Thailand Wedding Costs Averages

Thailand wedding costs are very different from that of Western countries or Australia. Thailand is known as a world class tourism and wedding destination. It was recently awarded the top position in Asia by the Destination Wedding Planners (DWP) conference. Phuket Island will host this year’s DWP conference.

Given Thailand’s pristine beaches, wonderful food, friendly Buddhist culture and natural hospitality of the people; it is not surprising that Thailand is on the world map for weddings. However Thailand is also known for its value-for-money proposition. For example, while a haircut in the USA starts at 15$ you can get the same service in Thailand for 3$ for example. But does this equation hold up for weddings? What is the average Thailand wedding cost?

Is the hype about Thailand Wedding Costs true?

Yes, there are weddings in Thailand for all budget from $500,000 USD weddings down to $1,000 or $2,000 events. There is a whole range of budgets that can be feasible for Thailand Weddings. However the numbers are not always as spectacular, lavish and rich as the government’s Tourism Authority of Thailand would have you believe:

A recent press release from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) claimed “The average Thailand wedding cost is around 5-20 million Baht.”

Another article from Bloomberg recounts “TAT reports that the average spend for an Indian wedding in Thailand is 10 million baht (about $340,000), with an average of 200 to 500 guests. The average duration of each wedding is three to five nights, with approximately 600 rooms booked.”

The previously mentioned type of events do occur, but in our experience in the market, we estimate the following.
The average wedding cost in Thailand is 10,000 USD and has 25 guests. That is not to say, you can also get 25 person ceremony and reception for just half that cost as well.

Tourism Authority of Thailand

The TAT does not seem to be accounting for all the small weddings. They do not come onto the government’s radar because they do not promote small events,  or get involved in small events. Meanwhile the government perhaps considers them merely a drop in the bucket.

That is a funny circumstance however. This is because many world travelers consider Thailand to be a value-driven wedding destination. British, Australian, Hong Kong citizens and those from countless other nations visit Thailand for their destination wedding, vow renewal or wedding ceremony because of the economics. Which provide for a great value. Elopements are also on the rise, more and more couples seek to “elope to Thailand“. Thus saving their hard earned cash and opting for a more intimate and romantic occasion.

Average Thailand Wedding Costs

In fact, the average Thailand wedding cost is far below the USA which is now around 30,000 USD or Australian at 35,000 AUD. For a destination wedding in Thailand, there is no need to spend so much. Even the top luxury wedding planners in Phuket for example, tend to have a minimum spend of 21,500 USD+. Their average might be around 1 million THB (equal to a Western wedding average or Australian wedding). However, that is still the higher end for Thailand Weddings. Most weddings are hosted and organized by hotels and resorts or smaller scale wedding planners. These events tend to cost on average 10,000 USD up to 20,000 USD at a nice 5 star resort. For a high quality all-inclusive event with friends and family.