Thailand is rightly famed for its sublime islands and beaches, but it’s the brilliantly biodiverse jungles that often steal hearts — the gold-tinted cloud forests of Chiang Rai, the enormous waterfalls in Kanchanaburi, the scandalously underrated national parks. And then there are the cities — the majestic palaces and atmospheric ruins of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai and, of course, Bangkok, a city rooted in tradition while hurtling into the future.
I made my first visit to the country from our family home in Hong Kong in the 1980s, when I was eight years. A few decades later I found myself living in Phuket — Thailand issues correspondence visas, one of which I snapped up with the vague notion that it would be fun to live by the beach for a couple of years. I didn’t know a soul there and had no idea where to live, but it didn’t take me long to find my flip-flopped feet … I practiced my wai greeting, added the female polite particle ka to the end of every sentence, smiled more and set off on adventures that took me from the beaches of Phuket to the dramatic limestone sea stacks of Phang Nga Bay, the cliffs and sea caves of Krabi and remote coral-wrapped island chains.
I return on an almost monthly basis these days, to get my fix of the tasty food, no-pain-no-gain massages and nature immersions. Because that’s the thing about Thailand: as familiar as you might be with the country, there are always wondrous new places and things to discover. These are some of my favourite beauty spots to get you started.
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1. The Similan Islands, Phang Nga
Clustered in the luminous blue Andaman Sea, a 90-minute speedboat ride from the buttercup beach of Khao Lak (on the mainland north of Phuket), these 11 limestone islands are a paradise for divers, snorkellers and beach-lovers alike. Above sea level there are balmy rainforested hills and bright white beaches with sand so soft it’s like walking on air. Below the surface an underwater discotheque of shimmering tropical fish, sashaying reef sharks and dapper sea turtles dancing between more than 500 species of coral awaits.
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Families will love the Avani+ Khao Lak with its spacious villas (complete with pantries and washing machines), gigantic lagoon-shaped pool and colourful climbing wall.
The nine-day Thailand Beaches: Bangkok to Phuket tour from Intrepid Travel includes a stop in Khao Lak, where you’ll spend two nights in a resort and have the option to book a tour to the nearby Similan Islands for snorkeling or diving.
2. The Grand Palace and Wat Pho, Bangkok
Many superlatives have been used to describe the Grand Palace and the nearby temple of Wat Pho — and each of them is deserved. These two dazzling complexes are among the most revered buildings in Asia, adorned with golden stupas, intricate woodcarvings, tiled pillars and magnificent murals and motifs symbolising Buddhist philosophy. To beat the crowds get to the palace for opening at 8am and go straight to its big-ticket attraction, the Emerald Buddha, before ambling over to the royal compound.
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The Mandarin Oriental can whisk you upriver on a long-tail boat and arrange an in-depth tour with a private guide.
Indus Experiences has a 13-night Ancient Kingdoms of Southeast Asia tour, including a guided tour of the Grand Palace and incredible floating markets in the capital.
indusexperiences.co.uk
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3. Tubkaek beach, Krabi
With its golden sands, dramatic cliffs and atmospheric caves, Ao Nang beach draws troops of tourists to Krabi — but those in the know make their way along the coast to the comet-white coast of Tubkaek, where you don’t have to fight for a piece of the action. The beach here shapeshifts with the tides, making ice-cream swirls along the shore. Wade into the luminous bath-warm water to admire the lurching limestone sea stacks of Phang Nga Bay as reef fish dart around your ankles.
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The Banyan Tree Krabi rolls straight onto Tubkaek beach and offers striking suites and villas with private pools.
Try the 13-day Thai Island Hopping tour from Explore! as an alternative. The itinerary makes use of public transport including trains and ferries and whisks you to islands including Koh Yao Yai, Koh Hai and Koh Lanta as well as Krabi.
4. Khao Yai National Park, Nakhon Ratchasima
A three-hour drive from Bangkok will introduce you to the wild side of Thailand — a 500,000-acre deciduous forest peppered with some of the world’s rarest animals, including Asian black bears, Malaysian porcupines, pileated gibbons, northern slow lorises, giant black squirrels and herds of wild elephants. Four species of hornbill are among the bird life that draws ornithologists from across the globe, while chameleons the colour of cobalt cling to trees bursting with nutmeg and magnolia. Park rangers escort visitors around nature trails providing plenty of insight — and imitation bird calls — along the way.
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The Intercontinental Khao Yai Resort is nuzzled into the foothills just outside the park and has suites inside repurposed train carriages designed by Bill Bensley.
