A photograph of Thailand

Country guide

Up to 1 hour in Thailand — page 3

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. Th...

Photograph · Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0

9,526 Places
3Cities

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

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.

Checked 2026-08-25

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

Seasonal closures come from recorded opening hours.

  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. Erawan Shrine Erawan Shrine
    32 20 min

    Erawan Shrine

    ศาลท้าวมหาพรหม

    The Erawan Shrine is a small open pavilion on the corner of the Ratchaprasong junction, hemmed in by department stores and skywalks, holding a gilded four-faced image of Phra Phrom — the Thai form of Brahma.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Bangkok
  2. Benjasiri Park Benjasiri Park
    33 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
  3. Wat Bowonniwet Vihara Wat Bowonniwet Vihara
    34 45 min

    Wat Bowonniwet Vihara

    วัดบวรนิเวศราชวรวิหาร

    Wat Bowonniwet Vihara is the headquarters temple of the Thammayut order, and that single fact governs everything a visitor sees in the compound.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Bangkok
  4. Wang Lang Market Wang Lang Market
    35 1 hour

    Wang Lang Market

    ตลาดวังหลัง

    Wang Lang Market is a daily market in Bangkok Noi district, on the Thonburi bank of the Chao Phraya beside Siriraj Hospital, and it runs for 300 metres along a narrow lane between the Siriraj pier and Arun Amarin road.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Bangkok
  5. Bhubing Palace Bhubing Palace
    36 45 min

    Bhubing Palace

    Bhubing Palace is a royal residence situated on Doi Suthep mountain in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand. The palace serves as a winter retreat for the Thai royal family when visiting the region.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Chiang Mai
  6. Saranrom Park Saranrom Park
    37 1 hour

    Saranrom Park

    สวนสราญรมย์

    Saranrom Park, or Saranrom Royal Park, is a 23-rai public park directly east of the Grand Palace, run by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and one of the few green spaces in Rattanakosin that a visitor can simply walk into and…

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Bangkok
  7. Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Sri Maha Mariamman Temple
    38 30 min

    Sri Maha Mariamman Temple

    วัดพระศรีมหาอุมาเทวี

    Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, known to Bangkok as Wat Khaek and formally as Wat Phra Si Maha Uma Thewi, is the principal Tamil Hindu temple in Thailand, standing at the corner of Si Lom Road and Pan Road in Bang…

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Bangkok
  8. National Museum of Royal Barges National Museum of Royal Barges
    39 45 min

    National Museum of Royal Barges

    พิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาติ เรือพระราชพิธี

    The National Museum of Royal Barges is a single covered boat shed on the bank of Khlong Bang Kok Noi, on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya, where the Fine Arts Department keeps the royal ceremonial barges out of…

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Bangkok
  9. Wat Yan Nawa Wat Yan Nawa
    40 40 min

    Wat Yan Nawa

    วัดยานนาวา

    Wat Yannawa is the temple on Charoen Krung Road in Sathon whose principal monument is a full-size masonry Chinese junk with two chedis rising from its deck.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Bangkok
  10. Santichaiprakarn Park Santichaiprakarn Park
    41 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
  11. Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden
    42 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
  12. Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre
    43 30 min

    Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre

    ศาลาเฉลิมกรุง

    Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre is the modernist cinema at the corner of Charoen Krung and Tripet roads in Wang Burapha, opened on 2 July 1933 and built with 9,000,000 baht of King Prajadhipok's personal money to mark the 150th anniversary…

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Bangkok
  13. ICONSIAM ICONSIAM
    44 45 min

    ICONSIAM

    ICONSIAM is a large mixed-use riverside development on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. It combines retail, residential, and entertainment functions across multiple buildings and levels.

    • Must see
    • Market
    • Bangkok
  14. Mae Sa Waterfall Mae Sa Waterfall
    45 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
  15. Siam Paragon Siam Paragon
    46 45 min

    Siam Paragon

    Siam Paragon is a major shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. Located in the Pathum Wan District near the Siam BTS interchange station, it forms part of a prominent retail cluster in the city's commercial core.

    • Must see
    • Market
    • Bangkok
  16. Wat Traimit Wat Traimit
    47 45 min

    Wat Traimit

    วัดไตรมิตรวิทยารามวรวิหาร

    Wat Traimit stands at the western gate of Yaowarat, where Chinatown meets the road in from Hua Lamphong, and it exists in the guidebooks for one object: a Sukhothai-style Buddha image of solid gold.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Bangkok
  17. Ob Khan National Park Ob Khan National Park
    48 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
  18. Wat Pathum Wanaram Wat Pathum Wanaram
    49 40 min

    Wat Pathum Wanaram

    วัดปทุมวนารามราชวรวิหาร

    Wat Pathum Wanaram is a royal temple standing in its own belt of old trees between Siam Paragon and CentralWorld, in the middle of Bangkok's densest shopping district.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Bangkok
  19. Rommaninat Park Rommaninat Park
    50 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
  20. Wat Mangkon Kamalawat Wat Mangkon Kamalawat
    51 45 min

    Wat Mangkon Kamalawat

    วัดมังกรกมลาวาส

    Wat Mangkon Kamalawat is the largest and most important Chinese Buddhist temple in Bangkok, standing on Charoen Krung Road between sois 19 and 21 in Pom Prap Sattru Phai.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Bangkok
  21. Wat Hua Lamphong Wat Hua Lamphong
    52 40 min

    Wat Hua Lamphong

    วัดหัวลำโพง

    Wat Hua Lamphong is a third-class royal monastery of the ordinary type in Bang Rak, pressed directly against Sam Yan station on the MRT Blue Line, and it is best known in Bangkok as a place to make merit by…

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Bangkok
  22. National Theatre National Theatre
    53 1 hour

    National Theatre

    โรงละครแห่งชาติ

    The National Theatre is a major performing arts venue in Bangkok, Thailand. It serves as a principal stage for traditional Thai performing arts, including khon masked dance drama, lakhon classical dance, and other national heritage performances.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Bangkok
  23. Wat Prayurawongsawat Worawihan Wat Prayurawongsawat Worawihan
    54 1 hour

    Wat Prayurawongsawat Worawihan

    วัดประยุรวงศาวาสวรวิหาร

    Wat Prayurawongsawat Worawihan is a Buddhist monastery on the Thonburi bank of the Chao Phraya whose claim on a visitor's attention is a restoration rather than a relic.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Bangkok
  24. Song Wat Road Song Wat Road
    55 30 min

    Song Wat Road

    Song Wat Road is one of Bangkok's oldest commercial thoroughfares, established in the late nineteenth century during the reign of King Rama V.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Bangkok
  25. Terminal 21 Terminal 21
    56 45 min

    Terminal 21

    Terminal 21 is a shopping mall in Bangkok designed around an airport-terminal theme. Each floor represents a different world city, with decorative elements evoking destinations like Tokyo, London, Istanbul, and San Francisco.

    • Must see
    • Market
    • Bangkok

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.