Thailand is longer than most people picture, and that fact decides everything about a trip. The best places to go in Thailand sit far apart: old capitals in the central plains, mountain towns in the north, two coastlines with opposite weather, and a northeast almost no visitor sees. This Thailand travel guide is a map rather than a to do list. Each place below explains what it is, who it suits, how long to give it, and one honest warning.
Thailand's shape, and why the two coasts matter
The country runs roughly 1,600 kilometers from the Laos border down to Malaysia. The north is mountains and river valleys, the center is flat and full of ruins, and the south splits into two coasts with different weather at the same time of year.
The Andaman coast, which holds Phuket, Krabi and Koh Lanta, is best from November to March and wettest from about May into October. The Gulf side, with Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, is driest from December to February and takes its heaviest rain from October into November. December through February works on both coasts, which is why it is the busiest window of the year.
Bangkok, the entry point you should not rush
Almost every trip starts here, and two or three days is enough for a first visit. Bangkok is a river city with a royal core, a Chinatown that gets going after dark, and a rail system that makes it easier to move around than it looks from a taxi. Give the Grand Palace and Wat Pho one morning, and dress modestly, since shoulders and knees must be covered at temples.
The city fills a guide of its own, so see our area by area guide to Bangkok. Warning: traffic is genuinely bad, so plan around the river boats and the elevated train.
Ayutthaya, the ruined capital an hour from the city
Ayutthaya was the second Siamese capital, founded around 1350 and burned by Burmese armies in 1767. What survives is a UNESCO World Heritage site, inscribed in 1991: brick temple platforms and tall reliquary towers called prang, on an island between rivers. It suits history minded travelers and anyone who wants one easy day trip out of Bangkok, and a full day is enough.
Warning: there is very little shade and the brick radiates heat, so go early and stop by midday.
Chiang Mai, the base for the whole north
Chiang Mai is a walled old town of small lanes and wooden temples with a modern city around it, and it is the natural base for northern Thailand. The food leans toward the Burmese border, and the mountains start half an hour from the moat.
It suits almost everyone, including families, and three to four days is a fair minimum. On elephants, be direct with yourself: riding is not an ethical option, and neither are shows or bathing sessions that put crowds in contact with the animals. Look for places that keep herds in large areas and let you watch from a distance.
Warning: from roughly February to April, farm and forest burning across the north pushes air quality to unhealthy levels for weeks. If you are sensitive, come another season.
Chiang Rai, quieter, stranger and closer to the border
Chiang Rai sits about three hours north of Chiang Mai and feels smaller and calmer. Its best known site, Wat Rong Khun, is not ancient at all: it is a white, mirror covered temple begun in 1997 by the Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat and still unfinished, a different thing entirely from the old temples further south.
It suits travelers who want the north without the crowds, and two days is enough. Warning: it is often sold as a rushed day trip from Chiang Mai, six hours in a van for two hours on the ground. Stay the night, or take our Bangkok, Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai Tour, which strings the three together properly.
Pai and the Mae Hong Son loop
Pai is a small valley town northwest of Chiang Mai, known for hot springs, canyon walks and a slow evening scene. It is also the first stop on the Mae Hong Son loop, a mountain circuit through Mae Hong Son and Mae Sariang that many travelers ride by motorbike over four to six days. Pai suits people who want to stop moving for a while: two to three nights, or a week for the loop.
Warning: the road from Chiang Mai to Pai has 762 marked curves and the shared minivan takes them fast, so motion sickness is common. Sit in front, skip breakfast, or take the short flight instead.
Sukhothai, the older and emptier ruin site
Sukhothai and Ayutthaya are not the same kind of place. Sukhothai is the earlier capital, and its World Heritage listing covers three towns: Sukhothai itself plus Si Satchanalai and Kamphaeng Phet. The ruins sit in a landscaped park of lotus ponds and lawns, so it feels like a garden, where Ayutthaya feels like a city that fell down. It suits anyone who wants ruins without crowds, best seen by bicycle over a day or two.
Warning: it is a long way off the Bangkok to Chiang Mai line, so build it in deliberately or you will skip it.
Kanchanaburi, river valleys and hard history
West of Bangkok, Kanchanaburi is where the Japanese army built the Thailand to Burma railway during the Second World War using Allied prisoners of war and conscripted Asian laborers, with an enormous loss of life. The bridge over the Khwae Yai river, the war cemeteries and the Hellfire Pass memorial are here, and the province also holds Erawan waterfall and quiet river guesthouses. Two days suits history travelers and anyone wanting green countryside near the capital.
Warning: treat the memorials as memorials. This is a burial ground for thousands of people, not a photo backdrop.
Phuket, the island that works like a mainland
Phuket is Thailand's largest island, joined to the mainland by a bridge, with its own international airport. That makes it the easiest southern base: hospitals, direct flights, and boats to Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay. West coast beaches vary enormously, from loud to almost silent. It suits first timers, families and anyone short on time, over three to five days.
Warning: the west coast has a strong undertow in the monsoon months, and red flags on the sand are not decoration. For beach by beach detail, see our guide to the best beaches in Thailand.
Krabi and Railay, limestone country
Krabi province is the cliff scenery people picture when they picture southern Thailand. Ao Nang is the mainland hub. Railay, around the headland, has no road at all and is reached only by longtail boat, which is why it feels separate. It is also one of Asia's best known climbing areas. It suits couples and climbers, over three days.
