Practical guide
The 15 Best Places to Visit in Thailand, Ranked
Bangkok, Chiang Mai and one coast first, then the ruined capitals, the rainforest and the far islands.
The best places to visit in Thailand are Bangkok, Chiang Mai and one stretch of coast, and for a first trip I'd make that coast Krabi and Railay from November to April or Koh Samui from February to September. Those three stops cover the temples, the food, the mountains and the beach, and every leg between them is a flight of about an hour. After them the list opens up. Ayutthaya and Kanchanaburi are short trips from Bangkok, Chiang Rai and Pai lie beyond Chiang Mai, Khao Sok's rainforest sits between the two coasts, and the islands run from busy Koh Phi Phi to faraway Koh Lipe.
I lived in Bangkok for three to four years, and I've ranked the fifteen places below by how much each one gives you for the days and the travel it costs. Each has what to see, how to get there, when to go and where to sleep.
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Key Facts
Bangkok, Chiang Mai and one coast make the classic first trip
Plan three or four days in Bangkok, three or four in Chiang Mai and four to six on a southern beach or island. Ten to fourteen days covers all three without rushing.
The two coasts have opposite seasons
The Andaman side, which is Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi, Lanta and Lipe, is driest from December to April. The Gulf islands of Samui, Phangan and Tao are driest from February to September, so there's a dry beach in every month.
November to February suits the whole country
It's the cool, dry season in Bangkok, in the north and on the Andaman coast. It's also the busiest time of year, so book beach hotels two to three months ahead.
The north is smoky from mid-February to April
Smoke from crop fires settles over Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Pai in those months. Go north between November and January, and give the days to a beach if your dates fall in March.
Most legs are a one-hour flight
Domestic flights cost about ฿900–2,500 and take about an hour, and Koh Samui costs more at ฿2,800–6,800 on Bangkok Airways. Phuket and Koh Samui are the only islands with airports, so every other island means a ferry.
The famous sights sit in a handful of places
The Grand Palace and Wat Pho are in Bangkok, Doi Suthep is above Chiang Mai and the White Temple is in Chiang Rai. The ruined capitals are Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, and Maya Bay is on Koh Phi Phi.
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The 15 Best Places to Visit in Thailand
Ranked for a whole trip, by how much each place gives you for the days and the travel it costs. That's a different test from the Best Islands in Thailand ranking, which judges each island on its own, so Phuket and Koh Samui sit higher here because they have airports and enough to fill a week. I lived in Bangkok, and I've been to Railay, Patong and Lanta Old Town. For the places I haven't visited, the facts come from our own guides and records.
1. Bangkok, Central Thailand
Best cityBangkok is where most trips start, and it's the place on this list I'd cut last. The Grand Palace opens at 08:30 and costs ฿500, Wat Pho next door is ฿300, and a ฿5 ferry crosses the river to Wat Arun, which is ฿200. After dark, Chinatown's Yaowarat Road fills with food stalls from about 18:00, and on weekends Chatuchak Market sets out 15,000 stalls.
I lived here for three to four years, around Rama 9 and Huai Khwang and later in Lak Song, and the advice I'd give any visitor is to sleep within a walk of a BTS or MRT station and to leave extra time for evening traffic. Three days covers the main sights. With a fourth, go to Talat Noi for its cafés, riverside and street art, or cycle around Bang Krachao, both of which I've done. The Things to Do in Bangkok guide has the full list.
- Getting there
- International flights mostly land at Suvarnabhumi, and the Airport Rail Link runs from there into the city.
- When to go
- November to February is coolest, and it works in any month.
2. Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand
Best for temples, food and mountainsChiang Mai is the capital of the north, an old moated city with mountains at its edge. Doi Suthep, the hilltop temple above town, opens at 06:00 and costs ฿30, and Wat Chedi Luang in the old city is ฿40. The Sunday Walking Street closes the old city's main road from 16:00 to about 22:30.
The days out are the reason to stay longer. An elephant sanctuary visit costs ฿1,600–2,500, a cooking class ฿1,000–1,500, and a bowl of khao soi, which is probably my favorite northern dish, ฿50–80. Give it three or four days, and add two more if you want Chiang Rai or Pai.
- Getting there
- A flight from Bangkok costs ฿900–1,500. The overnight sleeper, train 9, leaves at 18:40 and arrives at 07:15 for ฿941–1,041.
- When to go
- November to January. Mid-February to April is the smoky season.
