The hardest part of any trip to Thailand is deciding where to go. The choices are endless – the white sandy beaches of the Andaman Coast, indulging in Chiang Mai’s culinary delights, visiting

gleaming Buddhist temples and biking through the 13th-century ruins of ancient

Bangkok’s

, Thailand’s first capital. You’ll find it hard to leave.

Sukhothai

I’ve spent the last decade living and working in Thailand off and on working for travel companies, teaching English and volunteering with an NGO. I now spend every winter living in Chiang Mai. I decided it was time to write up my favorite places to go in Thailand—I’ve been everyone on this list!

Thailand is a traveler’s dream—friendly people, delicious food and stunning scenery. Plus, it’s budget-friendly and very safe. Keep reading for the best places to go in Thailand. 

To prepare for your trip, check out my Thailand Travel Tips post for

when to visit, transport, eSIM cards and banking.

Affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no cost to you, which goes toward the cost of maintaining this blog.

Best Places in Thailand at a Glance

 A monk walks through the courtyard of Bangkok’s most stunning temple – Wat Suthat.

Bangkok

Bangkok is a kaleidoscope of both Eastern and Western culture – sleek shopping malls just blocks away from traditional Buddhist temples. The capital city boasts a sleek metro train system that makes it easy to get around. Since Thailand is famous for its high-quality medical care, Bangkok is a big hub for

. I get my annual health checkups in Bangkok and wrote a post with a

medical tourism

.

detailed breakdown of the cost

The most famous sites are , the former royal residence, and

The Grand Palace

Wat Phra Kaew,home to the

Emerald Buddha, the most revered image in Thailand that dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries. Tickets are 500 baht for foreigners. Consider booking online through

if you want to skip the lines. (There is a strict dress code. Cover your knees and wear long sleeves or you’ll be forced to rent clothes.)

Klook

Nearby, Wat Pho, known for the reclining Buddha, and the iconic Wat Arun across the river are also a must. (Both are 200 baht each.)

For more things to do (including less touristy sites) in the Thai capital, read my detailed Bangkok Guide!

Where to Stay in Bangkok

Always choose accommodation near one of the train lines to make it easy to get around. I like to stay near the Siam area.

  • Bangkok Hostels:I stayed at($16 USD/night) for years and loved how close it was to Siam (Ratchathewi BTS) and the airport train.Bed Block One Hostel
  • Bangkok Hotels:($55 USD/night) is a short walk from the BTS and my favorite neighborhood, Thong Lor. Don’t laugh, but theS33 Compact SukhumvitHoliday Inn Express Siam($88 USD/night) by the National Stadium BTS is my go-to because it’s a great location with clean rooms, free breakfast and a gym. If you want to splurge, I recommend($188 USD/night) andVIE Hotel Bangkok($215 USD/night).Chatrium Grand

 Plan Your Trip

Currency: Thai Baht (THB)When to Go:  November to February for cooler temperatures. October is very lush at the end of rainy season (my favorite month). Travel Insurance: Protect yourself with SafetyWing travel medical insurance to cover accidents and travel delays.

Mobile eSIM Card:Get seamless connectivity worldwide with

minus the hassle of physical SIM card. (Save 10% with code

Airalo

AIRALOESIM10!)

Wat Chiang Man is a hidden temple in Chiang Mai’s old city.

Chiang Mai 

Chiang Mai is the laid-back culinary hub of Northern Thailand. Stroll through the old town, a 1.5 km square surrounded by original walls and moat to visit Wat Chedi Luang which dates back to 1441. Climb the 306 steps to the mountain-top temple of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, which is a short trip outside of the city. Stop by the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, the 1km long sprawling nightly market for a bowl or two of khao Soi, a delicious soup curry. A cooking class at Grandma’s Home Cooking School is a must, along with a trip out to the

.

Sticky Waterfall

For more details, check out my .

Chiang Mai Guide

The Best Places to Stay In Chiang Mai

HOTELS: In the hip Nimman area, try  ($38 USD/night) and 

Hotel YaYee

($138 USD/night), which have the best rooftop bars in town.

Amanor Hotel

($65 USD) is a modern, family-run hotel tucked on a quiet street.

Chern Chiangmai Boutique Hotel

In the old city’s southwest corner, Marigold Lanna ($50 USD/night) and the stunning pool at

($82/ USD night) are favorites.

Smile Lanna Hotel

($82 USD/night) is a lovely family-run guesthouse with comfortable rooms in the northeast corner.

Baan Hanibah

HOSTELS: In the Old City, consider  ($10 USD/night) or

The Common Hostel

which has private bunks with curtains. In Nimman,

Pakping Hostel,

and

Ray HostelBed Addict Hostel

have the best locations and ratings. ($13-14 USD/night.)

