Thailand on the Cheap

Budget Travel Tips and Articles

Thailand doesn’t need my praise to attract travelers. Just Google image search the country and you’ll immediately want to be there. Their world-famous beaches, the laid-back north, the temples, the food, the bloody monkeys! I’ll always remember Thailand as the place that I first saw wild elephants.

My Budget Backpacking Guide to Southeast Asia
4 and a half Months in Southeast Asia

Sukhothai, Thailand: The First Kingdom of Siam

Train from ayutthaya to phitsanulok — Lady who sells train snacks takes a break

Getting to Sukhothai from Ayutthaya was an adventure. We hopped on the train (5-1/2 hours, 245B/$8), which was over a half-hour late, and putted down the tracks to Phitsanulok. We arrived in Phitsanulok and started looking for the bus station… it wasn’t where our map said it was.

Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Ayutthaya Historical Park

We lucked out in Ayutthaya. We arrived on the weekend and they were holding their annual World Heritage Fair celebrating their status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The fair is usually held in December, but due to the major flooding that devastated Ayutthaya it was postponed until we arrived!

Thai Massage Parlour — The place where it all went down. I didn't see the "porn" part in the sign when I walked in.

Two facts about Thailand: 1) The mattresses are hard. 2) Cheap massages are available everywhere. Perhaps the mattress people are in cahoots with the massage people. I don’t know, but I do know that after 20 days in Thailand it was time for me to get a full body Thai massage.

Kanchanaburi, Thailand: Bridge on the River Kwai (minus the bridge)

It was easy-peasy to get from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi. We hopped on the 7:50am train from Thonburi Station (formerly known as Bangkok Noi station). The train is a comfortable and easy way to travel in Thailand, but don’t wear your best clothes as all the windows are open and it can get a little smokey and fumey. Make sure you consult the man in seat 61.

Bangkok train station - Thornburi — Thonburi Station, Bangkok

The third class seats on Thailand train — 3rd class seats to Kanchanaburi

Itchy Feet in Southeast Asia: our journey begins in Bangkok, Thailand.

We snagged some pretty cheap one-way tickets from JFK to Bangkok, Thailand by booking several months ahead with China Eastern ($603). We crossed the border into Buffalo and flew with Delta Airlines to JFK… just your average short-haul cheapo flight.

China Eastern Airlines Plane JFK to BKK — Our home for the next 14 hours courtesy of China Eastern

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