Thailand is an absolutely amazing country to visit with so much to see; it can be a little overwhelming at times planning your Thailand trip and trying to decide the best things to do in Thailand, the best Thailand destinations, how to travel around Thailand, and more.
I recently travelled to Thailand for a few weeks and visited Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Tao, and Koh Phangan. I learned a lot throughout my trip to Thailand and I wanted to share everything with you so you too can have an amazing trip to Thailand.
This blog post is the ultimate Thailand travel guide and will go over Thailand transport, Thailand destinations, Thailand itinerary, and Thailand bucket list activities.
How to Travel to Thailand
There are a few different ways to travel to Thailand you can get there by both air and land travel. People travelling from far away will be flying but if you are already travelling in Southeast Asia you can also take busses or trains to cross the border into Thailand.
Flights to Thailand
Flights are not a cheap part of your travelling expenses, BUT I do have a few travel tips and tricks to help you save some money when booking your flights to Thailand. First off, I recommend looking on Google Flights this is where I usually find the best deals on flights. Google Flights allows you to turn on flight tracking so you can get emailed when flight prices go up or down for your flight. Also, I highly recommend looking into budget airlines such as AirAsia for cheaper flight options. Just keep in mind that budget flights are cheaper for a reason: usually, they only include a small/light carry-on bag, no seat selection, and sometimes no in-flight meals. But if you are a budget traveller like myself and are not afraid to rough it a bit to save money, I recommend the budget airlines.
Busses and Trains to Thailand
If you are already in a neighbouring country to Thailand such as Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos taking busses or trains is a great budget option. Depending on where you are in another country it might not be the most reasonable to travel by bus or train but if you are somewhat close to the board it is a great option. I recommend checking out overnight buses or trains as it will probably be a long bus or train ride and that way you are not losing a full day of exploring in Thailand and you save money on a night of accommodations.
I booked all my buses, trains, and ferries throughout Southeast Asia on 12GoAsia.
How to Travel Around Thailand
Within Thailand there are lots of transport options, there are flights, busses, trains, and ferries.
Thailand is a pretty big country so if you are travelling from one side to the other I recommend flights. For example, I travelled from Chiang Mai to Koh Tao and took two flights and then a ferry to get there and it took ALL DAY, so bussing that distance would not have been super achievable. But if you are travelling a shorter distance busses and trains are a great option. Then if you are going to the islands such as Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, or Koh Tao ferries are pretty much your only options since Koh Tao and Koh Phangan both don’t have airports.
When booking buses, trains, and ferries within Southeast Asia, I highly recommend 12GoAsia. I booked all my transport throughout Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia on the 12GoAsia app. They have so many options and great prices!
If you are looking into flights I recommend Google Flights.
2 Week Thailand Travel Itinerary
Bangkok Thailand
Many people start their trip to Thailand in Bangkok Thailand as this is the main airport in Thailand. It is a great Thailand destination to start your trip because there are so many amazing places to see. I recommend you see…
- Chatuchak weekend market
- Wat Arun
- The Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha
- Wat Pho
- Lumphini Park
- Khao San Road
- The Golden Mount
- Wat Indharawiharn
- Khon (Thai classical masked dance)
Check out my Bangkok Thailand blog post “Top 9 Best Things to Do in Bangkok Thailand” for more details on all these activities.
Chiang Mai Thailand
Chiang Mai is another Thailand destination, you CANNOT MISS! There are so many things to do in Northern Thailand and when you visit Chiang Mai I recommend you…
- visit an ethical elephant sanctuary
- climb the sticky waterfalls
- take a cooking class
- walk around Chiang Mai Old Town
- try Khao Soi
- visit Doi Suthep Mountain
Check out my Chiang Mai Thailand blog post “7 Best Things to Do in Chiang Mai Thailand” for more details on all these Chiang Mai activities.
Koh Tao Thailand
Koh Tao Thailand is one of the islands in Thailand and it is an absolutely beautiful island with tons of activities to do from hikes to beaches this island has a little bit for everyone. I recommend you…
- take a scuba course
- swim at freedom beach
- go snorkelling at Shark Bay
- go see a fire show
- hike to John-Suwan’s viewpoint
- book a snorkelling tour around Koh Tao
- visit Aow Leuk Beach
- get a Thai massage
- go to the parties and pub crawls on the island
Check out my Koh Tao Thailand blog post “Top 10 Best Things to Do in Koh Tao Thailand” for more details on these Koh Tao activities.
Thailand Bucket List Activities
If you want to have an amazing trip to Thailand that you will always remember you NEED to add these activities to your Thailand itinerary.
That brings us to the end of this Thailand travel guide that went over transport to Thailand, transport around Thailand, Thailand itinerary, and Thailand bucket list activities. I hope this travel guide to Thailand was helpful for anyone planning a trip to Thailand soon. Thailand is an amazing country and I definitely recommend you visit. Have an amazing trip to Thailand and safe travels.
