What a holiday in Thailand costs depends on two things: when you fly and where you stay. Flights and the hotel make up most of the budget, but we have no official price lists for them, and we do not publish figures without a source. What can be calculated honestly is food and drink, phone and cash. Prices were taken on 19 October 2026; roubles are converted at the Bank of Russia rate of 17 October: 10 baht = 24.93 roubles.
What the budget is made of
| Item | What is known for October 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | We give no price: it depends on date and departure city, and there is no primary source. Check on the day you buy | |
| Accommodation | No price for the same reason. Hotel occupancy is higher in season, see below | MOTS |
| Food and drink | About THB 900-1,000 a day per person, calculation below | Numbeo |
| Phone | Unlimited SIM THB 499 for 8 days, THB 1,199 for 30 days | True-dtac, AIS |
| Cash | KBank ATM THB 250 per withdrawal on Visa and UnionPay, THB 350 on Mastercard | Kasikornbank |
| Transfers and tours | Prices with date and source on the pages about transfers from Phuket airport and excursions from Phuket | |
| Entry fee | Current status in the answer on the tourist fee |
What food and drink cost
Numbeo collects prices from users. For Phuket as of 15 October 2026 it has 479 entries from 41 contributors over 12 months, for Pattaya 599 entries from 50 contributors, and for Samui the data is partly estimated. Treat the figures as a guide; they do not replace a restaurant’s price list.
| Item | Phuket | Pattaya | Samui |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | THB 150 | THB 110 | THB 150 |
| Dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant, three courses without drinks | THB 1,085 | THB 1,200 | THB 1,000 |
| Cappuccino | THB 93 | THB 68 | THB 72 |
| Draft beer, 0.5 l | THB 85 | THB 78 | THB 80 |
| Water, 0.33 l | THB 16 | THB 10 | THB 16 |
Our calculation: a sample day for one person is a cappuccino, a cheap lunch, half of a dinner for two, two draft beers and two bottles of water.
| Spend per person per day | Phuket | Pattaya | Samui |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food and drink in the sample | about THB 990 | about THB 950 | about THB 910 |
| In roubles | about RUB 2,500 | about RUB 2,400 | about RUB 2,300 |
| A week for two | about THB 13,800 | about THB 13,300 | about THB 12,800 |
Without the beers the figures are lower by about THB 170 a day in Phuket, THB 155 in Pattaya and THB 160 in Samui. Eating at street stalls comes out cheaper and restaurants by the sea cost more: Numbeo’s range for a cheap lunch in Phuket is THB 100-300, for dinner for two THB 800-3,000.
What official statistics say
TAT publishes visitor spending in releases on individual markets:
| Market | Spending per person per trip | Length of stay | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (release of 19.10.2026) | THB 61,615 | 14.18 days | about THB 4,350 (about RUB 10,800) |
| United States (2025, release of 21.09.2026) | more than THB 69,415 | 14.59 nights | about THB 4,760 (about RUB 11,900) |
The division by days is ours. TAT does not explain whether the sums include flights, and the 19 October 2026 release does not state the year the figures refer to. These are long trips by visitors from distant markets; we found no such figure for Russians in TAT’s releases. Take it as an order of magnitude for spending in the country, not as a package price.
How season affects prices
We found no official hotel prices by month, but demand shows in room occupancy. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand for 2025:
| Province | January | September |
|---|---|---|
| Phuket | 86.41% | 65.84% |
| Chonburi (where Pattaya lies) | 82.12% | 73.91% |
Low occupancy does not guarantee discounts. For what Phuket is like in the low season, see the guide Phuket in the low season, and for where to stay, the comparison Pattaya or Phuket. If you are budgeting for a month, see what a month of living costs.
What we could not find
- Official prices for flights and hotels by month: they are set by airlines and booking platforms, not by government bodies
- Statistics on Russian tourists’ spending in baht per trip and per day
- A TAT explanation of whether flights are included in the sums quoted
FAQ
How much money should two people take to Thailand for a week?
Food and drink for two come to roughly THB 12,800-13,800 for a week (about RUB 32,000-34,500) by our calculation from Numbeo prices: a cappuccino, a cheap lunch, a mid-range dinner and two beers per person a day. Add accommodation, flights, tours, transfers and insurance, whose prices depend on season and provider. How much more depends on your choice of hotel and excursions, not on an average figure.
Which is cheaper for a holiday, Phuket or Pattaya?
By Numbeo, Pattaya is 6.1% cheaper than Phuket overall excluding rent: a cheap lunch is THB 110 against THB 150, a cappuccino THB 68 against THB 93. A mid-range dinner for two, on the other hand, costs more in Pattaya (THB 1,200 against THB 1,085). There are no single prices for hotels and tours, so compare for your dates.
Do the amounts TAT quotes include the flight?
TAT's releases say visitors «spend 61,615 Baht per person per trip» without explaining whether flights are included or what else is counted. Use the sums as an order of magnitude for spending in the country and do not add them to ticket prices unchecked. The figures are for UK and US visitors who stay about two weeks, not for Russians.
When is a holiday in Thailand cheaper?
We found no official hotel price data by month, so we cannot give an exact answer. Hotel occupancy is known: in Phuket in 2025 it was 86.41% in January and 65.84% in September, in Chonburi province (where Pattaya lies) 82.12% and 73.91%. Lower occupancy means less demand but does not guarantee discounts, so compare prices for your dates.
Will cash and phone cost much?
Phone costs are small: a tourist SIM with unlimited data for 8 days costs THB 499. A Kasikornbank ATM charges THB 250 per withdrawal on Visa and UnionPay and THB 350 on Mastercard, so withdraw less often and in larger amounts; details in the answer on [ATM fees](/en/living/money/atm-fees/). For the entry fee, read the answer on the [tourist fee](/en/questions/thailand-tourist-fee/).
Sources
- TAT. Thai Tourism Minister sets course for 1.5 million US visitors (21.09.2026)
- TAT. TAT welcomes Virgin Atlantic inaugural London Heathrow-Phuket flight (19.10.2026)
- Numbeo. Cost of Living in Phuket (updated 15.10.2026)
- Numbeo. Cost of Living in Pattaya (updated 15.10.2026)
- Numbeo. Cost of Living in Koh Samui (updated 15.10.2026, some data estimated)
- Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand (MOTS). Hotel occupancy by province, 2025 (XLSX)
- True-dtac. Tourist SIM prices
- Kasikornbank. Service Fees: Debit Cards, Funds Transfers and Foreign Bills, version of 22.09.2026
- Bank of Russia. Official exchange rates (10 baht = 24.93 roubles on 17.10.2026)
Found an error or outdated fact? Tell the editors, we will fix it and update the check date.