Thailand travel guide: Everything you need to know before you go

Whatever you’re into, Thailand delivers connected a large holiday. From serene yoga retreats to booming formation bars, upland hikes to land dives - and not forgetting the thrilling cities – determination are myriad adventures to beryllium had successful the “Land of Smiles”.

Friendly, good-natured locals and a seasoned tourism manufacture person maintained Thailand’s spot arsenic a traveller’s favourite for generations. But successful a state laden with some comparatively unspoilt quality and an ascendent eco-lodge scene, determination are inactive lesser-trodden paths to beryllium found.

This South East Asian favourite is location to a divers but universally delicious cuisine, with a big much esoteric section flavours hiding successful its assorted regions. It’s besides a profoundly spiritual spot – 93 per cent of the populace practises the nationalist religion of Buddhism, and determination are Buddhist temples and meditation centres to sojourn crossed the country, arsenic good arsenic being a fashionable spot to travel and acquisition back-to-basics retreats.

Current question restrictions and introduction requirements

Your passport indispensable person astatine slightest six months’ validity remaining from your day of introduction into the state and person astatine slightest oe blank page.

While Thailand is simply a reasonably harmless state to visit, it’s ever worthy checking the FCDO guidance earlier booking and travelling.

Best clip to go

Weather wise, the champion clip to caput to Thailand is from October to March, erstwhile astir of the state is wide of the rainy play and milder temperatures footwear successful – peculiarly successful the northbound and centre of the country. Some confederate islands bash inactive acquisition rains into November, truthful cheque the section upwind reports for yours earlier booking.

Locals volition archer you that the champion clip to acquisition Thailand is during 1 of its nationalist festivals, specified arsenic Songkran. This immense springtime festival welcomes successful the Buddhist caller twelvemonth with country-wide h2o fights, parades and parties, which usually autumn successful mid April, depending connected the day of the afloat satellite that month. Another stunner is Loy Krathong – Thailand’s ‘festival of lights’ – that takes spot successful mid-November, with Thais releasing candles connected small floral nests to interval downstream oregon sending glowing lanterns into the nighttime sky, depending connected the portion of the state you’re in.

If you similar to question off-peak, but are inactive keen to debar the rains, determination are notably less tourists successful Thailand successful the months of April and September, and you whitethorn good get fortunate with the upwind and bask immoderate formation days with the sands to yourself.

Top regions and cities

Bangkok

Bangkok is the archetypal larboard of telephone for astir incoming visitors to Thailand, with the lion’s stock of planetary flights landing successful the superior city. It’s a sprawling metropolis, bisected by the Chao Phraya River and populated by parks, palaces, temples and a vibrant aged municipality wherever you tin find immoderate of the world’s astir unassuming but incredibly tasty Michelin-starred restaurants. Indeed, Bangkok’s culinary country and historical landmarks volition support you engaged for arsenic agelong arsenic your itinerary allows. The legendary nightlife country is tons of amusive for those with the energy, portion the glam rooftop bars that place the stream stay a large spot to walk an evening, peculiarly arsenic the prima sets.

Phuket

Thailand’s largest island, Phuket, is different hub for planetary arrivals, with nonstop flights from the UK - and its gorgeous rolling beaches are a steadfast favourite with vacation makers of each ages. It’s besides a favourite destination of fittingness freaks, awash with apical wellness nutrient restaurants and cafes that complement the precocious density of Muay Thai boxing gyms. It’s a large basal for exploring the secluded islands and neighbouring nationalist parks –  vessel trips to the ethereal Similan Islands oregon the profoundly lushious Ao Phang Nga National Park are existent show-stoppers.

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is the erstwhile superior of the Lanna Kingdom, present Northern Thailand, and is possessed of a distinctive civilization and fascinating traditions of its ain – from the Lanna connection and food, to wellness treatments specified arsenic the delightfully antithetic ‘Tok Sen’ massage. The past metropolis is simply a hub for Buddhist pilgrims, with immoderate of the oldest and astir beauteous temples successful Thailand recovered successful and astir the cardinal ‘Old City’ area, arsenic good arsenic successful the foothills oregon connected the highest of the Suthep mountain.

Koh Phangan, Koh Samui and Koh Tao

The Samui archipelago, including Koh Phangan, Koh Samui and Koh Tao, is conscionable disconnected the shores of Surat Thani successful the occidental reaches of the Gulf of Thailand, and 1 of the astir fashionable clusters of islands successful the Kingdom. Koh Samui is the astir luxurious, with beaches that scope from engaged to blissful. One of the former, Chaweng Beach, is surely not arsenic packed arsenic it erstwhile was, but retains its popularity acknowledgment to the gleaming achromatic sands. The little developed Bophut Beach is simply a charming country of Samui, with a fisherman’s colony and buzzy Friday Night Market. Neighbouring Koh Phangan is simply a deed with the world’s ravers and hippies; the tract of its infamous monthly “full satellite parties” has precocious evolved into holistic wellness hotspot with yoga retreats and New Age healing centres aplenty.

Best under-the-radar destinations

Nakhon Ratchasima

Nakhon Ratchasima successful Isan, Thailand’s easternmost region, is 1 to ticker for foodies. The Michelin Guide‘s 2022 variation expanded into the country to screen the champion determination cuisine, which tends towards quintessentially Thai dishes with chiseled Khmer-era influences from neighbouring Cambodia and Laos. The portion is besides location to Khmer temples not dissimilar to Angkor Wat, arsenic good arsenic immoderate stunning parks, including Khao Yai.

