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. Hua Beach Hua Beach
    101 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
  2. Jing Jai Market
    102 45 min

    Jing Jai Market

    Jing Jai Market is a Chiang Mai shopping and food destination where visitors can browse stalls, meet local sellers, and see regional goods gathered in one lively setting.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Chiang Mai
  3. Jui Tui Shrine Jui Tui Shrine
    103 30 min

    Jui Tui Shrine

    Jui Tui Shrine is a Chinese Taoist temple located in Phuket Town, Thailand.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Phuket
  4. Kalim Beach Kalim Beach
    104 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
  5. Karon Temple Market Karon Temple Market
    105 45 min

    Karon Temple Market

    Karon Temple Market is an evening market in Phuket’s Karon area, set beside a Buddhist temple complex. Its appeal comes from the combination of market browsing, Thai street food and a religious-site setting.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Phuket
  6. Karon View Point Karon View Point
    106 20 min

    Karon View Point

    Karon Viewpoint is a roadside observation point on Phuket's southwestern coast. It offers a celebrated outlook over three adjacent bays: Kata Noi, Kata, and Karon.

    • Notable
    • Viewpoint
    • Phuket
  7. Kathu Waterfall Kathu Waterfall
    107 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
  8. Layan Beach Layan Beach
    108 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
  9. Mae Kha Canal Mae Kha Canal
    109 45 min

    Mae Kha Canal

    Khlong Mae Kha

    Khlong Mae Kha is a canal located in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Chiang Mai
  10. MAHANAKHON SKYWALK (king power) MAHANAKHON SKYWALK (king power)
    110 1 hour

    MAHANAKHON SKYWALK (king power)

    MAHANAKHON SKYWALK

    The Mahanakhon SkyWalk is Thailand's highest observation deck, at the top of the pixelated tower in Bang Rak whose bitten-away spiral of glass boxes made it the most recognisable building added to Bangkok's skyline in a generation.

    • Notable
    • Viewpoint
    • Bangkok
  11. Marketing Organization for Farmers
    111 45 min

    Marketing Organization for Farmers

    ตลาด อ.ต.ก.

    The Marketing Organization for Farmers, known locally as ตลาด อ.ต.ก., is a Bangkok market facility tied to agricultural marketing efforts. It serves as a commercial hub where farming products reach urban consumers.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Bangkok
  12. Merlin Beach
    112 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
  13. Nai Yang Beach Nai Yang Beach
    113 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
  14. One Nimman One Nimman
    114 45 min

    One Nimman

    One Nimman is a contemporary lifestyle and retail complex situated in the Nimmanhaemin area of Chiang Mai, northern Thailand.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Chiang Mai
  15. Pak Khlong Talat Pak Khlong Talat
    115 1 hour

    Pak Khlong Talat

    ปากคลองตลาด

    Pak Khlong Talat is Bangkok's wholesale flower market, and it is the city's largest trading ground for cut flowers, garlands and ritual offerings — a district of lanes at the mouth of the Khlong Lot canal in Phra Nakhon where…

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Bangkok
  16. Panwa Beach Panwa Beach
    116 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
  17. Paradise Beach Paradise Beach
    117 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
  18. Patong Beach Patong Beach
    118 45 min

    Patong Beach

    Patong Beach is a coastal area on the west side of Phuket island in southern Thailand. It represents one of the most internationally recognized beach destinations in the province, situated within the broader Phuket tourism region.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Phuket
  19. Phuket Big Buddha Phuket Big Buddha
    119 45 min

    Phuket Big Buddha

    Phuket Big Buddha is a prominent religious landmark on Nakkerd Hill near Chalong in southern Phuket. The hilltop setting makes the statue visible from many parts of the island and gives the visit a strong sense of place.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Phuket
  20. Phuket Wake Park
    120 45 min

    Phuket Wake Park

    Phuket Wake Park is a cable-wakeboarding facility in Phuket, Thailand. An overhead cable system pulls riders across a purpose-built body of water, so the activity does not use a boat.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Phuket
  21. Ton Lam Yai Flower Market Ton Lam Yai Flower Market
    121 45 min

    Ton Lam Yai Flower Market

    Ton Lam Yai Flower Market is a riverside flower market in central Chiang Mai beside the Ping River.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Chiang Mai
  22. Wat Loi Kroh Wat Loi Kroh
    122 30 min

    Wat Loi Kroh

    วัดลอยเคราะห์

    Wat Loi Kroh is a Buddhist temple situated in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. The temple occupies a position along Loi Kroh Road, a thoroughfare known for its concentration of visitor-oriented businesses in the central city area.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Chiang Mai
  23. Wat Phra Nang Sang Wat Phra Nang Sang
    123 30 min

    Wat Phra Nang Sang

    Wat Phra Nang Sang is a Buddhist temple in Phuket, Thailand. It stands as one of the island's older religious sites, carrying historical significance within the province's cultural landscape.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Phuket
  24. Wat Umong Suan Phutthatham Wat Umong Suan Phutthatham
    124 30 min

    Wat Umong Suan Phutthatham

    วัดอุโมงค์(สวนพุทธรรม)

    Wat Umong is a historic Buddhist temple situated in the forested foothills west of Chiang Mai's old city. The temple is distinguished by its ancient tunnel complex, from which its name derives, as umong translates to tunnel.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Chiang Mai
  25. Windmill Viewpoint Windmill Viewpoint
    125 20 min

    Windmill Viewpoint

    Windmill Viewpoint is an elevated coastal lookout on Phuket’s southwestern peninsula. Its defining feature is the group of large wind turbines rising above a broad Andaman Sea landscape.

    • Notable
    • Viewpoint
    • 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.