South Thailand
Thailand
Travel Guide
South Thailand Travel Guide 2026
How to use my travel guides
Given how much there is to do in Thailand, I have split it into several pages as follows:
- Main Page – A written overview of Thailand
- Bangkok – A guide to the nation’s centrally located capital
- North Thailand – Mountain scenery with and a more ‘backpacker’ vibe than the rest of the country.
- South Thailand – Ideal for water-lovers with stunning islands, beaches, marine life and coastlines. (NOW READING)
- Railay Beach – My favourite place in Thailand with beaches to relax and plenty of scope for adventure!
You can find links to these other pages, as well as my travel guides for other destinations below…
Overview
The south of Thailand is incredible! For me, it’s a great blend of relaxation and adventure. You can go climbing, diving, snorkelling, hiking, take a boat onto a lake or the sea, ride scooters and motorbikes, eat friend scoprians and chicken hearts on a stick you name it! At the same time, you can eat at great restaurants, relax on a beach, sunbathe, and get massages. For this reason, South Thailand works really well, as you can do an epic adventure and then come back for some great, affordable relaxation and luxury afterwards.
The safety and abundance of travellers of all ages make Thailand a great place for first-time travellers and also for groups, especially if some of your group are more adventurous and others want to relax: you can split up for the daytime, do your own thing and then hang out together in the evenings.
Without further ado, however, here are my top recommendations for things to do in the south of Thailand.
Best things to do Thailand 2026
I provide star ratings for each of my recommendations so that you can quickly narrow down what appeals to you. Explanations for what these mean can be found here.
I use Google Maps to plan all my trips and it’s a game-changer! I’ve added links to Google Maps for each of the locations below so you can easily add them to your own map. Be sure to copy this web link into the description of each location you save so that you can easily refer back to this guide later. Check out this blog for more tips on how to use Google Maps to enhance your travels!
Ao Nang
Adventure
Andy Argo
Uniqueness
Category: Coastal town
Recommended Duration: 2 days+
Andy visited?: Yes
Description
Ao Nang is a nice beach town on the west coast of southern Thailand. It has a cool night market, and a short drive away is Wat Tham Suea, which I will discuss below and which I also thought was cool and a bit different.
Be aware that many people refer to Ao Nang as going to ‘Krabi’, as this is the name of the region and the nearby coastal town to the east. From Ao Nan,g you can also book small boats easily on the day, which regularly take tourists to my favourite place in southern Thailand, Railay Beach! Definitely check out Ao Nang though; it’s got a good backpacker community, is good for meeting people and offers a lot, from beautiful roads through the nearby landscapes to food and nightlife opportunities. There are a range of hostels here, so you can find one which fits your vibe.
Adventure
Andy Argo
Uniqueness
Category: Temple
Recommended Duration: 2 hours+
Andy visited?: Yes
Description
I rented a scooter and headed here from Ao Nang; it makes for a great day out. I saw animals like elephants and monkeys on the way. The temple is attop a large hill with a steep and strenous climb on a very steep staircase.
It’s a fair workout getting up there, so try not to go at midday because the climb up is steep and long. It makes for a great adventure, though and the view from the top is well worth the climb. The drive to and from here to Ao Nang is also beautiful, with stunning roads meandering past dramatic cliffs.
Category: Small coastal town with activities
Recommended Duration: 3 days+
Andy visited?: Yes
Description
When I first arrived at Railay Beach, I didn’t expect to stay long. It appeared to be a beautiful but touristy small town on a peninsula with people lying around sunbathing, and being a more adventurous traveller who can’t sit still, not an ideal place to be for long. How wrong my first impression was!
Railay Beach and neighbouring Tonsai Beach do have plenty of opportunities to relax, sunbathe, drink, party, watch Muay Thai, etc., but this place also packs the best punch for having the most unique adventures in a small space of anywhere I have been. Climing, swimming, hiking, enjoying caves and hidden lagoons, you name it!
As there are also no roads on the peninsula, it means everyone walks around without much noise, and it is, in general, an epic place! So much so that I made my own travel guide for here, which you can check out.
It is often said that people fall in love with Pai in northern Thailand and get stuck in the ‘Pai hole’, for me, I want to coin the ‘Railay Rut’ because I got stuck here in the best kind of way! This is a must-do destination for anyone visiting Thailand who has a sense of adventure and a love for life!
Adventure
Andy Argo
Uniqueness
Category: National Park
Recommended Duration: DURATION
Andy visited?: Yes
No, but people have recommended it to me
No, but my internet research suggests it may be worth visiting
Description
Khao Sok is a beautiful national park. I went into more remote areas as part of a tour where you are taken in on boats and can swim in a huge lake. We stated in floating cabins and were taken on excursions to hike up to a massive cave which was also a lot of fun. It’s a beautiful park of the world and worth visiting if you get the time.
