Best Places to Visit in Thailand: A Complete Destination Guide
Thailand is the easiest country in Southeast Asia to visit and the hardest to plan. Everyone you know has been, everyone has a different answer about where you should go, and most of those answers are just the place they happened to book.
The country is really four countries stacked together: a capital that runs on its own logic, two coastlines with opposite weather, and a mountainous north that feels closer to Myanmar than to Bangkok. Pick the wrong combination and you'll watch rain from a hotel lobby while the beach you should have booked sits in full sun four hours away.
At a glance
| Region | Best months | Daily budget, per person | The one highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok & central | Nov to Feb | ₹3,000–₹7,000 mid-range | Wat Pho and the river at 8am, before the heat |
| Andaman coastPhuket, Krabi, Phi Phi | Nov to Apr | ₹4,000–₹10,000 mid-range | Limestone karsts straight out of green water |
| Gulf islandsSamui, Phangan, Tao | Jan to Sep | ₹3,500–₹9,000 mid-range | Beach weather in July, when Phuket is unusable |
| Northern ThailandChiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Pai | Nov to Feb | ₹2,500–₹6,000 mid-range | Cool nights, mountain roads, no beach crowds |
- Where should you go on a first trip?
- Which islands are best, and when?
- Bangkok, Pattaya and the north
- What Indian travellers should know
- The rest of our Thailand guides
- Frequently asked questions
Where should you go in Thailand on a first trip?
For a first trip of seven to ten nights, pair Bangkok with one coast. Three nights in the capital, then four to six on either the Andaman side (Phuket, Krabi) or the Gulf side (Koh Samui), depending on your month. Add Chiang Mai only if you have ten nights or more.
Stop treating Thailand as a list of destinations and start treating it as three zones. Bangkok is the arrival point and the cultural anchor. The coasts are why you came. The north is the counterweight: cooler, slower, built around temples and hill country rather than sand.
Almost every good itinerary is Bangkok plus one of the other two. What doesn't work is Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui and Chiang Mai in nine nights: Phuket and Samui sit on opposite sides of the peninsula with different weather systems between them, and connecting them eats a full day plus a fare. Pick a coast and you'll see more of it. Our Thailand itinerary guide maps these routes out night by night.
Which Thai islands and beaches are best, and when?
The two coasts run on opposite monsoons. The Andaman side (Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi) is best November to April. The Gulf side (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao) is best January to September, with October to December its wettest stretch. January to March, both work.
Green is the good window, pink is the monsoon. January to March is the only stretch where both coasts work.
This is worth more than any beach ranking. The southwest monsoon hits the Andaman coast roughly May to October; the northeast monsoon hits the Gulf October to December. They don't overlap. So when Phuket is getting hammered in September, Samui is having a perfectly reasonable month, and when everyone piles into Phuket in November, Samui is in its soggiest stretch.
| If you're going in | Choose | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Dec to Feb | Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi, Koh Lanta | Koh Samui in early December |
| Mar to Apr | Either coastBut expect real heat | Northern ThailandBurning season, see below |
| May to Sep | Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao | Phuket, Krabi, Koh Chang |
| Oct to Nov | Andaman coast from late Nov | Koh SamuiNovember is its wettest |
Krabi is what people picture when they picture Thailand: Railay's limestone walls rise straight out of the water and can only be reached by longtail boat. Phuket's reputation is Patong, but that's one stretch of a very large island, and its real value is as a base with the best flight connections from India. Koh Samui is the island that saves a monsoon-season holiday, sheltered enough that May through September stays viable.
Koh Chang and Koh Kood sit in the Gulf, so people assume they follow Samui's calendar. They don't. Their weather tracks the Andaman pattern, with monsoon roughly May to October. Don't book them in July on the logic that Gulf islands are dry in summer.
Bangkok, Pattaya and the north
Bangkok in the wrong month is a physical experience. March through May is genuinely oppressive, while November to February is when it becomes a walking city. Do the big three temples in one morning starting at eight: Wat Pho, the Grand Palace, then Wat Arun via the cross-river ferry, because the approach from the water is the version worth seeing. The Chao Phraya express boat costs less than a bottle of water and reframes the whole city. Temple etiquette and the food scene get proper treatment in our guide to Thai culture, food and local life.
