Bangkok · Backpacking
ON A BUDGET
Bangkok is where the trail starts — cheap beds, cheaper noodles and a transport system that rewards a little cunning.
Khao San and Rambuttri
Dorms cluster on Khao San Road and quieter Soi Rambuttri one street north, walkable to the river boats and Wat Pho. Book ahead in cool season.
What a day costs
Dorm bed 250–500 THB, street food 150–300 THB, boats and metro 50–120 THB. Call it 500–900 THB a day, roughly 15–27 USD.
Getting around cheap
Orange-flag Chao Phraya express boats cost a few baht a stop, the Saen Saep khlong boats beat traffic, and a Rabbit card covers the BTS.
Free by day
Lumphini Park at dawn with its monitor lizards, the Erawan Shrine dancers, and browsing Chatuchak's 15,000 stalls on a weekend costs nothing.
Soi Rambuttri bar strip
The plastic-stool bars and pavement mat sellers along Rambuttri are where solo travellers end up before the night buses south.