Bangkok Holiday Budget: Go on a Bangkok holiday from $583

Spend a weekend in Bangkok and you’re sure to hear that familiar Singaporean accent in all the famous touristic and shopping spots. That’s because Singaporeans freaking love this city.

To get prices of flights, transportation, accommodation and data sim cards, read our complete travel guide to Bangkok.

The food is excellent, the shopping is incredibly cheap and trendy, and as Singaporeans, we’re unfazed by the crowds.

Bangkok is a very affordable destination and this city can be visited very cheaply if you’re willing to do the leg work. In the past pre-Covid, you could spend a week in Bangkok for $500. Now, daily expenses, dining, and travel prices have soared.

Here’s how much you’ll need to travel from Singapore to Bangkok these days:

Contents

1. Bangkok Holiday Cost: Total Budget
2. Bangkok Weather
3. Bangkok Time
4. Temperature in Bangkok
5. Singapore to Bangkok Flights
6. Bangkok BTS (MRT)
7. Bangkok Hotels
8. Bangkok Restaurants (Jay Fai Bangkok)
9. Things to do in Bangkok (Night Markets, Big C)

1. Bangkok Holiday Cost Guide

We’re planning for a trip to Bangkok in December for 4 days 3 night. Here’s a total breakdown of the budget:

Bangkok Holiday Budget	Price
Flights	$260 – $700
Hotel	$105 – $798
Transport	$22 – $72
Food	$57 – $334
Shopping & Tour	$139 – $154
Total Budget:	$583 to $2,058

2. Bangkok Weather

Which month is the best to visit Bangkok? The best time to visit Bangkok and Thailand is the end of the year, after October just as the monsoon season ends. Towards December, you can expect the weather to cool down (especially chilly in Northern Thailand such as Chiang Mai).

Do avoid travelling to Bangkok in March and April if possible. Temperatures can run up to 35°C and beyond. Trust me, I’ve been there and done that. Getting stuck in Bangkok’s infamous traffic jams in a sweltering hot 37°C is no fun! If you’re there on a business trip, for example, you can seek air-conditioning refuge in many of Bangkok’s massive shopping malls.

Hottest Month in Bangkok: April
Rainiest Month in Bangkok: September
Coldest Month in Bangkok: December

As we are writing this in September, Bangkok is gearing up for tropical storm from Typhoon Noru (which has already spurred an evacuation and high alert warnings in neighbouring Vietnam).

3. Bangkok Time

Bangkok and Singapore are not on the same time zone.

Bangkok is one hour behind Singapore. Bangkok runs on the UTC +7 time zone, while Singapore is an hour ahead on the UTC +8 time zone.

Here’s the time difference between Singapore and Bangkok:

Bangkok Time: 2pm
Singapore Time: 3pm

4. Temperature in Bangkok

How hot does it get in summer in Bangkok? And how cold does it get in December in Bangkok? Do I need flip flops, singlets, and shorts? Should I bring a fleece sweater or coat to Bangkok?

Here are the approximate temperatures in Bangkok throughout the different months:

January: 22°C – 32°C
February: 24°C – 33°C
March: 26°C – 34°C
April: 27°C – 35°C
May: 26°C – 35°C
June: 26°C – 34°C
July: 26°C – 33°C
August: 25°C – 33°C
September: 25°C – 33°C
October: 25°C – 33°C
November: 24°C – 32°C
December: 22°C – 32°C

No, you do not need a coat or sweater in Bangkok. You’re instead better off packing lightweight shorts, T-shirts, blouses, singlets, and flip flops.

5. Singapore to Bangkok Flights

All the main budget airlines, namely Tiger Air, Air Asia, Jetstar and Scoot operate multiple flights per day to Bangkok, so it shouldn’t be too hard to get cheap tickets any time of year.

Back then in a pre-Covid world, you would pay around $150 for tickets booked a month or two in advance and not during an ongoing sale. If you book even further in advance or during a sale, you’ll be able to shave quite a bit off the ticket price.

That being said, if you choose to fly over public holidays and don’t book well in advance, be prepared to get ripped off.

Here, I’m looking for flights from Singapore to Bangkok around the 17 December weekend right before Christmas (can clear annual leave!). Prices seem to range between $260 and upwards to $700++.

Singapore to Bangkok Flights	Base Price
Air Asia (Thai)	$266
Lion Air (Thai)	$331
Thai Airways	$518
Jetstar	$532
Scoot	$534
Singapore Airlines	$703

6. Bangkok Transport: BTS (MRT)

There are several ways to get around in Bangkok, most commonly the BTS (Bangkok version of MRT), Grab, and sometimes the pink and yellow top taxis that you can flag down.

These days, the preferred method of taxis in Bangkok is Grab – you get a transparent price, route, and official records and receipts of your journey.

If you stay near a BTS Skytrain station, then you should definitely take advantage of the city’s well-connected public transport system which reaches the doorstep of key attractions like Chatuchak Weekend Market. Each ride costs between 15 THB (S$0.57) and 42 baht (S$1.59).

Singaporeans usually just hail a taxi or Grab in order to avoid actually having to walk anywhere in Bangkok.

