where to visit in east thailand

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Eastern Thailand Tourist Info

David Ford - October 29, 2020 - Thailand

Eastern Thailand Contents

Overview | Location | Destinations | Activities | Accommodation | Further Info

Thailand is a hotspot for touring, and a favorite the world over. However, Eastern Thailand is a little less crowded, and that’s a good thing for me. It’s a tropical paradise, an oasis in the desert, a vast expanse of rugged natural beauty, and it was once my home! I love the tropical forests, waterfalls, offshore islands, coastal sunsets, rural roads, and sandy beaches. I also love the Asian Thai culture, and it has all you’d expect from an exotic holiday destination. Having lived and traveled there extensively, I’ve compiled a tourist info pack that has all you need to know.

Seven provinces east of Bangkok make up the region of Eastern Thailand. Cambodia forms a border to the east, North Eastern Thailand to the north, and Central Thailand to the west. While the four coastal provinces of Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi, and Trat form a boundary with the Gulf of Thailand. Collectively these four are also referred to as East Coast Thailand . A short 2 ½ hour drive southeast of Bangkok will have you on the coast.

From an economic standpoint, Chonburi, Rayong and Chachoengsao provinces have a “key role” in Thailand’s economy. Moreover, they form a developing economic region known as the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).

Chonburi is an industrial province. However, the popular beachside coastal resorts of Bang Saen, Pattaya, Jomtien, and Bang Saray , might have you thinking otherwise! Because they all front the Gulf of Thailand, facing west, with many seaside views.

Rayong province faces south and is rimmed by a near-continuous coastal strip of sand. In addition little Islands dot the landscape, with the island of Koh Samet in-particular being a popular getaway destination. While Koh Munnork sits just offshore as a private island resort.

• Chanthaburi

Chanthaburi province further east has majestic views across the gulf and a scenic coastal road that knows how to showcase Eastern Thailand at its best! It’s also a province tanked with gemstones, tropical fruits, forests, waterfalls, and a charming waterside community.

Trat province in the far southeast becomes the narrowest part of Thailand. It also boasts an archipelago of over fifty offshore tropical islands, of which Koh Chang is the most popular. Furthermore, with long white sandy beaches, undisturbed coral ranges, and tropical rainforests, there’s nowhere quite like it.

Eastern Thailand Destinations

Eastern Thailand has no shortage of tropical islands, beachside settings with palm trees swaying in the wind. But it’s packed with a whole lot more than that. You see, with jungles, waterfalls, mountains, and lonely beaches, it’s possible to really get away from it all. But, if you want to hang out in the tourist hotspots, enjoying the vibe and warm summer breeze, you can! You can also get lost in Thai culture living life with the locals.

I’ll give you some of my top picks below that I think make perfect destinations!

Trat Archipelago

Located in the far southeast of Eastern Thailand, the Trat Archipelago has over 50 offshore tropical islands. While many are worth visiting, it’s the islands of Koh Chang , Mak , and Kood that are the most popular.

The Main Island

Koh Chang Island , located just off the Trat coastline, is the largest in the Trat Archipelago.  So, it’s well placed as a super anchor point for at least a week or more to explore this region. The west of the island from north to south is blessed with picturesque white sandy beaches and sweeping bays. In contrast, the east side is more remote, wild, and free. The central core of the island is … forest-covered mountains-peaks, and valleys, with tropical rainforests, waterfalls, and cliffs. A ring road also circles the island, and you’ll find resorts, pubs, restaurants, and everything in between. But, by and large, the island has maintained its natural-rugged beauty and is 85% national parkland.

Island Retreat

The Koh Mak Island , which is located south of Koh Chang, is much smaller. It’s got several palm tree-lined beaches with clear water and white sand. There are also bungalows, restaurants, and resorts spread around the island. However, it’s very laid-back, with not a lot happening. But you wouldn’t be coming here for the party scene … instead, you’ll be relaxing by the beach enjoying the silence with a little snorkeling.

Unspoilt Beauty

The island of Koh Kood, located further south of Koh Mak, completes the island chain. Very similar to Koh Chang in terms of waterfalls, jungles, and beaches, but that’s where the likeness ends. The roads are almost empty and extremely quiet. At times you’ll feel you’re the only person on the island. You’ll also find this island is more suited for an intimate getaway with accommodation, mostly on the west of the island.

Chanthaburi Town is associated with gemstones, tropical fruits, and Chanthaburi mats. This seaside town boasts a rich culture influenced by the French, Chinese, and Vietnamese. You’ll also find forests, beaches, waterfalls, and a riverside town community, all nearby! It’s a must-see destination if you’re looking for a cultural experience, and it’s also well suited for trekking and nature lovers. You’ll need at least 3 days here!

Chao Lao Beach, a tranquil, laid-back beach, is one of several close to the Chanthaburi town. Because of its quiet, peaceful outback setting, it’s the perfect spot for winding down and watching the sun disappear. After all, the trekking, site seeing, and photo sessions around Chanthaburi, you could spend a few days here before moving on … It’s that good!

Private Island

Koh Mannork Island has one private island resort and is accessed by boat from the eastern end of the Rayong coastal strip. Just past Laem Mae Phim Beach, you can park your car in a private car park. After that, you get on a boat and leave all your worries behind. The island has the castaway feel, but with all your creature comforts. It’s not cheap, but it’s the only one of its kind in Thailand, surrounded by untouched forest and a manicured white sandy beach.

Local Island

Koh Samet Island is just a little further along the Rayong coast. You might think it’s just another island, but this one is a personal favorite of mine. Not because it’s any better, but more so because of the memories I created when I first went there. It’s also one of eight National parks in Eastern Thailand known as Mo Ko Samet National Park. It’s long and thin, with most of the beaches located on the eastern side where the action is. However, Prao Beach, on the western side, is a quiet little beauty.

Rayong Coastal Strip is the perfect spot to stop if all tanked up on islands. Besides, the mainland coastal strip of Rayong has its fair share of resorts and restaurants on the beach. In fact, the strip is perfectly positioned to capture awesome-sunsets and the night-time lights of Samet island! It’s also got the famous Ban Phe markets. My son had his first holiday on Christmas day in the Bari Lamai Resort. He was only 6 weeks old! Rayong mainland will also give you more of a Thai cultural feel.

Pattaya is an international beachside resort that has a lot to offer anybody wanting to cutloose and have fun! It’s also geared up for family vacations, pretty easy to get to, and has so many things to see and do . For example, two waterparks, a tiger park, tropical gardens, world-class golf courses, shopping malls, international restaurants, street-food, nightlife, and a tropical island are all on your doorstep!

Coastal Beach Town

Jomtien is a long crescent-shaped beach town just south of Pattaya, and the focal point, of course, is the beach. So, it’s popular with families, water sports enthusiasts, and attracts a regular international audience for hosting world-class jet ski championships. Thailand’s premier Ocean Marina Yacht Club and resort complex also sits just a further 5 km south.

Accommodation in this area is typically hotels and large-scale condos. Guesthouses are available.

Get Away Island

Koh Larn Island is just off mainland Pattaya, and it provides an easy escape to a tropical oasis where you can forget the city! It’s also got six-plus beaches around an island of mini-mountains and tropical forests where you’ll feel a million miles away. But, best of all, it’s just a 40 min trip on the ferry. It’s a perfect one-day trip, or you can stay much longer because there are many accommodation options.

Fisherman Village

Bang Saray is a Thai fishing village with a strong cultural heritage. Here you’ll find top accommodation, a pretty beach, sunsets, an endless supply of markets covering the whole day…. it’s a classic little town to walk and chill and try your Thai language skills. In contrast to its nearest neighbor, ‘Pattaya’ Bang Saray is usually very quiet and peaceful. However, all the attractions surrounding Pattaya are well within your reach.

Eastern Thailand Activities

Eastern Thailand has all the typical things you’d expect to do on vacation. For example, swimming, snorkeling, diving, parasailing, banana boats, jet-skiing, cycling, fishing, hiking, and so much more. But what makes a destination different from any other is the location-specific activities, i.e., things that you can only do in a particular location. Besides the white sandy beaches for relaxation, I’ll give you some of my top picks on things to do in Eastern Thailand.

Explore The Eastern Thailand Islands

There are many islands in Eastern Thailand, around 52 in the Koh Chang “Trat Archipelago” alone. Most, though, are too small for any real motivation to go there. Unless, of course, you want to cut loose in your kayak and have that desert island “castaway” feeling! That said, the following islands are accessible and offer a superb opportunity for a tropical island experience in Eastern Thailand.

• Koh Mun Nork
• Koh Same San
• Koh Phai (Group)
• Koh Si Chang

Island Hopping Trat Archipelago

One of the most exciting things you can do in the “Trat Archipelago” is hop or cruise around the islands. You can do this either one of two ways. For example, book yourself short term accommodation on each island and link yourself between the islands by ferry. Or simply base yourself on one island and book yourself onto one of the many island-hopping tours .

If you’ve got the time, I prefer “short term accommodation” on each island. Simply because you can go at your own pace! Obviously, you’ll want to plan this in such a way that you are not going over the same territory twice. For example, I recommend starting from the far southeast corner and progressively move north through the islands! Given some islands do not have any accommodation, you might go for a combination of both options.

Shipwreck Exploration & Scuba Diving

Are you interested in ships and shipwrecks? I saw the boat (frigate) in the photo below, towed and beached in Bang Saray. Now what for, I got no idea, but I’m keeping a close eye on that one. Exploring a sunken shipwreck is the pinnacle for a vocational scuba diver, and it just doesn’t get any better. The availability of shipwrecks in Eastern Thailand is also second to none. So, that’s a super vacation activity.

Eight shipwrecks are present around the East Coast of Thailand from Trat right up to Pattaya. Some have purposely been sunk to act as a reef. Others, however, like the SS Suddhadib, just off Sattahip coast, sank while in the line of duty (1st June 1945), and have outstanding historical value. You can read all about them here !

The following shipwrecks are all accessible and offer a superb opportunity for a real scuba diving experience in Eastern Thailand.

• SS Suddhadib  (Sattahip)
• HTMS Chang  (Koh Chang Reef)
• HTMS Phetra (Rayong)
• HTMS Khram  (Pattaya)
• T11 Coastal Patrol Ship (Koh Chang)
• HTMS Kut  (Pattaya)
• HTMS Mattaphon  (Pattaya)
• Petchburi Bremen  (Pattaya)

If you’re already a qualified diver, you can book a scuba diving tour of one or more of the shipwrecks. Although, if you’re not a diver as yet, no worries, you can book a PADI diving course and enjoy the training at any one of the scuba diving centers in Eastern Thailand.

Explore Eastern Thailand Coastline

I personally enjoy driving in Eastern Thailand, especially on the Chanthaburi – Trat coastline . Besides it having a quiet country feel to it, it’s simply stunning! If you’ve hired a car ‘well-done’ now, you can escape the mayhem of city traffic and enjoy driving the rural roads!

The coastal route pretty much stretches from Trat Hwy No 3 all the way up to Rayong, and beyond. Where Hwy 3 leaves the coast, you’ll always see signs for the scenic route.

Cycling, Chanthaburi Coast or Pattaya Hills

Hire a road bike or bring your own. Because the Chanthaburi coastal section of road known as the “ Burapha-Chonlathit Road ” is not only great to drive in the car, but also popular with cyclists. If mountain biking is more your thing, you can head inland to the Khiri Than Dam high in the Chanthaburi hills. Here you’ll find a circuit around the dam and also a lakeside campsite close by. If your based in Pattaya, try the Pattaya hills.

Caravan Park, Wang Chan District, Rayong

You’d never believe you’d get a caravan park in Eastern Thailand. But I found out it’s absolutely possible and provides the perfect break from the coast. Located in the Wang Chan district of northern Rayong, the Suan Lamai caravan park sits around a lake within a rural setting.

So, you can wake up to nature in your van and … it’s pretty tranquil. You will, of course, meet like-minded people, all circled around the lake. I reckon this activity is pretty cool for Eastern Thailand.

Chanthaburi Tropical Fruits

Chanthaburi is the go-to spot for tropical fruits, and it’s known worldwide for the quality and diversity of the produce. For example, you’ll find the famous durian, mangosteen, logan, bananas, rambutan, longkong, and salacca, growing readily in this tropical region. Added to that, because the fruit is super high quality, it’s sought-after by worldwide traders for their global markets.

Get yourself on a full day fruit Orchard tour of the farms, which are mostly in the Tha Mai district of Chanthaburi. You’ll also see many of these farms just driving along the country roads. If you are a fruit junkie, you’ll need to be here sometime between May through to July. That’s when many farms cater to tourists with fruit buffets and the like.

Gem Traders Chanthaburi Town

Some people love pretty little stones, and Chanthaburi town in Eastern Thailand is famous for them. So, if you need a break from the beach, go check out the Chanthaburi Gems. TAKE NOTE, it’s a weekend-only thing, from Friday through to Sunday, but makes a perfect weekend break! Combine this with a visit to the Chanthaburi waterfront community.

Life With The Locals Ban Nam Chiao Village

Ban Nam Chiao Village is a riverfront fishing community located in the Laem Ngop coastal district of Trat. Besides their classic homes lining the river/canal front, you’ll find the’re a friendly bunch of mixed Muslim and Buddhist religions. Furthermore, if you can step out of your ‘comfort zone’, by booking a night with the locals you’ll get that ultimate village experience. You’ll also learn how to weave a traditional palm-leaf hat, try life on the water with the fishermen, taste the local dishes, and enjoy the homestay hospitality!

Explore National Parks & Coastal Hikes

Eastern Thailand has eight national parks. Mo Ko Chang covers 85 % of the Koh Chang Island in Trat. While Mo Ko Samet is ~98% of the Koh Samet Island in Rayong. The others are on the mainland.

• Try hiking in the Koh Chang National Park  and get lost in the mountain top evergreen forests. This national park has seven waterfalls , trails, viewpoints, and the surrounding sea is full of coral reefs. So, it’s no surprise that 70% of the island is virgin tropical wilderness!
• Test your stamina Hiking the  Chanthaburi-Trat Coastline  of Eastern Thailand. You could base yourself at Chao Lao Beach and explore the Khun Krabaen  mangrove trails  and the  pink rocks  wildlife reserve!
• Check out the mangrove forest trail to the Trat Black Sands .
• From Chanthaburi town, explore the  Khao Khitchakut  and the  Namtok Phlio  National Parks and waterfalls. Combine this with a tropical fruit tour!
• Cycle and hike the  Mo Ko Samet National Park  while exploring all eleven  beaches !

Charter a Yacht in the Gulf of Thailand

If you c harter a yacht in the Gulf of Thailand for a day, ½ day, or more you’ll get treated like royalty. Moreover, you’ll have ownership of the vessel for your duration with a skipper and crew to take you wherever you want to go. Tour the islands, or just anchor off the coast. … Yes, it really sounds good because it is!

You can easily charter a yacht from Pattaya Ocean Marina. They also have full resort complex facilities at the marina. This makes for a great day trip!

Golfing, Eastern Thailand

Ever heard of your mate taking off on a Thailand golf holiday? And so, you wonder where they go? Eastern Thailand I’d say, because Pattaya in Chonburi has over 20 golf courses, all within 30 -40 mins of the city. Rayong has at least another seven. So, you see, golf enthusiasts can have a tropical break on nothing but golf, if they want or combine a little golf with one of the many other activities. Book a tour!

Eastern Thailand has some of the very best golf courses in all of Asia. So, you won’t be disappointed. You can check them out here !

Eastern Thailand Tours

You’ve taken the first step of cutting loose and having a break, vacation, whatever you want to call it. And that’s good, but the next step is to book a tour, because that’s how you’re going to experience your chosen destination better. Trust me I know, because I never used to bother with tours myself. So, I’d often return home only to find I’d missed out on something important.

Book at least one tour for your trip, and better-still book it before you get on the plane! I recommend G Adventures. They’re simply the best at what they do!

Popular Tour Examples

• Island Hopping (Pattaya, Koh Chang)
• Scuba Diving Shipwrecks (Pattaya, Koh Chang)
• Scuba Diving Beginners (Koh Kood)
• Day-Trip Yacht Charters (Pattaya)
• ATV Jungle Adventure (Koh Chang)
• Tree Top Adventure Park (Koh Chang)
• Tropical fruit Tour (Chanthaburi)
• Golf Tour (Pattaya)

I’ve only scratched the surface of things you can do in Eastern Thailand. Furthermore, If you base yourself in a particular part of Eastern Thailand, Pattaya, Jomtien, Chanthaburi, Trat, Bang Saray, Rayong, or any of the islands for example. You’ll find that all have many location-specific things to do.

Accommodation

The choice of accommodation can make or break your trip! So, do your research and get it right! Splitting the trip up, which is easy to do in Eastern Thailand, will give you more accommodation choices. Touring and backpacking, for example. But more importantly, think about what you want to do and see. This, my friend, is way more important than sitting down to pick a hotel or resort!

If, for example, you want to try living life with the locals in the Ban Nam Chiao Village in Trat. Your accommodation, in this case, will be a choice homestay! You’ll have to contact the Ban Nam Chiao Ecotourism Tourism Group on +66 8 4892 5374 for details, but it’ll be worth it! On the other hand, you may simply need to get away onto an island to do nothing but relax, … then select the island and go for a resort .

Backpackers typically travel north through the islands from the Khlong Yai / Cham Yeam border with Cambodia. Besides island hopping, they’ll be looking for hostels, dorms , and possibly guesthouses .

Condos and apartments are a popular choice with long term tourists and Expats in Eastern Thailand because the monthly rent is not expensive.

My personal choice of the best places to stay for the various town/city locations in Eastern Thailand are linked below. Once you know what you want to do and see, check them out!

• Koh Mannork

Further Info

Check out my article “ Travelling Thailand ” for essential info, visa requirements, language learning, and more for all visits to the kingdom! You can also check out related posts below for further info on Eastern Thailand.

About David Ford

After travelling the world and changing careers from a metal tradie to a mining professional Dave, drawn by epic travel and adventure hit the reset button on life and is on a mission to go see the countries, people and places he's never seen. When not working as a mine site geologist he's usually motorcycling, keeping fit and most certainly planning his next overseas trip.

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Where to Next?

The east of Thailand: Your off the beaten path destination

Destinations

Joanna Horanin

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Hi, I'm Joanna, the author of The Blond Travels. In the worlds of Thailand and Portugal, I feel like a fish in water - and it's no coincidence! I've been exploring Thailand for over a decade, and I've settled in Portugal for 6 years now. My mission is to support Dreamers - just like you - in discovering these fascinating countries and helping those in love with them find their own place on Earth, preferably for good! Let's uncover these unique corners of the world together.

Going off the beaten path in Thailand is not easy. The country lives off of tourism and it’s hard to find a quiet spot, where one can be far from overcrowded beaches and overpriced bars. However, The Land of Smiles is huge and if you look closely, you will be able to find a place, where you can still feel like an explorer. One such place is the east of Thailand – a gateway to Cambodia and famous Thai islands, a quiet, beautiful region with amazing food and charming people and so many activities to choose from that you will have to spend a few months to do them all.

The east of Thailand is mostly famous for its islands. Koh Chang and Koh Samet are both here and attract thousands of tourists every year. Most of the people only stop on the way to take a ferry and never think of exploring the nearby regions not knowing much about it and considering it uninteresting. It’s a great shame as they are magical, genuinely local, without loud bars and overpriced services. It is where you should go if you’re looking for an off the beaten path destination in Thailand.

If you want to go to the east of Thailand, have a look at my travel itinerary for Chanthaburi, Rayong, and Trat . 

What brought me there?

Such a great time with these lovely bloggers.

I have visited a lot of places in Thailand. I have managed to see the best beaches on Koh Phangan , see a few hot springs around Chiang Mai , went to less frequented places like Lampang and Lamphun , checked out some good street food in Bangkok and did a lot of things that some tourists never experience. I am always on a lookout for some good, off the beaten path destinations in Thailand, so I can recommend them to you, my readers.

I was lucky this year as I won a blogger competition organized by Tourism Authority of Thailand and was invited on a trip to the east. I read the itinerary with a great interest as I have never been to the east and thought the trip would be a great opportunity to discover something special.

If it wasn’t for TAT I wouldn’t have visited that part of the country.

During five days we visited Chanthaburi , Rayong , and Trat , stopping at some amazing destinations, eating a LOT of seafood and experiencing everything that those 3 regions have to offer. The trip was amazing. I am completely under the spell of the eastern provinces and would love to go back there one day to see more.

Find out more about the region

This area is situated between the Sankampeang Range in the north and the Gulf of Thailand to the south. While driving through you will notice some small mountain ranges and canals that drain straight to the Gulf. There are seven regions in the east: Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi, Chonburi, Prachinburi, Rayong, Sa Kaeo and Trat.

People in this part grow exotic fruits, such as rambutan and durian. Those living closer to the water live off of fishing. Tourism plays an important part here, but most of the well-known places are those that are found in travel guides. Koh Chang and Koh Samet are the two major stops for travelers.

In Rayong you can see and visit the fishing communities.

The east of Thailand is populated by Thais, but not only. Vietnamese and Chinese immigrated here and mixed with the local people, bringing their own food and traditions. There are also quite a lot of Muslims, especially in Trat and you will be able to see women wearing hijabs and some locals attending prayers in the mosques. Becuase of all the minorities living here, food and culture are quite varied in comparison with the other parts of the country.

People in the east of Thailand are very friendly and not very used to tourists.

This part of Thailand is called by the locals ‘clean’, which means they don’t promote wild parties, buckets, and go-go bars and would like to be known as places, where you can experience the ‘real’ Thai culture. After seeing the beauty of Chanthaburi and eating the most amazing food in Trat and Rayong, I can honestly say that these places are for those, who look for something quiet, authentic and fascinating and are not interested in going crazy at a full moon party, or lazying around under a coconut tree. Follow my steps if you like adventures and cultural experiences.

The east – your off the beaten path destination in Thailand

I am sure that there are plenty of other things to see and do in the east of Thailand and I have only touched the surface while traveling through this region. But I think those five days gave me a great feeling for the three provinces and they definitely left me wanting more.

The east of Thailand is every traveler’s dream. It’s real, it’s beautiful, it’s quiet and it gives you an idea of how life looks like somewhere away from hustle and bustle of the normal tourist destinations.

Here is a short summary of those three regions. If you want to know more, check out my itinerary for traveling in the east of Thailand.

Rayong – the seafood lover’s paradise

2 year old oysters are really big and meaty.

Where do you find the best seafood in Thailand? No, not on Koh Phi Phi, or Koh Samui. In fact, most of the fish, prawns, and clams that you find there come from the east. Why? Down south fishermen cannot keep up with the demand, the waters there are also more polluted and mostly exhausted by the constant fishing. The seafood there is scarce. So, the fishermen from there go to the distant waters around Africa. It takes them a long time to get back, so the fish that you eat in your resort on Koh Samui is not as fresh as the one you can eat in the east.

Most local restaurants serve seafood straight out of the water.

Rayong is especially popular when it comes to seafood. Thai people say that it’s the freshest in places such as Ban Phe – a small town, where fishermen set off to the sea daily and bring the catch to sell in the local restaurants. You can still see some locals working and fixing nets by their boats and your fish that you’re going to have was probably caught that very same morning.

Chanthaburi – the gem of Thailand

This is a real gem of Thailand.

Chanthaburi – the province as well as the main town – is well known for precious stones, which were once excavated here and now 8% of all gems in the world come to the province to be cleaned, polished and sold further. There is a famous market in Chanthaburi, where people from Asia, Europe, and Africa come to sell and buy sapphires and even diamonds. It is a fascinating and buzzing place and perfect for photos if you like street photography, or for buying some beautiful jewelry for a reasonable price.

I loved the street market in Chanthaburi.

To me, however, Chanthaburi was more about the atmosphere of the town, the small, lovely streets with teak houses and people, who were more opened and friendlier than anywhere else I have been to in Thailand. Some asked to have their photos taken, some wanted to find out more about me and some helped me when I was in need. It reminded me a bit of Lampang and Lamphun, where the pace of life is slower and the streets are full of history and charm.

Trat – it’s all about the experience

The landscape here is amazing!

I look back at the trip to Trat and I can think of one word – amazing. First of all, I didn’t expect the roads to be so nice. I looked out the window while we were driving and dreamt of having a scooter and be on the road by myself. Lush green palm trees were surrounding the lanes and when we turned into the side streets it was even more pleasant. I need to go back, rent a scooter and see what hides in some of those dirt roads we passed.

This is Trat!

I will remember Trat because of the Huay Reang Community, where I took one of the most beautiful river cruises and ate some delicious deserts made out of a coconut, nipa palm and…..fried onion. This trip will stay with me because I went to see mangroves and played bowling using a big, round fruit and a few bamboo sticks. I will remember it because in Trat I had lunch surrounded by flying hawks. And finally, it will stay with me because of delicious food I had and some special restaurants I visited.

The boat ride to the mangroves is really pleasant.

Chanthaburi, Rayong, and Trat are perfect for people, who are fed up with crowds of tourists, or just don’t like beaches. I love finding out more about Thai culture and traveling through these 3 provinces was the most amazing experience. I tried new food, saw some wonderful sights, went on adventures and saw another, more open side of Thai people. I am craving more and I am going to go back for sure to discover these 3 destinations further.

Have you ever been to these places before? Would you like to? Don’t be shy! Leave a comment! 

Travel itinerary for Chanthaburi, Rayong, and Trat

What to do in Rayong province?

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Tehran: The Iranian metropolis with a soul

Trat: It’s all about the experience

The best things to see and do in Kanchanaburi

Eastern Thailand

Thailand's eastern coastal strip runs from just east of Bangkok all the way down to the Cambodian frontier at Hat Lek. The area encompasses the coastal provinces of Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat, and the further you go from Bangkok the better the beaches get.

The vast majority of budget travellers find themselves in this part of Thailand for one of three reasons: the island of Ko Samet, the Ko Chang archipelago off the coast of Trat, or the border crossing with Cambodia at Hat Lek/Koh Kong. All three of these are fine reasons to be in the area, but as is often the case, there's more to see and do than just that. The beautiful beaches and islands have unfortunately attracted more than their fare share of short-sighted development projects. With virtually all of this region within a four to five hour drive of Bangkok, Eastern Thailand has borne the brunt of some of the biggest and most ill-conceived of Thailand's tourist-related development. Pattaya , a once sleepy fishing village, was transformed into a heaving sun, sea and sex destination courtesy of it being used as an R&R destination for US troops during the American War. Development ran at a totally unsustainable rate, eventually only slowing down when Pattaya's beaches became so polluted that swimming became dangerous. The area has tried to clean up its act and re-package itself as a family destination; while environmental improvements have been made, Pattaya remains one of the sleaziest places in Southeast Asia. Thankfully, the seediness has not encompassed the nearby beach town of Bang Saen , and the fishing island of Ko Si Chang , both of which are worth a visit. The next casualty was Ko Samet —ostensibly a National Marine Park—but you wouldn't know that upon setting foot on it (though you will be asked to pay the 200 baht entry fee). While the development has not had nearly the impact that Pattaya's did, there is nevertheless the typical blights that you can see anywhere in the world where a fast-buck takes precedence over a sustainable one. The island remains a good place to visit—soft white sand beaches are but a bus and boat ride from Bangkok, making it a weekender's favourite. Just don't expect an unspoilt paradise. Not far from Ko Samet, there's the very little-known Ko Mun Nork . Home to a single resort, if you're looking for no crowds and empty beaches, you could do a lot worse than here. Go on a weekday and you'll probably have the island to yourself. After Pattaya and Samet the developers set their cranes on Ko Chang in Trat province. Thailand's third largest island (after Phuket and Ko Samui) caught Thai ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra's eye, and large development projects have poured in despite the island's national park status. At least with its larger size and more rugged terrain, it can absorb a degree of development better than some of the smaller islands, but for only so long. A good site for more information on the development of Ko Chang is iamkohchang.com . The Ko Chang Archipelago is comprised of about 50 islands, a handful of which have accommodation on them. If Ko Chang feels too mainstream, head to beautiful Ko Wai , family-friendly Ko Mak or—perhaps one of Thailand's last island frontiers, magnificent Ko Kut . After all of those beaches, don't forget to stop in Chanthaburi , an underrated province that was once part of French Indochina. It boasts some pleasant waterfalls, national parks and low-key beach towns, with the unsung provincial capital hosting a charming old town and eclectic heritage.

Highlights of Eastern Thailand

Choose from Thailand's bounty of eastern islands -- close to Bangkok Ko Samet , Thailand's elephant island Ko Chang , little known Ko Mak and the lovely off-the-beaten-track Ko Kut .

Destinations in

Ban Phe Bang Saen Chanthaburi Ko Chang Ko Kut Ko Mak Ko Mun Nork Ko Samet Ko Si Chang Ko Wai Rayong Sri Racha Trat

East Thailand

• Kaeng Chu Kan
• Hin Huai Soob Stone Yard

Eastern Thailand is half mountain, half ocean. Although there aren’t many provinces here, it still has a lot of amazing sights and stunning locations to visit just like the rest of Thailand such as Ko Samed, Ko Chang, Ko Mak, Ko Lan, Ko Si Chang, Bang Saen Beach, Pattaya, Jomtien Beach, Laem Mae Phim Beach, and Mae Ram Phueng Beach.

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Where to go in eastern Thailand

Thailand » Central Thailand

Wedged between central Thailand and the Cambodian border, eastern Thailand doesn’t get nearly as much of the glamorous attention of tourist brochures as southern or northern Thailand – yet it’s home to some of the country’s most stunning beaches, as well as some truly multicultural cities that are exciting to explore. These are our tips for visiting eastern Thailand.

If you are visiting Eastern Thailand it probably also means you are passing through Bangkok and even if only for a quick stopover you can make the most of your time with a nighttime tuk tuk tour of Bangkok

Out in far eastern Thailand, not all that far from the Cambodian border , Koh Chang is the country’s second-largest island after Phuket in the south. While almost all of the island’s development is on its western side (the east remains largely untouched), Koh Chang – part of the Mu Koh Chang National Park, but not requiring payment of national park admission fees for the parts of the island most visitors will spend time in – is big enough that it manages to combine an undoubtedly busy, touristy and fairly brash, almost seedy scene in some parts with a more sedate, less tainted and altogether more pleasant vibe elsewhere.

Koh Chang boasts some undeniably stunning beaches – among the prettiest Khlong Phrao , Had Sai Kao (White Beach), and Had Tha Nam (Lonely Beach) – and a significant expat population means you’ll find just about any kind of food and drink you might be craving. Accommodation options range from bargain bungalows to high-end resorts, while it’s easy to get here from Bangkok’s eastern bus terminal by bus or minivan (around five hours), or by way of a short but fairly pricey Bangkok Airways flight from Suvarnabhumi airport to Trat, followed by a short hop by ferry.

All but unheard of to most visitors to Thailand, in this writer’s view Koh Kood – a surprisingly sizeable island in the same archipelago as Koh Chang (see above), yet comprising the district with the smallest population in the whole of Thailand – is among the country’s most stunning islands , if not the most spectacular of all .

Long shielded from the effects of mass tourism by a focus on catering to package holidaymakers rather than independent travellers, in recent years Koh Kood has become much easier for the rest of us to visit with ease. While it still remains slightly more expensive than both its neighbours and fellow islands elsewhere in Thailand, it’s still possible to find a good deal here, and this is one island that should be on your itinerary (but, along with Koh Chang, avoid the May-to-October wet season , which hits this coast particularly badly).

Don’t expect raucous entertainment, or even much in the way of restaurants or bars outside the good number of hotels, guest houses and resorts that are dotted across the island. (You won’t find a single branch of 7/11, either – although there is an ATM.) Instead, Koh Kood is suited to couples looking for a romantic getaway , and families with young children in the business of spending time with each other and relaxing on the sand.

But what this island does offer, alongside a couple of attractive waterfalls and an enrichingly laid-back vibe, is mile upon mile of simply breathtakingly beautiful beaches (among the most noteworthy are Had Taphao/Had Nam Leuk , Ao Ta Khian , and Ao Noi ), waking up to the sight of which will have you pinching yourself day after day. Reach Koh Kood by speedboat from mainland Trat or Koh Chang.

A favourite of Bangkokians looking for a white-sand weekend escape that’s within a Friday-evening drive of the capital, small and pretty Koh Samet – part of the Khao Laem Ya – Mu Koh Samet National Park, and attracting a dual-priced admission fee of 40 baht for Thai adults and 200 baht for non-Thai adults – has also been firmly on the radar of overseas tourists for years now.

Take your pick of pristine beaches from busy, pricey and high-energy Had Sai Kaew (Diamond Beach), with its large-scale resorts, restaurants, bars, nightclubs just off the sand, jetski and banana boat operators, roaming food and massage vendors, and impressive nightly fire-dancing shows ; similarly nightlife-heavy Ao Phai , high-end Ao Phrao , or one of the more serene bays like Ao Nuan and gay-popular Ao Tubtim .

