Exactly seven months ago, we finished the Mongol Rally. Our small and old Lada survived the knee-deep potholes of Turkmenistan, the ultimate test of the Pamir and the river crossings of Mongolia. It was our biggest and best adventure yet, and in just two months of spending time in that little red car, we’ve learned a lot!
BOOM… There we were, lying on the ground, kissing the tarmac of a Lao road. A few seconds before, we were still happily driving around on our motorbike along a winding road somewhere in the countryside of Luang Prabang, without knowing what was going to happen after the next sharp hairpin corner.
Going to Thailand but don’t know what to expect budget-wise? Let us help you out! The Land Of The Smiles is an extremely budget-friendly country, and that’s probably the fact why so much backpackers head over to Thailand. Doing full-moon parties or relaxing on the beach isn’t the only thing to do in Thailand. Go trekking in the mountains around Chiang Mai, explore the small alleys of Bangkok or indulge yourself in the local food culture. We kept track of all our expenses during our one month in the north of Thailand. We stayed in Bangkok for a couple of days and traveled to Chiang Mai to spend some time in the mountains. If you travel on a budget like we do, you can explore Thailand with just $500 in your pocket.
Thailand is a super backpacker-friendly country, which makes it easy to spend some time in the country on a very tight budget. We’ve spent almost two months in Thailand and managed to spend only $10 a day, even when we were traveling between places. Of course, not every day is the same, and there were days that we’ve spent way more than this. Especially, when doing tours or activities that cost money, it’s difficult. But still, it isn’t impossible. That’s why we wanted to share our experiences and tips on how we managed to travel cheap in Thailand on only $10/day.
Pai, a small town in the mountains of Thailand, has become very famous among the backpackers for a few years now. Many come here to relax and escape the bustling cities of Thailand with its shouting tuk-tuk drivers and busy traffic. Because of this, it’s also called the hippie town of the north. With just 150 km from Chiang Mai, it’s easily accessible by bus or minivan. Although many travelers prefer to conquer the mountain road with its endless twists and turns (762 in total) by motorbike. There a lot of cool things to do in Pai which you can easily combine in one whole day.
After one month traveling through the north of Thailand, our visa exemption of 30 days was going to expire. We were in Chiang Mai and wanted to extend our visa. There are multiple options one can do, like going to the Thai Immigration Office to extend a visa for another 30 days. Or you can go to a neighboring country to get a new stamp when crossing the border back into Thailand. Unfortunately, regulations change quickly, and it’s really difficult to find up-to-date information about doing a Thailand visa run in 2017.
Hitchhiking in Thailand is not as common as in European or American countries, but it is certainly possible. People in Asia are so friendly and curious why a foreigner is standing at the side of the street, trying to stop the passing cars. So it won’t take long until someone stops to ask what you are doing. But making them clear what your intention is, is a lot more difficult. After riding our car from Belgium to Mongolia, taking sleeper trains in China, riding a motorbike around Vietnam & Cambodia, and taking local buses in Laos, we decided to hitchhike our way around Thailand.