What are some affordable countries to travel to from Thailand?

For four people in December, Vietnam is probably your best bet. Flights from Don Mueang to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City can be as low as 1,500-2,000 baht per person with AirAsia or VietJet if you book a few weeks ahead. Street food there is amazing and cheap, like a bowl of pho for 40 baht, and you can get decent hotel rooms for around 1,000 baht a night. I'd skip Cambodia this time of year because Angkor Wat gets packed and prices spike for the holidays.

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malaysia's a good shout if you want something different. flights from don mueang to kl or penang are often around 1,500-2,500 baht per person with airasia, and you can get a family room in a decent hotel for 1,200-1,500 baht a night. penang's georgetown is great for walking around and the street food is unreal, like char kway teow for 30-40 baht. december's dry season there so it's not too hot, just book early because it's popular with locals too

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laos is worth a look, especially luang prabang. flights from udon thani or even a bus across the border are super cheap, like under 1k baht per person. the night market there has great food for 30-40 baht and guesthouses for 4 people can be found for 800-1,200 baht a night. december is dry season so the mekong views are nice, just avoid the touristy spots near the main temple if u want quieter prices

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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