Well, the costs of travelling can be broken down mainly into the following points:
Flights
Accommodation
Food
Transportation
Flights from India to Thailand are normally quite cheap and affordable. No wonder the first foreign country that comes to most Indians mind is "Thailand". Expect to pay around Rs 4000- Rs 8000 for a one way ticket to Thailand from India. Low cost carriers like Air Asia provides the lowest fares but they don't provide any baggage allowance. You will have to purchase check in baggage separately. Hence, always calculate your requirements before booking your ticket. Sometimes, a low cost carrier ticket may not always be "low cost".
The next expense that comes into the pocket is accommodation. Hotels are available for around Rs 3000 onwards per night. I mean, you may get a lower priced budget hotel but it will not be worth it looking at the location etc. Hence, it is advisable either to stay in a mid range hotel or stay in a hostel instead. Mid range hostels will set you back by around Rs 5000- Rs 8000 per night. Hostels however are comparatively cheap. If you are travelling on a tight budget, you can save several thousands just by staying in a hostel. Hostel prices are around Rs 300 - Rs 800 for a bunk in a dormitory to around Rs 1000- Rs 2000 for a single room. Keep in mind that most hostels have common toilets and bathrooms. Even if you stay in a single room, you may not get a private toilet and bathroom. However, it's pretty much manageable and is not a cause of concern.
You can also book an apartment through AirBnB and enjoy the low rates that these apartments offer. The only downside is that you have to prepare you own breakfast. However, it can easily be managed.
Next point is food. Food prices are almost double the prices of India for the same standard and category of food. I have observed that even in multinational chains, the prices were somewhat higher than in India. This was not the case when I went to Malaysia and Indonesia. Street food were also not that cheap. Moreover, all street foods cannot be consumed due to our different food habits. That said, Thailand is a gastronomic delight for food lovers and there are varied options to eat.
Transportation is quite expensive in Phuket and Krabi. There are very limited app based taxis in Phuket and Krabi and hence the local taxis keep their fares very high. Even the humble tuk tuk will extort you to the fullest. However, in Bangkok, the scene totally changes. There are app based taxis and metered taxis available full time. Metered taxis may sometimes offer to take you to your destination at a flat rate. But beware of this. They will surely try to charge you at least double the normal fare.
One problem in Bangkok is the horrible traffic jam. If you book an app based taxi, it will take a long time to reach you. Thus, is is better to check the prices online and travel by the metered taxis. One more alternative is to use app based bikes which are very fast and can easily bypass the traffic.
How much did it cost you in your Thailand trip? Leave a comment below.