We are just back from our two weeks Thailand trip. And we are excited to share the itinerary with you. However, I will share with you our 14 days Thailand itinerary that we followed as well as another 14 days Thailand itinerary which I had originally planned. My original 14 days Thailand itinerary was fast paced, covering a lot of grounds across Thailand. And it is very suitable for travellers who have a crunch of time when they travel with a day job awaiting back home (like us!). Or, due to any other reason. But then I was traveling with elderly parents and a baby too. So, I slowed down the plan a bit for them this time. I also thought for a while of taking a guided tour but the love of independent travel took over 🙂 Before we start, did we tell you that Thailand is one of the best countries we have visited with our family and kids.
Read : A detailed cost breakup & budgeting of our 2 weeks Thailand trip
Thus came the changed itinerary which I eventually followed. So, when it came to sharing my Two weeks in Thailand itinerary, I decided to share both. So, here goes my 14 days Thailand itinerary that I followed, as well as the one I initially planned. Although I missed on a few locations, I had an awesome holiday across 2 weeks in Thailand with baby , kid and parents. So, you can jump to either of the Itineraries as per your convenience:
Our slow paced 14 days Thailand Itinerary covering in and around Bangkok & North Thailand
Fast paced & our original 14 days Thailand Itinerary covering all the highlights of Thailand
Where to stay in Thailand on 14 days Thailand Itinerary
5 Nights in Bangkok
Hotel Evergreen Place Siam (Link to book: Agoda, booking.com): Had rooms with well equipped kitchen, family rooms with living area, very friendly staff, nice buffet breakfast spread, a tour desk to arrange tours and cabs for guests. And is located in prime area with nearby 7 eleven grocery stores, walkable to malls like MBK Mall and many different restaurants and cafes! I will rate it as the best family hotel in Siam, Bangkok. And also, top amongst the best hotels in Bangkok for Indian families. Whether you are looking for best place to stay in Bangkok with toddler or best place to stay in Bangkok for shopping, this hotel will qualify for each.
2 Nights in Sukhothai
Sabai Sabai Sukhothai (Link to book: Agoda). This was more like a luxury resort stay. But it was far from the Sukhothai Historical Park. And the hotel has a charge for transfer to Historical Park. If you are staying in Sukhothai for only one night, I will suggest, stay closer to the center of the city and the historical park. Alternative hotels that I was considering but were booked, are listed below. These are much closer to the city center and the Sukhothai Historical Park:
5 Nights in Chiang Mai
The Empire Residence Nimman (Link to book: Agoda, booking.com) : Wondering where to stay in Chiang Mai? Look no further. Located at the center of Nimman, overlooking the lush green mountains of Chiang Mai, this hotel again has both basic rooms and those which come with kitchen. Book the one with kitchen if you plan to cook. Hotel has good buffet breakfast spread, very friendly staff. And it is located 100 meters from a 7 eleven store as well as amidst a lot of restaurants and cafes. The Maya Mall is at walking distance of around 400 meters from the Hotel and so is 1 Nimman mall where daily night market is setup.
Two weeks in Thailand : My 14 days Thailand Itinerary
This is the 14 days Thailand Itinerary that we eventually followed on our trip to Thailand. It is slow, relaxed and easy going. Which makes it very much doable even with elderly and infants. As a part of this trip, we visited the culturally and historically rich northern Thailand including Chiang Mai, Sukhothai and Bangkok. And we left the beaches for another future trip. Since, we were back from our 7 days trip to Andaman just couple of months back. The Andaman Islands are located in the same ocean and share the same Andaman waters with the beaches and islands of southern Thailand. And we had already visited the mesmerizing beaches in Andaman including the likes of Radhanagar Beach & Vijaynagar beach. So, we didn’t feel like missing anything by dropping the beaches from our itinerary. However, if you want to explore comprehensively, here’s a rich list of things to do in Thailand for you.