There isn’t a whole load to do on Koh Samet other than sunbathe, swim, eat, drink, and party, but that suits most visitors just fine. Whichever stretch of sand you choose, Koh Samet is reached by regularly departing public ferries and speedboats from piers in mainland Rayong’s Ban Phe, itself a three-and-a-half-hour bus or minivan ride from Bangkok’s eastern bus terminal.

Chanthaburi

Quaint, multicultural Chanthaburi is a feast for the senses. It’s a bit of a slog from Bangkok – a four-to-five-hour bus or minivan ride from Ekkamai’s eastern bus terminal – but the at once bustling and yet relaxed, provincial feel to the city is ample reward in itself.

Stroll past crumbling French colonial shophouses along the green-feeling stretch of Chanthaburi’s old town that backs onto the city’s attractive riverfront , or walk the streets and gawk at gem traders who are themselves peering down microscopes at precious stones. And witness the peaceful cultural and religious mash-up  that this place is known for, as Muslims heading to and from prayers at the mosque cross paths with parades of monks in their bright orange robes; just down the road, take a glimpse at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception .

Food is good here, too. Like its eastern compatriot Rayong, Chanthaburi is renowned around Thailand for its top-quality fruit , and this is also the birthplace of the eponymous noodles that are a crucial ingredient in the most puritanical renditions of classic pad thai . Another consequence of Chanthaburi’s multiculturalism is that you’ll also find a number of restaurants run by local Muslim families, dishing up delicious curries, biryanis and other specialities hailing from Thailand’s Muslim-majority deep south.

Though it does have a decent selection of family-friendly attractions these days, there’s little denying that Pattaya exudes a sleazy reputation for good reason, and it wouldn’t be our first recommendation for a getaway with the kids .

That said, it’s quick and easy to reach from Bangkok by bus, minivan, train, or taxi, and sights like the out-there Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum, the new Cartoon Network Amazone Waterpark , and the more sedate Nong Nooch Botanical Garden and impressive Sanctuary of Truth temple can make Pattaya worth a quick visit.

Of course, Pattaya is also on the coast and has an expansive strip of sand – just don’t expect the cleanest, quietest or most pristine beaches you’ll find in Thailand.

Where are your favourite destinations in eastern Thailand? Let us know in the comments!

Pattaya photo by Aleksandr Zykov; all other photos by Chris Wotton

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Eastern Thailand

Bali Hai Pier in Chonburi

Introduction to Eastern Thailand

Eastern Thailand is a region located in the eastern part of Thailand, on the Gulf of Thailand. The region is split into nine provinces (according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand) from Bangkok to Cambodia.

Although there aren’t many provinces in Eastern Thailand, there are some beautiful landscapes and attractions to explore. The region is also home to a number of cultural and historical attractions, including temples, museums, and traditional markets. The cuisine in Eastern Thailand is also a highlight, with a variety of local dishes and seafood specialties.  Thailand’s eastern region is a fantastic vacation location, with easy access from Bangkok and a broad choice of attractions to visit.

Table of Contents

• Introduction

Provinces in Eastern Thailand

Top attractions in eastern thailand.

• References and Attributions

Credit: Pattaya City & Attractions Thailand (4K) by MBS Travel & Photography

Chachoengsao

Famous for the Buddha image at Wat Sothon Wararam Worawihan.

Chanthaburi

Well-known for Chao Lao Beach and Namtok Phlio National Park.

Bangkok’s closest coastal town, best known for its beautiful beaches and fresh seafood.

Nakhon Nayok

Best known for adventurous activities such as rafting and kayaking.

Prachin Buri

Famous for its ancient Bodhi tree, archeological sites, and rafting.

Popular for peaceful beaches and Koh Samet.

Home to Prasat Sdok Kok Thom, a remarkable Khmer temple.

Samut Prakan

Famous for the Mueang Boran Museum and Erawan Museum.

Known for beautiful beaches and islands such as Koh Chang and Koh Ngam.

Pattaya City

Prasat Sdok Kok Thom

Wat Sothon Wararam Worawihan

Sanctuary of Truth

Namtok Phlio National Park

Mueang Boran Museum

Erawan Museum

Nighttime view of Pattaya’s city harbor – Eastern Thailand

Summary of eastern thailand.

Ultimately, visitors to Thailand’s eastern region can expect a diverse range of experiences. The region is famous for its beautiful beaches. Pattaya, for example, is the region’s main city and is well-known for its beach resorts. Aside from that, visitors can immerse themselves in the culture of Chanthaburi, experience the local way of life in Trat, and travel to Koh Chang for adventurous activities. Still cannot find your ideal destination? Please do not hesitate to visit the other regions in Thailand for more information:

• Eastern Thailand has 9 provinces: Tourism Authority of Thailand

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20 Best Places to Visit in Thailand — From the Country's Oldest National Park With Secret Waterfalls to Stunning Islands With Excellent Diving

There's no shortage of beautiful places to visit in Thailand.

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Thailand is so much more than a travel destination — visiting is a bona fide rite of passage. From hostel-hopping backpackers to well-heeled five-star hotel aficionados, there’s something for everyone in “The Land of Smiles.” 

My most recent trip to Thailand was in early 2022, when the country implemented strict entry requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, I was one of a few hundred thousand tourists who were allowed into the country, and it felt like I had many of the typically crowded attractions all to myself.

The beauty of Thailand is that it will show you different sides of itself no matter how many times you visit. From the idyllic white-sand beaches and palm-fringed islands in the south to the misty hillsides and temple-peppered mountains of the north, the rattle and hum under neon lights of nonstop Bangkok, and the ruins of ancient cities surrounded by jungle, Thailand never disappoints.

So, what are the best places to visit in Thailand? I reached out to a Thailand travel expert and threw in a bit of my own first-person experience to help you narrow down this ever-growing list.

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For most travelers, an adventure in Thailand will likely kick off in the nonstop, energetic capital city, Bangkok. A dizzying destination and one of my favorite international cities, Bangkok is full-on sensory overload — but in the best way. Dig into sizzling street food; meander back alleys and bustling thoroughfares in search of small markets, shops, and hidden temples; cruise along the Chao Phraya River, and grab a cocktail at the dozens of sky-high rooftop bars. 

Tip: Book a room at the Capella Bangkok or Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok — two iconic luxury hotels with stunning locations perched on the Chao Phraya River.

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Second to Bangkok on most visitors’ lists is the northern city of Chiang Mai. Many travelers even prefer Chiang Mai to Bangkok for its relatively slower pace of life. The spectacular city is bursting with temples (Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is a must) and humming with restaurants and bars. 

"I would say for anybody, whether it's their first time or a repeat trip to Thailand, if you have been there or you haven't, [you have to visit] Chiang Mai," said Grant Ekelund , Travel + Leisure A-List advisor and senior travel consultant and Asia specialist at InsideAsia. "It's such a neat city. It’s one of those destinations that has something for everyone … Are you a foodie? Do you want to hike? See cool temples? Have amazing trekking opportunities? It can all be done [here], and it slots into any itinerary perfectly."

Koh Phi Phi

Thailand has more than 1,400 islands scattered around its coastline, but few are as famous or iconic as the Phi Phi Islands in the Andaman Sea. Comprising two islands — Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh — Koh Phi Phi is known for its natural beauty, excellent diving, and raucous party scene. For the latter, Phi Phi Don is the most famous. Phi Phi Leh, meanwhile, is uninhabited and beloved by those looking to disappear into nature. It was blasted into the public eye about two decades ago, when Leonardo DiCaprio's character went in search of an island paradise in the film "The Beach," which is set in real-life Maya Bay.

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While we’re on the topic of Koh Phi Phi, we’d be remiss not to mention Krabi province as a whole. Located in southern Thailand, bordering the Andaman Sea, Krabi is home to many of the beautiful beaches and islands that make Thailand famous. 

"I've been booking many [trips to] Krabi lately," said Ekelund. "It ticks a lot of boxes for people. You've got the beauty, cool cliffs, and interesting geology. It has a beach, but it's for people who don't want to simply park it on the sand for 10 days. Krabi offers activities and more." Some highlights include the beach town of Ao Nang, as well as islands like Phuket, Koh Lanta, Koh Yao Yai, Koh Lipe, Railay Beach, and several national parks.

Koh Yao Noi

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My first trip to Thailand was to the small island of Koh Yao Noi back in 2013. One of the most beautiful islands in Phang Nga Bay, Koh Yao Noi is flecked off the coast of its sibling island, Koh Yao Yai. Sandy beaches and small fishing villages comprise most of the land here, along with the luxe Six Senses Yao Noi resort tucked along the eastern coast. The property’s infinity pool is legendary for its explosive sunrise views that blur the distinction between the sky and sea.

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Many Thai cities have the ability to make visitors feel like they’re stepping back in time. But few create the illusion as vividly as Ayutthaya. Once the capital of the Kingdom of Siam, the ruins of Ayutthaya are breathtaking and hauntingly beautiful. It’s only an hour from Bangkok, making it an easy day trip or a great overnight excursion.

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Sukhothai is another beautiful ancient city. "Sukhothai is for people who like history. I was taken by how beautiful the area is and how extensive the ruins are," said Ekelund. "We cycled around the ruins with a guide and got a great sense of the history. Sukhothai is much more rural and harder to reach, meaning it has fewer tourists. You also don't have a city built up around it."

Mae Hong Son Loop

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Of all the places I've visited in Thailand, none stick with me as much as the Mae Hong Son Loop. This 300-mile route is most often tackled by travelers on the back of motorbikes looking to brave the mountain switchbacks that descend into the thick jungle and pass from small village to small village. It's not a journey to be taken lightly — motorbike experience is strongly recommended — but those who make the trip are rewarded with spectacular scenery and access to remote communities.

Khao Yai National Park

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Thailand has more than 100 national parks. The oldest is Khao Yai National Park, which also happens to be the country's third-largest. Within the park lies a web of hiking trails, secret waterfalls, and herds of elephants.

"Khao Yai has a lot of bat caves, too, which is one of the coolest things I've ever experienced," said Ekelund. "I stood there for 30 minutes while an unending stream of bats flew over my head. It was all so beautiful. It's a beautiful park with waterfalls, trekking, and hiking. Plus, it's just a couple of hours [by car] from Bangkok."

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Approximately two hours southeast of Chiang Mai is the city of Lampang. Much like many large cities in Thailand, Lampang has its fair share of temples, street food, and markets. But unlike the others, it feels like a place where time has stood still. Just listen for the sound of clip-clopping horse carts, still used for transportation, and you'll understand what I mean. Because of Lampang's integral role in the teak trade, many migrants from Myanmar made this northern city home, and you'll find teak mansions and Burmese-style temples everywhere.

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Chiang Rai, a northern Thai city, is often glossed over as most visitors opt to stop in Chiang Mai instead. "I am always struck by how chill Chiang Rai is," said Ekelund. "It's a relaxing place to be and has cool stuff to do. It's a great city to walk through the neighborhoods and see people living their daily lives. I enjoyed the mountains, nearby villages, and opportunities for cultural exchange."

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No list of best places to visit in Thailand would be complete without Phuket. While Phuket has a reputation for being crowded with resort after resort, the truth is it’s for a reason — the island is a beautiful place to be. Thailand's largest and most easily accessible island brings visitors in by the millions each year for its wide array of hotels, white-sand beaches, parties in Patong, colorful snorkeling, and eclectic culinary scene.

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Thailand’s second most popular island sits off the country’s eastern coast in the Gulf of Thailand. Koh Samui is wreathed in bone-white sandy beaches, peppered with temples, veined with hiking trails, and splashed with fabulous resorts and energetic beach towns and villages.

"It's hard to beat Koh Samui. It's just beautiful," said Ekelund. "If you want easy access without a full resort stay, I recommend Anantara Bophut . You can walk to Fisherman's Village, and you won’t feel like you're 'stuck' at a resort. If you want a full resort experience, I like Banyan Tree Samui for its private beach and spectacular rooms."

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The tiny island of Koh Tao, located in the Gulf of Thailand and not too far from Koh Samui, is one of the country’s best locations for diving and snorkeling. In fact, most avid divers will tell you that Koh Tao is their destination of choice in Thailand. The palm-fringed island is best known for its abundance of sea turtles.

Kanchanaburi

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Shrouded in thick jungle and sliced by miles of track belonging to what was once known as the “Death Railway,” Kanchanaburi has a dark and tragic history. The infamous train route, which crosses the River Kwai, was built from 1940 to 1943 by prisoners of war taken by the Japanese in World War II. Today, only a small section of the rail route is open and takes travelers on a journey through the mountain cliffs and bamboo forests of Kanchanaburi. "If you're into history, beautiful vistas, trains, and wildlife, you can get all of that in Kanchanaburi. It's a place not many tourists go, either, so it has a lot to offer," said Ekelund.

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Trang is the province directly south of Krabi, which means it has the same beautiful stretch of Andaman Sea coastline, except with a fraction of the crowds. There’s no shortage of islands to explore around Trang, like Koh Kradan and Koh Muk. Koh Muk's crown jewel is the secret Emerald Cave, which can be entered via a dark tunnel that leads to a protected beach surrounded by towering limestone cliffs.

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Located in the province of Phang Nga, Khao Lak can be thought of as Phuket’s much quieter cousin. Less than two hours from Phuket International Airport, Khao Lak is home to miles of sprawling, empty beaches, plus it offers easy access to beautiful national parks.

"I've been hyping Khao Lak quite a bit for people who want something quieter," said Ekelund. "You have easy access to the Phuket International Airport, but it's much more chill than the other Andaman Islands. It has beautiful beaches, good infrastructure, a great spot for dining, and it’s not hard to get to."

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Whether or not you drive the Mae Hong Son Loop, you’ll want to stop in Pai when visiting northern Thailand. Once a sleepy community of expats, Pai has morphed into a must-visit backpacker destination. Visitors will find funky cafes and coffee shops, endless bars, guest houses, hostels, and a dispensary or two, particularly now that cannabis is no longer considered a narcotic in the country.

Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park

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South of Bangkok, the province of Prachuap Khiri Khan is best known for the glamorous, frenetic beach town of Hua Hin. The province runs down the skinny arm of the country, bordering the Gulf of Thailand on one side and Myanmar on the other. Here’s where you'll find Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, Thailand's first marine national park. The park's top attractions include a series of spectacular caves and a sprawling freshwater marsh. Visitors can enjoy the park’s beaches, islands, walking trails, and thick mangrove forests. It’s just an hour from Hua Hin and about 3.5 hours from Bangkok.

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This long, skinny island, also in the province of Krabi, flies under the radar, but it’s one of my favorite places in the country. Koh Lanta is home to beautiful beaches, great restaurants, and the Mu Ko Lanta National Park, an amazing spot for diving and seeing undeveloped beaches.

Region East

Thailand’s East Coast has undergone a lot of development during the last three decades. While the Eastern Seaboard, which sits on the coastline between Bangkok and the Cambodian border, is proof of the industrial progress, the region still draws visitors as it is a magnet as far as tourism goes.

Situated just a 2-hour drive from Bangkok, Eastern Thailand is half mountain, half ocean. Despite the fact there are only seven provinces altogether on the East Coast, it still has a lot of amazing sights and stunning locations to visit. They include Ko Samet, Ko Chang, Ko Mak, Ko Lan, Ko Si Chang and the bustling and action-packed Pattaya city.

Like a playground in the sun, the East Coast is known for its beautiful beaches, and runs from just east of Bangkok all the way down to Ban Hat Lek in Trat, which borders Cambodia. The region encompasses the coastal provinces of Chonburi, Rayong, and Chanthaburi and Trat, which are further away. 

Not the region for those fearful of the sun, Thailand’s East simply eases its way into the heart of domestic and overseas travel planners with beaches and laid-back ambience in a more affordable manner than what the southern islands could offer.

How To Get There

Chonburi and Chachoengsao are short drives from Bangkok, which takes a little over an hour. Travelers wishing to skip BKK can also travel via Suvarnabhumi Airport. Pattaya is less than two hours drive, while Rayong and Prachinburi could be reached by car in less than three hours and Sakaeo just a little longer than that. Chanthaburi is further away, and at about 200 miles from the capital, Trat is within a four-to-five-hour drive of Bangkok.

Main Cities

A popular weekend destination, the province is ideal for a one-day trip for Bangkok residents with Khao Sam Muk, Bang Saen Beach, Nong Mon Market and Sri Racha Tiger Zoo, to name a few. 

Located in Chonburi province, Pattaya has grown from a quiet fishing village as recently as the 1960s into the largest city in Eastern Thailand. It now prides itself as an international beach resort city, famed for its nightlife. The resort city has plenty of modern conveniences, with hotels, shopping malls, bars and clubs, family entertainment and activities for all types of holidaymakers. 

Offshore islands, including Ko Lan, Ko Phai and Ko Kham, offer a little getaway from the bustling Pattaya

Rayong is home to some famous destinations like the tiny island of Samet, which has grown from a camper’s paradise into a resort island in a national marine park with full scale three to four-star accommodations available. The island attracts visitors all year round. The best time though to visit is during October – April. The island, which is mostly part of the Khao Laem Ya–Mu Ko Samet National Park, has many beaches to explore, from more crowded areas to the less developed ones further south.

Rayong is also a seafood lover’s paradise as when it comes to the best seafood in Thailand, most of the fish, prawns, and clams come from the east. 

Home to countless fruit plantations, Trat is better known among tourists for two of its islands: Ko Chang & Ko Kut , the two largest islands with chains of smaller islands scattered around. 

Once home to local fishermen and coconut farmers, Ko Chang gets its name from its elephant-shaped formation. A big island with white-sand beaches, waterfalls and jungle, the island boasts an unusual blend of old-school stilted bungalows, boutique resorts, spas, and coconut-swaying beaches. 

Ko Kut is much quieter than Ko Chang and remains relatively unknown to tourists, filled with a relaxing sense of isolation, and a laid-back vibe, which draws holidaymakers to bask in the sun, dip in the warm, clear water, watch a sensational sunset, or explore a scenic coastline on a kayak.

Chanthaburi 

Chanthaburi is another gem of the Kingdom, fringing the Gulf of Thailand. Chanthaburi is known for precious stone dealing and tropical fruit. While blessed with dense forests, waterfalls and mountains, as well as beaches and sea, the province is also charming culturally. Its Chanthaboon Waterfront community is appealingly capable of drawing visitors who love to embrace its historic small-town vibe and slow-life ambience. Khung Kraben Bay Royal Development Study Center, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Laem Sing and Chao Lao beaches, as well as Khao Khitchakut National Park (where an annual local pilgrimage to worship the Buddha Footprint is held), are among top attractions.  

Chanthaburi is also the province where chan-noodles were originally made. This type of rice noodle is commonly used for pad Thai.

While in Chanthaburi, be sure to visit Chantaboon Waterfront. This small area in the province really comes alive during the weekend. Famous for dessert vendors and Mantis Shrimp Tom Yum Noodle shops (Geow Tiew Gung) that have been local favorites for generations.  Chanthaburi really is a foodie getaway!

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9 of the best islands to visit on Thailand’s east coast

The islands along Thailand’s east coast offer visitors a broad range of experiences with something to appeal to all types of traveller. Whether you’re travelling solo , with your partner or with your family , Thailand’s east coast islands are an excellent choice for a holiday. To help you find the best island for you, here are our suggestions (in alphabetical order) for nine of the best islands to visit on Thailand’s east coast.

Ko Chang is the biggest and best-known island on the East Coast. With a good selection of accommodation options, excellent beaches and plenty to see and do, Ko Chang is a great all-round choice. There’s lots to see and do here for families and the island also makes a great base for couples and solo travellers who are looking to explore some of the other islands that make up the Ko Chang archipelago .

Kayaking, snorkelling and diving are all popular activities on this tropical East Coast island. And with Ko Chang’s interior featuring jungle-clad hills and waterfalls, there are some wonderful hikes waiting to be enjoyed if you can drag yourself away from the beach. And for an insight into the local way of life, travel to Ko Chang’s south or east coast where you will find traditional fishing villages and some wonderful seafood restaurants. Take a kayak ride through the mangrove forests or enjoy a ride on the local gondola-style boats as part of a community based tourism project at Ban Salak Khok .

Ko Kood (also known as Ko Kut) is smaller than Ko Chang, but still enjoys the similar inviting beaches and lovely scenery.

The island sees less tourism compared to Ko Chang and even during the high season Ko Kood remains quiet and the pace of life unhurried. Accommodation on Ko Kood ranges from home-stays in fishing villages through to luxury resorts like the High Season Villa Resort and Soneva Kiri . The latter also offers you a chance to enjoy one of the most romantic dining experiences in Thailand thanks to the innovative, luxury tree-pod dining they provide for guests .

Ko Kradat can lay claim to being one of the most unusual islands in Thailand. And that’s because of the deer who live here. The herd are descendants of the original deer who were introduced to the island by King Rama V in the late 1800s. Ko Kradat is a private island and although visitors must pay an entrance fee, the price does include a tour of the island on a local tractor with stops on the beach and a chance to see the deer.

The island of Ko Larn (known as Coral Island) is often visited as a day trip from nearby Pattaya . With better beaches than its mainland neighbour and an altogether different atmosphere, Ko Larn is a pleasant place to unwind for a few days. While it’s true that Ko Larn does get a lot of day trippers from Pattaya enjoying the noisy jet skis and banana boat rides, most are gone by late afternoon allowing you to enjoy the quiet charms of Ko Larn in the evening and early morning.

Home to around 350 people, Ko Mak is a lovely little island within easy reach of Ko Chang. Rubber trees and coconut palms are a feature of the island landscape and provide the traditional way of living. Nowadays, low-level tourism draws in money to the local economy too, but Ko Mak still keeps its local appeal and community way of life. The beaches might not be quite as stunning as some of the other islands in the Ko Chang archipelago , but the local community here and absence of mainstream development make Ko Mak ideal for a quiet escape.

Ko Samae San

Located in the Sattahip district of Chonburi province, the island of Ko Samae San is almost unknown to overseas tourists. The island flies under the tourist radar because it comes under the control of the Royal Thai Navy and no overnight stays are allowed here. Ko Samae San is one of the islands which is included under a Royal Initiative from HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to protect the island and establish it as an educational centre. The clear waters are ideal for snorkelling or taking a ride on a glass-bottom boat or kayak. Cycling around the island is another way to enjoy the tranquility and pristine beaches.

The number of visitors to Ko Samae San is restricted to 500 people per day with tickets not available to individuals in advance. Tickets can be purchased at the Natural History Museum near Khao Mar Jor pier on the mainland at Sattahip. Foreign visitors are required to show their passport (Thai people must show their ID card) and you may find it easier to enlist the help of a Thai person or registered guide to accompany you to the island.

Easy to reach from the Thai capital, the diminutive island of Ko Samet is always popular on weekends and on public holidays with Bangkok residents and students heading here for a quick beach break. Visit during the week, though, and you will find Ko Samet much quieter. Although there are closer beaches to Bangkok, Ko Samet has better quality sand and clearer waters when compared to the mainland alternatives such as Bang Saen and Pattaya.

Ko Samet is a great choice for travellers making their way along Thailand’s east coast . The influx of Thai visitors at the weekend gives Ko Samet’s main beaches a lively, but not too boisterous party vibe.

Ko Si Chang

The rocky little island of Ko Si Chang is one of the closest to Bangkok, but is often overlooked because it lacks the soft sandy beaches of so many of the other Thai islands. It may be true that Ko Si Chang isn’t what most people would describe as beautiful, but beauty is only skin-deep. The real charm of Ko Si Chang goes beyond the beach.

Experience a working island, sample tasty seafood, and discover what made this a favourite destination for King Rama V who built a summer palace here in the 1890s. Ko Si Chang can be visited on a day trip from Pattaya (or Bangkok) and on arrival at the pier you can book a tour by ’Skylab’ the funky tuk-tuks that will take you to all the main sightseeing spots on the island. But to make the most of the ambiance of Ko Si Chang, try to spend a few nights here and allow yourself to ease into local life.

Another of the delightful islands in the Ko Chang archipelago, Ko Wai is perfect if you want to get away from it all. There are limited facilities on the island and power comes from generators. If you want hi-speed Internet and all mod-cons, Ko Wai isn’t for you. On the other hand, if you want to get off the grid and enjoy a lovely tropical island where there isn’t much to do apart from swim, snorkel and relax, Ko Wai may just tick all the right boxes. If it sounds appealing, but you want to literally test the waters first, try visiting on a day trip from Ko Chang.

Map of Thailand’s east coast

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Fan Club Thailand is all about sharing experiences of Thailand. So, we'd love to hear your stories and see your photographs. If you've got some tips about visiting Thailand, please click below.

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Located on the picturesque shores of Phuket, YONA Beach Club is the first floating beach club in the world. It’s a stylish place to relax, sunbathe, sip cocktails, take a dip in the infinity pool, chill in a private cabana or dance to the beats. 🎥 @thailand_adel

Found in Krabi Province this lesser known attraction, but a truly spectacular sight, is well worth a visit. It’s name is Wat Mahathat Wachirammongkhon, but everyone calls it Wat Bang Thong. A shimmering golden Cheddy stands at 70m tall and it is surrounded by beautiful architecture in an extremely well-kept space. Visitors can while away the hours taking in the intricacy of this cultural gem. Have you been? 🎥 @twotravelingsmiles

🏝️ Are you up for an island hopping adventure? Thailand’s Andaman Coast is home to some of the most gorgeous islands in the country and a great place to start. Leave Phuket and head to Koh Phi Phi, famed for its pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters, and awe-inspiring limestone cliffs, is a traveller’s dream. Check out these top tips from 🎥 @tropic.destination to help you on your way. And let us know what your favourite island hopping experience in Thailand is.

Chiang Mai - the cultural capital of the north and it’s easy to see why in this amazing reel from @montanadarby Historic temples, bustling markets, breath-taking jungle treks, ethical elephant encounters, welcoming local people through to authentic independent cafes and Michelin-starred restaurants. This really is a city NOT to be missed! Let us know if you’ve visited or if you’re planning a trip check out some top tips from @montanadarby

Want to come face to face with some prehistoric creatures? Pay a visit to Dinosaur Valley at Nong Nooch Tropical in Pattaya. These tropical gardens occupy a space larger than some countries, so there’s plenty of room for over 100 of these Jurassic giants to “roam”. 🎥: @anyuta_fabula 📍: Pattaya

Do you have two weeks to spend travelling around Thailand? Here’s an itinerary that’ll enable you to get a glimpse of every region: Begin with four days in the bright lights of Bangkok; followed by four days immersing in the spectacular nature of Chiang Mai; three days exploring the temples in Chiang Rai; and finally three days on the picture-perfect beaches of Koh Samui. What are your travel plans? Let us know in the comments. 🎥: @wisteria_voyage 📍: Across Thailand

The lovely @hannahsummerstravels recently enjoyed a trip to Thailand and on her travels spent some time in Trang. Read on to find out more about her experience…. In Hannah’s words: “Trang, Thailand - a dim sum and dough lover’s dreeeam! This is my ideal destination (local, under the radar) and commission - writing about the town’s obsession with breakfast (and nine meals a day 🫠). Trang is a small, rarely visited town in the south of the country where the locals feast - virtually 24 hours a day - on dim sum, roast pork ‘moo yang’, freshly fried dough with custard, roti and tea and coffee made thick with condensed milk 🤤 It was one of the most exciting, relaxed places places I’ve visited in the country, and should be on every dim sum lover’s Thailand itinerary (so happy that some of you already have plans to go!) We dropped in here on the way to Koh Lanta, an island I LOVED that’s around two hours away (aim for @pimalaikohlanta, more on that later). All the details will be out soon in @natgeotraveluk Food magazine. Thanks to photographer @ulfsvane for making this one extra fun to research 📸 if you’re planning a trip, check out @fanclubthailand and speak to @insideasiatours 🗺️ (always up for hearing about amazing local food stories/spots - send your recs my way!)”

Are you ready for some Michelin-starred cuisine in Bangkok? Book a table at J’aime by Jean-Michel Lorain at U Sathorn, where you’ll be treated to an innovative French tasting menu par excellence. Like if you’re a foodie drawn to the finer things in life. 🎥 @acroxthepond 📍J’aime , Bangkok

Terminal 21 takes you on a trip around the world from one destination – a unique and immersive airport-themed shopping centre in Pattaya. Each of the floors have a different city as its theme, including: Paris, London, Rome, Tokyo, San Francisco and Hollywood. There are even replicas of the Eiffel Tower and Leaning Tower of Pisa. You can shop until you drop with around 600 shops, a cinema, restaurants and a food court with plenty of reasonably-priced food options. 🎥: @onelifetravelwow 📍: Pattaya

Thai New Year, or Songkran, takes place on 13th April, however the holiday period lasts three days. It is often celebrated by a huge water fight, with the water representing purification. It is a time when people reunite with their families and pay their respects to older adults, ancestors and sacred Buddha images. If you’re visiting Thailand during Songkran, you will have an amazing time, but do prepare to get wet. Are you visiting Thailand during Songkran? If so where in the country will you be? 🎥: @gyun_s and @bright.yun_ 📍: Bangkok

Pattaya is more than just its beaches and ‘Walking Street’ – there are so many beautiful spots to visit including cafes, bars, restaurants and attractions. You’ll find a replica of the Eiffel Tower in Terminal 21 Shopping Mall. For those with a sweet tooth, there is Great & Grand Sweet Destination. Soak up the history and spirituality at stunning temples. 🎥: @worldpitou 📍: Pattaya

Koh Ngam is a small island, 400 metres of the southeast of Koh Chang and accessible from there by kayak. The name Koh Ngam means ‘beautiful island’ and in this case it really does live up to its name. With a spectacular double-sided white sandy beach, visitors to Koh Ngam can experience both sunrise and sunset from the same beach. 🎥: @valentin_wie_der_sommer 📍: Koh Ngam

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Best places to visit in thailand.

With a history that spans centuries and an exotic and friendly culture, Thailand welcomes travelers with white sand beaches, bustling cities and world-renowned culinary traditions. But with all that Thailand has to offer, you might be overwhelmed by where to head first. U.S. News considered attractions, seasonality, food options and more to determine the best places to visit in Thailand. Have a favorite? Vote below to help decide next year's list.

Railay Beach

Kanchanaburi province, khao sok national park, hua hin district, khao yai national park.

Chiang Mai in northern Thailand is a welcome reprieve from the commotion of Bangkok. Here, you'll be treated to beautiful, mountainous landscapes and an Old City full of historical temples, such as Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang. Venture outside of the city to Doi Suthep temple for sweeping views of the city below. Night markets are also a must-do in Chiang Mai, so pencil in time for the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar (one of Thailand's oldest and most well-known night bazaars). And no matter what, leave time for a visit to Elephant Nature Park for some rest and relaxation with Thailand's gentle giants.

Thailand's capital city is nothing short of exhilarating. The city offers a hearty mix of big-city bustle and modern sights, such as the Jim Thompson House, alongside ancient attractions, including Wat Arun, Wat Pho and the Grand Palace. Just don't forget to pack modest clothing for visits to sacred sites, or you won't be admitted. While here, be sure to visit the Chatuchak Weekend Market – one of the largest street markets in the world – and eat at some of Bangkok's more than 300,000 street food stalls (some Michelin starred). At night, take in the skyline by exploring the rooftop bar scene.

Phuket is the largest island in Thailand and also the most popular with travelers. The island draws visitors in with its many palm-fringed beaches and relatively low travel costs, including everything from food to hotels. Hit up highly regarded Patong Beach, party the night away in the Patong district or head inland to Phuket Old Town to experience more local culture and find cheaper lodging options. Complete your once-in-a-lifetime trip by taking a long-tail boat tour to other islands in the area to swim, snorkel or scuba dive.

Home to five-star resorts, amazing nightlife and some of Thailand's most beautiful beaches , the island of Ko Samui has something for everyone. When you're not lounging on the white sand, pamper yourself with a luxurious spa treatment, visit an elephant sanctuary or explore ancient temples like Wat Plai Laem and Wat Phra Yai, also known as the Big Buddha Temple. Save time in your schedule for a daytrip to nearby Ang Thong Marine Park, a 42-island archipelago that is accessible via speedboat. Here, travelers can kayak, snorkel and scuba dive.

Although the region was devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Phang Nga has recovered and rebuilt. During the cool (though still relatively hot), dry season (from November to February), tourists descend upon the province to check out protected areas like Mu Ko Surin National Park, one of the best diving sites in Thailand. Hiking and snorkeling are also excellent ways to explore while admiring southern Thailand's natural beauty. Before leaving, don't forget to save time for a visit to Ao Phang-Nga National Park, famous for its caves, emerald green waters and the picturesque James Bond Island.

