Thailand
Travel Guide
Thailand Travel Guide 2026
How to use my travel guides
My travel guides are organised in two main sections:
Overview
This will help you to decide if this is a location for you, and if so, where you may want to spend your time. For larger countries, I also provide additional overviews of different regions, states and territories.
Best things to do in…
Here I list specific things to see and do. For each, I provide star ratings so that you can easily see how good, unique and adventurous each place is. This means that you can easily pick out where sounds right for you!
Photos note: All of the photos you see on my website are taken by me or of me!
Overview
Given the large numbers of people who have been to Thailand, I was worried it may be overly touristic or filled with loads of immature 18-to 20-year-old Brits who want to do nothing other than drink all the time. After spending a month in Thailand, I was delighted to be proven so completely and utterly wrong about this judgment.
Some main reasons why are:
- Beginner-friendly
If you are new to travelling, Thailand is my no.1 recommendation to get you off the starting blocks! It’s cheap, safe, has plenty of other tourists you can meet and it has easy access to neighbouring countries. - It’s cheap!
Once you are there, everything is really affordable, be it food, transport or accommodation. - You can spoil yourself
Booking a hotel on a whim in a Western country will cost you a pretty penny; however, in Thailand, you can get a nice hotel for a great price. If you want a more social vibe and save even more money, you can stay in hostels, many of which are like luxury hotels anyway, often having cafes, swimming pools, etc. - Spontinuity
Thailand is one of the best places for spontaneous travel. Hotels and hostels often have capacity for you to reserve on arrival or just a day or two before. Worst-case scenario, if a hostel you like the look of is full, it’s incredibly cheap normally to book another great palace down the road. The number of backpackers there also means that you can easily find like-minded people to tag along with for an adventure. - It’s safe
Thailand is incredibly safe. Don’t get me wrong, you may have a spot of bother here or there as you would in most other parts of the world, but I never felt unsafe there. Of course, keep your wits about you all the same, however. - The people
The locals are lovely. They are really friendly and many people speak at least some level of English, especially in touristy areas. - The culture
Thailand was one of the few countries not colonised by Europeans. They have retained their own incredible, unique culture. The vast majority of people are also Buddhist – I have found that Buddhist areas I have been to on my travels often have the most welcoming, tolerant and open-minded people you will ever meet. Speaking of being open-minded, lady-boys are commonplace in Thailand and it’s a very safe place for the LGBT+ community. - The food
It’s tasty, cheap and you will likely eat out for every meal, it’s also incredibly affordable to do so. You can also try more exotic foods too, such as fried scorpion or chicken hearts on a stick. - Temples and palaces
As mentioned already, Thailand has a majority Buddhist population. There are beautiful temples and palaces to see there. Most people don’t care what you wear in public, however in Temples and palaces, you will have to dress modestly. I would recommend buying a sarong to cover your legs in temples, they are a thin robe and one of the best travel purchases you can make. They can be used in temples, to shade you from the sun and to be used as a regular towel or as a beach towel. - Nature
Thailand has great nature, be it the beaches of the south, the mountains of the north, or the countless islands off its coast. You will find interesting animals on land and in the sea, including elephants! - Activities
You can relax at the beach, treat yourself to food and lounge by the pool, have a Thai massage or do one of the numerous activities from snorkelling and diving to hiking, rock climbing or volunteering with animals. You can learn loads of skills there too, from Muay Thai to yoga, take your pick, chances are you will find loads of things to interest you there and I genuinely believe that there is something for everyone. - Travelling light
The warm weather in Thailand means that whenever you visit, you can travel fairly light. - The mix of tourists
You will find a wide range of tourists in Thailand, depending on where you go. Many of the places which interested me had people from 22 to 38 staying there. If you want to go to a beach and drink with 18-22-year-olds, you can do that. If you want to spend time with people in their 40’s+ you can do that. If you want to travel as a group, a couple or any combination of friends and ages, you will find someone to suit you in Thailand.
Language
The people in Thailand speak Thai. It’s easy to learn a few worlds however, bear in mind that word endings change depending on your gender. For example, the ending to the words for thank you and hello changes, not based on the gender of the person you are speaking to, but based on the gender of the person saying it. You will find that many people speak at least some English, especially in the touristy areas.
Economy and Safety
Thailand is definitely a winner in these categories. I found it to be incredibly safe everywhere I went. Everything was highly affordable but also very nice at the same time; many hostels and hotels were luxurious, often with swimming pools and clean, well-kept accommodation. The locals I found to be really open, friendly and trustworthy.
