Thailand

I chose to visit Thailand to experience the temples, elephants, and islands. I have always loved learning about elephants and had it on my bucket list to see elephants outside of a zoo setting. After seeing so many stunning pictures of the Thailand islands, I was ready to see them for myself. Both experiences did not disappoint, along with all the other wonderful things I discovered about Thailand during my trip. I booked my Thailand trip through For The Love of Travel (FTLOT), a group travel company for young professionals. I went with FTLOT to Morocco last year, too. Check out our Thailand travel guide below!

How we traveled there

Since I was in Indonesia, I booked Asia Air for the 4-hour flight from Bali to Bangkok, Thailand. Asia Air is the ‘Spirit Airlines’ of Asia. You even have to pay for water. They are also strict on bag weights. They sent emails before departure stating that a carry-on could not be more than 15 lbs. I had to check my carry-on-sized bag. Once I landed in Bangkok, I took a taxi that was outside the airport to our hotel. I was late to the welcome event, so the taxi driver took the toll road, which made it faster. It took 30 minutes to get to my hotel, and I paid $45 in Thai Baht. The taxi was cash only. There are more affordable transportation options like the train and Grab (Asia’s Uber), but I was on a tight timeline. 

I also flew Asia Air between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, which was a one-hour flight, and between Chiang Mai and Krabi, which was a 1.5-hour flight.

Where we stayed

Bangkok – Samala Hotel Bangkok was a large traditional hotel. The room had two single beds and was very dark at night, which helped with jet lag. There was a pool and a fitness room. The complimentary breakfast was okay. There were a lot of options but the food was bland. The location was close to some restaurants and bars. It was fine, but there was nothing unique or exciting about it.

Chiang Mai – Dusit Princess Chaing Mai was in a great location for nighttime activities (night markets, Muay Thai fighting, Ladyboy shows, etc.). It was more updated than the Bangkok hotel and had a seating area outside where they served happy hour drinks. There was also a pool outside. The complimentary breakfast was the best of the three hotels I visited.

Koh Lanta – Beach Bungalow at Lanta Resort was a large room with two single beds and a big bathroom. It took less than 1 minute to walk to the beach, which had plenty of chairs to lay in. It was a great place to watch the sunset. You can walk the beachfront to restaurants, bars, and other resorts on Long Beach. They also have a few pools. The complimentary breakfast was my least favorite of the three hotels. It was small and bland. They are currently updating some of their property, but I didn’t hear any construction.

What activities we did

Bangkok

• The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings and temples that showcase Thai art and architecture. The king and his royal government were based on the grounds of the palace until 1925. The buildings were so beautiful and detailed. I loved the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. It costs 500 Thai Baht ($15) to explore this palace. I am glad we used a guide to explain the significance of each area. Give yourself 1.5-2 hours here. You can walk around the buildings and temples and even go into some of them. It was very crowded when I arrived at 10 a.m., and it felt like a place that is always crowded. There is also little shade, so prepare yourself on a sunny day. You can bring water with you. 
• Wat Pho is a Buddhist temple complex where the Temple of the Reclining Buddha is located. Give yourself 1.5-2 hours here because there are so many beautiful temples to explore. Each one has an incredible amount of detail and colors. Phra Ubosot is the main hall used for performing Buddhist rituals. Once you take off your shoes, you are able to sit in the room and watch the monks perform rituals. The Traditional Medical School is located here. People come from all over the world to attend this school for massage training. You can get a massage for 260-420 Thai Baht here. Don’t miss out on visiting Wat Pho. It cost 300 Thai Baht ($9), and I enjoyed it more than The Grand Palace. A guide was helpful in understanding the significance of each area. There is little shade, so plan accordingly on a hot day. You can bring water with you. It was not very busy when I arrived at 8 a.m., but it was very crowded by 9:30 a.m. Wat Pho is right next to the Grand Palace, but because they are so big, it was a 15-minute walk to get between the two of them. 