If you are rather interested in the faster paced itinerary, skip this section and directly jump onto Two weeks in Thailand: Fast paced 14 days Thailand Itinerary later in the post.
Day 1: Arrival in Bangkok
On the first day of our 14 days Thailand itinerary, we arrived in Bangkok around 2:40pm. We already had obtained e Visa on Arrival prior to our trip to Thailand. We had booked a direct flight to Bangkok which was very economical. Thanks to our tips and tricks to book cheaper flight tickets. And also to the fact that Bangkok is so very well connected with rest of the world through numerous international flights ! (By the way, do you know you can even travel with your pets on some of these airlines! )
We will soon write a detailed article on : Which Thailand Tourism Visa to take for Indians and how
After Visa stamping and collecting our luggage, we reached our hotel, Evergreen Place Siam by UHG by 6:30pm. There after we had dinner and then we slept off. As we were all tired after the flight.
Day 2: Exploring Bangkok
On the second day of our 14 days Thailand Itinerary, we decided to explore the attractions in the heart of Bangkok. For this, we used tuk tuk to commute between sites. You can also book this Bangkok hop-on-hop-off bus tour for the same which will definitely be hassle free. And help you cover more grounds in lesser time. I didn’t know about it earlier, else I would have definitely opted for it. As a part of exploring Bangkok, we saw the Grand Palace of Bangkok & the temples in its premises, the cultural show of Ramayana & also visited Wat Arun along the banks of the river.
Recommended trips to book for this day:
Bangkok hop-on-hop-off bus tour
Walking Temple tour covering the Grand Palace, Wat Arun and other temples
Soon to come: One day Bangkok Sightseeing Trip
Day 3: Bangkok to Ayutthaya day trip
Today we did a day trip from Bangkok to Ayutthaya. We had pre-booked our transport for this trip. However, day trip was available even from our hotel. And actually at a better rate. So, if you can, book transportation on the spot. Also, for historical parks like Ayutthaya Historical park, it will be better to take a guided tour. We recommend this guided tour of Ayutthaya from Bangkok including transportation.
Here’s the complete details of our Bangkok to Ayutthaya day trip.
Day 4: Bangkok to Pattaya day trip
On the 4th day of our 14 days Thailand Itinerary we went on a day trip from Bangkok to Pattaya. You can also book this private transfer and explore Pattaya at your own pace. As a part of Pattaya tour you can first visit the Sanctuary of Truth, followed by Koh Larn beach and then Big Buddha Temple. Although there are other attractions in Pattaya, including them in a one day trip will not be possible. Also, the night life of Pattaya is world famous. In case you want to do more in Pattaya, better stay there overnight. In that case you can book this 2 days tour from Bangkok to Pattaya with private transfers and sightseeing.
Recommended trips to choose from and book for this day:
private transfer and explore Pattaya at your own pace
2 days tour from Bangkok to Pattaya with private transfers and sightseeing.
Bangkok to Pattaya city and Koh Larn Island trip
Day 5: Again in Bangkok
On our last day in Bangkok we again kept it light. As we wanted to give some rest to our kids and parents. Morning we woke up little late today. And then enjoyed the lavish breakfast spread at our hotel. After that I proceeded to visit the Jim Thompson House & Museum where you can see how Thai silk is manufactured, there is a boutique store for buying stuff and also there is a museum that takes you through the life and journey of Jim Thompson – a pioneer in the history of Thai Silk.
After this, we went to the MBK Mall near our hotel for lunch. Then did some exploration strolling around the area. Post this we returned back to our hotel. And packed our stuff as we were to leave Bangkok the next day.
We will soon publish the detailed account of our 5 days in Bangkok.
Day 6: Bangkok to Sukhothai Transfer
Today we took a transfer from Bangkok to our next destination – Sukhothai. We started at 9:00am in the morning, took a lunch break in between and then reached Sukhothai by 5:00pm in the evening. Again, we had pre-booked our transfers from Bangkok to Sukhothai. And our accommodation in Sukhothai – Sabai Sabai Sukhothai – was also pre – booked. After checking in, we mostly spent the evening exploring around the property. It is a nice and beautiful resort, with vast expanse of open fields, landscaped farms and beautiful restaurant. We enjoyed our time cycling around and walking through the property till dinner time.