3. Krabi and Railay, Andaman coast
Best beachesKrabi is a province of limestone cliffs, islands and beaches, and Railay is the best of it, a peninsula cut off by cliffs that you reach by a ฿100 longtail from Ao Nang in 10 to 15 minutes. It has four beaches, and Phra Nang tops our ranking of the best beaches in Thailand. I proposed to my wife on Phra Nang Beach in 2023, so I'm not neutral about it. The whole area is scenic and peaceful at the right times, and the right time is the morning, because Phra Nang is crowded from 11:00 to 15:00.
Base yourself in Ao Nang for the choice of hotels and boats, or on Railay itself for the evenings. The Four Islands trip costs ฿750–1,200 plus a ฿200 park fee, the Hong Islands ฿1,200–1,400 plus ฿300, and the Tiger Cave Temple is a climb of 1,260 steps. Give it four nights, two of them on Railay if the budget stretches. The Phuket vs Krabi comparison helps if you're choosing between the two.
- Getting there
- Fly to Krabi airport and transfer to Ao Nang. Longtails to Railay run from 08:00 to 18:00.
- When to go
- November to April.
4. Phuket, Andaman coast
Easiest beach basePhuket is Thailand's biggest island and the easiest beach to reach, with direct international flights, more hotel choice than the rest of the islands combined and a beach for every taste. Stay in Kata or Nai Harn for a calmer base, or in Patong for the nightlife. I've been to Bangla Road and Patong at night, and it's a little chaotic and busy but fun, though my own taste runs to more relaxed places where locals go.
A speedboat day to Phi Phi costs ฿2,500–3,000 plus a ฿400 park fee, and Phang Nga Bay fills another day. On Sundays the Old Town's Lard Yai market runs from 16:00 to 22:00, and Promthep Cape is the island's sunset point. Give Phuket four or five days, and stay out of the water when the red flags are up.
- Getting there
- Direct flights land at Phuket airport from Bangkok and from abroad.
- When to go
- November to April.
5. Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, Gulf of Thailand
Best for a summer tripThe three Gulf islands are the answer when the Andaman coast is wet, because their dry season runs from February to September. Koh Samui has the airport, the resorts and the calm beaches. The Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem are free, Fisherman's Village in Bophut holds its Walking Street on Friday evenings, and a boat day in Ang Thong Marine Park costs ฿1,200–2,500 plus a ฿300 park fee. The marine park closes from 1 November to 15 December.
Koh Phangan is a ferry of 20 to 50 minutes away for ฿200–500, with the Full Moon Party at Haad Rin and quieter beaches around the rest of the island. Koh Tao is about two hours from Samui and has the cheapest diving in Thailand, with an Open Water course at ฿11,000–12,500. Samui alone is worth a week.
- Getting there
- Fly to Koh Samui on Bangkok Airways, or fly to Surat Thani and take the ferry.
- When to go
- February to September. The rain comes from October to December.
6. Ayutthaya, An hour north of Bangkok
Best day trip from BangkokAyutthaya was the capital of Siam from 1351 until the Burmese army destroyed it in 1767, and its ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old city sits on an island where three rivers meet, and the sight everyone photographs is the stone Buddha head held in the roots of a fig tree at Wat Mahathat. The big temples cost ฿80 each or ฿300 for seven, and a bicycle to ride between them is ฿50–100 a day.
A day trip covers the five or six big temples. One night is better, because you get the sunset at Wat Chaiwatthanaram and the temples before the tour buses arrive. Cover your shoulders and knees.
- Getting there
- Trains leave Bangkok's Krung Thep Aphiwat station through the day, take about an hour and cost about ฿20.
- When to go
- November to February, early in the day.
7. Chiang Rai, Far north
Best add-on to Chiang MaiChiang Rai is the small city north of Chiang Mai with three of the strangest buildings in the country. The White Temple, Wat Rong Khun, costs ฿200 and opens from 08:00 to about 17:30. The Blue Temple is free and open from 07:00 to 20:00, and Baan Dam, the Black House, is ฿80.
Many people see the White Temple on a day trip from Chiang Mai, which means about seven hours on the road. Two nights in Chiang Rai covers all three sights at an easy pace, and a third adds the Golden Triangle and Doi Tung.
- Getting there
- The Green Bus from Chiang Mai takes about 3.5 hours and costs ฿260–400.
- When to go
- November to February. March is smoky.
8. Khao Sok National Park, Between the two coasts
Best for natureKhao Sok is 739 km² of rainforest and limestone in the middle of the southern peninsula. Its centerpiece is Cheow Lan Lake, a reservoir made by a dam in 1987, and you can sleep on the water in floating bungalows, with a two-day, one-night trip from about ฿2,500. The lake costs ฿300 to enter plus ฿40 at the pier, and the trails by the park headquarters about ฿200.