Chiang Mai

• Into the Wild Elephant Camp was an all-day, unforgettable experience. It took two hours to drive into the mountains from Chiang Mai. They have 5 female elephants that they take care of that were rescued or retired. We fed them sugar cane, went on a short hike with them, ate lunch, made vitamin balls to feed them, and bathed them in the water. I loved the short hike because we just followed where the elephants wanted to go and watched them explore. Through feeding and bathing them, we were able to get up close to the elephants. If you plan to apply mud and bathe the elephants, then prepare to get dirty and wet. Know that this is where they poop and pee. If you can get past that, it is a magical experience to get so close to these elephants. Wear a bathing suit or quick-dry clothes and bring a towel. They do have showers, but the soap is limited. This camp allowed us to interact with the elephants but also made sure we gave them space when they needed it. The camp also took professional photos and sent them to us for free, which was a great way to capture the magic of the experience.
• Muay Thai Fight Night at Kalare Boxing Stadium was a cool experience to watch a variety of ages fight Muay Thai. I don’t usually enjoy watching fights, but because Muay Thai is such a big part of their culture, I decided to check it out. By the end, I really appreciated the sport and enjoyed the experience. You can tell the boxers respect each other pre-fight and post-fight. It is 2 hours long, but you can leave at any time. There were 8 fights, and it started at 9:30 p.m. I recommend purchasing the 1,000 Thai Baht ($30) ringside tickets to get a back to your chair. If you purchase the 600 Thai Baht ($18) stadium seat, you will be sitting on the bleachers.
  • If you want to take a Muay Thai class, check out Dang Muay Thai Chiang Mai. They have classes throughout the day and for all levels. 
• Riding a bike through the countryside of Chiang Mai was a great way to spend the morning before our afternoon flight. We stopped for ice cream, saw rice patties with a mountain view, visited a temple, and fed fish. When we returned, they had lunch waiting for us. 
• There is an area with stores close together to purchase silver, jade, and silk. I didn’t end up buying anything, but many people in my group did. Here are the stores we visited;
  • P.Collection
  • House Of Jade
  • Thai Silk Village Co
• Don’t leave Chiang Mai without checking out Makkha Spa for a traditional Thai massage. It was the best massage I have ever had, and I have had a lot. It was only $30. They gave us tea and rice crackers before and mango after. The massage was in a private room where I wore a pajama-type set. The mattress was on the ground, which allowed her to apply her body weight as pressure during the massage. I highly recommend checking this place out. There are walk-in massage shops all over the town, but this was an actual spa, which increased the relaxation. They have a Bangkok location, too! 
• At night, visit the Anusarn Night Market. There are 100 tables of different things to buy, mainly in the souvenir category. There are a few tables that make passport covers and luggage tags for $4. You pick the color of the holder and the decorations you want them to add. You can also get your name or initials added to the front. They made it within 5 minutes, and it makes a great gift. 