Day 7: Sukhothai Historical Park
We reached the end of the first week of our 14 days Thailand Itinerary today. Today, we visited yet another historical park – the Sukhothai Historical Park. Which is also one of the several UNESCO World Heritage sites in Thailand. For this we booked a shuttle from our resort which cost us 2400 baht for a 10 seater vehicle. We started for the park around 12:00pm and reached there by 1:00pm. The entrance to the park was free this week owing to New Year celebrations. So, we only paid for transport inside the park – which is a minimal 10 baht if you are taking a bicycle. Or, 200 baht for an hour if you take an electric car which can seat 4 people.
We mostly roamed around the central zone of the park, till 2:30 pm. Post this, we proceeded for lunch. And post lunch, we explored the night market of Sukhothai before returning to our hotel. The night market is set on every Saturday evening. And by chance, today was also a Saturday.
Recommended tour to book for today:
Sukhothai Historical Park Bike Tour
Day 8: Sukhothai to Chiang Mai transfer
Today we took our next inter-city transfer from Sukhothai to Chiang Mai. This time, our experience with the pre-booked transport was not good. The vehicle which was sent for pickup didn’t have good tire condition. And one of the tires burst half way through the journey. Thank God nothing major happened. Post this we struggled to get the tire alignment and air check done since it was a Sunday and there were less staff at the petrol bunks, with some facilities even closed. Nevertheless, at less than half the original speed, we reached our hotel at Chiang Mai by evening.
After checking in and taking some rest, we explored the famous Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market which is setup every sunday in the lane just in front of Wat Phra Singh inside the boundary of the old city of Chiang Mai.
Day 9: Chiang Mai Old City
Today, we decided to explore the Old City of Chiang Mai, it’s quirky cafes, street art & countless temples. Each featuring a different architecture holding a different historical significance. I curated a self guided free walking tour of the Old City of Chiang Mai, just like I had done earlier on my 2 Weeks Europe trip Itinerary , if you remember – the Florence walking Tour, Lucerne Walking Tour , Venice Walking Tour & Amsterdam Walking tour. Only this time, the temples and monuments were very near to each other. After arranging the sites on a google map, we started on the site seeing trip. And explored the places at our own pace till evening. If you are looking for free things to do in Chiang Mai, this one is a perfect tour to take.
As a part of this tour, we covered all the major attractions in the Chiang Mai old city including Wat Lok Moli, Wat Rajamontean, Wat Khuan Khama, Wat Chiang Man, Three King’s Monument, Wat Phra Singh and Wat Tung Yui.
Read: Our Self Guided Free Walking Tour of Chiang Mai Old City, including the google map which you can then modify for your own purpose.
Day 10: Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon National Park
The next day we did this day trip from Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon National Park. It is located in the highest hills of Chiang Mai. The weather here is cool during winter days when we visited. First we went to the top of the National Park, visiting the highest peak and view points. Then we proceeded to the Stupas and the garden around them (Which you see in the pictures of Doi Inthanon National Park). We spent a good amount of time here. And then proceeded on our journey back to Chiang Mai. On the way, we stopped at Wachirathan Waterfall. It is an enormous waterfall. And visiting it was a very refreshing experience.
We will soon provide a detailed account of our day trip from Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon National Park.
Day 11: Chiang Mai City
Yesterday was 31st December. So, the group of people that I traveled with decided to party hard the Thai way. So, we welcomed the new year on a leisurely note, keeping the day light. We woke up a little late, had breakfast and then I signed up for a 2 hour water color painting session with Worawuth Srakaeo at the three owls gallery, which was at walking distance from my hotel. It was a great start to the new year. Since, this was my first water color session ever and it turned out really fun and cool to be working side by side with Wuth.
