Thailand - tips, advice, places not to miss?

[onlyoranges]

Planning our first trip to Thailand. For those who have been do you have advice? We are information gathering at the moment so our knowledge is very limited.

I'd advise buying lonely planet guidebook and choosing carefully where you want to go and when, as weather ( rainy season ) can vary widely from location to location
We're off to Koh Samui for second time in 3 weeks time and also spending a week on Koh Phangan....it's rainy season on West Coast of country so that rules out Krabi and Khao Lak as sea will be rough and many restaurants close over this period
We went to Koh Samui 3 yrs ago in July and had a wonderful holiday
Don't do AI ( many hotels don't offer this in any case) as eating out is part of the fun of a holiday in Thailand and is reasonably cheap...we did a cookery class which was fabulous as we got to go round the local market ..
also have a look on trip advisor for ideas

How long are you going for? Are you the flop on the beach type or do you like to do more cultural/active things? Do you have DC?

I’ve been on trip advisor a lot which has been useful if not a bit overwhelming. Don’t mind a couple of beach days but more about the culture and experiences. Restricted to school hols for times as everyone is at uni, college and school. Looking at around 2 weeks. 4 dcs, 3 young adults and a 10 year old. I’d like to do a number of excursions but wondered if it’s best to book them myself or through a third party/tour operator.

We used Trailfinders who sorted absolutely everything out for us and will tailor your trip precisely to your requirements and budget. Also very knowledgable about suitable tours etc and won't try to talk you into things you aren't interested in.

How long are you going for? If you are doing two weeks I would do 4 days in Bangkok, 4 days in Chiang mai then fly to krabi, Koh samui or Phuket for a beach bit for 6 days. Internal flights in Thailand are cheap and easy.

If you go for ten days I'd do Bangkok then hua hin which is 3 hours drive from Bangkok. I first went to Thailand when I was 10, it was fantastic.

Second using Trailfinders....we've used them twice now and they figured out all the flight connections for us

Just to warn you, koh samui and Phuket are verrrrry touristy- lots of stretches of resort buildings and very unsympathetic development. I used to live in Bangkok and we all loved Koh Samet and Koh Chang- they were quieter and felt a bit less commercial. Mind you that was over ten years ago and things will no doubt have changed! Koh Tao is amazing for diving if that is your thing. I fell in love with diving there.

Off to google photos of Thailand and reminisce!

Have fun, OP!

Ooh, and remember to visit the night markets for food and drinks- some of the best food in the world.

Thanks so much everyone. Really helpful!

It was a long time ago but I stayed in Bophut the north (?) of Koh samui. Very quiet and very different from the main beach which I hated. Also stayed on koh Tao which was lovely.

Also stayed on a floating river raft near kanchanburi. That was heaven.

Bangkok - and stay on the river if you can. The Golden Temple and floating markets. We also took a bus for a day trip to Ayutthaya - amazing temples and palaces snd got the boat back having dinner on board. The northern town Chiangmai is also a big draw tho haven’t been myself.

I love Bangkok definitely worth three or four days. Nancy Chandler's maps of Bangkok and Chang Mai are a must and have great tips. They are beautiful to look at. I usually head north to Chang Mai. I always visit the Elephant Nature Park where rescue elephants, cats and dogs are loved and well taken care of. You can go for a day trip or stop overnight. They also do day trips with rescue elephants from other areas close by. Last year we did a day trip walking with two rescue elephants and feeding them along the walk. We had lunch and then went white water rafting to the Elephant Nature Park it was amazing but I think there is an age restriction for that. There's lots to do in the North the mountains are amazing.

www.elephantnaturepark.org