How To Become But About Thailand On The Inexpensive Inwards 2019

a sunny beach sentiment inwards Thailand framed amongst rocky outcrops How to Get Around Thailand on the Cheap inwards 2019
Posted: 2/25/2019 | Feb 25, 2019

Thailand is ane of the most pop backpacker destinations inwards Southeast Asia.

It’s also my favorite.

Of course, I’m biased.

Thailand was where I decided to quit my chore in addition to move the world. I lived in that location for 2 years. I ran tours there. I verbalize the language. I experience at dwelling there.

But that aside, Thailand remains pop some xxx years afterwards the commencement hippies arrived on the “banana pancake trail” for a elementary reason: it’s awesome.

The succulent food, the warm people, the postcard-perfect beaches, the lush jungles, the hot atmospheric condition — Thailand is but a wonderful place.

That said, Thailand is also a pretty large country.

What’s the best agency to larn unopen to Thailand?

Well, how you lot volition larn unopen to Thailand depend greatly on how long you’re staying. You direct maintain options!

So what should you lot do?

Here’s a breakdown of the best ways to move unopen to Thailand (including move times) regardless of budget or the length of your remain inwards the country:

Table of Contents

Getting Around Thailand By Flying
Getting Around Thailand By Train
Getting Around Thailand By Bus
Getting Around Thailand By Car
Getting Around Thailand By Ferry
Distance/Times for Getting Around
The Bottom Line on Getting Around Thailand

Getting Around Thailand By Flying

a sunny beach sentiment inwards Thailand framed amongst rocky outcrops How to Get Around Thailand on the Cheap inwards 2019
Flying is evidently the most expensive but quickest agency to larn around. You tin larn pretty much anywhere inwards the province inwards 2 hours or less, making flying the perfect pick for people who are rushed for time.

Thai Airways is the largest (and costliest) carrier, but in that location are numerous budget airlines, similar Thai Smile, Bangkok Airways, Thai Lion, AirAsia, in addition to Nok Air. But avoid some of the smaller budget airlines similar Orient Thai, every bit their security records are pretty spotty.

Flights unopen to Thailand to a greater extent than oft than non cost 1,400-6,600 THB ($44-200 USD). Flights to the islands tend to endure costlier than those betwixt large cities similar Bangkok in addition to Phuket. Flights to Ko Samui are ever to a greater extent than expensive than anywhere else, thank you lot to monopoly pricing past times Thai Airways in addition to Bangkok Airways.

Here are some sample fares (as of Feb 2019) in addition to therefore you lot tin larn an thought of how much flights cost:

Bangkok to Chiang Mai – 780 THB/$25 USD (one way), 1,560 THB/$50 USD (round-trip)
Bangkok to Phuket – 735 THB/$30 USD (one way), 1,311 THB/$42 USD (round-trip)
Bangkok to Koh Samui – 3,715 THB/$119 USD (one way), 7,274 THB/$233 USD (round-trip)
Chiang Mai to Phuket – 1,561 THB/$50 USD (one way), 2,997 THB/$96 USD (round-trip)

If you lot mass early, you lot tin relieve on fares every bit the budget carriers unremarkably offering unopen to 30-50% off tickets when they direct maintain sales — in addition to they always direct maintain sales (especially Air Asia).

Keep inwards hear that each airline has dissimilar baggage fees in addition to policies – budget airlines typically accuse extra for similar credit menu processing (the stupidest of all fees), baggage fees, in addition to preferred seating.

Getting Around Thailand By Train

a sunny beach sentiment inwards Thailand framed amongst rocky outcrops How to Get Around Thailand on the Cheap inwards 2019
Thailand is ane of the few countries inwards the percentage amongst a decent rail network. It covers 2,796 miles in addition to is ane of the best in addition to cheapest ways to larn unopen to the country.

There are 3 classes of travel: commencement shape is the most expensive in addition to is available alone on nighttime trains. Second shape is quite comfortable in addition to has softer seats, every bit good every bit air-conditioned cars. Third shape is bare-bones cars, amongst difficult seats in addition to no A/C. However, these are the cheapest seats around! (I genuinely similar 3rd class, though, every bit you lot come across to a greater extent than interesting people in addition to in that location are ever vendors coming on in addition to off selling delicious in addition to inexpensive food.)

Trains hither motion very, real slowly. The Chiang Mai-to-Bangkok nighttime prepare — a distance of alone 430 miles — takes 12 hours.

Day trains are fifty-fifty worse, every bit in that location are frequent stops in addition to waiting at stations for reasons I’ve never figured out.

There’s no high-speed prepare inwards this province in addition to therefore don’t endure inwards a rush if you’re traveling Thailand past times train!

That said, I dear traveling past times prepare inwards Thailand if I’m non inwards a rush. The trains are spacious, there’s ever nutrient in addition to drinks available, most of the cars direct maintain A/C, vendors larn on in addition to off at each halt to sell meals, fruit, or drinks, in addition to the scenery every bit you lot cruise through the tropical countryside is out of this world.