In case you are not that much into painting, there are several other activities to try in Chiang Mai. For instance, you can try this Thai cooking class, or even better, go for this extensive food testing tour.
Post the session I went for lunch. And in the evening, explored the markets around, buying a little souvenirs for family & friends.
Day 12: Chiang Mai to Doi Suthep and Umbrella Making Artist Village trip
On the third last day of our 14 days Thailand Itinerary, we did a trip to Doi Suthep. Following which we visited the Umbrella Making Artist Village just outside of the city of Chiang Mai. The Umbrella Making center is a paradise for artists. You can see the artisans at work, making the famous Thai Umbrellas. And you can as well paint with them if you like. Then there is a big outlet selling umbrellas in all different sizes. So you can pick one based on your liking and budget. And alongside umbrellas they also sell a lot of other hand painted items including boxes, lanterns, wall hangings, trays, cups and mugs, cute stationery etc.
After this we returned back to the city. And then went to the wednesday night market at Chiang Mai. The market was good. And we again picked up a few items as per our likings. Then we returned back, had dinner and slept. PS: Most of the days in Chiang Mai, we went to Achha – an Indian restaurant for dinner. It was a little pricy but it satisfied our vegetarian Indian taste buds like nothing else.
There are several guided tours to book to Doi Suthep. Since the temple can be easily visited in half a day, you can combine other activities with it. For instance, take this tour to Doi Suthep and the sticky waterfalls. Or, this one to Doi Suthep.
Day 13: Chiang Mai to Bangkok transfer
The next day, we took a bus from Chiang Mai back to Bangkok. The initial plan was to use this day to visit Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai. But, unfortunately, my flight was pre-ponded by the carrier to early in the morning next day. So, we had to cut short a day from our trip and instead proceed to Bangkok using the day bus. The bus journey was very comfortable, but it was a long ride of 11 hours. Finally we reached Bangkok by evening.
If you have a flight later in the day the next day, and time permits, we highly recommend this day trip to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai for you. We missed it. But you need not. Book a direct flight from Chiang Mai International Airport back home the next day and enjoy this trip today.
Chiang Mai is one place we liked the most on our 14 days Thailand trip itinerary. So, we highly recommend you spend much more time in Chiang Mai. There is a lot more to do and see in Chiang Mai than we did. And a lot still remains on our bucket list. Checkout this exhaustive list of things to do in Chiang Mai before you decide how much time to allocate for the city. And pick those which interest you.
Day 14: Early morning flight back home from Bangkok
After reaching the airport around11:00pm the night before, we took some rest. And then after having dinner around 12:00am, we proceeded to complete immigration and security check. Post which we waited to board our flight, which was an early morning flight of 4:00am. We reached back Bangalore as early as 6:30am on Saturday morning. It worked well for us. As, after reaching home, we had ample time to get fresh, have breakfast and then catchup on the sleep that we missed the night before. And we had the whole of Sunday to catchup on our errands to be ready for life as usual the next week.
PS: Recently we have witnessed a lot of rescheduling on our indigo flights. A couple of hours here and there is adjustable but when they shift flight by almost a day on your international trips, it messes up with the plans. So, I will suggest, book with an alternate flight operator if possible.
Two weeks in Thailand: Fast paced 14 days Thailand Itinerary
So, if you see the above itinerary, you will find there were slower days and days with not much activity. Basically, the plan was to let the baby and parents rest on these days. But, if you don’t have that constraint, you can compact the plan, saving some days. And thus covering more grounds across Thailand, by following this itinerary for 2 weeks in Thailand which I had originally planned. This includes places across North, Central and South Thailand – highlights of the whole country. However, if you will like to visit only the southern beaches, here’s a beautiful South Thailand Itinerary for you.
