When you travel on a budget, you really have to ensure that things remain the way you planned. But experience is the best teacher. And throughout the 10 days of our stay, we experienced and learned so many things. There were errors here and there and our budget shot up a little. Here are some experiences that could save you a lot of money.
Visa on Arrival – Before you book your visa online, check if you’re eligible for Visa on Arrival. All Indians are eligible and we were even lucky to get our fee exempted because of bilateral relations. VoA costs 2000 baht, so ensure you have sufficient cash with you. One of the biggest lessons we learned was to carry our photographs everywhere. Your VoA form must have a passport size photograph. Many travelers like us paid 750 baht for a set of 8 photographs. So, always make it a point to carry one.
Grab – The Grab app is the cheapest for taxis in Thailand. But before you use one, check if you have buses from the airport to your hotel. Buses and minivans are too comfortable and affordable. Phuket Airport is like Bengaluru Airport. It’s far from the city. The last bus plies at 10.10 PM. In case you miss this, check the fares in the Grab app before you book a minivan or a car from the airport agent.
Google Translate – Your flawless English does not work in Southern Thailand. It is however helpful in Bangkok and Pattaya. So, before you even click your first selfie download Google Translate Thai. It also has a voice feature that can help you understand and reply accordingly. It is very difficult to get around otherwise.
Thai SIM – Before you alight your flight, check if you can hire a Dtac or TrueSim in your city. It is sold for a higher price in the airports. It should be affordable if you can get it outside. Ask your friends who visited Thailand if they have one. We thought that the guy was selling the top up tariff at a higher price. However, we found the Indian price a lot cheaper than the Thai price.
Currency Exchange – The best decision we ever made was to convert our currency with a local agency. The airport gives you a higher conversion rate as well. Because the moment we landed in Thailand we came to know that the exchange does not accept Indian currencies. Your Global Debit cards do work in all the ATMs. However, for Indians, it charges a transaction fee of 220 baht per transaction.
Supplies – Thailand can be very hot during the summer. You’ll gulp gallons of water and the famous Slurpees. Water bottles will put a hole in your wallet if you keep stocking them from 7/11s that are almost present in every single street. However, if you’re in Phuket first, you will have Supercheap markets. It has the cheapest alternatives for all your needs. Be it tissues, bottles, cokes, you name it, it’ll be cheaper than any other shop. Stock up as much as possible. Although it might add weight to your baggage, you’ll be saving a lot of money. We thought we’d stock some elements during our next destination, but we couldn’t find Supercheap outside Phuket.
A 2-liter water can is about 14 baht in 7/11 while two 2-liter water cans are only 8 baht in Supercheap. They have a lot of discounts and offers. Their discounts are mostly on essentials, beverages, chocolates, and frozen food.
Transportation – Transportation would be the money-sucker during your trip if you don’t plan well. If you’re a group of five or six who can drive sensibly, you can book cars online. They are cheap and comes at 1579 Rs per day. That’s 300 per person/day. You can pick the car from the airport and drop it at any other airports too. You can check Kayak, Thai Rent-a-car or booking.com and see which fits your budget.
If you want to hire motorcycles, hire it from the hostels where you stay. If they do not have a provision, ask in 3-4 shops before you finalize with one. Remember to bargain whenever you can. You might get the best prices.
For ferry rides, always book at the pier. Never book a ferry from the hostel or from a travel agent around you. We thought we found the best price for our ferry trip to Phi Phi. However, we later noticed that we had paid more for the ferry. Find the way to the pier, check for the timings and book before you board it.
The Thai railways are much cheaper than buses. But the railways does not connect the entire country. If the trains are accessible, always take one. Buses are super comfortable and even offer a free dinner. But buses are costly at the same time.
If you take a normal taxi, ask him to charge with the meter rate. If he refuses, walk to the next taxi. The driver will know you’re not game and will drop you at the location with the meter rate.
Entry tickets – Entry tickets to many attractions in Thailand can be found online. But do not book through their official website. There are many websites like Klook, Renown Travel, that can give you discounted tickets. Remember, the price for foreigners is higher than the price for the locals. Search for online tickets and go into every website. We found a cheaper ticket on Alex holidays for Art in Paradise, Pattaya.
Massage Parlors – Check for massage parlors in the vicinity and look for the ratings in Google. As long as the massage parlors have glass doors, you can walk in to get a genuine, relaxing Thai massage. Trust me, you’ll feel completely refreshed. But if the doors are opaque, then they aren’t massaging parlors!
Food – If you’re a meat eater, you’ll have the time of your life. Most shops showcase the dead version of Blue Planet/Planet Earth. There is plenty to fish around [No pun intended]. But if you’re a vegetarian, wait patiently for my next post!
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