It’s also crazy cheap, particularly if you lot accept the twenty-four lx minutes catamenia train. Heck, fifty-fifty the nighttime prepare is super cheap! Here are some representative fares for both twenty-four lx minutes catamenia in addition to nighttime trains:

Bangkok to Chiang Mai – 890 THB/$28 USD (day train), 1,011 THB/$32 USD (night train)
Bangkok to Chumphon – 550 THB/$17 USD (day train), 920 THB/$28 USD (night train)
Bangkok to Surat Thani – 858 THB/$26 USD (day train), 1,058 THB/$33 USD (night train)
Bangkok to Ayutthaya – 30 THB/$1 USD (day train)
Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai – 866 THB/$27 USD (day train), 1,131 THB/$35 USD (night train)
Ayutthaya to Lopburi – 30 THB/$1 USD (day train)
Bangkok to Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) – 425 THB/$13.50 USD (day train), 1,010 THB/$32 USD (night train)
Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) to Surin – 300 THB/$9.50 (day train)
Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) to Ubon Ratchathani – 243 THB/$7.75 USD (day train), 593 THB/$19 USD (night train)

You tin catch prepare schedules in addition to ticket prices on the State Railway of Thailand website (railway.co.th).

You tin purchase prepare tickets through a move agent (there’s a slight upcharge) or straight at the prepare station. You tin purchase tickets the twenty-four lx minutes catamenia of move — there’s ever space, particularly on the twenty-four lx minutes catamenia trains. That said, if you lot are looking for a bed on the nighttime train, I would mass at to the lowest degree 3 days inwards advance to ensure you lot direct maintain a reservation, particularly during high season.

Getting Around Thailand By Bus

a sunny beach sentiment inwards Thailand framed amongst rocky outcrops How to Get Around Thailand on the Cheap inwards 2019
As trains don’t become everywhere inwards Thailand, taking the motorcoach is your second-best option. Actually, buses are the widest shape of shipping here. You tin become anywhere inwards Thailand past times bus. Though they oft present bad Thai movies amongst the audio turned upwardly also loud in addition to smash the A/C, they are a comfortable in addition to spacious ride.

If you’re taking a twenty-four lx minutes catamenia bus, bill that they oft halt inwards multiple towns along the agency to pick people upwardly in addition to driblet them off, in addition to they also pick upwardly people past times the side of the road. Don’t aspect to motion inwards an efficient or quick manner. They aren’t inwards a rush.

Be certain to enjoin them precisely where you lot desire to go, because oft in that location are no signs when you lot delineate into motorcoach stations.

There are also “tourist buses” that, spell to a greater extent than expensive, are unremarkably a lot to a greater extent than convenient. They are unremarkably best for long distances (they tend to move at night), in addition to when combined amongst isle ferry tickets (say, Bangkok to Ko Phi Phi). They are to a greater extent than expensive than local buses, but they are to a greater extent than direct, in addition to you lot don’t direct maintain to worry close where you lot are or if it’s your stop. They unremarkably pick upwardly inwards the tourist expanse in addition to driblet you lot off inwards the tourist expanse of the adjacent house — addition there’s no stopping to pick upwardly other people along the way.

You tin mass these via the many move agents that line of piece of job the tourist areas of town.

Here are some sample fares for motorcoach routes inwards Thailand:

Bangkok to Chiang Mai – 534 THB/$17 USD (day bus), 830 THB/$26 USD (night bus)
Chiang Mai to Pai – 150 THB/$5 USD (day bus)
Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai – 229 THB/$7 USD (day bus), 312 THB/$10 USD (night bus)
Lampang to Chiang Rai – 237 THB/$7.50 USD (day bus)
Bangkok to Phuket City – 643 THB/$20 USD (day bus), 998 THB/$31 USD (night bus)
Bangkok to Chumphon – 373 THB/$12 USD (day bus), 427 THB/$13 USD (night bus)
Bangkok to Surat Thani – 858 THB/$27 USD (day bus), 1,058 THB/$33 USD (night bus)
Bangkok to Hua Hin – 289 THB/$9 USD (day bus), 400 THB/$12 USD (night bus)
Bangkok to Trat – 350 THB/$11 USD (day bus), 390 THB/$12 USD (night bus)
Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) to Surin – 291 THB/$10 USD (day bus)
Surin to Ubon Ratchathani – 200 THB/$7 USD (day bus)

Getting Around Thailand By Car

a sunny beach sentiment inwards Thailand framed amongst rocky outcrops How to Get Around Thailand on the Cheap inwards 2019
Don’t rent a auto inwards Thailand. They are expensive, in addition to the roads inwards Thailand are crazy.

It’s much ameliorate to rent a motorcycle in addition to ride across the country. It’s quite a mutual thing to do. This is a good article to assist you lot innovation a trip.

Getting Around Thailand By Ferry

a sunny beach sentiment inwards Thailand framed amongst rocky outcrops How to Get Around Thailand on the Cheap inwards 2019
While you lot won’t endure using the ferry to larn unopen to Thailand, it volition definitely endure an of import mode of shipping when you’re exploring the islands. Due to the well-established move trail, booking your ferry ride is elementary in addition to straightforward – you lot tin oft mass tickets online or just present up. Most hostels in addition to hotels volition endure able to assist you lot amongst this if you lot withdraw assistance. They volition also direct maintain the most up-to-date schedules.

Here are some representative routes in addition to fares to assist you lot innovation your trip:

Koh Tao to Koh Samui – 500 THB/$16 (one way)
Surat Thani to Koh Phangan – 625 THB/$20 (one way)
Phuket to Koh Phi Phi – 780 THB/$25 (one way)
Krabi to Koh Lanta – 550 THB/$17 (one way)

How Long Does It Take to Get Around Thailand?

Trying to figure out how long it volition accept you lot to larn from betoken H5N1 to betoken B? Here is a distance in addition to fourth dimension nautical chart in addition to therefore you lot tin larn an thought of how long it takes to larn from house to place.

Route

Distance
(km/miles)

Air (hrs)

Bus (hrs)

Rail (hrs)

Bangkok –
Chiang Mai

230/115

1:15

Bangkok –
Phuket City

840/525