Day 1: Arrival in Chiang Mai, explore the city of Chiang Mai
Fly into Chiang Mai
Start the trip from north Thailand. Thus, fly into Chiang Mai. Please note that most of the flights from India to Chiang Mai are via Bangkok. And most of the ones on Bangkok to Chiang Mai leg are operated by Air Asia. On many of these flights, check-in luggage is separately bought. So, if you can do with cabin only luggage, nothing like that. Otherwise, you can separately buy checkin luggage from the Air Asia website or from their counter when you arrive at the airport. Book a night flight so that you can reach Chiang Mai early in the morning.
Obtain Thailand Visa on Arrival on Chiang Mai Airport
Upon arrival in Chiang Mai, proceed to get a Thailand Visa on Arrival for Indians from the airport. For this you require the following documents:
- 2 colored photographs, recent, 4cm X 6cm
- Your return flight tickets showing departure within 14 days from arrival in Thailand
- Hotel / Accommodation booking voucher or confirmation mail
- 20000 Thai Baht per family
- Passport with validity of 6 months from the date of travel
PS: the Thailand Visa on Arrival fee for Indians has been waived off till April, 2020. So, it will be free for you if you are traveling during this period. There is not much crowd. And if you are with infants or kids, you can get into the priority lanes for VoA to further speed up the process. Do fill your Thailand arrival card as it is required along with rest of the documents.
Check-in at your accommodation
After completing the Visa formalities, proceed towards the airport exit. From here you can book a grab taxi (pre-install grab on your phone if you don’t have it already), or, you can also take a songthaew (the red colored shared van) to your accommodation. Do use google translate in case the driver doesn’t know much English and you don’t know Thai. Or, book this shared transfer to your hotel from Chiang Mai Airport to save you early morning hassle of transfers. Once you reach your accommodation, check-in, get fresh and get some rest. I assume it will be noon by the time you complete all this.
Proceed for a free self planned walking tour of the city of Chiang Mai
Get out of your hotel after you feel fresh. Proceed for lunch. The streets of Chiang Mai are full of all kind of food options from quirky cafe to traditional restaurants. Proceed to the one you like. And post lunch proceed for a free Chiang Mai old city walking tourlike we did (details yet to be added). Covering all the majorin the Chiang Mai old city including Wat Lok Moli, Wat Rajamontean, Wat Khuan Khama, Wat Chiang Man, Three King’s Monument, Wat Phra Singh and Wat Tung Yui. You can finish the whole tour in around 4 hours. So, start the trip around 1:00pm so that you can visit the temples while they are still open. You can also do this Bike tour of the city of Chiang Mai.
Day 2: Day trip from Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon National Park
Pre – book this tour from Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon National Park. You will get a pickup from your hotel and a ride all the way till Doi Inthanon National Park. Thereafter you can explore the beautiful Stupas and the garden built around it. The driving distance from Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon National Park is of around 2 hours. The roads are in excellent condition. Don’t miss the Wachirathan Waterfall on your way back from Doi Inthanon National Park.
Day 3: Day trip from Chinag Mai to Doi Suthep & Artist Village
Today do this day trip from Chiang Mai to Doi Suthep. Post that, proceed to visit the Artist and Handicraft Village. Just a few kilometers out of Chiang Mai, the artist villages are clustered in each other’s neighborhood. One is the umbrella making artist village while another is leather work artist village. Yet another one excels in wood carving related art. If you have half a day, you can visit most of these. Here you can observe how the artists do their creations. And you can even try your hands on some painting or creations under their supervision. Other Doi Suthep trips to try:
In case you like hiking, this Doi Suthep hiking trip via natural trails is a must for you. Otherwise, you can also do this trip to Doi Suthep.
Day 4: A trip from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai
This will be a long day. So start early. You can either book this tour to do a trip from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai. Or, you can also go to Chiang Rai via Bus. But, bus will take more time. Nevertheless, once you reach Chiang Rai, visit the White Temple, Blue Temple & Black Temple that the city is most famous for. Return back to Chiang Mai by end of the day.
