Here are 12 reasons why you should never visit this awful country! The first time I visited Thailand was 4 years ago and after all these terrible activities I’m still unsure why I moved back to Thailand 3 years ago. Please avoid visiting Thailand because you may just get addicted…
You will mostly likely get sunburnt while snorkelling the clear waters off of paradise islands
Yep, don’t remember this…but I have the photos to prove I did indeed eat a scorpion.
3. You’ll spend 7 days worth of Thai street food dinners on one cocktail at a swanky Bangkok skybar
Cheers to Bangkok, my big bad adopted city
4. You will most likely vomit after drinking too many fuck-it buckets. If you don’t then I am extremely impressed with you. But your liver is doomed., especially if you go to the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan
5. You’ll get a hangover from drinking cheap Chang every evening and decide maybe a Leo beer is worth the extra 10 baht. We nickname it a ‘changover’.
6. You’ll get so used to cockroaches in Thailand you won’t feel bothered by them any more… (just me?!). The big ones that run at your feet and the small ones hanging out by your toothbrush in the (slightly) dirty hostel, you are officially a real backpacker now. For wild animals you actually want to see, check out this post
7. In rainy season you’ll stroll through puddles the height of your knees trying not to think about what might be floating around in there
11. You will get seasick on a boat and possibly think you are about to die, probably on the way to Maya Bay ” The Beach” beach where there never seem to be enough life jackets for everyone… #youcanswimthoughright
For when you do decide to travel Thailand, consider these items to help deal with the above issues:
I’m a recent convert to the humble backpack as you can always fit in a bottle of water comfortably (that just never happens with my handbags!) I love this turquoise Everest Backpack from Amazon
2. Alternatively, if you might be here in rainy season (May-October) then I recommend a dry bag as you will definitely get caught in a thunderstorm at some point! I love these dry bags Dry Bag (5L) from Amazon
3. Mosquito spray is definitely one thing I recommend buying at home before you arrive in Thailand as I have never been able to buy stronger than 15% DEET here. Try this Repel 40% DEET Pump SprayRepel Insect Repellent 40-Percent DEET from Amazon
Looking for some Thailand itinerary inspiration? So you’ve got two weeks to travel Thailand? Whether you’re a beach bum, party animal, culture vulture or adventurer I’ve suggested a possible itinerary to inspire you to explore Thailand!
Day 7, 8, 9 Fly to Krabi and spend time rock climbing in Railay, island hopping, go scuba diving, visit hot springs
Day 10, 11, 12 Go to Khao Sok National Park, sleep in a tree house, a floating bungalow on a lake, go kayaking, jungle trekking and on boat tours to spot gibbons, monkeys and a small chance of elephants! It’s on my list of Thailand’s most beautiful places!
Day 13, 14 Head to Phuket for surfing (rainy season only June-Oct), ziplining, exploring beaches
For flying around Thailand, compare prices on skyscanner below
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Sunsets in Koh Lipe, Thailand
Swimming in magical blue pools in the Erawan National Park
So you’ve got one week in Thailand? Is a week too short to travel Thailand? Is it even worth visiting Thailand in such a short time?
Having spent almost 4 years living in Thailand, I can confidently say that you can pack a lot into a week of travel there if you make smart travel decisions and decide on places to visit that are nearby to your entry airport.
Most people travelling to Thailand fly into Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Phuket so consider the geography when deciding.
Whether you’re a beach bum, a party animal, a culture vulture or an adventurer I’ve suggested an itinerary for you to make the most of your trip around Thailand. Even if you only have a week, I still think Thailand is always worth the visit. Focus on a few main highlights to enjoy.
If you only have one week I suggest picking Bangkok and a couple of islands that are geographically close to each other to visit.
Transportation in Thailand
Domestic Flights – Flying around Thailand
Travelling around Thailand by airplane ensures that you won’t waste time waiting for public transport and you can guarantee that most flights will leave and arrive on time.
Which airline to use for domestic flights in Thailand? I recommend Nok Air, Air Asia and Thai Smile as there are usually the budget airlines with the most options.
Public Transport – Travelling around Thailand by night bus or trains
However, night buses and trains can also be a good option for a week holiday to Thailand because you can travel at night and therefore make the most of the days and a bonus is saving on accommodation. so this is a good budget tip for travelling Thailand. For booking trains and ferries in advanced you can use this user-friendly website which adds on discounts for additional journeys and bookings.
