Thailand Travel Guide

The time has finally come for us to write a Thailand travel guide! Typically, we try not to put out content on destinations that only one of us has been to. Alex visited Thailand about 4 years ago, but with a friend. Michael visited Ireland about 4 years ago but on a solo trip. As such, we hadn’t put out content on these destinations. However, after returning from a 2.5 week adventure all over the mainland of Thailand as well as all of our favorite Thailand Islands, it is finally time to provide y’all with a Thailand travel guide.

Timing seems incredibly fitting as we are both getting a plethora of messages, comments, and email inquiries asking tips and advice for traveling to Thailand.

Thailand Travel Guide

Where to go in Thailand

Thailand is a small enough country that one can visit just about every major area by access of plane, ferry, or car. The archipelago of islands make it a bit challenging to see EVERYTHING, but if you spend 2-3 weeks traveling around Thailand and don’t mind moving around every few days, you can definitely see the whole of the country. We chose our destinations based on both what we wanted to experience as well as which locations were in relative proximity to one another.

Cities and islands to visit in Thailand (in no particular order):

Bangkok

Chiang Mai

Phuket

Koh Phi Phi

Krabi

Koh Samui

Chiang Dao

Koh Tao

Koh Phangan

Where to stay in Thailand

Thailand has affordable accommodation in just about every city. Some places are obviously more expensive than others, but there is no reason you can’t find accommodation for $20-40/night. Although, just like any country of similar stature, the range of accommodation options is vast. You can find hostels on some of the most gorgeous islands for $5-10/night, but you can also find resorts for $1200/night. As each person travels with a different budget, we will suggest that those of you looking to have a more luxurious experience look into the following hotels and resorts we are suggesting, while those of you looking to enjoy a more budget friendly trip leverage Airbnb or some of the more affordable options on Hotels.com and Booking.com

Chiang Mai

Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai

Four Seasons Chiang Mai

Kok Samui

Four Seasons Koh Samui

Bangkok

Peninsula Bangkok

W Bangkok

Top things to do in Thailand

As might be quite evident by now, there are tons of places to see in Thailand, with even more things to do. We will break down our suggested activities by city/island/region.

Things to do in Bangkok

River cruise

Visit temples and historical sites (Wat Arung, Grand Palace, Wat Phra, Golden Buddha, Wat Saket)

Enjoy time by the pool at your hotel

Rooftop bars, clubs, etc.

Treat yourself to a nice Thai massage

Things to do in Chiang Mai

Elephant Nature Park

Chiang Mai night market

Spend time by your pool at your resort

Treat yourself to a nice Thai massage

Visit the countryside/mountain

Take a Muay Thai class

White water rafting

Things to do in Koh Phi Phi

Climb to the “Viewpoint”

Hire a private boat and visit Maya Beach (1500 THB for 3 hours)

Snorkel

Dive

Get a tattoo (lol there are literally about a million shops on the tiny island)

Hike over to Long Beach

Stay in shape at Banyon Gym (arguably one of the nicest gyms we have ever used with an incredible view)

Treat yourself to a Thai massage

Things to do in Krabi

Hire a boat and visit Railay Beach

Rock climb

Treat yourself to a Thai massage (are you seeing a trend here? You can get Thai massages everywhere you go for about $10)

Stay in shape at Heroic Fitness Club

4 island tour

Where to eat in Thailand

Again, we will break this down by city/island/region. Our options in Koh Phi Phi were incredibly disappointing. We were there during the start of rainy season and seemingly all the good restaurants were closed.

Bangkok

Restaurant at the W Bangkok

Thiptara at Peninsula Hotel

Charm

Supanniga

Chiang Mai

Allegro at Dhara Dhevi

Le Grand Lanna at Dhara Dhevi

Terraces at Four Seasons Chiang Mai

Rim Tai at Four Seasons Chiang Mai

Koh Phi Phi

Again, options were incredibly limited as most places were closed. Our only suggestion is Unni.

Koh Samui

CocoRum at Four Seasons Koh Samui

Pla Pla at Four Seasons Koh Samui

Krabi

A-One

Carnivore

Lae Lay

***Thailand is a generally safe place. However, if you are susceptible to traveler’s sickness or want to mitigate any issue with broken or stolen property, check out travel insurance rates from our friends at World Nomads. They provide the most comprehensive travel insurance offering in the world. They offer packages that will literally cover your camera if you drop it and break it or if it is stolen. Most importantly, check with your healthcare provider in your home country to see if your insurance works internationally, more specifically, in Thailand. IF not, you might want to take on extra coverage.***