It’s been called ‘Teflon Thailand’, as no matter what challenges are thrown at its tourism industry – tsunamis, protests, coups, a pandemic – they never seem to stick. Travellers just can’t keep away from The Land of Smiles and it’s easy to see why. This is South East Asia’s tourism superstar, flashing a heady mix of electrifying cities, dense rainforests, mist-veiled mountains, 3,000 kilometres of coastline and 1,400 islands scattered across five seas and oceans – not to mention the legendary warmth of the people.
Most travellers are introduced to the country via Bangkok, a capital city which has transformed over the last decade – for better or worse – from a chaotic head-spinning sprawl to a glitzy, modern metropolis with a hip riverside district, cutting-edge architecture, trailblazing chefs, a dynamic art scene and more high-style hotels than you can shake a bamboo stick at. Juicy, sweet and still messy at times (particularly when it comes to the traffic), the Big Mango deserves at least a few nights before venturing onwards. And with a new British Airways route from Gatwick to Bangkok launched this month – ending the airline’s four-year pause in flights to the Thai capital – it’s a good time to book a flight east.
Two months should really be the bare minimum amount of time suggested to visit this large multifaceted swathe of South East Asia, something now possible thanks to Thailand’s decision to extend visa-free stays to 60 days for British citizens, as well as 92 other nationalities. But, as that’s a luxury few can afford we’ve put together a three-week plan that takes in the country’s biggest hitting attractions, as well as some new experiences and lesser-known treasures worth a diversion. Throwing in action-packed days alongside the opportunity for some slow travel by boat and train, the itinerary heads north and then south, from Ayutthaya’s ruins and show-stopping street food, to the temples and artsy enclaves of Chiang Mai, to Chiang Rai’s mesmerising countryside, to the beaches of Phuket and the aquatic wonders of Phang Nga Bay.
Along the way, you’ll experience a wide variety of Thailand’s cultures and cuisines, dip into blockbuster-worthy history, get to hang out with monks, and revel in nature. English isn’t as widely spoken as you might assume, especially outside of Bangkok, but a smile will always go a long way.
Most flights from Europe to Bangkok land in the afternoon giving you just enough time to freshen up before sundown. First-timers should ease into this frenetic city down by the Chao Phraya River. Splurge on white-gloved service at the Mandarin Oriental, which has a wonderful waterfront terrace, a galaxy of Michelin stars and every facility you can think of. Or, try the modern, more affordable Avani+ Riverside for its vertiginous rooftop swimming pool and bar.
Long-tails and temples
Jet-lag will likely have you up with the larks – perfect for arriving at Wat Pho in time for opening at 8am, ahead of the crowds. Deserving of all the superlatives showered upon it, Thailand’s most revered temple is a fantasia of bejewelled buildings, golden spires, ornate ordination halls and towering statues of mythical creatures, with a huge reclining golden Buddha as its centrepiece (visit this first). Next, make for the adjacent Grand Palace (royalgrandpalace.th/en), a vast royal complex dating back to 1782 packed with similarly ostentatious architecture. The Emerald Buddha is the must-see here but the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles is also worth a stop (for the air-conditioning as much as the Queen Mother’s beautiful through-the-decades fashion collection).
Nip down nearby Soi 38 off Charoen Krung Road for a slow-food Thai lunch at Araksa Tea House, a minimalist sustainably led restaurant where organic teas from Chiang Mai are woven into favourite Thai dishes. When the temperature drops, later in the afternoon, spend a couple of hours on a long-tail boat touring the twisted antique stilted homes and gold-topped temples of the Thonburi klongs (canals).
Shopping and street eats
Guided tours of the Jim Thompson House Museum start at 10am and take visitors on an insightful journey into Thailand’s silk producing history, with an intriguing side of espionage. The museum is named after an American spy, who is credited with bringing Thai silks to the wider world, before disappearing under mysterious circumstances in 1967. Stay for a light lunch at Jim’s Terrace, overlooking the luscious tropical gardens.
From here you can stroll to the glitzy malls and mega-outlets scattered around Siam and Prathunam; hit Platinum Fashion Mall for 10-storeys of clothes, shoes, bags and accessories. Visit Siam Paragon and Central World for big name brands; and MBK for electronics, gadgets, phone cases, power banks and fake designer goods of varying quality – Hermès bag, anyone?
