10 essential places to visit in Thailand

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There are many essential places to visit in Thailand, a perfect country to have a first contact with what is considered the backpackers' paradise; Southeast Asia.
In Thailand, the country of smiles, you will find the exoticism of those who are looking for something different from their comfortable surroundings, a delicious gastronomy, in which the Thai pad is their star dish, landscapes in which rivers, mountains, waterfalls and valleys converge, temples and ancient cities, hospitality of its people, and as icing on the trip, beaches and paradisiacal islands, bathed by turquoise waters, which we are sure, will be the best end you could have imagined for your trip.
The best time to travel to Thailand is between November and March, at which time the temperatures are pleasant and the landscapes shine in all their splendor. And although we cannot say that there is any bad time to travel to this country, if you do not want to cross the rain, try to avoid traveling during the monsoon, from July to October, at which time the rains can make you to lose Someday travel.
Based on our experience during the trip to Thailand for free in 21 days and the month and a half that we spent in the country, on our last trip, during which we wrote this travel guide to Thailand, we have made a list of what we think, are the 10 essential places to see in Thailand. We start!

1. Bangkok

Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is a city that does not fall in love at first sight, probably because of its eternal pollution, chaotic traffic and practically constant humidity.
Although we assure you that it is worth giving it a try. As you begin to walk its streets, lose yourself in the markets, visit the incredible temples, see their culture and way of life, you will begin to find an order in that personal chaos to end up wishing to stay more days.
The city, besides being one of the most essential places to visit in ThailandIt is the perfect place to have that first contact with Southeast Asia, having more western infrastructures than its neighboring countries and retaining much of its eastern traditions.
Some of the best places to see in Bangkok are The Grand Palace, Chatuchak Market, Khao San Street, the Klongs of the Chao Phraya River, the Wat Pho and Wat Arun temples, the Chinatown neighborhood at night and the views of the city ​​from one of its viewpoints such as the Bayoke Tower or Sirocco.
A good option to learn about the history and customs of the city while visiting its most famous attractions is to book this private tour with a guide in Spanish.

Bangkok Grand Palace


2. Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai, the capital of the north and another of the best places to visit in Thailand, gathers everything that a traveler dreams of finding in a magical environment, full of nature. In this city and surroundings, you will see incredible Buddhist temples and palaces, you will trek through mountains, rivers and jungle, in addition to buying bargains and local crafts in markets, some of them night, while you do not stop enjoying the gastronomy in designed places in the latest fashion, or you will relax with a Thai massage.
One of the most famous excursions in Chiang Mai is the Doi Inthanon National Park, located at the highest point in the country, where you can see beautiful temples, waterfalls and impressive vegetation.
In addition to these temples to see in Chiang Mai and its surroundings, it is worth climbing the sacred mountains of Doi Suthep and Doi Pui, where there is a beautiful temple and a village of the Hmong tribe.
Two of the best known activities that many companies will offer you are to make a route up on the back of an elephant or visit the Giraffe women. We understand that this is very personal, but they are two experiences that we do not recommend because of the cruel treatment they give to animals and women.

If you don't take a train or bus route from Bangkok to northern Thailand, the best way to get to Chiang Mai is with one of the many daily flights that depart from Bangkok. The journey is one hour. When you arrive at the airport you can take a bus or a taxi that will take you to the city. To visit the furthest places in the capital, if you don't want to rent a motorcycle or car, you can take a taxi or a tuk tuk. Whenever you stop at a taxi or a tuk tuk, set a price before.

