Joanna James
Not every vacation destination in the world will let you save money while you are on a trip, but in a place like Phuket, this is possible.
If you plan on eating out during a trip to Thailand stick to eating the local street food or at a budget restaurant. You could always have a special dining session at any luxury villa in Phuket the likes of Anantara Layan Phuket Resort if you want to have a romantic evening with your spouse. But, on the other days of the holiday, you can eat at the street stalls experience local cuisine and in turn save money too. Remember to pick the stalls based on local reviews and foreign reviews as some places tend to give you a bad stomach and that is not something you want to have on any vacation.
If you're planning on shopping during the holiday in Thailand, opt for the mass markets and factory outlet stores instead of going to the boutique stores in the high-end malls. You will also find a lot of night markets and Sunday markets in Thailand that will let you shop for a much lower cost compared to the branded stores in the shiny buildings. Shopping at such places might not be the most exotic experience but if it will save you money and thus, it is the smartest experience to go for.
Thailand is a country that prides itself on bargaining. If you are a foreigner who is not used to this skill it is time for you to brush up on it. Learning a little bit of the local language will be helpful for you to try and bargain these markets. Don't think that you will be looked down upon as a cheap person if you haggle at these markets. The vendors will actually be impressed if you start bargaining with them like a Thailand person. By doing so you will be able to get more than the discounted price and buy way more items for the money that you are willing to spend on shopping.
Hiring a taxi to go to places in Thailand can be quite expensive and the distance between the many attractions are quite big, therefore, if you hire yourself a bike for the day you will end up spending less on transportation cost. The local buses do offer cheap transportation methods for the travellers but the traffic and the crowd in the bus can get pretty hectic, thus it is better for you to get a bike to avoid all this trauma.
It might seem like a bad idea to walk around with a large sum of money in Thailand, but if you want to save money during your trip to Thailand it is better to withdraw more from the ATM at a go as you will be charged less. If you are going to withdraw a small amount every time you need, each transaction is going to be charged separately.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
