Thailand fits a lot into one trip: gilded royal temples, river boats and street food in Bangkok, the ruined old capital at Ayutthaya, hill temples and Sunday markets in Chiang Mai, and limestone islands near Phuket. Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is an easy train or van ride north of Bangkok. Chiang Mai sits at the end of the northern railway, 751 km from Bangkok, and Phuket lies 690 km to the south, with flights from Bangkok to both.
This page starts with our ranked picks for a first trip, best first, each with a practical tip on timing, dress or booking. Below them you will find every sight we cover in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket, city by city, with checked entry fees where we have them, then common questions.
The 17 best things to do in Thailand
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- 1Bangkok
Tour the Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha
When King Rama I moved the capital to the left bank of the Chao Phraya River in 1782, he built the Grand Palace, and it served as the residence of Kings Rama I to Rama V. Its grounds cover 218,000 square meters behind crenellated walls. Inside sits the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Phra Kaew, the Chapel Royal, where no monks live and where the Emerald Buddha wears a different costume for summer, the rainy season and winter. Today the palace hosts royal ceremonies and state guests. Plan at least half a day. The easiest way in is by orange-flag express boat to Tha Chang pier (N9), or from MRT Sanam Chai.
Tip: Ticket sales run from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, and online tickets can be bought up to a month ahead but can't be refunded or changed, so book once your date is firm and dress for the strict code: no sleeveless tops, shorts, short skirts or see-through clothes.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: The Grand Palace, Bureau of the Royal Household (official); The Grand Palace, Bureau of the Royal Household (official); The Bureau of the Royal Household; The Grand Palace, Bureau of the Royal Household (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)Entry: ฿500 (about $15) · Includes the Queen Sirikit Museum of TextilesLast verified
- 2Bangkok
See Wat Pho's Reclining Buddha, then get a massage
Wat Pho, officially Wat Phra Chetuphon, is a first-grade royal monastery next to the Grand Palace, restored from an older Ayutthaya-period temple by King Rama I from 1788. Its best-known image is the Reclining Buddha, 46 meters long and 15 meters high, made of brick and stucco, lacquered and gilded, with mother-of-pearl inlaid soles showing the 108 auspicious symbols. King Rama III also had 1,440 stone inscriptions made between 1831 and 1841, recording Thai knowledge of medicine, religion and much more. The temple is also home to a traditional medicine and massage school, opened in 1955, which offers Thai and foot massages on site. Express boats stop at Tha Tien pier (N8), just across the road.
Tip: Dress politely with trousers or a skirt rather than shorts, and leave time at the end of your visit for a massage from the temple's own school.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Wat Pho (official); Wat Pho (official); Wat Pho (official); Wat Pho (official); Wat Pho; Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)Entry: ฿300 (about $9)Last verified
- 3Bangkok
Admire the porcelain-covered prang of Wat Arun
Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, stands on the Thonburi bank of the Chao Phraya River, directly opposite Wat Pho. It dates from the Ayutthaya period, when it was called Wat Chaeng, and it became a royal temple when the capital moved to Thonburi; it once housed the Emerald Buddha brought from Vientiane. King Rama II renovated it, and under King Rama III work began on the great prang, 82 meters high, finished in the reign of King Rama IV. Up close, the white brick towers are covered in seashells, porcelain and Benjarong dishes, most of them from China, and two giant guardian statues stand at the entrance. It is an easy pairing with Wat Pho across the water.
Tip: Temple dress rules apply here too, so bring a layer to cover your shoulders and wear trousers or a long skirt, and visit on the same morning as Wat Pho, which faces it across the river.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)Entry: ฿[fee] - 4Chiang Mai
Ride up Doi Suthep to Chiang Mai's holiest temple
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is the most important temple in Chiang Mai, and locals like to say you haven't really been to the city until you've been there. It sits on Doi Suthep hill, 11 km from the city center. You climb a long staircase lined with seven-headed naga serpents, or ride the electric tram, to a terrace around a golden Chiang Saen-style chedi that enshrines Buddha relics, surrounded by Lanna-style halls and wide views over the city. Small buses run up from Chiang Mai University. It combines well with Wat Umong, a forest temple on the same side of town.
