Thailand forum

I've seen quite a few posts about budgets, daily costs in Thailand, and accommodation costs. I thought I'd post a few places that I found to be easier on the budget. I guess the criteria would be cheapish guesthouses and access to cheap local food, not the all too familiar 50 baht pad thai and 100 baht fried rice. Here's a sampling of places I've stayed in the past couple years and found cheap accomm and food.


Sukhothai - 250 for a room, 30 for food, 30(?) for bike rental at the historical park.

Kanchanaburi - 70-240 at Jolly Frog for a room, around 40 for food, 120/person for a boat tour to the caves and temple. Renting a truck to take a group out to the waterfalls - 800-100 baht no matter how many people.

Doi Mae Salong - 50-100 for room, cheap food at the morning market and various noodle shops(under 40), and free to tool around town and enjoy the beautiful view. Free tea samples everywhere too!

Mae Sariang - 300 for room, 40 for food, and 50 for a bicycle to explore the beautiful countryside.

Pai - 100-250 for a room, cheap food at the market(but NOT cheap at the many farang-oriented restaurants), some cheap food to be about if you search(Curry Shack has delicious Thai food for under 40) and cheapest bike rental I've seen in Thailand - 80 baht for manual, 100 for auto at AYA. Go see the rice paddies and mountains.

Chiang Mai - 100 for dorms, many rooms to be had under 300, cheap street food everywhere, more than 40 baht for a meal better be a special occasion! There's a wealth of public transport leaving from Chiang Mai, so hop on a red truck and see Bo Sang or Chiang Dao for under 100 baht each way.

Ayutthaya - Rooms on Soi Farang can be had for under 250 baht, food is about for 30-40 baht, and bicycling around to the ruins will cost you 50 baht, plus 50 baht entry fee for some temples.

Koh Lanta - Rooms start at 250-300 in low season for beachfront bungalows, and off the beach bungalows can be had for 300 year round. Food is relatively cheap compared to other islands. We had no problem finding 50-60 baht meals, and I'm sure there's more cheap food hidden in Saladan. All day kayaking trip was 600/person, and renting a motorbike and exploring Koh Lanta Noi cost 250/day.

Tonsai - Room can be had for 150 baht, a few food places have 30-50 baht meals, and sea kayaking is under 300-450 for the day for a 2 person kayak.

This is not a full list, anyone else have any places they've found rather cheap? I'd love to hear your opinions!