Traveling to Thailand as a college student or a couple is cheap. Well, I imagine it is, judging by the number of them we saw.
Once you get past the cost of the international flight, food, transportation, and activities in Thailand can be incredibly affordable, especially when you’re only paying for one or two people.
But when you’re visiting Thailand with kids, and you’re paying for five? Six? More?
Whoa.
Any vacation gets a little hairy when you multiply every expense by five or more. And unless budget is no issue—lucky you—you’re probably trying to figure out how to experience all the amazing things Thailand has to offer without spending a small fortune.
Well, it’s your lucky day because I’ve figured it out for you.
After traveling through Thailand with our family of five, I have five simple hacks for keeping a Thailand family vacation affordable without sacrificing the fun.
Want to see exactly where we went and what we spent? Check out our Thailand itinerary and costs.
1. Ditch the Instagram-Worthy Hotels
Yeah, we watched The White Lotus. We’ve all seen the Pinterest-worthy resorts with the infinity pools, gorgeous rooms, and tropical views that make you want to book a flight immediately.
Of course they’re gorgeous.
But when you’re booking a room for more than four people, things get complicated and expensive very quickly.
At many of these resorts, a family of five may need a suite, two rooms, or a room category that costs considerably more than the standard rate you saw advertised.
Finding a hotel for five people is one of the trickiest parts of family travel, so I put together my tips for finding affordable hotels for a family of five.
Look Beyond Traditional Hotels
Instead, look at apartments, multi-room condos, guesthouses, and homestays.
Sites like Agoda and VRBO can be great places to start, and homestays can be especially interesting for families. Some offer larger family-style rooms, breakfast, laundry, or other amenities that can save you money elsewhere.
And don’t assume that a cheaper property means a worse experience. Some of our favorite accommodations in Thailand were not fancy resorts. They gave us space, a place to sleep, and a convenient home base for exploring, and that was really all we needed.
See where we actually stayed in Thailand with our family of five.
Don’t lock yourself into the dream hotel you were sold on social media.
It may be gorgeous, but likely not a good look for your budget.
2. Know Your Transportation Costs Before You Go
Transportation is one of those expenses that can quietly eat away at your vacation budget.
Before setting off on any travel adventure, I like to have a general idea of what transportation is going to cost us.
For example, if our itinerary includes getting from City A to City B, I’ll search for the different ways to make the trip. I usually end up on Rome2Rio, which gives me a general idea of the available options and their approximate costs.
Then I multiply that cost by five because that’s the part that’s easy to forget when you’re planning a family trip.
A $20 transportation option sounds cheap.
A $100 transportation option for five people? Not quite as exciting.
Compare the Options
Maybe the train looks like the most fun option, but it’s three times the price of a flight for our family. We’re probably taking the flight.
Maybe a rideshare costs $15, while local transportation costs $2 per person. That’s worth comparing.
This is admittedly not the most exciting part of vacation planning, but spending a few minutes researching transportation ahead of time can save a family hundreds of dollars.
And when you’re traveling with five or more people, those savings add up fast.
3. Eat Like a Local
I have three teenagers, and long gone are the days of kiddie meals and sharing plates.
They have large appetites. How about an appetizer, Dad? Can we get dessert, Mom?
Of course we want to say yes. It’s vacation, after all.
But five restaurant meals plus appetizers plus drinks plus dessert can turn into a surprisingly large bill.
Street Food Is Your Friend
Instead, we love finding outdoor food markets and street-food areas.
Not only is the food often less expensive, but it’s usually more interesting, too.
We can wander around, order a bunch of different things, share everything, and let everyone try something new. And that’s exactly the kind of travel experience I want.
We aren’t just looking for the cheapest meal. We’re looking for good food, local flavors and a fun experience that doesn’t require a $150 dinner bill.
If there isn’t a food market nearby, we look for restaurants where the locals eat instead of automatically choosing the flashy restaurants catering to tourists.
You’ll often get a more authentic meal, and you’ll usually pay less, too.
Five people don’t need five expensive entrees to have a great dinner. Sometimes they just need a table full of interesting food.
4. Choose Destinations Where the Fun Is Free
One of my favorite ways to save money while traveling with kids is to choose destinations where some of the best things to do don’t cost anything.
Let’s look at Koh Samui as an example.
We were able to spend very little money there because we filled our days with free and low-cost entertainment.
Instead of booking expensive island-hopping tours every day, we based ourselves in a town with beautiful beaches and incredible night markets.
Our days were spent wandering the streets, exploring temples, relaxing on the beach, and simply enjoying being somewhere completely different from home.
At night, we wandered the markets, ate inexpensive street food, and soaked up the atmosphere.
Don’t Underestimate Free Entertainment
This is something I think families sometimes forget when planning a vacation. You don’t have to pay for an activity every single day.
In fact, some of our favorite travel days have been the ones where we had absolutely nothing booked.
We walked. We explored. We found a market. We ate. And everyone had a great time.
That’s a pretty great vacation, and it costs a whole lot less than five tickets to an attraction every afternoon.
5. Lean Into the Convenience Stores
If you’ve read any of my other posts, you already know my family loves a good convenience store.
And I don’t mean the ones we have here in Oklahoma. They’re fine. They’ll work in a pinch.
Nope. I’m talking about the 7-Elevens, Lawsons, and FamilyMarts of the world.
If you know, you know.
My kids know, and they still talk about them almost daily.
We miss them, so much so that my daughter even has 7-Eleven souvenir socks from Japan.
Convenience Stores Can Save Your Food Budget
These stores have no shortage of good food options, and I’m not talking about the processed chips and candy you might expect from a typical American convenience store. I’m talking about freshly prepared food, local flavors, snacks, drinks, breakfast items, and quick meals.
And what’s better?
The prices.
Convenience stores aren’t just convenient. They can also be an incredibly easy way to keep your food budget under control.
Need breakfast before heading out for the day? Convenience store.
Need a snack? Convenience store.
There is usually something for everyone, which is always a win when you’re feeding a family of five.
You Don’t Have to Spend a Fortune to Have an Amazing Thailand Vacation
See? Keeping a Thailand family vacation affordable doesn’t necessarily require sacrificing the things that make the trip special.
It just takes a little strategic planning.
Choose accommodations that make sense for the size of your family. Compare transportation options before you book. Eat where the locals eat. Build your itinerary around destinations with plenty of free or inexpensive things to do. And never underestimate the power of a good convenience store.
Because when you’re traveling with five people, saving $20 here and $50 there can add up to hundreds of dollars by the end of your trip.
And I’d much rather spend that money on another adventure than on five overpriced hotel breakfasts.
Thailand is an incredible destination for families. You don’t need a luxury resort, a packed itinerary, or an expensive activity every day to have an amazing time.
Sometimes the best travel memories are the cheap ones.
How do you keep family vacations affordable?
What’s your biggest challenge when budgeting a trip for a large family? I’d love to hear what works for your family in the comments!
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through one of my links, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products, services, and experiences that I genuinely believe may be helpful to my readers. Thanks for supporting Always Take the Kids!