Day 5: Chiang Mai to Sukhothai
Once again, start early from Chiang Mai for Sukhothai. Book a private transfer from Chiang Mai to your resort in Sukhothai. The driving distance from Chiang Mai to Sukhothai is around 4.5 hours. Arrive in Sukhothai by 12pm. Check-in into your hotel or accommodation. And then immediately proceed to visit the historical center of Sukhothai. For this reason, its good to stay near the old city of Sukhothai itself. (I have provided hotel links at end of the post).
Most of the significant temples and other structures of the UNESCO World Heritage of Sukhothai Historical Park are situated in the central zone of the park. So, you can just visit the central zone. You can visit via an electric tuk tuk or by riding a bike which you can hire at just 10 baht for the day! The entry tickets to the park are priced at 100 baht per head. After visiting here, return back to your hotel and rest for the night. Although a guided bike tour like this Sukhothai Historical Park Bike Tour will be better so that you can understand the historical significance of the place.
PS: If any of the days of your stay in Chiang Mai happen to be a Sunday, do not forget to visit the Sunday Night Market of Chiang Mai. It starts from 5:00pm onwards on the road just in front of Wat Phra Singh inside the old city. There are numerous options for buying cloths, souvenirs, bags, purses, stationery and much more at very reasonable prices. You can bargain as well. Shop to your heart’s content.
Day 6: Sukhothai to Bangkok
Spend the day today for transfer from Sukhothai to Bangkok. You can take a private transfer between the cities, which is most efficient. Particularly if you are traveling with family. You can pre-book it with any travel agency or with your hotel on the spot. You will reach Bangkok by evening. Rest for the day.
Day 7: Bangkok to Pattaya day trip
Today do a day trip from Bangkok to Pattaya. As a part of this day trip you can cover the Sanctuary of Truth, the Big Buddha Temple & the Koh Larn Coral Island from Pattaya. You can book this private transfer and explore Pattaya at your own pace for the same. Again, you can as well hire a car and drive on your own. The roads are in excellent condition, there is not much traffic and the Thai don’t drive rash, so, you will be good. Recommended trips to choose from:
private transfer and explore Pattaya at your own pace
2 days tour from Bangkok to Pattaya with private transfers and sightseeing.
Bangkok to Pattaya city and Koh Larn Island trip
Day 8: Bangkok to Ayutthaya day trip
You can either book this guided tour of Ayutthaya from Bangkok including transportation. Or you can reach Ayutthaya via a privately hired taxi or a bus / train from Bangkok and then hire a tuk tuk for the day. The tuk tuk driver can also act as a guide. But either ways, it’s good to have a guided tour of Ayutthaya Historical Park as it involves a lot of historically significant monuments and ruins which one will not be able to understand and relate to, if not taking a guided tour.
Guided tour of Ayutthaya from Bangkok including transportation.
Here’s the details of our Bangkok to Ayutthaya day trip
Day 9: Bangkok
Finally, the day to explore Bangkok. Today visit the Grand Palace of Bangkok, the Wat Arun. Also, the temple of the reclining buddha if time permits. Don’t miss the cultural show that is covered as a part of the ticket to Grand Palace. You can take this tour of Bangkok city which will involve tickets as well as transfers required. Or, you can yourself hop from one destination to the next via Grab taxi or tuk tuk. Mostly tuk tuk rides need a negotiation with the driver. So do the taxis that run by meter (Ironically, they never run by the meter!). Even a hop on hop off tour ticket will be very useful for hopping between sites in Bangkok. Overall, it will prove cheaper also.
Bangkok hop-on-hop-off bus tour
Walking Temple tour covering the Grand Palace, Wat Arun and other temples
Day 10: Bangkok to Phuket transfer
Today morning, take a flight from Bangkok to Phuket. There are plenty of flights operating between the two destinations. So, book one as per your convenience. In Phuket, book a resort with a private beach if possible. And also, one that involves kid friendly activities and play areas if you are traveling with kids. After checking in into your accommodation, relax in your resort for rest of the day. You can book this transfer from your hotel to Bangkok airport. One you reach Phuket, you can take this shared transfer from the airport to your hotel, or, this private transfer as per your preference.