Chiang Mai

3. Phi Phi Islands

The Phi Phi Islands, located in an archipelago in the Andaman Sea, are the best known and one of the essential places to see in Thailand. These four islands, Koh Phi Phi Don, Koh Phi Phi Leh, Koh Pai or Bamboo Island and Koh Yung or Mosquito Island, stand out for their paradisiacal beaches and transparent turquoise waters, which became extremely famous when the film was filmed The beach by Leonardo Di Caprio in Maya Bay, located on the island of Koh Phi Phi Leh.
Being very touristy, this beach, considered one of the most beautiful in the world, it is advisable to visit it early in the day, negotiating with a local boatman or at sunset to not find yourself surrounded by thousands of tourists.
Two islands with quieter beaches are Koh Pai and Koh Yung, while the largest island, Koh Phi Phi Don, is where the hotel infrastructure and restaurants are located and where you can enjoy a lively nightlife, especially in the area of Tonsai Beach
If you want to stay on this island, but you are looking for tranquility, it is best to stay at Loh Dalum Bay, much more quiet. In addition, in Koh Phi Phi Don you can hire excursions for diving or climbing and visit beautiful places like Phi Phi View Point, Long Beach and Monkey Beach.
The best way to reach the Phi Phi Islands is on a speedboat excursion from Krabi, Phuket or Koh Lanta. Another option is to arrive by ferry from these 3 places and stay in Koh Phi Phi Don to visit these beautiful islands with more time.

Maya Bay in the Phi Phi Islands


Recommended travel cards

Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.

4. Sukhothai, one of the places to visit in Thailand

Located between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, is the Sukhothai Historical Park, another of the essential places to see in Thailand. These ruins located about 12 kilometers from the current city of Sukhothai, were during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, capital of the kingdom of present-day Thailand.
The main temples and places to see in Sukhothai, a World Heritage Site, such as Wat Mahathat, Wat Trapang Thong, Wat Si Siwai, Wat Si Hong, Wat Si Sai and Wat Shapan Hin, are distributed within a walled enclosure of 3 square kilometers.
In addition to the above, we recommend you not to miss other interesting temples such as Wat Si Chum and Wat Phra Luang, which, being further away, to know them, it is almost mandatory to rent a bike or a tuk tuk.

We arrived in this historic city on a route from Bangkok to Chiang Mai combining train and bus. Keep in mind that although Sukhothai does not have a train station, you can get there by bus from the nearby city of Phitsanulok in an hour. Once you are in the city you can rent a tuk tuk to bring you closer to the ruins and even for the whole day, to visit them in a more comfortable way.

Sukhotai, one of the places to visit in Thailand

5. Koh LiPe

Koh LiPe, a small island located in the south of the Andaman Sea, is another paradise and places to see in Thailand. Known as the Thai Maldives, on this island you can still find some tranquility in its white sand beaches and its transparent turquoise waters.
Although inevitably, the growth of tourism in recent years, especially between the months of November to May, has also increased the supply of restaurants and hotels, so little by little, this tranquility seems to be being lost or transformed.
One of the best things to do in Koh Lipe, in addition to relaxing on its beaches, snorkeling, kayaking or diving, take a boat trip to its neighboring islands or enjoy Thai food based on fish and seafood, you can enjoy Incredible walks, being an island of small dimensions, being able to reach the majority of walking sites such as the beaches of Sunrise, Pattaya and Sunset.

The best way to get to Koh Lipe, another one of the places to visit in Thailand, is by plane, arriving at the airports of Hat Yai and Trang. Something interesting is to know that with the airlines Airasia or Nok Air, transfers by van and boat to reach Koh Lipe can be included in the flights. If you go on your own you have to reach the Pak Bara jetty to catch a ticket on one of the boats, the journey to the island takes less than 2 hours.

Koh LiPe

6. Ayutthaya

One of the best things to do in Bangkok or if you are making a route to northern Thailand, is to visit the ancient city of Ayutthaya, located about 80 kilometers from Bangkok, next to the Chao Phraya River, where you can See the remains of several temples that were built during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, when Ayutthaya was the second capital of the Kingdom of Siam after Sukhothai.
This complex, one of the best places to see in Ayutthaya, has several essential temples such as Wat Chai Watanaram, Wat Na Phramen, Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon Monastery, Wat Lokaya Sutha, with a huge Buddha reclining and the Wat Maha Thatm, the most famous temple, in which is a head of Buddha among the branches of a tree.
As in Sukothai, in Ayutthaya it is advisable to move by bike or tuk tuk, especially in the hottest times.

There are several ways to get to Ayutthaya from Bangkok, being the most usual and cheap, by train, in an hour and a half journey. Other options are to take a minivan or book a Chao Phraya river cruise that includes lunch.
For more information on the transfer to this ancient capital of the kingdom of Siam you can consult this post on how to go from Bangkok to Ayutthaya.