Traveling in Southeast Asia

Read my guides to  Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Vietnam and

Singapore!

Chiang Rai’s temple-inspired art project, Wat Rong Khun, features images of Hello Kitty and Keanu Reeves in the interior. 

Chiang Rai

The small town of Chiang Rai is often overlooked but worth a visit if only to see the famous white temple, Wat Rong Khun. The temple is a contemporary art project by local artist Chalermchai Kositpipat that opened in 1997 and is still not yet completed! It’s open daily for visitors with a small entry fee (50 Baht/$1.39 USD).

Another local artist, Thawan Duchanee, is known for a 40-building complex known as the black temple (Baan Dam Museum) that features a dark and controversial interpretation of Buddhist philosophy. There’s also a blue temple, Wat Rong Seur Ten and the hilltop Buddha at Wat Huay Place Kang. The city has great food, budget accommodation, stunning temples and is a good base for nearby excursions. The nightly light show at the downtown clock is fun. There are a plethora of day-trip tours from Chiang Mai.

Left: Two Huts, a popular sunset spot in Pai. Right: The Pai Village Boutique Resort.

Pai

Everyone loves Pai, a mountain town with beach vibes. The bohemian outpost is surrounded by lush mountain scenery and is one of the most visited parts of Northern Thailand. The city center is filled with trekking agencies, boutiques and an endless array of restaurants. The walking street is hopping at night so stick to the edges of town if you want solitude. Highlights include Pai Canyon, the waterfalls of Pam Bok and Mae Yen, and Tha Pai Hot Spring.

The Best Places to Stay in Pai

For rice field views, consider the quieter Yoma Hotel ($58 USD/night) or Buzzas @ Pai Chan, a backpacker’s spot that’s $26 USD/night. ($160 USD/night) is right on the walking street and super fancy.

Pai Village Boutique Resort

A reflection of Wat Mahathat in Sukhothai, Thailand’s first ancient capital.

Sukhothai & Ayutthaya

If you love ancient Buddhist ruins as much as I do, then don’t miss these two UNESCO World Heritage sites. Sukhothai was the first capital of Siam in 13th and 14th centuries, and Ayutthaya was the second. Both are easily accessible by bus.

Sukhothai is over halfway between Chiang Mai and Bangkok. Simply rent a bicycle by the park entrance and explore on your own. (It’s totally flat so easy biking!) Vendors aren’t allowed in the walled portion of the ruins making for peaceful exploration. For details on how to get to the park, check out  this post.  (On my last visit, I stayed at

($14 USD/night for a private room) and really liked it.)

TR Guesthouse

Ayutthaya’s ruins are famous for a Buddha head entangled in tree roots at Wat Mahathat. Right: Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat Rajaworaviharn at Si Satchanalai

To get off the beaten path, stay an extra day to visit the nearby Si Satchanalai, one of Thailand’s hidden secrets! It’s 60-kilometer drive away and part of the same UNESCO designation. (Si Satchanalai was the spiritual capital while Sukhothai was the political head of the first kingdom of Thailand.) 

Check out my Instagram highlight about how to visit to Si Satchanalai!

Ayutthaya is 80 miles north of Bangkok and easy to visit on a day tour.  Unlike Sukhothai, the sites at Ayutthaya are spread out and has lots of annoying vendors. Doing a tour will make it easy to travel between sights. While both UNESCO sites are worth visiting, I personally prefer Sukhothai because it’s not as crowded, and there are far fewer annoying vendors.

Park rangers stop traffic at Khao Yai National Park for a wild elephant to cross the road. 

Khao Yai National Park

For a chance to see wild elephants, a visit to Thailand’s first national park is a must. Located

only three hours from Bangkok, this 2,206 square kilometer UNESCO site is also world-renowned destination for birders. On my visit to

Khao Yai National Park, I was amazed by the diversity of the wildlife sightings, including wild elephants, hornbills, gibbons, vipers and porcupines.

You’ll need your own set of wheels to visit or to book a tour. If you’re short on time, you can easily do a day tour from Bangkok.

It’s worth taking the train out to the area (Pak Chong is nearest station) and spending a few nights. I highly recommend booking tours and accommodation through Greenleaf Guesthouse & Tour. (The website looks like it’s from 1995, but it’s legit.) For more details, check out

my guide to Khao Yai National Park.

 Where to go in Southern Thailand 

The trickiest part of visiting Thailand’s beaches is deciding between the Andaman Coast or the Gulf Islands. The gulf islands of Ko Tao, Ko Samui and Ko Pha-Ngan are close together, while the islands on the Andaman coast are scattered. Both have white sandy beaches and clear water, but the Andaman Coast is known for towering limestone cliffs. (The water is clearer on the gulf side but there’s sea life on the west coast.)