Day 11: Phuket to Krabi day trip
Take a pre-booked day trip from Phuket to Krabi. This one is our recommended trip as it covers all the 4 islands of Krabi in a single day. The islands of Krabi are very beautiful. You will hop between them cruising through the blue-green Andaman waters. Definitely one of the most beautiful days in your trip.
Trip to book for the day:
Krabi & Hong Island day trip with lunch
Day 12: Phuket to Phi Phi island tours
Today visit the Phi Phi Island or James Bond Island from Phuket. You can book this tour for visiting Phi Phi Island from Phuket. The Phi Phi islands are very stunning and have been very popular amongst the tourists. So, they get pretty crowded in the peak season, and around Christmas and New Year. But, do visit them if you have come till Phuket as they are definitely a must visit.
Day 13: Phuket
Today being the second last day of the trip, let’s keep it light. Relax in your resort in Phuket along the beach side. Venture out to explore the nearby food scene during lunch. Keep some buffer time for packing as you will be heading back to your home the next day.
Related Read: Our travel packing tips and tricks that will help you pack in no time
And finally, keep some appetite for souvenir or other kind of shopping in Phuket. If you are up for activities, there are several things to do in Phuket like take a cooking class, visit the Coral and Racha islands, or, take up this zip lining adventure. Or even a Phuket city sightseeing tour.
Day 14: Fly out of Phuket
As the heading suggests, fly back to your home from Phuket on the 14th day of your 14 days Thailand Itinerary. If the flight is in the evening, you can accommodate some of the activities mentioned above in this day.
Tips for 14 days Thailand Trip Itinerary
Activities
- When on the beaches, enjoy island hopping, scuba diving, snorkling, beach parties or just relax by the beach side.
- Want to get little healthy during your travel to Thailand? Try some yoga sessions on one of these yoga retreats in Thailand.
- Indulge in walking tours of old cities like Chiang Mai
- Do adventure activities up north like biking, hiking, mountain climbing, camping, rafting etc. In fact, Chiang Mai is a perfect destination for adventure trip planning as well.
- Or, visit one of the historical parks and UNESCO World Heritage sites like Ayutthaya and Sukhothai
- See a cabaret show.
- Get body massage
- Attend a Thai class like cooking, painting or dance.
- Visit the numerous ancient temples across Thailand.
Dressing
- Bangkok is warm, so is Phuket. But Chiang Mai is comfortably cold during year end. So, if visiting during this time, keep a light jacket for Chiang Mai. Otherwise, keep light cotton dresses.
- Wear comfortable shoes or sandals for walking while on the day trips.
- You need to dress modestly when visiting the temples. Shoulders and legs should be covered. In case you don’t have cloths that meet this requirement, you can rent a sarong or appropriate dress in front of most of the temple entrances.
- You can shop for dresses, T-shirts and shorts across the night markets and street markets of Thailand. They are pretty reasonably priced.
Helpful apps & food tips
- Swear by 3 apps – The happy cow (for vegetarian and vegan food options), The Google Translator (For communicating effectively with locals, particularly once out of Bangkok) and The Grab app for hailing taxis.
- If you are a vegetarian, you should book an accommodation with kitchen so that you can cook as and when required. And you need to be vigilant when eating outside. I will soon compile my vegetarian survival guide to Thailand for more details. Stay tuned.
- Tap water is not drinkable, use bottled water. You will get good deal at the 7 eleven grocery stores when buying more than one bottled water.
When to visit
- Best time to visit is year end, climate wise. Although you can also visit in the shoulder season of October and March.
Transport
- Book transfers and day trips either in advance or via your hotel. Or, through the reliable links provided above. The charges will be more or less the same. you can keep your itinerary more flexible in case you are not booking in advance.
