The Best Places in Thailand – Part I
📋 Key takeaways: My top must-sees in Thailand: Bangkok (Grand Palace, Wat Pho), Chiang Mai (temples, ethical elephant sanctuaries), Southern islands (Krabi, Phi Phi, Koh Lanta), Ayutthaya (former UNESCO capital), Sukhothai (historical park), and Koh Tao for diving. Plan 3 weeks for Bangkok + North + South. Budget 30-50 €/day. Dry season November-April.
My selection of the best places in Thailand
Things to do in Thailand in 10 suggestions! Having lived 3 months in Thailand, I tried many activities and I will list the best in 10 points:– 1 to 3 day trekking,
With elephant back rides, bamboo raft rafting along a river, hiking in a mountain and visiting a small village (Karen, Burmese, Thai)!
My personal impressions on elephant back: The hair is very prickly, it doesn’t look that comfortable! You are rocked from side to side but it remains quite stable and safe! Have you seen its contraption :D.
Some Thais mistreat elephants, that was not the case on the tour I took but according to other travelers I met, the breeders make their lives hard! Don’t give them a penny to show your disgust!
Personally, I bought bananas for them and they seemed to like that :D.
– Temple visits in Bangkok
Other alternatives are possible such as “Ayutthaya” the former capital of “Siam” or “Sukhothai” less touristic and the first capital of Siam, former palaces of the Thai sovereign dynasty. If you like visiting temples, the architecture is often composed of gilding, shiny elements, symbols of wealth. You will see Buddhas everywhere!
🌍 Did you know?
Thailand welcomes 40 million tourists per year (record in 2019), making it one of the most visited destinations in the world. Bangkok is even the most visited city in the world ahead of Paris and London. As a result: some iconic islands (Phi Phi, Maya Bay) had to close for 3 years for ecological restoration.
– Go to the Full moon party,
The full moon party, the authentic event happens once a month at Koh Phangan on Haad Rin beach, located on the south of the island. The average age of participants must be 25 years, 90% of people are between 18 and 30! Imagine a beach full of travelers dancing and drinking all night, there are up to 15,000 people in high season!
🗣️ My experience: My favorite remains Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai. Ethical sanctuary (no riding, no shows, just observation and care). Expect €65 for the full day, meals included, free pickup transport from Chiang Mai. Much better than traditional camps that mistreat the animals. Book 1-2 weeks in advance, it remains popular.
During this event, most people paint their bodies with fluorescent paint and wear the FULL MOON t-shirt in Yellow, Pink, Green, in very flashy colors!!
In Thailand, people drink from buckets of alcohol, the cheapest ranges from 100 baht to 500 baht! Great memory!
– Diving or Snorkeling in Koh Tao,
This island is known as the diving island, it has about twenty diving training centers, offering the cheapest prices in Asia. If you take lessons, accommodation is offered during your training. You can train for PADI, the most recognized diploma, and SCII. Many travelers train in Koh Tao to then go diving across Asia! Be careful, avoid Koh Tao in the days following the Full Moon Party, as many people go there after partying in Koh Phangan unless you are doing diving training, in which case you will automatically have a bungalow reserved!
🍀 Thailand
- Unbeatable prices (€30-50/day)
- Mature tourist infrastructure
- Exceptional street food
- Overall high safety
🔻 Limits
- Over-tourism on iconic islands
- Frequent small tourist scams
- Polluted Bangkok (smog)
- Intense monsoon June-October in the south
Koh Tao has beautiful and translucent beaches which are a very pleasant place for Snorkelling! Nothing to envy from Australia
| Step | Specialty | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bangkok | Grand Palace, floating markets | 3-4 days |
| Chiang Mai (North) | Temples, ethical elephant sanctuaries | 3-4 days |
| Chiang Rai | Wat Rong Khun (white temple) | 1-2 days |
| Ayutthaya | Former UNESCO capital | 1 day (from BKK) |
| Koh Phi Phi / Krabi | Mythical beaches, climbing | 3-4 days |
| Koh Lanta | Quieter, for couples | 3-4 days |
| Koh Tao | International level diving | 3-4 days (with PADI) |
– Getting a massage,
Several types of massage exist: regular Thai massage or with oil, Swedish massage, etc…
⚠️ Classic trap
Renting a scooter without an A license and without insurance. On the islands, you will be tempted because the rental companies ask for nothing. In case of an accident (very frequent), your insurance refuses. A fracture can cost €5,000-15,000 at the Phuket hospital. Advice: A license A is mandatory + scooter option on your travel insurance before leaving.
The place where you find the cheapest massages is in the north (Chiang Mai), you can find massage salons all over Thailand for 150 baht per hour in the North while on the islands in the south, we have the same service for 300 baht.
I saw my first massage session in Thailand and the Thai massage is unforgettable, you have a masseuse who climbs on you to unblock your arteries, blood circulation and to decompress you, she massages and taps you all over more or less forcefully, at first it hurts but you come out lighter and better! MUST TRY!!! You cannot go to Thailand and miss this experience!
For Bangkok in detail, what to do in Bangkok covers the capital. The Thailand budget gives precise orders of magnitude. And Chapka insurance remains essential for risky activities (diving, scooter).
Find the best places in Thailand part 2