1 week Thailand Itinerary for BEACH BUMS
Focus on Southern Thailand if you have one week to visit Thailand’s beautiful beaches. I recommend flying into Phuket so that you are already landing in the South of Thailand – the Andaman sea. If you fly into Bangkok, it is very far to travel and will include a night bus or another domestic flight. Thailand has some of the best islands to spend a week relaxing and exploring:
Day 1 & 2 in Krabi and Railay
Head down to Krabi province from Phuket – spend 2 days exploring Railay. It has beautiful beaches, nice snorkelling and great restaurants as well as a viewpoint. Spend day 1 on the beach and day 2 I recommend a snorkelling tour which includes island hopping to nearby islands.
Day 3 explore around Ao Nang and Krabi
Ao Nang has a fantastic national park with a mountain to hike and amazing views of the Andaman and its nearby islands.
Day 4,5 and 6 in and around Koh Phi Phi
Take the boat to Koh Phi Phi to experience legendary fire shows, beach parties and a true backpacker island.
Spend the day on Phi Phi’s beaches or explore other nearby islands. You could consider chartering a long tail boat to visit uninhabited islands not far from Koh Phi Phi. Spend the evening partying on the beach, drinking buckets and experiencing the best fireshows in Thailand. (and I have seen a few!).
Consider trying scuba diving around Koh Phi Phi. It has a marine park in which there is healthy coral and a lot of marine life to see (I have seen turtles and sharks while scuba diving in Koh Phi Phi Leh) Remember if you are trying diving, PADI recommends leaving 18-24 hours by flying so don’t leave this experience until your last day!
Already a scuba diver? Read my post about the best dive sites in Thailand, click here
Experience some Thai culture and history and visit ancient temples, cities, and important historical sites:
Day 1 & 2 stay in Bangkok and spend time exploring
Day 3 & 4 Take train/minivan for 3 days in Kanchanaburi – visit waterfall, visit war museum, see bridge over the river kwai, visit an elephant sanctuary
Day 5 –go to Ayutthaya the ancient capital in Thailand
Day 6 Take train/minivan from Ayutthaya back to Bangkok
1 week Thailand Itinerary for ADVENTURER
Thailand is for the adventurous and make the most of all the adventure and action:
Day 1 Spend time in Bangkok
Day 2 & 3 Take a minivan to Khao Yai National Park and go camping and jungle trekking
Day 4 & 5 Fly from Bangkok to Chiang Mai or take the night train and spend 3 days in Chiang Mai, ziplining, seeing elephants or any other adventure activities on my Chiang Mai list
Staying or living in Thailand and looking for the best weekend getaways from Bangkok? After living in Bangkok twice, both pre-covid and post covid I have visited many destinations near Bangkok and have done a lot of weekend trips outside of Bangkok.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a booking I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Most Thailand visitors find themselves in Bangkok at some point during their trip. I find many people have a love/hate relationship with Bangkok and it’s my mission to try to convert tourists to loving this crazy city that I call home. If you love the beach, nature or history, read this Bangkok blog to find out where to visit for a weekend trip outside Bangkok.
Khao Yai National Park
One of my favourite short trips from Bangkok is to spend the weekend in the jungle. Khao Yai National Park is one of Thailand’s oldest national parks. If you love nature and the wilderness then, this is the best weekend trip from Bangkok. It takes approximately 2 hours to travel there from Bangkok. You can see wild elephants, monkeys, gibbons, snakes, porcupines, deer and many more inside Khao Yai National Park.
My top recommendations are to book a jungle day trip with Greenleaf Tours, who have awesome, knowledgeable tour guides and I have been with many times before.
The best budget place to stay near Khao Yai is Wynnhouse. I stayed here in 2022 and it was fairly accessible to head into the park from there although there are not that many restaurants around.
If you love camping, consider camping overnight in the park by renting motorbikes and heading into the park independently.
Please note there is a National Park entrance fee of 400 baht. Once you have entered you will be required to pay again if you leave and re-enter but not if you camp overnight (information accurate at time of writing in 2022)
How to get to Khao Yai National Park from Bangkok: Minivans from Ekkamai take about 2/3 hours and will drop you in Pak Chong.
Koh Samet is one of the nearest islands to Bangkok and is therefore very popular with Bangkok residents. It has some lovely white sand beaches, particularly Ao Prao beach which boasts clear, turquoise water. At the weekends, it can become crowded and turns into more of a party island although it hasn’t yet returned to its pre-covid party glory.
I have stayed at two fantastic mid-range accommodation in Koh Samet and would recommend both. Pre-covid I stayed at the lovely Tubtim Resort which has spacious wooden bungalows bang on the beach, with green lily pads growing everywhere.
In 2021, post covid I enjoyed a very quiet beach on Koh Samet and loved staying at Silver Sands Koh Samet.
How to get to Koh Samet from Bangkok?