Ayutthaya

7. Khao Sok National Park

Located in the south of the country, Khao Sok National Park is an incredible and extensive nature reserve and another of the places to visit in Thailand.
In this park you can do a lot of activities such as hiking through the jungle, enjoying a great diversity of flora and fauna, entering caves full of stalagmites and stalactites such as Waranam Cave or Coral Cave, going down rivers by kayak or bamboo rafts or take a boat ride on the impressive Lake Cheow Lan.
In addition, as a curiosity and unique experience, we will tell you that in the lake you can stay and spend some night in one of their houseboats.
To get to this national park from Bangkok you can take a night bus, in a journey of about 16 hours. Another more comfortable option is to take a night train that has beds and takes 12 hours, or take a flight, with which in both cases, you will reach Suratthani. Once there you can combine it with a minivan that will take you in about 2 hours to the park.

Khao Sok National Park

8. Chiang Rai

Although the jewel and the best known place in northern Thailand is Chiang Mai, if you have more days it is advisable to reach the province of Chiang Rai, bordering with Laos and Burma and other places to visit in Thailand.
Away from the crowds of Chiang Mai, in this area you can enjoy with more tranquility the landscapes, temples and several highly recommended trekkings. The most emblematic place in the area and one of the places to visit in Thailand It is the Wat Rong Khun or White Temple, which although it remains unfinished, will leave you speechless.
Another interesting place in the area is the Golden Triangle, a point where you can see the coasts of Laos and Burma while you take a boat trip on the Mekong River.
Other places to see in Chiang Rai are the Black House, the Blue Temple, the Wat Phra Kaew, the Buddha Cave or Phra Cave, the landscapes of Mae Salong and the views from Mount Doi Tung, in addition to the night market of the capital .
You can go from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai by bus from Arcade Bus station in about three hours and if you are in Bangkok you can arrive by plane from Don Mueang airport.

Chiang Rai

9. Koh Tao

The island of Koh Tao, located on the east coast and cradle of diving, is another of the most beautiful places to see in Thailand. Many tourists and backpackers have their first diving experience on this island, thanks to the visibility of its waters and the numerous diving schools that offer very affordable prices for diving or taking out the different diving courses.
In addition to diving, we recommend you not to miss some of the island's beaches, such as Sairee, one of the liveliest or the quiet Freedom Beach, Thian Og Bay, Tanote Bay, Thian Og Bay or Ao Leuk, as well as some more hidden coves such as Banana Rock, Mao Bay and Mango Bay, which can only be reached on foot.
Another of the places to visit in Thailand that you can not miss and from where you will get a postcard photo of Koh Tao is Nang Yuang, formed by three islands linked by white sand beaches and turquoise waters.

To get to Koh Tao the best option is the combination of plane and ship, either from Chumphon airport or from Koh Samui, the fastest alternative. To move around the island, although there are taxis, it is advisable to rent a bike or motorcycle.

Koh Tao, one of the places to see in Thailand


How to have internet in Thailand?

If you want to have internet in thailand a good option is to buy one Holafly SIM card, with which you will have internet from the moment you land, several GB of data, keeping your WhatsApp number and support service in Spanish.
You can buy your Holafly prepaid SIM card here with a 5% discount for being our reader.

10. Pai

Another of the best places to visit in Thailand near Chiang Mai, it is the backpacking town of Pai, a small hippie town Two streets, where artists and bohemians meet and that stands out for its local painting and handicraft stalls, wooden premises serving vegetarian food, cafes, massage parlors and a night market.
Although we cannot deny that the best thing about Pai is to rent a motorcycle and explore the surroundings, where you will find the waterfalls of Pam Bok Waterfall and Mor Paeng Waterfall, the Buddhist temples of Chedi Phra That Mae Yen and Wat Klang and the Chinese town of Santichon Village, which are some of its most interesting places.
The best way to get to Pai is by van from the Chiang Mai bus station, where after 3 hours of many curves, you will reach this curious town, which has become one of the places to visit in Thailand.

If you feel like helping us complete the list of the 10 places to visit in Thailand, add yours in the comments.

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Video: 10 Best Places to Visit in Thailand - Travel Video (March 2024).