Two Weeks in Thailand: A Realistic Budget

What two weeks actually costs

I’ve done two-week Thailand trips at different budget levels and here’s what the numbers look like with some specificity rather than the vague “Thailand is cheap!” guarantee you get from most sources.

Flights

Return international flight: wildly variable by origin. From UK/Europe: £400–900. From Australia: $600–1,000. From USA: $700–1,200. From within Southeast Asia: $100–300. Check Aviasales for current prices — booking 6–8 weeks out usually hits a sweet spot.

Internal transport (two weeks)

Bangkok–Chiang Mai overnight train: ฿700. Chiang Mai–Bangkok: ฿700. Bangkok–Koh Phangan (train+ferry combo): ฿1,200. Koh Phangan–Koh Tao ferry: ฿350. Koh Samui–Bangkok flight: ฿1,500. Total: roughly ฿4,500 for a reasonable northern+islands loop.

Accommodation (14 nights)

Budget: ฿350–500/night = ฿5,000–7,000 total. Mid-range: ฿800–1,500/night = ฿11,000–21,000. I typically spend ฿700–900/night in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, slightly more on islands.

Food and drink (14 days)

Eating Thai food properly: ฿300–500/day = ฿4,200–7,000 total. Add drinking: another ฿200–500/day depending on habits.

Activities

Temple entrance fees, day trips, cooking class (฿1,000–1,500 in Chiang Mai), snorkeling tours: budget ฿5,000–8,000 for two weeks of moderate activity.

Total

Two weeks in Thailand not including international flights: ฿25,000–45,000 (~$700–1,250) for mid-range travel. Budget travel: ฿15,000–20,000. Island-heavy or luxury travel: ฿60,000+.