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If you are trying to decide between visiting Cambodia or Thailand in 2025, look no further. This is the perfect article for you.
In this article, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know to help you decide which country to visit. We have lived in both Cambodia and Thailand and traveled both countries extensively. We’ve visited both countries many times over the years and have loads of experience traveling in this part of the world.
We are super excited to share our tips, information, and insights to help you plan your own trip and decide whether to visit Cambodia or Thailand in 2025. In this article, we are going to consider prices, accommodation, transportation challenges, culture and activities in each country.
Of course, if you have time, we highly recommend visiting both Cambodia and Thailand. You can travel overland between these countries in a single day. Sadly, some people may need to choose between these two countries. So if you need to choose just one country, keep reading.
Don’t miss the full guide – Is it worth visiting Cambodia – everything you need to know
Cambodia or Thailand? – What are your priorities
Cambodia and Thailand are both amazing countries and have a lot of their own unique attractions and things to offer. For many people, the decision between Cambodia and Thailand will come down to your preferred choice of activities. For example, if you have always wanted to explore Angkor Wat, then it needs to be Cambodia.
When it comes to choosing between visiting Cambodia or Thailand, you will need to work out what your priorities are. For example, some people may prioritize particular activities and attractions, while others may prioritize budget. Some people are interested in prioritizing particular cultural experiences. Other people are all about the food. So before you decide whether to visit Cambodia or Thailand, you will need to work out what your priorities are.
1 Activities in Thailand and Cambodia
Let’s start by considering activities in Thailand and Cambodia. This is probably one of the most important things to consider when you are planning your trip. After all, if you’re traveling all of this way, activities and experiences are probably very high up on your list.
Activities in Thailand
Let’s start with Thailand. If you are interested in a relaxing beach holiday or if you are interested in snorkeling and diving, then we recommend taking a trip to Thailand rather than Cambodia. Cambodia does have a few beautiful islands situated in the south. However, your choices are relatively limited. In our opinion, the islands of Cambodia are not as nice as the islands in the south of Thailand.
If you are interested in natural beauty and adventure, then we also recommend Thailand. Thailand is a stunning country with jungles, mountains, waterfalls, and wildlife. The north of Thailand is particularly good for adventure, where you can find trekking, temples, hot springs, waterfalls, and aerial obstacle courses suspended in the jungle canopy.
If you are an animal lover, Thailand has more wildlife, more biodiversity, and you can also visit elephant sanctuaries (in both the north and south of Thailand). You can even stay in a Hotel with Elephants in North Thailand. Activities in Thailand are also relatively cheap, so you can pull together a very fun, adventurous, and intrepid itinerary on a relatively low budget.
Don’t miss our FULL GUIDE to Budget Travel in Thailand.
Activities in Cambodia
Cambodia does not have the same range of activities; however, the things that you can do in Cambodia are genuinely very impressive and unique. One of the main attractions in Cambodia is Angkor Wat (an ancient temple complex situated close to Siem Reap). Cambodia is also great for unique cultural activities, whether you want to explore a floating village by Tonle Sap or wander around the night markets. Phnom Penh has several attractions dedicated to the dark history of Cambodia (including the infamous Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng School that was turned into a prison). There are also several islands situated in the south of Cambodia. However, in our opinion, these islands do not rival the beauty of the islands in the south of Thailand.
2 Accommodation in Thailand and Cambodia
Here is Keemala in Phuket – a stunning jungle resort with your own private swimming pool…
Accommodation in Thailand and Cambodia is relatively similar in terms of cost and quality (especially at the low budget end). However, you may find that your money goes a little further in Thailand. In the past year or two, both Cambodia and Thailand have become substantially more expensive for accommodation. You need to be more careful and savvy when you look around, especially if you’re traveling to these countries on a tight budget.
In both countries, you can find cheap accommodation starting for as little as $3 – $5 for dorm beds. To get the best deals on accommodation, we recommend booking nice and early and using price filters on booking platforms like Agoda and Booking.com.
If you are a luxury traveler, then we recommend Thailand. There is a greater range of luxurious high-end accommodation available in Thailand, and your money definitely goes a lot further at the luxury end in Thailand. Although you can find some luxury hotels in Cambodia, the quality of the accommodation is not as high relative to the prices. Luxe travellers should definitely choose Thailand.
3 Food in Thailand and Cambodia
In terms of food, Thailand is definitely the winner. You can find affordable local street food in both Thailand and Cambodia; the main difference is that street food in Thailand is a lot more varied, healthy, creative, and tasty. Of course, something like this is a matter of opinion; however, we have been very impressed with the variety and quality of affordable food in Thailand.
- Thailand – Street food ranges between 50 baht – 100 baht and includes soups, curries, BBQ chicken, BBQ fish, sticky rice, salads, and noodles.
- Cambodia – Street food ranges in price between $1 – $2 and includes BBQ chicken, rice, spring rolls, curries, eggs, dried fish, dried meats, and salads.
Bakeries are actually quite common in Cambodia due to the French influence. However the quality of baked products is not as good as Europe. You can find plenty of fresh fruit in both countries. Thailand often sell pre-cut fruit which is fun and convenient.
You can find international cuisine in both Thailand and Cambodia. However, international food in Cambodia can be very expensive because it is seen as an unnecessary and luxurious privilege. International food in Cambodia is generally not directed towards locals, and therefore, the prices are significantly higher. In contrast, you can find international cuisine in Thailand that is also directed towards locals and is therefore very affordable.