From the airport, use the Airport Rail Link (a train from the airport to the city) that gets you to Phayathai Station in the city centre for only 45 THB (S$1.70). Have tried it, and can confirm it is fast and efficient.

Here’s how much a few days’ worth of BTS and Grab rides could potentially cost you:

Bangkok Transport	Price
Airport Rail Link to City (BTS)	$1.70
BTS to BTS	$0.57 to $1.59 /ride
Shopping Trips (Grab, 15km, 30mins)	$7.52 /ride
Night Markets (Grab, 15km, 30mins)	$7.52 /ride
Hotel to Airport (Grab, 28km, 60mins, tolls)	$17
Total Transport Budget [x10 BTS, x5 Grab, Airport return]:	$22.70 to $72.20

7. Bangkok Hotels

Bangkok has such a reputation for being cheap that most Singaporeans just end up staying in four or five star hotels. If you book on Agoda you can stay in a four star establishment for S$80 a night—look out for their generous discounts and flash sales.

On the other end of the scale, a room for two in a very basic guesthouse will cost anywhere from $15 to $30 a night. The conditions won’t be great, but at least it’s a place to lay your head (and feet) after long shopping sprees.

Because accommodation is generally cheap, few Singaporeans bother looking for accommodation on Airbnb when going to Bangkok, which is a pity because you can get very luxurious accommodation for very little.

This entire luxury condo which accommodates up to three people is going for $29 a night, this one with panoramic views accommodating up to three is going for $15 per night, while this apartment which accommodates two is going for $22 per night.

If you’re determined to have a budget itinerary for Bangkok and are travelling with one or two friends, you can easily get something very comfortable or even luxurious for $15 a night or less if you’re willing to do the legwork on Airbnb.

Here’s a price guide to the most popular hotels in Bangkok:

Bangkok Hotel	Price (per night)
Galleria 12 Hotel Bangkok	$55
Sofitel Hotel Bangkok	$266
First House Hotel Bangkok	$59
Bonsai Hotel Bangkok	$88
Aspen Suites Hotel Sukhumvit 2 Bangkok	$41
Sha Plus 56 Hotel Bangkok	$35
Centre Point Hotel Bangkok	$118
Siam Siam Design Hotel Bangkok	$143
The Continent Hotel Bangkok	$130
Central World Hotel Bangkok (Centrara Grand)	$176
Marriott Hotel Bangkok (Sukhumvit)	$233
Venice Suites Hotel Bangkok	$62
Total Hotel Cost [x 3 nights]:	$105 – $798

For the shopaholics who just need to stay in a hotel near Platinum Mall Bangkok or Pratunam market, read our guide to 15 best hotels in Bangkok Pratunam.

8. Bangkok Restaurants (Jay Fai)

Bangkok is a foodie’s paradise, not only because Thai food is delicious, but also because you can eat virtually everything that’s available in Singapore—sushi, Chinese, Italian, etc—at a fraction of the price.

Bangkok Cafes & Restaurants	Price per pax
Food Court (eg. Platinum Fashion Mall)	$3 – $6
Street Food/ Stall	$2 – $4
Mookata	$7.50 – $20
Roast Cafe	$14
747 Cafe	$4 – $6
After You	$15
Dog Cafe (Corgi in the Garden)	$10
B Story Cafe	$11
Jay Fai (1 Michelin Star)	$13 – $41
Here Hai (Crab Fried Rice)	$18
Charoen Saeng Silom (Khao Kha Moo)	$4
Gokfayuen (Wanton Noodles)	$3 – $5
Sorn (2 Michelin Stars)	$132
Sühring (2 Michelin Stars)	$188 – $245
Total Food Cost [3 street food, 3 cafe, 2 restaurant, 1 Michelin]:	$57 – $334

*Prices are super approximate based on a variety of meals you could eat. We’ve provided a wider range to suit all budgets. You can eat Michelin everyday for lunch and dinner, too.

9. Things to do in Bangkok (Night Markets, Big C)

Most Singaporean tourists in Thailand don’t even bother sightseeing. They just make a beeline for Chatuchak Weekend Market and the big malls like MBK and Siam Paragon. Still, we’re going to include some of the more famous sights in this Bangkok budget itinerary just in case you, gasp, don’t want to spend the entire trip shopping and eating.

What to do in Bangkok	Price per pax
Foot Reflex	$15
Thai Massage	$28
Night Market	$5 – $10
Floating Market	$5 – $10
Chatuchak JJ Weekend Market	$5 – $10
Grand Palace Tour	$19
Wat Arun Tour	$2
Wat Pho Tour	$4
Erawan Shrine	Free
Jim Thompson House Tour	$6
Klook Floating Markets Tour	$50
Total Shopping/ Tour Cost:	$139 – $154

Total cost of a 4D3N holiday in Bangkok: $583 to $2,058

But let’s face it, most Singaporeans’ budgets are going to be higher than that because of the copious amounts of shopping they’ll be doing at Platinum Mall and Chatuchak.

But if you really don’t care that much for shopping and just want to soak in the chaos in one of Asia’s most exciting cities, it doesn’t have to cost you much.

Have you ever been to Bangkok for less than $500? Share your experiences in the comments!

Image Credits: l@mie (header image), Tore Bustad, Chris Brown, kimishowota