9 Places to Visit in Thailand For Your First Time!

Here are 9 places to visit in Thailand if you are thinking of going on a trip to this wonderful place. Thailand is an incredibly beautiful and accepting country that will leave you wanting more and more.

I’ve visited Thailand a few times and I fell in love with the scenery, friendly people and culture. It’s an unmissable destination for a South East Asia backpacking adventure.

9 Places to Visit in Thailand that are popular

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Thailand is a big country and there are a lot of places to see. Some places are well prepared for tourism because they have become such popular destinations (and for good reason). These are the 9 places to visit in Thailand that are popular:

Bangkok

Ayutthaya

Koh Samui

Koh Tao

Phuket & Phi Phi Island

Koh Phangan

Chiang Rai

Pai

Chiang Mai

Map of 9 places to visit in Thailand — All the places are highlighted in yellow.

How long to stay in Thailand: Thai Visa on Arrival

If you are a UK citizen, you can get a visa on arrival (by plane) for 30 days. You must provide evidence of onward travel on or before these 30 days.

The most popular way to see Thailand is to follow one of these 2 week itineraries in Thailand to maximise your trip.

In 2016, I arrived in Thailand by plane to explore the southern areas and after my 30 day visa, I went to Siem Reap in Cambodia and travelled Cambodia for a few weeks.

I then returned to Thailand and spent time in the north so I maximised my time in Thailand and seen most of what I wanted.

I have returned to Thailand twice since and re-visited my favourite parts.

Central Thailand

Bangkok and Ayutthaya

Bangkok is the vibrant and chaotic capital which offers the traveller a lot in terms of culture, temples and food. Visit the popular floating markets and famous temples or try something unusual to do in Bangkok like the Airplane Graveyard!

From Bangkok, you can go two hours south for beaches in places like Pattaya and get to pretty much any other place via car, bus or train.

I took the bus from Bangkok to the south, the bus from Bangkok to Cambodia and the overnight bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

Bangkok is the central hub to Thailand and holds two international airports that can take you on to different countries around the world. I have flown to the UK, New Zealand and Vietnam from Bangkok airport.

Allow two hours from Bangkok to get to Ayutthaya for a visit to this UNESCO World Heritage site. Ayutthaya is jam-packed with things to see for history and architecture.

There is a lot to be learned in Ayutthaya and is somewhere I would like to visit as I have not previously been there but read about the city on a Thailand tourism information website here.

Islands in the South of Thailand

Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan

Three sister islands of Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan are essential if you want good beaches, stunning sunsets, fun nightlife and touristic excursions.

You can visit all three by boat and takes around 2 hours to get between each island and from the mainland.

It is easy to book onward travel in Thailand, just ask your accommodation reception for advice or find a tourist help store.

Boat port for 9 places to go in Thailand — The boat port between Koh Samui and Koh Tao.

Starting with party-central, Koh Phangan is home to the infamous full moon party, one of the most popular things to do in Thailand.

If you want to have a neon-painted face and drink buckets of alcohol on the beach, this is your scene.

You have to book early though because accommodation fills up fast on this island around the full moon party. If you visit another time, there are other beach parties and club nights that happen such as the lesser-known half moon party.

In contrast, you will find the laidback island of Koh Tao. The only way I can describe this place is like a serene paradise.

I saw the most beautiful sunsets on the beaches here and felt so relaxed walking through the small streets on this dainty island.

From Koh Tao, we took the most incredible boat trip which took us to the very best spots for Snorkelling, we visited Koh Nang Yuan and had refreshments and lunch on the boat.

Tip: Take your own snorkel set on the boat trip so you can maximise your time at the snorkelling places.

With a little bit of relaxation and a little bit of party, we come to Koh Samui. This island is the larger than Koh Tao and Koh Phangan and has, I think, the most to offer.

From excursions to temples and waterfalls to fire dancing on the beaches in front of nightclubs, you could spend a long time on Koh Samui.

There are lots of food options to choose here too ranging from Thai to Mexican to Indian to Italian. It really feels like a holiday destination and perfect for a 2-week trip.

Phuket

A popular tourist destination in Thailand is the island of Phuket. Phuket is home to famous beaches like Patong and also where you can find Lady Boy Cabaret shows on the infamous Walking Street.

I enjoyed great street food in Phuket at a cheap price with the true flavours of Thailand.

Phuket is also the gateway to stunning Koh Phi Phi, made by famous by James Bond and perfect for the desktop screensaver.

The North of Thailand

Chiang Rai

Pai

Chiang Mai

Chiang Rai is a city close to the borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos making up the golden triangle.

For a colourful experience, you can visit the white temple or the blue temple and cool off with visits to waterfalls. I haven’t been to Chiang Rai myself but it’s easily accessible from Chiang Mai by car or bus.

I have, however, visited Pai from Chiang Mai and had a great 4 days there. Pai strikes me as a hippy town and as soon as you arrive, you will most likely think it too.

The quaint streets among the hills give off a relaxed vibe. It’s a place where people end up staying a lot longer than planned.

The only thing that puts me off returning is the very windy roads you have to take to get there. It’s certainly not for those who get travel sick! I enjoyed my time trying street food, visiting springs and caves but I much prefer staying in the 2nd biggest city in Thailand…

Streets of Pai, Thailand — Streets of Pai

Which brings me to the last, but certainly not least, magical city of Chiang Mai. The best part about this place is that it doesn’t feel like a city because it is so laid back with its cool vibes, friendly locals and slower-moving traffic.

I am not exaggerating, Chiang Mai has the best food I have ever had (Khao Soi). You cannot come to Chiang Mai without trying this delicious Northern Thai speciality!

Chiang Mai has an international airport for onward travel and it’s easy to get to Myanmar and Laos from here.

Chiang Mai has everything you want when travelling such as ethical animal sanctuaries (research this first though), cabaret shows, the best Thai food, smiling locals, 7/11’s, cool cafe culture, live music bars and Muay Thai entertainment. This is why it is my favourite place in Thailand.

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Chiang Mai.

More than 9 places to visit in Thailand

Of course, Thailand is a big country and there are lots more places to visit than this list. If you want to visit the popular places, though, then visit one of the above and you won’t be disappointed.

I love Thailand and I genuinely hope that you will visit and fall in love too.

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2 Comments

Kara DiDomizio says:

21/07/2019 at 12:09

I found this extremely helpful for someone that hasn’t visited there yet! I found the photos you included beautiful and the info, practical, and helpful such as when you delved into suggested activities and time frame in each area as well as visa info.

Great job!

1. Shireen says:
  
  23/07/2019 at 04:09
  
  I’m so glad you found this article helpful Kara.
  
  Thanks very much for your kind comment.