I don’t want to overhype it, but Thailand is the greatest country on earth, hands down and not up for debate. From the loud & sweaty streets of Bangkok to the quiet limestone cliffs and caves of Phuket, my first trip to Thailand was the beginning of a pledge to return every couple of years to explore more every time. I’d recommend a minimum of 10 full days on the ground in Thailand, though obviously, if you can spend more, do it.
Overview
The Cities
- Bangkok: The giant megapolis and capital city, Bangkok is not to be missed during your first (and every) trip to Thailand.
- Chiang Mai: Located in the mountains of northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is known for temples, nature and elephants. Nearby spots like Chiang Rai and Pai round out the popular backpacker/motorbike circuit.
- Pattaya: Located an hour or two southeast of Bangkok, this city is most well known for its unsavory sex tourism reputation.
The Beaches
- Phuket: The largest of the Thai islands, Phuket is massive and incredibly varied in terms of vibes. For as trashy as Patong Beach is, Phuket is also home to Amanpuri, the very first luxury Aman resort in the world, and the incredibly colorful and charming Old Phuket Town. The main island of Phuket is also home to the absurdly scenic Samet Nangshe Viewpoint, which overlooks James Bond Island and other towering limestone islands that shoot up from the ocean. From Phuket, it’s a quick speedboat or longer longtail boat ride to backpacker hotspots like Phi Phi and Maya Bay (aka the beach from The Beach)
- Krabi: Ao Nang, Railay and chiller islands like Lanta and Ko Yao Yai.
- Trat: The province of Trat sits east of Bangkok and borders Cambodia. My next trip to Thailand will involve a few days on Koh Kood (looks like a chiller version of Samui), Kham and Mak.
- Samui, Pha Ngan and Tao: All three islands cater to tourists, with Samui being the largest and most developed (where White Lotus Season 3 was filmed), Pha Ngan being most well known for the monthly Full Moon Party, and Tao for scuba diving and the double-sided beach at Nangyuan Island. If you’re visiting one of these islands, you’re likely flying into Samui (the most stunning airport, ever) and then taking a boat to Pha Ngan or Tao. There are also ferries from Surat Thani on the mainland to each of the islands.
- Koh Lipe: Called the “Maldives of Thailand,” this tiny island at the very bottom of Thailand next to Malaysia on the west coast is accessible via 5-hour speedboat from Phuket, but your best bet will be flying into the Malaysian island of Langkawi and then taking a 1.5 hour ferry to Lipe.
- Similan Islands: Located off the west coast of Phuket, these islands belong to a national park so are only accessible during the day by boat. Crystal clear water, rock formations on the beaches similar to the Seychelles and incredible diving and snorkeling. Doing a live-aboard experience on a diving boat seems like a popular way of visiting these islands.
But, First: The Basics
A few helpful terms to familiarize yourself with before heading to Thailand for the first time:
- Soi: A side street off a major road, usually numbered.
- Wat: Thai word for Buddhist temple.
- Ko or Koh: Thai word for island.
And some other basic logistics:
- Currency: The currency of Thailand is the baht and is roughly 30 baht to 1 USD.
- Language: Thai, duh! Do yourself a favor and learn the basics before visiting – hello, good morning, thank you, goodbye, bathroom, food, drink, beach, etc.
- Time Zone: Depending on the time of year, Bangkok is 11-12 hours ahead of EST since they don’t observe daylight savings.
- Elephants: As much as Thailand is known as the “Land of Smiles” due to the welcoming dispositions of its citizens, it is also synonymous with elephants. As symbols of wisdom and good fortune in Thai culture, elephants adorn almost everything – from the ubiquitous flowy pants sold outside temples, to hand-carved wooden figurines. They’re also a major part of tourism in Thailand, for better or for worse. I’d encourage you to do your own research on ethical practices surrounding elephant tourism in Thailand, and as a broad rule of thumb, avoid any experiences or “sanctuaries” where touching or bathing is involved. Elephants are wild animals, so any “training” they’ve had to undergo to tolerate human touch most definitely involves abuse. Personally, I avoid elephant tourism in Thailand, but I believe there are some ethical options to seeing elephants while you’re there. Specifically, viewing herds in the wild at Khao Sok National Park.
Getting Around
If you’re in Bangkok, you’ll realize pretty quickly that traffic is insane no matter the day or time. To get anywhere quickly, rely on the river boats, the BTS/metro or Grab Bike (download the Grab app and then select Bike as an option; helmets provided upon request). The first night I was in Bangkok, a group of six of us were trying to get from Thong Lor to the river to see Wat Arun lit up at night. Four people opted for a Grab taxi, Bill did the BTS + Grab Bike, and I did the BTS + metro. Bill beat me there by about 15 minutes, and I beat the taxi crew by about 15 minutes. Lesson learned: don’t try and cross half of the city in a taxi on a Friday night unless you’ve got 1.5 hours to burn.
Tuktuks: A somewhat touristy but reliable way of getting around, in Bangkok and beyond. Most are outfitted with lights and sound systems to create a party vibe.
#ScooterLife: If you’re heading to the islands, you’re going to want to rent a scooter. Technically, you’re supposed to have a valid motorcycle license to drive one, but the only place this seems to be strictly enforced (meaning, the cops will pull you over and fine you) is in super touristy parts of Phuket like Patong Beach. We had no issues on Koh Samui, where we rented a beat-up scooter for $7/day from a shop down the street from our Airbnb.
Flights: Hopping around Thailand via an airplane is an efficient and affordable way of seeing the whole country from Chiang Mai up north all the way down south to Koh Lipe. Flights inside Thailand are usually very affordable (like under $50 roundtrip for Bangkok to Phuket), with the exception being flights to/from Koh Samui since Bangkok Airways has a monopoly on those flights due to owning the airport on Samui. We paid roughly $300/person for Phuket – Koh Samui – Bangkok.
By Car: Bill rented a pickup truck for about three weeks to travel around Thailand, heading out from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, then through Kanchanaburi and down south to Hua Hin. Other than a few harrowing moments in Chinatown in Bangkok, he says it was easy to navigate the roads, highways and tolls all over the country.
Download these Apps
Grab: Make sure you’ve downloaded the Grab app before coming to Thailand because it’s going to how you book a taxi to/from the airports, order delivery food and schedule a motorbike to beat Bangkok traffic (helmets are provided upon request).
Airalo: I use a frightening amount of data on my phone, so I bought a 20 GB Thailand eSIM for $18. The setup was easy peasy and my phone worked perfectly for calls, texts, internet, apps, etc.