Railay Beach features four stunning stretches of sand to sink your toes into. Railay West and Phra Nang Beach are two of the peninsula's most popular beach spots, offering luxury resorts, soft sand and jaw-dropping views of limestone cliffs. Tonsai Beach is more laid-back and budget-friendly thanks to its quieter, more removed location. Meanwhile, Railay East, while not great for swimming, is where you'll find some of the area's best nightlife venues. Regardless of which beaches you choose to visit, you'll have access to some of Thailand's best rock climbing locations, plus various walking paths and coral reefs.

Trang's secluded beaches and stunning islands have made it an up-and-coming travel destination. The dramatic surrounding landscapes (think: lush jungles and limestone mountains) contrast beautifully against the beaches' white sands and crystal-clear waters. You can spend days island-hopping to see and do all that Trang has to offer. Top activities you may enjoy include snorkeling around Ko Kradan, swimming to a hidden beach cave on Ko Muk and wandering through Thung Khai Botanical Garden. And after you've gotten your fill of sun and sand, head to one of Trang's 10 districts to immerse yourself in Thai culture.

Ko Phi Phi features some of Thailand's most popular beaches. Phi Phi Don, the larger of the two main islands, is known for its lively party scene, hidden coves and deep coral reefs and gardens that are ideal for snorkeling and diving. Meanwhile, the smaller, uninhabited Phi Phi Leh is where you'll find verdant cliffs surrounding Maya Bay's beautiful beaches, which you may recognize from the Leonardo DiCaprio movie "The Beach." The best time to visit is between November and April, though be prepared for hordes of other visitors during this time.

Situated in northern Thailand, there are countless reasons to visit Chiang Rai. Wat Rong Suea Ten (The Blue Temple) and Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) are two of the city's most popular cultural landmarks, but travelers should also save time for the incredible Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai's iconic all-white temple. After exploring Chiang Rai's architectural wonders, enjoy a boat tour of the Mae Kok River, go shopping at the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar or explore the Baan Dam Museum, a collection of buildings created by artist Thawan Duchanee.

Thailand's third-largest province captivates travelers with its natural beauty. Its diverse landscape – which features everything from seven-tiered waterfalls, rivers and mountains to Neolithic caves and national parks – is ideal for outdoor pursuits, including hiking and rafting. But a trip here wouldn't be complete without visiting some of the area's World War II sites, including the notorious Bridge over the River Kwai. Start your history lesson at the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre, an interactive museum that tells the tragic story of how the Thailand-Burma Railway was built. Then, stop by the JEATH War Museum to see a replica of a prisoners-of-war camp.

Even if you don't consider yourself an outdoorsy person, a trip to Khao Sok National Park is sure to take your breath away. Home to limestone cliffs, awe-inspiring waterfalls and the world's oldest evergreen rainforest, Khao Sok is an incredibly bio-diverse area. Here, you'll find roughly 200 kinds of flora and many different animal species, including tigers, elephants and Southern pig-tailed macaques (monkeys). The park sees a lot of rainfall year-round, so for the best chance of staying dry, time your visit during the dry season, which runs from December to April.

For a vacation full of rich cultural attractions, head to Lampang. Sitting about 70 miles southeast of Chiang Mai, Lampang is known for its horse-drawn carriages, authentic Thai cuisine and ornate temples, including the ancient Wat Phrathat Lampang Luang. Spend some time browsing for souvenirs along Kad Kong Ta, a thoroughfare that turns into a street market on weekends, or learn about the production of the chicken bowl at the Dhanabadee Ceramic Museum. For a one-of-a-kind experience, head to nearby Chae Son National Park, where tourists boil eggs in the park's natural hot springs.

A popular resort destination along the Gulf of Thailand, the Hua Hin District offers a full roster of activities to pick from (think: water parks, golf courses and night markets). Visitors can ride banana boats at Hua Hin Beach or enjoy the views from the top of Khao Takiap hill (just beware the resident wild monkeys). Hua Hin also serves as an excellent jumping off point for daytrips – spectacular sights like the Phraya Nakhon Cave and Kaeng Krachan National Park, the largest national park in Thailand, are located less than 40 miles outside of the city center.

Khao Yai National Park boasts a number of impressive superlatives: It's the oldest and most-visited national park in Thailand, the country's third-largest national park and one of mainland Asia's largest intact monsoon forests. Plus, this stunning national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and features more than 30 miles of hiking trails, some of which lead to breathtaking waterfalls. Keep in mind, though that guides are required for most of the trails. While exploring, you may spot some of Khao Yai's wild residents, including elephants, sun bears and several species of hornbills.

Named Ko Chang (or "Elephant Island" in Thai) because of its elephant-shaped headland, this large island is more secluded than Phuket but no less beautiful. Its west coast is dotted with stunning coastlines (some sandy, some rocky), small towns and a variety of accommodation options, while its interior offers tropical jungles and gushing waterfalls to trek through and to. But remember, Ko Chang's tourism infrastructure isn't as well developed as other Thai islands, so getting here is a bit more of a trek.

Located in southern Thailand near the Malaysian border, Hat Yai is a popular stopover for tourists traveling between the two countries. This cosmopolitan city is a premier shopping hub, boasting several malls, night bazaars and a unique floating market, where travelers can purchase local delicacies and goods from vendors stationed in small boats along a canal. When you're not bargaining for the best price, check out the impressive Phra Maha Chedi Tripob Trimongkol, a temple constructed entirely out of stainless steel. Another can't-miss tourist attraction in Hat Yai is the towering statue Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj, which sits within Hat Yai Municipal Park.

This northeast Thai city is ideal for travelers who prefer a jam-packed vacation itinerary. Start off with a visit to the temple Wat Phothisomphon, then learn about Udon Thani's Chinese heritage at the Thai-Chinese Cultural Center. Other travelers will want to prioritize Udon Thani's natural wonders, which include Nong Prachak Public Park and serene Red Lotus Lake. While you're here, considering making a daytrip to nearby Ban Chiang, a Bronze Age UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important prehistoric settlements in Southeast Asia.

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8 of the best places to visit in Thailand

Dec 16, 2023 • 9 min read

Here are the best places to visit in Thailand © Westend61 / Getty Images

When people think of Thailand , they often think of relaxing on a  pristine beach  with a refreshing cold drink in their hand.

Although Thailand is indeed blessed when it comes to diversions of the sandy persuasion, this country of more than 513 sq km (198 sq miles) also boasts virgin forestland, picturesque mountains, lively nightlife, raucous markets and of course, cities with their own unique histories and cultures. Unlike what many would believe, Thailand is a multifaceted destination, appealing to everyone from the hedonistic foodie to the ascetic seeking enlightenment (and everyone in between).

Fly-and-flop aficionados will of course head to a tropical island , as do most first-timers to the country , dazzled by the variety of destinations peppering Thailand’s waters. Likewise, culture vultures are most suited to big cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai , while nature enthusiasts will be best served by combing through the emerald-green mountains of the kingdom’s north and northeast or the jungles along Myanmar’s border. With decent railway infrastructure, buses, ferries, cars for hire and many airports, it's easy to get around : you just need to choose the places to visit in Thailand that best match your interests.

Best city for food and nightlife

Many travelers to Thailand land in Bangkok only to immediately transfer to another destination. Although that is all well and good, they may be missing out on a city that, in spite of welcoming more tourists than any other city in the world in 2023, remains strangely underrated. After all, Bangkok is the perfect launching pad for day trips to the surrounding region , with floating markets and beaches to the south and popular national parks to the north. That makes it a great place to stay for a couple of days at least before heading to another part of Thailand.

With over 10 million residents, Bangkok is a sprawling megacity. But all it really takes to navigate Bangkok is a little advance preparation. The city’s more than 320,000 restaurants serve a wide range of cuisines from Thai to Ethiopian to Latvian, and its more than 500,000 street food vendors ensure that food is available anywhere in Bangkok 24 hours a day. In Bangkok, or Krung Thep Mahanakorn (the “City of Angels”), the world is your oyster … or chicken satay skewer, or bowl of soup noodles.

Bangkok's bars and clubs offer a surprisingly wide range of styles and drinks. Of the establishments on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list , four are in Bangkok. The city also has a penchant for speakeasy-type places, as well as Japanese-style bars (Japanese being one of Bangkok’s biggest expat communities). If a drink is what you’re after, you will not go thirsty – spring for Q&A Bar’s  Pinkish, a twist on the Negroni with rhubarb and grapefruit gin, the potent Old Fashioned jazzed up with turmeric at Vesper , or go classic with a good, crisp martini at Bamboo Bar .

Planning tip:  Bangkok’s bars and clubs are not permitted to be open all night – in fact, most close at the relatively early time of 1am.

2. Chiang Mai

Best City for Temples

The former capital of the Northern Lanna empire, the Chiang Mai area boasts more than 300 temples. Some, like Doi Suthep , are famous for their stunning viewpoints; others, like Wat Suan Dok , serve as the burial grounds for the ashes of Chiang Mai’s former royal family. The charmingly weatherbeaten Wat Chedi Luang , founded in 1385, enjoys a convenient location smack dab in the middle of the Old Town, while Wat Phra Singh , home of the Lion Buddha, dazzles in the sunlight with its golden stupas. 

But there is plenty to see besides temples. Northern Thai cuisine is unlike any other in Thailand, inspired as it is by Chinese elements and nearly 200 years under Burmese rule. Northern Thais also dress and dance in a distinctive manner, as well as speak their own dialect, called kum mueang. Its many outdoor markets, such as Talat Warorot and Talat Jing Jai, sell food, clothing and knick-knacks that make perfect souvenirs.

Planning tip: Chiang Mai is a great base from which to explore the surrounding mountains, caves and waterfalls, all of which could take at least three days of your trip. From late February to early April, Chiang Mai is usually inundated with smoke from farmers burning land in the mountains to plant their crops. Opt for the Thai “winter” of November to January or the rainy season .

Best island for a blend of cultures

Although it is the biggest island in Thailand,  Phuket hosts an entirely different culture from the rest of the country: a mix of Hokkien Chinese, Thai and Malaysian elements. Hokkien-style fried noodles, o-aew (a jelly made from plant seeds), o-tao (an oyster omelet topped with pork rinds) and moo hong (braised pork belly stew) are all dishes that originated in Phuket and are difficult to find even in the rest of Thailand. Little wonder, then, why Phuket is one of Thailand’s most-visited destinations.

Phuket’s architecture is also unique – evidence of its past when it was ruled by the Portuguese. Sino-Portuguese shophouses, with their distinctive colors, tiles and fusion of both Western and Eastern styles, line the streets of the Old Town and are reminiscent of the shophouses in Penang and Singapore. With its top-tier beaches and Old Town culture, Phuket is perfect for both first-timers and couples and can easily take up a week of your visit.

Planning tip: September to October is Phuket’s rainy season, so try to avoid the island during this time. There are plenty of other great destinations beyond Phuket to consider visiting too.

4. The far north

Best region for hiking

Known as the Golden Triangle, the apex of Thailand’s far north – where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet – has served as a destination for die-hard nature lovers for decades. Be it via motorcycle, mountain bike or simply walking, exploring this area yields not only striking natural beauty but also the chance to visit both Laos and Myanmar (if only, typically, for a short period of time). Once known as a major production spot for opium, the Golden Triangle is now where visitors come to cruise along the Mekong against a spectacular background, camp in moderate (for Thailand) weather, or visit an elephant camp (or all three!)

Sleepy Chiang Rai , the former capital of the Lanna dynasty, is only 9km (6 miles) south of the Golden Triangle, making it an ideal spot from which to trawl through the surrounding area. This city holds its own attractions as well, including the world-famous  Wat Rong Khun , or White Temple, and is worth exploring for a day in itself.

Planning tip: It's a 1.5-hour trip from Chiang Rai to the Golden Triangle. Aside from renting a car, you can hire a taxi or take a bus, which should cost around 950 or 400 baht, respectively.

5. The Upper Gulf

Best region for floating markets

The region south of Bangkok is easily reached from the capital, taking up a mere hour or so of driving (depending on traffic). Here is where you will find Thailand’s most famous floating markets, including Damnoen Saduak (at its busiest in the early morning) and Amphawa (more popular with locals and with a more nightlife-y vibe).

The famous Maeklong Railway Market can also be found here, where vendors pull up part of their stalls to allow a train to (slowly) pass six times a day. In Bang Kachao , called "the green lung of Bangkok" for its proximity to the capital, you can hire a bicycle to roll through the wilderness on concrete passageways, passing over canals hiding monitor lizards and reaching the island’s own floating market, Talat Nam Bang Nam Phueng. You can even take a day trip from Bangkok to the beach for sea breezes and fresh seafood ( Pattaya is only 2 hours away by car or bus, after all).

Planning tip: Besides driving, you can take a taxi, bus and train to sites such as Damnoen Saduak and Ampawa, where you can also stay overnight along the water.

6. Khao Yai National Park

Best for wildlife

A 2.5-hour drive from Bangkok, Khao Yai has been a popular weekend retreat for nature-loving Bangkokians for decades. As a result, the area around the national park – Thailand’s third largest – is generously studded with houses, hotels, restaurants, shops and even amusement parks. Not surprisingly, it is an ideal place to bring the whole family.

The top attraction, of course, is the 2166 sq km (836 sq miles) that comprise Thailand’s most-visited national park. Blessed with a wealth of hiking trails for everyone from a beginner to an experienced trekker, cooling waterfalls and an impressive range of wildlife, including monkeys, leopards, bears and elephants, Khao Yai can provide hours of entertainment for people of any age. Park rangers can be hired to help spot animals by guiding visitors to the places where you're most likely to see them, or to direct them to the best viewpoints or waterfalls nearby.

Planning tip: You should hire a guide ahead of time if you are going wildlife spotting. A park ranger can be found through the park’s website .

7. Ko Samui

Best island for water sports

If you were to picture the ideal tropical island with soft beaches and turquoise water, chances are you would be picturing Ko Samui . Although not as popular as Phuket, Thailand’s second-largest island still lures more than 2 million visitors a year, making it one of the most-visited islands in the country.

Besides its many charming beaches, Samui also hosts Ang Thong National Park , an archipelago of islands perfect for snorkeling and sea kayaking, Na Muang waterfalls for casual swimming, snorkelers' favorite Silver Beach, and countless spots for scuba diving. On-land attractions are also abundant, including fishing villages, golf courses and a surprising number of wellness retreats.

Planning tip: Samui has a surprisingly long “dry” season from December to August when chances of rain are minimal.

8. Ayutthaya and Sukhothai

Best destinations for history buffs

The historic city of Ayutthaya  served as Siam’s capital from the 14th to 18th centuries before it was ransacked by the Burmese. The remnants of that city have since been established as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, perfect fodder for scrambling and exploring. Bike rentals on the edge of the historical park turn Ayutthaya into an even easier place to navigate, making for a pleasant morning of culture/exercise under a canopy of green leaves.

Sukhothai , Siam’s first capital, was built on a smaller scale and also allows bike rentals, making it an ideal hands-on history lesson for families with smaller children. Also a World Heritage site, Sukhothai’s towers and Buddha statues are less visited than its younger sister down south, making it more pleasant for people who prefer to avoid large crowds.

Planning tip: Ayutthaya can be accessed by river boat, which takes up to an hour from Bangkok (less time than driving there). Get to Sukhothai by plane, train and bus or car. 

This article was first published September 2021 and updated December 2023

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Borders Of Adventure

Leading Culture and Adventure Travel Blog by Becki Enright. Looking at the world with a different angle to change perceptions of misunderstood places, for the best in travel.

Adventure Travel , Thailand

Thailand Island Hopping Guide – Choosing the Best Islands to Visit

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to handpicked partners, including tours, gear and booking sites. If you click through or buy something via one of them, I may receive a small commission. This is at no extra cost to you and allows this site to keep running.

East or west coast? How much time? Use this Thailand Island Hopping Guide to map out an adventure across the best Thai islands. 

Don’t have much time but want to see more than one slice of paradise on the best islands in Thailand? Thailand’s islands have always been one of the most popular retreats for travellers, whether to find beauty and solitude, sleep on the beaches, soak up the history and culture of this wonderful, picturesque country or party until the break of dawn.

The main and most difficult decision to make when planning a Thailand Island hopping trip is about where to go.

Which side of the Thai Islands is best?

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Do I go to the east coast island cluster? Should I concentrate on the west coast only? Do I have time to hop across both sides of the Thai peninsula? Is it worth including some time on the mainland?

For many with limited time, Thailand holidays usually consist of a trip to Bangkok, with an island visit or two thereafter. This is the ideal balance, although you will find that with so many places to go in Thailand, one trip to the country won’t ever be enough.

I squeezed in five sandy, sun-drenched hotspots when island hopping for two weeks during a glorious July. 

Thailand tourism exists largely in part to the draw of this incredible cluster of beautiful islands. So if choosing where to go in Thailand is extensive enough, picking out islands is like standing in a sweet shop with dozens of jars, but you can only choose one-third of them.

Though some have been overdeveloped to accommodate the huge growth in tourism, there are still plenty of lesser-frequented areas on the more established Thai islands. The quieter islands have yet to be overrun, ready for some exploration that will make you feel like you’ve landed in paradise.

How do I know? After years of isle escapades and using Bangkok as a short-term home base, I pulled together this Thailand Islands guide so you can start planning your adventure.

Ready to go Thailand Island Hopping? 

Best Islands in Thailand on the West Side (Andaman Sea)

Koh Phi Phi island is an archipelago consisting of six islands. Phi Phi Don is the largest and main island we all know and the only one out of all six islands that is inhabited.

Koh Phi Phi Don Island, Thailand.

Phi Phi island doesn’t attract a specific kind of traveller since it hosts a wide range of accommodation options from hostels to exclusive resorts, which all give easy access to the beautiful beaches and ensure that backpackers, flashpackers and luxury holidaymakers are all catered for.

For those not on too much of a budget, Phi Phi’s more exclusive Long Beach is the most secluded on the busy side of the island. 

Koh Phi Phi Long Beach Resort.

A full-day boat trip around Koh Phi Phi and Koh Phi Phi Leh’s surrounding natural environment proves how stunning this now-popular Thai island is. 

Although if you are seeking out some solitude, try trekking to the ‘Viewpoint’. It is well signposted on Koh Phi Phi island – a strenuous but short trek which gives you incredible views over the landscape of ever-changing hues of blue and green.

BOOK → Phi Phi Boat Trips

Sunset Longtail Boat Tour – Embark on a full-day sightseeing tour around the Phi Phi Islands, making eight scenery-packed stops. You’ll get to snorkel in emerald waters and see the marine life, visit Bamboo Island, Mosquito Island, and Monkey Beach, and take a journey to the famed Maya Bay. 

Private Longtail Boat Charter – With a bunch of friends and want to choose where and what you want to visit? This half-day boat tour around the Phi Phi archipelago allows that flexibility. 

Boat Tour From Phuket or Speedboat Tour From Krabi – Not staying in Koh Phi Phi, but still want to visit? Given the proximity to the mainland coast and other islands, you’ll find plenty of day trips from Phuket and Krabi that get you to the best beaches and famous bays around Koh Phi Phi Leh, including a stop at Phi Phi Don for lunch. 

Boat trip around Koh Phi Phi Leh.

The main draw for many visitors is the second-largest island of Phi Phi Leh – the uninhabited national park home to The Beach film location of Maya Bay, which reopened after a long closure to allow the environment and ecosystem to recover. 

However, the area as a whole is still incredibly beautiful and should be seen. Head to Phi Phi’s outer islands and coves to escape the crowds, such as Pileh Lagoon, for a chance to swim in absolute serenity, or head for Monkey Island if you want to spot some primates as part of your visit. These highlights are typically included on a trip to Maya Bay. 

READ MORE: Visiting The Beach in Thailand – Maya Bay Opens Responsibly

The famous Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Leh.

Although Phuket continues to be incredibly popular with overseas visitors, it remains a popular choice for resort-focused travel. Most activity tends to focus solely on its most popular Thailand beach resorts of Patong, Kata and Karon. While they are, admittedly, great destinations, there’s far more to Phuket .

A place where you’ll be surprised once you dig deeper into its Chinese and Indian history, get lost in local markets and seek out secluded viewpoints away from the busy and saturated tourism areas.

The colourful Chinese temples of Phuket’s old town.

It’s also an ideal island to use as a base to explore the surrounding areas, such as the popular James Bond Island and particularly from the southern tip at Rawai, where moored longtail boats can take you to peaceful nearby islands regularly. It’s a welcome break from the tacky tourist atmosphere that engulfs its reputation.

Other islands close to Phuket include Koh Racha, a tranquil island surrounded by azure waters, with two white sandy beaches, and Koh Hae, which translates to ‘Coral Island’. Named so because just off its beach is an incredible reef. These islands have become popular for short excursions, although they are well worth it. Make the most of snorkelling opportunities for marine life overload.

BOOK → Phuket Day Trips and Tours

Catamaran trip to Coral and Racha Islands . Board a luxury catamaran and relax on deck as you sail to the white sand beaches of Koh Hae and Koh Racha (Coral and Racha Islands). Swim, snorkel and bathe on these stunning islands close to Phuket. 

Snorkelling in the Surin Islands . Head north of Phuket to the Surin Islands, which are part of Mu Ko Surin National Park. Meet the local Sea Gypsy Moken villagers and snorkel in Nemo Bay, Mai Yai Gulf, and the Tao Gulf. 

James Bond Island Luxury Sunset Cruise . Day trip to James Bond Island and the limestone formations of Phang Nga Bay and Hong Island in luxury on a boat that includes comfy sunbeds, a bar and DJ, and a sunset dinner. 

Phuket Guided ATV Tour . Those looking to get out into the rugged nature of Phuket can join this ATV tour through the forests at the foot of the mountains on a journey that includes the chance to see the 45-metre-high Great Buddha of Phuket. 

Visiting James Bond Island from Phuket.

Day trip to Koh Yao from Phuket for some snorkelling and kayaking adventures.

Hire a moped to explore Koh Lanta – a fairly untouched island off the coast of Krabi with a stunning 27-mile coastline. The Mu Ko Lanta National Park is perfect for adventurers, where snorkelling and wildlife opportunities are rife. Alternatively, if you want your piece of uninhabited paradise, a boat trip to nearby Koh Rok Nok and Rok Nai isn’t out of the question.

It’s worth spending more than two days on Koh Lanta to make the most of the long travel time here, including the two-three hour ferry from Krabi and the time it takes to overland to your specific destination on the island upon arrival (which can be anything from one hour or more).

BOOK → Activities in Koh Lanta

4-Island Adventure Tour to Emerald Cave . Want to see Ko Lanta’s most beautiful outer islands? Take this speedboat tour to the Emerald Cave on Koh Mook, Koh Kradan and Koh Chuak for snorkelling and the beaches of Koh Kradan and Koh Ngai for bathing. 

Speedboat tour to Koh Rok and Koh Haa. Head out to Koh Rok and Koh Haa, two islands south of Koh Lanta and home to some of the region’s best snorkelling spots. 

Tung Yee Peng Village Eco-Tour . Journey through the lush mangrove jungle on a gondola and visit the Tung Yee Peng village to enjoy a home-cooked lunch. 

Further south, bordering the Malacca Strait and neighbouring Malaysia’s Langkawi Island, Koh Lipe is still one of the few Thai islands that haven’t become over-developed, maybe because it’s not as easy to get to from the Andaman Coast islands. However, this tiny getaway is not unknown. 

Not only do you have three white sand beaches to choose from, including the popular and more lively Pattaya Beach, alongside Sunrise and Sunset beach, but the island offers world-class reef diving, being situated next to Tarutao National Marine Park – one of Thailand’s best and most conserved. 

BOOK → Koh Lipe Day Trips

Full Day Lipe Islands and Beaches Tour . See Lipe’s outer islands (also known as the Outside Zone) by Longboat on a full-day tour, including Yang Island’s coral reefs and Sand Khao beach on Ravi Island. 

Island-Like Destinations on the Andaman Coast 

Limestone pillars, lush mangroves, wide waters and ruggedly stunning coastline – Krabi feels like an island, except it’s the waterside paradise of a rural town. The main sandy stretches here are Ao Nang beach, Tonsai beach and the star, Railey beach (also known as Rai Leh) – a peninsula hideaway and a haven for rock climbers, typically scaling the jagged mounds while others bathe in the corner coves. If you only have time to visit one beach, this would be it. 

Traditional long boats are coastline taxis taking you from one bay to another.  

Rugged, untouched, Krabi coastline on Thailand’s mainland.

Krabi’s twin mountains (Khao Khanap Nam) on the Krabi River.

If you are not moving on to the larger islands like Phi Phi and Phuket, Krabi is the ideal base to explore the smaller islands that splay across the Andaman sea in between the big hitters. 

BOOK → Krabi Tours

7 Islands Sunset Tour. This longtail boat tour takes you to seven small islands near Krabi. Swim the corals and sandy coves of Koh Yawasam, view the chicken-shaped rock at Koh Kai, enjoy the beach at Koh Tub, swim in the glistening waters of Koh Tan Ming before a sunset BBQ dinner off the bay of Koh Poda beach, ending with a glowing plankton swim in the waters off Koe Raeng. 

Day Trip to the Hong Islands. See some of the islands close to Krabi on this day trip to the Koh Hong islands of Pakbia, Rai, Lahding and Daeng. A chance to snorkel and swim in this lesser-known area and crystal-water paradise. 

Rock Climbing Session on Railey Beach. Want to try rock climbing in one of Thailand’s prime spots for this sport? Enjoy a 4-hour morning or afternoon course with an instructor as you clamber up the famed limestone cliffs. 

Rocky, off-beat, Railey Beach in Krabi.

Krabi’s beaches and forested backdrop make it feel like a secluded island.

Thailand Island Hopping on the East Side (Gulf of Thailand)

Koh Tao has the perfect balance of gorgeous Thai beaches and a great buzz without being too raucous or ruined. The main nightlife is centred around two main beach bars and two or three in town, which shut down at a decent hour.

It’s the most popular and cheapest Thailand island for diving and snorkelling, with a whole host of companies able to take you out to two or three stunning hotspots for the day. 

BOOK → Koh Tao Diving

Koh Tao Diving Experience. Not looking to sign up for a full course but want to try diving on Thailand’s prime scuba diving island? This full-day experience gives you a taster. You’ll get a safety briefing, take a short test, and then head out on the dive boat to begin your journey in the shallow bay waters to a maximum depth of 12 meters. 

The bustle of Koh Tao town.

Sairee Beach on Koh Tao Island

Ko Pha Ngan is most famous for its out-of-control full moon party at Haad Rin Beach, which has come to epitomise a negative image of Thailand travel. Still, it remains a must-do right of passage on the well-worn backpacker’s trail. As one who has never been too keen on attending, I attended a Half Moon Party on the same beach instead, which was smaller, less chaotic, but still great fun. Also, check the schedules for the Black Moon Parties in the nearby forest.

However, not all of Koh Pha Ngan has been sacrificed in the name of hedonistic ruin. If you head to the opposite side of the island, you will find the two quiet beaches of Thong Nai Pan on the northeast coast, complete with secluded bungalows.

Haad Tien is a more remote beach, which you can only reach by boarding a boat to the east of Haad Rin. For those who are more adventurous, you will be rewarded by the beaches of Haad Yao and Haad Salet following a scenic mountain trek.

Don’t rule this island out because of its party reputation. There’s far more to it if you are curious enough to dig deeper. 

Ko Samui is one of the best-known Thai resort islands, attracting around one and a half million visitors annually. Known more for its upmarket resorts ideal for romantic getaways and family holidays, Koh Samui has it all. The island retains a lively trade in coconuts and rubber despite the huge tourist industry.

As Thailand’s second-largest island, it’s not only beaches and fisherman villages that await you but the backdrop of the tropical jungle, Khao Pom, which makes up the central part of the island.

Samui has a nearly impenetrable jungle mountain, inviting the bravest and most adventurous to try their hand at exploring the depths.

If you want to combine sunbathing with a jeep safari or a mini-trek, Samui comprises some of the best Thailand island life. Just expect to pay a little bit more than you would elsewhere.

BOOK → Koh Samui Excursions

Ang Thong Marine Park Islands Sailing Cruise. Sail around the 42 limestones islands of the Mu Ko Ang Thong Marine Park on a beautiful classic Thai yacht. Enjoy sea kayaking and snorkelling and a visit to the Emerald Lagoon. 

4×4 Jeep Wild Jungle Safari Tour. This half-day tour is an adventure into the mountainous jungle of Koh Samui. Whiz around island highlights, including the famed Grandfather/Grandmother Rocks, the mummified monk statue and the iconic Big Buddha, while getting to some of the best mountain-top viewpoints. 

How to Get Around the Thailand Islands

There are plenty of options for travel when it comes to visiting the Thai islands. However, you will still need to factor in a route based on your overall decision on where to go in Thailand since there are many things to do on the mainland and island clusters combined .

Some people fly into Bangkok, others begin their journey further south on the mainland in Pattaya or Krabi, or people fly directly to an island and begin island hopping straight away. 

Thailand island airports can be found in Phuket and Koh Samui – popular entry islands for this reason. 

Whether you go island hopping or combine the best of the mainland with the pick of the island crop, or if you are looking for an action-packed island hopping tour, you can pre-book full-service packages to Thailand or choose to do it alone.

Independent travel to the Thai islands means randomly traversing the many scheduled ferries and buses that take you across these vast lands.

Pre-plan. For detailed timings and costs for trains to the mainland and connecting ferries, visit The Man in Seat 61 , which I found the most useful online source for planning and looking at mainland towns and their connecting ferry ports.

For lists of ferry departures between destinations . Check the Thai Ferry schedules in each location, especially at the ports. Nearly every guesthouse I stayed at listed ferry links and transport information, with many booking ferry tickets for you for a 50 Bhat commission – I found it very easy to book myself when at the port and save money.

Book Thailand Ferry Tickets Online

This can be helpful if you want to secure a seat on a popular route or ensure you get a ticket for a specific time. 

I have used Direct Ferries in Europe and Asia – it’s a world leading ferry booking website, and its main feature is comparing the cheapest ferry tickets and best ferry routes that suit your budget and schedule. Here are some popular routes and average ticket prices. 

Compare Thailand Direct Ferries . 

Krabi (Klong Jilad Pier) to → Koh Phi Phi (Tonsai Pier) .

• Journey time: one hour. Tickets: Around $27 

Koh Phi Phi (Tonsai Pier) to → Phuket (Rassada Pier) .

• Journey time: Up to 90 minutes. Tickets: Around $20

Koh Phi Phi (Tonsai Pier) to → Koh Lanta (Saladan Pier) .

• Journey time: Up to 45 minutes. Tickets: Around $15. 

Phuket (Rassada Pier) to → Koh Lanta (Saladan Pier)

• Journey time: Up to 90 minutes. Tickets: Around $40.

Koh Samui (Bangrak Pier) to → Koh Phangan (Thong Sala Pier)

• Journey time: Up to 45 minutes. Tickets: Around $11.

Koh Phangan (Thong Sala Pier) to → Koh Tao (Mae Haad Pier)

• Journey time: Up to one hour. Tickets: Around $11.
• Journey time: Up to two hours. Tickets: Around $20.

A popular platform covering travel across the continent, 12Go Asia is also a great platform to find the fastest routes and cheapest tickets for buses, trains and ferries.

Taking a ferry to the next Thai Island.

Hotels, Hideaways and Island Resorts in Thailand

As a popular destination, there’s a whole variety of ways to travel in Thailand, from budget to blowout, organised to free spirit, all of which can be readily sourced and easily planned. And with plenty of islands to choose from (many of which I have yet to explore), island hopping is still a popular adventure that never gets old. Need more help planning day-by-day? Check out these suggested itineraries for Thailand and the Islands .

Enjoying a Thailand island hopping boat trip

What islands in Thailand will you choose?

About Becki

Becki Enright is a British Travel Press Award-winning writer whose work focuses on changing perceptions about misunderstood aspects of destinations. Her writing combines storytelling with insight into the social, historical, political and economic factors that shape the country or place in relation to tourism. Becki has appeared live on Sky News and CNN and has contributed to high profile media including National Geographic, Time.com, Guardian online, New York Times, Grazia and Buzzfeed.

7 September 2023 at 10:53 pm

Thinking of going to Koh samui from phi phi. Is it a long journey? Or failing that should we stay in phi phi for nye or krabi? I know samui would be better for nye but worried about the travel

8 September 2023 at 12:54 pm

You can use the transport/route planner and booker on the article to work out timings, distances and dates to see what works best for you.

Nicole Vermeulen says

1 June 2023 at 11:49 pm

Hi, I’ve just read this and great info. We are wondering if its worthwhile travelling down to Langkawi, Can we fly into Phuket from Australia, travel by boat to Langkawi, then fly out of Langkawi to home? Or do we need to provide proof of exiting Thailand before we fly in. Is a flight out of Malaysia to Australia proof enough? I’m wondering if this worth it, we would have to change money from Baht to Ringit.

