Broke in Bangkok: Surviving four days on $100

Bangkok is now one of the top choices by Filipinos for value for money vacations. The place is a lot like Manila, except they travel on the other side of the road. The food is cheap, the people are great, and there are a lot of shopping and cultural options available.

How to get there

I booked my flight a year in advance. For some reason, the Piso seat sale I chanced upon did not yet include some exorbitant fuel surcharge. With most of the Metro fast asleep, I waited for the clock to strike 12 before picking the dates. The total was at P1403.11 for a round trip ticket.

Where to stay

Affordable hotels and hostels are a dime a dozen in Bangkok. I've always stayed in decent two or three star hotels for less than P3,000. But this time, being with a group of fellow law students, we decided to "rough it up" and stay at a hostel.

The law of supply and demand worked towards our favor this time, as we found Thrive: The Hostel, in the red light district of Patpong, near the two train lines. It had a very rustic, Brooklyn feel to it.

We shared a room with two bunk beds. Each bed had its own lamp and two outlets. Wifi was good, and the restroom was very clean. For three nights, we had to pay P1,000 each.

Hostel: P1,000

Total: P1,000

What to eat

People ask me why I go to Thailand every year, even twice at times. I'm never ashamed to say that I go for the food.

People associate Thai cuisine with spicy food, but that's not necessarily the case. Thai street food offers a a lot of "safe" options. It's in their food that you feel the convergence of Chinese and Malay influence.

There's a lot of noodles, fried rice, and curry. They also love their patis (nam pla) and kalamansi (manao). What I love most are their Moo Ping (pork barbecue) and fried chicken.

Sold for 10 Baht a piece, it goes perfect with sticky rice. Don't forget the milk tea, which usually goes for 25 baht. A 60 Baht meal already includes rice, ulam, and some form of vegetable side dish.

Go for the khao kha moo, their version of paksiw na pata. It has the same consistency, with the richness of the... fat. It's not as sweet, though. There's also thai fried rice (khao pad) in variants of chicken, beef, or seafood.

Filipinos have also become more familiar with chicken rice (khao man gai). Unlike the Singaporean version, though, Thai chicken rice is less oily. Don't forget to match up the meal with Thai iced tea, which usually goes for 20 Baht (around P30).

Set aside 100 Baht per meal (150 if you're eating at a mall).

Two street meals and a mall meal provision for three days: P1600

Total: P2,600

Getting around

One thing Bangkok is famous for is its traffic. It's not like EDSA or C5's crawling deadlock, as you can go for minutes without moving. That is why going around via the BTS and their MRT (subway) becomes the transportation of choice.

But if you're in a group of three or more and it's not rush hour, it may be more cost effective to split a cab. Train rides may cost 30 Baht a person, in a place where most taxi rides are around 100 baht per trip. And with all the walking going on, going up and down train stations may take its toll.

(Generous) budget including possible cab rides split between friends: P1,500

Total: P4,100

What to do

If you're up for some culture, take the time to travel to Ayutthaya. It's two hours away from Bangkok, accessible via shuttle vans. Take the BTS to the Victory Monument station. Cross the street towards Century Mall, to where the shuttle station is. It costs 60 Baht.

UNESCO Heritage site and former capital of Thailand Ayutthaya was founded in 1350. There, you will find some of the most spectacular temples and Buddhas. If you're only going to one place in Thailand, this is it. It showcases the rich, even bloody culture of the country, as it was here that its people fought and repelled various invaders through the years.

Most people bike around the ancient city, but save your energy for the walking and hire a tuktuk driver to take you around.

Ask your hotel concierge to contact Sumran Sutsawat, a former Muay Thai boxer-turned-tuktuk driver (082-3631156), who is also the nicest tuktuk driver in the area. A true Ahyutthaya local, he can give you the best tour of the place, with funny insights to boot. We agreed on 800 Baht for four people for a three-hour tour around, but be nice and give him a thousand baht if you can. He deserves it. His English is pretty good, too.

Bangkok heat may be unbearable, especially if you're traveling with elderly family members. Chatuchak, the famous weekend market, attracts thousands of tourists. Venture there if you're looking for quirky souvenirs.

But if it's clothing you're looking for, Platinum mall is still your best bet. It's airconditioned, and the stock is narrowed down to what people need—be it women's dresses, tops, skirts or even men's dress shirts.

In front of Platinum is City Plaza, which resembles a semi-airconditioned gymnasium. You'll find a lot of clothes here, too, perhaps a bit cheaper than Platinum because it doesn't have a mall vibe.

If you have more time, travel to the Saphan Thaksin BTS station at dusk and take the free boat trip down Chao Phraya to Asiatique—an open air waterfront shopping destination. It has a lot of stalls featuring some of Thailand's up and coming young designers. There are a lot of quirky finds, and the food's pretty good, too. Stay for the scenery, as the view of the river at night, along with the sparkling lights of buildings all around is quite enchanting.

Ayutthaya: P500

Asiatique: Free

Platinum: Depends on your clothing needs

Total: P4,600

— VC, GMA News