Where to Actually Eat and Drink in Bangkok on ฿500 a Day

I just tracked every baht I spent on food and drinks in Bangkok for two weeks. ฿500 ($14) per day gets you fed well if you know where to go.

Street Food That Actually Fills You Up

Forget the tourist spots. The cart outside Phaya Thai BTS makes pad thai for ฿60 that's better than anything on Khao San Road charging ฿120. Same dish, half the price, because it's not Instagram famous.

Green curry with rice at local shophouses: ฿80-100. The one near Saphan Phut market does a version with actual chunks of chicken, not the mystery meat you get at tourist places. Som tam: ฿40-60 depending on how spicy you can handle it.

Here's the thing — street food vendors near office buildings are your best bet. They feed locals who eat there daily, so the food's consistent and cheap. Tourist areas mark everything up 50-100%.

Where to Drink Without Getting Ripped Off

Chang beer at 7-Eleven: ฿42. Same Chang at a rooftop bar: ฿180. You do the math.

But if you want the bar experience, local Thai bars in neighborhoods like Thonglor charge ฿80-120 for beer. Skip Khao San Road entirely — ฿200+ for a Chang that costs ฿42 at the store next door.

Thai whiskey (Sangsom) with soda: ฿60-80 at local places. Tastes like gasoline the first time, but it grows on you. And your wallet thanks you.

My Actual ฿500 Daily Breakdown

• Breakfast: Rice porridge (khao tom) — ฿40
• Lunch: Pad see ew from office building cart — ฿70
• Afternoon snack: Mango sticky rice — ฿60
• Dinner: Green curry with rice — ฿90
• Drinks: Two Chang beers from 7-Eleven — ฿84
• Late night: Grilled pork skewers — ฿80
• Random 7-Eleven snacks: ฿76

Total: ฿500 exactly.

Some days I went over, some under. But ฿500 is the sweet spot for eating well without obsessing over every baht.

What ฿500 Won't Cover

Fancy restaurants in malls. Western food. Cocktails anywhere decent. One meal at a tourist restaurant can blow your entire day's budget.

Also, delivery apps add 20-30% to everything. The pad thai that's ฿60 at the cart becomes ฿85 on Grab Food after fees.

The Real Move

Find one good street cart near where you're staying and become a regular. Vendors remember faces, and you'll sometimes get extra portions or they'll make it exactly how you like it.

Download Google Translate's camera feature. Point it at Thai menus and you'll find dishes that aren't on the tourist-friendly English menus. Usually cheaper and better.

Eat where Thai people eat during lunch rush (11:30am-1:30pm). If there's a line of office workers, that's your spot.

That said, don't be afraid to spend ฿800-1000 one day on something special. Just balance it with ฿300 days eating street food. The average works out.

Planning a Thailand trip? See what it actually costs with our free budget calculator.

Book Activities:

• GetYourGuide — Tours & experiences