2 June 2023 at 5:03 pm

I think there is immigration on either side of the ferry journey, which will be proof of entry and exit, but you will need to ask those on the ground when there on how it works now. Alternatively look up ferry terminals and time, and read up on any immigration points there. I cannot give that advice.

Myriam says

2 February 2023 at 3:12 pm

Hello, Thank you for this island guide, it did help a lot in choosing which islands I will visit on my first trip to Thiland next month. I travel solo and I’ll buy my ferry tickets when I’m there, deciding each morning what to do with my day, but I’m one of those people that will travel with a suitcase (and not a backpack like all the young ones 😉 Is it easy to take the ferry with luggage? Do they charge you for it like on planes? Can it get wet? Thanks a million for your help!

2 February 2023 at 4:19 pm

Yes, you can take a suitcase. You leave it at a designated place on the ferry where the luggage is stored, or if it’s a smaller ferry, you’ll likely have it next/near to you. There was no charge from memory, but we only had one big bag each. Some ferry companies may charge extra for additional or overweight luggage, but there should be an overview of that with each ferry company (if they have additional luggage fees). It is worth having some waterproof cover in case you keep it with you and you have a semi-open seat to the elements – and especially when using longboats for shorter transfers. Have the best time on the Thai islands!

4 January 2023 at 2:55 pm

Thinking of going for a month to visit a few islands and spend maybe 4/5 days in each resort so would need a good plan like where is the best places to stay preferably beach cabin or hotel ect

4 January 2023 at 3:46 pm

I preferred staying in beach cabins and huts – usually better if on a lower budget and ideal if you are coming and going a lot. You might want to mix in a hotel here and there for a spot of luxury and more comfort. The best bet is to work out what you want to do on each island and marry the accommodations accordingly – where you want to be based on bigger islands, for example.

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Northeast Thailand: the Best Things to See and Do in Isaan

What inland Isaan – the largest region in Thailand – lacks in beaches, it more than makes up for with landscapes and sights. It cradles some of the most beautiful temples you’ll encounter in the Land of Smiles – in spectacular landscapes to boot. The food is remarkable and people here love welcoming visitors. Ready to head up to the remote and romantic northeast of Thailand ? Here are some of the best things to see and do as you journey through dramatic Isaan.

Feeling inspired? You can now visit Thailand with Culture Trip by joining our specially curated small-group trip to Northern Thailand or Southern Thailand .

1. Tuck into som tam

Restaurant, Thai

Khon Kaen city’s favourite local restaurant, Kai Yang, has a huge menu of Thai standards and regional dishes. Top choice is the grilled chicken, served with spicy Thai salad – made from shredded green papaya, beans, garlic, peanuts, cucumber seasoned with lots of lime juice. Papaya was introduced into Ayutthaya in the 16th century by the Portuguese, but Isaan locals regard it as one of their own special dishes, so there’s nowhere better to try it.

2. Trek through Khao Yai National Park

Natural Feature, Park, Hiking Trail

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4. Browse the Saveone night market

The largest open-air market in Isaan is a 10-minute tuk tuk ride from the centre of Nakhon Ratchasima, the biggest city in Isaan. Aim to spend a day wandering by the stalls and kiosks or, better still, a night: Saveone comes alive after dark when flaming woks flash and crowds hunt for bargains and after-work street food. A portion of pad Thai will cost you mere coins – and as for clothes and electronic accessories, they’re as cheap and varied as at the Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok.

5. Visit the awe-inspiring Phanom Rung

Park, Hindu Temple

6. Discover Sala Kaew Ku

Park, Historical Landmark, Architectural Landmark

Sala Kaew Ku is home to some of the most visually striking statues in Thailand: traditional icons of the Theravada Buddhist religion include the Buddha and the nationally symbolic seven-headed naga serpent. There are many more scenes on display – look for an elephant among a pack of dogs, a lesson in ignoring gossip. You’ll see statues rising 82ft (25m) into the sky, and learn fascinating details about Thai and Buddhist culture.

7. Climb the mountain to see Wat Phu Tok

Natural Feature, Buddhist Temple

It translates, roughly, as temple of the mountain – and that’s exactly what you’ll find at Wat Phu Tok, a temple rising more than 1,000ft (305m) into the sky. Get here before the day gets too hot, so you can tackle the seven levels of the mountain – the number symbolises Buddhism’s seven levels of spiritual enlightenment. The ladders, steps and platforms might look daunting, but it’s not too challenging – and you’re rewarded with curious caves along the way, as well as great views at the top.

8. Join the Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival

Architectural Landmark, Natural Feature

Coinciding with Thailand’s Asanha Bucha national holiday is Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival. Huge, ornately carved beeswax candles – the biggest you’ll ever see – are paraded through town, judged on their beauty and design as they’re transported to temples. There’s a party atmosphere and market stalls to rummage through.

9. Spend the day at Korat Zoo

This bustling menagerie, with shows and an upbeat waterpark, is the largest of its kind in Thailand, and a top ticket for kids, parents, and even grandparents. Rest assured you’re visiting one of the most ethically sound animal attractions in the country – the focus is on animal welfare, and wildlife preservation is a key mission statement. So relax and enjoy the creatures on display, among them lions and rhinos, plus the waterpark rides and pools.

10. Be awed by the Than Thip waterfall

Natural Feature

Northeastern Thailand isn’t short on natural beauty, but Than Thip waterfall surely nets the gold medal. Just beyond Isaan, near the Mekong river, it’s a doddle to do for a day trip. Immersed in thick, atmospheric Thai jungle, it’s the highest in the province. One of the main reasons for coming is to take a cooling plunge after that hot and sticky journey here – of course, it’s terrific Instagram material. Top tip: think twice about visiting at weekends or once schools finish, when the crowds swell.

Alex Robinson contributed additional reporting to this article.

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Thailand Islands to Visit: Ultimate Guide to the Thai Islands

By Ashley   |    Updated On: December 1, 2023   |   4 Comments

This post may be sponsored or contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.

If you’ve begun trying to figure out which Thailand islands to go to already, you’ve probably learned that Thailand has OVER A THOUSAND islands. Actually over 1,400. And some of them go by TWO names to make it even more confusing. And I feel your pain. Making this guide and going back over all the information I’ve collected is making my head spin again , because there’s just so. many. islands.

When I first booked my flight to Thailand , I was so overwhelmed by the information out there. I googled probably a hundred islands trying to figure out which were the most beautiful, which were the most accessible and which ones I could afford. It was information overload and extremely hard to keep track of islands.

I’ve spent two months in Thailand going to various islands and different areas. I have obviously not been to all of the possible Thai islands, but I have been to quite a few. And the ones that I haven’t been to, I’ve done quite a bit of research on.

So, which Thailand Islands should you visit?!

First things first. You have to decide what area you want to go to. If you’ve read my First-Timer’s Guide to Thailand , you’ll know you’ve got several options. There are islands on the Andaman Sea side of Thailand and in the Gulf of Thailand. So here’s how I’m going to break it down:

• Northern Islands- Around Pattaya and Rayong in the Gulf of Thailand
• Trat Islands- The islands around Trat in the northern Gulf
• East Coast Islands- These are the islands along the east side of Thailand in the lower part of the Gulf
• West Coast Islands- The islands that are peppered down the west side but are north of Phuket
• Southern Islands- Islands around Phuket and south of Phuket.

This picture will help to explain the regions and I partly made it to help myself keep track of them.

Below are the islands and regions you may be considering. I’ve scoured many, many blogs and gathered information from my own experiences and experiences from others. So occasionally, I may just write the notes I had written down to give you a better idea of what that island is like, especially if I haven’t personally been there.

*For island names, people use ‘Ko’ or ‘Koh’. To my knowledge, they both mean ‘island’ and are used similarly. If there are parenthesis, it means I’ve seen both names for one island and I don’t know which one is used more often. Or maybe they just have two names, I really don’t know but it sure makes the planning process that much more fun.

The Trat Islands

How to get there: A flight to Trat is about $120. Not bad, but when you compare it to the bus…you’re looking at about 5 hours on a coach bus for around 200 baht ($6.40). Once there, you’ll need to take a ferry to one of the islands. Koh Chang is only a 30 min ferry ride, Koh Mak an hour ferry further and Koh Kood an hour ferry further from Koh Mak.

There are actually two Koh Chang’s, but this is the larger of the two, the one that comes up when you google it and the one that most people are talking about when they talk about Koh Chang.

Koh Chang is a pretty big Thailand island in the Gulf near Trat. It’s about the size of Koh Samui. You will definitely need to rent a motorbike to get around as there are many different areas to explore. For the most part, there is one main road to get around the island, but it’s shaped more like a ‘U’ rather than a loop.

There are different areas to stay and it depends on how close or far you want to be from any of the main beaches. We stayed at a bungalow a little ways away from things, but close enough to visit by motorbike.

There are waterfalls, hiking and the jungle. There’s also affordable bungalows and resorts, cute restaurants, beach bars and in some areas, a thriving party scene. It’s more developed on this island than the following.

There are a few smaller islands between Koh Chang and Koh Maak, one of them being Ko Kham. Our much smaller ferry boat actually dropped someone off at Koh Kham, but it was the only small island we stopped at (otherwise the boats go between Koh Chang, Koh Maak and Ko Kut). It is very small and from the looks of it, much more rustic.

Koh Mak (Koh Maak)

The smallest of the three main islands is Koh Mak, a low key, flat island. You can cycle through coconut plantations, discover hidden beaches and kayak to another small Thailand island, Koh Rayang Nok (though it’s currently being developed and may soon be private).

It’s more of a ‘local’ place where you’ll find local restaurants to eat at, quiet places to relax and a laidback vibe that’s off the beaten tourist path. This is a Thai island with no 7/11s and no ATMs, so make sure you have plenty of cash on you for your stay.

Koh Kood (Ko Kut)

The medium-sized island of the three is Koh Kood, and it’s a nice mix between the two. It’s not as low-key as Koh Mak but definitely not as large as Koh Chang. I read where the accommodations were more expensive here but we ended up in a nice bungalow that was hardly more than what we paid at other islands.

The boat ferry drops you off at a long pier in front of a beautiful beach. It’s a little surreal arriving here. This Thai island caters a bit more toward the resort side of tourism rather than the backpacker crowd, but still a great island to explore. It’s also off the beaten path because it takes some effort to get to.

The East Coast Thailand Islands

How to get there: There IS an airport on Koh Samui island, but it will run you about $255 for a flight and there aren’t as many flights. Otherwise, there’s an airport in Surat Thani which is the city on the coast, nearest to Koh Samui. You can fly into Surat Thani for about $34 and then take a ferry from there. Or if you really want to budget, take a bus for 10 hours from Bangkok for about $14 and then take the ferry.

These three islands are (somewhat) in a row, with Koh Samui being the first and largest of the three islands, Koh Phangan being the second and second largest, and Koh Tao being the third and smallest. There are ferries running between all 3 and it’s easy to island hop.

This island is often called the honeymoon island. It’s a pretty large island and has many different beaches, resorts and areas to explore. You can definitely find some really pretty places here and some great beaches. It’s a popular island for honeymooners because it’s pretty and because of the resort amenities.

It’s also a pretty large island. You can (and need) to rent a motorbike to get around the island to explore more. There are waterfall hikes to go on and lively bar areas to hang out at.

There were some pretty places there, but it wasn’t my favorite. Maybe because I was a single girl at the time and there were a lot of couples there. It was also a bit more overwhelming to explore traveling solo here.

Koh Phangan (Koh Pha Ngan)

Koh Phangan is your Full Moon Party destination. And don’t worry, if you don’t end up making it for the Full Moon Party, there’s always the Half Moon Party, Black Moon Party, Jungle Party, Pool Party…get the picture? There’s a party probably every day if that’s what you’re looking for. Expect lots of backpackers, neon clothes and body paint!

While it is a party island, that’s not all there is to do here. It’s a mountainous island with some lesser visited places. Rent a motorbike to explore the beaches that are further from the full moon beach and explore the quieter side of the island.

We had been told about a particular beach that was rather secluded and down a bumpy dirt road and we were the only ones on it. You might also find less crowds in some places because everyone’s either at a day party or too hungover to explore.

This Thailand island is known for scuba diving. Thailand happens to be one of the cheapest places in the world to get PADI certified and divers flock to Koh Tao for the reefs and the dive schools. I knew before even going that this was where I wanted to get certified. I spent 5 days doing my PADI course on Koh Tao and had a blast doing it.

The island of Koh Tao is smaller, easy to walk to most places and they have the famous crooked palm trees over the beach. There are beach bars right next to the sand and it’s just an easy going, fun island. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a party island but it does have some places that get pretty lively at night.

Koh Nang Yuan

This small island is just off Koh Tao and is really 3 smaller islands connected by sand bar beaches. Most people go here for a day trip as I believe accommodation is limited to maybe one place. There is a boat service from Koh Tao that can take you there and back.

The West Coast Thai Islands

How to get there: If you plan on going to the islands towards the North, I’d take a bus from Bangkok and make your way down the island. Otherwise, I’d fly to Phuket first (for about $40) and take a bus up the coast. Since they are scattered down the coast and some are further away from the mainland, it can be a little harder to get to some of these.

This Ko Chang (not to be confused with the Koh Chang near Trat) is the lesser known of the two. And due to the fact that they share names, it’s rather hard to find out anything about this northern, mystery island unless you’ve been there, which I have not.

This Ko Chang is a pretty small, untouched island that only gets a few hours of electricity at night with very few amenities on the island. Much, much different than the other Koh Chang, so you don’t want to get them confused.

This island in the north is a more recent discovery for tourists. Some say it was what Koh Samui used to be before the crowds. But I also wrote down that the pictures in google weren’t too impressive. However, it looks to be a more rustic island, with laid-back beach bars and some quiet bungalows along the water.

The Similan Islands

From Phuket, the Similan Islands are about a 2-3 hour bus ride north to Khao Lak (which is not an island but a coastal town). Then from Khao Lak, the Similan islands are an hour an a half away on a big speed boat that goes fast over the open water. Barf bags were passed out to everyone because of how rough the ride is and several people had to move to the back…just in case!

The island chain consists of 9 islands, 3 of which are a conservation area. They are gorgeous Thailand islands but there were many, many boat tours and the amount of tourists flocking the islands was not very enjoyable.

You’re definitely able to find a little corner for some people-free photos, but don’t be fooled by the strategic camera angles–you will be here with quite a few other people. They do include lunch on the tour as well but it was kind of like herding sheep–very touristy.

Surin Islands

From my understanding, the Surin Islands are probably quite similar to the Samilan Islands in terms of beauty and accessibility. Except the Surin Islands are a 3 hour bus ride north of Phuket and then a 3 hour ferry…so a little bit further away but that could mean less crowded.

The Samilan islands were stunning so if this is a less crowded version, it might be worth it. You can also stay on these islands, which you should–considering the long boat ride over. There are tents and bungalow options.

The Southern Thailand Islands

How to get there: Take a flight from Bangkok to Phuket for about $40. Phuket is technically an island itself with a main road that connects it to the mainland. A lot of people decide to fly to Phuket (the 10ish hour bus ride is always an option) and use Phuket as a jump off place for the rest of the southern Thai islands.

Firstly, Krabi is NOT an island, but if people are going to the southern islands, they will likely stay in Phuket or Krabi and take day trips from there, so it’s worth mentioning. Some of the best places to stay in Krabi are right along the beach too. Krabi is laid back with temples to explore and arguably better beaches than Phuket.

I’d say for people who have been to both Krabi and Phuket, the general consensus is that Krabi is better. I chose to stay here rather than Phuket because I had read that it was a little more laid-back and local feeling.

If there’s one place people have heard of in Thailand, it’s Phuket. It’s a very popular island for tourism and I’d even venture out saying that most people go to Phuket on their first time to Thailand and take day trips from here. After reading about it online from many blogs and forums, I decided to skip it entirely and I’ve only ever just used it to fly in and out of and stay the night on the way back from the islands. So why did I skip it?

Here’s what I wrote down when I was researching islands: overcrowded and dirty feel. One blog said it was a waste of two days and they didn’t take any pictures. Another said it was touristy, trashy and the restaurants were expensive. And I know it’s always one opinion against another, but my general thoughts were that there were better places to spend my time. Plus I wanted to get to some of the smaller islands to explore instead.

As I mentioned before, people usually choose Phuket OR Krabi as their home base to then take trips to the other nearby islands. I just decided to choose Krabi instead.

BUT I do think there probably are some nice areas in Phuket and definitely some nice resorts to stay at if your budget allows. (I’ve only traveled Thailand as a backpacker–so I would have been on the more dingier side of the island I’m sure.) I’d likely explore here the next time I return because it is popular and usually it’s for a reason.

Raya Islands (Racha Islands)

These can be day trip islands from Phuket. Accommodation here is very limited with only a handful of options which, I believe, might only be open during high season. You can also walk most everywhere on these islands.

Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai

These islands are only about 25 minutes from Phuket. Koh Yao Noi is a National Park, “highly photogenic” (according to another blog) and is more developed that Koh Yao Yai with budget options and resorts.

Koh Yao Yai is a slower paced island, less developed and has a lot of fishing/farming on the island. There are select options for accommodation with most being at a mid-range to high cost.

Khao Phing Kan Island aka the James Bond Island

This island became famous in The Man With The Golden Gun and will forever probably be nicknamed James Bond Island. It is a day trip from Phuket to see the famous movie location and famous rock jutting out near the beach. The island is pretty small which is why it’s usually a stop on boat tours.

Ko He (Coral Island)

Coral Island is another day trip island from Phuket. Not to be confused with the other Coral Islands out there! I feel like most of the Coral Islands are smaller and mostly for day trips.

Poda Island (Ko Poda), Tub Island & Chicken Island

Poda Island is part of a National Park, but I’m lumping these 3 together because they are most often sold as day trips together with Phra Nang Cave. You can visit all four places from Phuket and I’m going to assume Krabi as well. You can book boat tours all over either at a street stand or through a hostel/hotel.

Koh Phi Phi

You might have heard of a Koh Phi Phi Don and a Koh Phi Phi Le. To me, there’s only one and it’s Koh Phi Phi Don because it’s the only one that’s inhabited. Koh Phi Phi Le is uninhabited and only for day trips. And I’ve also never heard it referred to as Koh Phi Phi Don…it’s usually just Koh Phi Phi.

Koh Phi Phi is the gateway to Maya Bay (filming location of The Beach) and Monkey Beach (beware the beer guzzling monkeys.) Seriously though…you don’t want to pay for an $800 rabies shot. Not me–but I know people who have had to get them. The monkeys are quite vicious (mean drunks) and tend to get in fights with each other and steal things from tourists. Even if you don’t want to give them your beer, they might try to take it from you. It’s cute to see beach monkeys but I’d keep your distance and leave any food or drinks on the boat.

It’s a fun island with neon parties every night and lots of fun streets to walk as there are no cars on the island! But if you want some sleep, I’d suggest staying a little back from the main beach. If you do find a place that’s a little more off the beaten path, you can get around by boat.

Fun Fact: I met my husband on this island! We met during one of the neon nights on the beach and spent the next few days exploring together.

This is another large island and can be reached by boat from just about anywhere or you can take a minivan from the mainland and then across on a car ferry. Koh Lanta is laid-back and chill, though quickly becoming more and more popular. It has unspoiled nature, beautiful beaches and is not a party place (to my understanding. Sadly I have not been myself. This was the island I really wanted to get to but it rained for 2 weeks straight so we went north instead.)

Koh Kradan forms a triangle with Koh Muk and Ko Ngai. The islands are fairly small and accommodation may be limited, especially during rainy season. Koh Kradan has low-tide sand bars and it’s the “most visually spectacular” (…but I wrote down many “most beautiful island” notes, which means there’s not really a bad choice). It’s also probably the most recommended of the three.

Koh Muk (Koh Mook)

This island is small, affordable and tranquil though it’s not “an island paradise”. You can take a boat to Emerald Cave, an enclosed beach that was formed by a sinkhole.

This island is small and mountainous with not as many budget places to stay. Apparently it’s “not ideal for backpackers and is more for couples”. There’s also not many places to eat/drink apart from the resorts.

While Koh Libong is a larger island, it’s remained pretty untouched by tourism. There are lots of sea cows and thai muslim fishing villages.

Koh Sukon (Koh Sukorn)

My notes on Koh Sukon are that it’s a place where water buffalos outnumber people. It’s a harder to reach island with slow paced thai muslim communities.

Koh Lao Liang and Ko Petra

These are small Thailand islands just south of Koh Libong. They are an hour away by boat, more expensive to get to and kayaking islands. You can kayak around the island in less than an hour. There’s also no accommodation here.

This small island can be found south of Ko Adang. There’s supposedly a party scene, snorkeling and you can walk around it in half a day. There also might not be too many budget friendly options.

It’s a popular spot for snorkeling, diving and water sports, and the beaches are gorgeous. You can walk from beach to beach or take a break to walk along the shopping street.

Koh Tarutao

This island is a National park. Ko Ra Wi and Ko Adang, which are north of Koh Lipe, are also apart of the national park. You can take day trips to the islands and you can even rent a tent on Koh Tarutao and camp there!

The Northern Thailand Islands

How to get there: Pattaya is only about 2 hours away from Bangkok. When I looked up taxi prices, I was shocked at how affordable it is but in backpacker culture…that’s called splurging.

You can get here by taxi for about 1500 Baht ($49) or by taking the bus for 130 Baht ($4.50), which will take about 2-3 hours. To get to Rayong, a taxi will take about 3-4 hours and cost 2000 Baht ($64) or the bus which is about 160 Baht ($5.12). We opted for the bus, which is coach by the way, not like a city bus.

Koh Larn (Coral Island)

There are a few islands nicknamed Coral Island it seems. And most of the time they are just quick trips to a smaller island. This one we saw advertised as a day-trip all over Pattaya.

The island of Koh Samet is off of Rayong, which is a bus ride from Pattaya and a 2 hour ferry ride from Rayong. I think this is a popular choice and it is probably the nicest island that is closest to Bangkok. There are luxury accommodations available and restaurants on the beach.

*Day-trips to the islands are offered all over Pattaya. I think that some people probably use Pattaya as their base and go to the islands during the day, but you can also get to the islands and stay.

This is the area I am most unfamiliar with, as we only stayed in Pattaya on the way to Trat. This website is very helpful and will tell you more about the islands near Pattaya!

Taking the Ferries to the Thail Islands

The ferries to the Thai islands are fairly inexpensive ($5-$15 usually). They can range from 20 min to 3 hours depending on which island you are going to.

You can book a ferry ticket at any kiosk around town the day before and will most likely get the time you want. The later in the day you wait, the more likely it is to fill and if you book at night, you might risk having to take a later ferry. If you are coming or going to Koh Phangan during the Full Moon party(s), you’ll want to book your tickets a few days in advance because those fill up fast.

When you arrive on an island

Once you get off the ferry, there will most always be jeepneys or tuk tuks waiting for passengers. Jeepneys are like covered pickup trucks and they will usually charge a set amount to an area. You can try and bargain but I was never very successful.

Also beware the taxi mafia. On Koh Samui, if you arrive too late, the taxis will all hike the prices up extremely high and refuse to take you for anything less. I think I was quoted about $25 to go 4 miles down the road (which is robbery in Thai currency!!). Luckily I met a girl on the ferry who had a friend picking her up and I was able to hop in with them. Koh Samui was the only island I experienced that on, but also the only island that I arrived on after dark.

Getting around the Thai islands

The best way to get around the islands is to rent a motorbike. You can rent one just about anywhere for about $5-8 a day. The downside to motorbikes is that they will most always want your passport as collateral. I know, I know–never give your passport away…but this is just how it’s done here. Return the bike and they’ll return the passport. It’s a very uneasy feeling, but it’s their insurance that you’ll return the bike AND pay for any damage incurred.

You can also buy gas from just about anywhere. And by anywhere I mean anywhere. Gas stations won’t always be prevalent in different parts of the islands so some people actually sell gasoline outside their home or shop in a glass bottle. Yep, you read that right–you will literally just buy 1-2 glass bottles of gas and fill up on the side of the road.

Planning your trip

Still overwhelmed? The most popular islands are either the East Coast Islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, or the Southern Islands of Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta. If you’re short on time and don’t want to fly down south, I’d say Koh Chang is the most popular Northern Island.

Do you have time to visit more than one island in a week?

I feel like this is always the most asked question. If you’re going to Thailand for a week, I think it is possible to do Bangkok and two islands, though it would be a whirlwind trip and you’d waste some time traveling (1 night in Bangkok, 3 nights for each island). But it’s also entirely doable to go to Phuket or Krabi and take day trips to all the surrounding islands.

I’ve spent about a week on one island alone and could have stayed longer. But if you’re really set on seeing more than one island, it’s definitely doable. I’d pick two that are close so you only have to take a short ferry.

Island Tips:

• ATM’s: There may or may not be working ATM’s on the Thailand islands. As a precaution, I would always make sure to take out enough cash before going over. We once drove all over an island to find their 3 ATM’s because the first two didn’t work! The smaller islands will likely not even have an ATM.
• Convenience Stores: 7-Eleven’s are everywhere in Thailand. If you need a convenience store, there’s likely a 7-Eleven on the nearest corner. So if you forget any necessities or want to pick up a toastie (a popular and cheap snack for backpackers), you’ll probably be able to find one within a minute.

If at all possible, I’d recommend being flexible in your plans. That way, if you don’t enjoy an island as much, you can simply get a ferry to the next one and not have to worry about canceling your stay elsewhere. The islands are amazing and beautiful and hopefully this article alleviated some of the stress of planning!

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Reader Interactions

December 18, 2023 at 7:50 pm

Hi! You seem very well acquainted with Thailand and the islands!! I need some help!! I will be in Thailand for about a week the first week of August 2024. Flying into Bangkok, then I’m not sure what to do with these 7 days?? Which islands to see? Which islands will have the best weather in August?? Option 1: fly to Phuket, stay there and take day trip to Phi Phi and other southern islands OR go right to stay in Phi Phi Option 2: fly to Krabi stay for 3 nights but then problem bc can’t get to Koh Samai stay there for 3 nights Option 3: fly straight to Koh Samai for 3 nights then, go to Koh Tao?? Option 3: Go to other islands? Skip Phuket? Skip Krabi because weather is not great and harder to go to the other side islands.

*I deff want to go to Koh Samai for 3 nights but not sure where to spend the other 3 nights basically.

March 10, 2024 at 2:12 pm

Hi! Sorry about the late reply! August is during the rainy season but the east coast islands usually receive less rain than other areas. I think Koh Samui is your best bet and then you could island hop to the others. Koh Phangan has a lot of the party crowd and Koh Tao is a great diving island and smaller, cozy island. You could always stay longer on Koh Samui since it’s a larger island and spend less time on Koh Tao!

November 30, 2023 at 11:43 pm

Hello, thanks for the information! But to correct it is similan island ☺️

December 1, 2023 at 2:48 am

ahh thank you! I feel like I always spell it wrong ha!

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The northeast: Isaan Travel Guide

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Bordered by Laos and Cambodia on three sides, the scorching-hot tableland of northeast Thailand – known as Isaan, after the Hindu god of death and the northeast – comprises a third of the country’s land area and is home to nearly a third of its population. This is the least-visited region of the kingdom, and the poorest: almost three-quarters of Isaan residents are in debt, and it’s thought that the majority still earn less than the regional minimum wage of B164–183 a day. Farming is the traditional livelihood here, despite appallingly infertile soil (the friable sandstone contains few nutrients and retains little water) and long periods of drought punctuated by downpours and intermittent bouts of flooding. As you’d expect, the landscape is mostly flat, but there are plenty of lively festivals and ancient temples to make a visit worth the effort.

Brief history

Isaan’s border crossings, phanom rung and muang tam, khao phra viharn (preah vihear), around ubon, yasothon and around, phu kradung national park, nam nao national park, phu reua national park, chiang khan, around nong khai, that phanom, naga fireballs.

In the 1960s, government schemes to introduce hardier crops set in motion a debt cycle that has forced farmers into monocultural cash-cropping to repay their loans for fertilizers, seeds and machinery. For many families, there’s only one way off the treadmill: of the twenty-one million people who live in Isaan, an average of two million economic refugees leave the area every year, most of them heading for Bangkok, where northeasterners now make up the majority of the capital’s lowest-paid workforce. Children and elderly parents remain in the villages, increasingly dependent on the money sent back every month from the metropolis and awaiting the annual visit in May, when migrant family members often return for a couple of months to help with the rice planting.

Rather than the cities – which are chaotic, exhausting places, with little going for them apart from accommodation and onward transport – Isaan’s prime destinations are its Khmer ruins and Khao Yai National Park . Five huge northeastern festivals also draw massive crowds: in May, Yasothon is the focus for the bawdy rocket festival; the end of June or beginning of July sees the equally raucous rainmaking festival of Phi Ta Kon in Dan Sai near Loei; in July, Ubon Ratchathani hosts the extravagant candle festival; in October, strange, pink fireballs float out of the Mekong near Nong Khai; while the flamboyant, though inevitably touristy, “elephant round-up” is staged in Surin in November.

It’s rural life that really defines Isaan though, and you can learn a lot about the local residents by staying at one of the family-run guesthouses and homestays in the southern part of the region. If you make it this far you should endeavour to see at least one set of Isaan’s Khmer ruins: those at Phimai are the most accessible, but it’s well worth making the effort to visit either Phanom Rung or Khao Phra Viharn as well, both of which occupy spectacular hilltop locations, though the latter was closed at the time of writing. Relics of an even earlier age, prehistoric cliff-paintings also draw a few tourists eastwards to the little town of Khong Chiam, which is prettily set between the Mekong and Mun rivers.

Isaan’s only mountain range of any significance divides the uninspiring town of Loei from the central plains and offers some stiff walking, awesome scenery and the possibility of spotting unusual birds and flowers in the national parks that spread across its heights. Due north of Loei at Chiang Khan, the Mekong River begins its leisurely course around Isaan with a lush stretch where a sprinkling of guesthouses has opened up the river countryside to travellers. The powerful waterway acts as a natural boundary between Thailand and Laos, but it’s no longer the forbidding barrier it once was; with Laos opening further border crossings to visitors, the river is becoming an increasingly important transport link.

At the eastern end of this upper stretch, the border town of Nong Khai is surrounded by wonderfully ornate temples, some of which are used by the significant population of Chinese and Vietnamese migrants. The grandest and most important religious site in the northeast, however, is Wat Phra That Phanom, way downstream beyond Nakhon Phanom , a town that affords some of the finest Isaan vistas.

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Most northeasterners speak a dialect that’s more comprehensible to residents of Vientiane than Bangkok, and Isaan’s historic allegiances have tied it more closely to Laos and Cambodia than to Thailand. Between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries, the all-powerful Khmers covered the northeast in magnificent stone temple complexes, the remains of which constitute the region’s most satisfying tourist attractions. During subsequent centuries the territories along the Mekong River changed hands numerous times, until the present border with Laos was set at the end of World War II. In the 1950s and 1960s, Communist insurgents played on the northeast’s traditional ties with Laos; a movement to align Isaan with the Marxists of Laos gathered some force, and the Communist Party of Thailand, gaining sympathy among poverty-stricken northeastern farmers, established bases in the region. At about the same time, major US air bases for the Vietnam War were set up in Khorat , Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani , fuelling a sex industry that has plagued the region ever since. When the American military moved out, northeastern women turned to the tourist-oriented Bangkok flesh-trade instead, and today the majority of prostitutes in the capital come from Isaan.

Isaan has four major border crossings into Laos, all of which issue Lao visas. The most popular of these is at Nong Khai, a route that provides easy road access to the Lao capital, Vientiane; the others are Nakhon Phanom , Mukdahan and Chong Mek. If you want to avoid possible queues at the border, you can get a Lao visa in advance from the consulate in the central Isaan town of Khon Kaen . Here you’ll also find a Vietnamese consulate issuing visas for Vietnam.

It’s also possible to travel overland between Isaan and Cambodia through two different border crossings: via the Thai town of Kap Choeng, in Surin province, to O’Smach, which has transport to Anlong Veng and then on to Siem Reap; and via Sa Ngam in the Phusing district of Si Saket province to Choam in Anlong Veng.