Koh Lanta

• Our boat day to Phi Phi islands was one of my favorite days. The cliffs and beaches were even more incredible than you see in the pictures. You can bring non-alcoholic drinks on the boat since Thailand doesn’t allow drinking on boats. The main Phi Phi islands are Phi Phi Lei (the smaller island) and Phi Phi Don (the larger island).
  • Make sure your tour takes you to Maya Bay. It is a must-see. You can’t swim from the beach because it’s a preserved area, but you can put your feet in for a picture. Spend 45 minutes to 1 hour here. It was crowded, and the dock to get there was one of those flexible docks that moved with the water. It is worth it to see this crystal clear beach surrounded by massive cliffs. I saw a shark and a venomous snake, but luckily, they were not too close. 
  • After that, we went to Pi Leh Bay to swim around the cliffs. This was another busy area, but the swimming area was dropped off. 
  • We snorkeled close to Long Beach on Phi Phi Don. There were a lot of fish to see here. Individual fish and schools of fish. I don’t recall seeing anything besides fish. 
  • We ate lunch at the main area of Phi Phi Don, docking the boat on Ton Sai Beach. Since we were in a larger group, we ate at the Maya Restaurant buffet, which was the only meal I did not like in Thailand. If you can, try to check out a non-buffet option for lunch. This area was very crowded and touristy, with little beach access. I would recommend trying to avoid it altogether, but I didn’t see another area with lunch options. 
  • Our last stop was Loh Moo Dee Beach, which was the perfect way to end a boat day. The water was clear and had some small cliffs surrounding it. There were only 30 people there. There was a small drink stand that only took credit cards. You could use the chairs as long as you bought a drink. There were also toilets available. The low tide was dramatic in the hour we were there, around 4 pm. It made it difficult to swim without hitting rocks. I would try to go earlier in the day. 
  • The speed boat we took, Sirinet Lanata Sea Tour, was decent, but I saw nicer options as we were out. The traditional long boats are cool if you have a smaller group. For a larger group, I would recommend getting a speedboat for the space. 
• Don’t miss the sunset while you are here. The beach at Lanta Resort, which is on Long Beach, has a great view of the sunset.
• Visit Bakantiang Beach if you are looking for a quiet beach with crystal-clear water. I even saw a few fish. There are a few restaurants and bars too. There is not much shade and no beach chairs, which I found common on the Koh Lanta beaches. There are only beach chairs for guests of the hotel located on the beach. They won’t let you pay for a chair, I tried a few times. Stop by KiKi Koh Lanta, a block away from the beach. This shop has cute women’s clothes, jewelry, and purses.
  • To get to this beach from our hotel, I walked to the main street to find a taxi. It took 30 minutes to drive to this beach. The taxi used a truck where I sat in the back. It costs 500 Thai Baht ($17) per person each way. The same taxi driver also picked us up to drive us back to our hotel, and I paid at the end.  

Where we ate

Bangkok

• Naam 1608 is on the river, where you can watch the river cruises pass by. It offers traditional Thai food with some spicy dishes. 
• May Kaidee’s cooking class was a fun place to have lunch. They taught us how to make soup, pad thai, and curry, which we got to eat. They provided a cooking book that I was able to take home with me. 
• Pastel is a rooftop restaurant with a cool vibe and good music. Sometimes, there is a DJ or an electric violin. The restaurant overlooks Bangkok. I loved our tuna surprise appetizer and dessert. 
• JODD FAIRS Rama 9 is a large night market that has 5 rows of vendors. There are some shops, but most of them are food vendors. There is a booth where you can try all kinds of insects. There are also a few sit-down restaurants in it. There was live music with a saxophone, which I loved. 

Chiang Mai

• Dash Teak House serves traditional Thai food with outside seating under lanterns 
• Phapleon Night Market was a lively place with 30+ food vendors to choose from. I had delicious Indian food and great ice cream. There were also dancers and singers on stage. 

Koh Lanta

• May’s Kitchen made my favorite meal in Thailand, and it was the panang curry chicken. 
• Yang is a garden restaurant with amazing food. The falafel, tuna, and pork ribs were all amazing. You need a reservation here, as it is booked every night.
• Koala Bar is an Australian restaurant that has seating on the beach. I loved the tuna tartar, cod, and mashed potatoes. I recommend a reservation here. 
• N&N Restaurant has a lot of breakfast options.

Where we drank

Bangkok – Above Eleven is an open-air rooftop bar overlooking Bangkok

What we recommend knowing/preparing

Thailand

• The Thai people are very friendly and welcoming
• I always felt safe in Thailand (but I was never out late or at bars/clubs)
• As a US citizen staying less than 30 days, you don’t need to apply for a visa. Other countries might need a visa; here is the site to check. 
• Download the Grab app, which is their equivalent to Uber
• I took $150 USD in Thai Baht and ended up getting $150 more out
• A young coconut on the menu is coconut water served in a coconut. It is delicious and hydrating! 
• Air Asia is a discount airline like Spirit. It is 30 Thai Baht just for water. They are also stingy about bag size and weight. I flew Air Asia as a cheaper option between cities in Thailand.
• Thai Airways was a really nice airline. They offer drinks and snacks on domestic flights and a meal on international flights with a blanket and pillow. Thai Airways in Krabi did not open their check-in counter until 1.5 hours before the flight and closed it 40 minutes before the flight. I would get there two hours early to get in line because it was quite long by the time check-in opened. 