Nan

The tiny municipality of Nan successful the acold northeast of Thailand is simply a fashionable destination with section Thai tourists but lesser known to planetary travellers. It’s chock-full of stunning Lanna temples and uncommon earthy sights, specified arsenic the somewhat mind-boggling Laterite stone ‘palace’, formed by h2o erosion. It’s besides a coagulated astrotourism spot, with Doi Phu Kha National Park offering immoderate of the champion stargazing views successful the country.

Koh Lanta

Koh Lanta is an idyllic land successful the Krabi region, conscionable implicit the bay from Phuket. Far little built-up than its neighbours, the existent gully present is the 12 oregon truthful unspoilt beaches that grace its lengthy coastline. It’s a premier determination for scuba diving, arsenic good arsenic activities similar kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding.

Songkhla

Songkhla’s perfectly preserved aged municipality centre is Thailand’s equivalent of Hoi-An successful Vietnam - a erstwhile engaged trading station that clip forgot. The tiny woody buildings are Chinese successful benignant and scope betwixt 50-200 years successful age, handily escaping improvement oregon destruction, arsenic the locals simply moved retired of the country to the caller town. The charming streets are experiencing thing of a renaissance now. [As of September 2024, FCDO guidance states that question to confederate Songkhla Province should beryllium avoided owed to violent attacks, specifically southbound of the A43 roadworthy betwixt Hat Yai and Sakom, and southbound of the bid enactment which runs betwixt Hat Yai and Padang Besar. Find retired much here.]

Best things to do

Snorkelling and scuba diving

Thailand’s crystal bluish waters and stunning alcoves lend themselves perfectly to snorkelling and scuba diving trips. If you’re dreaming of heavy oversea diving past you tin get PADI-accredited astatine 1 of the country’s galore diving schools, with Koh Lanta, Koh Tao and Phuket being peculiar hubs. Nitro Dive Centre successful Koh Tao is simply a large spot to start.

Boat trip

On a akin marine theme, taking a multi-day vessel travel astir the islands of the Andaman Sea is simply a existent treat. The voyages halt disconnected astatine stunning and quieter, less-accessible shores. If you’ve clip for an 11-day sail, cheque retired Phuket’s Seascape Sailing.

Cooking classes

Thailand is eden for “gastronauts” and cooking tutorials are a classical enactment for a reason. Bangkok is the culinary superior and Chef Leez’s much-loved lessons person been fig 1 successful the metropolis for immoderate years now. If you’re much of an eater than a chef, publication yourself connected a thoroughfare nutrient circuit with the aptly named Bangkok Food Tours.

Getting around

Thailand is good served by a fig of home airlines, but it’s precise casual to spell flight-free erstwhile you’re successful the country. The extensive, inexpensive and well-maintained authorities bid web has stations successful large towns and cities crossed each corners of the mainland. The sleeper bid betwixt Bangkok and Chiang Mai is an acquisition successful itself, with stunning views; but the shorter, scenic thrust from the superior to seaside Hua Hin is delightful, too.

The countrywide buses are besides inexpensive and efficient, particularly if your destination is served by Greenbus Thailand, whose fleet is mostly rather luxurious. For island-hopping you’ll request to usage 1 of the section ferry companies, each of which are inexpensive.

How to get there

The quickest mode to get successful Thailand from the UK is by taking a nonstop formation with Thai Airways oregon Eva Air. Once successful the state you tin link to home airlines serving confederate airports specified arsenic Krabi’s oregon Ko Samui’s. There are besides a fig of airlines that connection cheaper connecting formation options; bully contenders successful this scope are Emirates and Lufthansa.

If you already find yourself successful southeast Asia, the railway and autobus connections betwixt Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore are a greener and cheaper mode to participate Thailand. Consult the bid traveller’s bible, The Man successful Seat 61 for much details.

Money-saving tip

Street nutrient successful Thailand is incredibly inexpensive and fantastically tasty, with stalls selling their snacks and bites connected each main roadworthy of each municipality and city. Its bargain vessel of noodles and shredded papaya salads for arsenic small arsenic £2 are what marque it specified a deed with backpackers and gap-year travellers. Food hygiene standards are mostly good, but if you’re not brave capable for that, way down 1 of the “Jay” vegetarian cafes, which are usually recovered adjacent to temples. These spots service vegetarian buffets and noodle soups for astir 50p, catering to Buddhist locals who debar nutrient connected their ain day and Buddha’s day arsenic a motion of spiritual devotion.

FAQs

What’s the upwind like?

Thailand has a tropical clime each twelvemonth round, with October-March offering the friendliest temperatures (averaging astir 28-30C). The northbound of the state tends to beryllium cooler but suffers from cultivation contamination successful its “Burning Season” from March-May – caput to Chiang Mai and its surrounds astir these months if possible, lest you find yourself mid-smog.

What clip portion is it in?

Thailand is 7 hours up of GMT, and six hours up of BST.

What currency bash I need?

You’ll request Thai Baht. All ATMs complaint a withdrawal fee, truthful taking retired larger quantities little often volition prevention connected those fees.

What connection is spoken?

Thai is spoken successful astir of the country, but galore successful the northbound talk Thai arsenic good arsenic the determination dialect, Lanna.