Hemmed in by its old city walls and encircled by tributaries of the Mun River, the small modern town of PHIMAI, 60km northeast of Khorat , is dominated by the charmingly restored Khmer temple complex of Prasat Hin Phimai. No one knows for sure when the prasat was built or for whom, but as a religious site it probably dates back to the reign of the Khmer king Suriyavarman I (1002–49), and parts of the complex are said to be older than Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. The complex was connected by a direct road to Angkor and oriented southeast, towards the Khmer capital. Over the next couple of centuries Khmer rulers made substantial modifications, and by the end of Jayavarman VII’s reign in 1220, Phimai had been officially dedicated to Mahayana Buddhism. Phimai’s other claim to fame is Sai Ngam (Beautiful Banyan), reputedly the largest banyan tree in Thailand. Otherwise there’s plenty to like about its peaceful, small-town feel. Most visitors arrive here on day-trips, but with an excellent guesthouse and plenty of opportunities for early-morning bike rides, it’s worth staying overnight.

Prasat Hin Phimai

Built mainly of dusky pink and greyish white sandstone, Prasat Hin Phimai is a seductive sight from a distance; closer inspection reveals a mass of intricate carvings. Entering the complex from the main southeastern gate, it’s worth checking out the visitors’ centre on the right-hand side after the ticket office, which uses simple wall-hung exhibits to explain the history of the site.

Outer areas

Heading into the complex from the southeastern gate, a staircase ornamented with classic naga (serpent) balustrades leads to a gopura in the outer walls, which are punctuated on either side by false balustraded windows – a bit of sculptural sleight-of-hand to jazz up the solid stonework without piercing the defences. A raised pathway bridges the space between these walls and the inner gallery that protects the prangs of the inner sanctuary. The minor prang to the right, made of laterite, is attributed to the twelfth-century Buddhist king Jayavarman VII, who engaged in a massive temple-building campaign. His statue is enshrined within; it’s a copy of the much more impressive original, now housed in the Phimai National Museum. The pink sandstone prang to the left, connected to a Brahmin shrine where seven stone linga were found, was probably built around the same time.

The main prang

After more than twenty years of archeological detective work and painstaking reassembly, the towering white-sandstone main prang has now been restored to its original cruciform groundplan and conical shape, complete with an almost full set of carved lintels, pediments and antefixes, and capped with a stone lotus-bud. The impressively detailed carvings around the outside of the prang depict predominantly Hindu themes. Shiva the Destroyer dances above the main entrance to the southeast antechamber: his destruction dance heralds the end of the world and the creation of a new order, a supremely potent image that warranted this position over the most important doorway. Most of the other external carvings pick out momentous episodes from the Ramayana, starring heroic Rama, his brother Lakshaman and their band of faithful monkeys in endless battles of strength, wits and magical powers against Ravana, the embodiment of evil. Inside, more sedate Buddhist scenes give evidence of the conversion from Hindu to Buddhist faith, and the prasat’s most important image, the Buddha sheltered by a seven-headed naga, sits atop a base that once supported a Hindu Shiva lingam.

Phimai boat races

Phimai’s biggest event of the year is its festival of boat races, held on the Mun’s tributaries over a weekend in early November, in a tradition that’s endured for over a century. In common with many other riverside towns, Phimai marks the end of the rainy season by holding fiercely competitive longboat competitions and putting on lavish parades of ornate barges done up to emulate the Royal Barges of Bangkok. During the festival, a son et lumière show is staged at the temple ruins for five nights in a row.

East of Khorat the bleached plains roll on, broken only by the occasional small town and, if you’re travelling along Highway 24, the odd tantalizing glimpse of the smoky Phanom Dangkrek mountain range above the southern horizon. That said, it’s well worth jumping off the Surin -bound bus for a detour to the fine Khmer ruins of Prasat Hin Khao Phanom Rung and Prasat Muang Tam. Built during the same period as Phimai, and for the same purpose, the temple complexes form two more links in the chain that once connected the Khmer capital of Angkor with the limits of its empire. Sited dramatically atop an extinct volcano, Phanom Rung has been beautifully restored, and the more recently renovated Muang Tam lies on the plains below. Most people visit in the morning, so if you’re staying in nearby Buriram or Nang Rong, consider visiting in the afternoon when the sites are less crowded.

Prasat Hin Khao Phanom Rung

Prasat Hin Khao Phanom Rung is the finest example of Khmer architecture in Thailand, graced with innumerable exquisite carvings, its sandstone and laterite buildings designed to align with the sun at certain times of the year (see Spiritual alignment). As at most Khmer prasats, building here spanned several reigns, probably from the beginning of the tenth century to the early thirteenth. The heart of the temple was constructed in the mid-twelfth century, in early Angkorian style, and is attributed to local ruler Narendraditya and his son Hiranya. Narendraditya was a follower of the Shivaite cult, a sect which practised yoga and fire worship and used alcohol and sex in its rituals; carved depictions of all these practices decorate the temple. There are cheap foodstalls outside the Gate 1 entrance and in its car park area, where the museum-like tourist information centre provides an outstanding introduction to the temple’s construction, iconography and restoration.

The approach

The approach to the temple is one of the most dramatic of its kind. Symbolic of the journey from earth to the heavenly palace of the gods, the ascent to the inner compound is imbued with metaphorical import: by following the 200m-long avenue, paved in laterite and sandstone and flanked with lotus-bud pillars, you are walking to the ends of the earth. Ahead, the main prang, representing Mount Meru, home of the gods, looms large above the gallery walls, and is accessible only via the first of three naga bridges, a raised cruciform structure with sixteen five-headed naga balustrades. Once across the bridge you have traversed the abyss between earth and heaven. A series of stairways ascends to the eastern entrance of the celestial home, first passing four small ponds, thought to have been used for ritual purification.

A second naga bridge crosses to the east gopura, entrance to the inner sanctuary, which is topped by a lintel carved with Indra (god of the east) sitting on a lion throne. The gopura is the main gateway through the gallery, which runs right round the inner compound and has been restored in part, with arched stone roofs, small chambers inside and false windows; real windows wouldn’t have been strong enough to support such a heavy stone roof, so false ones, which retained the delicate pilasters but backed them with stone blocks, were an aesthetically acceptable compromise.

Phanom Rung is surprisingly compact, the east gopura leading almost directly into the main prang, separated from it only by a final naga bridge. A dancing Shiva, nine of his ten arms intact, and a lintel carved with a relief of a reclining Vishnu preside over the eastern entrance to the prang. This depicts a common Hindu creation myth, known as “Reclining Vishnu Asleep on the Milky Sea of Eternity”, in which Vishnu dreams up a new universe, and Brahma (the four-faced god perched on the lotus blossom that springs from Vishnu’s navel) puts the dream into practice.

On the pediment above this famous relief is a lively carving of Shiva Nataraja, or Shiva’s Dance of Destruction, which shows him dancing on Mount Kailash in front of several other gods, including Ganesh, Brahma and Vishnu. The dance brings about the total destruction of the world and replaces it with a new epoch. Of the other figures decorating the prang, one of the most important is the lion head of Kala, also known as Kirtimukha, symbolic of both the lunar and the solar eclipse and – because he’s able to “swallow” the sun – considered far superior to other planetary gods. Inside the prang kneels an almost life-size statue of Shiva’s vehicle, the bull Nandi, behind which stands the all-powerful Shiva lingam, for which the prang was originally built; the stone channel that runs off the lingam and out of the north side of the prang was designed to catch the lustral water with which the sacred stone was bathed.

Two rough-hewn laterite libraries stand alongside the main prang, in the northeast and southeast corners, and there are also remains of two early tenth-century brick prangs just northeast of the main prang. The unfinished prang noi (“Little Prang”) in the southwest corner now contains a stone Buddha footprint, which has become the focus of the merit-making at the annual April festivities, neatly linking ancient and modern religious practices.

Spiritual alignment

Prasat Hin Khao Phanom Rung is so perfectly built that on the morning of the fifteenth day of the waxing moon in the fifth month of the lunar calendar you can stand at the westernmost gopura and see the rising sun through all fifteen doors. This day is celebrated with a day-long festival of huge parades all the way up the hill to the prasat – a tradition believed to go back eight hundred years.

Prasat Muang Tam

Down on the plains 8km southeast of Phanom Rung, and accessed via a scenic minor road that cuts through a swathe of rice fields, the small but elegant temple complex of Prasat Muang Tam is sited behind a huge kilometre-long baray (Khmer reservoir), which was probably constructed at the same time as the main part of the temple, in the early eleventh century. Like Phanom Rung, Muang Tam was probably built in stages between the tenth and thirteenth centuries, and is based on the classic Khmer design of a central prang flanked by minor prangs and encircled by a gallery and four gopura. The history of Muang Tam is presented in brief at the Tourist Information Centre in the temple car park.

The approach to Muang Tam is nothing like as grand as at Phanom Rung but, once through the main, eastern, gopura in the outside wall, it’s a pretty scene, with the central gallery encircled by four L-shaped ponds – such important features that they are referred to in a contemporary inscription that states “this sanctuary is preserved by sacred water”. The shape of the ponds gives the impression that the prasat is set within a moat that’s been severed by the four entrance pathways at the cardinal points. Each pond is lined with laterite brick steps designed to enable easy access for priests drawing sacred water, and possibly also for devotees to cleanse themselves before entering the central sanctuary. The rims are constructed from sandstone blocks that form naga, the sacred water serpents.

The rectangular central gallery was probably roofed with timber (long since rotted away) and so could be punctuated with real windows, rather than the more load-bearing false versions that had to be used at Phanom Rung. Inside, the five red-brick towers of the inner sanctuary are arranged on a laterite platform, with three prangs in the front (eastern) row, and two behind. The main, central, prang has collapsed, leaving only its base, but the four other towers are merely decapitated and some have carved lintels intact. The lintel above the doorway of the front right tower is particularly lively in its depiction of the popular scene known as Ume Mahesvara (Uma and her consort Shiva riding the bull Nandi). There are interesting details in the temple complex, including recurrent motifs of foliage designs and Kala lion-faces, and figures of ascetics carved into the base of the doorway pillars on the eastern gopura of the outer wall.

Perched atop a 547m-high spur of the Dangkrek mountains right on the Thai–Cambodian border, the ninth-to-twelfth-century Khmer ruins of KHAO PHRA VIHARN (or Preah Vihear) surpass even the spectacularly set Phanom Rung. A magnificent avenue over 500m long rises to the clifftop sanctuary, from where you get breathtaking views over the jungle-clad hills of Cambodia.

Unfortunately, the sanctuary has been closed on and off since 2008 due to a territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia over who owns the site. In July 2011, following a fresh series of skirmishes, the International Court of Justice ruled that both countries should remove their forces from the area. But in November 2011 the stalemate continued, with significant numbers of soldiers still stationed along the border, and, at the time of writing, the complex remained closed.

In fact, the complex was only opened to visitors in 1998, following almost a century of squabbling between the two governments. During Cambodia’s civil war, the Khmer Rouge laid mines around the temple, and while the ruins have been de-mined, there are skull-and-crossbones signs in the vicinity, which should be heeded if and when the temple reopens to visitors.

The temple buildings themselves, built of grey and yellow sandstone, retain some fine original carvings and have been sufficiently restored to give a good idea of their original structure. Constructed over a three-hundred-year period, Khao Phra Viharn was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and is thought to have served both as a retreat for Hindu priests – hence the isolated site – and an object of pilgrimage, with the difficulty of getting there an extra challenge. The large complex would have also been inhabited by a big cast of supporting villagers who took care of the priests and the pilgrims, which explains the presence of several large reservoirs on the site.

The approach to the temple complex begins with a steep stairway and continues up the cliff face via a series of pillared causeways, small terraces with naga balustrades and four cruciform-shaped gopura (pavilions), each built with doorways at the cardinal points, and decorated with carved reliefs of tales from Hindu mythology. Beyond the first gopura, you’ll see to the left (east) one of the temple’s biggest reservoirs, a large stone-lined tank sunk into the cliff and guarded by statues of lions.

The Churning of the Sea of Milk

As you pass through the last, southernmost, doorway of the second gopura, look back at the door to admire the pediment carving, which depicts the Hindu creation myth, the Churning of the Sea of Milk, in which Vishnu appears in his tortoise incarnation and, along with a naga and a sacred mountain (here symbolized by the churning stick), helps stir the cosmic ocean and thereby create the universes, as well as the sacred nectar of immortality.

The central sanctuary

The ascent of the cliff face finally reaches its climax at the central sanctuary, built on the summit and enclosed within a courtyard whose impressive colonnaded galleries are punctuated by windows to the east and west. The pediment above the northern entrance to this shrine depicts the multi-armed dancing Shiva, whose ecstatic dance brings about the destruction of the existing world and the beginning of a new epoch. Climb through one of the gallery windows to walk across to the cliff edge, from where you get far-reaching views of Cambodia and can appreciate just how isolated the temple must have been. A look back at the temple complex shows that though the sanctuary’s southernmost wall is punctuated by a couple of beautifully carved false doors, there are no genuine south-facing doors or windows; experts assume that this was to stop priests being distracted by the clifftop panorama.

The area around Ubon is a good deal more interesting than the metropolitan hub, particularly if you venture eastwards towards the appealing Mekong riverside town of Khong Chiam and the prehistoric paintings at Pha Taem. There is also a crossing into Laos, and a border market, southeast of Ubon at Chong Mek.

Khong Chiam

The riverside village of KHONG CHIAM (pronounced Kong Jiem) is a popular destination for day-tripping Thais, who drive here from across Isaan to see the somewhat fancifully named “two-coloured river” for which the village is nationally renowned. Created by the merging of the muddy brown Mun with the muddy brown Mekong at “the easternmost point of Thailand”, the water is hardly an irresistible attraction (come in April to see the colour contrast at its most vivid), but the village itself has plenty of tranquil appeal. If you have your own transport, Khong Chiam combines well with visits to Chong Mek (just 27km away) and Kaeng Tana National Park.

Comprising little more than a collection of wooden houses and a few resorts, Khong Chiam feels like an island, with the Mun defining its southern limit and the Mekong its northern one. A cracked concrete walkway runs several hundred metres along the banks of the Mekong, lined by predictable souvenir stalls and leading to the large sala that’s built right over the confluence and affords uninterrupted views. Behind the sala, Wat Khong Chiam is a typically charming rural Thai temple and has an old wooden bell tower in its compound. Khong Chiam’s other temple, the cliffside Wat Tham Khu Ha Sawan, located near the point where Route 2222 turns into Khong Chiam, is a striking white colour, with natural wood sculptures festooned with orchids in its grounds, and a huge Buddha image staring down on the villagers below.

Trips from Khong Chiam

Khong Chiam doesn’t have many sights, but you can rent motorbikes or bicycles from Apple Guest House and explore the quiet streets around the riverfront, or charter a longtail boat for a trip up the Mekong River to see the Pha Taem cliff-paintings. Otherwise you could charter a songthaew to Pha Taem from Khong Chiam; ask at the bus station.

Even though Laos is just a few hundred metres away from Khong Chiam, on the other bank of the Mekong, foreigners are not supposed to cross the border here, though you may be able to persuade boatmen to take you there and back for B350/boat, with a quick stop at the bankside village of Ban Mai; the official border crossing is further downstream at Chong Mek.

By the beginning of May, Isaan is desperate for rain; there may not have been a significant downpour for six months and the rice crops need to be planted. In northeastern folklore, rain is the fruit of sexual encounters between the gods, so at this time villagers all over Isaan hold the bawdy, merit-making Bun Bang Fai rocket festival to encourage the gods to get on with it. The largest and most public of these festivals takes place in the provincial capital of YASOTHON, 98km northwest of Ubon, on a weekend in mid-May (check with TAT for dates). Not only are the fireworks spectacular, but the rockets built to launch them are superbly crafted machines in themselves, beautifully decorated and carried proudly through the streets before blast-off. Up to 25kg of gunpowder may be packed into the 9m-long rockets and, in keeping with the fertility theme, performance is everything. Sexual innuendo, general flirtation and dirty jokes are essential components of Bun Bang Fai; rocket-builders compete to shoot their rockets the highest, and anyone whose missile fails to leave the ground gets coated in mud as a punishment.

At other times of the year, Yasothon has little to tempt tourists other than a handful of unremarkable wats and a few evocative old colonial-style shopfronts near Wat Singh Tha at the west end of Thanon Srisonthoon.

The excavated Bronze Age settlement of BAN CHIANG, 50km east of Udon Thani in sleepy farming country, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. It achieved worldwide fame in 1966, when a rich seam of archeological remains was accidentally discovered: clay pots, uncovered in human graves alongside sophisticated bronze objects, were eventually dated to around 2000 BC, implying the same date for the bronze pieces. Ban Chiang has been hailed as the Southeast Asian vanguard of the Bronze Age, about three hundred years after Mesopotamia’s discovery of the metal.

The village of Ban Chiang is unremarkable nowadays, although its fertile setting is attractive and the villagers, who still weave (and sell) especially rich and intricate lengths of silk and cotton mut mee, are noticeably friendly to visitors. The museum here, which focuses on the Bronze Age finds, is one of the region’s most interesting. There’s also a bird and animal sanctuary 6km away, and a couple of interesting forest wats closer to the village.

Some travellers base themselves in Udon Thani but others visit Ban Chiang on a day-trip from Nong Khai.

Most visitors carry on from Udon Thani due north to Nong Khai, but making a detour via LOEI, 147km to the west, takes you within range of several towering national parks and sets you up for a lazy tour along the Mekong River. The capital of a province renowned for the unusual shapes of its stark, craggy mountains, Loei is also the crossroads of one of Thailand’s least-tamed border regions, with all manner of illegal goods coming across from Laos. This trade may have been reined in – or perhaps spurred on – by the opening in 2008 of a 3km-long bridge across the Heuang River, 80km northwest of Loei, to Xainyabouli province in Laos (the crossing is open to foreigners, but there’s no public transport on either side). Despite its frontier feel, the town, lying along the west bank of the small Loei River, is friendly and offers legitimate products of its own, such as sweet tamarind paste and pork sausages, which are for sale along Thanon Charoenrat, Loei’s main street, and the adjacent Thanon Oua Aree. But Loei is really only useful as a transport hub and a base for the nearby national parks. The most popular are Phu Kradung National Park, which has some excellent walking trails, Nam Nao National Park, home to around a hundred different species of mammals, and Phu Reua National Park, which affords magnificent views over Laos.

One reason to make a special trip to Loei province is to attend the unique rainmaking festival of Phi Ta Kon, or Bun Phra Wet, held over three days either at the end of June or the beginning of July in the small town of Dan Sai, 80km to the southwest of the provincial capital. In order to encourage the heavens to open, townsfolk dress up as spirits in colourful patchwork rags and fierce, brightly painted masks (made from coconut palm fronds and the baskets used for steaming sticky rice), then rowdily parade the town’s most sacred Buddha image round the streets while making fun of as many onlookers as they can, waving wooden phalluses about and generally having themselves a whale of a time. Top folk and country musicians from around Isaan are attracted to perform in the evenings during Phi Ta Kon; the afternoon of the second day of the festival sees the firing off of dozens of bamboo rockets, while the third day is a much more solemn affair, with Buddhist sermons and a purification ceremony at Wat Phon Chai. The carnival can be visited in a day from Loei (ask at Loei’s TAT office for transport details), though rooms are hard to come by at this time. The town’s main permanent attraction is the Dan Sai Folk Museum on Thanon Kaew Asa, the town’s high street, which explains some of the traditions surrounding Phi Ta Kon and has an impressive collection of vivid costumes and masks.

The most accessible and popular of the parks in Loei province, PHU KRADUNG NATIONAL PARK protects a grassy 1300m plateau 80km south of Loei whose temperate climate supports a number of tree, flower and bird species not normally found in Thailand. Walking trails crisscross much of sixty-square-kilometre Phu Kradung (Bell Mountain), and you could spend three days here exploring them fully – you’ll need one night as a minimum, as the trip from Loei to the top of the plateau and back can’t be done comfortably in a day. The park is at its busiest during weekends in December and January, when the main headquarters up on the plateau is surrounded by a sea of tents.

The attractions of the mountain come and go with the seasons. October is muddy after the rains, but the waterfalls that tumble off the northwestern edge of the plateau are in full cascade and the main trail is green and shady. December brings out the maple leaves; by February the waterfalls have disappeared and the vegetation on the lower slopes has been burnt away. April is good for rhododendrons and wild roses, which in Thailand are only found at such high altitudes as this.

Among the park’s wildlife, mammals such as elephants, sambar deer and gibbons can be seen very occasionally, but they generally confine themselves to the evergreen forest on the northern part of the plateau, which is out of bounds to visitors. In the temperate pines, oaks and beeches that dot the rest of the plateau you’re more likely to spot resident birds such as jays, sultan tits and snowy-browed flycatchers if you’re out walking in the early morning and evening.

The challenging main trail leads from the Sri Taan visitor centre, at the base of the mountain, 5.5km up the eastern side of Phu Kradung, passing occasional refreshment stalls, and becoming steeper and rockier on the last 1km, with wooden steps over the most difficult parts; most people take at least three hours, including rest stops. The main trail is occasionally closed for maintenance, when a parallel 4.5km trail is opened up in its place. At the end of the actual climb, the unbelievable view as your head peeps over the rim more than rewards the effort: flat as a playing field, the broad plateau is dotted with odd clumps of pine trees thinned by periodic lightning fires, which give it the appearance of a country park.

Several feeder trails fan out from here, including a 9.5km path along the precipitous southern edge that offers sweeping views of Dong Phaya Yen, the untidy range of mountains to the southwest that forms the unofficial border between the northeast and the central plains. Another trail heads along the eastern rim for 2.5km to Pha Nok An – also reached by a 2km path east from the main visitor centre – which looks down on neat rice fields and matchbox-like houses in the valley below, an outlook that’s especially breathtaking at sunrise.

With its tallest peak reaching 1271m, Nam Nao National Park is easily visible among the undulating sandstone hills of the Phetchabun range. However, it remains a seldom-visited place, at least as far as tourists go, with plenty of wildlife and some good, challenging hikes.

At just under a thousand square kilometres, Nam Nao, which is 160km south of Loei by road, is home to a healthy wildlife population: around a hundred mammal species, including large animals such as forest elephant and banteng and a handful of tigers, and more-often-seen barking deer, gibbons and leaf monkeys, as well as over two hundred bird species. These creatures thrive in habitats ranging from tropical bamboo and banana stands to the dominant features of dry evergreen forest, grasslands, open forest and pine stands that look almost European.

Though the park was established in 1972, it remained a stronghold for guerillas of the Communist Party of Thailand until the early 1980s and was regarded as unsafe for visitors. Still much less visited than Phu Kradung, it can provide a sense of real solitude. The range of wildlife here also benefited from a physical isolation that stopped abruptly in 1975, when Highway 12 was cut through the park and poachers could gain access more easily. However, as the park adjoins the Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, there is beneficial movement by some species between the two areas.

A good network of clearly marked circular forest trails begins near the park headquarters, ranging from a 1km nature trail teeming with butterflies to a 6km track known for occasional elephant sightings; another 3.5km trail climbs through mixed deciduous forest to the Phu Kor outlook, with its sweeping views across to Phu Phajit.

Other trails can be accessed directly from Highway 12, most of them clearly signposted from the road: at kilometre-stone 39, a steep climb up 260 roughly hewn steps leads to the Tham Pha Hong viewpoint, a rocky outcrop offering stunning panoramas of the park; at kilometre-stone 49, there’s a 4km nature trail taking in Suan Son Dang Bak viewpoint; and at kilometre-stone 67, a 700m trail leads to the beautiful Haew Sai waterfall, best seen during or immediately after the rainy season. Experienced hikers can reach the top of Phu Phajit along a rugged trail which begins from kilometre-stone 69; you need to hire a guide from the visitor centre (best booked in advance) for the steep six-hour climb.

The 120-square-kilometre PHU REUA NATIONAL PARK, 50km west of Loei, gets the name “Boat Mountain” from its resemblance to an upturned sampan, with the sharp ridge of its hull running southeast to northwest. The highest point of the ridge, Yod Phu Reua (1365m), offers one of the most spectacular panoramas in Thailand: the land drops away sharply on the Laos side, allowing views over toy-town villages and the Heuang and Mekong rivers to countless green-ridged mountains spreading towards Louang Phabang. To the northwest rises Phu Soai Dao (2102m) on Laos’ western border; to the south are the Phetchabun mountains.

In the park itself, a day’s worth of well-marked trails fans out over the mountain’s meadows and pine and broad-leaved evergreen forests, taking in gardens of strange rock formations, orchids that flower year-round, the best sunrise viewpoint, Loan Noi, and, during and just after the rainy season, several waterfalls. The most spectacular viewpoint, Yod Phu Reua (Phu Reua Peak), is an easy 1km stroll from the top of the summit road. The park’s population of barking deer, wild pigs and pheasants has declined over recent years, but you may be lucky enough to spot one of 26 bird species, which include the crested serpent-eagle, green-billed malkoha, greater coucal, Asian fairy-bluebird, rufescent prinia and white-rumped munia, as well as several species of babbler, barbet, bulbul and drongo.

Warm clothes are essential on cool-season nights – the lowest temperature in Thailand (-4°C) was recorded here in 1981 – and even by day the mountain is usually cool and breezy.

Château de Loei vineyard

If you happen to be driving yourself here from the west along Highway 203, it might be worth breaking your journey 10km from the Phu Reua turn-off at the Château de Loei vineyard, for the novelty value if nothing else: you can drive for 6km around the vast, incongruous fields of vines and taste a variety of wines and brandy, as well as getting something to eat at the simple restaurant and perusing a dizzying array of local foodstuffs in the attached shop.

A road runs parallel to the Mekong for 630km, linking the fast-growing border town of Mukdahan with CHIANG KHAN, a friendly town 55km north of Loei, which happily hasn’t been entirely converted to concrete yet. Rows of shuttered wooden shophouses stretch out in a 2km ribbon parallel to the river, which for much of the year runs red with what locals call “the blood of the trees”: rampant deforestation on the Lao side causes the rust-coloured topsoil to erode into the river. The town has only two streets – the main through-route (Highway 211), also known as Thanon Sri Chiang Khan, and the quieter Thanon Chai Khong on the waterfront – with a line of sois connecting them, numbered from west to east. There’s a cool vibe to the place, with entrepreneurial young Thais setting up quirky new gift shops and guesthouses all the time and, away from all the kitsch, there are a few interesting sights to see. Arguably the most enjoyable thing you can do here is to join up with other travellers for a boat trip on the river.

The magnificent Mekong

The Mekong is one of the great rivers of the world and the third longest in Asia, after the Yangtse and the Yellow rivers. From its source 4920m up on the east Tibetan plateau it roars down through China’s Yunnan province – where it’s known as Lancang Jiang, the “Turbulent River” – before snaking its way a little more peaceably between Burma and Laos, and then, by way of the so-called “Golden Triangle”, as the border between Thailand and Laos. After a brief shimmy into rural Laos via Luang Prabang, the river reappears in Isaan to form 750km of the border between Thailand and Laos. From Laos it crosses Cambodia and continues south to Vietnam, where it splinters into the many arms of the Mekong Delta before flowing into the South China Sea, 4184km from where its journey began.

Boat trips from Chiang Khan

Most guesthouses can arrange these tours, or variations of them, charging per boat.

The journey to Pak Chom and back takes you through some of the most beautiful scenery on the Thai Mekong: hills and cliffs of all shapes and sizes advance and recede around the winding flow, and outside the rainy season, the rapids are dramatic without being dangerous (best Dec–April), and the shores and islands are enlivened by neat grids of market gardens. B3000/boat, around 6hr.

Kaeng Kut Khu

B1000/boat.

Sunset on the Mekong

The most basic of the boat trips, giving you the chance to see Chiang Khan from the water when the sunlight is at its best. B750/boat, lasts around 1hr.

Upstream trips head west towards the lofty mountains of Khao Laem and Khao Ngu on the Thai side and Phu Lane and Phu Hat Song in Laos, gliding round a long, slow bend in the Mekong to the mouth of the Heuang River tributary, 20km from Chiang Khan. Stops can be arranged to share the fine views with Phra Yai, a 20m-tall golden Buddha standing on a hilltop at the confluence, and at Hat Sai Kaew, a sandy beach for swimming, fishing and picnicking. Best undertaken in the afternoon, returning at sunset. B1500/boat, around 3hr.

The major border town in this corner of Isaan is NONG KHAI, an ethnically diverse town that’s thrived since the construction of the Thai-Australian Friendship Bridge over the Mekong on the west side of town in 1994. Occupying a strategic position at the end of Highway 2 and the northeastern rail line, and just 24km from Vientiane, Nong Khai acts as a conduit for goods bought and sold by Thais and Lao, who are allowed to pass between the two cities freely for day-trips. Consequently, the covered souvenir market that sprawls to the east of the main pier, Tha Sadet, carries Lao silver, wood and cane items, as well as goods from as far afield as China, Korea and Russia, plus local basketware and silk.

As with most of the towns along this part of the Mekong, the thing to do in Nong Khai is just to take it easy, enjoying the riverside atmosphere and the peaceful settings of its guesthouses, which offer good value. Before you lapse into a relaxation-induced coma, though, try joining an evening river-tour, or make a day-trip out to see the impressive sculptures and rock formations in the surrounding countryside (see Eating and drinking).

Boat trips from Nong Khai

To catch the best of life on the river, take a boat trip on the Nagarina, which sets out from the Mut Mee Guest House every evening at around 5pm and runs up and down the length of Nong Khai for ninety minutes or so, sticking to the Thai side. Drinks are available and food can be ordered before the boat leaves. There’s no stunning scenery, but plenty of activity on both river banks as the sun sets behind the Friendship Bridge.

Crossing the Lao border via Nong Khai

The crossing at Nong Khai is popular with tourists and relatively easy to use. Thais and Laos can cross the border via the ferry at Tha Sadet, but everyone else must use Nong Khai’s Thai-Australian Friendship Bridge.

Getting a visa on arrival

To get a visa at the border, take a tuk-tuk to the foot of the bridge, where you’ll be stamped out of Thailand. You’ll then need to take a bus across the span itself to the Laos immigration post, where you can get a thirty-day tourist visa for US$30–42 (depending on nationality), plus one photo. It’s possible to pay in baht at the bridge, though it’s over the odds at B1500 and upwards; Mut Mee Guest House sells dollars at a decent rate, but if not, try the Porntip jewellery shop within the covered market. From the Laos immigration post, you can catch a shared air-conditioned minibus, tuk-tuk or infrequent bus to Vientiane, 24km away.

With a visa

If you have already arranged a visa through a Lao embassy or consulate, you can head straight from Nong Khai into Laos. Six daily buses run all the way through to Vientiane from the bus station. Trains also run from Nong Khai to Tha Naleng in Laos, but as the tracks stop here you’ll need to charter a tuk-tuk, car or minibus for the rest of the journey. The border is also accessible from further afield – there are direct buses from Udon Thani and Khon Kaen to Vientiane.

If you’re not heading straight across the bridge to Laos, consider making a trip to Sala Kaeo Kou, also known as Wat Khaek, where you’ll find dozens of curious stone sculptures. To the southwest of Nong Khai is Wat Phra That Bang Phuan, which offers some classic temple sightseeing, while the natural rock formations at Ban Phu and the spectacular temple Wat Phu Tok require much more effort and a full day out. The scenic riverside route upstream to Chiang Khan is also within day-tripping distance, and it’s quite possible to get to Ban Chiang and back in a day, changing buses at Udon Thani .

Wat Phu Tok

The most compelling destination in the area to the east of Nong Khai is the extraordinary hilltop retreat of Wat Phu Tok. One of two sandstone outcrops that jut steeply out of the plain 35km southeast of Bung Kan, Phu Tok has been transformed into a meditation wat, its fifty or so monks building their scattered huts on perches high above breathtaking cliffs. The outcrop comes into sight long before you get there, its sheer red face sandwiched between green vegetation on the lower slopes and tufts of trees on the narrow plateau above. As you get closer, the horizontal white lines across the cliffs reveal themselves to be painted wooden walkways, built to give the temple seven levels to represent the seven stages of enlightenment.

The ornamental garden

In an ornamental garden at the base, reflected in a small lake, an elegant, modern marble chedi commemorates Phra Ajaan Juen, the famous meditation master who founded the wat in 1968 and died in a plane crash ten years later while on his way to Bangkok to celebrate the queen’s birthday. Within the chedi, the monk’s books and other belongings, and diamond-like fragments of his bones, are preserved in a small shrine.

The first part of the ascent of the outcrop takes you to the third level up a series of long, sometimes slippery, wooden staircases, the first of many for which you’ll need something more sturdy than flip-flops on your feet. A choice of two routes – the left fork is more interesting – leads to the fifth and most important level, where the Sala Yai houses the temple’s main Buddha image in an airy, dimly lit cavern. The artificial ledges that cut across the northeast face are not for the fainthearted, but they are one way of getting to the dramatic northwest tip here on level five: on the other side of a deep crevice spanned by a wooden bridge, the monks have built an open-sided Buddha viharn under a huge anvil rock (though the gate to the viharn is usually locked). This spot affords stunning views over a broad sweep of countryside and across to the second, uninhabited outcrop. The flat top of the hill forms the seventh level, where you can wander along overgrown paths through thick forest.

