Welcome to Thailand! Bangkok is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, but there are so many more places to travel in Thailand, including beautiful islands, thriving cities and relaxing rural towns.
The first time we visited Thailand we spent our full 30 day visa allowance exploring the country from top to bottom. A few years later we decided we wanted to live in Bangkok for a month, so we used up our entire visa allowance in the capital. We love the food, the chaotic cities and the calm relaxing islands with golden sandy beaches.
- Capital City: Bangkok
- Population: About 72 million
- Language: Thai
- Currency: Baht ($1 USD = ~37 Thai Baht)
- Time Zone: Indochina Time (UTC +7)
Top Places To Visit In Thailand
Bangkok – Thailand’s loud, vibrant and sprawling capital city is a real eye opener. Your senses of sight, sound and smell are going to be heightened every time you step onto the streets. It’s a fantastic tourist city because it has lots of attractions, great food and a solid transit system. Best of all, it’s affordable.
Chiang Mai – The northern city of Chiang Mai is one of the world’s most popular digital nomad destinations. It’s surrounded by national parks and mountains, it has a walkable Old City with walls and moats, there’s tons of temples to discover and it has a very chilled vibe.
Chiang Rai – Heading even further north (almost to the borders with Myanmar and Laos) is Chiang Rai, another mountainous and affordable city that’s popular with nomads. The long, hot and winding drive to reach Chiang Mai from Chiang Rai is one of the worst we’ve ever done, but it’s a fantastic place to explore once you’re there.
Krabi – Let’s head south now to the coastal city of Krabi, which has a nice balance between size, chaos, comfort and cost. Tourism here is mostly centered around Ao Nang Beach and Railay Beach, and it’s one of the more relaxing places you’ll visit in Thailand.
Phuket – The large island of Phuket is extremely popular for a wide range of visitors. You’ll find endless low budget hostels but also lots of 5 star luxury resort hotels, so there’s a real mix of people. It’s not our favorite part of Thailand, but it is where you’ll take a boat to see the famous Phi Phi Islands from the movie “The Beach”.
Thai Islands – Now we’re talking. For us, islands like Ko Lanta, Ko Muk, Ko Lipe, Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Ko Tao are what makes Thailand so unique and desirable. You’ll find golden sandy beaches, clear waters and an easy going atmosphere to boot.
Travel Guides
We’ve got lots of great Thailand travel guides to come from across the country, but here’s what we’ve written so far:
Most Popular Tours In Thailand
How Many Days Do You Need In Thailand?
If you’re only planning to visit Bangkok, we recommend spending 2-4 days in the city on a first trip. You can then add an extra day if you want to see Ayutthaya on a day trip. Another popular way to do Thailand quickly is to spend a few days in Bangkok and then a few days on one of the islands like Koh Samui.
For longer trips to Thailand, we recommend you do Bangkok, Chiang Mai (also consider Chiang Rai but only if you have lots of time), Krabi or Phuket, Ko Lanta, then choose between the islands in the Gulf of Thailand or the Andaman Sea. You have a month on your visa, but you can do those places comfortably in 2-3 weeks.
Best Time To Visit
Thailand is an interesting country when it comes to weather. It’s always hot, mostly muggy and it rains a lot. March through June it’s the hot season, July through October is monsoon season and that leaves November through February as the most comfortable time of year to visit Thailand.
We lived in Bangkok for the full month of February in 2023 and the weather was mostly excellent. It was hot, humid and it occasionally rained, but that’s South East Asia for you. When we traveled all around Thailand in December 2018 the weather was mostly great, the only exception being lots of rain in Koh Samui and Ko Tao.
Note: This page contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.