Warning: Maya Bay on nearby Phi Phi Leh has changed. It closes every year from August 1 to September 30, boats no longer enter the main bay, numbers are capped, and you may not go into the water there. Go for the cliffs, not the film.
Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, the Gulf trio
These three sit close together on the Gulf side and split by personality. Samui is the developed one, with an airport, resorts and proper roads. Phangan is greener and quieter for most of the month, with a well known full moon party on one beach that the rest of the island largely ignores. Tao is small, steep and built around diving. Between them they suit honeymooners, backpackers and divers, and five days covers two of the three.
Warning: the season here is not Phuket's. October and November are the wettest months, so do not assume a Gulf island will rescue a rainy Andaman trip.
Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe, the slower Andaman islands
Lanta is long, flat and easy, with a road down the west side, sunset facing beaches and a pace that suits families. Lipe is far south near the Malaysian border, tiny, and sits inside Tarutao National Marine Park with water clear enough to justify the trip. Give Lanta four nights, Lipe three.
Warning: Lipe is seasonal. The marine park closes from roughly mid May to mid October, and monsoon boats are weather dependent, so treat it as a November to April destination.
Khao Sok, rainforest and a lake full of limestone
Khao Sok is old rainforest inland from the Andaman coast, and its centerpiece is Cheow Lan lake, a reservoir studded with limestone peaks rising straight out of green water. You sleep in simple raft houses reached by longtail boat, and wake to gibbons and hornbills. It suits couples and anyone who wants one wild night in the middle of a beach trip. Two nights is the sweet spot, and it sits between the Andaman coast and Surat Thani for the Gulf islands.
Warning: basic raft houses cut the electricity at night and there is no phone signal on much of the lake. That is the point, but pack a torch.
Isan, the northeast almost nobody visits
Isan is the northeastern plateau along the Mekong and the Cambodian border, and it receives a tiny share of Thailand's visitors. It has Khmer temple ruins at Phanom Rung and Phimai that predate anything in Ayutthaya, a distinct language and music, the country's spiciest food, and the Ubon Ratchathani candle festival in July. It suits repeat visitors and anyone tired of tourist infrastructure, and four days is a fair minimum.
Warning: English is far less common here and public transport is slow, so this is the one region where a car or a driver genuinely changes the trip.
Where to go in Thailand at a glance
| Place | Region | Best for | When to go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok | Central | Food, temples, arrival and departure | November to February |
| Ayutthaya | Central | Ruins, easy day trip | November to February |
| Kanchanaburi | West | War history, rivers, waterfalls | November to February |
| Sukhothai | Lower north | Quiet ruins, cycling | November to February |
| Chiang Mai | North | Culture, mountains, long stays | November to January |
| Chiang Rai | Far north | Quieter north, Mekong border | November to January |
| Pai and Mae Hong Son | Northwest | Slow towns, motorbike loop | November to January |
| Isan | Northeast | Khmer ruins, few visitors | November to February |
| Phuket | Andaman | Easy access, families, boat trips | November to March |
| Krabi and Railay | Andaman | Cliffs, climbing, couples | November to March |
| Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe | Andaman | Slow islands, clear water | November to April |
| Khao Sok | South inland | Rainforest, lake raft houses | December to April |
| Samui, Phangan, Tao | Gulf | Diving, resorts, island hopping | December to August |
The one form to complete before you fly
All non Thai travelers arriving by air, land or sea must submit the Thailand Digital Arrival Card before entry, children included. It opens three days before your arrival date and is free on the government portal at tdac.immigration.go.th. Transit passengers who do not clear immigration are exempt. Ignore the lookalike sites that charge for it.
How to put a Thailand itinerary together
Getting around is simpler than the map suggests. Fly the long legs, Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Bangkok to the southern airports, since they take about an hour. The overnight sleeper to Chiang Mai still runs from Krung Thep Aphiwat station in roughly twelve and a half hours, worth doing once. Keep boats and vans for short hops.
- Seven days: Bangkok, Ayutthaya, then either Chiang Mai or one Andaman base. Pick north or south, not both.
- Ten days: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, then fly south to Krabi and Railay.
- Two weeks: Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, Pai, fly south to Khao Sok, finish on Koh Lanta or the Gulf trio.
Once the route is set, fill the days with our guide to what to do in Thailand, check the practical side in our answer to is Thailand safe, or have it arranged for you with our Thailand tour packages.
Frequently asked questions about where to go in Thailand
What are the best places in Thailand for a first visit?
Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai and one southern base such as Krabi or Phuket cover the widest range in the least time: a capital, a ruin site, mountains and a coast, without long overland travel.
Which month works for both Thai coasts?
December through February is the safest window, since the Andaman and Gulf coasts are both largely dry then. It is also the busiest period, so book flights and island rooms early.
Are any places in Thailand closed at certain times of year?
Yes. Maya Bay closes every August and September. The Similan and Surin islands close for around five months, from mid May to mid October. Tarutao National Marine Park, which includes Koh Lipe, closes for a similar monsoon period.
Is the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai still running?
Yes. Sleepers run nightly from Krung Thep Aphiwat station and take about twelve and a half hours, arriving in Chiang Mai in the morning. Berths sell out in high season, so book ahead rather than at the station.
Where should I go in Thailand to avoid crowds?
Isan in the northeast sees very few foreign visitors and has Khmer ruins at Phanom Rung and Phimai. Sukhothai, Kanchanaburi and Koh Lanta are quieter than their better known neighbors and still easy to reach.
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