It also fits a route better than any other park. Khao Sok is about an hour from Khao Lak, 1.5 hours from Surat Thani, 2 to 2.5 from Krabi and 2.5 to 3 from Phuket, so it breaks the trip between the Andaman coast and the Samui ferries. Give it two or three nights, one of them on the lake.
- Getting there
- By minivan from Phuket, Krabi, Khao Lak or Surat Thani.
- When to go
- December to April. September is the wettest month.
9. Koh Phi Phi, Andaman Sea, between Phuket and Krabi
Most dramatic islandPhi Phi is the island on the postcards, with limestone cliffs, no cars and Maya Bay a short boat ride away. Maya Bay opens at 07:00, swimming there is banned with a ฿5,000 fine, and the bay closes from 1 August to 30 September. The park fee is ฿400, and a shared boat around the islands costs ฿1,200–1,500.
Stay two nights, climb to the viewpoint for ฿50, and take a boat out early. Sleep in the village or on Loh Dalum if you want the bars, and on Long Beach if you want quiet. Prices run 25 to 40 percent above the mainland.
- Getting there
- Ferries from Phuket and Krabi take about two hours and cost ฿490–700.
- When to go
- December to March.
10. Koh Lanta, Andaman coast, south of Krabi
Best for families and slow daysKoh Lanta is a long, quiet island, 30 km from end to end, with a run of west-facing beaches. Khlong Dao and Long Beach in the north are the easy bases, and the south, from Kantiang down, is quieter and prettier. There's no Grab on the island.
The boat days are the 4 Islands trip for about ฿1,000 and Koh Rok for about ฿1,800. I've been to Lanta Old Town, and it's the half day I'd add to any beach stay on the island. Give Lanta five nights.
- Getting there
- A van from Krabi airport takes 2 to 3 hours and costs ฿400–540.
- When to go
- November to April.
11. Kanchanaburi, West of Bangkok
Best for history and waterfallsKanchanaburi is a river town 130 km west of Bangkok, and people come for two things. The first is the Death Railway. The Bridge on the River Kwai is free to walk, the War Cemetery is free, the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre costs ฿160, and Hellfire Pass, 80 km farther on, is free and open from 09:00 to 16:00.
The second is Erawan Falls, seven tiers of pools in a national park. Entry is ฿300, the gates open at 08:00 and the last entry is at 15:30. Stay two or three nights to see both.
- Getting there
- Trains leave Bangkok's Thon Buri station at 07:45 and 13:55, take about 2¾ hours and cost ฿100.
- When to go
- November to February.
12. Sukhothai, Lower north
Best ruins by bicycleSukhothai was the capital of a Thai kingdom founded in 1238, and its old city has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. About 200 ruins are spread across five zones, and you see them by bicycle for ฿50 a day. Each zone costs ฿100, plus ฿10 for the bike. Wat Mahathat is the centerpiece, and Wat Si Chum holds a seated Buddha 15 m tall.
It's much harder to reach than Ayutthaya, so it suits a trip that's already heading north. Stay in the old city, which is 12 km west of the new town, and use a second day for Si Satchanalai, 55 km north. The Ayutthaya vs Sukhothai comparison sets the two side by side.
- Getting there
- Buses from Bangkok's Mo Chit terminal take about 7 hours and cost ฿365–460, and Bangkok Airways flies in 1 hour 20 minutes. The bus from Chiang Mai takes 5.5 to 6 hours.
- When to go
- November to February.
13. Koh Lipe, Far south, near Malaysia
Clearest waterKoh Lipe is a small island in Satun province, at the far southern end of the Andaman coast and inside Tarutao National Marine Park. The water is the reason to come, and shared longtail trips to the reefs around the neighboring islands cost about ฿600–800. Its three main beaches are within a 20-minute walk of each other, and visitors can't rent scooters, so you walk.
It's a long way from anywhere and expensive for Thailand, about ฿1,600 a day on a budget and ฿4,500 mid-range, plus a ฿200 park fee on arrival. Go if you have four nights to give it and the trip is mostly about the sea.
- Getting there
- About four hours from Hat Yai airport by van and speedboat.
- When to go
- November to April. At least half the island closes from May to October.
14. Pai, Mountains northwest of Chiang Mai
Best mountain townPai is a small town in a mountain valley, 3.5 to 4 hours from Chiang Mai on a road with 762 curves. People come for a few slow days of viewpoints, waterfalls and hot springs. Pai Canyon is free, the Yun Lai viewpoint is ฿20 and the hot spring about ฿300.