After dark, pull on your fisherman pants, or any other easily expandable clothing, in preparation for a food tour of Chinatown. Peppery rice noodle rolls, crab fried rice, curried fish balls and plenty more are on the menu on Taste of Thailand’s three-hour food tour.
Cruise to the ancient world
The ancient Khmer ruins of Thailand’s former capital Ayutthaya are about 90-minutes from Bangkok by car or train but there’s no better way to arrive in this atmospheric city than on Anantara’s carved wooden barge, Loy Pela. The overnight journey sets off from the big city in the morning, with fresh mango juice and a la carte eggs served as Bangkok’s suburbs roll by like an old sepia movie reel. An optional Thai cooking class fills the ensuing hours before an afternoon spent marvelling at the Unesco World Heritage site’s 14th century sandstone prangs (stupas), now blackened, woven with vines, and leaning with age. A wine-pairing dinner back on board rounds-off the evening.
Islands in the stream
At its 15th century peak Ayutthaya was one of the largest cities in the world, which means there’s a lot more to see – and eat (Ayutthaya was awarded more Michelin nods than Bangkok in 2022). Instead of cruising back to Bangkok on Loy Pela, check into Sala Bang Pa-In, a white-on-white boutique hotel woven into a frangipani-shaded village on the banks of Chao Phraya on the little-visited outskirts of the city. Sign up for the hotel’s long-tail tour of King Rama V’s fairytale Summer Palace and the extraordinary island temple of Wat Niwet Thammaprawat, where monks are delivered by cable car.
Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai by train
The train route from Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai is one of Thailand’s most scenic, so while there is the option of taking the 12-hour-long night train, the daytime Special Express is more memorable, with a nine-hour service taking in dreamy mountain and countryside views, including panoramas of Phrae’s rippling rice fields at sunset (book a seat on the left).
Chiang Mai is a brilliant city when it comes to boutique hotels, with a huge choice of characterful places to stay. For a luxury escape book 137 Pillars House in the fashionable Wat Gate neighbourhood. Take a wellness break under the peaked roof of the Aleenta Retreat Chiang Mai or try Na Nirand, which has romantic Lanna-style buildings set around a banyan-shaded swimming pool.
The spiritual capital of Thailand is littered with temples, some dating back to the 13th century. A vision in gold set on a mountainside outside of the city, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is a favourite spot to watch the sunrise – but it’s just as beautiful at sundown and there are fewer tourists. Whichever time you choose, make time for “Monk Chat”, when visitors are invited to help monks practise their English language skills by answering questions about Buddhism.
For lunch, sit under chandeliers at a communal table at Magnolia Cafe, which was awarded a Bib Gourmand for its inventive (and affordable) Northern Thai dishes – try the sun-dried squid in peanut sauce. Graze in one of the city’s electrifying night markets for dinner; Chang Phuak Gate Market is the spot for foodies.
Breaking chains
You’ll find one of Thailand’s more unusual massage joints at the Chiang Mai Women’s Correctional Institute Vocational Training Centre, in the banyan-tangled streets of the Old City. Inside a pretty teak hall guarded by wardens wearing lipstick and fluffy slippers, female inmates are given 300 hours of traditional Thai massage training as a way to gain employment at the end of their sentences. The centre doesn’t take reservations and the massages are excellent so get there early to secure an appointment.
Bicycles are readily available to rent and are an easy-breezy way to tour the Old City and leafy riverside district. Make stops at the dazzling ordination halls at Wat Phra Singh, the enormous weathered chedi at Wat Chedi Luang and the stone elephant statues that guard Wat Chiang Man. Park up for lunch or dinner at the fabulously floral Woo Cafe, a restaurant, cake shop, art gallery and lifestyle store.
Tuk tuk time
If you’ve ever looked at a three-wheeled vehicle with a radioactive-bright paint job and thought I want to drive that – The Tuk Tuk Club have got you covered. A full-throttle adventure from start to finish, the Club’s one-day self-driving tour starts with a thorough lesson, before setting off into the green and gorgeous Mae Wang Valley. Pit stops include a remote hillside temple and an ethical elephant sanctuary. The tour ends with everyone river rafting back to camp.
