In Review: 23 Days of Backpacking in Thailand

This post is part of a series called Thailand 2016

Island Life in Koh Mak and Koh Wai, Thailand
Bangkok, Food, Songkran, And a Good Bye
In Review: 23 Days of Backpacking in Thailand

Why I Went There?

After traveling for two months at a fast pace in Taiwan and Myanmar, Jenni and I were looking for a beach setting to relax for a week or two. Thailand was an obvious choice based on proximity. And while Jenni was already very familiar with it, I had never been in Thailand before so it was an opportunity to visit a new country.

Where Did I Go?

We flew into Bangkok and from there we headed to the island of Koh Mak in the Gulf of Thailand. After spending a few days there, we headed to the more primitive island of Koh Wai. From there we went to Cambodia before returning to Bangkok again for four days.

My Other Blog Posts on Thailand

Island Life in Koh Mak and Koh Wait
Crossing The Infamous Thai-Cambodia Border at Poi Pet
Bangkok, Food, Songkran, And a Good Bye

Expenses

Traveling with someone meant that we could share accommodation and taxi rides, making them cheaper per person than traveling alone.

Total Days: 23
Total Expenses for 2 People: 1,408 USD (704 USD/person)
Average for 2 People: 62 USD/day (31 USD/person)

We only stayed in Airbnb places and beach bungalows. No hostels. Aside from food and the occasional snorkel rental, we didn’t spend money on much else. We didn’t visit any museums or temples or attraction sites.

Some sample prices:

Simple meal: 2-4 USD
Nice Airbnb place in Bangkok: 35 USD a night
Very basic bungalow in Koh Wai with no A/C or electricity: cost 12 USD/night
Bungalow with electricity and fan: 24 USD/night

How Is It Like to Backpack in Thailand?

We didn’t visit many places so I can’t really say how it is to extensively travel in the country.

I was shocked at how modern Bangkok was. It’s full of shopping malls and international chain restaurants. I was able to get two of my favorite foods in the world there: bubble tea and Japanese curry. Local street food is everywhere and generally very good. You won’t go hungry in this country.

Transportation between cities was easy to arrange. Being a well-traveled country, there are lots of resources on the internet.

I found the places that I visited to be a little too westernized. But I do think it’s a great country to go as your first stop in South East Asia, before going to more exotic and rough-around-the-edges ones like Myanmar or Cambodia.