- Use tuk tuks for short distance transfer. Or, songthaew in Chiang Mai.
- When taking taxis by meter, remember to negotiate and fix the price beforehand as they never run by the meter
- If you can, book a Grab taxi when you need one
Safety
- Thailand is overall very safe. And thats the reason you will see a lot of people traveling alone to Thailand as well. Just do as you would at home, take the same precautions while traveling that you would do back home. And you should be good. Thai are happy, content and helping people. And due to buzzing night life across Thailand cities, there is no issue in staying out till late at night. However do keep a note of emergency numbers to dial, just for your peace of mind.
- Although you can venture out till late, do remember that most of the businesses and food outlets in Thailand tend to close by 8:00pm – 9:00pm. So, plan your dinner accordingly.
- There are some known tourist scams. Like someone might tell you the attraction you are going to visit is closed and they will take you to a better place, thus looping you in for a charge in the name of site seeing. So, be vigilant.
- Pickpocketing might happen in crowded tourist areas, major crimes are very rare, almost nil.
Currency
- Thai Baht is accepted everywhere.
- Taxis and street side vendors need change, so keep some change handy with you.
- You can exchange bigger denominations like 1000 Thai Baht at grocery stores like 7 eleven, malls, restaurants and food courts.
- Exchange centers are available all over Thailand. More so in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai. Bangkok Bank provides the best rates.
- Dollars and Euros can be easily exchanged
- Avoid using cards as much as possible since Thailand is notorious known for card forgeries.
We will soon detail about how much does it cost to travel Thailand. But, it is well known that Thailand can be visited on a shoestring college budget. And that is what makes Thailand the backpackers paradise and a favorite amongst the low budget travellers.
Summary of the 14 days Thailand Trip Itinerary
Accommodations
Bangkok
Hotel Evergreen Palace Siam (Link to book: Agoda, booking.com)
Sukhothai
Sabai Sabai Sukhothai (Link to book: Agoda)
Chiang Mai
The Empire Residence Nimman (Link to book: Agoda, booking.com)
Phuket
Trips to choose from
Bangkok
Bangkok hop-on-hop-off bus tour
Walking Temple tour covering the Grand Palace, Wat Arun and other temples
guided tour of Ayutthaya from Bangkok including transportation
private transfer and explore Pattaya at your own pace
2 days tour from Bangkok to Pattaya with private transfers and sightseeing.
Bangkok to Pattaya city and Koh Larn Island trip
Phuket
Krabi & Hong Island day trip with lunch
tour for visiting Phi Phi Island from Phuket
cooking class in Phuket
zip lining adventure in Phuket
Chiang Mai
tour to do a trip from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai.
tour from Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon National Park
Bike tour of the city of Chiang Mai
Sukhothai
Sukhothai Historical Park Bike Tour
Best time to visit Thailand
November to February is the best time of the year to visit most parts of mainland in Thailand. And also a good time to visit the western coast beaches. Since, the temperature is moderately hot during these months. The summer months tend to get very hot and in monsoons season, it rains heavily. So, better to avoid these seasons. We also visited Thailand towards the end of the year. The weather was nice, and it gave us a nice change to take a break from our day jobs and travel , starting the year on a fresh note.
What to pack for a trip to Thailand
The climate in Thailand is overall moderately hot even in the winter months of November to February. So, you mostly need to pack light clothes. Keep some buffer space in your luggage to shop in Thailand itself, you are not on a very tight budget. As the country as really great markets for cheap and comfortable cotton garments. Apart from this, don’t forget mosquito repellants (Although, again you can buy them in Thailand as well), sunglasses, hats, a refill water bottle and beach garments.
Carry your essential travel accessories, and a good digital camera. Checkout our list of must have during travel and see that you have included these. Don’t forget your travel medicine kit. If you are traveling with kids and toddlers like we did, you might want to check our list of travel friendly products for toddlers and kids as well. As many of these will come handy during your trip to Thailand.
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