Chiang Mai bubbles over with brilliant cookery schools. Book a morning class at Grandma’s Home Cooking School, which begins with a visit to an organic farm and local market to pick up vegetables, herbs, spices and other super-fresh ingredients. Guests then learn to cook hot and sour tom yum soup, pad thai stir-fry, green or red curry and mango sticky rice, all of which are devoured for lunch afterwards.
Spend the rest of the day sauntering around fashionable Nimmanhaemin Road. Packed with independently owned boutiques, design stores, homewares shops, galleries, coffee shops, cocktail bars and restaurants, this is where Chiang Mai’s creative prowess is on full display.
Due north
Organise an inexpensive private car transfer for the three-hour drive from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai in the Golden Triangle, bordering Myanmar and Laos. You’ll feel every bit of tension leave your body as you slip out of the city into rolling hills of rainforest, rice paddies, corn fields and coconut farms.
There are two very special places to stay in this part of the country; Four Seasons Tented Camp, which has 16 lavish tented villas perched in the jungle; and the Anantara Golden Triangle Resort, which shares its grounds with an elephant sanctuary where guests can interact with the giants in a responsible manner.
Black and white
Overlooking three countries – Thailand, Myanmar and Laos – a large part of Chiang Rai’s appeal comes from simply admiring the trapped-in-time scenery, a wonder of undulating mountains, rainforested slopes and rare birdlife bathed in fuzzy sunshine. But, if you do want to get out and about there are a handful of unique attractions worth leaving the sun lounger for, including a long-tail boat trip along the Mekong River.
There’s also the Baan Dam, the Black House Museum, a jungle-wrapped collection of supersized salas filled with contemporary gothic Thai art – ram horn chairs, crocodile skin table runners, demon statues – and the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun), a snow palace hallucination glistening amid Chiang Rai’s tropical greenery.
Few people had heard of Tham Luang cave until the summer of 2018, when 12 boys and the coach of the Wild Boars boys football team were heroically rescued following 18 days trapped underground. Now, it’s a must-visit Chiang Rai attraction, with walkways leading around the mouth of the cave and into the first chamber, as well as a museum that tells the story of the rescue, and a memorial to the brave Thai Navy Seal who lost his life in the process. Only 16 group tours of 25 people are scheduled each day; four smaller group tours per day visit the second chamber but you need to apply at least a week in advance. There isn’t a lot of English language information so it’s best to book through your hotel or a specialist tour operator such as Inside Asia.
Fly south
Fly south from Chiang Rai to Phuket on the southwest Andaman coast for some beach time. Thailand’s largest island has got it all: glorious golden beaches, luminous green waters, rugged coastline, jungle-engulfed mountains, the atmospheric Old Town and a dizzying amount of resorts to choose from. This section of your holiday can be as peaceful or as vigorous as you wish.
Phuket’s northwest coast – Kamala, Surin, Bangtao, Layan – will suit most travellers, with miles of white sands, lively (yet PG-rated) beach clubs, a fun night market and plenty of places to eat and drink. Families will love the fashionable design, multiple swimming pools and tip-top restaurants at The Slate. For somewhere more spoiling, book one of the expansive sea view villas at Trisara.
Spend the morning on the beach before heading out to sea with John Gray Sea Canoe for the rest of the day. The eco-operator’s Hong by Starlight tour criss-crosses Phang Nga Bay’s glassy green waters, with kayaking trips inside Hong islands (islands which have collapsed into limpid pools in the middle) and pitch-black caves filled with bioluminescent plankton, which lights up like a newly formed supernova when touched.
Old Town stroll
Phuket might be best known for tourism but the island was originally built on the 19th century tin-mining trade and the spoils from that time are most apparent in the elegant Chinese-Thai-Portuguese architecture that makes up Phuket Old Town. Stroll ice-cream-coloured streets and soi lined with old clan dwellings with inner courtyards, shophouses with shuttered windows, grand whitewashed mansions, pyrotechnic Taoist temples and shops selling batik, embroidery, lacquerware, antiques, soaps and sarongs. Having worked up an appetite, grab some lunch at The Blue Elephant, which serves royal Thai recipes inside a beautiful teak mansion.