Tip: Go up late in the afternoon and stay for the lights: the view over Chiang Mai at night draws far fewer people than the daytime terrace.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)Entry: ฿[fee] - 5Ayutthaya
Cycle the temple ruins of Ayutthaya
Founded in 1350, Ayutthaya was the second Siamese capital and one of the world's largest, most cosmopolitan cities until the Burmese army burned it in 1767. Its island, ringed by the Chao Phraya, Pa Sak and Lopburi rivers, is now a UNESCO World Heritage site of tall prang towers and huge monasteries. Start at Wat Mahathat, built in 1374 and once the seat of the Supreme Patriarch, where a Buddha head sits wrapped in the roots of a banyan tree. Then ride on to Wat Ratchaburana's prang and the three chedis of Wat Phra Si Sanphet, which hold the ashes of Ayutthaya kings. Trains and vans run from Bangkok, and bicycle rental shops sit near Wat Mahathat.
Tip: Start early or cycle in the late afternoon to avoid the strongest sun, and pick up a map at the tourism office on Si Sanphet Road before you set off, since the island is large.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)This site: ฿80 (about $2) · Pass for seven park sites: ฿300 (about $9) · A pass covers seven sites in the parkLast verified
- 6Phang Nga Bay
Kayak among the limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay
Ao Phang Nga National Park, in Phang Nga province east of Phuket Island, frames about 40 islands, mangroves and limestone towers rising straight out of the sea. The bay is sheltered, which makes it ideal for exploring its caverns and islands by sea kayak. The best-known stop is Khao Phing Kan, a split peak whose smaller half leans toward the larger one at about 75 degrees, with stairs to a viewpoint. Just 40 meters away stands Ko Tapu, the needle of rock that appeared in the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. The usual way in is a one-day boat tour from Phuket or the Phang Nga piers, and many stop at the stilt village of Ko Panyi.
Tip: Plan this trip for December to April, the months without monsoon rain on this coast, and book a tour that includes kayaking if you want to paddle into the caves.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)Entry: ฿300 (about $9) · National park feeLast verified
- 7Bangkok
Eat your way down Yaowarat Road after dark
Yaowarat Road, the spine of Bangkok's Chinatown, is known as Dragon Street and is one of the city's great street food streets. By day the area is about wholesale shopping in the narrow Sampeng lanes. In the evening, the road fills with noodle stalls, seafood grills and dessert carts, some of them running for decades: peppery rolled noodle soup with crispy pork, wonton noodles, grilled prawns, toasted buns with sweet fillings and Chinese sweet soups. The best-known stalls open between about 4:30 and 7 PM and stay open late. Take the MRT to Wat Mangkon station, about five minutes' walk away, or an express boat to Ratchawong pier (N5).
Tip: Arrive hungry around 7 PM, when even the later stalls such as the toast stand are open, and share dishes so you can try several.
Sources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)Pay as you go - 8Chiang Mai
Temple-hop through Chiang Mai's old city
Chiang Mai's old city holds its most revered Lanna temples. Wat Chedi Luang, from the 14th century, is built around the city's largest chedi, about 98 meters tall when complete; an earthquake in 1545 brought much of it down, and what remains still dominates the grounds. A small pavilion near the entrance shelters the city pillar, first raised when King Mengrai founded Chiang Mai in 1296. Also in the old city, Wat Phra Sing, built in 1345, keeps Phra Phuttha Sihing, the north's most revered Buddha image, in the Wihan Lai Kham with fine woodcarving and northern murals. Both are open daily from 8 AM to 5 PM.
Tip: Walk between them in the morning, then come back after dark, when both temples are lit up and look very different, or visit during Songkran (April 13 to 15), when Phra Phuttha Sihing is carried through town.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)Entry: ฿[fee] - 9Phuket
Stroll the Sino-Portuguese shophouses of Phuket Old Town
Phuket Old Town grew rich on tin mining, and its compact grid of Thalang, Dibuk, Krabi, Phang Nga and Yaowarat roads and Soi Romanee is lined with Sino-Portuguese shophouses and mansions. Chinese, Indian, European and Muslim traders and settlers all left a mark, and you can taste it in the morning dim sum shops and Phuket-style khanom jeen rice noodles with curry. The Thai Hua Museum on Krabi Road, a 1934 Sino-Portuguese building that was once a Hokkien Chinese school, tells the story of the island's Chinese families. On Sunday evenings, Thalang Road becomes a walking street market. Allow half a day.