TransIndus has a 14-night tailor-made Wild Thailand tour including three nights exploring Khao Yai National Park.
transindus.co.uk
5. Bang Pa-In Summer Palace, Ayutthaya
Live out your The King and I fantasies at this wondrous royal compound built by King Rama IV and his son, King Rama V, who was schooled by the British governess Anna Leonowens. Arriving by long-tail boat at an island in the middle of the Chao Phraya River sets the tone for the range of extraordinary sights ahead: a herd of topiary elephants stomping across manicured lawns, a glassy lake reflecting a gilded pavilion, a vermillion Chinese mansion, a butter-yellow neoclassical pile and a pale purple Swiss-style chalet. There’s also a working monastery on site — where monks arrive by cable car.
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The white-on-white design hotel Sala Bang Pa-In is in a sleepy village on the riverbank close to the Summer Palace.
G Adventures has a 14-night Journeys: Iconic Thailand tour with an overnight stop in Ayutthaya. You’ll also spend time with monks in Chiang Mai and explore a number of national parks.
6. Erawan Falls, Kanchanaburi
With seven tiers of Tiffany-blue pools tumbling through glossy green jungle ringing with the calls of hornbills and oriental magpie-robins, it’s easy to see why Erawan Falls is one of the top natural attractions in Thailand. Pack sensible shoes and plenty of water to make the somewhat challenging climb to the top, stopping at each level to cool down — some of the tiers have wide turquoise pools in which you can swim; others have honeycomb-like plunge pools or secret nooks that allow you to sneak behind the falls. Make it to the top tier for a spectacular view of the crest of the falls.
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Choose from duplex suites with plunge pools, river-view cabins and floating villas at the design-led Xcape River Kwai.
For youthful travellers, Contiki has a 13-night Total Thailand tour that includes an overnight stop in Kanchanaburi and a visit to Erawan Falls.
7. Tarutao National Marine Park, Satun
Snaking towards the border with Malaysia, Tarutao National Marine Park is scattered with dozens of jungle-blanketed islands twitching with monkeys, mouse deer and banana-beak hornbills. The beaches are as wide and white as Julie Roberts’s smile, ringed by neon-green waters and coral reefs bursting with red lionfish, green turtles and blue-spotted stingrays. The remote location — best reached from Koh Lipe or Langkawi in Malaysia — and the islands being open to intrepid day-trippers only between October and May give this part of the country big Jurassic Park energy.
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Koh Lipe is rapidly filling up with hotels, so find a quiet spot with cosy teak rooms rolling onto the beach at Ten Moons Resort.
Audley Travel has a 15-night Beaches and Bites tour including stops in Penang, Langkawi and five days on Koh Lipe. As its name suggests, excellent local food is to the fore.
8. The Golden Triangle, Chiang Rai
It’s a scene that looks as though it has been pulled from an ancient watercolour painting: ribbons of fuchsia and lilac light forming on the horizon as whispers of cloud rise from the deep-green rainforest; in the background, blackened mountains ripple into the distance; families of elephants, led by the matriarch, tramp through the foreground. The confluence of the Ruak and Mekong rivers — where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet — is a place for some seriously slow travel. Think refreshing morning walks, lazy lunches and afternoons by the pool staring at the magnificent countryside.
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The Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort is in a spellbinding location and has an elephant sanctuary within the grounds.
Abercrombie & Kent has a luxury ten-night Ultimate Thailand Adventure including two nights at the Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort.
abercrombiekent.com
9. Cheow Lan Lake, Surat Thani
Cheow Lan Lake is the emerald centrepiece of Khao Sok National Park, a rainforest that is 160 million years old, predating the Amazon. Everything here feels super-sized — trees as tall as skyscrapers, leaves as big as blankets, jagged mountains heaving as far as the eye can see. Wake to a 6am chorus of cicadas for a day of hiking to salt pans where wild elephants and sun bears roam, lazily rafting in percolating rivers and enjoying kayaking safaris around the lake.
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Elephant Hills Rainforest Camp combines glamping with safari-style tours, with its tented rooms floating in the lake on pontoons.
rainforestcamp.com
Trailfinders has a 13-night tour of Phuket, Khao Lak and Elephant Hills including canoeing and other nature-first excursions.
trailfinders.com
10. Sukhothai
Sukhothai, meaning “dawn of happiness”, was established as the first Thai capital in the mid-13th century. A golden age followed, with a flourishing of Buddhist art and architecture influenced by Sri Lankan and Khmer traditions. Today it’s the place to find some of the most hypnotic ruins — a collection of 193 temples, shrines, stupas and Buddha statues, between ornamental lotus-flower ponds and lush gardens. It’s an impressive place to visit at any time of the year, but is especially enchanting during the Loy Krathong festival (usually in November), when the ruins are bathed in light, small floats with offerings fill the waterways and lanterns are released into the night skies.
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Scent of Sukhothai Resort offers a peaceful respite a ten-minute bicycle ride from the historical park.
Intrepid Travel has a nine-night Highlights of Thailand tour starting in Bangkok and ending in Chiang Mai with a stop in Sukhothai, where you’ll tickle your palate with a cooking class and head out on a bike tour across the ruins.
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