Beach clubs and Big Buddha
Phuket’s most beloved cultural attraction is Big Buddha, an ethereal-white 45-metre tall statue layered with white Burmese jade perched on a mountain promontory overlooking the Andaman Sea. It’s a fairly steep climb up to the monument so it’s best to visit first thing in the morning before the temperature rises.
Dedicate the rest of the day to chilling out at one of the island’s chic beach clubs. Catch was one of the first and is still one of the best, with a prime Bangtao beach location, a swimming pool, billowing white cabanas, DJs in the evening and champagne on tap. In Kamala, Ibiza outpost Cafe Del Mar attracts a younger crowd with wild all-day all-night parties. Set in a sheltered bay with lake-calm water, Beach House Layan is great for families.
Meet the twins
Huddled in the middle of Phang Nga Bay, halfway between Phuket and Krabi, the twin islands of Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai remain pleasingly untouched by mass tourism thanks to the islands’ Muslim heritage. On the former, stay at Six Senses Yao Noi, a wondrous back-to-nature escape with stilted wooden pool villas, gorgeous organic food and a hilltop half-moon infinity pool with spectacular views of Phang Nga Bay’s aquamarine waters and lurching limestone karsts. On the latter, try the beachfront Anantara Koh Yao Yai, which has a choice of rooms or private villas, a huge kids club and a choice of swimming pools.
Both islands are easily navigated by bicycle; pedal around the raggedy coast passing shadowy rubber plantations, little fishing villages, tranquil lagoons and bobbing long-tail boats – looking out for hornbills and kingfishers along the way.
Thanks to James Bond caper The Man with the Golden Gun, Leonardo Di Caprio blockbuster The Beach, The Hangover 2 and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Phang Nga Bay’s fantastical landscape has become a star in its own right. The crowds flock to Phi Phi Island, which is one good reason to avoid it (others include piles of rubbish, jacked-up prices and poor service). Maya Bay is another popular choice and, happily, visitor numbers are now restricted to protect the environment making it a much more enjoyable experience than it was a few years ago. Other top day trips cover the gravity-defying sea-stack at James Bond Island, Hong Island’s white scythe of sand, and snorkelling around Bamboo Island.
Back to Bangkok
Emirates and Qatar Airways operate flights in and out of Phuket, otherwise most travellers head to Bangkok before flying home. Spend your last night in a sparkly city hotel. The Kimpton Maa-Lai and The Standard both have spectacular rooftop restaurants and bars, where you can eat well while drinking in the lasting views of the city. Still not ready to go to bed? Swing by Smalls, an ironically large bar set over three pop art-decorated storeys with live music late into the night.
Homeward bound
Most flights depart in the evening giving you enough time to squeeze in one last massage. If you’re staying near the river, make for Chetawan Traditional Massage School, which is affiliated with Wat Pho Temple and where five-star hotel therapists come to earn the gold standard in massage certification. In town, there’s the superb Perception Blind Massage, where visually impaired therapists combine heightened intuition with brute force to pummel every last bit of tension from your body.
When to go
The best time to visit Thailand is during the December to March high-season, when there’s plenty of sunshine, bright blue skies, low humidity and calm seas – although prices will reflect the popularity of this time of year. It’s best to avoid the blazing heat of April and the torrential downpours of September and October. Rain showers occur over the shoulder season months, although they tend to pass quickly. I like this time of year for a spa retreat as prices plummet and the sound of thunderstorms can be quite therapeutic. Chiang Mai’s “burning season” – when farmers use fire to clear crop stubble – has become a pressing issue over the last few years, with pollution levels hitting levels 20 times higher than World Health Organisation levels between February and April. Children, the elderly and anyone with health problems should steer clear in spring.
What to book
Blow the budget
Turquoise Holidays (01494 678400; turquoiseholidays.co.uk) has three-weeks traversing Thailand from £5,695pp, B&B, including international flights, all transfers, four-star and five-star accommodation, and some activities.
Inside Asia Tours (0117 244 3380; insideasiatours.com) offers an 18-night Ultimate Thailand Cultural Adventure from £2,629pp, including accommodation, all transfers, daily breakfast, some meals, and a few cultural experiences. Thai Airways operates direct flights from London to Bangkok starting from £778 return.
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