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Japanese travel site Soranews today explains how Japanese tourists can spend a weekend in Bangkok for just $340.
As Thailand targets wealthy tourists, beggar travelers are making a comeback, and a popular new article tells Japanese how to travel on a budget to the Land of Smiles.
With the easing of Covid-related restrictions in Japan, international travel is back in the news, but with the Japanese yen in a precarious situation, going abroad is expensive.
So the challenge is to spend two nights in Thailand for less than ¥50,000 ($340), including airfare, accommodation, transportation and food.
The first thing travel writer Go Hatori does is buy a plane ticket.
Immediately Go cheated, because he booked in advance with AirAsia.
A return flight from Narita to Bangkok cost him just ¥43,960 ($302), but that’s certainly not the usual fare.
The plane tickets were certainly cheap, but Go only had $40 left for the rest of the trip.
Could he have fun?
Can he even find a hotel?
He doesn’t like youth hostels, so he looks for a single, private room and finds one for just 370 baht with a toilet, hot shower, free WiFi and a window.
With accommodation booked and boarding pass in hand, Go boarded his flight with just over 1,000 baht in his pocket for the entire trip.
Upon arrival, Go hopped on the 50 baht S1 bus that runs from the airport to Khao San Road.
After getting off the bus, he walked 20 minutes to the Bonita guesthouse, where his cheap room was much, much better than he expected.
A room at the Bonita guesthouse in Bangkok
There was a ceiling fan, a desk, a chair and a private bathroom/shower.
Excellent value for money.
There was even a small balcony. Unbelievable! (In pocket: 1140 baht)
Craving a bowl of Tom Yum Goong (spicy shrimp soup), he set out to find the nearest place that sells it, a food stall so famous it’s been featured on Japanese and Thai food blogs and ranked as the best in Bangkok.
The bowl was 150 baht and 10 baht more for the rice.
It would have been absolutely perfect if he had a beer…but he had an orange juice for 30 baht, then went to the fruit stand and got a nice mango for 40 baht, real Bangkok prices! (In pocket: 910 baht)
Soon, it’s raining quite heavily, so Go returns to his hotel room early.
After a day in Thailand. What was he going to do tomorrow?
Well, the first thing was to buy a bottle of water at a nearby 7-Eleven for 7 baht.
Then, Ba Mee Haeng, a noodle dish without broth at 55 baht. (In pocket: 848 baht)
And as he wandered the streets, longing for something sweet, he came across a lady selling what looked like charcoal toast.
He ordered jam on toast and a sweet iced coffee, both costing 20 baht. (In pocket: 808 baht)
Go and then proceed to the pier to take the Chao Phraya Express to Oriental Station. (In pocket: 793 baht)
Bye Phraya Express Boat
At Oriental Station, Go went in search of Charoen Saeng Sil, a restaurant famous for its braised pork leg.
It’s not even 8:30am, but Go is in rest mode and orders Khao Kha Moo with rice for 60 baht.
The dish was tasty and tender. (In pocket: 733 baht)
Now a motorbike taxi (34 baht) to Soi Charoen Krung, an area of cheap massage parlors.
Most offer an hour of Thai massage for around 100 baht.
Enjoy a one-hour body massage (120 baht) and follow up with a one-hour foot massage, also priced at 120 baht. (In pocket: 459 baht)
Journalist Go gets a massage
At just over $10.33, Go is wondering if he’s in trouble.
He still had to buy souvenirs for his friends, so he paid 44 baht to go back to downtown Bangkok. (In pocket: 405 baht)
Looking for the perfect souvenir, he came across a herbal inhaler (Poy Sian) for only 10 baht!
Since he had to buy 11 souvenirs, each one cost only 10 baht. (In pocket: 295 baht)
Hungry again, the last dish of his Thai food tour was Khao Man Gai, chicken with sweet ginger sauce for 50 baht.
But just as he was leaving the restaurant, it started to rain, so Go hopped on the bus, spending a whopping 8 baht on the bus from which all passengers quickly exited.
Go never knew why, but he took another one for 15 baht and got off near Khao San Road. (In pocket: 222 baht)
For his last Thai meal of the trip, he had Khao Pad (fried rice) for 60 baht.
The airport bus the next morning would cost about 60 baht, so he had about 100 baht left to play with.
A nearby convenience store offers the one thing Go’s trip has been missing so far: cold Singha beer at 41 baht. (In pocket: 61 baht)
And with that, Go returned to Suvarnabhumi Airport with enough money for one last beer before boarding with 11 baht in his pocket to stretch his budget on his next visit.
Source: The Thaiger, Sora News 24