Tip: Start early in the morning with dim sum, before the heat builds, and come back on a Sunday evening for the walking street on Thalang Road.
Sources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)Free to visit - 10Bangkok
Browse 8,000 stalls at Chatuchak Weekend Market
Chatuchak, off Phahon Yothin Road beside Chatuchak Park, is one of the largest markets in Thailand and draws Thai shoppers and visitors alike. More than 8,000 stalls spread over 27 sections sell clothes, bags, ceramics, handicrafts, home decor, antiques, collectibles and rare old books, along with plenty of food and drink. It is also the city's largest plant and flower market, which opens midweek as well. The main market runs on Saturdays and Sundays. Take the BTS to Mo Chit or the MRT to Chatuchak Park, both exit 1, and plan to spend at least half a day.
Tip: Go as early as you can on Saturday or Sunday, since the lanes get very hot by midday, and note a section number or landmark as you go so you can find a stall again.
Sources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)Free to visit - 11Chiang Mai
Shop the Sunday Walking Street from Tha Phae Gate
Every Sunday from about 5 PM, Ratchadamnoen Road becomes a walking street market that runs from Tha Phae Gate into the heart of Chiang Mai's old city. Stalls sell handmade products and crafts, and the food is half the reason to come: queue for spicy mango salad with crispy fish and peanuts, crispy fried wontons from a pushcart, khai pam omelets cooked in banana-leaf cups, tiny ice cream cones and fresh fruit and herb juices. Locals and visitors crowd the street together, so it is one of the easiest ways to see everyday Chiang Mai life and shop for gifts in a single evening.
Tip: Arrive before dark to walk the length of Ratchadamnoen Road while you can still move freely, and eat as you go rather than at one stall.
Sources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)Free to visit - 12Bangkok
Climb the 344 steps of the Golden Mount
Wat Saket stands beside Khlong Mahanak in Bangkok's Pom Prap Sattru Phai district, and its landmark is Phu Khao Thong, the Golden Mount, with relics of the Buddha enshrined at the summit. A spiral staircase of 344 steps takes you to the top. Back at ground level, the temple has murals of heaven, earth and hell, and the Attharot chapel holds Phra Attharot, said to be the tallest Buddha statue in Bangkok, made in the Sukhothai era about 700 years ago. The tourism board ranks the temple among the five Bangkok temples most worth a visit, alongside Wat Arun, Wat Pho, Wat Traimit and the Marble Temple.
Tip: Climb in the cooler early morning or late afternoon, carry water, and dress for temple rules, since the summit is a shrine to the Buddha's relics.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)Entry: ฿[fee] - 13Phuket
Look out over three bays from Phuket's Big Buddha
On top of Nakkerd hill above Kata beach, the Big Buddha, officially Phra Phuttha Ming Mongkhon Ek Nakkhiri, sits 45 meters tall and 25.45 meters wide, in the pose of subduing Mara. It is made of reinforced concrete faced with white and jade Burmese marble weighing about 135 tonnes, and was named in 2007 by senior monks as a dharma site. From the front, you look over Chalong Bay; from the back, over Kata, Karon and smaller bays. It fits well into a day loop with Wat Chalong, the Karon Viewpoint and Promthep Cape.
Tip: Treat it as the active place of worship it is: cover shoulders and knees, and keep voices low near the image.
Search tours on KlookSources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)Free; donations welcome - 14Bangkok
Visit the Jim Thompson House and its art collection
This museum was the Bangkok home of James H. W. Thompson, known as the Thai Silk King, and it still holds his collection of Asian art. Visitors see the main house only on a guided tour, offered in Thai, English, French, Chinese and Japanese. Bags over 20 cm go in the monitored lockers first. You take off your shoes before going in, and the house has several stairways and no elevator. Photos are welcome, but not flash, selfies or video. The Jim Thompson Art Center, in the same compound, runs exhibitions. It is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM and is a short walk from BTS National Stadium, exit 1.