Scooters rent for ฿150–200 a day, and many visitors crash them, so hire a driver or join a tour if you've never ridden one. Give Pai three or four nights, and take the motion-sickness pills before the van.
- Getting there
- Vans from Chiang Mai's Arcade bus station cost ฿150–220. There are no flights.
- When to go
- November to February.
15. Koh Chang and Koh Kood, Eastern Gulf, near Cambodia
Best quiet islands in the eastKoh Chang is Thailand's third-largest island, 217 km² of jungle with a line of beaches down its west coast, from White Sand Beach through Klong Prao and Kai Bae to Lonely Beach and Bang Bao. Give it at least three nights.
Koh Kood, farther south, is quieter still, a jungle island of calm, clear bays with no public transport and very little nightlife. Bring cash and plan on four nights. Both islands suit a second trip, or a first one that wants a beach without flying south.
- Getting there
- Koh Chang is 5 to 6 hours from Bangkok by bus plus a 30-minute ferry, or a flight to Trat. Koh Kood is about 7 hours from Bangkok by bus and boat.
- When to go
- November to April.
Thailand's Famous Sights and Where to Find Them
| Sight | Where | Entry |
|---|---|---|
| The Grand Palace | Bangkok | ฿500 |
| Wat Pho and Wat Arun | Bangkok | ฿300 and ฿200 |
| Chatuchak Weekend Market | Bangkok | Free |
| Doi Suthep | Chiang Mai | ฿30 |
| The White Temple | Chiang Rai | ฿200 |
| Ayutthaya's temples | Ayutthaya | ฿80 each, ฿300 for seven |
| Sukhothai Historical Park | Sukhothai | ฿100 a zone |
| Railay and Phra Nang Beach | Krabi | Free, ฿100 by longtail |
| Maya Bay | Koh Phi Phi | ฿400 park fee |
| Cheow Lan Lake | Khao Sok | ฿300 |
| Erawan Falls | Kanchanaburi | ฿300 |
| The Bridge on the River Kwai | Kanchanaburi | Free |
| Ang Thong Marine Park | By boat from Koh Samui | ฿300 plus the boat |
| The Similan Islands | By boat from Khao Lak | ฿500 plus the boat |
| Khao Yai National Park | Three hours from Bangkok | ฿400 |
Which Place Suits Your Trip
| If you want | Go to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A first trip with a bit of everything | Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Krabi | A city, the north and the best beaches, an hour apart by air |
| A beach with the least effort | Phuket | Direct international flights and the widest choice of hotels |
| A beach in June, July or August | Koh Samui, Koh Phangan or Koh Tao | The Gulf islands are in their dry season |
| The best scenery | Railay, Koh Phi Phi and Cheow Lan Lake | Limestone cliffs over clear water |
| Temples and history | Ayutthaya, Sukhothai and Chiang Rai | Two ruined capitals and the White Temple |
| A family beach | Koh Lanta, or Koh Samui | Calm, shallow water and an easy pace |
| A honeymoon | Railay, or Koh Lipe | Quiet and beautiful, with no party scene |
| Rainforest and wildlife | Khao Sok, or Khao Yai | A night on the lake, or wild elephants by the road |
| To learn to dive | Koh Tao | An Open Water course costs ฿11,000–12,500 |
| Nightlife | Bangkok, Patong or Koh Phangan | Rooftops and clubs, Bangla Road, the Full Moon Party |
| Somewhere few tourists go | Isan, or Koh Kood | Khmer temples and quiet bays |
| A beach near Bangkok | Hua Hin, or Koh Samet | Three hours by train, or 3.5 to 5 hours by bus and boat |
More Places Worth a Detour
Six more places come up in most plans. Each one is right for a certain kind of trip.
Khao Yai National Park
Thailand's first national park, opened in 1962, is 2,166 km² of forest and grassland about three hours northeast of Bangkok. It's the easiest place in the country to see wild animals without a guide, with elephants on the main road and hornbills over the visitor center. Entry is ฿400, and two nights around Pak Chong covers it. The Khao Yai National Park guide lists what's open.
Hua Hin
The country's oldest beach resort is about three hours south of Bangkok by train, with a 7 km beach, some of the best night markets in Thailand and a relaxed, grown-up feel. It's the beach I'd pick for a short family trip from Bangkok between November and April. Phraya Nakhon Cave is the best day trip.
