holiday costs Thailand family
Complete budget guide for families
Are you curious about the cost of a holiday to Thailand with your family? In this blog, we list all the expenses of our 3-week trip, from flights and hotels to food, transportation, and activities. No theoretical prices, but what it actually cost us, including practical tips to save money smartly. This way, you can plan your holiday well without financial surprises and know exactly what to expect.
Be sure to also read our other blogs about Thailand with kids.
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Flights to Thailand with kids
For our 3-week family trip to Thailand, we spent €4,453 on flights for a family of four. This total included our international return flights from Amsterdam to Thailand, three domestic flights within the country, and a return flight between Bangkok and Siem Reap. We traveled in June, which is considered low season, helping to keep costs down.
If you’re traveling from Europe, there are many direct and indirect flights to Thailand from major hubs such as London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. Round-trip fares to Bangkok typically range from €600 to €900 per person in low or shoulder season, but can easily rise to €1,000 or more per person during peak periods like summer holidays.
For travelers from the United States, there are usually no direct flights to Thailand. Flights from cities such as New York, Los Angeles, or San Francisco typically include one stopover and average between $700 and $1,600 for a round trip, depending on the season, airline, and how far in advance you book.
If you’re flying from Australia or Southeast Asia, flight prices are generally lower due to shorter distances. For example, return flights from cities like Sydney, Singapore, or Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok often range between €300 and €700.
Keep in mind that flight prices vary widely based on departure city, travel season, airline, and booking time. Booking early and staying flexible with your travel dates can make a big difference in the total cost.
Tips for cheaper flights:
- Book
as early as possible , often up to a year in advance. This can save you hundreds of euros! - Compare flights on Skyscanner to find the cheapest routes and days.
- Preferably book
directly with the airline (we flew with KLM) or through reliable platforms like Booking.com. Avoid unreliable sites, as customer service is often difficult. - Flights are often significantly cheaper outside of school holidays.
Hotel and accommodation costs in Thailand for families
For 23 nights, we paid €1,762, which comes down to an average of €77 per night for a family of four, including breakfast. We mainly chose mid-range hotels with a swimming pool and child-friendly facilities, conveniently located along our travel route.
In Thailand, you can tailor your accommodation perfectly to your family and travel style. If you’re traveling on a budget, there are plenty of great guesthouses and simple hotels available. However, when traveling with kids, we’ve found that a swimming pool really makes a difference. After a hot day of sightseeing, it’s wonderful for them to cool off and relax. On the other end of the spectrum, the number of luxury resorts is growing rapidly, and if that’s what you’re looking for, you can go all out — with prices rising to around €500 per night. In the end, it’s all about what suits your family best: how much comfort you want, what you’re willing to spend, and what matters most to you during your trip.
Our tip: whenever possible, choose accommodations that are clearly geared toward families, offer a swimming pool, and are logically located along your route. This saves travel time and makes your days more relaxed for everyone. We usually book our hotels through Booking.com, as it allows you to easily filter by family size and read reviews from other traveling families.
Food, activities, and local transportation in Thailand with family
On average, we spent €82 per day on food, drinks, local transportation, and activities, totaling €2,056 for our entire trip. Breakfast was often included at our hotels, so most of our expenses were for lunch and dinner. In local restaurants, we usually paid between €5 and €10 per person, making Thailand very affordable for families. Snacks and small treats are also inexpensive; an ice cream often costs between €0.25 and €1, depending on where you are.
Spending on activities varied widely, from temples and viewpoints to boat trips and national parks. Many of these attractions are relatively inexpensive or even free, which makes it easy to spread your budget throughout the trip.
For getting around locally, we used a combination of taxis and tuk-tuks. With young children, we find this more convenient and comfortable than public transportation. Local taxis and tuk-tuks usually cost just a few euros per ride, and for short distances we almost always booked them via Grab. For longer distances, we often opted for a private driver, which typically costs between €70 and €100 per day. These are easiest to arrange through your hotel or with drivers you’ve already met along the way. One of the great things about Thailand is that almost everyone seems to know someone who can help you with transportation 😉
Other costs for your family trip to Thailand
In addition to major expenses such as flights, accommodations, transportation, and activities, there are a few extra costs to consider when traveling to Thailand with your family. For stays of up to 30 days, travelers from the Netherlands and Belgium do not need a visa when entering Thailand by air. This saves both money and preparation time in advance.
When it comes to vaccinations, we did not need any additional shots beyond the standard vaccinations. Which vaccinations are recommended for your family depends on your travel route, length of stay, and personal situation. Always check this well in advance with a travel health clinic or your health insurance provider. In some cases, vaccinations are (partly) reimbursed, but if you have to pay for everything yourself, these costs can add up.
There are also smaller expenses that may seem insignificant but can add up, such as souvenirs, snacks, massages, market visits, and other spontaneous purchases along the way. For our 3-week trip, these extra costs came to around €100 in total, mostly spent on souvenirs to take home.
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Total cost of 3 weeks in Thailand with family
A 3-week road trip through Thailand with children is easy to plan once you have a clear picture of the costs. Excluding the intercontinental flights from the Netherlands, but including domestic flights, we spent €5,143. This works out to an average of about €245 per day for our family. This amount includes accommodations, food, local transportation, activities, domestic flights, and other expenses. The biggest cost remains the flights to and from Thailand, for which we paid €3,228 for four people.
On the ground, we spent the most on accommodations and daily expenses such as food and transportation, supplemented by activities and excursions. What’s great about Thailand is that there are also many free or inexpensive things to do, such as beach days, visiting markets and temples, and short walks, which makes it easy to keep your travel budget balanced.
Costs for 4 people (€) | Costs per person per day (€) | |
|---|---|---|
International flight tickets (AMS–BKK return) | € 3.228 | – |
Domestic flights | € 1.225 | € 14.50 |
Accommodations | € 1.762 | € 21.00 |
Food, drinks, transportation & activities | € 2.056 | € 24.50 |
Other costs | € 100 | € 1.19 |
Total | € 8.371 | € 61.19 |
Book your family holiday to Thailand with kids
When planning your trip to Thailand, there are several ways to book your accommodation and activities. If you like to organize everything yourself, you can easily find suitable accommodations on Booking.com. For unique excursions and tours, GetYourGuide is an excellent choice.
Still looking for a family-friendly holiday? On our homepage, you’ll find an overview of popular destinations for families.