Tip: Ignore anyone outside who says the museum is closed for a holiday and offers to take you elsewhere: it is a known scam, and the museum has no link to it.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: The James H. W. Thompson Foundation (official); Jim Thompson House MuseumEntry: ฿250 (about $7)Last verified
- 15Phuket
Watch the sunset from Promthep Cape
Laem Phromthep, in the far south of Phuket, is the island's classic sunset spot. A lighthouse on the cape sends its beam up to 39 km out to sea, and inside it a small exhibition covers its construction, with a display of sunrise and sunset times. From the top, a paved path leads down the headland toward views of Ko Kaeo Phitsdan and Ya Nui beach, while restaurants, cafes and souvenir stalls sit around the cape. On the same route, stop at the Karon Viewpoint beside Route 4030, where you look down on three curved bays at once: Kata Noi, Kata and Karon.
Tip: Arrive at least 45 minutes before sunset to find a spot on the headland, and check the sunset time on the lighthouse display or your phone before you set off.
Search tours on KlookSources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)Free to visit - 16Chiang Mai
Explore the meditation tunnels of Wat Umong
Wat Umong was founded in 1296, in the reign of King Mengrai, and still sits in a quiet forest setting off Suthep Road. Its name comes from the umong, tunnels built beneath the temple to create a near-silent space for meditation. The grounds also hold an Ashoka pillar, dedicated to the devout Buddhist Indian king Ashoka, and the temple works as a meditation center where people from around the world come to practice. It is a calm contrast to the busy old city temples, and easy to pair with Doi Suthep on the same day.
Tip: Keep your voice down in the tunnels and around the meditation areas, and visit toward dusk, when the forest grounds are at their most atmospheric.
Search tours on KlookSources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)Free to visit - 17Ayutthaya
See Wat Chaiwatthanaram glow at sunset in Ayutthaya
Wat Chaiwatthanaram stands on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, just outside Ayutthaya's island. King Prasat Thong built it in 1630, reviving the early Ayutthaya idea of a great central prang, here raised on a square base with four smaller prangs at the corners and a gallery of stucco Buddha images around it. It is one of the most impressive and best-preserved monasteries in the old capital, restored by the Fine Arts Department since it was registered as a national monument. Arriving by boat gives fine views of it from the water. Leave it for the end of your Ayutthaya day.
Tip: Time your visit for late afternoon, since the ruins look their best at sunset, and note that ticket sales stop an hour before the site closes.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)This site: ฿80 (about $2) · Pass for seven park sites: ฿300 (about $9) · A pass covers seven sites in the parkLast verified
Every sight, city by city
Bang Lan Night Market, Ayutthaya
Food stalls that line Bang Lan Road every evening, near Chao Phrom Market.Entry: Pay as you goChao Phrom Market, Ayutthaya
The old city's big daily market, with a covered hall of food stalls on the east side of the island.Entry: Pay as you goChatuchak Weekend Market
Thousands of stalls selling everything from clothes to plants, open on weekends.Entry: Free to visitChinatown (Yaowarat Road)
Neon signs and street food stalls that fill the sidewalks every evening.Entry: Pay as you goErawan Shrine
A busy Hindu shrine to Brahma on the Ratchaprasong junction, among the shopping malls.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookGolden Mount (Wat Saket)
A temple on an artificial hill topped by a golden chedi, with views across the old town.Entry: ฿[fee]Search tickets and tours on KlookGrand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew
The former royal residence and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred temple in Thailand.Entry: Includes the Queen Sirikit Museum of TextilesSearch tickets and tours on KlookHuai Khwang Night Market
A local night market of street food stalls by Huai Khwang MRT station, busy until late.Entry: Pay as you goJim Thompson House
Teak houses and Asian art collected by the American who revived Thai silk.Search tickets and tours on KlookLumphini Park
A big green park with a lake, joggers and monitor lizards in the middle of the city.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookOr Tor Kor Market
A covered market across the road from Chatuchak, known for top-quality fruit and cooked food.Entry: Pay as you goWang Lang Market
A busy lunchtime market of food stalls and clothes beside Siriraj Hospital and the Wang Lang pier.Entry: Pay as you goWat Arun
The Temple of Dawn, its tower covered in porcelain, across the river from Wat Pho.Entry: ฿[fee]Search tickets and tours on KlookWat Chaiwatthanaram, Ayutthaya
A riverside temple in Khmer style, at its best in the late afternoon light.Entry: A pass covers seven sites in the parkSearch tickets and tours on KlookWat Mahathat, Ayutthaya
Temple ruins in the old capital, known for a Buddha head wrapped in tree roots.Entry: A pass covers seven sites in the parkSearch tickets and tours on KlookWat Pho
Home of the 46-meter Reclining Buddha and a famous Thai massage school.Search tickets and tours on KlookWat Phra Si Sanphet, Ayutthaya
