Roavina

Country guide

Thailand

A photograph of Thailand
Photograph · Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0

Thailand is 513,120 km² and 76 provinces, plus Bangkok, which is not a province at all but a special administrative area with an elected governor of its own. The 65,975,198 people counted in 2024 spread across four regions that behave like four separate trips: the central plain along the Chao Phraya, the north around Chiang Mai and the old Lan Na kingdom, the Khorat Plateau in the northeast, and the long strip of the Malay Peninsula in the south. Most itineraries take two of the four. Taking all four is largely a schedule of internal flights.

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Thai
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+66
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Thai baht (THB)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
191 police · 1669 medical
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A, B, C and O · 220 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified nationwide drinking-water statement was recorded

Planning a visit

  1. January: no seasonality data recorded
  2. February: no seasonality data recorded
  3. March: no seasonality data recorded
  4. April: no seasonality data recorded
  5. May: seasonal closure recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: seasonal closure recorded
  8. August: seasonal closure recorded
  9. September: seasonal closure recorded — this month
  10. October: seasonal closure recorded
  11. November: seasonal closure recorded
  12. December: seasonal closure recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Doi Suthep-Pui National Park Doi Suthep-Pui National Park
    02 1 hour

    Doi Suthep-Pui National Park

    Doi Suthep-Pui National Park is a protected area northwest of Chiang Mai city in northern Thailand. The park encompasses mountainous terrain including Doi Suthep and Doi Pui peaks, forming part of the Thanon Thong Chai Range.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Chiang Mai
  2. Royal Park Rajapruek Royal Park Rajapruek
    03 1 hour

    Royal Park Rajapruek

    Royal Park Rajapruek is a large botanical garden and agricultural exposition site located on the outskirts of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. The park was originally developed for the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek exhibition, an international horticultural event.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Chiang Mai
  3. Lumphini Park Lumphini Park
    04 1 hour

    Lumphini Park

    สวนลุมพินี

    Lumphini Park is Bangkok's oldest public park, 360 rai — about 57.6 hectares — of lake, lawn and rain tree in Pathum Wan, wedged between the Silom and Sathorn office towers and Rama IV Road.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Bangkok
  4. Chatuchak Park Chatuchak Park
    05 1 hour

    Chatuchak Park

    สวนจตุจักร

    Chatuchak Park is the public park on the west side of Kamphaeng Phet 3 Road in Chatuchak district, the green half of the block whose other half is the weekend market.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Bangkok
  5. Benjakitti Park Benjakitti Park
    06 1 hr 30 min

    Benjakitti Park

    สวนเบญจกิติ

    Benjakitti Park is Bangkok’s 450-rai ecological urban forest beside the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Khlong Toei.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Bangkok
  6. Queen Sirikit Park Queen Sirikit Park
    07 1 hr 30 min

    Queen Sirikit Park

    สวนสมเด็จพระนางเจ้าสิริกิติ์ฯ

    Queen Sirikit Park is a botanical garden of 0.22 square kilometres in Chatuchak district, northern Bangkok, established in 1992 and opened on 19 December 1996 to mark Queen Sirikit's sixtieth birthday.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Bangkok
  7. Benjasiri Park Benjasiri Park
    08 1 hour

    Benjasiri Park

    อุทยานเบญจสิริ

    Benjasiri Park is a 29-rai public park on Sukhumvit Road between Soi 22 and Soi 24 in Khlong Toei, laid out by the Finance Ministry's Treasury Department on ground that had belonged to the Meteorological Department and opened on 12…

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Bangkok
  8. Santichaiprakarn Park Santichaiprakarn Park
    09 40 min

    Santichaiprakarn Park

    สวนสันติชัยปราการ

    Santichaiprakarn Park is a small riverside park at the northern end of Phra Athit Road in Phra Nakhon, laid out in 1999 around Phra Sumen Fort on the bank of the Chao Phraya.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Bangkok
  9. Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden
    10 1 hour

    Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden

    Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden is a botanical garden in Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand. It serves as a major centre for botanical research and plant conservation in the region.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Chiang Mai
  10. Mae Sa Waterfall Mae Sa Waterfall
    11 1 hour

    Mae Sa Waterfall

    Mae Sa Waterfall is a multi-tiered cascade situated in the Mae Sa Valley area north of Chiang Mai city, within the broader mountainous terrain of northern Thailand.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Chiang Mai
  11. Ob Khan National Park Ob Khan National Park
    12 1 hour

    Ob Khan National Park

    Ob Khan National Park is a protected natural area located in Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand. The park encompasses forested mountain terrain, river valleys, and limestone formations characteristic of the region's geography.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Chiang Mai
  12. Rommaninat Park Rommaninat Park
    13 1 hour

    Rommaninat Park

    สวนรมณีนาถ

    Rommaninat Park, also known locally as สวนรมณีนาถ, is a public green space in Bangkok. It gives residents and travellers a place to pause, walk, and spend time outdoors within the dense urban environment.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Bangkok
  13. Hat Kata Hat Kata
    14 1 hour

    Hat Kata

    หาดกะตะ

    Kata Beach is a major west-coast beach on the island of Phuket, Thailand. It holds broad visitor recognition and functions as a distinct resort centre within the island's coastal tourism landscape.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  14. Karon Beach Karon Beach
    15 1 hour

    Karon Beach

    หาดกะรน

    Karon Beach is a broad sandy beach on Phuket's western shore, between Patong and Kata. Its spacious coastline suits travelers who want a substantial beach day with room for swimming, walking, relaxing, and watching the sunset.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  15. Bang Thao beach Bang Thao beach
    16 1 hour

    Bang Thao beach

    หาดบางเทา

    Bang Tao Beach is a long beach on Phuket’s north-west coast, surrounded by a substantial resort district.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  16. Mai Khao Mai Khao
    17 1 hour

    Mai Khao

    หาดไม้ขาว

    Mai Khao Beach is the longest beach on Phuket island, stretching along the northern coast. It forms part of the Sirinat National Park and serves as one of the most significant sea-turtle nesting sites in Thailand.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  17. Rawai Rawai
    18 1 hour

    Rawai

    Rawai Beach

    Rawai Beach is a working coastal settlement at the southern tip of Phuket. Fishing vessels and longtail boats gather along the east-facing shore, giving Rawai a maritime character different from Phuket’s western resort beaches.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  18. Banana beach Banana beach
    19 1 hour

    Banana beach

    Banana Beach

    Banana Beach is a coastal area on Phuket's western shoreline. Its name refers to banana plants in the vicinity, while the place itself is defined by sand, tropical vegetation, and the Andaman Sea setting.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  19. Nai Harn beach Nai Harn beach
    20 1 hour

    Nai Harn beach

    หาดในหาน

    Nai Harn Beach is a substantial south-coast beach on Phuket, valued for swimming, shoreline time, and its established visitor setting.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  20. Nakalay Beach
    21 1 hour

    Nakalay Beach

    Nakalay Beach is a Phuket shoreline on the Andaman Sea, offering a coastal alternative to the island’s busiest resort beaches. It belongs in a west-coast day for travelers who want sand, tropical scenery, and time beside the water.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  21. Pansea Beach Pansea Beach
    22 1 hour

    Pansea Beach

    Pansea Beach is a secluded cove on the western coast of Phuket, Thailand. It sits between Surin Beach to the south and Laem Singh Beach to the north, nestled against granite headlands.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  22. Surin Surin
    23 1 hour

    Surin

    หาดสุรินทร์

    Surin Beach is a west-coast beach on Phuket’s Andaman Sea shore, north of Kamala Beach and south of Bang Tao Beach. Its curved bay combines sand, seawater, and coastal scenery.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  23. Ao Yon Beach Ao Yon Beach
    24 1 hour

    Ao Yon Beach

    Ao Yon Beach is a southeastern Phuket shoreline on the Cape Panwa peninsula. Its sheltered setting, hillside backdrop, local boats, and quieter atmosphere make it a useful alternative to the island’s heavily developed west-coast beaches.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  24. Freedom Beach Freedom Beach
    25 1 hour