Adventure
Andy Argo
Uniqueness
Category: Island, diving, diving training
Recommended Duration: 2 days+
Andy visited?: Yes
Adventure stars: 1-3, depending on whether you do diving or just relax on a beach
Description
Ko Tao is a popular tourist island located off Thailand’s east coast. It is close to other popular tourist islands such as Ko Samui and Ko Pha Ngan; the latter being famous for its ‘full moon party’, which I detail below.
The journey to get to the island was fun. I boarded a large but dated overnight ferry from Surat Thani (a port town on the mainland) to get here. I heard there are two ferries which run and you don’t get to choose which one you get. I got the nicer of the two, which had bunk beds, but heard the other is more of a mattresses on the floor deal – I went in 2023 however, so maybe the older one has been upgraded since then. The island of Ko Tao is very much geared up for tourists, with nice beaches, restaurants, hotels, etc. You will also find plenty of people here doing their PADI diving licence; it is believed to be one of the cheapest places in the world to get it and I met many who were there for that reason. There’s plenty to do there and plenty of different age groups, so I reckon most people will have a great time there, especially if you want somewhere with some luxury and to socialise.
Ko Samui
Category: Island
Recommended Duration: 2 days+
Andy visited?: No, but people have recommended it to me
Description
Ko Samui is a large island located off Thailand’s east coast and is a chain of islands which includes Ko Tao and Ko Pha Ngan, both of which are discussed separately in this list. Ko Samui is the largest of the islands in this chain and has a reputation for having plenty of things to do, from enjoying sea life and waterfalls to hiking and shopping.
Ko Pha Ngan & The Full Moon party.
Category: Island and party
Recommended Duration: 2 days+
Andy visited?: No, but people have recommended it to me
Description
Ko Pha Ngan is most famous for hosting the world-renowned Full Moon party. It’s a huge beach party which happens once a month, with other parties also taking place. This party is so big that some people come to Thailand specifically to go to this party. The island itself looks beautiful but the parties are the main attraction. There are also other parties on the island and that is what it’s best known for.
It does have a reputation for being frequented by the younger crowd in their early twenties, although others do go there. If that’s your cup of tea, definitely look into it, although book your accommodation early as it fills up incredibly quickly.
Ko Lanta
Adventure
Andy Argo
Uniqueness
Category: Island
Recommended Duration: 1 day+
Andy visited?: Yes
Description
I visited here and didn’t think the island was anything special; however, I met loads of people who loved it here and for that reason, it has made the list. When I went in June, there wasn’t much of a social scene there, but I hear it was a bit off-season for the island. I enjoyed some time driving around the island on a scooter for a day and seeing the sites but didn’t find too much else of interest to me.
Ko Phi Phi
Category: Island
Recommended Duration: 2 days+
Andy visited?: No, but people have recommended it to me
Description
You will hear a lot about Ko Phi Phi when you’re in southern Thailand. This is where the film The Beach was filmed starting Leonardo DiCaprio (although from what I hear, this is beautiful but so filled with tourists that it takes the beauty away from it) and it’s also got a reputation as being somewhere for younger backpackers to go to party, drink and famously, fight each other in a novices muay thai fights. If you want a lively travel experience, this could be a great place for you. Personally, for me though, I am a more outdoorsy person and chose not to go here.
Phuket
Category: Island and city
Recommended Duration: 2 days+
Andy visited?: No, but people have recommended it to me
Description
I mention Phuket because it’s famous, so you will hear it and likely be tempted to go. From what I’ve heard, it’s more of a party place and without too much culture or anything too unique. I think it’s famous from back in the day when it probably was unique, but now it’s overcrowded. Some people love it, but given its reputation, I chose not to go here. Do your own research, though and make up your own mind. If nothing else, it can be a good place to get ferries from to visit other nearby islands such as Ko Phi Phi.
Ferry to Malaysia
Adventure
Andy Argo
Uniqueness
Category: Ferry and border crossing
Recommended Duration: 1.5 hours
Andy visited?: Yes (but in reverse from Malaysia to Thailand)
Description
If you are looking to cross the border from Thailand to Malaysia, consider taking the ferry from southern Thailand to the island of Langkawi, Malaysia. I took it the other way (travelling from Malaysia to Thailand), and I presume it is just as straightforward to cross the border the other way.
When I took the ferry into Thailand, the only tourists there besides me were my friends, whom I had invited along; most others going to Thailand had booked flights from northern Malaysia back to Kuala Lumpur, then onto Thailand and were unaware of the ferry crossing, which saves time and makes for an epic adventure. From what I can tell, it seems like you can take it from Thailand to Malaysia too with no problems, but check up to date infomration and ask around to confirm when you are in the area to be sure. You will likely need a bus from Ao Nang to Pathomphon, and then a taxi from the bus stop there to the ferry terminal (that’s what I did in reverse anyway). It was a great fun ferry ride as well as being cheaper and quicker than flying, not to mention making the trip feel like much more of an adventure. The ferry was only small too, so try to book in advance or arrive early if you can, as there may be limited seats.
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Happy travels!
Andy Argo
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Title image: Khao Sok National Park, southern Thailand.