To ask people who've been to Thailand

[disorderedeating333]

Going for two weeks in Easter with my partner.

Bangkok for 3 days
Phuket for 4 days

Now trying to decide on a third destination for the final 4 days. Somewhere with loads to do and not somewhere tiny and boring, we aren't ones for lying on the beach all day?

Which is best:
Koh Samui
Koh Phangan
Phi Phi Islands

Or something else? I'm thinking maybe koh samui?

Really loved Kho Pi Pi. It was really beautiful, although it was before the Tsunami.

My favourite place was Chang Mai though- trekking in the jungle was amazing

Baan Dam art museum Chang Rai

I agree Chattatuck market in Bangkok

Bangkok you can get a cheap day ticket on the ferryboat to hop on off as many times as you like to go to Royal Palace, Temple of dawn, Asiateque with big wheel etc

Tbh I’d stay in Krabi instead of Phuket and just boat over for the day. You can visit the various islands from there easily. I didn’t hate Phuket though, lots of lovely restaurants and shops - my older kids liked it as more built up with a shopping mall etc.

@Frankola

We went to Hua Hin last time and it's a beautiful coastal town. It has a royal Palace there too. Or Chang Mai, that's lovely. The touristy islands have never really appealed too much

I stayed in a teeny tiny beach hotel just outside Hua Hin. Just gorgeous, so peaceful.

I really liked Kao Lak too

• khao

I’ve been to Thailand several times. Ayutthaya and Sukothai are great for Thai history and culture. I’ve also been to Khao Yai national park in the Isan region, not that touristy - very impressive wildlife and you can swim by the waterfall that features in The Beach.

Even 15 years ago I thought Chiangmai Mai was too touristy - maybe try Nan or Phrae? Going in the other direction from Bangkok, Khao Sok is another incredible national park.

If you go to Pai then do a mushroom shake there. Was bloody brilliant!

If you dive then do a diving safari in the similans. Just incredible.

Krabi- it's lovely there and a great base for visiting lots of islands nearby.

You can do a day trip from Koh Samui to Phangan by boat so l would stay on Samui.
Not a fan of Bangkok myself.

double check the weather. I think you should be OK but the weather is dramatically different between the west and east coast at certain times of year. I know at christmas phuket is OK and koh samui it is not. We quiet like the languna area near phuket. Also love koh samui but it is a much smaller island.

I'd forgotten all about Sukothai and Hua Hin! The memories are flooding back!

I've been to both Ko Sumui and Ko Phangan twice 20 years apart. I prefer Ko Phangan as it a few years behind Sumui in terms of being built up and has lots to do and has some lovely beaches. Easy to hire a car and get round. Saying that I still enjoyed Sumui too but I found Ko Phangnan more charming.
Khoa Sok is a national park if you want the jungle experience and you can stay in tree houses. I'd give Phuket a miss. Krabi is beautiful. We stayed by Railay beach and it had a very laid back vibe. You'll have an amazing time. Thailand is one of my favourite countries to visit.

Haha! That’s because in Thai, Ph is pronounced ‘f’, so Fuket is correct 🤣🤣

No it isn't
ภุเก๊ต - 'p' sound

Exactly araiwa even though ‘ph’ would hold a ‘f’ sound in English it’s just a bit of a rubbish translation in this case. My son’s non-Thai school teacher (we live in Thailand) was pronouncing Phuket with a ‘f’ sound earlier this year. I just can’t imagine how she has never noticed no one else is doing this

Agree about Chang Mai - lovely chilled out vibe and lots to do. Didn’t do Puhket as didn’t want any seediness and had read a few reviews saying this. Loved Koh Samui.

There are seedy parts in all of the tourist places. They're not hidden or secret and easily avoided. My parents went to Phuket and were nowhere near the seedy bits. Bangkok and Chiang mai have seedy bits too. So does London, Paris etc

Don't go elephant riding. It's awful for the elephants

I wouldn't bother with Phuket. The islands are much nicer. I also wouldn't spend 3 days in Bangkok, not necessary. Maybe 2. I'd recommend Koh Samui. Koh Phi Phi and Koh Phangnan were fun when I was a wild 18 year old but they're basically like a Thai Magaluf - full of young Brits drinking and shagging, to put it bluntly. I'd recommend Chiang Mai, lovely.

*sorry, that should say the SMALLER islands

All these opinions of what places are like are really not current.
The pandemic has completely changed Thailand.
Alcohol is still not allowed and may not change until mid January.
Lots of areas are still completely closed up.
The entry requirements are probably the most complicated of all destinations currently.
The festival’s haven’t been on.
There was a test one last week to see how it went.

This group is invaluable for current info.
The mods are in Thailand
www.facebook.com/groups/136807173553840/?ref=share

I've been to Khao Lak and Koh Samui and preferred Koh Samui ( mainly because we got better and more authentic food there) The beaches and resorts were beautiful in both places but we liked the feel of Koh Samui more.

We were due to go to Chaweng Beach just as the pandemic started. It's apparently where the Thai Royal family like to go. We had arranged a car to take us from BK. We had booked to stay in a grand old railway hotel that looked really lovely.

We've heard good things about it from people who have been there. One day we will re book as I'd still like to see for myself what it's like.

I went 20 years ago and found Bangkok really depressing, loads of sex tourism, begging and I saw lots of animal cruelty and exploitation both on the streets and the markets. Koh Samui was a shithole back then too, lots of rubbish on the beach and full of really seedy nightclubs with old western men tourists dancing and groping with teenage prostitutes 😫 it may have since progressed of course.

Phi phi was beautiful though.

@teaandtoastwithmarmite

We also went to Kanchanaburi and stayed in a river rafts hotel along the river Kwai. It was really amazing with elephant rides through the jungle and stuff. I also recommend that.

Elephant rides are cruel and unethical, please don’t ride elephants.

Chiang Mai for a couple of days then bus ride over to Chiang Rai.
Krabi / Railay for the beach - definitely nice than Phuket.

Kanchanburi for the history (a bit harrowing in places though).
Phi Phi was just a big rubbish dump last time we went, very sad to see as it was lovely pre The Beach and subsequent mass tourist influx.