Take a minivan ride to Rayong from Bangkok and then either take the local ferry or a shared speedboat. Both can be booked when you arrive at the pier. Please note these boats do not run into the late evening.
Koh Samet – Bangkok’s famous weekend trip island getaway
Weekend Trips from Bangkok to Lopburi
A few hours on the train from Bangkok (costing approximately 40 baht) you can find yourself in the ancient city of Lopburi, famous for its monkeys and temples. It’s all slightly off the tourist trail which might be a welcome sight for many. I recommend collecting a map of the different temples from the temple opposite the station and deciding on where to visit. All temples that I visited were walkable and there are certain ones that are home to huge families of macaques. Please be aware of not feeding the monkeys any food that is not natural for them. They also will grab your sunglasses or anything else in range so be careful.
If you feel like renting a scooter then you can access the gorgeous sunflower fields (seasonal around November- January) and the Peacock temple is worth a visit as well. Along with the birds there is also a great viewpoint if you feel like some exercise up many stairs.
Monkeys in one of Lopburi’s temples
Whale Watching (seasonal Aug-Nov)
Only two hours from Bangkok, the enormous Bryde whales can be seen! Entering the Gulf of Thailand to feed on anchovies these gentle giants are incredible and one of the coolest experiences I’ve had in Thailand. Wildlife Encounters Thailand offer weekly trips for 2500 baht including transfer from Bangkok and lunch on the boat. An amazing day out and still possible post covid in 2022.
I have recently been on this trip twice to see both the Bryde whales and Irawaddy dolphins in Thailand and absolutely love this day trip from Bangkok.
One of my favourite weekend getaways from Bangkok is Koh Lan which is an island just off of Pattaya. Cheap accommodation and a couple of beautiful white sand beaches are there to welcome you. This used to get very busy (pre-covid) with huge tour groups. Jump in a songtaew (truck) or motorsi taxi for 20-30 baht and spend the day exploring lesser known beaches and taking in great views of the island! I really enjoyed my stay at Castello resort, it’s walkable to the pier. However, my last weekend trip top Koh Lan was pre-covid so I am looking forward to a Bangkok weekend getaway there soon!
Monks on a beach in Koh Lan, Thailand. A lovely Bangkok weekend trip
A weekend trip from Bangkok to Ayutthaya
An interesting and cultural Bangkok day trip or weekend trip to experience some Thai history. Head to this ancient temple town, one hour by train or minivan from Bangkok. Rent bicycles cheaply and enjoy cycling around and soaking in the culture of these ancient temples and a former capital of Siam. Don’t forget to try my favourite dessert roti sai mai – kinda like a rolled up candyfloss.
The ideal cultural Bangkok day trip: explore the ruins of Ayutthaya
Best Weekend Trips from Bangkok: Kanchanaburi
If you are interested in World War II history, then Kanchanaburi is a must visit as a weekend or slightly longer trip from Bangkok. Tourists come here to see the bridge over the River Kwai and understand more about the dark history of this area where prisoners of war were held by the Japanese during World War II. It is quite far for a Bangkok day trip but I have done it before in one day. I recommend staying one night though. Two hours by car/minivan or a little longer on the train.
Weekend Trips from Bangkok to Erawan Waterfall
You can combine this with a Bangkok day trip or overnight stay from Kanchanaburi. Visit these stunning, blue coloured waterfalls with 9 steps inside Erawan National Park. Around 45 minutes by car from Kanchanaburi, bring a picnic and spend the afternoon swimming in stunning pools, cliff jumping and getting back to nature.
Bangkok Day trips: Swimming in blue waterfalls in Erawan National Park
Beaches near Bangkok – Hua Hin
One of Bangkok’s nearest beaches and very big for kite surfing, this is definitely possible as a Bangkok day trip or weekend getaway. A large stretch of yellow sand beach for hanging out on and a wide range of accommodation is on offer here. Swimming is not always recommended as there are jellyfish lurking! Cha-am is another beach stop just before Hua Hin. You can take minivans or the slow train to either place from Bangkok.
View of Hua Hin from Takiap Beach, a good Bangkok day trip or weekend visit.
Bangkok Weekend Trips: Water Park
Water parks are a great Bangkok day trip and a fun day out. There are many both towards Pattaya or towards Hua Hin. I loved Splashdown, near Pattaya. It is more of an inflatable obstacle course, this brightly coloured water park will have you and your mates running around behaving like big kids, plus a few beers!
Big Kids Day out in Splashdown – funnily enough no-one made it all the way across these giant floating obstacle courses!
Where are your favourite places for a Bangkok weekend getaway? I’m always looking for more inspiration!
