Thailand with kids?

[canidothisor]

Anyone done Thailand with kids? Have older primary school children.
Looking at Bangkok, Phuket, chiang Mai or Koh Samui?
Got 3 weeks spare to go away.
Any recommendations? Happy to do a few days in each place.
Kids desperate to do ethical elephant rescue. I would like some part to be on a beach. All of us want to experience the night markets!

Koh Samui has a lovely elephant rescue place, I was there last year. Getting there and back with three children that age may be challenging. I'd settle for one destination, with extensive pools. Make sure they can all swim as these places may not be fenced. The heat and humidity may be challenging for you all. Perhaps go from resort to resort around the island if you're there for a while, but personally I would avoid too much travelling. Rather get to know one place well than try to see too much.

Both kids are pretty good travellers. We've done USA, Caribbean, UAE plus the usual holiday destinations.
Do you think 6 days in each destination would be ok? Anywhere you would prioritise? I'm thinking chiang mai as the night train goes there from Bangkok. Was looking at Koh Samui but no direct flight from Chiang Mai...

Thailand is great with kids. What time of year dictates the best places to go- Audley travel has a great guide on their website.

Several years ago we did Chiang mai - temples, elephant sanctuary, scenery, waterfalls, cookery school - then koh Chang (gorgeous beach side hotel, idyllic beaches and beach restaurants, rainforest walk in centre of island, seafood and little shops), then Bangkok (night market, koh san road, temples, grand palace, boat cruise, old teak house silk museum place, loads of food). Totally wonderful.

I’d probably focus on Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Ko Chang / Ko Samet. Phuket and Samui are much further south and are the most touristy overrated areas of Thailand.

100% I would stay away from southern and head for northern.

Where is easy to travel too from chiang mai? Ideally a direct flight and then direct flights from there to Bangkok for our return flight.

Just looked at chiang mai to krabi flights and 4 flights come to nearly £800 one way. Chiang mai to Phuket is less than £300.

We did Bangkok, Chiang mai then Koh Chang all very easy and the kids loved it.

We did this too but with Laos and Cambodia in between.

From what I recall OP the Bangkok to Chiang Mai train was about 10-12 hours, we did it during the day as we wanted to see the countryside but it was also a lot cheaper than the sleeper train.

Not sure how you’d then get down to Ko Chang / Ko Samet (which incidentally had the whitest sand of all the many islands we went to and felt far more authentic than the tourist traps of the south) but we got a bus or shared taxi perhaps back from Samet to BKK and I don’t think it took too long, 3 or 4 hours tops.

we did 4 weeks in August with a 13 and 9 year old. We have been to Thailand quite a bit so had experience but had a 5year gap due to covid. We did Bangkok which we love but the kids found too busy. We took a train to Chumphon (6 hours) and then the ferry to Koh Tao and had a week there, snorkelling is amazing there, right off the beach. Then we headed back to the mainland and hired a car and drove through the Khao Sok National park stopping at various places including Khao Sok itself where we did tubing. Bamboo rafting and went to an Elephant sanctuary. We took a week to do this part, then we worked our way up the coast stopping at various places, including Prachuap Khiri Khan
which is an amazing place, and one of our favourites, before heading back to Bangkok. The longest we stayed in anyone place was 3 nights, the kids coped really well and loved it. That might be a bit much if they are younger. The reason we did this is August is the rainy season and we avoided the north and the west side of Thailand for this reason. Getting off the main tourist trail a bit and into the countryside was great

I’ve been Thailand (Phuket) with my 2 adult daughters and 6 year old granddaughter it’s probably one of the best holiday’s we have been on

I've been there about 8x, starting when I was 10. Its very family friendly and great for kids.

Phuket has an international airport, so there is the option to fly directly there and fly out from Bangkok. I agree with another poster that Phuket is touristy, but there are less touristy beaches to stay at and lots to see/do. I would avoid staying in Patong beach though! Full of girlie bars and (mainly) western men walking around with much younger Thai girls. The last time we went to Phuket, we stayed down the coast at Kata beach. Much quieter than Patong and more family friendly.

Koh Chang was much quieter and very relaxing. Our hotel has spa baths on the balconies, so you could soak and watch the sea. I recall we had to get a ferry to the island, whereas Phuket island has a bridge.

From both Phuket and Krabi, you can get a ferry to go to Koh Phi Phi. I think they have closed or now limit the number of people that visit Koh Phi Phi le- where they filmed 'The beach'. DH and I scuba dive, but there was great snorkeling too.

What time of the year are you going? Between Jan-April, avoid Chiang Mai. They burn off crops and the air quality is extremely poor and hazy.

Internal flights used to be fairly cheap and easy to book yourself. Nok air, bangkok airlines and Air asia being some. Also considering flying into another country nearby, then taking a short flight to Thailand. Air Asia used to have some great deals from London to Kuala Lumpur, then a cheaper flight to Bangkok, Phuket. Krabi or Chiang Mai. You'd need to check the luggage allowance though because they often differ.

Been several times with kids and they love it. Went to phuket last year, which is been to before kids and it was so built up, conjested although still some nice areas. We prefer staying on the mainland and going down the coast past pattaya to the local beach resorts. My mum goes every year to koh samui and koh lanta. Depends what month you're going as the weather changes on the east and West sides.

We are looking at April! Sat down and discussed with husband today and I think we are going in and out of Bangkok so on the way there and back it's a direct flight so less stressful. Son wants to do night train to chiang mai. Then I think fly from chiang mai to Phuket. This bit is negotiable but I can't find anywhere else easy to get to from chiang mai. Looked at Krabi but flights are 4 times the price of chiang mai to Phuket! I was looking at patong beach because my kids want to experience the night markets and a fire show on the beach. Would they have that anywhere else in Phuket apart from patong beach?
Thanks all for your advice so far!

I travel out to volunteer for an animal charity in Chiang Mai - we usually visit elephant nature park. Very ethical elephant rescue it has won international awards.