Homestays in the northeast

The lazy villages just downstream from Nong Khai and close to Mukdahan can be a welcome breath of fresh air after traipsing around Isaan’s dusty cities. There’s a good selection of welcoming homestays to bed down in, providing an opportunity to unwind and enjoy the slow pace of rural Isaan – and many rent out bikes and motorbikes for local exploration.

Homestay Ban Kham Pia

Off Highway 212 between Bung Kan and Nakhon Phanom , 3km southwest of Bung Khla, on the road running towards Phu Wua Wildlife Reserve t081 3059343, whomestaybkp.moonfruit.com. Close to a reserve that’s packed with wildlife, this German-Thai run homestay offers simple wooden bungalows with a/c and TV. There’s also an outdoor pool to splash about in, and you can rent motorbikes for B200/day. Internet available. Pick-up from Nong Khai can be arranged. B500

Thai House Isaan

Around 60km southwest of Mukdahan, just off Highway 2042 t087 0654635, wthaihouse-isaan.com. Set around an attractive northeastern-style building in a peaceful Phu Thai village, with a handful of a/c bungalows and an apartment that has its own living room and karaoke machine. The owners can arrange tours of the local area, including a day-trip to Dinosaurland at Phuwiang National Park (B900/person, including lunch). Pick-ups available from Khon Kaen . B700

Fifty kilometres south of Nakhon Phanom , THAT PHANOM, a riverside village of weather-beaten wooden buildings, sprawls around Isaan’s most important shrine, Wat Phra That Phanom. This far-northeastern corner of Thailand may seem like a strange location for one of the country’s holiest sites, but the wat was built to serve both Thais and Lao, as evidenced by the ample boat-landing in the village. Plenty of Lao still come across the river for the fascinating Monday and Thursday morning waterfront market, bringing for sale such items as wild animal skins, black pigs and herbal medicines, alongside the usual fruit and veg.

Fifty kilometres downriver of That Phanom, MUKDAHAN is the last stop on the Mekong trail before Highway 212 heads off inland to Ubon Ratchathani , 170km to the south. You may feel a long way from the comforts of Bangkok out here, but this is one of the fastest-developing Thai provinces, owing to increasing friendship between Laos and Thailand and the proximity of Savannakhet, the second-biggest Lao city, just across the water. Few farang visitors make it this far, though Mukdahan–Savannakhet is an officially sanctioned crossing to Laos, via the new bridge 7km north of town, and as the cranes dominating the skyline show, new hotels are springing up all the time.

Crossing the Lao border via Mukdahan

Mukdahan–Savannakhet is an officially sanctioned crossing to Laos, via the second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, 7km north of town. Buses cross the bridge to Savannakhet, and it’s possible to get a visa on arrival. When being stamped out of the country, you may be charged B20 by the officials.

Nong Khai celebrates the generic Thai and Isaan festivals with due gusto, but in recent years a peculiarity of this stretch of the Mekong River has been attracting thousands of celebrants from Bangkok and beyond. Every year on the full-moon night in October, silent and vapourless naga fireballs appear from the river, small, pink spheres that float vertically up to heights of as much as 300m, then disappear; in some years, several thousand appear, in others, just a handful. A tentative scientific theory proposes that the balls are a combination of methane and nitrogen from decomposed matter on the bottom of the river, which reach a certain temperature at that time of the year and are released, combusting in the presence of oxygen when they break the water’s surface; romantics will prefer the local belief that the nagas or naks (serpents) of the river breathe out the fireballs to call the Buddha to return to earth at the end of Buddhist Lent.

This strange occurrence has now been consolidated into the two-day festival of Bang Fai Phaya Nak , which coincides with Awk Phansa and the end of the longboat-racing season on the river. The fireballs have appeared as far afield as Sang Khom and Bung Kan, but are generally most numerous at Phon Phisai, 40km east of Nong Khai; if you make the trek out there, take great care on the way back, when the road is thronged with drunk drivers.

Discover more places in Thailand

• Khao Yai National Park
• Khorat (Nakhon Ratchasima)
• Nakhon Phanom
• Surin and around
• Ubon Ratchathani

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updated 26.04.2021

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The Best Time To Visit Thailand For Great Weather, Low Prices, And Fun Festivals

Discover the best times to visit thailand for great weather, low prices, fun festivals, and island-hopping among other activities..

By: Anne Olivia Bauso Published: Dec 04, 2023 08:00 AM UTC

Thailand is one of the most accessible and well-loved travel destinations in Southeast Asia. It’s a great place to visit any time of year, but if you’re looking to hit the beach, you’ll want to book a trip for some time during the dry, sunny season between November and early April. Weather can vary throughout the year, and crowds and prices fluctuate accordingly.

“Thailand is a tropical country with two distinct seasons,” said Jack Tydeman, a member of T+L’s A-List of travel advisors and the Southeast Asia senior specialist at Audley Travel . “It is typically warm all year round. However, the winter months from November through March are the peak dry season and are considered the best time to travel to the majority of the country. April is the hottest month in Thailand before the country moves into the wetter season from May through October.”

These are Thailand’s three travel seasons:

• High: November to March
• Shoulder: April to June and the month of October
• Low: July to September

One caveat is that Thailand is a big country stretching more than 1,000 miles (1,609.34 km) from north to south, so conditions will also depend on where you are. For example, November marks the beginning of the sunny high season on the Andaman coast, but also the start of the monsoon season on the Gulf side.

So, before you book your jungle tree house and island boat tour, read on for the best times to go to Thailand.

The best times to visit Thailand

The best times to visit thailand for great weather.

For ideal weather, visit Thailand during the dry season, which for most of the country kicks off in November and lasts through March or even into April and May. A major exception is the Lower Gulf — home to the island paradises of Koh Samui, Ko Pha-ngan, and Koh Tao — which is rainiest from September through December.

On the Andaman coast, November to February has the coolest, most comfortable weather, with average temps in the 80s and little chance of rain. This means clear, blue waters and gorgeous scenery that’s lush from the previous monsoon season. On top of perfect weather, this time of year sees major Thai festivals and the Western Christmas and New Year holidays, so you’re also looking at Thailand’s biggest crowds and highest prices. Time your trip for early November and you might just beat the throngs.

As for the low season, it’s best to temper your expectations. “It is possible to travel over the summer months. However, you may see some short, sharp showers,” he said. “As the east coast of Thailand has its own unique weather patterns, summer is actually the drier season there.”

The best times to visit Thailand for low prices

Thailand is a relatively affordable destination throughout the year, though travellers may find the steepest discounts on flights, accommodations, and tours during the low/monsoon season (July to September).

“The low season does have its advantages, as it’s quieter and the rates are typically lower. This makes Thailand a great value destination during the summer ,” said Tydeman. “However, some months are hotter and some are wetter. As Thailand is in a tropical region, the rains tend to be short, sharp showers for most of the country. Summer is now commonly referred to as ‘green season’ due to the rains turning the countryside green and filling the rivers and waterfalls.”

Naturally, visiting during the wet season is a gamble. Rains could come in brief cloudbursts, or they could come in days-long downpours that affect boat service and island access. July brings more summer tourists and August tends to see cloudy skies and regular heavy rainfall. September is the wettest and least crowded month. To split the difference, consider visiting during the shoulder season (April through June, or October), when rains are generally of the brief afternoon storm variety.

Shop the best travel experiences here

The best times to visit Thailand for festivals

Travelers should try to experience at least one of Thailand’s many festivals, which celebrate everything from flowers and fruit to monkeys and elephants.

Two of the most beloved are the late-November Lantern Festivals: Yi Peng, during which participants release thousands of rice-paper lanterns into the sky; and Loy Krathong, for which Thais create banana-leaf baskets, fill them with flowers and burning candles, and release them onto lakes, rivers, and canals. Chiang Mai is the Yi Peng epicentre (tourists can participate with ticketed entry, starting at around USD 130) and Loy Krathong is celebrated across the country.

The Chinese New Year in January or February turns Bangkok’s Chinatown into a sea of dragons, drummers, worshippers, and visitors, all under the glow of firecrackers and red lanterns. Also in February is the three-day Flower Festival in Chiang Mai , which culminates with a parade of elaborate floats painstakingly decorated with chrysanthemums, damask roses, and other varieties.

Songkran (a.k.a. Water Splashing Festival) ushers in the Thai New Year in mid-April with parades, parties, and performances across the country. “Songkran turns Thailand turns into one big water fight,” said Tydeman. “It also coincides with the hottest month of the year, so it’s a perfect excuse to get wet.”

The Vegetarian Festival takes place in late September or early October and commemorates a nine-day abstinence from meat in honour of the Nine Emperor Gods of Taoism.

The best times to visit Thailand for scuba diving

Divers from all over the world flock to Thailand to explore the country’s famous underwater sites and stunning marine parks. Thailand’s east coast is largely dive-friendly throughout the year. If you plan an excursion to the Andaman Sea — home to the extraordinary Similan and Surin Islands — time the trip between November and April when the seas are calm and visibility is clearest. Also, keep in mind that Similan and Surin marine parks close from mid-May to mid-October.

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The best times to visit thailand for island-hopping.

Boating from one jungle-topped limestone island to another is a great way to explore Thailand, but downpours between May and October can put the kibosh on nautical fun. Some southern Andaman resorts are even closed for the rainy season.

“The islands off the west coast, like Phuket, are best to visit in the winter months, whereas the islands off the east coast, like Koh Samui , are great to visit in the summer,” said Tydeman.

This means you should time your bouncing around Phuket, the Phi Phi Islands, Ko Lanta, and other Andaman isles between late October (when the rains taper off) and May or June. Ko Lanta is effectively closed during the monsoon season — you may be able to get there, but accommodation options are seriously limited. Conversely, Gulf of Thailand idylls Koh Samui, Koh Tao, and Ko Pha-Ngan are at their rainiest and windiest between October and December.

If you want to avoid the crowds, keep in mind that students from Australia and Europe flock to Thailand’s islands in June and July to work and party during their summer breaks.

The best times to visit Thailand for shopping

No matter what time of year you visit Thailand, try to fit in at least one weekend in Bangkok so you can experience the vast Chatuchak Weekend Market , open from 9 am – 6 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. In fact, most of the stalls are covered, so you can visit even on a rainy day.

Tydeman also recommended visiting Bangkok’s night markets , which offer “everything from original artwork and designer bags to kitschy souvenirs and secondhand books.”

Chiang Mai’s weekend markets deserve a look as well. Every Saturday night, Wua Lai Road (just south of the Old City) closes to traffic and hosts hundreds of silversmiths, wood carvers, clothing purveyors, sketch artists, and performing musicians. On Sundays, the scene essentially repeats itself along the length of Ratchadamnoen Road, which bustles with artisans, food vendors, and massage stations.

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(Hero and feature image credit: Tuul and Bruno Morandi / Getty Images) 

This story first appeared on travelandleisure.com

All currency conversions were done at the time of writing

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17 Top-Rated Places to Visit in Thailand

Written by Meagan Drillinger Updated Jan 19, 2024

Thailand is a travel destination that truly has it all. Basking on the palm-lined beaches in Krabi, climbing stupas in Chiang Mai, and eating sizzling street food in Bangkok are just some of the things that make this a bucket list destination.

But before you become overwhelmed with how much Thailand has to see and do, rest assured that the entire country is well-connected via trains and budget airlines. It even has efficient taxis and car services that can take you long distances for a fraction of the prices that it would be in North America or Europe.

If you're researching destinations and things to do on your next tropical vacation, check out our list of the best places to visit in Thailand.

2. Chiang Mai

3. ayutthaya, 4. koh samui, 7. kanchanaburi, 8. sukhothai, 9. chiang rai, 10. kao sam roi yot national park, 11. hua hin, 12. pattaya, 13. khao yai national park, 15. mae sariang, 16. koh lanta, 17. koh tao.

Thailand's capital is a fast, buzzing city of more than eight million people. Known for its cosmopolitan feel and vibrant street life , Bangkok is also a great gateway to the country's best temples and palaces. And while it's easy to forget when walking among Bangkok's skyscrapers, the city's heart is on the water-the many canals networking throughout the neighborhoods and the vibrant Chao Phraya River, which you can tour on a long-tail boat cruise.

Gazing up and down at the skyscrapers that line the Chao Phraya River, with the long-tail boats and water taxis sputtering across, is an unforgettable sight. In fact, it's that first view of the river that will really make you feel like you have arrived in Bangkok. Many of the city's most important historical sites can be found near the river, too, from the Grand Palace and Wat Pho to Charoen Krung Road and Khaosan Road .

For those in a shopping mood, Bangkok is home to many shopping centers, including the über-luxurious Siam Paragon and travel-inspired Terminal21, as well as a number of traditional floating markets . For a more unique experience, nothing can beat Chatuchak Market - one of the largest outdoor markets in the world and a labyrinth of over 8000 stalls (be prepared for the inevitable experience of getting lost there), Chatuchak has it all and sells it at local prices.

At the top of the things to do in Bangkok is the Grand Palace , a complex of buildings that include Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), the Royal Reception Halls, and Wat Pho, which houses a 46-meter-long reclining Buddha covered in gold leaf. Across the Chao Phraya River, you'll find Wat Arun, or the Temple of the Dawn, which is another stunning structure.

Lumpini Park , located in the heart of the city, extends like a green oasis in the concrete jungle that is Bangkok. Often missed by visitors, the park is a great place to see local life-from seniors practicing Thai Chi near the lake (where you can rent boats to paddle away the afternoon) to massive water monitor lizards.

The best street food in Thailand can be found in Bangkok, as well. Stroll down any side street and you're sure to find vendors dishing out delicious local delicacies. Areas like Khaosan Road and Chinatown are great places to start.

• Read More: Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Bangkok

Shrouded in misty, jungly mountains , Chiang Mai is one of the best destinations in Thailand for travelers looking to see a different side of the country: a city of ancient constructions, thick tropical rainforests, hill trekking, laid-back local energy, and surrounding natural beauty.

A good way to see the wild side of Chiang Mai is to head out to Doi Inthanon National Park , which is part of the Himalayan mountain range and home to remote villages and stunning viewpoints.

Chiang Mai is home to more active Buddhist temples than any other city in Thailand, including the famous Doi Suthep (a favorite viewpoint with impressive views over downtown), Wat Phra Singh, and Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Just outside of the city, you'll also find a number of hill tribes, including the Meo Hill tribe and the Karen tribe. Organized tours can take you there to learn more about their history and lifestyle and to buy handicrafts tribe members sell to sustain themselves.

While in town, take a walk down San Kamphaeng Road, a 10-kilometer-long road where local crafters congregate to sell everything from celadon pottery and lacquerware to silk products.

Chiang Mai's historic Old City is bordered by channels that are the remains of a moat, and sections of the old city wall can be seen around its perimeter. Within the Old City are some of Chiang Mai's oldest temples, the coolest restaurants, and the best hotels . Near the Old City is also the famous Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, home to dozens of shopping and food stalls.

• Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Chiang Mai
• From Bangkok to Chiang Mai: Best Ways to Get There

Located about 80 kilometers north of Bangkok, the ancient city of Ayutthaya was once Thailand's capital — back in the 14 th century, when the kingdom of Siam was at its strongest. For people who love ancient history, Ayutthaya is an absolute must because you can walk among the temples which really feels like you are stepping back in time.

Today, the ruins of the kingdom can be toured while walking the Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO site. Home to many prang (reliquary towers), wat, and stucco statues, the park is surrounded by three rivers and deep moats and covers an area of 289 hectares.

Wat Phra Mahathat is perhaps the most famous temple here thanks to a statue of a Buddha's head entwined in tree roots. Wat Phra Si Sanphet, the largest of the temples in the park, features three large silver-looking Chedis, while Wat Yai Chai Mongkol is best known for its giant reclining Buddha and the hundreds of sitting Buddha statues surrounding the temple, all draped in golden cloth.

• Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Ayutthaya
• From Bangkok to Ayutthaya: Best Ways to Get There

Home to some of the best palm-fringed beaches in Thailand and plenty of luxury resorts, Koh Samui has a lot more to offer than sunbathing heaven.

One of the most popular holiday spots in Thailand, Koh Samui is home to mountainous rainforests, postcard-worthy beaches, and breathtaking sunsets. There are also plenty of spas and temples to discover here, including the famous Wat Phra Yai and its 12-meter-tall Big Buddha.

Koh Samui's neighboring archipelagos also have much to offer and are just a quick ferry ride away. Koh Tao , a smaller island right off the coast of Koh Samui, is one of the prime scuba diving destinations in Thailand. Ang Thong National Marine Park (which extends over 42 islands in the area) is a protected area, home to many exotic animal species, and a perfect destination for trekking through the thick Thai jungle.

Tip: Don't miss Maenam Beach on Koh Samui. This quiet area along the north coast has a few beachfront restaurants and shops and is much quieter compared to the other towns on Koh Samui closer to the luxury hotels.

• Top-Rated Things to Do in Koh Samui
• From Bangkok to Koh Samui: Best Ways to Get There

Situated off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea, Phuket is home to some of the country's most visited beaches and is a popular destination for a beach vacation. Travelers can go to Kata Noi beach for quiet scenery, to Nai Harn Beach to find crystal-clear waters under the shade of palm trees, and to Surin Beach if they're looking for luxury resorts and high-end cuisine overlooking the sea.

The spiritual side of Phuket can be found at the top of Nakkerd Hill , where the 45-meter-tall Big Buddha towers over the island. Wat Chalong is the largest temple in Phuket and home to a stupa said to hold a bone fragment of Buddha.

Phuket Town is worth exploring on foot to discover the Sino-Portuguese buildings that line up Thaland Road and the old shophouses converted into thriving businesses and markets.

• Top-Rated Tourist Attractions on Phuket Island
• From Bangkok to Phuket: Best Ways to Get There

Over 200 islands make up Krabi province, with a significant amount of land now designated as national parks. The region is home to some of the best beaches in Asia . Krabi's coast is also rugged, characterized by vertical steep limestone cliffs that are very popular with climbers. Stunning Railay Beach , in particular, attracts climbers from all over the world, though it's also famous for its caves.

If you're trying to plan out your trip here, plan on a boat ride to the stunning Phi Phi Islands , followed by visits to the mainland destinations of Ao Nang and Klong Muang, plus islands like Koh Yao Noi and Koh Lanta. Each destination in Krabi is tropical and sunny with fabulous beaches but has its own distinct vibe.

The Phi Phi Islands are surrounded by limestone rocks and offer coral-fringed waters and some of the best snorkeling in Thailand. Sailing, kayaking, and bird-watching are popular here. Visitors looking for some land activities can head inland to explore Thung Teao Forest Natural Park , a mostly virgin rainforest with warm-water natural pools and lush rainforests alive with exotic fauna.

• Top-Rated Beaches in Krabi
• From Bangkok to Krabi: Best Ways to Get There

Kanchanaburi is best known for its dark connection to WWII, especially the construction of the bridge over the River Kwai. Infamous for being part of the "Death Railway," the bridge was part of the line meant to connect Thailand with Burma (Myanmar), and it was built using forced labor provided by Allied prisoners of war.

Over 16,000 POWs died during the construction of the railway, including many British soldiers. The Royal Air Force bombed and damaged the bridge extensively during the war-but it was quickly rebuilt and still stands today. Most of the railway line, however, was eventually abandoned or not finished.

Nowadays, it's possible to walk across the bridge on narrow side platforms or take a short train from one side to the other. The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery nearby is the final resting place of the many prisoners of war who died here, while the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre recounts the story of the railway construction and the men who lost their lives for it, using interactive displays and video exhibits.

Two themed museums-the World War II Museum & Art Gallery and the JEATH War Museum -offer more insight into the times, with collections that cover everything from paintings to documents to WWII weapons.

For those with some extra time to explore, Kanchanaburi also offers a lighter side in the form of stunning nature. About 90 minutes north of the bridge are the Erawan Falls , a seven-tier waterfall and emerald green ponds hidden in the thick rainforest.

• Read More: Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Kanchanaburi

Sukhothai Thani is a small town better known for being home to the Sukhothai Historical Park , a UNESCO site that houses the ruins of the 13 th -century Sukhothai Kingdom. Surrounded by ancient city walls, the park contains 193 ruins in total-a combination of 26 temples, a royal palace, and many stupas and examples of stucco statuary.

The most impressive temple on the grounds is Wat Mahathat , which features nine large stupas (the main one holding relics of the Buddha), a pillared pavilion, and two nine-meter-tall standing Buddha images. Two other ruins you can't miss are Noen Prasat , a former royal palace, and Wat Si Sawai , the oldest temple in the park. Wat Sa Si, located in the middle of a lake and accessible only through a wooden bridge, is one of the most photographed.

Read More: Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Sukhothai

Sitting right on the border with Myanmar and Laos, the mountainous city of Chiang Rai is famous for its trekking in Lam Nam Kok National Park , with trails leading to stunning waterfalls such as the 70-meter-tall Khun Kon waterfall , lush forest, and hilltop tribe villages.

As with most Thai cities, temples are a huge attraction in Chiang Rai, with Wat Rong Khun (or White Temple) coming up at the top of the list. Wat Rong Khun is technically no longer a temple but a privately-owned compound redesigned and rebuilt by Chalermchai Kositpipat, one of Thailand's most famous contemporary visual artists. Another popular temple is Wat Tham Pla (also home to a cave and thousands of wild macaques), which can be reached by climbing a staircase flanked by the guardian Naga serpents.

Tiny Wat Phra Kaew , famous for once housing the Emerald Buddha until it was moved to the Grand Palace in Bangkok , and Doi Tang mountain -home to a botanical garden, a former royal residence, and a temple with fantastic views-are also worth a visit.

Khao Sam Roi Yot (which means "mountain of 300 peaks") national park is home to Thailand's largest freshwater marsh, as well as mangrove swamps, scenic beaches, limestone caves, and lots of tropical jungle trails.

There's too much to see and do here for a quick day trip, so plan on staying for a weekend at least if you want to tick several spots off your list. If an overnight stay is in the books, start at the northwest corner of the park, where Thung Sam Roi Yot Freshwater Marsh is located. You'll get to see many species of waterbirds, as well as a magnificent background of blueish mountains. A small campground and some bungalows are nearby if you need a place to stay for the night.

Pine-lined Sam Phraya Beach also has a basic campground plus a restaurant, while Laem Sala Beach is best known for being the access point to Phraya Nakhon , a massive cave with a royal pavilion built inside. Phraya Nakhon can only be reached after a steep, 30-minute uphill walk, but what awaits you inside is definitely worth it. Sai Cave also requires an arduous climb, but offers a viewpoint and a cool respite from the heat in a stalactite and bat-riddled cavern.

Khao Daeng Canal is another great way to explore the mangrove forests and get a closer look at the animals that call it home. You can hire a boat in the Khao Daeng village or ask near the park about finding a ride.

Once just a quiet town best known for being the king's summer retreat , Hua Hin has become a popular beach resort destination. Don't expect perfect turquoise waters or lively beach life here, though this is more of a destination for those visiting with family, or singles who want to sunbathe in peace, away from the crowds.

Overcrowding is definitely an issue on Hua Hin Beach, so you can try nearby Cham Am Beach or Khao Takiab beach , home to Khao Takiab temple and hundreds of wild macaques. Hua Hin is particularly popular in December and January, when European tourists arrive here to escape their own freezing winter.

Just a few kilometers outside the town towards neighboring Cha Am, you'll find the Thai-Victorian style Maruekhathaiyawan Palace , built completely out of teak wood and once the summer retreat of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI). For adrenaline-charged water fun, try Black Mountain Water Park or visit The Venezia , a themed shopping center that even offers Gondola rides.

The Pranburi Mangrove Forest and Kaeng Drachan National Park are both within 1.5 hours from Hua Hin-they offer raised wooden boardwalks; waterfalls; and lots of wildlife, including wild elephants.

• Read More: Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Hua Hin

Once a quiet fishing village, Pattaya is now the closest beach getaway for Bangkokians, less than two hours away. While most visitors come here to escape the buzz of the Thai capital and soak up some sun, there's much more to do in this beachfront town.

Hat Sai Kaew (Diamond Beach) and Koh Samet beach are good places to start your visit-they're full of colorful food stalls, beach umbrellas, and stunning beach resorts. Koh Larn (Coral island) is famous for its glass-bottom boats that offer amazing views of the coral reefs, while Koh Larn Island is the prime destination for active pursuits such as parasailing and windsurfing.

For a quick sightseeing day trip from Pattaya, head to Chanthaburi Sapphire Mine -organized tours will give you a fascinating insight into the mining that's been going on in the area for centuries. Or visit Siam Pattaya , an outdoor park that holds miniature replicas of world-famous monuments, including the Statue of Liberty, Angkor Wat, and the Bridge over the River Kwai.

If you want to see at least one temple while you're here, Wat Phra Yai Temple is the one. Also known as Big Buddha Hill, this wat features an 18-meter-tall golden Buddha overlooking the entire town.

For a fun, relaxed afternoon, try some of Pattaya's museums, including Ripley's Believe It Or Not and the 3D museum , Art in Paradise.

• Read More: From Bangkok to Pattaya: Best Ways to Get There

Khao Yai National Park is Thailand's oldest national park and still one of the most popular because of its large population of wild elephants . Covering an area of just under 2,000 square kilometers, this breathtaking park is home to rainforests, mountains, and grasslands. This variety of terrain means an equally rich fauna, with gibbons, jackals, and even bears calling the park home. Haew Suwat Waterfall , famous for a scene in Leonardo DiCaprio's The Beach movie, can be accessed on foot when hiking the park.

Visitors can take to the trekking and biking trails here, or hire a park ranger to drive them to the usually inaccessible water holes where elephants congregate to drink.

Read More: Exploring Khao Yai National Park: A Visitor's Guide

One of the most popular destinations in the Mae Hong Son province near the border with Myanmar, the small town of Pai has become a favorite among those looking for the slow, more rural side of Thailand. Once known as just a backpacker's paradise, Pai is now attracting hikers and peace lovers as well - or just anybody wanting to explore the less-traveled roads of Thailand at least for a few days.

Pai is surrounded by densely covered hills rolling into green fields, majestic waterfalls, and hiking trails that seem to go on forever. It's all the beauty of the authentic Thai countryside dotted with signs of the western bohemian world - organic food and quirky cafés included. While Pai itself is small, the surroundings will keep you busy. There's the Pai Canyon and its heart-stopping trails to hike, the Tha Pai Hot Springs for a warm bath, and rice terraces as far as the eye can see. You can climb the 353 steps to Wat Phra That Mae Yen for stunning views over the valley, or take a day trip to the massive Tham Lod limestone cave system .

I visited Pai as part of the Mae Hong Son loop, a 600-kilometer mountain loop road that passes through several villages and towns along the way. The loop starts in Chiang Mai and most people who make the journey have Pai in mind as one of the top destinations.

While in Mae Hong Son province, a visit to Mae Sariang is definitely a good idea. Unlike Pai, which is a jam-packed tourist destination, Mae Sariang offers a glimpse into a more traditional and local way of life.

It's a crossroads of travelers on motorbikes completing the famous Mae Hong Son loop, so expect to find many affordable guesthouses and small restaurants. The town is also right next to the Salawin National Park, which is cut by the Salween River.

Surrounded by rolling mountains, Mae Sariang is one of the best places to visit in Thailand in order to enjoy the spectacular landscapes of the north. Visit the Morning Market for a real look into daily life. Not far from the market is Wat Jong Soong, a centuries-old temple in town.

Krabi is a large province and is often favored for the Phi Phi Islands or the mainland beach town, Ao Nang. While both are fantastic beach destinations, Krabi is also home to Koh Lanta, a lesser-traveled island that is a hidden paradise of beaches, affordable resorts, and delicious food.

Not far from the Krabi mainland, Koh Lanta is easily accessed from Koh Phi Phi or Phuket by water. The other option is to fly into the Krabi airport and drive, as the island is connected by a bridge to the mainland. Still, once you're on the island, it feels like another world away.

The island is approximately 30 kilometers long and six kilometers wide, meaning it is easy to see the whole island in a day. You'll want to take your time, though, as it has many nooks and crannies to explore. Long Beach is the most famous beach here; it stretches for five kilometers. All along the shorefront are small resorts, bungalows, and charming restaurants. The water here is calm, crystal clear, and has endless views out to shadowy islands in the distance.

At the southern tip of Koh Lanta is part of the Koh Lanta National Park, which actually consists of several islands, though the largest is Koh Lanta. The laid-back island is popular among expats and low-key travelers looking to get a bit off the tourist trail, but still have access to many conveniences.

If you're visiting Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, it's only proper to round it out with Koh Tao. The third island in this archipelago, Koh Tao is by far the smallest but offers so much for travelers looking to kick back and relax.

This pint-sized island is small enough to explore in a day, but once you get there, you likely won't want to leave anytime soon. Koh Tao was put on the map for its unparalleled diving but has been growing in popularity among upscale travelers who are drawn to its burgeoning resort scene.

But by and large, what visitors are coming to Koh Tao for is diving, which is what gives this tiny island its monumental reputation. Submerged beneath the blue-green waters are dynamic reefs, shipwrecks, and mesmerizing rock formations. Wildlife is humming, with eagle rays, whale sharks, barracuda, snapper, grouper, blacktop reef sharks, and so much more.

More Related Articles on PlanetWare.com

Exploring Bangkok: The Thai capital of Bangkok is often the gateway to most destinations in Thailand. If you're landing here first and need tips on what to do while you're here, see our article on the Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Bangkok .

Exploring Phuket : For ideas on how to make the most of your holiday, check out what there is to see and do in the Top-Rated Tourist Attractions on Phuket Island .

More on Thailand

The Best Time to Visit East Coast Thailand for Weather, Safety, & Tourism

The best times to visit East Coast Thailand for ideal weather are

November 26th to February 18th

based on average temperature and humidity from NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Read below for more weather and travel details.

East Coast Thailand Travel Guide

Temperature.

• Perceived Temperature
• Rain and snow
• Humidity and wind
• The busiest and least popular months
• Overall travel experience by time of year

Other East Coast Thailand Travel Info

Weather in east coast thailand.

Average temperatures in East Coast Thailand vary very little. Considering humidity, temperatures feel hot all year with a fair chance of precipitation about half of the year. The area is far less temperate than some — in the 10th percentile for pleasant weather — compared to tourist destinations worldwide. Weeks with ideal weather are listed above . If you’re looking for the very warmest time to visit East Coast Thailand, the hottest months are April, May, and then June. See average monthly temperatures below. The warmest time of year is generally mid April where highs are regularly around 93.7°F (34.3°C) with temperatures rarely dropping below 77.7°F (25.4°C) at night.

East Coast Thailand Temperatures (Fahrenheit)

East coast thailand temperatures (celsius), “feels-like” temperatures.

The way we experience weather isn’t all about temperature. Higher temperatures affect us much more at higher humidity, and colder temperatures feel piercing with high winds. Our perceived temperatures factor in humidity and wind chill to better represent how hot or cold the day feels to a person.

East Coast Thailand Perceived Temperature (F)

East coast thailand perceived temperature (c), average east coast thailand temperatures by month.

Daily highs (averaged for the month) usually give the best indication of the weather. A significantly lower mean and low generally just means it gets colder at night.

Show Fahrenheit

Show celsius, precipitation (rain or snow).

If dry weather is what you’re after, the months with the lowest chance of significant precipitation in East Coast Thailand are December, January, and then February. Note that we define “significant precipitation” as .1 inches or more in this section. The lowest chance of rain or snow occurs around early January. For example, on the week of January 1st there are no days of precipitation on average. By contrast, it’s most likely to rain or snow in early to mid September with an average of 6 days of significant precipitation the week of September 10th.

Chance of Precipitation

The graph below shows the % chance of rainy and snowy days in East Coast Thailand.

Snow on the Ground

The graph below shows the average snow on the ground in East Coast Thailand (in).

Average Rain and Snow by Month

Show inches, show centimeters, humidity and wind.

East Coast Thailand has some extremely humid months, with other comfortably humid months. The least humid month is January (56.9% relative humidity), and the most humid month is September (82%).

Wind in East Coast Thailand is usually extremely calm . The windiest month is December, followed by November and January. December’s average wind speed of around 3.5 knots (4 MPH or 6.5 KPH) is considered “light air.” Maximum sustained winds (the highest speed for the day lasting more than a few moments) are at their highest in mid December where average top sustained speeds reach 8.1 knots, which is considered a gentle breeze.

Relative Humidity (%)

The graph below shows the average % humidity by month in East Coast Thailand.

The graph below shows wind speed (max and average) in knots.

Average Wind Speeds

Show wind speeds.

All wind speeds are in knots. 1 knot = 1.15 MPH or 1.85 KPH.