Ayutthaya, two hours north by train, is the better day trip: the ruined Siamese capital, with a Buddha head wrapped in tree roots. Pattaya, two hours southeast, has a reputation that's mostly earned, but it's the most convenient beach from Bangkok and Jomtien at the southern end is far calmer than the central strip. Its dry season runs November to May.
Chiang Mai runs at a different speed entirely: a walled old city you can cross on foot, Doi Suthep on the mountain above, cooking classes that are genuinely good rather than a tourist formality, and ethical elephant sanctuaries in the surrounding valleys. Chiang Rai has the White Temple; Pai is a mountain town people visit for two nights and leave after five.
March and April in the north bring agricultural burning and hazardous air quality. If you plan to trek, cycle or spend real time outdoors around Chiang Mai or Pai, weigh this before committing. November to February is the clear window.
What should Indian travellers know before booking?
Indians can currently enter Thailand visa-free for 60 days, but that is changing. A Cabinet-approved reform will cut it to a 30-day visa exemption once published in the Royal Gazette, taking effect 15 days after publication. As of mid-August 2026 it had not been published. Everyone also needs the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card before boarding.
Most of the noise about this is wrong in one of two directions. On 19 May 2026 the Cabinet approved scrapping the 60-day exemption, and early reports placed India in the 15-day Visa on Arrival tier. A further review on 14 July changed that: the Tourism Authority of Thailand confirmed India would shift to the 30-day visa exemption tier, citing India's trade importance and an average Indian stay of 7.17 days per trip. The 15-day tier ended up applying to Mauritius and Seychelles. None of it is law yet, and the change is not retroactive. Arrive before the effective date and you keep the stamp you were given.
Confirm Royal Gazette publication status on the day you apply, via the Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi and the TAT newsroom. This is the fastest-moving fact on this page.
The Thailand Digital Arrival Card is mandatory, free, and must be submitted online within 72 hours before arrival. Skip it and the airline can refuse boarding. Carry a passport valid six months beyond entry, a return ticket, accommodation proof and evidence of funds (THB 20,000 per person, THB 40,000 per family). Extensions cost THB 1,900 at an immigration office. Full pre-departure detail sits in our Thailand travel guide.
On money: carry US dollars and convert on arrival rather than buying baht at an Indian airport counter, and check cash limits on international flights from India first. Budget ₹18,000–₹30,000 for return flights from a metro, plus ₹1,000–₹1,500 for travel insurance, which matters here because scooter rental is how half of Thailand gets around. Weighing Thailand against its neighbours? We've run the numbers in Bali or Vietnam: which is cheaper for Indian travellers.
The rest of our Thailand guides
- Thailand itinerary guide 5, 7, 10 and 14-day routes and multi-city pairings
- Best things to do in Thailand Diving, Muay Thai, island hopping, national parks
- Thai culture, food and local life Street food, markets, festivals and etiquette
- Thailand travel guide Visas, currency, eSIMs, transport, costs and safety
Frequently asked questions
What is the best place to visit in Thailand for a first-timer?
Bangkok paired with one coast. Three nights in the capital, then four to six in Krabi or Phuket if you're travelling November to April, or Koh Samui if you're travelling May to September.
Which is better, Phuket or Koh Samui?
It depends on your month, not the islands. Phuket wins November through April; Samui wins May through September. January to March, both work.
Do Indians need a visa for Thailand in 2026?
Not currently. The 60-day exemption remained in force as of August 2026, though a reform will reduce Indians to 30 days once published in the Royal Gazette. Everyone must complete the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card within 72 hours before arrival.
How many days do you need in Thailand?
Seven nights covers Bangkok plus one coast. Ten lets you add Chiang Mai. Under five, pick a single base rather than moving.
The hard part isn't choosing Thailand. It's choosing which Thailand.
Two coasts, opposite monsoons, a north with a season of its own, and a visa rule that may change between booking and flying.
Artictern holds it in one place: your dates, the regions that work in those dates, and the entry rules as they stand today. Build the route first, then book it knowing the beach will be there.