4 Transportation in Thailand and Cambodia
Transportation in both Thailand and Cambodia is relatively affordable and reasonably comfortable. Thailand is a larger country, and it takes a lot longer to travel around the country. Thailand also has a more developed transportation system with more options. For example, you can take long-distance buses, minibuses, and trains, including sleeper trains. You can also find cheap flights around Thailand. Bangkok also has an extensive and pretty efficient public transport system. Taxi apps like Bolt and Grab are used in many areas of Thailand (including Phuket, Krabi, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai). This allows affordable and convenient local transport.
Cambodia does not have a public transport system. However, it is still possible to find affordable and convenient transport in Cambodia. You can find plenty of tuk-tuks around the main touristy areas of Cambodia. Prices range between $1 – $3 for a short journey and $10 – $20 for a full day. Don’t miss our full guide to taking a tuk tuk in Cambodia. You cannot use taxi apps in Cambodia. There are, however, some very comfortable sleeper buses (flat beds) between Sihanoukville and Siem Reap. If you’re planning to visit the islands in south Cambodia you may need to stay over a night in Sihanoukville. The hotels in the area aren’t all that great – they are pretty pricey and not that nice for the money.
You can rent motorbikes in both Cambodia and Thailand. Bike rental is relatively cheap and convenient in both countries. The roads rules are stricted in Thailand and you may be stopped from time to time (police may check helmets and licences).
5 Culture in Thailand and Cambodia
Both Thailand and Cambodia have respectful, conservative Southeast Asian cultures. In many ways, the cultures are very similar; however, when you get more familiar with this region, you will see some important nuanced differences between these two cultures.
In our experience, Cambodian people are more deeply superstitious, and this plays a bigger role in day-to-day interactions. There is a big focus on luck and karma in Cambodia. The genocide has also left a relatively high proportion of young people in Cambodia, and a generation of skills and knowledge was eradicated from the country. This has had a negative impact on the level of education and development in the country. As a consequence, many Cambodians feel like their country is left behind relative to their neighbors.
Communication across the language barrier can be challenging in both countries. Especially if you travel away from the central tourist hot spots. You may struggle with communication slightly more in Cambodia, especially if you are traveling into the villages and away from the towns.
Both Thailand and Cambodia have been known for scams directed at tourists. However, scams are more common in Cambodia. In recent years Thailand has done a good job of cleaning up the scams in an attempt to improve its reputation and attract tourism. Instead of scams, prices are increasing (overcharge rather than scam). Bartering is acceptable (and sometimes necessary) in both countries. However bartering is more prevalent in Cambodia.
6 Shopping and Prices
Budget and prices
If you are trying to weigh up whether to visit Cambodia or Thailand, it is important to consider the budget and the cost of your trip. In general, it is more expensive to fly to Cambodia than to fly to Thailand. You can often find relatively cheap flights to both Bangkok and Chiang Mai; however, flying into Cambodia tends to be more expensive. You can either fly into Siem Reap or you can fly into Phnom Penh.
If you are traveling on a very low budget, Thailand and Cambodia are very similar in price. For example, you can find cheap local street food in both countries for around $1 -$2. Transportation is also very cheap in both Thailand and Cambodia. It is possible to travel long distances between cities in each of these countries for around.
In terms of accommodation, both countries offer very cheap options; however, your money does go further in Thailand. Thailand also has an impressive range of accommodation at the high end, and luxury accommodation is surprisingly good value for money in Thailand. In contrast, you can find some luxury hotels in Cambodia, and they are still reasonably cheap, but the quality for price is not as good as Thailand.
Western conveniences
Western products and home comfort can be noticeably more expensive in Cambodia compared to Thailand. So if you want to buy home comforts from a shop like 7-Eleven in Cambodia, it may well be noticeably more expensive than the same product in Thailand. Foreign products in Cambodia are generally not directed to locals, and they are seen as luxury items, and therefore, they can be quite expensive. Thailand is the land of 7-Elevens. This makes Thai travel very convenient (you can grab a coffee and a cheese toasty almost anywhere in the country!). In contrast there are only a handful of 7-Elevens and convenience stores in Cambodia. So although both countries are relatively cheap and very affordable, your money does go a little further in Thailand compared to Cambodia.
TOP TIP: Thailand has an increasing number of expat ran businesses. These are often quite expensive and western expats can be more unpleasant and entitled in their attitudes towards their business and customers.
7 Challenges in Thailand and Cambodia
Thailand and Cambodia both present their own unique challenges for travelers. Let’s start by considering some of the challenges of traveling in Thailand. Firstly, Thailand is a very popular destination, and it can become very crowded at times. So if you are hoping to escape the crowds, you may struggle to get off the beaten track in Thailand, especially if you are visiting the iconic and popular tourist destinations. The popularity of Thailand also makes it more challenging to find good accommodation, especially if you leave it to the last minute. Transportation like buses and trains can book up several days in advance. You may also find that tours, trips, and activities are very crowded and fully booked.
Cambodia is also a very popular tourist destination, and it can get crowded and busy at times. This is particularly true if you are visiting the main tourist hotspots and attractions in the country. Because Cambodia is a smaller country with fewer places to go, it can feel a lot more crowded with fewer visitors. Another challenge of visiting Cambodia is the lower level of development. This can lead to problems like power cuts and floods. ATM machines are often out of order in Cambodia. International Bank card payments are widely accepted in Thailand and generally don’t have additional fees. International card payments are less frequently accepted in Cambodia.
The internet in Cambodia is also slower and less reliable. This includes wifi and internet data from local sim cards. In contrast, Thailand has some of the cheapest, best, and fastest internet in the world. You will still find places where the wifi is weak in Thailand – (e.g. beaches and hills) but overall it is much better than Cambodia. In Thailand you can get some fantastic affordable sim data packages.
