costs/time will offset any savings (which would be insignificant anyway).

Good luck and enjoy your travels

Thanks for the input. As i said earlier the budget is not written in stone, i can go with 150k if that works better. It seems really hard to get an answer around here...

A friend of mine stayed in Koh Samui for a couple of months, even though he spent a shitload on girls and in the bar he said you really dont need more than 500GBP a month. He stayed in a pretty nice 200GBP a month appartment which included electricity and water costs. And this is Koh Samui after all.....

As for the food some say you can get a huge meal with rice and chicken for 50 baht, another says a bowl of soup for 200. &lt;deleted&gt;? Is it truffle soup?

If you mean 700GBP total per month, that's doable if staying in one place. But if you plan to travel around, that's unrealistic, since you will have additional travel and room expenses.

Samui has 3 major disadvantages over Pattaya:

Location

Cost

Pool of girls

You're looking at taxi+ferry+bus+flight/or another bus+taxi to get anywhere if you're on a budget. Samui airport is monopolized by Bangkok Air, so direct flights are very expensive.

Also, Samui is very touristy, there is no real local population to speak of. The Thais who live on Samui are all there to work. Pattaya is similar, but not as bad being on the main land and a lot larger.

As far as food, 40-50 baht for rice chicken and soup is the going price.

[manarak]

I have considered Pattaya but even though its cheaper people have told me its not much different if not worse than the latter with gang members and thugs roaming the streets.

ha ha ha

who are the nitwits who told you that?

[manarak]

My tourist visum only extends visit to 60 days, which would mean i'd have to leave to country and back in for another 30 days.

you could have some really good soup and stir fry with rice for under 200 baht.

one meal for 200 baht? i could get a huge pizza here for less than that lol

for 200 baht? i could get a huge pizza here for less than that lol

you must be in Esarn somewhere, correct?

a huge piz full of ..... < fill in the blank yourself > for 200 thb....

i bet the op would be really interested in where can you order a piz, a huge piz, for 200 thb....

Had a good pizza today in Naklua for 230 baht at Pizza Big, near soi 29.

There are cheaper places.