Budgets tips for backpackers
"...got me motorbike, comfy guesthouse and three yummy meals a day, all for less than a price of a night out on the town in London, sorted mate."
Yup, Thailand is known as a cheap, good value destination and Chiang Mai is one of the cheapest tourist areas in the whole country. No wonder people hang out here for weeks. And when you head north to Pai, it gets even cheaper. Guesthouses and entertainment are certainly good value and there are plenty of activities that are cheaper than on the islands.
It's about 30 per cent cheaper in Chiang Mai than Bangkok and if you plan for a lengthy stay, then you can really make your money go a long way. It all makes the Khao San Road look like a fleecing fair. Good rates are offered for weekly stays and motorbike rentals.
It really depends on how much you want to spend and how much you are willing to cut back. If you are prudent here, then you can budget as little as US$10 a day, yet if you want to go out on the town drinking and stay in nice hotels, then you can spend up to US$100 a day.
Of course, if you make a few local friends (especially lady ones) your wallet can lose money fast; there's plenty of fun to be had here and loads of cheap goodies to buy!
Below are some tips on how you can stay without having to spend all that much money:
- First, find yourself a cheap guesthouse; there are plenty for around for 100-200 baht a night. Most of the cheapies are located in and around the old town; the rooms are usually quite bare, but they are clean. For 100 baht, you can expect to have to use shared bathrooms. Noise can be a problem though. Forget dorms, you aren't that skint are you!
- Then there's food right! Got to fatten yourself up before you hit the fruit-picking in Oz. The cheapest way to eat is at street-side noodle shops, where a bowl of pad Thai costs just 20 baht. The hygiene is sometimes dodgy though, leaving you with 'Dehli belly'. A decent curry in a proper, though humble restaurant costs about 50 baht. Even splashing out and having a nice 'farang' steak can cost only 100 baht. Basically anything the Thais don't usually eat costs more, so expect a sumptuous plate of fried rice to cost less than a bowl of muesli, fruit and yogurt.
- Getting around the city is a breeze, everything in the centre is walkable and you can get as wasted as you want in the go go bars and stumble home. To explore a bit further, you can rent a bicycle, one of the lovely ones you mum once owned with a big bell and basket on the front! Seriously, renting a Honda Dream for 150 baht a day does the trick best; take it for few days and the price gets better. They go up mountains, through mud, you name it. Basically they don't limit you and help to maximise your explorations. Alternatively, songteaws (red pickups) are the taxis and bus system of Chiang Mai; they're everywhere and you can just flag one down. Set routes cost just 10 baht, but they'll go out of their way for a little more. Styling a bit more, riding a tuk tuk is the premium Thailand experience, but be sure to set the price before you go (about 60 baht to most places).
- To get your internet fix for the day, pop into any one of the numerous internet cafés about town for only 20 baht an hour, but be sure to test the speed first before getting comfortable. Lots of these places also offer cheap international calling using VioP on the internet, costing 20 baht a minute to Europe and the US.
- You needn't hop on a tour to see Chiang Mai, your Lonely Planet covers it all. Trekking companies are competitive and rates are similar, so worry more about the route they're promising and the quality.
- Now it's time to razzle. We'll get to the drinking later; first find yourself a nice humble Thai restaurant to avoid farang prices. If you need to pick up a few souvenirs for the rellies back home, then head for the Night Bazaar where prices are best, but be sure to have your bargaining boots on. Don't get all nasty over 10 extra baht, remember it's only a quarter! You may also find cheaper goods in the second-hand evening market on Huay Kaew road.
- Time for a few bevvies and some footie on TV. Well, the Thais love the Premiership and most bars will have the evening's game on, they also have ESPN with North American sports, and many will also oblige and put on a music video of your choice (many of the bars on Loi Kroh road have fine selections). Even in Thailand, the taxman makes you pay for the right to imbibe yourself. But beer can be cheap if you know where to drink. For starters, stay away from the go go bars, karaoke lounges and discos where drinks cost as much as they do back home (and even more for your go go companion). Beer and other alcohol is freely available in all shops, even after hours, but don't be a slob and wander around with an open bottle in your hand; you'll be welcome at any of the impromptu bars and restaurants all over the place, as long as you order something. Either way, the Thais are friendly and unfussed; besides, these places sell quarts of beer for 50 - 70 baht. In proper tourist restaurants, they'll be double that. Beer Chang is the cheapest, followed by Singha, and even Heineken is reasonable. Actually the most expensive pint we ever had was a Guinness which cost 300 baht in an Irish bar in Bangkok!
The Thai way to drink is to order a whole bottle of whisky (their preference is a 1000 baht bottle of Johnny Walker black label - an instant status symbol). At the bottom end of the scale is Sangsom (rum) and Mekhong (whisky) for a 100 baht a bottle, and quite lethal. Roadside stalls dish up shots of this stuff, it's legendary Thai working class stuff and guaranteed to give you a super hangover. Even cocktails are reasonable, in the right places, but wine isn't. Coolers also go down well.
- When it gets late, you can head to Bubbles disco, nearby the Porn Ping hotel, for a boogie. It's the most popular place; the music isn't too bad and it's full of friendly and fun people. Steer clear of the karaoke bars, drinks are a rip-off and they'll charge you at least 200 baht an hour if you want a hostess to join you. The same goes for go go bars, where you'll easily be conned by some sultry sexpot into buying you a drink, whether you are male or female. Before you know it, they have you taking them home (bar fine 200 baht before you've even started negotiating).
- Another option for a cost effective day out is a trip to Chiang Mai's major shopping mall, Airport Plaza. Here you can see a movie for a hundred baht, buy brand name clothes at a quarter of the price in the West, or eat in one of the many restaurants.
- Alternatively, you could take a taxi up to Chiang Mai University, where there's a free art museum, free tennis courts, pick-up football ( the students welcome foreigners to play) and a pleasant lake surrounded by verdant jungle and mountains. You really needn't spend hardly any money at all.
- Getting out and about is free, and the Huay Tung Tao reservoir near the Seven Hundred Year Stadium is great for swimming; there are some groovy waterfront shacks serving food. The national parks charge 200 baht entry to foreigners and 20 baht to Thais, but the gatekeeper knocks off at 17:00 (figure the rest out yourself!).
One thing to remember, if you stick with the tourist crowds and in the tourist areas, then invariably you'll have to spend more money. But also remember that cheap doesn't always mean good value and quality here is dodgy. The cheaper it gets, the more likely it is to break down. Thailand is a cheap place in more ways than one. Many Thais survive on a monthly wage that, to any Westerner would seem something short of miraculous. They know how to budget!
|
Thailand for under a tenner a day! | |
|---|---|
| Guesthouse: | 150 baht (with private bathroom) |
| Western breakfast: | 50 baht |
| Noodles for lunch & iced tea: | 40 baht |
| Motorcycle rental: | 150 baht |
| Afternoon massage (1 hour): | 100 baht |
| Green curry dinner: | 70 baht |
| 2 quarts of beer: | 100 baht |
| Snacks and refreshments: | 70 baht |
| 700 baht = £10/$US20 | |
on sale widely
