Thailand

Last Updated on 02/14/26

Who would not want to visit a place known as the "land of smiles"? A country known for its kind people, exotic beaches, delicious food and affordable prices? Thailand is all of this, but so much more. If you're not into beaches, how about jungles, waterfalls, terraced rice paddies, Buddhist temples and elephants? Or perhaps you just want to get away from the daily barrage of bad news in America?

Look no further; in my three week trip to Thailand in December of 2025, I encountered only one other American, and he was from my home state of California. So if you're longing for an affordable escape to recharge your batteries, consider a break in a friendly country where a 1-hour massage costs less than a cup of Starbucks coffee.

I've organized this page to give you some background information first, but if you want to jump to the itinerary or start the trip, just click on the respective link below.

Photo courtesy of Natalia Chernenko, Unsplash

Thailand at a Glance

Thailand is located in Southeast Asia east of Myanmar (formerly Burma), west of Cambodia, and north of Malaysia.
Thailand's climate is tropical with three distinct seasons:

Hot: March–May

Rainy (Monsoon): June–October

Cool/Dry: November–February

Average temperatures: Lowlands: ~25–35°C (77–95°F)
Natural risks: Flooding during monsoon season (Traditional homes are built on stilts so the bottom floor can flood.)
Population: ~71 million, of which ~50% live in urban areas
Primary religion: Theravāda Buddhism (90%-95% of population), ~ 5% Islam and other beliefs.
Official language: Thai

Writing system: Thai script
English: Widely used in tourism, business, and higher education, but not universally fluent

Economic Status: Upper-middle-income country, with the average Thai living on about ฿700/day (USD $22/day).

Tourism is important for Thailand ~20% GDP.
Medical Tourism is a growing industry with Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket offering medical and dental care at 40%-70% the prices charged elsewhere.

Photo courtesy of Jason Leung on Unsplash

Unit of currency: Thai Baht (THB) ฿
Cash is King. Many vendors only take cash. I was surprised to have to pay cash for a new cell phone when mine was damaged by salt water.

Photo by q u i n g u y e n on Unsplash

Thailand has more temples than Starbucks has locations. There are over 40,000 Buddhist temples across the country. You'll want to pace yourself so you don't get "watted out".
Elephants are national symbols, but white elephants are considered especially sacred and tied to royalty.

Health and Safety

Drinking tap water is NOT advised-- Bottled water is plentiful and cheap, but next time I visit I will bring my backpacking filter so I don't add to the plastic burden.
Ice in drinks is normal (even in beer 🍺), and it’s safe — most ice is factory-produced.

Photo courtesy of Chi-Feng Li on Unsplash

Thailand's sewage system is not designed for toilet paper. Most stalls have sprayers which are Thailand's version of the bidet.
The burn season (time of year in which farmers burn crops) varies widely with area. If you are sensitive to smoke plan accordingly.

Thai Etiquette

Thai people smile a LOT - There are “smiles” indicating embarrassment, apology, discomfort, or “I’m annoyed but staying polite.”
Thailand's government is a constitutional monarchy. While King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) is the head of state, the prime minister heads the government.
It’s illegal to insult the monarchy, even online or as a foreigner. This is taken very seriously. In fact...
You can’t legally step on money. Thai coins and bills have the king’s image, and stepping on them is considered disrespectful.
The last 30 years have been marked by political instability in Thailand. Though elections are held, there have been 15-17 changes in governments as coups or court rulings abruptly end one government and establish another.
The head is sacred, the feet are not. Touching someone’s head or pointing your feet at people, temples, or Buddha images is a big no-no. In fact...
Shoes are unclean. All temples, homes and many establishments will ask you to remove your shoes before entering

The Thai Language

I'd love to say I got pretty good at "getting by" in Thai, but truth be told, in three weeks, the best I could manage was to return a "sawasdee-ka", which is the way to "hello" to a female. My advice? Use Google Translate. It got me by on several occasions.

So with that short language primer, you're now ready to go! Relax, sit back and come along with me on a three-week introductory sampler of the "Land of Smiles".

Scroll down for the itinerary, followed by a day-by-day description of my trip.

Thailand Sampler Itinerary: 20 days, $2,200 pp

Days 1 & 2: Embark on your transpacific journey to BKK; arrive in BKK late on day 2, transfer to your lodging and settle in for the night.

Days 3 & 4: Spend 2 full days exploring Bangkok's major sites including Jim Thompson's House, Wat Pho, and Wat Phra Kaew at the Grand Palace. Walk the Chao Phraya River Sky Park Bridge to cross the river and marvel at Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) lit up at night.

Day 5: Day trip to Ayutthaya and return in the PM.

Day 6: Visit Chatuchak Weekend Market in the morning and Bang Krachao (Bangkok's "green lung") in the afternoon.

Day 7: Last day in Bangkok; consider a day trip to Lopburi to visit monkey temples, go to Lumphini Park to see monitor lizards, or tour Chinatown.

Day 8: Ride the infamous "Death Railway" to Kanchanburi where you'll visit the JEATH War museum and cemetery, the Bridge Kwai, and Kanchanaburi Skywalk.

Day 9: Take the "Death Railway" to Nam Tok; hire local transport to visit Hellfire Pass Memorial & Erawan Falls National Park.

Day 10: Transfer to Chiang Mai, spend the rest of the day orienting yourself to this ancient town surrounded by lush tropical forests.

Day 11: Visit Doi Suthep Temple in the morning and enjoy a Thai cooking class in the afternoon/evening.

Day 12: Enjoy a full or half day Elephant encounter; spend the evening at your leisure.

Day 13: Leisurely morning, followed by 11AM pick up and trip to Sticky Waterfall (Bua Thong) & Angel Falls Garden Park; try a massage in the PM.

Day 14: Check out; fly to Krabi; van shuttle to hostel in Aonang. After lunch, walk the Monkey Trail to Pai Plong Beach.

Day 15: Take a longtail boat to Railay Beach; enjoy the day discovering the walking street, Tonsai Beach, Railay East, Princess Cave and Phra Nang Beach.

Day 16: Full day Hong Island Tour with lunch.

Day 17: Check out; van/shuttle/boat to Ko Lipe; check in and spend the afternoon orienting yourself to this tiny tourist island.

Day 18: Full day on Ko Lipe, snorkeling and enjoying the beach.

Days 19 & 20: Begin your return journey home; transfer to Hat Yai Airport via speedboat/van from Koh Lipe Walking Street for your PM flight to Bangkok and transpacific flight home.

Know before you go: Getting around in Bangkok

Bangkok is served by two airports: Suvarnabhumi (BKK) and Don Mueang (DMK). BKK handles long-haul routes and DMK mostly handles domestic/budget airlines. The ARL (red line) connects BKK to downtown Bangkok at Phaya Thai (green line) and Makkasan (blue line). Taxis (if you have luggage) or a motorbike ride are usually the way people get around once they're in town. But THE app to have for transport in Thailand is Grab.

Grab is big in Thailand. Grab is a ride-hailing and food ordering app which allows you to see the complete price before you hit the submit button and pay electronically. This avoids haggling with the driver and arguing over the "broken meter." The ride-hailing feature allows riders to book rides with cars, taxis and motorbikes, and the food ordering feature lets you order everything from food from food stalls to restaurants.

Thailand Sampler: 20 days, $2,200 pp

This half day elephant feeding encounter from Chiang Mai cost $36 and was the experience of a lifetime. If I've whetted your appetite for more,

Beach fire show courtesy of Yoav Aziz on Unsplash

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