Periodically we update the information on our website, for which Ole either travels to Thailand himself or sends me (Valerio) to go instead.
Recently Ole has been travelling with his family and prefers comfort in everything, while I’m willing to sacrifice any comfort, from the length of layovers to food conditions, for the chance to get a better rental motorbike, on which I spend most of my time. It’s no wonder that I was the one who had to write about the budget-friendly option for a Thailand trip.
From Valerio
Conditions
In January, the question arose about a 2025 Thailand business trip, where I was supposed to cover the resorts: Phuket, Khao Lak, Krabi, Samui, Hua Hin, Pattaya and Koh Chang, with an average of 4 days at each resort, plus time to return to the departure airport.
I started monitoring airfare prices and suggested to Ole that we make it a motorbike trip to keep all expenses down to flights, hotels and motorbike rental. Plus roadside food, which during the trip increases food expenses by 1.5-2 times.
The quality of roads in Thailand and its modest distances make it possible to comfortably undertake round trips independently on wheeled transport. I didn’t want a car because of the rental price and fuel consumption, and a car’s manoeuvrability in crowded resorts is rather mediocre.
I considered a maxi scooter due to having several journeys on highways, one of which is 1500 km. For riding around inside a resort, from home to the beach, this would be excessive and expensive. For these purposes, I would rent an N-Max with no more than 40,000 km on the clock.
And a maxi-scooter, rented for the entire duration of the trip, from arrival to departure, allows comfortable travel around the country without having to bother each time with public transport transfers. With it, there’s no need to look for another scooter rental at each new location.
So now you understand the conditions:
- 1 person
- motorbike rental for 30 days
- medical insurance for 30 days
- SIM card for work with unlimited internet
- hotel bookings
- food
- toll roads and ferries
Motorbike Rental
I decided not to leave the rental to chance, as it’s peak season and the rental has a special feature – for riding around the entire country. Usually, rental companies give you a scooter with unlimited mileage but don’t let you leave the location – they track and fine you. And in my plans, I was looking at covering about 3,500 km in total.
I found a young rental service called Kokon.car through recommendations and arranged to rent a maxi-scooter ADV-350 for 9,900 baht (website price). I was already doubtful there wasn’t a mistake, because such scooters usually rent for around 14,000-18,000 baht.
A bit later it turned out that the price on the website was indeed a mistake, but as an apology, they offered me a price of 11,000 baht with a deposit of 10,000 baht. More than a good deal for a new scooter with nice decals: one that people wouldn’t want to steal – it catches the eye.
If you look at regular scooters rather than maxi ones, 125cc ones rent for 220-350 baht per day, and 150-160cc for 450-650 baht per day. There are options outside these ranges, but you’ll need time to search.
For families, I wouldn’t recommend economising and would strongly recommend choosing a car. It’s both safe and cool to travel around the tropics with the whole family.
SIM Card
Normally, I would have bought any SIM for 50 baht at a 7-Eleven upon arrival, and then chosen the plan I needed from the app. But this time I needed to try a new Swedish service for us, Yesim, so for 30 USD I bought an e-SIM online, which is serviced by D-Tac operator in Thailand. The package is all unlimited.
The SIM worked without problems, activated in Thailand, and has been working without issues for almost two weeks now. The connection weakens slightly on the islands. Internet speed in Phuket showed downloads of nearly 300 MB on Ookla and uploads around 100 MB, then the download speed generally stayed within 100 metres.
Accommodation Booking
For the first week (and for the whole trip later) I was looking for very simple guesthouses with the main conditions:
– in the range from 300 baht to 900 baht
– private bathroom
– air conditioning
My philosophy is simple: I need a place to sleep, cool down, wash up and charge my gadgets – that’s all. Breakfasts, swimming pools, wildlife, window views, service and the presence of a nail warmer – these are unworthy of attention for a true traveller.
I should note that within this budget, there are almost no options in Phuket and Samui for my dates. Peak season and an unprecedented influx of tourists have sent prices sky-high.
In Phuket I stayed in Phuket Town, in a guesthouse called Nanachart Mansion. A stuffy anthill with surprisingly good rooms. Air conditioning and a bed, minimal.
In Khao Lak – Burmese Corner, nice fresh rooms on the second floor of a Burmese restaurant. Shampoo, water, electric kettle, hairdryer.
Krabi – My Pumpkin Bungalow in Krabi Town. Separate cottages on the ground, very convenient for motorcyclists. Shampoo, water, kettle, fridge, TV.
I didn’t make it to Samui – online booking didn’t yield any sensible options, which is why I stopped in blessed Khanom (half an hour from the ferry to Samui) – at the Siriburi Resort guesthouse. A two-storey hotel-type building, everything very family-like, but the termites were annoying, crawling into equipment, into my helmet, carrying away all edible things.
In Hua Hin, the choice in my range was already spacious, with more than two dozen options, and I took the one that was closer – I had a sprint of about 500 km ahead of me.
I’m writing the article in the middle of the trip, so Hua Hin itself, Pattaya and Koh Chang remain without comments for now.
Medical Insurance
I took out medical insurance the old-fashioned way with insuremytrip. There are different options, but this way is more familiar. Coverage amount – 50,000 USD, Atlas.
Food
In Thailand, you can either burn through money on food or save. The level of restaurants with cloth tablecloths and trained staff is not for me for various reasons, but mid-level street cafes are fine. But in Thailand there is an even more democratic gradation of food: food stalls.
Resort restaurants offer dishes with prices from 450 baht. A mid-range café with decent interior and air conditioning – from 250 baht. Street café with bamboo or plastic furniture – 80-120 baht. Food stalls – from 20 baht for sweet treats and from 50 baht for meat dishes (mix of rice and pork/chicken/fish).
There are also world-class fast foods like McDonald’s and KFC, where a visit for one will cost 200-500 baht. For example, a basket duo plus a drink in Krabi cost me 250 baht.
And there are also mini-markets with a ready-made food section where you can buy and heat up ready-made sandwiches and dishes, but their prices are roughly in the street café budget. For 100-150 baht you can really fill up.
And there are food courts of large supermarkets, where there’s also a democratic price for meat dishes. From 60 to 120 baht is more than enough. Water – in the cooler, free.
My minimum food budget per day is about 300 baht, average budget – 420 baht. For 500 baht I can already have lunch at a mid-range café, and have breakfast and dinner at a food stall or 7-Eleven.
The further from tourism, the lower the prices. Even on the highway, you can stop at any Thai establishment, and all prices there will be two-digit.
Miscellaneous
Other expenses can include spending on small but important everyday things:
— water (17/22 baht for 1.5 litres)
— wet wipes (from 30 to 60 baht per pack)
— laundry (from 80 baht per kg, with ironing) or self-service laundry for 40 baht in “1 hour washing” mode
— sunblock — 350-550 baht and higher
— petrol (depending on consumption and distances) I end up refuelling every three days for 400 baht for a full tank.
Conclusion
Overall, I can conclude that Thailand 2025 has become more expensive even compared to Thailand 2022, not to mention earlier years. Prices in Thailand have started to rise slowly, although before they always pleased with their stability. And now here and there you notice – plus one baht, plus two baht, plus ten to what was familiar and consistent.