    Freedom Beach

    Freedom Beach is a secluded cove on Phuket’s west coast, south of Patong. Forested hills frame its white sandy shoreline, giving the beach a quieter and less commercial character than Phuket’s major resort beaches.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  25. Hua Beach Hua Beach
    26 1 hour

    Hua Beach

    Hua Beach is a coastal access point on Phuket, Thailand’s largest island. The beach belongs to Phuket’s wider Andaman Sea landscape of sandy shores, tropical vegetation and inland hills.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  26. Kalim Beach Kalim Beach
    27 1 hour

    Kalim Beach

    Kalim Beach is a narrow, irregular coastal stretch between Patong and Kamala on Phuket’s west coast. Rocky headlands and small sandy coves give Kalim a different character from Patong’s long uninterrupted beach.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  27. Kathu Waterfall Kathu Waterfall
    28 1 hour

    Kathu Waterfall

    Kathu Waterfall is a natural waterfall in Kathu district, inland from Phuket’s better-known west-coast beaches. The site gives a Phuket day a forest setting, with falling water, tropical vegetation, rock and pools replacing the developed shoreline.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  28. Layan Beach Layan Beach
    29 1 hour

    Layan Beach

    Layan Beach is a coastal area located on the northwest coast of Phuket, Thailand. It sits near the southern end of Bang Tao Bay, adjacent to the more developed Laguna Phuket resort complex.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  29. Merlin Beach
    30 1 hour

    Merlin Beach

    Merlin Beach is a west-coast shoreline on Phuket, set beside resort development and the island’s Andaman Sea coast.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  30. Nai Yang Beach Nai Yang Beach
    31 1 hour

    Nai Yang Beach

    Nai Yang Beach is a coastal area located on the northwestern shore of Phuket, Thailand. It sits within the Sirinat National Park boundaries, giving it a protected status compared to more developed beaches on the island.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  31. Panwa Beach Panwa Beach
    32 1 hour

    Panwa Beach

    Panwa Beach is a coastal area on the southeastern side of Phuket Island, Thailand. It sits within Cape Panwa, a peninsula known for quieter shores compared to Phuket's busier western beaches.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Phuket
  32. Paradise Beach Paradise Beach
    33 1 hour

    Paradise Beach

    Paradise Beach is a sandy coastal destination on Phuket’s Andaman Sea shore. The beach offers a compact setting for swimming, shoreline activity and time beside the water, within the wider beach landscape of southern Thailand.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Phuket

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Thailand be?

Ten to fourteen days allows three or four days in Bangkok, about three in Chiang Mai, and a separate southern base. If an island follows an international arrival, keep a spare transfer day because the last road or ferry connection may not align with the flight.

What entry documents are needed for Thailand?

Thailand's entry permission depends on the traveller's passport, purpose, and stay length. Use the linked Thai immigration guidance to confirm the applicable visa route and whether a Thailand Digital Arrival Card is required for the arrival date.

What is the best way to travel around Thailand?

Bangkok anchors Thailand's transport network. The Tourism Authority of Thailand lists buses, trains, urban rail, vans and songthaews for land journeys, alongside domestic aviation and boat services. Check any island's final sea or road connection separately before booking the inbound leg.

When is a practical time to visit Thailand?

November through February is the broad starting point for this route, not a nationwide weather guarantee. Northern conditions and the monsoon timing on each coast differ, so choose dates around the island or ferry leg rather than Bangkok alone.

What money and payment basics apply in Thailand?

Thailand uses the Thai baht (THB). Cards may work in larger hotels and businesses, but market purchases and some island transport can require cash, so retain a modest baht reserve without assuming a particular exchange fee.

What practical safety details should I save for Thailand?

Record 191 for police and 1669 for medical emergencies in Thailand. Power is 220 V with Type A, B, C, and O sockets; tap-water safety is not recorded here, so ask the accommodation rather than treating the missing entry as approval.