Budget/Backpacker Travel Guide: Ubon Ratchathani

Accommodation

$8-25 per night

Dorm beds in backpacker hostels, fan-cooled rooms in family-run guesthouses, or basic hotels near the bus station. Ubon Ratchathani has fewer hostel options than Bangkok or Chiang Mai, but you'll find simple, clean places that do the job.

Food & Dining

$8-20 per day

Street food vendors for breakfast noodles, lunch at local markets or near Thung Si Mueang park, dinner at shophouse restaurants where Thai families eat. Ubon Ratchathani's food scene is genuinely local—you're eating what residents eat, not tourist versions.

Transportation

$3-10 per day

Songthaews (shared pickup trucks) for getting around town, walking the compact city center, occasional motorbike taxi for longer distances. Ubon Ratchathani is fairly walkable between major temples and the riverside areas.

Activities

$5-20 per day

Temple visits (typically free or small donations), walking along the Mun River, visiting public parks, occasional museum entry. Many of Ubon Ratchathani's attractions are actually free—the candle festival preparations, riverside sunset spots, local markets.

Eat at markets and shophouse restaurants rather than tourist-facing spots—you'll typically save 50-70% and the food's often better. Ubon Ratchathani's morning market near the city center runs about half the price of hotel breakfasts.

Use songthaews instead of private taxis for routes they cover—roughly 80-90% cheaper and you'll ride with locals. They run fixed routes through Ubon Ratchathani's main areas throughout the day.

Visit during the hot season (March-May) rather than cool season (November-February) for accommodation discounts of 30-50%, though you'll be trading comfort for savings—it genuinely gets hot.

Book accommodation directly with properties rather than through international platforms—many smaller guesthouses in Ubon Ratchathani offer 10-20% discounts for direct bookings or extended stays.

Rent a bicycle or scooter for multiple days rather than paying per-trip transport—typically breaks even after 4-5 taxi rides and gives you flexibility to explore Ubon Ratchathani's outskirts.

Buy snacks, drinks, and breakfast items from 7-Eleven or local markets rather than hotel shops—markup can be 100-200% for the same products.

Time your visit around the Candle Festival in July if you're interested—it's Ubon Ratchathani's biggest event and surprisingly, accommodation doesn't spike as dramatically as you'd expect, maybe 20-40% rather than doubling.

Taking taxis or Grab for every short trip instead of walking or using songthaews—Ubon Ratchathani's city center is actually quite compact, and you'll spend 3-5 times more on transport than necessary. The riverside to city center is a pleasant 20-minute walk.

Eating only at restaurants with English menus or near hotels—you're typically paying 100-150% markup in Ubon Ratchathani's limited tourist zones. The best food is where you see Thai families eating, usually within a few blocks of the main tourist areas.

Booking tours through hotel concierges rather than arranging transport independently—commission markups of 30-50% are standard. For places like Pha Taem National Park, hiring a songthaew or driver directly works out considerably cheaper.

Visiting only during peak cool season (December-January) when you could get similar weather in November or February with 25-40% lower accommodation costs—Ubon Ratchathani's peak season is shorter than beach destinations.

Exchanging money at the airport or hotels rather than using ATMs in town—you'll lose 5-8% to poor rates. Ubon Ratchathani has plenty of bank ATMs with reasonable fees once you're in the city.