Show Relative Humidity by Month

Is it safe to travel to east coast thailand.

Our best data indicates this area is somewhat safe, but with extra warnings in a few regions. As of Dec 04, 2023 there are travel warnings and regional advisories for Thailand; exercise a high degree of caution and avoid some areas. Check this page for any recent changes or regions to avoid: Travel Advice and Advisories . This advisory was last updated on Nov 27, 2023.

The Busiest and Least Crowded Months

The busiest month for tourism in East Coast Thailand is December, followed by May and January. Prices for hotels and flights will be most expensive during these months, though you can save if you purchase well in advance. Tourists are unlikely to visit East Coast Thailand in September. Those willing to visit at these times will likely find it the least expensive month.

Estimated Tourism by Month

Most popular months to visit, overall east coast thailand travel experience by season, spring (march through may).

Humidity and temperatures combine to make this season feel warm. Highs range from 93.7°F (34.3°C) and 90.9°F (32.7°C) with similar temperatures in the later months. Rain is very common with 5 to 17 days of significant precipitation per month. Spring is fairly slow for tourism, which makes it a good time for those looking for deals.

Summer (June through August)

The middle-year months have very comfortable weather with high temperatures that are quite warm. These months see the most precipitation with 18 to 20 days of precipitation per month. June – August is the second busiest season for tourism in East Coast Thailand, so lodging and other accommodations may cost slightly more.

Fall (September through November)

Fall daily highs range from 91.8°F (33.2°C) and 88.1°F (31.2°C), which will feel very nice given the humidity and wind. It rains or snows a great amount: 5 to 21 days per month. Tourism is the slowest during these months due to the weather, so hotels may be affordably priced.

Winter (December through February)

Weather is perfect this time of year in East Coast Thailand to be enjoyable for warm weather travelers. The average high during this season is between 91.3°F (32.9°C) and 89.3°F (31.8°C). On average, it rains or snows a smalll amount: 1 to 4 times per month. These times of year are the busiest with tourists.

Best Times to Travel › Thailand › East Coast Thailand

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20+ Most Beautiful Thai Islands to Visit in Thailand

Posted on August 2, 2022 | Julie J. |

Last Updated on July 31, 2023

Thailand is one of the most visited destinations in Asia , and it’s not for nothing. A dream destination for many, Thailand features stunning scenery, paradise-like beaches, world-renown gastronomy, and cultural treasures.

Deciding where you should go can be an arduous task as there are so many wonderful destinations in Thailand. To help you plan your Thailand itinerary, travel bloggers share their favorite Thai islands as well as useful travel tips and recommendations.

Pick and choose your favorite ones and start planning your next island hopping adventure or relaxing retreat for a perfect vacation. Keep on reading to discover the best Islands in Thailand that you should add to your bucket list!

Travel tips  – Before any international trip, make sure to   get travel insurance  and check  visa requirements. + Check out the new entry requirements and covid regulations on Thailand’s official tourism board’s website .

Related – Thailand complete packing list

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on any links and make a purchase, I’ll get a small commission, at no cost to you.

Map of the best islands in Thailand

Travel Tips to Visit Thailand’s Islands

• Smaller islands often don’t have ATMs so make sure you have enough cash with you before going;
• Pack mosquito repellent;
• Some islands might be closed depending on the season, or the ferry might not run year-round, or most accommodations will be closed at some point during the year – especially less-visited islands and national parks;
• There are different seasons in Thailand depending on the area you’re in, refer to this guide for more info ;
• Wear a helmet when you’re driving a motorbike, emergency care is limited on many islands;

Best Islands on Thailand’s West Coast

By Martina & Jürgen from Places Of Juma

Koh Kradan in Thailand is definitely one of the most beautiful islands in the country! Here you will enjoy a unique flair, far away from mass tourism . This dream island is never overcrowded, the atmosphere is calm, and the nature is stunningly beautiful. What makes it unique is the extraordinary setting with turquoise-blue sea colors, the white dream beaches, and even a jungle on this hidden island.

There isn`t much to do: relax, read a good book, drink cocktails in the small beach bar, swim in the sea, and snorkel. In the offshore reef, you can discover many colorful fish, and even clownfish have settled here. If you like, you can hire a boat and go to the nearby Emerald Cave to explore a former pirate hideout.

This mini-island is located in the Trang region, in the Andaman Sea, and can be easily reached by speed boat. Although it is possible to see the entire island in one day, those who want to relax should definitely plan a few relaxing days here.

There is no party or nightlife here. Although there are a few resorts, there is never much going on and you always have peace and quiet on Koh Kradan. Really lovely is the Reef Resort directly on the beach and with amazing views!

Tasha Amy from Backpackers Wanderlust

Tucked away in the Southwestern corner of Thailand along the Andaman Sea is the incredible island of Koh Lanta. This is far enough off those main tourist places such as Phuket, Koh Phi Phi, and Krabi, though close enough to only be a couple of hours journey away by van or boat.

One of the top things to do is to visit Mu Ko Lanta National Park which is a must in your Koh Lanta itinerary . Here you will find amazing clifftop views over the ocean, visiting the remote Koh Rok Islands, featuring stunning secluded beaches, incredible snorkeling and diving spots, and gorgeous landscapes.

You’ll find plenty of island hopping tours from Ko Lanta , most will feature a visit to a couple of islands, snorkeling, and maybe some kayaking.

I also recommend simply hiring a motorbike and discovering the island at your own pace. There are numerous restaurants with mind-blowing views providing the perfect excuse for a cold beer, stunning beaches, and a couple of temples worth seeing.

Lastly, make sure to check out Lanta Animal Welfare to meet some adorable doggy friends.

Koh Lanta is a lot slower pace than the other touristy areas around Southern Thailand so you will want to spend at least 3 days here. This will allow you to take a deep breath, appreciate your surroundings and join in on that laid-back lifestyle.

There are plenty of places to stay on the island, from secluded beaches to quaint villages . Backpackers tend to favor Baan Saladan , where you’ll find plenty of cheap hotels and most of the nightlife. A good place to stay in this area would be BOHO Hostel.

While Long Beach is ideal for families, couples, or people wanting to stay by the beach without being far from restaurants and entertainment. The Layana Resort & Spa is highly rated and offers great amenities while being right on the beach.

By Linn Haglund of Brainy Backpackers

Koh Mook (also known as Koh Muk) is truly one of Thailand’s hidden gems . The island is quite popular for the mesmerizing Emerald Cave , a swim through an 80 meters tunnel from the sea leading into a hidden beach lit up by the sun. But hardly any of these people take their time to actually set foot on the island as they’re usually part of a boat tour from any of the surrounding islands.

There is so much more to Koh Mook and you should spend a few nights in a bungalow on the beachfront, like the luxury resort Koh Mook Sivalai Beach Resort that sits on the Hao-Laem beach .

The long, white beaches are often empty, and you can enjoy a real Thai island paradise by yourself. Yet there is so much more to do beyond the beaches. Explore the yet not saturated island’s local restaurants and shops to get a real feel of the island life. Rent a scooter or a bike to get around and head out for a hike in the lush jungle to explore hidden beaches.

Make sure you bring enough cash for your stay at Koh Mook as they might not have any cash machines there. Consider if you are heading out to another remote island after Koh Mook too, so you have enough to keep you floating until you go back to a bigger island. Most hotels take cards as payment though.

The island is easily reached from either Trang or Koh Lanta , but only in the high season from December to March. The rest of the year there are heavy storms and most hotels and transport do not run.

James Bond Island

By Jesal from Tourist to Travellers

One of the gems of  Ao Phang Nga National Park in Phang Nga Bay is James Bond Island or Khao Phing Kan. Located close to Phuket, James Bond Island is a very popular tourist destination.

The Island gets its name from the popular James Bond movie “The Man with the Golden Gun”. A 20-meter tall islet called Ko Ta Pu or Khao Ta Pu, is another popular structure visited by tourists.

You can reach James Bond Island either from Phuket or from Krabi and can take a boat from either place to visit the island. The best option is to opt for the 1-day tours that include a visit to this Island.

Ao Phang Nga Beach, Ko Panyi, Ko Panyi Rock Art, and Phi Phi Islands are some places to visit near James Bond Island.

One can opt for many things to do on James Bond Island:

• Take a boat ride and enjoy the scenic views of the cliffs and the various hills.
• Explore the island, relax on the beach, or click Instagram-worthy pictures with the unique structure in the backdrop.
• Shop souvenirs from the local shops close by. Buy the popular Koh Tapu or the James Bond Rock from the shop.

Stay at the Samet Nangshe Boutique Hotel in Phang Nga Bay to catch a perfect sunrise and sunset. Enjoy a hot meal at the rooftop café to watch stunning views of the bay

Pro Tip : The mobile connectivity is poor so try to keep the phone behind, relax and enjoy the island.

Koh Yao Yai

By Victoria from Guide your Travel

Koh Yao Yai is a small island located east of Phuket in the bay of Phang Nga . This beautiful spot is the perfect place to escape the busy streets of Phuket and enjoy a more secluded experience. It’s definitely one of the best islands in Thailand by far.

Come here for incredible beaches, a laidback lifestyle, and stunning scenery. You should plan to spend at least two to three days here, maybe more if you have time.

You can easily get to Koh Yao Yai via ferry or speedboat which both leave from Phuket. Tickets are affordable and booking in advance is highly recommended during the high season since tickets do tend to sell out.

Koh Yao Yai is all about resorts and incredible white sand beaches. Head to Son Bay Beach or Ao Muang beach for swimming, relaxing, and snorkeling. Just watch out for the jellyfish. During some seasons Thailand experiences high numbers of jellyfish which can give you a painful sting if you touch them.

Ban Rim Nam Restaurant is an absolute must-see. This beautiful little spot is located right on the water and offers stunning views and authentic Thai food as well as international options.

You’ll find a couple of beach resorts on the island. Book a beachfront villa at the stunning Koh Yao Yai Village . If you are traveling on a budget, book a dorm bed at the Backpack Hostel Kohyaoyai.

By Angeline from Go Around Philippines

Koh Lipe is a quiet island in the South of Thailand with a laid-back atmosphere. It is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike because of its beautiful beaches and stunning crystal-clear waters.

Koh Lipe is accessible from Thailand or Malaysia via ferry. If you start from Thailand, you need to get to Satun and take a ferry from Pakbara Pier, Satun. However, Satun doesn’t have an airport so you have to fly into Trang or Hat Yai and then take a minivan/bus to Satun.

From Malaysia, you can take a direct ferry from Langkawi to Koh Lipe too.

Koh Lipe is open year-round. However, there are two choices of when you visit – low season with rain but cheaper prices, it’s quieter but the water is not so clear, or high season with better weather, more nightlife and daytime activities open , but it’s much busier and higher prices.

It’s recommended to spend at least 5 days on the island , especially with the travel time from the mainland to the island.

Definitely visit the National Park when you are on the island, for some snorkeling and island hopping. You’ll find a couple of nice beaches on the island, you can walk to most of them. The island is also popular for diving, it’s a good place to get certified or try diving for the first time.

There are many options on where to stay in Koh Lipe. Castaway Resort is a rustic-themed resort reminiscent of the movie by Tom Hanks and is perfectly located along Sunrise beach.

Koh Phi Phi

Koh Phi Phi is one of the best party islands in Thailand , enjoy island hopping, snorkeling, or just relax at the beach during the day and party the night away. It’s the perfect location to take day trips to visit neighboring islands and if you like partying.

Phi Phi Islands are actually made up of 6 islands. The two main ones are Koh Phi Phi Don, the most popular, and Koh Phi Phi Le, known for its beaches . You can easily get there by boat from Krabi and Phuket. There’s no transportation on the island apart from a few motorcycles to transport goods.

On Phi Phi Don, don’t miss Ton Sai Bay and Beach , Monkey Beach, Long Beach, and hiking to the viewpoint. Ton Sai is the main area where you’ll find most hotels, bars, restaurants, and nightlife. You can easily book something within a 15-minute walk if you want to be in a quieter area.

ChaoKoh Phi Phi Hotel and Resort is a great place to stay, close to everything with nice amenities. Travelers on a budget can book a bed in the dorm at the well-rated Sweed Dee Hostel .

On Phi Phi Le, visit Ao Pileh, spend some time at the beach, and snorkel . To get there, take a long boat from Ton Sai.

There are plenty of day trips you can take, one you shouldn’t miss is the tour to Maya Bay , where part of the movie The Beach was filmed.

Located south of Krabi in the Andaman Sea, Koh Jum is a small island full of beautiful beaches and incredible snorkeling spots offering peaceful settings and a laid-back atmosphere . The northern part of the island is often called Koh Pu. The best part about visiting this Thai island is that it’s not touristy, so everything is cheap, the locals are welcoming, and you might get the beach all to yourself!

The easiest way to explore the island is to rent a scooter and drive around. You’ll find a couple of pristine beaches and peaceful villages worth checking out – the beaches in the north are harder to reach, so if you are not used to driving on dirt roads, stick to the southern ones.

Koh Jum Village is the central part of the island where you’ll find shops, restaurants, hotels, and tour operators. You can stay there or book something in a more secluded area, depending on what you’re looking for.

Splurge on a villa with a private pool at the beautiful Koh Jum Beach Villas or book a stay at the affordable Jungle Hill Beach Bungalow.

You can also take day trips to visit the beautiful  Chicken Island  and  Koh Poda Island , as well as the famous  Koh Phi Phi Island and  Bamboo Island .

You can easily get there from Ko Lanta or Krabi Town. Make sure to bring enough cash with you as there are no ATMs on the island.

Similan Islands

The Similan Islands is an archipelago in the Andaman Sea and a National Park known for its crystal clear waters, white sanded beaches, and lush jungle . Most people visit on a day trip from Phuket but you can actually spend the night there.

The national park is open from mid-October to mid-May , so plan accordingly. There are 11 islands in total with Ko Miang and Ko Similan being the main ones. Most tours will stop at 2 to 3 islands.

In Ko Miang, you can rent a bungalow with aircon or a tent – you’ll find a restaurant there as well and plenty of space to relax and enjoy some peace and quiet. You’ll need to book everything ahead to be sure to have a spot once you get there. You can contact the park through that email address: [email protected] .

Koh Yao Noi

Koh Yao Noi is one of the best islands in Thailand if you are looking for something quiet, away from hordes of tourists. Rent a scooter to explore the island, its stunning beaches, and its quaint fishing villages, and take day trips to the neighboring islands.

You can easily get there from Krabi and Phuket by speedboat.

If you are short on time, you can take a mountain biking tour from Phuket to discover this rural part of Thailand.

For something quite unique, book a stay in a luxurious tree house in the adult-only TreeHouse Villas . Travelers on a budget can book a room at the top-rated and conveniently-located Connexion Hostel .

Koh Tarutao

The largest island in Tarutao National Marine Park in Satun Province, Koh Tarutao is a paradise on earth and one of the best Thai islands to visit! Untouched by mass tourism, it’s the ideal destination to relax and enjoy some quiet beach time.

You can either rent a bungalow or a tent – just make sure to book ahead. You’ll find 2 restaurants and 3 campgrounds on the island. You can also rent kayaks and mountain bikes at the park’s headquarter – make sure to pick up a map of the trails as well if you want to do some hiking.

You can easily get there from Ko Lipe and Pak Bara on the mainland. It’s also reachable from Krabu and Hat Yai but the journey will be long.

Koh Phra Thong

Koh Phra Thong, also known as the Golden Budha Island , is as remote as it gets. Enjoy miles of unspoiled beaches, small villages, and the island’s savannah, an expansive golden grassland known for being the home of plenty of rare bird species. It’s an ideal destination if you want to disconnect for a few days away from hordes of tourists.

You can kayak through the mangrove and to the nearby Koh Pling Lek and Koh Pling Ya and snorkel from the beaches there.

To get there, catch a boat at Khura Buri’s Pier and ask your accommodation to arrange transportation once you arrive (there’s no public transportation on the island).

You won’t find many accommodation options on the island. You can book a bungalow at the cozy Moken Eco Village . Note that most resorts are only open from 1st November – 30th April

Another great island to disconnect and get off the beaten path, Koh Phayam is known for its laid-back atmosphere and deserted beaches.

The main beach is Aow Yai (Big Bay) beach where you’ll find a couple of beach bars and restaurants. Nearby Aow Kao Kwai is the perfect place to watch the sunset or rent a kayak to explore the mangrove . You can also rent a scooter to visit the island further .

From there, you can take an island hopping, diving, or snorkeling tour to Koh Khang Kao and Koh Surin , both stunning islands worth checking out.

You can easily get there by ferry from Ranong’s Pier. You’ll find a couple of accommodations for all budgets – Rasta House is great for backpackers while Ailay is ideal if you’re looking for a bungalow right on the beach.

Best Thai Islands near Bangkok / Northern Thailand

By Karolina from Lazy Travel Blog

Ko Chang (The Elephant Island) is one of the best islands in Thailand. It’s located pretty close to the famous mainland cities – Bangkok and Pattaya. Even though Koh Chang’s location is convenient, it’s less popular than the famous Phuket or Koh Samui.

It’s one of the best things about Elephant Island. Because it’s not touristy, you can still feel the “vibe” of Thailand there. Plus, you will have a great chance to spot some monkeys!

There’s no airport in Ko Chang, so you need to get to the Center Point in Trat from where you can take a ferry to the island. Depending on where you are traveling from, you can either take a flight to Trat, travel by bus, or hire a taxi.

One of the best things to do in Koh Chang is spending time on the beach, having a Thai massage, and of course, eating local food. If you like hiking, you can take some pretty awesome jungle treks!

Be sure to visit Blue Haven Bay if you want to take some Insta-worthy photos. It’s also where you can find awesome restaurants and 2 great hotels to stay at – Marina Sands Resort and Peninsula Beach Resort .

The recommended time to spend on Elephant Island is 3 days. You will have enough time to explore the island and relax.

Koh Samet (or Koh Samed) is a popular destination for both locals and international tourists known for its white sanded beaches and busy nightlife. You’ll find plenty of things to do on the island and many incredible places to discover.

Pick one of the island’s 14 beaches to spend some time relaxing on the white sand or rent a scooter and visit them all! Don’t miss touring some of the island’s landmarks as well, like Wat Koh Samet (make sure to wear appropriate clothing ), and the bronze mermaid and other statues on Sai Kaew Beach .

Samet Village is where you’ll find most of the restaurants, bars, hotels, shops, and tour operators. The main beach there, Sai Kaew Beach, is where most of the action takes place at night.

You’ll find plenty of accommodation options on the island, from hostels to luxurious beach resorts. Minnie Seaview Resort is a great budget-friendly option, while Le Vimarn Cottages & Spa is worth splurging.

Koh Lan / Koh Larn / Coral Island

Also known as Koh Larn, Koh Lan is a small island near Pattaya. Many people choose to take a tour from Pattaya but you can easily get there on your own and spend a few days enjoying the beach.

Rent a bicycle or motorbike and drive around the island , exploring the island’s stunning beaches . You can also walk as the island is not that big. Some of the best beaches include Samae Beach and Tawaen Beach (the most crowded), and Tien beach and Tonglang beach (a bit quieter).

Naban pier is the main area where you’ll find most accommodations. The Castello Resort is a well-rated budget option. If you want to stay by the beach, Xanadu Beach Resort is a nice option.

Koh Mak is a popular destination among couples and families looking for something far away from party life and concrete buildings. It’s also ideal for backpackers wanting some peace and quiet away from the busy Pattaya or Bangkok.

The best thing to do on Koh Mak is just to rent a bicycle to explore the island and spend some time relaxing at the beach.

The Seavana Koh Mak Beach Resort is one of the top rated hotels on the island while Sabai Beach Resort is ideal for budget travelers.

Koh Kood / Koh Kut

Also known as Koh Kut, Koh Kood has it all and is a top destination to visit in Thailand. The island features beaches, jungles, and waterfalls, enough to keep you busy for a few days. The island is still pretty undeveloped and is far away from mass tourism.

The best way to get around the island is to rent a motorcycle as things are pretty far from one another. Then you can visit the island’s many unspoiled beaches and hike inland to reach stunning waterfalls.

For something out of this world and if you want to splurge, check out the incredible High Season Pool Villa & Spa on Klong Chao Beach. Budget travelers will enjoy staying at the Walk In Homestay a few minutes away from Ao Jark Beach.

Best Islands on Thailand’s East Coast

By Cecilie from Worldwide Walkers

Ko Tao is without a doubt one of the best islands you can visit in Thailand. Koh Tao is one of the most famous places to go diving and snorkeling in Thailand. So, if you want to go snorkeling or if you’re considering taking a diving course, then you should head to Koh Tao! Make sure to pack an underwater camera as well.

There are also several places you can explore on the island if you’re not into underwater activities. It’s easy to rent a scooter and explore all corners of the island. You can easily spend hours discovering some of Koh Tao’s best beaches such as Sai Daeng, Freedom, and Sairee Beach. Or you can jump on a short boat trip to Koh Nang Yuan, which hides one of Thailand’s best viewpoints.

Sairee Beach is the best place to be if you’re looking to experience Ko Tao’s nightlife. Here you can find endless bars where you can watch a fire show while enjoying a cold drink with your toes in the sand.

Koh Tao is located next to the popular Koh Pha Ngan and Ko Samui in the Gulf of Thailand. It’s pretty easy to get to the island from Bangkok. You can either fly or take the train to Chumphon or Surat Thani from where you can catch a boat to the island.

If you want to do a diving course, then it’s recommended to stay a week on Ko Tao . However, if you’re only looking to enjoy the beaches and nightlife, then you can easily just stay a couple of nights and combine your trip with a couple of days on Koh Phangan or Koh Samui.

Island-hopping is one of the best ways to experience beautiful Thailand.

Koh Pha Ngan

By Cazzy from Dream Big Travel Far

Home to some of the world’s most pristine beaches and tropical destinations , there’s no doubt that Thailand is a paradise to go island-hopping. Koh Phangan is the fifth-largest island in the country and is known for its white-sand beaches, rolling hills, luscious jungles, and many dive sites, making it the best Thai island to visit on your trip.

There are more than 30 beaches to explore , each with its own unique charms. Some like Bottle Beach and Haad Rin Nok are popular among tourists, but the emptier Haad Chao Pao is no less beautiful too.

For a little bit of a mountain-escapade, you can hike the island’s tallest mountain, Khao Ra . The path is relatively easy and it takes about 2 or 3 hours to hike all 627 meters of it. The view on top is really quite spectacular!

Koh Pha Ngan also has its share of magical waterfalls, including the Phaeng Waterfall and Than Sadet Waterfall , and over 20 Buddhist temples . Catch a show at the open-air Moonlight Cinema and don’t miss the ultimate sunset experience by grabbing a drink at the Three Sixty Bar . You might also want to stroll around the markets for delicious treats and unique souvenirs.

4 to 5 days are enough to visit all the island’s most famous destinations and lesser-known gems. The island is just a 45 minutes ferry ride from Koh Samui or 2.5 hours from the main island . If you take a speedboat from Samui, it will take just 20 minutes.

When it comes to the food, Koh Phangan is teeming with a scrumptious culinary scene. Try Bluerama’s rooftop bar for a luxurious venue with affordable prices, or explore the many street foods around the island!

By Hadas from Luxury Voyager

Koh Samui is one of Thailand’s most popular islands and tourist destinations due to its white sandy beaches, activities to suit every age and taste, and a wide range of accommodation options.

A visit to Koh Samui is a must when in Thailand as it is perfect for any tourists; whether you are after a luxury holiday or a budget one, or whether you’re traveling with your significant other, your friends, or your family. Koh Samui is indeed a dream destination for anyone.

Koh Samui offers some of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand including Coral Cove Beach and Silver Beach . It also has breathtaking viewpoints. Some of the best views can be seen from Lad Koh and the bar at the Jungle Club hotel , where it is recommended to watch the sunset.

Some of the best luxury hotels in Thailand are located in Koh Samui. Some of the best-rated ones include W Hotel , Six Senses , and Nikki Beach Resort .

The foodies amongst you also will not be disappointed as Koh Samui offers a range of upscale restaurants and local street food stalls.

It’s recommended to stay in Koh Samui for 4-5 days before heading to the nearby island of Koh Phangan.

Related articles to help you plan your trip to Thailand:

• Everything you need to know before visiting Thailand
• Best things to do in Krabi
• Top 10 national park in Thailand that should be on your bucket list

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• Food & Drink
• What to pack
• City Guides
• Travel Hacks
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Travel Tips

12 Best Places to Visit in South East Asia

By Rhiannon Bryant

Rhiannon is a Contiki Trip Manager in Asia who enjoys constantly being on the go. Exploring new places, tasting new foods and spending all her time between trips hiking, and on photography story telling journeys.

Published on Apr 04, 2024

South East Asia is composed of eleven countries with impressive diversity in religion, culture and history. SE Asian countries share an overlapping history with a mixture of cuisines and cultures influenced by many ethnic groups and ethnic minority groups. There are thousands of years of storytelling; tales of war tragedies, liberation and achievements.

These can be experienced today by sightseeing monuments, walking tours, bicycle tours, and jeep tours run by specialist guides explaining everything you need to know, incorporating food tastings, cooking classes, water puppet shows and circuses performed in intimate settings sharing folk stories with traditional instruments. The natural beauty of limestone karst islands, land locked countries, rivers, beaches, mountains and volcanoes can be explored by boat, hiking trips and scuba diving; on land and off land.

Feeling inspired?

Asian Adventure

1. palawan, the philippines.

The Philippines is one of the most talked about travel destinations at the moment, and we can see why with its beautiful white beaches . It’s definitely one of the best places to visit in South East Asia and you CANNOT miss a trip to Palawan. Palawan is one of the larger islands of the Philippines and it is a traveller’s haven. You could easily spend weeks here exploring all of the hidden beaches, taking boat trips around the islands and islets, exploring the hidden lagoons, scuba diving and snorkelling to see life under water, and watching the sunsets in the every afternoon.

One of the best places to catch sunset is Las Cabanas Beach in El Nido. And if you’re not afraid of early mornings, then the sunrise hike to Taraw Peak is a must do for your bucket list. Palawan is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes and seascapes, and the most popular destinations visited from here are El Nido and Coron.

One of the best times to visit Palawan is April, and make sure to do the underground river cruise, diving in Coron around the old war ship ruins, and try out Balabac for your off the beaten track activities with limited tourists around. It’s easy to explore the secluded beaches by kayaking around the coastlines, witnessing Indigenous  fishing communities, seeing limestone cliffs, exploring the marine reserves and testing out your diving skills at one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Tubbataha Reef.

Palawan is also actually home to another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Saint Paul Subterranean River National Park. This underground river system is surrounded by well-preserved limestone formations, and a forest full of wildlife, making it a must visit destination for nature lovers.

Image source: Contiki

2. Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia

Sabah is a state of Malaysia located on the northern portion of Borneo, in East Malaysia. Sabah’s signature attractions range from nature-based activities like hiking, diving, visiting geoparks, and cultural attractions to promote the indigenous villages on the island.

Sabah is all about conservation and preservation making it an excellent holiday destination for sustainable tourism lovers. This tropical paradise has beautiful beaches, an abundance of marine life, striking sunsets, and a natural ambience. Some of the main attractions on the island are: Maliau Basin, Bohey Dulang, Danum Valley Conservation Area, Mount Kinabalu and the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.

Wildlife safaris along the Kinabatangan River and Weston River give you the opportunity to see rare water bird species, fireflies, crocodiles, and if you’re lucky enough orangutangs too. Inland you can explore the tranquil rainforest of Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and Geopark: Kinabalu Park.

In Kinabalu Park you can face your fears on the world’s highest via ferrata, Mountain Torq, located at Mt Kinabalu’s Panalaban rock face. The walk starts at 3,200m above sea level and ends at 3,776m above sea level. If you’re into diving, a 45 minute flight from Kota Kinabalu will take you to Sipadan Island, renowned for being one of the world’s best dive sites. There’s 40 acres to explore, composed of corals, more than 3,000 species of fish, green and hawksbill turtles. You are permitted to have your Open Water Divers certification to dive in this zone. 

Malaysia and Singapore Highlights

3. kuala lumpur, malaysia.

Kuala Lumpur is a federal territory and the capital city of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur has undergone rapid development in recent decades and is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Towers. The Petronas Towers have become an iconic symbol of Kuala Lumpur and one of the main focal points around the city.

Below Petronas Towers is the popular KLCC, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, a multipurpose development area and one of the best shopping malls in the city. Kuala Lumpur is known for the cultural diversity and ethnic groups. The three major religions in Kuala Lumpur are: Islam, Hinduism and Tao Buddhism. A popular tourist site to visit in Kuala Lumpur is Batu Caves. The translation for Batu Caves is Rock Caves, and is famous for the Hindu shrine of the God Murugan. The statue was unveiled in 2006 and took 3 years to construct. The statue stands at 43m tall, and behind it lie the famous rainbow coloured stairs.

The Kuala Lumpur Central Market was built in 1888 originally as a wet market. Known to the locals as Pasar Seni, it is easily accessible on the major public transport lines and today is used as a centre for Malaysian culture, art, craft and cuisine. Getting off at Pasar Seni station, it’s a short walk to the market complex which has been newly renovated across 2023 and 2024. The market has a brand new Makan Hall (Food Hall), and an array of local shops, vendors and handicrafts.

The stalls rotate and feature locally made products from Malaysia. Here you can buy copper water vessels with health benefits, traditional batik styled clothing, enjoy delicious local foods like nasi lemak, asam laksa, and hydrate on fresh coconuts. There are small stationery shops with brightly coloured postcards for sale, and stamps making it convenient to ship home from here. Just a 5-10 min walk from Central Market is Chinatown. You can spend the afternoon here between the hustle and bustle of negotiating for knock offs at the market, taste testing more local treats, and spending the afternoon wandering around the old buildings, looking at graffiti temples and trying your luck to find the secret bars all around here.

Image source: Rhiannon Bryant

4. Singapore City, Republic of Singapore

Singapore is a sunny, tropical city-state island off the Malay Peninsula, and is one of the smallest countries in the world. Singapore is surrounded by 62 smaller islands, and famous for being a global financial centre.

It’s one of the most densely populated cities in the world, but at the same time is balanced with being one of the greenest places in the world. Known for the Jewel Waterfall in Terminal 1, of Changi Airport, having the UNESCO World Heritage Site Botanic Gardens, and of course the boat shaped hotel, Marina Bay Sands. The Marina By Sands opened in 2010, and at this time it was deemed the world’s most expensive standalone casino property at $8billion SGD. The resort includes 2561 rooms, convention centres, a museum, a theatre, restaurants, and bars in the 3 sky towers.

A must do when in Singapore is heading to the SkyPark observation deck to see the incredible views of Singapore, or head to Ce La Vie for an afternoon refreshment and watch the sunset over the skyscrapers of the city. Below Marina Bay Sands is the iconic Gardens by the Bay, home of the cloud forest which hosts many interactive shows throughout the year, and in the Supertree Grove you can see the nightly light shows at 7:45pm and 8:45pm.

The best place in town to experience a Hawker food centre is Lau Pa Sat, every cuisine you could think of is available, and easily accessible by public transport: the most efficient way to get around Singapore. A few days is needed to explore the city so you can properly get lost in the alleyways that surround Haji Lane, Arab Street, and Bali Lane. Here you will find boutique shops, vintage clothing stores, record shops, bakeries with fresh sweets, authentic Persian rugs, handmade perfumes and oils, textiles and walls lined with graffiti.

Singapore’s maritime past, as a port city has shaped the atmosphere and look of the city throughout the years. Dutch and Portuguese styled buildings, painted vibrant colours, that have gone from merchant sellers, to residential buildings, to touristic hot spots. Singapore is full of hidden pockets to explore like Little India and Chinatown, and how could you forget the wonderful museums, the world’s first ever night zoo, sky walks and cable car, man-made waterfalls, and the famous Raffles built in 1887 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles.

Bangkok to Singapore Adventure

5. krabi, thailand.

It’s time to visit Krabi, Thailand . Known for its beautiful beaches this destination is definitely one of the best places to visit in South East Asia. Krabi has something for everyone, beaches, parties, hiking, lagoons, kayaking, Muay Thai, street food, rock climbing and more. Krabi province is split into Krabi Old Town, and Aonang.

Just a short long tail boat ride away is the mesmerizing Railay beach. Here you can enjoy the quiet beaches, explore the coastline and sip on fresh coconuts before heading back to Aonang for an evening of street food at the new Landmark Night Markets, watch the fire shows at Reeve Beach Club, bargain with the locals whilst shopping at all the local vendors, see live rock bands at Boogie Bar, and on the weekends witness the local Muay Thai fights happening at the stadium.

