Bangkok Trip Cost Breakdown: 4 Days in December 2024

A quick December 2024 trip to Bangkok — four days, three nights, flying out of Clark. Here's the itinerary we followed, what it cost, and the entry requirements updated for anyone planning it in 2026.

For more Asia cost breakdowns in this same format, see my Japan (Osaka & Kyoto), Seoul, South Korea, and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City) guides.

Heads up: this post contains affiliate links. Booking through them may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Requirements for Thailand (2026)

Philippine passport holders enter Thailand visa-free for tourism. What to prepare:

• Visa-free stay — up to 60 days under the current rules (raised from 30 in mid-2024). Confirm the limit before you go, since it has changed recently.
• Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) — the mandatory online arrival form that replaced the old paper card. File it within 72 hours before arrival at tdac.immigration.go.th and keep the confirmation for immigration.
• eTravel QR code — the Philippine departure (and return) registration. Fill it within 72 hours of each flight at etravel.gov.ph.
• Boarding pass & booking reference — needed at check-in; Thai immigration can also ask for proof of onward or return travel, so keep your return ticket handy.
• Passport valid at least 6 months beyond your travel dates.
• Philippine travel tax — ₱1,620 full economy rate. On Cebu Pacific it is usually bundled into the fare (ours was — see below).

Entry rules change often — double-check the visa-free window and the TDAC process before you book.

The Itinerary

Day 0 — December 7 (Saturday)

• 7:35 PM — Departure, Clark International Airport
• 10:05 PM — Arrival, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK)
• Withdraw cash, grab food at the airport
• 11:30 PM — Grab / taxi to the accommodation

Day 1 — December 8 (Sunday)

• 2:30 AM — Check in to the accommodation
• 8:00 AM — Breakfast and prep
• 9:00 AM — Shopping day around Pratunam: Pratunam Market, Platinum Fashion Mall, Big C, and Jodd Fair in the evening
• 9:00 PM — Back to the accommodation

Day 2 — December 9 (Monday)

• 7:00 AM — Breakfast and prep
• 8:00 AM — Ancient City (Muang Boran), then Icon Siam
• 5:00 PM — Chao Phraya White Orchid dinner cruise
• 9:00 PM — Back to the accommodation

Day 3 — December 10 (Tuesday)

• 7:00 AM — Breakfast and prep
• 8:00 AM — Wat Arun, then Siam Square and free time
• 6:00 PM — Grab / taxi to Suvarnabhumi
• 10:50 PM — Departure, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi
• 3:50 AM — Arrival, Clark International Airport Terminal 2 (December 11, Wednesday)

Where to Stay

For a group, I'd book a two-bedroom condo near MRT Sutthisan (Blue Line). It's a short metro ride to Chatuchak, Sukhumvit, and the Pratunam shopping area, and the surrounding Huai Khwang neighbourhood has cheap local food and night markets.

The one we stayed at was around 358 Soi Sabai Chai 13, Khwaeng Samsen Nok, Khet Huai Khwang, Bangkok 10310. Search that area on Airbnb.

What It Cost

Estimated total: around ₱40,000 per person for the four days — I didn't itemise this trip, sorry. What I can pin down: our round-trip Cebu Pacific fare from Clark was ₱12,630.40, which already included 20 kg of checked baggage and the Philippine travel tax. The rest went to the group condo, the dinner cruise, Ancient City and Icon Siam, shopping around Pratunam, Grab rides, and food.

Bangkok is forgiving on a budget once you're there — street meals are cheap, the MRT and BTS are cheap, and Grab is affordable split across a group.

From an Earlier Bangkok Trip (2023)

These vlogs are from a 2023 visit, so the prices are out of date — but the places are still open and still bookable, so they're useful for planning.

Final Thoughts

Four days is enough for a first taste of Bangkok if you keep it tight: one shopping day, one for the big sights and a river cruise, and one for temples before the flight home. Flying out of Clark kept the airfare low, and splitting a two-bedroom condo near the MRT kept accommodation cheap. Go in with your TDAC and eTravel already filed, some baht in hand, and a Grab account set up.

Book Your Own Trip

You can book Bangkok tours, the river cruise, and airport transfers through my Klook Kreator Shop, and my discount codes — including Agoda for the condo — are below.