Vietnam vs Thailand: Guide to Choosing Your Perfect Southeast Asian Adventure

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I visited both Thailand and Vietnam for exactly the same duration and in all honesty, both countries are right up there as my favourite places in the world. But if you can only visit one, which one should you visit? I compare several different aspects and share my thoughts on the two countries and which one I think is better!

Vietnam vs Thailand

Cost

🏆Winner = Vietnam

Is Thailand more expensive than Vietnam? Here’s my budget breakdown for my two trips:

	THAILAND🇹🇭	VIETNAM🇻🇳
Food & Drink	£140	£65
Accommodation	£371.78	£367.35
Activities	£73.70	£174
Transport	£36.71	£41.99
Misc. Spending	£55	£71
TOTAL	£677.19	£719.34

As you can see, I spent more while in Vietnam, but I think the value for money worked out better. For accommodation (private rooms in hotels with breakfast included) and transport, both countries cost me almost exactly the same.

I found food to be cheaper in Vietnam, I spent over 50% less! The ‘viral’ Thailand bug spray? Cheaper in Vietnam.

For misc spending, I spent more in Vietnam, but this did include two tailor-made items of clothing in Hoi An that cost almost £50 alone. I also bought clothes in Thailand too, but they were just items off the shelf, so were much cheaper.

Massages in Thailand were SO MUCH cheaper too. I had two 1 hour massages in Thailand that were a fraction of the price of one 1 hour massage in Vietnam.

While in Thailand, I did a lot of free things, but in Vietnam, I was doing paid activities and tours almost every single day. Which is why I ended up spending £100 more in Vietnam. Almost £70 of this was for my Ba Na Hills day trip (in Vietnam) alone, as I paid for a private all-day transfer from Hoi An, which was further away.

Accommodation

🏆Winner = Vietnam

As you can see from the table above, my accommodation cost almost exactly the same for the same duration. It was based on solo occupancy in private hotels with breakfast included. I stayed in 3 different places in each country and in both locations, I did treat myself to a more expensive hotel for a few nights.

Again, for value for money, for the most part, I think I got more for my money in Vietnam. However, I had a swim up room in Thailand which cost the same as a garden view room in the ‘more expensive’ hotel in Vietnam. But then the hotel in Vietnam had more facilities (2 swimming pools) and had a private beach.

Beaches

🏆Winner = Thailand

Thailand wins for beaches hands down. Maya Bay, Koh Ngai and Phra Nang Beach in Railay were some of my favourite beaches. I loved the vibe of Klong Dao Beach in Koh Lanta Thailand, it was very relaxed. To me, An Bang Beach in Vietnam felt like ‘if Klong Dao Beach was to get rammed with loud British tourists’. I kinda liked it, but it wasn’t relaxing.

The Da Nang city beaches reminded me of the Gold Coast in Australia. I liked the public art installations along the boardwalk. But visually, Thailand still wins.

Nature/Natural Landscapes

🏆Winner = Vietnam

Not including the beaches, where Thailand wins on that front, Vietnam ‘wins’ for natural landscapes. I loved going up into the mountains to visit Ba Na Hills, Marble Mountain was so interesting and Monkey Mountain gave me my monkey fix.

In Thailand, I hopped around Krabi province for 2 weeks. But in Vietnam, I was based in central in the Da Nang/Hoi An area. Within a one-hour radius, you could see rivers, mountains AND beaches.

Things To Do

🏆Winner = Vietnam

Obviously from my activity spend, it felt like there was SO much to do in Vietnam. I was doing day trips or various workshops and activities every single day, and I loved them ALL. Doing things like coffee-making workshops and lantern-making classes were unique activities that I hadn’t done before on my travels.

Thailand was very beach and boat trip-heavy, so I felt like it didn’t have quite the variety of things to do that Vietnam had. But then that could be just down to the type of travel I was doing on that trip. I did really enjoy watching the free fire shows…I ended up seeing 5 and Thai massages are in a league of their own. The East Railay Viewpoint hike is still one of my favourite memories.

Transport

🏆Winner = Thailand

In Thailand, I mostly got around with pre-booked shared transfers that I found on 12GoAsia. The minivans were so fancy and cost around £9 for journeys that took almost 3 hours!

In Vietnam, I mostly used Grab taxis. No complaints, they were very convenient, got me from A to B and were cheap. Just felt like Thailand offered better value for money.

Weather

🏆Winner = Vietnam

I visited Krabi in November, in what was supposed to be dry season…and it rained for 3 days straight and I thought I was going to get shipwrecked on one of my boat trips. I don’t mind the heat but when the sun came out it was 40c+ and if I couldn’t find anywhere in the shade, I literally melted. So keep that in mind, Thailand is VERY hot.

Vietnam on the other hand, I visited in March and had zero rain. The temperatures were also more comfortable and I could quite happily sit outside without turning into a sweaty mess. If you plan on going to Ba Na Hills though, it is up in the mountains and the weather can be very unpredictable. I did find myself wishing I had taken a hoodie with me as I did get a little cold when the clouds rolled in.

Food & Drink

🏆Winner = Thailand (with Vietnam almost tied)

Honestly, this one was so hard to choose between. I think Thailand got the edge because I loved the variety of food at the night markets (I still dream about the garlic baked potato), I loved every meal I had (the pineapple fried rice I had in Koh Lanta was AMAZING) and 7/11 was very convenient for snacks.

Vietnam obviously wins on the coffee front. A. MAZ. ING. Banh Mi sandwiches are some of the best sandwiches I’ve ever eaten, a restaurant near Cua Dai Beach in Hoi An is home to the best spring rolls, and just like the jacket potato in Thailand, I dream about the Butterfly Pea Macchiato that my hotel used to serve for breakfast.

People & Safety

🏆Winner = Thailand

Again, another aspect that is almost a complete tie. Almost everyone I met in both countries were lovely. One of the staff members at my Hoi An hotel could have won it for Vietnam all on her own, she was amazing.

From a solo female traveller perspective, I felt very safe in Thailand, even wandering around at night. Granted, I didn’t stay in any big cities, but I felt comfortable in the locations I did visit. And honestly, I was ignored 99% of the time and this can make all the difference. For example, I loved my time in Zanzibar, but I got A LOT of unwanted attention.

In Vietnam, I did find that some sellers could be quite pushy and would almost be shouting at you, shoving things in your face etc. This was especially true in Hoi An at night. I had spoken to a couple of people while I was there, that said this had kind of ruined it for them. I have been used to this type of thing before so didn’t think much of it, but it wasn’t something I really experienced in Thailand.

Also in Vietnam, crossing the road is a bit of an art form, it’s like playing the computer game Frogger. You just have to step out into the traffic and hope no one hits you, because otherwise, you’re never going to get across the road.

Final Results

• 🇻🇳Vietnam: 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇
• 🇹🇭Thailand: 🥇🥇🥇🥇

In my personal rankings, Vietnam is probably my favourite country in the world, with Thailand currently sitting in third. HOWEVER, I feel a huge pull to return to Thailand. I haven’t felt a pull so strong to return to a country for a long time. But that may be because I need some island life/beach time with yummy food! (Thailand trip pending in March 2025👀)

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