Three tall chedis in a row, once the royal temple of Ayutthaya.Entry: A pass covers seven sites in the parkSearch tickets and tours on KlookWat Ratchaburana, Ayutthaya
A ruined temple across the road from Wat Mahathat, its tall central tower still standing.Entry: A pass covers seven sites in the parkSearch tickets and tours on KlookWat Yai Chai Mongkhon, Ayutthaya
A working temple southeast of the old city, with a huge chedi and rows of seated Buddhas.Entry: ฿[fee]Search tickets and tours on KlookChang Phueak Gate Night Market
Street food stalls that set up every evening just outside the Old City's north gate.Entry: Pay as you goChiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre
Galleries on the history of Chiang Mai, right behind the Three Kings Monument.Closed Mondays and TuesdaysSearch tickets and tours on KlookChiang Mai Gate Market
A market by the Old City's south gate, with street food stalls from late afternoon.Entry: Pay as you goKad Thanin (Siri Wattana Market)
A big local market north of the Old City, known for its ready-cooked northern Thai food.Entry: Pay as you goLanna Folklife Museum
Northern Thai (Lanna) crafts, dress and temple art, across the road from the Three Kings Monument.Closed Mondays and TuesdaysSearch tickets and tours on KlookNight Bazaar
Crafts, clothes and food stalls every evening, east of the Old City.Entry: Free to visitNimman
The side streets of Nimmanhaemin Road, full of cafes, galleries and bars.Entry: Free to visitTha Phae Gate
The main east gate of the Old City, where Tha Phae Road heads toward the river.Entry: Free to visitTon Payom Market
A local market near Chiang Mai University, known for northern food such as sai ua sausage.Entry: Pay as you goWarorot Market
The big local market for northern Thai snacks, sausages and spices.Entry: Pay as you goWat Chedi Luang
The huge, partly ruined chedi in the center of the Old City.Entry: ฿[fee]Search tickets and tours on KlookWat Chiang Man
The city's oldest temple, with a chedi supported by stone elephants.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookWat Lok Molee
A temple just north of the Old City moat, with a tall, weathered brick chedi.Entry: ฿[fee]Search tickets and tours on KlookWat Pha Lat
A small forest temple by a stream on the slopes of Doi Suthep, on the Monk's Trail.Entry: ฿[fee]Search tickets and tours on KlookWat Phra Singh
One of Chiang Mai's most revered temples, with fine Lanna wood carving.Entry: ฿[fee]Search tickets and tours on KlookWat Phra That Doi Suthep
A golden temple on the mountain above the city, reached by a long naga staircase.Entry: ฿[fee]Search tickets and tours on KlookWat Sri Suphan
The Silver Temple on Wualai Road, known for its ordination hall decorated in silver.Entry: ฿[fee]Search tickets and tours on KlookWat Suan Dok
A temple west of the Old City whose white chedis hold the ashes of Chiang Mai's royal family.Entry: ฿[fee]Search tickets and tours on KlookWat Umong
A quiet forest temple with tunnels built into the hillside.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookWiang Kum Kam
The excavated ruins of a city King Mengrai founded before Chiang Mai, south of the center.Entry: ฿[fee]Search tickets and tours on KlookBangla Road
Patong's nightlife street, closed to traffic in the evening and lined with bars.Entry: Free to visitBanzaan Fresh Market
Patong's main fresh market, with a food court upstairs and food stalls outside in the evening.Entry: Pay as you goBig Buddha
A white marble Buddha on a hilltop, with views over Chalong Bay.Entry: Free; donations welcomeSearch tours on KlookKaron Viewpoint
Kata Noi, Kata and Karon beaches in one view.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookKata Beach
A sandy bay with clear water in the dry season and surf in the monsoon.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookKhao Rang
A wooded hill on the edge of Phuket Town, with a viewpoint over the town.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookKo Panyi
A Muslim fishing village built on stilts in Phang Nga Bay, with a floating football pitch.Entry: Pay as you goLock Tien
A long-running food court of local stalls in an old shophouse on Dibuk Road.Entry: Pay as you goMalin Plaza
A night market at the south end of Patong Beach, with seafood and Thai food stalls.Entry: Pay as you goPatong Beach
Phuket's busiest beach, a long curve of sand in front of the island's nightlife hub.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookPhang Nga Bay (Khao Phing Kan)
Limestone islands rising from a green bay, best seen by boat and sea kayak.Entry: National park feeSearch tickets and tours on KlookPhuket Old Town
Colorful Sino-Portuguese shophouses along Thalang Road and Soi Romanee.Entry: Free to visitPromthep Cape
The island's southern tip and its favorite sunset spot.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookRawai Seafood Market
Seafood stalls by Rawai Beach, with restaurants across the road that cook what you buy.Entry: Pay as you goThai Hua Museum
Phuket's Chinese settlers and tin-mining past, told in the town's former Chinese school.Entry: ฿[fee]Search tickets and tours on KlookWat Chalong
Phuket's largest and best-known Buddhist temple.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookQuestions travelers ask
What are the best things to do in Thailand for a first trip?
