A photograph of Thailand

Country guide

Places to visit 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. Wat Saket Wat Saket
    51 1 hour

    Wat Saket

    วัดสระเกศราชวรมหาวิหาร

    Wat Saket is a working royal monastery in Pom Prap Sattru Phai, on the eastern edge of the old royal island, and it is older than the city that grew around it.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Bangkok
  2. National Art Gallery National Art Gallery
    52 1 hr 30 min

    National Art Gallery

    พิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาติ หอศิลป

    The National Gallery on Chao Fa Road is Thailand's first state institution for collecting, conserving and exhibiting the nation's art, and it occupies the old royal mint building at the north end of the Rattanakosin island, a five-minute walk from…

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Bangkok
  3. Queen Sirikit Park Queen Sirikit Park
    53 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
  4. Museum of Contemporary Art Museum of Contemporary Art
    54 2 hours

    Museum of Contemporary Art

    พิพิธภัณฑ์ศิลปะไทยร่วมสมัย

    The Museum of Contemporary Art, known as MOCA Bangkok, is a privately owned art museum in Chatuchak, established on 23 March 2012 and built around the collection of the business executive Boonchai Bencharongkul.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Bangkok
  5. Wat Pa Pao Wat Pa Pao
    55 30 min

    Wat Pa Pao

    Wat Pa Pao is a Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. It stands as one of the notable religious sites within the historic city, which served as the capital of the Lanna Kingdom.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Chiang Mai
  6. Erawan Shrine Erawan Shrine
    56 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
  7. Phaya Thai Palace Phaya Thai Palace
    57 1 hr 30 min

    Phaya Thai Palace

    พระราชวังพญาไท

    Phaya Thai Palace is a group of early twentieth-century royal halls at 315 Ratchawithi Road in Ratchathewi, standing inside the walls of a working army hospital rather than behind a ticket office.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Bangkok
  8. Benjasiri Park Benjasiri Park
    58 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
  9. Bank of Thailand Museum Bank of Thailand Museum
    59 1 hr 30 min

    Bank of Thailand Museum

    พิพิธภัณฑ์ธนาคารแห่งประเทศไทย

    The Bank of Thailand Museum occupies the vault of Thailand's first banknote printing works, on Samsen Road in Phra Nakhon, and is the museum arm of the Bank of Thailand Learning Center.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Bangkok
  10. Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen
    60 1 hr 15 min

    Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen

    วัดปากน้ำภาษีเจริญ

    Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen is a third-class royal monastery of the ordinary type standing on what is effectively a small square island in the canals west of the Chao Phraya, and it is the home temple of the Vijja Dhammakaya…

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
    • Bangkok
  11. Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles
    61 1 hr 15 min

    Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles

    พิพิธภัณฑ์ผ้าในสมเด็จพระนางเจ้าสิริกิติ์ พระบรมราชินีนาถ

    The Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles is a textile museum inside the Grand Palace, occupying the Ratsadakorn-bhibhathana Building just inside the palace's outer court, and it is the quietest, most air-conditioned room on the whole compound.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Bangkok
  12. Chiang Mai University Chiang Mai University
    62 2 hours

    Chiang Mai University

    Chiang Mai University is a public research university in northern Thailand, established as the first provincial university in the country.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Chiang Mai
  13. Ang Kaew Reservoir Ang Kaew Reservoir
    63 2 hours

    Ang Kaew Reservoir

    Ang Kaew Reservoir is a water body situated within the Chiang Mai University campus in northern Thailand. The reservoir serves functional purposes for the university while also functioning as a visitor landmark in the city.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Chiang Mai
  14. Wat Bowonniwet Vihara Wat Bowonniwet Vihara
    64 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
  15. Wang Lang Market Wang Lang Market
    65 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
  16. Bhubing Palace Bhubing Palace
    66 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
  17. Saranrom Park Saranrom Park
    67 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
  18. Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Sri Maha Mariamman Temple
    68 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
  19. MBK Center MBK Center
    69 1 hr 30 min

    MBK Center

    MBK Center is an eight-storey shopping centre at the corner of Rama I and Phaya Thai Roads in Pathum Wan, and it is the one large Bangkok mall that never became a luxury mall.

    • Must see
    • Market
    • Bangkok
  20. National Museum of Royal Barges National Museum of Royal Barges
    70 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
  21. Wat Yan Nawa Wat Yan Nawa
    71 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
  22. CentralWorld CentralWorld
    72 1 hr 30 min

    CentralWorld

    centralwOrld

    CentralWorld is the largest shopping complex in central Bangkok and the ninth-largest shopping centre in the world, standing on leased Crown Property Bureau land in Pathum Wan District.

    • Must see
    • Market
    • Bangkok
  23. Santichaiprakarn Park Santichaiprakarn Park
    73 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
  24. Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden
    74 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
  25. Children's Discovery Museum Children's Discovery Museum
    75 1 hr 30 min

    Children's Discovery Museum

    พิพิธภัณฑ์เด็กกรุงเทพมหานคร

    Children's Discovery Museum is an educational attraction in Bangkok designed for young visitors to learn through interactive play. The museum focuses on hands-on experiences rather than traditional exhibits.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • 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.