Booking early will often get you better rates as prices tend to increase when hotel occupancy increases. If you are really with a tight budget and you are 100% sure of your travel dates, the cheapest option will always be the non-refundable. If you are on a tight budget, consider staying in a hostel, some are good. Also, rooms become difficult to find if you plan to come for the high season (which wouldn’t be a good idea if you have a tiny budget anyway). Most businesses are running low, so they need income, allowing you to be tougher with your counteroffer. Hotels are significantly cheaper during the low season, but the overall cost of your holiday can get considerably lower as prices are lower, and you can bargain better. Just to be on the safe side, try to book a hotel with a beautiful pool as the sea can be rough: when the flags are red, respect them and stay out of the sea.

Readers always ask about the weather during the low season. Unless you are the kind of person that can’t do the first step without having breakfast, better skip the hotel buffet. Even in a cheap hotel, it’s usually overpriced. 13. On the other hand, it will take longer to reach your hotel as you will have to wait for the van to be full plus you might be the last one to reach your destination. Enjoy great local foods in the streets or go to the nearest food court. This applies to everything you will do if you want to cut cost. Having a lot of time is almost a requirement when travelling cheap. 14. However, you need to know about a few things: have an international driving license and wear your helmet. Police controls are not unusual, and the fine of 500 baht will hurt your budget. Not worth the waste of time. Renting a bike can also lead to very costly accidents, so in addition to driving carefully, having an international driving license is recommended.

If you shop in the streets or at the market, you need to bargain; most of us are not familiar with this practice, and we tend to be shy. In most touristic areas, patong condominium vendors are well aware of that and might try to take advantage by raising the price further. Bargaining is not easy for beginners, but remember that the sellers are used to it, so you don’t have to be shy when making a counteroffer. By offering 50%, you should be able to knock down 30% of the asked price. If you are a walk-in guest in a hotel, you can bargain the cost of a room night. Remember that you don’t bargain in restaurants, convenience stores and malls! In the long run, your throat might become painful! When every baht counts, you can go ‘local’. Also known to give notorious hangovers. You probably read this on all the websites selling hotel rooms and in your emails, but this is true.

They are good but not necessarily cheaper than real seafood restaurants. Banzaan and other night markets are great alternatives to picking your food and having it cooked for a small fee. Markets are great for buying all kinds of clothing, bags, accessories, electronics and souvenirs, but get ready to bargain. Note that most of the branded goods you will find on the market are fake, and the quality will probably be on the low end. Note also that you usually don’t bargain on food. It is significantly cheaper, and locals know it very well. Those convenience stores are now widely available around the island. 4. We did the research, and these are the most expensive places to buy anything! There are 3 kinds of local buses. There are several routes, so use the below map to know when to change. Prices range from 15 to 45 baht, and departures are every 30 minutes.