Start in Bangkok with the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun, linked by the river's express boats, then eat along Yaowarat Road in Chinatown at night. Take a day trip to the ruins of Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage site. In Chiang Mai, ride up to Doi Suthep and walk the old city temples and Sunday market. In the south, base yourself in Phuket for its old town and a boat day among the limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay.
Sources: The Bureau of the Royal Household; UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)How many days do you need in Thailand?
About 10 days covers the classic first loop. Give Bangkok three days for the palace and temples, the river, Chinatown and Chatuchak, plus a day for Ayutthaya. Chiang Mai deserves three days: the official tourism board's own sample plan uses three for Doi Suthep, the old city and the crafts market at San Kamphaeng. Then allow at least three days around Phuket, one for the island loop and one for a Phang Nga Bay boat trip. Fly between regions to save time.
Sources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)What is the best time to visit Thailand for sightseeing?
Thailand has about six months of rain, three months of cool, dry weather and three hot months. For Bangkok and Chiang Mai, the cool season is the most comfortable for temple walking: the weather service says cool weather starts in mid October in upper Thailand and November is drier and cool. September is usually the wettest month. On the Andaman coast around Phuket and Phang Nga Bay, December to April is the time without monsoon rain.
Sources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Thai Meteorological Department (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)Which Thailand attractions should you book in advance?
Few sights need advance booking, but a few are worth sorting early. The Grand Palace sells online tickets up to a month ahead; they can't be refunded or changed, so book once your date is set. The Jim Thompson House sells online tickets through its listed partners, and walk-in tours remain available if online slots are full. For Phang Nga Bay, arrange a one-day boat tour through an agency in Phuket or at the Phang Nga piers before the day.
Sources: The Grand Palace, Bureau of the Royal Household (official); The James H. W. Thompson Foundation (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)How do you get around Thailand as a first-time visitor?
In Bangkok, the BTS Skytrain and MRT subway skip the traffic, and the Airport Rail Link reaches Suvarnabhumi Airport from Phaya Thai in about 30 minutes. Orange-flag Chao Phraya Express boats run daily along the river and stop at the Grand Palace and Wat Pho piers. Between regions, trains run 751 km north to Chiang Mai, and flights connect Bangkok with Chiang Mai and, several times a day, with Phuket, 690 km south.
Sources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Chao Phraya Express Boat (official operator); The Bureau of the Royal Household; Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); Tourism Authority of Thailand (official)What should you wear to visit temples in Thailand?
Cover up. Thailand's tourism board asks temple visitors not to wear shorts, short skirts, sleeveless tops, see-through clothes or tight leggings, and the Grand Palace enforces a similar dress code of its own. Wat Pho asks visitors to dress politely, with trousers rather than shorts. The same list rules out sandals without heel or ankle straps, rolled-up sleeves and sweatpants. Light long trousers or a long skirt, a shirt with sleeves and closed shoes or strapped sandals work everywhere.
Sources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (official); The Bureau of the Royal Household; Wat Pho