Thailand at Christmas

[frecklejuice]

Hi, so we have decided to go to Thailand for Christmas 2025 and want to get things planned and booked by this Christmas (I know flights will have to be done closer to the time).

What I wanted to ask was if you have been for Christmas where did you spend it (which part) and would you recommend it? To be honest we aren’t massively into Christmas celebrations (at home we do presents and dinner and then try to go away Boxing Day to escape)! But obviously want to spent it in the nicest place possible.

Is there anywhere you wouldn’t go back to? Not just for Christmas but just in general? We are thinking two nights in Bangkok then moving on but aren’t sure whether to go to Krabi, Chiang Mai or Koh Samui. Do we try to get to all 3 or just pick two of those?

Are there any off the beaten track places you loved?

Kids will be 12 and 17, me and would be 12 year old are desperate to see elephants (ethically of course) and the 17 year old is all about the beaches and water sports/snorkelling etc.. DH happy to go along with everyone else!

This is going to be a huge trip for us so I need it to be perfect.

Thanks for any help.

If you want beach - I'd recommend Krabi for a night or two (ao nang is lovely) and then on to Koh Lanta. Koh Lanta is the most beautiful safe island. Not as commercial as Koh Samui for example. Krabi is a good place to start to explore the islands.

Koh Tao is also amazing - that's the other side, near Koh Samui. It's tiny and really good for diving.

Koh Samui is nice but quite commercial. Look at the Jungle Club, an amazing place to stay if you consider Samui. But on Samui you'll find macdonalds etc, it feels quite brits abroad I find 😆I've been looking at the holiday inn in Bophut on Samui for Xmas - it looks incredible for kids.

If you'd prefer mountains and jungle over beach then Chiang Mai and look at venturing further north to Pai. It's absolutely amazing up there!

For me nothing beats a Thai beach break though, if you only have time for beaches or the north.

Will happily chat on DM if you have any qs I've spent a lot of time in Thailand.

Ps you could easily do both islands and north, Krabi has an airport and internal flights are cheap as chips! So could do a week on the beach then fly from either Samui or Krabi up to chiang Mai!

We spent Christmas in Koh Samui and new year in Chang Mai, we travelled between them on boat and train via Bangkok. Would highly recommend the trains there. You’re so organised..: we booked our trip about a week before!

You're more likely to get rain on the Ko Samui side in December, Krabi or Phuket is generally drier then.

I've spent Christmas in Bangkok, which has amazing decorations so much better than the UK, and another year visiting the Elephant Nature Park from Chiang Mai.

I would suggest the following - Bangkok 2 nights (Christmas isn’t celebrated, shops open etc but lots of decorations etc still up), Chiang Mai 3-4 nights for temples everywhere plus the ethical elephant parks. Then to the beach islands - I’d agree Krabi and Lanta are good easy options for families. You can also get to Koh Lipe from Krabi quite easily, which may appeal. I can recommend further off beaten track places but my sense is one or both of your aged kids may get bored, wifi likely hugely patchy etc etc.

Thanks so much everyone this is all really helpful, I don't know where to start before I read the replies!

@Peonies12 I'm not normally so organised but I'm home with a terrible cold and cough so planning this has passed the afternoon for me!!

I just wish we were going this Christmas and not next, it feels so far away!

I'm sure I'll be back with more questions!

We spent christmas at Centara Grand at Ao Nang last year it was wonderful. We spent a month in Thailand all together and the only place I didn’t much like was Koh Samui - too European.

We spent Christmas at Frank Resort in Ao Nang in Krabi a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. We spent most days taking longboat trips out to the islands, which are absolutely beautiful (Phi Phi, Koda, Hong, Railay Beach) We then took a short flight to Malaysia for NYE celebrations in Kuala Lumpur.

Ko Samui is not the best weather in December as pp said. Phuket/Krabi is
perfect weather then.

Sorry to hijack the thread, but hoping you might know @frecklejuice , or someone on the thread.

What can you expect to pay for flights for Christmas? We were looking at a similar trip for Summer 2025, but now wondering if we might do Christmas 2025 instead. Trouble is, can't see flight prices for 2025 yet, and flight prices for 2024 are obviously astronomical/many popular routes sold through.

So if anyone has booked flights for Christmas 2024 and can share ballparks, or OP, perhaps you checked yourself earlier in the year, what kind of prices were you seeing?

@boymum1989 2025 flights are available with Thai Airways. I've just booked for January to Bangkok and also a flight to Chiang Mai included for just over£1,100.

Perhaps I wasn't clear, but I would like to see prices for Dec 2025 specifically, which I imagine won't be released until November/December time, or an idea of what people have paid for this Christmas 2024, when booked further in advance.

We spent a week on Koh Lanta for this Christmas, it was perfect!
We stayed on the South of the island in Kantiang Bay, which was the best spot!
Then had 5 nights in Bangkok.

Already planning on going back this Christmas.

We are seriously considering Thailand for this summer with our primary aged children

From what's been written in this thread it's making me want to go to Koh Lanta more and more!

I went to Thailand backpacking over 2 decades ago and did all the usual places eg Samui, koh Pha Ngan, koh Tao etc...no real desire to go back there again especially with young kids

Just concerned that Koh Lanta weather won't be the best during July/August

Has anyone been at that time of the year? Is it maybe worth looking at the gulf of Thailand instead?

Amazing! Did you fly into Krabi and get the car ferry? I’m unsure just because we will only be going for 6 nights total, one of which might have to be in Krabi depending on inbound flight, so want to make sure the journey feels worth it.

July/august can be too rainy but more than that, I think the seas can be rough and boat tours/transfers unpredictable because of that. Samui on the other side has the better weather but you’ve been there, what about east coast Malaysia islands or Bali/Lombok. We’ve been to Lombok and the gili islands is a slice of heaven

We just spent Christmas 2024 in Nai Yang in Phuket - amazing weather. we went from 16 - 30 December. I cant recommend it enough!

we flew out with Turkish and back with Singapore and paid £3750 for 4 of us. To fly out closer to christmas and back after NY was at least 1k more expensive

@boymum1989

Thank you for the ideas

Yes actually the more I'm reading, the Andaman sea side probably will have worse weather/more rainy compared with the gulf of Thailand

Am also researching smaller islands in the gulf, def looking for a different vibe now as a family with 2 young children...less need for full moon parties

I'm off to check out the Malaysian islands and Bali

We’ve just comeback from Thailand and flew with Saudia through Jeddah. It was £300 each cheaper than all the other flights, and decent, although the food was shit but isn’t it always.

I reallly wouldn’t recommend Phuket, Patong or Koh Samui but everywhere else I’ve been have been amazing. Krabi is lovely.

I really liked ao nang and railey beach. Personally I would spend a bit more time in Bangkok. How long are you planning to stay ?

Hi OP

I have family living there so we went this year just gone

My child is 2 so not the same age, but we did :

Middle of nowhere where family live 😂

Pattaya - do not recommend, it’s the “party / girls” scene. DH very shocked, bless him, but I’ve been before so knew what to expect

Rayong - beautiful, whole beach to ourselves on week days

Bangkok - been before, plenty “touristy” things to do

Overall Christmas isn’t a big deal in Thailand, but new years will be if you are there for that

It was nice to have a “chill” one and not worry over expectations of presents, the dinner, family visiting etc

But also really weird being warm and with palm trees etc not snow, rain, Christmas tree and cold

Flights were Thai Airways direct, chosen due to age of toddler and night flights, cost £4.1k for 2 adult 1 toddler