Bangkok

• Bangkok is known for its ornate shrines and vibrant street life
• This city is worth checking out, but you only need 1-2 days here (I am not a huge big city person, though). Spend more time exploring the uniqueness of the other areas of Thailand.

Chiang Mai

• Chiang Mai is in the mountainous northern area of Thailand. You can fly for one hour or drive nine hours from Bangkok to arrive here. This is the second-biggest city in Thailand, but it is much smaller than Bangkok.
• Many people come to Chiang Mai to train in Muay Thai

Koh Lanta

• It is a quieter island compared to Phi Phi and Pucket. Most places close at 10 pm, with a few bars open until 1 a.m. This is an excellent island for families and those wanting a less-party-focused island, which made it quieter.
• There are taxis on the main road, but they usually stop running at 10 p.m. The taxis are in the form of tuk-tuks, trucks, and cars. 
• People have gotten sandflies from the beaches. They usually come out in the morning and afternoon, which are their feeding times. They don’t like sunny or windy areas and don’t lay directly in the sand, either. 
• It is an island, so you have to ferry to get there and to leave. To get from Koh Lanta to the Krabi airport to leave Thailand, I booked the Tiger Line Ferry. I did research ahead of time, and there wasn’t a lot of information on the transportation options. A few people online said the Tiger Line Ferry was better than other ferry options, but I would not recommend it. The ferry left an hour late, and it stopped twice before getting to Krabi. It was a crammed speedboat with little airflow. Even though it cost $50, there were people without seats for a 1.5-hour ferry ride. Everyone’s bags were stuffed in all areas of the boat, and you had to find your own when you got off. It was very unorganized. There was also not much going on in Krabi, where the ferry drops you off. There is a cool night market, but I was too early. 
• Instead, have your hotel book you an airport transfer or book one through GetYourGuide or Viator. You get in a van at your hotel, and then the van drives onto the car ferry, which is a 15-minute ferry ride. After the ferry, the van drives you 1.5 hours to the airport. The ferry can hold about 30 cars. Factor in at least 3-4 hours because the ferry is first come, first serve. When I was there, low tide was 6-8 a.m., which was too low for the car ferry to dock, so people with a 9 a.m. flight had to get in the van at 4 a.m. A private van is around $70, while a shared van is $10 per person, but you have to factor in extra time to pick up other people on the island. 

What we didn’t do but looked into

Bangkok

• I heard the rooftop bar featured in Hangover 2 had $50 drinks that weren’t good
• The Train Night Market Srinakarin was too far away for the time I had in Bangkok. This is an outdoor night market specializing in antiques & vintage memorabilia, plus bars and eateries.
• Maeklong Railway Market is on a railroad where store owners move their items as the train goes by. It is an hour’s drive from Bangkok. There are GetYourGuide tours that will take you here and to the floating market. 

Chiang Mai

• Doi Suthep-Pui National Park is an hour’s drive away from the town of Chiang Mai. Check out the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (temple) while you are there. 
• Lady Boys Show. Some friends went to the Chiang Mai Cabaret Show and said it was very entertaining. 

Koh Lanta

• Linger Longer Spa at the Layana Resort
• Lanta Boxing Stadium, where you can purchase tickets to watch the fights
• Mu Ko Lanta National Park

What we packed

It was hot in Thailand in February, but most people dress modestly in Thailand regardless of the weather. I packed lightweight pants and lightweight long-sleeved shirts for the temples. Shoulders and knees should be covered. Shirts should be high-necked and not crop tops. The temples don’t like it when visitors use scarves to cover their shoulders because they know people will take them off for pictures. I bought some lightweight dresses for non-temple days. A swimsuit and cover-up worked for island days.

Check out our recommendations for travel clothing and essentials.

We hope you enjoyed our Japan travel guide. If you have any questions, contact us. If you’re looking for other places to go in Asia, check out our post on Japan.

~Elyse