Ease of travel
Thailand has a well-established tourist industry, with transport between places and neighbouring countries being incredibly easy. Bangkok Airport is a travel hub with many cheap flights in and out of the country. I also arrived in Thailand by boat from Langkawi, Malaysia (an island off the north-west coast of Malaysia), arriving in Krabi in the south-west of Thailand and found this cheap and easy. I also got a very cheap, convenient bus from Siem Reap in Cambodia to Bangkok at a later date too. Many backpackers also get the ‘slow boat’ from northern Thailand to Laos, which takes 2 days and one night down a river and makes for a good backpacker experience.
Travelling within Thailand is really easy with boat ferries to many of the islands and low-cost buses for most other places. Asking at your hostel or hotel makes for an easy way to organise travel between places. Taxis and tuk-tuks are also affordable.
Beaches
Thailand is famous for its islands and beaches. My favourite places included Ko Tao, located off the east coast. A good tip is that ‘ko’ means island. You will hear that a lot when you are there; examples include Ko Lanta and Ko Samui. Ko Tao is also one of the cheapest places to get a PADI diving licence and it’s common to undertake training there, so one to look into it if that appeals. I also loved Railay Beach, a peninsula in the south-west of Thailand, which, given the topography, can only be accessed by boat, making it feel like an island. I am not great at relaxing on a beach, but it’s a heaven for adventure seekers with caves to climb through, hidden lagoons to explore and plenty of rock climbing opportunities, which are accessible even to those with no experience; you can get lessons there and climb with guides, I am not suggesting you wing it!
Wildlife
The wildlife in Thailand is amazing, including land, bird and sea life. From elephants to tigers and turtles, Thailand has plenty to see. It also has large coastlines to the west and east.
Cities
Bangkok is famous across the world. It is a city best known for its nightlife, with many tourists going there to drink themselves silly and see pingpong shoes (I won’t describe those here, I’ll let you Google them for yourselves if you aren’t familiar with it). That being said, Bangkok has so much more to offer, there are temples, palaces (including the Grand Palace, muay thai fights to see, and so much more. Many parts of the city are quieter and less touristy than others, with the main tourist strip for drinking, partying and trying exotic food being Khao San Road. You will find Bangkok affordable, although slightly more expensive than the more rural areas.
Other famous towns and cities frequented by tourists include Pai, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Ao Nang, Krabi.
Pai and Chiang Mai have a reputation as being backpacker towns. People often referred to being “stuck in the Pai hole”, referring to falling in love with the northern Thai town and not wanting to leave.
I never visited Phuket as it doesn’t appeal to me, given its reputation for being overtouristic and with your more party-oriented backpacker.
Ao Nang I found to be great (although I preferred nearby Railay Beach, a small nearby peninsula). Ao Nang is a great place to spend a few days to explore what’s around. People often say they are going to ‘Krabi’ which is the name of the large town nearby Ao Nang and also the region however the main tourist area and frankly the nicer bit is Ao Nanag, I wouldn’t recommend visiting the town of Krabi; it’s nice enough but nothing overly special either in my opinion without anything unique being there and little tourism.
People
Thai people are lovely, very open and friendly.
History
Thailand was never colonised by a European power and has remained independent, having had its own monarch for over 780 years! They have a rich history with their own language, food and culture. Being a majority Buddhist country, they are also very friendly and open-minded
Regions Overview
For your ease of planning, I have organised my specific recommendations into the following areas:
Bangkok – The nation’s capital, which is located in the country’s centre.
South Thailand
North Thailand
I also include a brief overview of the vibe of each area below.
Bangkok
Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok is located approximately halfway up the country. You can fly into and out of Bangkok easily and it is located well to serve as a stopping off point as you transition from north to south Thailand or vice versa.
South Thailand
In very general terms, southern Thailand is famed for its islands, beaches and coastlines. You will find holiday-goers as well as backpackers in the south.
North Thailand
In very general terms northern Thailand is categorised by its mountainous terrain and being famous among backpackers.
Overview Summary
Thailand is an amazing country. Great people, weather, and affordability are all on offer. You have plenty of chances to relax on a beach or go out and do activities; the flexibility on offer is great. The infrastructure is also there for tourism, with lots of great hotels and hostels. If you are new to travelling in non-Western countries, then to me, Thailand is the best place to go to build your confidence before you push the boat out to less well-travelled parts of the world.
Best things to do Thailand 2026
I hope that you have found this free Travel Guide useful. It took a lot of time and travel for me to make this, so if you would like to show your thanks by sending a small donation, I would be very grateful. This can be done on my Support Me page. Thank you!
Happy travels!
Andy Argo
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Title image: Khao Sok National Park, southern Thailand.