Thailand forum

Totally depends on what you plan on doing. A budget room will cost you 200-500 baht a night, food maybe a few hundred, depends on what you like to eat and how much obviously. You can easily live on less than a thousand a day (excluding travel).

Avoid cabs in the city if you wanna save a lot of money. Avoid Starbucks too.

Travel: Getting from Bangkok to say Phi Phi will cost you 700-1000 baht with a travel agency @ Khao San Road. That includes the ferry and so on. Getting around the islands, a few hundred maybe.

If you're interested in trains, just choose your route here and check the fare: http://www.railway.co.th/home/Default.asp?lenguage=Eng

Remember that alcohol can eat up your budget if you're not careful. It's true that booze is cheap in Thailand but drinking every day is still a major expense for a budget traveler.

Actually, you can probably eat for less than "a few hundred" when I think about it. I just happen to spend a lot on food because I don't like the standard street diet of just rice and curries/noodles and fried meat & veg, but a lot of people love it so...

Massage costs (cheaper in smaller cities and on islands I guess): http://www.chaidee.com/khaosan_en/massage_menu.html

As for hostels, although I said 200-500 you're basically likely to end up spending around 350-600 or so in most places you mentioned. You CAN find dirt cheap rooms (100 baht and up) but it can be difficult and not worth it if you want at least SOME comfort. I just booked a KSR room for my next short stopover in Bangkok and I payed 350 for an AC room in a good location (PM me if you're looking to book a room for your first night!).