To be brutally honest, I’m not the biggest fan of the Thai beaches and islands—I’ve been to them all—because they are all built-up tourist attractions that don’t feel like Thailand. (The only ones I like are the Similian Islands and Khao Lak.) Avoid the rainy season because beaches will be filled with trash and debris, including plastic. This is an issue on most beaches in Southeast Asia. 

 Thailand’s Gulf Coast Islands

Ko Tao

Ko Samui

ferry ticket

Ko Pha-Ngan

Ko Samet

How to get to Ko Samui, Ko Tao and Ko Pha-Ngan

You can fly to Ko Samui from Bangkok easily or other cities internationally. (The airport is privately owned by Bangkok Airways and is one of the coolest airports I’ve ever visited.) Then, it’s easy to take a ferry to the other islands.

The cheapest way to get there is a bus/ferry combination from Bangkok’s southern bus terminal. You can also take the train/bus/ferry combination from Bangkok, but the bus/ferry option is much easier from my experience.

To get here from Krabi, you’ll need to take a van/ferry combo. Both 12Go.asia and Klook sell easy transport packages for all island destinations.  

Thailand’s West Coast Islands on the Andaman Sea

Long-tail boats docked on the sandy shores of Ko Phi-Phi Don in Southern Thailand’s Andaman Sea.

Krabi

Krabi Town is a key transport hub nestled between towering limestone karsts. Ao Naug and Railay are the nicest beaches nearby. While the town of Ao Naug isn’t the nicest, it’s a great place to grab a boat over to Railay, a tiny picturesque white sandy beach village accessible only by sea.

Phuket

Phuket is the celebrity of Thai islands and the largest island in the country. It’s a sprawling 30 miles long, which means you must decide exactly what part of the island to book accommodation. Transport between the main town and other beaches is pricey. It’s a big luxury destination filled with swanky resorts. I recently stayed at the J.W. Marriott for work, which was nice but more geared to families.

Phuket just doesn’t feel like Thailand, so I’m not a fan. It is worth a stroll through Phuket town to see the historic architecture. Phuket, like Krabi, is a good transport hub to other islands.

Khao Lak

Khao Lak is a small town with a nice beach an hour north of Phuket. Over the past few years, I spent several weeks there volunteering with an NGO, the Foundation for Education and Development. It’s a great location for day trips to the Similan and Surin Islands, Khao Sok and Khao Lak/Lam Ru National Parks. Klook offers day trips to most surrounding islands with free pickup.

The Similan Islands

The Similan Islands Marine National Park is home to the most beautiful beaches in Southeast Asia and one of the prime diving and snorkeling spots. (Ko Bon and Ko Tachai are the best snorkeling and diving areas since they are unaffected by coral bleaching.) Overnight stays were banned in 2018. (Divers can stay on a live-aboard.)

The islands are closed annually from May 15 – October 15th each year for environmental rehabilitation. (Koh Tachai, one of the park’s most beautiful islands, is rumored to reopen soon after nine years of restoration to combat over tourism.) Consider a diving trip or a day snorkeling trip from Phuket and Khao Lak. (I booked day trips to the Similan Islands through Klook, which offer pickups in Phuket, Khao Lak and Krabi.)

Khao Sok National Park is an easy day from Khao Lak but worth staying for a night or two! 

Khao Sok National Park 

Khao Sok National Park is one of Thailand’s hidden gems. The park centers around an inland, man-made lake, Chiaw Lan Lake, with some Ha Long Bay-esque scenery of towering limestone formations surrounded by some of the world’s oldest evergreen rainforest dating back 160 million years.Go for a jungle trek to see one of the 300 species of birds, a cave tour or a dip in the calm lake waters. Take a day trip from Surat Thani or Khao Lak or stay the night in a fancy lodge or one of the floating raft houses. If you only have time for a day trip, consider booking through

Klook, which I use for

day trips.

Ko Phi-Phi Islands 

Ko Phi-Phi Don is a backpacker island accessible by ferry from Phuket or Krabi. I was disappointed by the trash on the beaches but loved the nightly fire shows. Its nearby sister island, the uninhabited Ko Phi-Phi Leh, is a gorgeous national park island. You’ll probably recognize the soaring limestone cliffs jutting out of crystal-clear waters from the movie “The Beach” that was filmed there.  It’s a popular day trip with great snorkeling opportunities. Klook offers great day-trip rates from Ko Phi-Phi Don, Krabi and Phuket.

How to get to Phuket and Krabi on Thailand’s West Coast

Phuket is the largest airport with international flights, and Krabi is usually the cheaper option from Bangkok. Phuket is also easily accessible via overnight bus from Bangkok. There is an endless number of ferries between all the islands. Just plan to arrive early to catch a same-day ferry.

Check out my Thailand Travel Tips post for when to visit, transport, eSIMs and banking!