Not to miss is one of the most famous Buddhist temples in the south: Tiger Cave temple. There aren’t any tigers (sorry) but you will get one of the best panoramic views you’ll ever encounter! It’s a challenging 1237 steps to the top, but totally worth it. This is a religious site, so templewear (shoulders and knees covered, loose clothing, covered mid-riff) is required once you reach the top.

If you’re after a challenging hike, you can try the Dragon Crest Trail (Ngon Nak Nature Trail), the round trip can take anywhere between 3-5 hours depending on your fitness levels. A nice easy walk can be found to the left of the main Aonang Beach, it’s called Monkey Trail and will take approx. 15-20 mins to walk over to the secluded private beach at Centara Grand.

Krabi Old Town is famous for its authentic flair. It’s best to visit the Old Town on the weekend to enjoy the local traditional markets, walk along the pier, explore the caves, or venture to some of the small Buddhist temples. Sound amazing? We’ve got plenty of Thai Island Hopper trips that’ll take you to Krabi and so many more gorgeous islands!

6. Khao Sok National Park, Thailand

Khao Sok National Park is located in Southern Thailand and is one of the best kept secrets the country has to offer. Aside from Thailand’s beautiful white beaches, there are approximately 150 national parks throughout Thailand, each with its own character and providing visitors with a number of unique experiences.

Khao Sok National Park is said to be the remnants of one of the oldest rainforests in the world, dating back further than the Amazon Rainforest. Not only is the National Park full of rainforests, it has jungles, breathtaking views, limestone karsts, deep valleys, lakes, caves and many wild animals. Khao Sok is an adventure lover’s heaven situated between Phuket, Krabi and Koh Samui making it an easily accessible destination in Southern Thailand.

Surat Thani is a city close by which is a transport hub connecting all of the best places throughout Thailand, by air, road and marine options. One of the most interesting and stunningly beautiful places to see in the National Park is Cheow Lan Lake. A man-made freshwater lake that offers overnight stays on floating raft houses and luxury tents.

You can spend the afternoons exploring the jungle hikes, seeing Pakarang Caves (Coral Caves) full of stalagmites and stalactites. Khao Sok’s landscape blends tropical evergreen forest, and rainforest hosting about 200 different floral species per hectare marking it is a biodiversity haven. The rich habitat welcomes many species of wildlife including 48 mammal species, 311 bird species, more than 30 bat species, reptiles and insects and not to forget the unique Rafflesia.

Known for being the largest flower in the world, with a strong smell, the Rafflesia was named after the Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles who was the leader of the expedition through this area in 1818. The Rafflesia is the official flower of the province of Surat Thani. These flowers are seasonal and most likely to be seen between January to March, sadly numbers are decreasing and becoming rare due to habitat losses and collection by humans. To uncover the Khao Sok National Park (and so much more), hop onto our Bangkok to Singapore adventure!

Thai Island Hopper West

7. chiang mai, thailand.

Hidden amongst the borders of the Golden Triangle (Thailand, Myanmar, Laos), lies a beautiful city in Thailand, Chiang Mai. One of the best times to visit Chiang Mai is during the high season, November-April. February being one of the most vibrant months for the Chiang Mai Flower Festival, or celebrating Songkran (Thai New Year) for a wet and wonderful celebration with parades and water fights.

Chiang Mai is one of the most historically significant cities in Thailand, and was once the capital of the Lanna Kingdom (Kingdom of a million rice fields). Chiang Mai is now known as the culture capital of Thailand. Here you will find 33 Buddhist temples inside the walls of the Old City and one of the best bucket list items for Chiang Mai is Wat Chedi Luang. This Buddhist temple is still used for worship and practice today. Onsite you have the incredible opportunity to participate in Monk Chat, during the afternoon you can sit down and practice your Thai and help the Monks to practice their English.

When you stop in Chiang Mai, you’ll may want around 3-5 days to explore the city and the surrounds. There are Sticky Rice waterfalls, the Golden Stupah Doi Suthep, the National Park, street food tours, vespa tours, professional Muay Thai fights, lots and lots of markets (Saturday and Sunday walking street are the best) and a day trip to Chiang Rai to see the infamous White, Black and Blue Temples.

A must try food in Northern Thailand is Khao Soi. An egg noodle soup in a curry paste broth, served with meat, topped with crispy fried noodles, pickled veg and fresh limes. For all this and more, discover Contiki’s Northern Thai Highlights !

8. Luang Prabang, Laos

There’s no better time to visit one of South East Asia’s best kept secrets, Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang is often mistaken as the capital city of Laos. It was once the old capital, but is now known as the cultural capital. Luang Prabang is situated on the fork of two rivers in Laos, the Mekong and Nam Khan River.

Laos is a landlocked country heavily dependent on agricultural opportunities. The country is very mountainous with many different ethnic groups living along the river’s edge of the lowlands, the midlands and then the Hmong people who call the mountains home. Luang Prabang is a listed UNESCO world heritage site. The city is infamous for its French colonial styled buildings, beautiful Buddhist temples, romantic ambience and slow paced living. It’s a traveller’s dream and should be on your SE Asia bucket list. 

Contiki actually offers an in-depth travelling experience through SE Asia on the Cambodia and Laos Uncovered trip . The trip is 8 days long and starts off in the beautiful Luang Prabang, Laos and finishes in Siem Reap, Cambodia. This in-depth tour unveils the devastating periods throughout history which Cambodia and Laos have faced. It also highlights many positive aspects of tourism and includes multiple MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences to raise awareness and promote the importance of sustainable tourism and how to be involved.

Cambodia & Laos Uncovered

9. siem reap, cambodia.

Flying into Siem Reap is an eye-opening experience to the vastness of Cambodia. If you have flown from the capital city Phnom Penh, or other neighbouring countries like Thailand or Laos, you will see the flat plains of Cambodia, lined with hundreds and hundreds of Cambodia’s national trees from your flight; Borassus Flabellifer, a type of palm tree, known as a Tnaot in Khmer language.

These trees are iconic to Cambodia, and Khmer territory. And when you’re in Siem Reap, it’s time to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Angkor Wat. It is the largest religious monument in the world, and the only building on a national flag. Angkor Wat began construction in the 12 th Century by King Suryavarman II and was designed as a Hindu temple, the religion of the ruler at the time.

However, by the end of the 12 th Century through architectural differences it was then considered a Buddhist site. Angkor Wat is one of the most important archaeological sites of Southeast Asia, it consists of temples, basins, reservoirs, canals, and communication routes. For centuries it was the centre of the Khmer Kingdom.

Angkor Wat is historical proof of exceptional civilizations exemplifying cultural, religious and symbolic values, as well as containing architectural and artistic significance. Around the Angkor complex you will see lots of rice paddies. The communities who live in the complex area come from a long line of agricultural farmers who racticed rice cultivation, their ancestors dating back to the times of Angkor.

Siem Reap is a beautiful, laid back city with lots of activities to see and do. A 3-day pass for Angkor Wat is popular to explore all the ruins and temples, see sunrises and sunsets, explore Bayon temple with the many faces, or run through the ruins of Ta Phrom like you see on Tomb Raider.

10. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon up until 30 th April 1975, has long been one of the cultural, economic and political centres of Vietnam . Ho Chi Minh City’s dynamic cityscape draws together old and new Vietnam in the most compact of spaces which represent the city’s past and future.

The city has always been one of the best places to visit in South East Asia and you will always hear backpackers and travelers telling you about their Ho Chi Minh City experiences. The international airport Tan Son Nhat is open to 6 domestic airlines, and 40 international airlines, serving approximately 13 million international passengers and 15 million domestic passengers per year.

HCMC is an easily accessible point in Vietnam to start off your adventures, close to the Mekong Delta to fully immerse yourself in local cultural experiences, day trips to the Cu Chi Tunnels and War Remnants Museum, and see the mesmerizing A O Show Bamboo Circus at the Saigon Opera House. With HCMC as your starting point, once you get used to the chaotic traffic, the delicious new cuisine, handling a new currency and navigating your way through the city, you’ll have the confidence to tackle the rest of Vietnam’s best destinations.

Vietnam Experience

11. ha long bay, vietnam.

Ha Long Bay in northeastern Vietnam is a well-known UNESCO World Heritage Listed Site, and is famous for its limestone karts and mountains that rise up from emerald waters, formed thousands of years ago.

This archipelago of islands was named one of the ‘New 7 Natural Wonders’ of the world in 2011. The jaw dropping scenery in Ha Long Bay makes it a very popular destination for domestic and international travelers for day trips, or overnight stays on junk boats. As you sail through the limestone karst islands that surround you, see the green jungles, mountain tops and crystal clear waters you can’t help but feel you have stepped foot onto a movie set.

Ha Long Bay has hosted many film sets over the years, some of the most famous being Pan (2015) using the vast caves of Hang Son Doong with the underground rivers and reflecting pools which were perfect for bringing Neverland to real life, Kong: Skull Island (2017) and James Bond: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997).

Vietnamese folk stories say that the islands and islets of Ha Long Bay are the jewels that the dragon spat out when defending the Vietnamese against China. Ha Long translates to “descending dragon” to pay homage to the Mother Dragon for protecting the Viet people. Vietnamese people believe that they have dragon origins and that is why these creatures are used in storytelling and can be seen throughout history. This year during February, the Vietnamese people celebrated TET, and welcomed in the new year, the Year of the Dragon.

12. Bali, Indonesia

One of the most beautiful places in South East Asia, famous for its beautiful beaches, the luscious green rice terraces, and the gateway to Nusa Penida. Rice is an important staple food throughout Asia. The way the rice is cultivated varies depending on the different regions.

In Indonesia, rice terraces are step like fields which are carved into the hillsides. They allow for efficient use of limited land, and water resources in mountainous areas. The terraces decrease both erosion and surface runoff, and can easily support crops that require irrigation systems.

Subak is the Balinese word for the traditional irrigation systems that are used in the rice terrace farming, and it’s said to date back as far as the 8 th century. It is a popular farming technique used in Bali, and throughout Indonesia.

Two of the most beautiful rice terraces found in Bali are Jatiluwih and Tegallalang. Tegallalang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site offering visually delightful shaped rice fields. It’s approximately a 20 minute drive from Ubud making it one of the most popular and most accessible terraces to visit as part of a day trip. Ubud is a popular destination for yoga classes, health food cafes, retreats and getaways.

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I've traveled to 9 out of 10 countries in Southeast Asia. Here are the 5 biggest mistakes I made along the way.

• I've traveled solo to nine countries in Southeast Asia.
• I've made many mistakes, from traveling during monsoon season to forgetting to bring enough cash.
• Travelers should make sure they plan ahead and research each country's culture.

Over the last two years, my journey as a travel enthusiast and Business Insider's travel reporter in Singapore has brought me to almost every country in Southeast Asia.

In total, there are 10 countries in Southeast Asia , and I've traveled to nine of them — Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei. Myanmar remains the only country in the region I have not visited, and while I am keen to explore it, I have held off on visiting because of the country's ongoing civil war.

I've watched the sun rise in Angkor Wat in Cambodia and cared for elephants in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I've explored the Bornean jungle in Brunei and crawled the Cu Chi Tunnels in southern Vietnam.

But it hasn't always been easy. I've made several mistakes traveling across the region , especially as a solo traveler. Here are five mistakes I made and how to avoid them.

1. Going during monsoon season and not planning for the weather.

In July, I traveled to Thailand on a reporting trip to cover the budding cannabis industry . There, I was met with heavy rain nearly every day. In Bangkok, I was staying in a hostel in Chakkrawat , a district with narrow, meandering streets, which made it difficult to walk anywhere in the pouring rain.

I didn't plan for the weather, so I didn't have an umbrella or poncho with me and had to rush to get one at the last minute. I also had a packed itinerary with a lot of travel between meetings, which was a hassle in the constant downpour.

Before traveling to Southeast Asia, make sure to avoid two seasons — the monsoon season, which often comes with strong typhoons in countries like the Philippines, and the burning season, where farmers burn land for fertile soil. This is a common occurrence in countries like Laos, Thailand, and the island of Borneo, which is shared between Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

When I traveled to Laos in April last year during the burning season , most of my plans — including a hot air balloon ride — were canceled because of the thick smog. I also didn't have an N95 mask with me, and I ended up with a sore throat.

If you do plan to come during these seasons, make sure to pack accordingly and plan a flexible schedule.

2. Traveling during Ramadan and expecting the same practices everywhere.

Having grown up in Singapore, I'm familiar with the practices during Ramadan , the holy month for Muslims, where they fast for most of the day. I studied Malay for seven years, and in school, I often fasted with my Muslim classmates and ate only in private.

Still, in many cities in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia , non-Muslims are free to dine in public, so long as they do so respectfully. But on my trip to Brunei in April — at the height of the burning season and in the middle of Ramadan — there were more practices I needed to observe.

Most restaurants were closed, and diners weren't allowed to eat there even if they were open — only take-out was allowed. Eating in public was a major faux pas even for non-Muslims, and if you want to drink some water, you can only do so when nobody is around.

It wasn't easy, especially as Brunei was sweltering at 100 degrees Fahrenheit on some days. I made do by returning to the hotel for lunch and grabbing a big dinner with the locals at the night market after they had broken their fast.

3. Not packing enough modest outfits when visiting temples and mosques.

Southeast Asia is pretty liberal, and you can wear whatever you want in many places. In popular destinations like Phuket, Thailand, and Bali, Indonesia, lots of tourists walk around in bikini tops and shorts, and locals mostly tolerate it.

But there are certain places you do need to cover up, like places of worship, which include temples and mosques. When I visited Angkor Wat — the famed temple complex in Cambodia — in February last year, I found some tourists being told off by the local tour guides for wearing shorts and tank tops — "Tomb Raider" style.

I've learned to err on the right side of caution and bring a sarong wherever I go. It's an easy way to cover up and make an outfit more modest when you need to.

4. Forgetting to pack medication, especially when I plan to eat street food.

Southeast Asia has some of the world's most flavorful food. In every country, you can find food that is cheap and delicious, and that includes Singapore , the world's most expensive city. In countries like Malaysia and Vietnam, street food dishes can cost as little as a dollar.

I eat mostly street food when I travel in Southeast Asia, so medicine for tummy-related illnesses is a must. I've only gotten sick twice from eating street food — and it was the same dish both times— and unfortunately, those were the few times I didn't have medicine with me.

I'm a pretty adventurous eater. I've eaten everything from pufferfish stew to frog porridge and dishes made with intestines off the street. I've learned to wash the utensils provided before digging in and make sure the food is cooked to order and heated up before being served.

5. Relying on my card and not bringing enough cash with me.

In Singapore, I don't really use cash and often use Apple Pay, mobile payments, and cards. But I've found that many stores in other countries in Southeast Asia only accept cash.

For example, on my third trip to Vietnam, I spent an hour trying to make payment via bank transfer after the staff at a luxury perfume shop — which was selling items priced upwards of $200 — informed me at the last minute that they didn't accept card or contactless payment.

I've also found the majority of street vendors in the region only accept mobile payment — which is limited to local banks — or cash. I've learned to change a considerable amount of money before leaving the airport and keep whatever I didn't use for my next trip.

• Main content

Huge Taiwan quake caused few deaths thanks to preparedness — and luck

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Motorcyclists waited calmly on a bridge as it rocked violently ; nurses looking after a group of infants quickly pushed their cribs together to protect them from falling objects; a trio of hikers on top of Taiwan’s tallest mountain sat still until the tremor was over ; and rescue workers pulled residents out of partially collapsed and dangerously listing buildings.

When a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of Taiwan on Wednesday morning, it was scenes of composure such as these, rather than mass panic, that stood out across the island of 23 million people.

It was the strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years, triggering hundreds of aftershocks and landslides. Yet as of Thursday, only 10 people in the worst-hit region of Hualien County, home to more than 300,000, had died.

That’s because Taiwan, which sits in the world’s most seismically active zone , has had years of practice and preparation for exactly this kind of scenario.

Experts credit stricter building codes , extensive evacuation and disaster drills that begin in primary school, a honed disaster-response strategy — and a fair amount of luck — for the low death toll of Wednesday’s quake .

“Although it seems like a long time, in the past 25 years Taiwan has actually made great progress,” said Hsin-yu Shan, associate professor of civil engineering at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University.

Taiwan earthquake

On Thursday, rescue teams were working to free more than 700 people who remained trapped in a national park in Hualien, the epicenter of the quake. Forecasts of rain raised concerns about more landslides.

More than 1,000 people were injured in Wednesday’s quake, mostly by falling rocks, according to Taiwan’s fire department.

Rescue efforts have been complicated by a large number of aftershocks — at least 324 — in Hualien County, a scenic coastal region popular with tourists and hikers, where the damage has been the heaviest. Taiwan officials said aftershocks of magnitudes of 6.5 to 7.0 were possible over the next three days.

Residents in Hualien said rescue workers moved quickly to evacuate them from damaged buildings.

The nine-story Uranus Building, an apartment complex, was among several buildings that partially collapsed and were left tilting dangerously as emergency workers raced to find those inside.

Yu Yang, a 27-year-old delivery worker who lives in the building, found herself pinned between her closet and table as the building suddenly tilted following a strong aftershock.

“I felt helpless and couldn’t move at all,” she said. Within about three hours, two rescue workers climbed into her apartment and used their own safety rope to lower her to the ground.

“The government’s response has been very quick, and they’ve worked very hard. It was really dangerous, but the search and rescue workers were willing to climb in,” she said.

Of the 75 people in the building, 74 were accounted for and safe. One woman who died is suspected of having gone back into the building for her cat and was pinned down by falling debris.

Rescue efforts are now focused on the Taroko Gorge national park, where hundreds of hotel workers and tourists remain trapped after the entrance was blocked by fallen rocks.

More than 15 people were also still missing in the gorge, the fire department said Thursday, and rescue workers were using drones and helicopters to search the area.

Drone footage posted by Taiwan’s interior minister, Lin Yu-chang, showed some of the residents trapped in the park under a damaged but intact metal tunnel, waving at the camera.

The quake, which occurred just before 8 a.m. Wednesday and which the U.S. Geological Survey measured at 7.4 in magnitude, was felt across Taiwan and as far away as China’s southeastern provinces. It triggered tsunami warnings in Japan and the Philippines that were later lifted.

The last time Taiwan saw a quake this strong was in 1999, when a 7.6-magnitude temblor struck central Taiwan, killing more than 2,400 people.

After that earthquake, authorities mandated stricter building codes that require new structures be able to withstand quakes up to what Taiwan defines as a level six intensity, where violent shaking makes it difficult to stand and some buildings may be damaged.

Shan, the professor of civil engineering, said the government has strengthened the earthquake resistance of schools and hospitals, adding that “99 percent of the schools in Taiwan comply with existing codes.”

Since 2019, the government has also been reviewing 36,000 buildings across Taiwan that were built before 1999 and giving subsidies to upgrade them.

Even before the 1999 quake, Taiwan had implemented earthquake building codes modeled after those in the United States. They have been upgraded as researchers learned from quakes elsewhere, such as an 8.0-magnitude Mexico City earthquake in 1985, in which reverberations in soft soil caused more damage, a phenomenon also present in the Taipei Basin in northern Taiwan.

“Taiwan has had remarkable discipline in their seismic building codes, and enforcement of those codes,” said Joseph Barbera, an associate professor at George Washington University who was deployed by USAID to Taiwan after the 1999 quake.

He noted that Taiwan had also built up a strong emergency response system, including response centers that are specially constructed to move with the ground as it shakes during an earthquake.

“The Taiwanese should be commended for their risk reduction as well as their effective response,” he said.

Disaster awareness has also improved among the public. A promotional quiz sponsored by the National Fire Agency last year asked residents questions such as whether they should open the door as soon as an earthquake hits. (The answer is no.) The average score among more than 200,000 test takers was 90 percent.

Taiwan’s all-important advanced computer chip industry has also had years to prepare. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s top maker of high-tech chips, based in central Taiwan, said its facilities were not seriously damaged by Wednesday’s earthquake.

Within 10 hours of the earthquake, 70 percent of production had been restored, the company said in a statement late Wednesday. None of the company’s high-end “lithography” machines, among the most complex pieces of equipment in the world, were damaged, TSMC said.

The emergency response was not always perfect, residents have pointed out. At least seven counties received no early-warning alert, triggering widespread criticism. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration apologized, saying that it underestimated the scale of the earthquake and did not send an alert.

On Thursday, more than 300 households in Hualien still did not have power, and almost 10,000 homes in the area have lost access to running water, according to Taiwan’s Economic Affairs Ministry.

Schools and businesses in Hualien reopened Thursday, and the local railway line also resumed operation. Aftershocks continued to be felt throughout Taiwan, prompting the Central Weather Administration to say that it would no longer announce tremors smaller than magnitude 3.o.

In Hualien, where residents are accustomed to earthquakes, many were still shocked by the strength of the temblor. Andy Liu, 37, who lives in Jian Township, was waiting outside a clinic when it struck.

“It started to shake, and I felt something was off,” he said. “It was shaking so hard I couldn’t stand up.”

Luck also played a major role in the relatively low death toll of the quake, experts pointed out. It struck in the morning, when many people were heading to work and not at home.

Moreover, the epicenter was located off the coast, rather than on land, and was near one of Taiwan’s least densely populated regions.

“If this Hualien earthquake were to happen in Taipei, it is a certainty that the situation will be even worse than the Noto earthquake,” said Johnson Kung, a board member of the Taiwan Professional Civil Engineers Association, referring to a 7.6-magnitude quake that hit Japan in January and killed more than 200 people.

• How a steel ball protected Taiwan’s tallest skyscraper in an earthquake April 4, 2024 How a steel ball protected Taiwan’s tallest skyscraper in an earthquake April 4, 2024
• Huge Taiwan quake caused few deaths thanks to preparedness — and luck April 4, 2024 Huge Taiwan quake caused few deaths thanks to preparedness — and luck April 4, 2024
• In photos and videos: Taiwan hit with strongest earthquake in 25 years April 3, 2024 In photos and videos: Taiwan hit with strongest earthquake in 25 years April 3, 2024

Taiwan's strongest earthquake in 25 years kills 9 people, 50 missing

• Medium Text
• Earthquake kills nine, more than 900 injured
• Fifty on minibuses heading to national park missing
• Epicentre just off Taiwan's sparsely populated east coast
• Workers return to semiconductor giant TSMC facilities

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Yimou Lee is a Senior Correspondent for Reuters covering everything from Taiwan, including sensitive Taiwan-China relations, China's military aggression and Taiwan's key role as a global semiconductor powerhouse. A three-time SOPA award winner, his reporting from Hong Kong, China, Myanmar and Taiwan over the past decade includes Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, Hong Kong protests and Taiwan's battle against China's multifront campaigns to absorb the island.

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Schools close and crops wither as ‘historic’ heatwave hits south-east Asia

Governments across region grappling for response as temperatures soar to unseasonable highs

Thousands of schools in the Philippines have stopped in-person classes due to unbearable heat. In Indonesia, prolonged dry weather has caused rice prices to soar. In Thailand’s waters, temperatures are so high that scientists fear coral could be destroyed.

A “historic heatwave” is being experienced across south-east Asia, according to Maximiliano Herrera, a climatologist and weather historian. In updates posted on X, he said heat that was unprecedented for early April had been recorded at monitoring stations across the region this week, including in Minbu, in central Myanmar, where 44C was recorded – the first time in south-east Asia’s climatic history that such high temperatures had been reached so early in the month. In Hat Yai, in Thailand’s far south, 40.2 C was reached, an all-time record, while Yên Châu in north-west Vietnam hit 40.6C, unprecedented for this time of year.

The latest intense weather follows warnings last month by the World Meteorological Organization that the region had also been “gripped by severe heat conditions” in February when temperatures frequently soared into the high-30s – well above the seasonal average. It attributed the scorching weather to human-induced climate change, as well as the El Niño event, which brings hotter, drier conditions to the region.

“The level of heat the globe has experienced over the last 12 months, both on the land and in the ocean has surprised science,” said Prof Benjamin Horton, the director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore. “We always knew we were going to be headed in this direction with our increasing greenhouse gases, but the fact that we’re shattering all these records in 2023, and 2024, is perhaps slightly ahead of time.”

“We’re just not prepared. There’s very few, if any, places in the world that are resilient to this type of heat,” he said, adding that societies needed to adapt.

Governments across the region are grappling with how to respond. In the Philippines, almost 4,000 schools have suspended in-person classes as the heat index passed 42C in some areas, a dangerous level that the weather bureau warned could cause heat cramps and exhaustion.

During the Easter week in Manila, children played in portable pools set up in the streets to try to stay cool.

“Our classrooms are not resilient in this kind of weather. We have a ratio of one to 60-70 students in a classroom that does not have proper ventilation,” said Ruby Bernardo, the president of the teaching union the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) in the National Capital Region. In a recent survey by the union, 90% of teachers said they had just two fans in a classroom to stay cool.

Teachers also reported experiencing dizziness and headaches, and said students were unable to focus and, at worst, had suffered health problems, including nose bleeds. ACT has called for the school timetable to be shifted back to its pre-pandemic schedule, so that students are on breaks during the hottest months – something the government is gradually implementing. It also wants greater investment in hiring teachers and building more climate-resilient classrooms.

“This is not a long-term solution for them to always suspend classes or to have alternative or flexible learning during the [hot] season,” said Bernardo.

Horton said schools and businesses needed to find ways to adapt – by encouraging people to wear looser, comfortable clothing, and by shifting their schedules so that people were at work, and children educated, earlier or later in the day when temperatures were less intense. “Even if we made a snap choice today to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions we’re going to have to deal with [high temperatures] for at least 50 years,” he said, adding that greater effort was needed to educate the public on how and where to stay cool.

The intense heat has also caused havoc in agriculture. In Indonesia, which experienced prolonged dry weather last year, President Joko Widodo resorted to ordering the military to help farmers plant rice when rains finally arrived in December. The cost of rice, a staple food for the country’s 270 million people, rose more than 16% in February compared with last year, according to a Reuters report . Queues for government-subsidised rice have stretched for hours.

In Vietnam, water levels were so low in canals earlier this year that farmers in some areas reportedly struggled to transport their crops. In Thailand, a fall in crop yields will cause farmers’ debt to increase by 8% this year, according to economic analysis cited by the Bangkok Post . In Malaysia, authorities have deployed cloud seeding in areas affected by lack of rainfall.

Governments have issued health warnings advising people on how to avoid heatstroke, though many workers, especially those in sectors such as agriculture or construction, have little option but to endure the severe heat. In Malaysia in February, a 22-year-old man died due to heatstroke .

The effects of the extreme heat also extend into the region’s waters. Assistant professor Thon Thamrongnawasawat, of the faculty of fisheries at Kasetsart University in Thailand, warned this week on social media that El Niño combined with global warming risked destroying coral and fish in the Gulf of Thailand.

“When compared to the start of April in the previous year, in the eastern area, the water is substantially hotter. It’s strangely hot. Even at night, the temperature was a scorching 31.5 degrees,” he said.

“Travelling to Thailand’s seaside soon could become soaking up the sun and dip into onsen. That would be a new slogan,” he said.

If the heat continued for another two or three weeks, he feared coral bleaching could take place. Excessively heated water also threatened the life of fish in local fish farms, and risked creating huge debts for farmers.

There are ways to help, including by reducing global heating, alleviating problems such as marine pollution, caused by rubbish wastewater. “Even so, we still need to be ready to handle and adjust to such rare hot-water occurrences,” he said. “Prepare yourself. The real boiling sea has arrived.”

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The total solar eclipse is Monday: Here's everything to know, including time, path, safety

On Monday, a total solar eclipse will cross North America – a phenomenon that has not taken place in the United States in seven years, and astronomers say will not take place again in the U.S. for another two decades.

Millions will likely gaze into the sky on April 8 for the rare experience to witness three celestial spheres − the sun, moon and Earth − line up partially or fully depending on where you are viewing it.

What time will the total solar eclipse begin? What path will it take across the nation? How do I safely watch it without damaging my eyes?

Here's a list of important things you should know about Monday's potential once-in-a-lifetime event.

What is a solar eclipse?

Any celestial object like a moon or a planet that passes between two other bodies can create  an eclipse  by obscuring the view of objects like the sun.

A total eclipse occurs when the moon appears as the same size as the sun and blocks the entire disk from Earth, leading to a period of darkness lasting several minutes. The resulting "totality," whereby observers can see the outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere known as the corona, confuses animals – causing nocturnal creatures to stir and bird and insects to fall silent.

A recent study even found that clouds activity is altered by eclipses as shallow cumulus clouds were observed vanishing when the moon obscured the sun.

A driving no no during the eclipse: The one thing you'll want to do is the only thing not to do while driving during solar eclipse

What states are on the path of totality?

The total solar eclipse will chart a 115-mile-wide path of totality across portions of Mexico, the United States and Canada.

In the U.S. alone, hundreds of cities and smaller towns in 13 states  lie along the path . An estimated 31 million Americans already live on the path, while millions more tourists are already making travel plans – sure to snarl traffic – to catch a glimpse of what is sure to be a spectacular sight, according to eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler at GreatAmericanEclipse.com .

Additionally, small parts of Tennessee and Michigan are also expected to experience the eclipse,  NASA says .

Here are the major cities in each state where you can expect to experience totality in the United States (note that the included times do not account for when the partial eclipse begins and ends):

• Dallas, Texas: 1:40-1:44 p.m. CDT
• Idabel, Oklahoma: 1:45-1:49 p.m. CDT
• Little Rock, Arkansas: 1:51-1:54 p.m. CDT
• Poplar Bluff, Missouri: 1:56-2:00 p.m. CDT
• Paducah, Kentucky: 2-2:02 p.m. CDT
• Carbondale, Illinois: 1:59-2:03 p.m. CDT
• Evansville, Indiana: 2:02-2:05 p.m. CDT
• Cleveland, Ohio: 3:13-3:17 p.m. EDT
• Erie, Pennsylvania: 3:16-3:20 p.m. EDT
• Buffalo, New York: 3:18-3:22 p.m. EDT
• Burlington, Vermont: 3:26-3:29 p.m. EDT
• Lancaster, New Hampshire: 3:27-3:30 p.m. EDT
• Caribou, Maine: 3:32-3:34 p.m. EDT

What time is the solar eclipse?

Mexico's Pacific coast will be the first location in continental North America to experience totality, which will occur at about 11:07 a.m. PDT,  according to NASA .

As the moon's shadow travels northeast, totality in the U.S. will begin at 1:27 p.m. CDT in Eagle Pass, Texas. From there, the path will cut diagonally across the country before ending its time in the U.S. around 3:35 p.m. EDT in Lee, Maine, and entering Canada's maritime provinces, according to  nationaleclipse.com .

Decoding the sky: A definitive solar eclipse guide for kids (adults also welcome)

How long will the total solar eclipse last?

Along the way, periods of darkness could last a mere few seconds or, in some cities, could surpass four minutes.

If you want to see the time and duration for when totality would occur near you, enter your zip code below to find out. You can also search for specifics on your location using this interactive map .

How to safely view the solar eclipse

Unlike partial solar eclipses, a total eclipse offers spectators a unique opportunity to gaze upon it with the naked eye, but only when the moon completely blocks out the sun and darkness falls – referred to as totality.

While you're unlikely to go blind , gazing directly at the sun's rays can do some serious damage to your retinas. So until the moment that totality occurs,  proper safety eyewear  is still a must, according to  NASA .

While some welding goggles may work, the best option for eclipse viewing remains certified eyewear, which is held to an international safety standard and is 100,000 times darker than most sunglasses to block nearly all visible, infrared and ultraviolet light.

Solar eclipse glasses are readily available from plenty of vendors across the internet, but if you want to save some cash, there's a good chance your local library or another public institution is giving them away for free.

Just watch out for cheap imitations. To make it easy while you're shopping online, the American Astronomical Society maintains  a curated list of approved vendors .

Another simple method is to create your own pinhole projector to project the sun onto a nearby surface. The American Astronomical Society offers helpful  instructions  to set them up as well.

When was the last solar eclipse?

The last solar eclipse took place on Aug. 21, 2017 . In October, skygazers were delighted by a rare "ring of fire" solar eclipse , where the moon slides in front of the sun but doesn't totally obscure it, creating a halo effect.

When is the next total solar eclipse after 2024?

Whether you live on the path of totality or need to find the nearest city that will be enveloped in daytime darkness, one thing is for sure: Now is the time to make your plans to see it.

For North America,  the next total solar eclipse  won't be until Aug. 23, 2044,  according to NASA .

Unfortunately, the 2044 total solar eclipse won't have the broad reach across the U.S. as the 2024 eclipse.

The Planetary Society, a nonprofit involved in research, public outreach and political space advocacy, says that during the 2044 eclipse, the path of totality will only touch three states.

The eclipse will begin in Greenland, sweep through Canada and end around sunset in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Contributing: Gabe Hauari

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund. Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]