Khao Lak and the Similan Islands
Khao Lak is a quiet string of beach villages 75 to 80 km north of Phuket airport, and the base for the Similan Islands, eleven granite islands with the clearest water in Thailand. The park is open from 15 October to 15 May, and a day trip from Khao Lak costs about ฿3,700–4,200 including the ฿500 park fee.
Isan
The northeast is the least-visited part of Thailand, 20 provinces with their own food, music and festivals and the country's finest Khmer temples at Phimai and Phanom Rung. Flights from Bangkok take about an hour. Read the Isan travel guide first, because it covers the border areas to avoid.
Koh Samet
Koh Samet is the closest real beach island to Bangkok, 3.5 to 5 hours away by bus and boat, with fine white sand and one of the driest climates of any Thai island. It fills up on Thai weekends and holidays, so go midweek and stay two nights.
Arriving in Bangkok
Top-Ranked Hotels in Bangkok
The top of my ranked list of the 10 best hotels in Bangkok. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com with your dates filled in.
#2Shangri-La Bangkok4.6 (11,460 reviews)
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How to Combine Them
With one week, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and one beach is possible because every leg is a one-hour flight, but two places make the calmer trip. Bangkok and Chiang Mai is the city and culture week, and Bangkok plus Krabi or Phuket is the city and beach week.
With ten days to two weeks, do the classic route. Spend three or four days in Bangkok with a day in Ayutthaya, three or four in Chiang Mai, then four to six on the coast that's in season. From November to April that's Krabi, Phuket, Phi Phi or Lanta, which link by ferry. From May to September it's Samui, Phangan and Tao.
With three weeks or more, add the places in between. Kanchanaburi fits before or after Bangkok, Sukhothai breaks the trip north, Chiang Rai and Pai extend Chiang Mai, and Khao Sok sits on the road between the Andaman coast and the Samui ferries. Keep to one coast per trip if you can, because crossing between them takes most of a day.
The Thailand Itinerary guide has day-by-day routes for 7, 10 and 14 days.
When to Go Where
November to February is the best time for most of this list, cool and dry in Bangkok and the north and calm on the Andaman coast. December and January are the most reliable months and also the busiest and most expensive.
From March to May the country is hot and the north is smoky, so make it a beach trip. Both coasts are usually dry from February to April, which makes those the months to see Krabi and Samui on one trip.
From June to September the Andaman coast gets the southwest monsoon while the Gulf islands are in their dry season, so Samui, Phangan and Tao are the beach picks. The Gulf's rain comes from October to December, with November the wettest month, and by then the Andaman coast is clearing. The Best Time to Visit Thailand guide rates every month for each kind of trip.
Plan the trip
Guides to the places on this list
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about The 15 Best Places to Visit in Thailand, Ranked.
Bangkok, if you can only pick one. It has the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, the best food in the country and the flights to everywhere else. For a beach, I'd pick Krabi and Railay from November to April and Koh Samui from February to September.
Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi and Railay, Phuket and Koh Samui. The first three make the classic first trip, and Phuket or Samui can replace Krabi depending on the month.
Fly into Bangkok for three or four days, go north to Chiang Mai for three or four more, then finish on one southern beach. Pick Phuket or Krabi from November to April and Koh Samui from May to September.
Phra Nang Beach on Railay is my answer, and I proposed to my wife there in 2023. Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi and Cheow Lan Lake in Khao Sok are the two I'd put beside it.
The north is for temples, mountains, food and cool-season weather, and the south is for beaches and islands. A trip of ten days or more has room for both. With a week, choose the north from November to January and the south when the north is smoky, from mid-February to April.
Ten to fourteen days for a first trip, which covers Bangkok, Chiang Mai and one coast. One week is enough for two places, and three weeks adds stops like Kanchanaburi, Chiang Rai and Khao Sok.
November to February is the cool, dry season for most of the country, and December and January are the most reliable months. For Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao the best months are February to September.
Phuket is easier, with direct international flights, more hotels and more to do in bad weather. Krabi has the better scenery, with Railay, the Hong Islands and the Four Islands. Both are best from November to April, and the Phuket vs Krabi comparison goes through the differences.
Koh Phi Phi for scenery, Koh Lipe for the water, Koh Samui for comfort and direct flights, Koh Lanta for families and Koh Tao for diving. The Best Islands in Thailand guide ranks fourteen of them.
With two weeks or less I'd leave Pattaya out and save the far places, Koh Lipe, Sukhothai and Koh Kood, for a second trip. I'd also swap the Phi Phi day trip for two nights on the island.
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Written by
Mac Kiley
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled the country from there. The guides are my own opinions, written the way I'd explain them to a friend planning a trip.
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