Best Places to Visit in Thailand in 2026, From Bangkok to Koh Lipe

Whichever regions make your list, a HelloRoam Thailand eSIM set up before you fly has Grab, maps and ferry bookings working from the moment you land.

Below, each place is matched to the kind of trip it suits. We checked each detail on an official page: UNESCO, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Thailand's national parks department, Thailand's climate normals and Smartraveller.

Where to go in Thailand depends on the trip you want

Use this table to shortlist a region, then read its section below. Rain days are monthly averages from Thailand's 1991 to 2020 climate normals, the station records Thailand lodged with the World Meteorological Organization, which NOAA publishes. A rain day has 1 mm of rain or more.

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Outside those months, rain doesn't rule a region out. Smartraveller says floods and extreme weather can disrupt essential services in the wet season, usually May to December. It says to check with your airline or tour company before you travel, and to make sure your travel insurance covers bad weather.

Bangkok, Ayutthaya and Khao Yai suit a first visit

Start in Bangkok. Inside the Grand Palace stands Wat Phra Kaew, home of the Emerald Buddha. Rama I built the palace after moving the capital across the Chao Phraya River in 1782.

Across the river, Wat Arun has stood on the west bank since the Ayutthaya period. Thailand has put its prang on its UNESCO tentative list. Bangkok's food deserves a night of its own, and our guide to Thai street food covers the markets and stalls worth the trip.

Ayutthaya, founded in 1350, was Siam's second capital. UNESCO says it grew into one of the world's largest cities between the 14th and 18th centuries. Its ruined temples and prang towers sit on an island ringed by three rivers.

Khao Yai National Park is barely three hours from Bangkok, TAT says. It's part of a UNESCO World Heritage forest complex, home to wild elephants, hornbills and gibbons.

Rather book flights and a hotel together? Here's what a 7-night package includes.

Chiang Mai and the north bring cooler nights and old towns

King Mangrai founded Chiang Mai in 1296 as the capital of the Lanna Kingdom. Its moats, walls and gates still frame the old city, with 40 ancient temples inside, according to Thailand's UNESCO tentative-list file.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep sits at 1,056 metres on the mountain above town, about half an hour's drive away. TAT dates it to the late 14th century. Climb the 300-plus steps or ride the funicular.

For a road trip, the Mae Hong Son Loop runs about 600 km out of Chiang Mai through more than a thousand curves. It passes Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain, and laid-back Pai. TAT suggests four or five days, ideally between November and February.

Further north, Chiang Rai province has the Golden Triangle at Chiang Saen, where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. Lampang is one of very few Thai cities where you can see the sights by horse-drawn carriage. It's also home to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre.

Sukhothai was the capital of the first Kingdom of Siam in the 13th and 14th centuries. UNESCO listed its ruins in 1991, together with Si Satchanalai and Kamphaeng Phet.

Plan around smoke as well as rain. Smartraveller says smoke haze affects the north and north-east, especially from December to April, and air pollution can make asthma worse.

Phuket, Krabi and the Andaman islands are best from December to March

From May to October, Phuket Airport averages 16 or more rain days a month.

Phuket is Thailand's largest island, and its Old Town keeps Sino-Portuguese shophouses filled with cafés and galleries. In Phang Nga Bay, sea canoes slip through low tunnels at the right tide into hongs, collapsed caves open to the sky.

Railay's limestone peaks are probably the best rock climbing in Thailand, TAT says, and the beach has Phra Nang Cave. Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Le reopened on 1 October 2026; it closes every year from 1 August to 30 September.

Koh Lanta is bigger and calmer, with an old town, mangroves and boat trips to Koh Rok, which closes from 1 June to 30 September.

The Similan Islands reopened on 15 October 2026 after a five-month monsoon closure. Liveaboards from Khao Lak reach dive sites that day boats can't. The national parks department lists some Similan sites, including Fantasy Reef and East of Eden, as closed indefinitely.

Six marine national parks use electronic tickets, including Similan, Surin, Phi Phi, Phang Nga Bay and Koh Lanta. Buy yours ahead and keep your passport handy. Inland, Khao Sok National Park has jungle camps on stilts over its limestone-studded lake.

Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao are drier from February to April

The Gulf islands run on a different calendar. Koh Samui's heaviest rain falls from October to December, peaking at 444.6 mm in November. From May to September it averages 10.3 to 11 rain days a month, against 16 to 19.2 at Phuket Airport.

Koh Samui, 35 km off the coast of Surat Thani, is Thailand's second-largest island. Chaweng and Lamai are its busy beaches, while Bophut, Mae Nam and Choeng Mon are quieter. Its 12-metre golden Big Buddha sits on Koh Fan, reached by a causeway.

Mu Ko Ang Thong, a marine park of 42 islands about 28 km away, admits visitors on government-approved boats only. It closes from 1 November to 15 December.

Lomprayah's high-speed catamarans link Koh Samui with Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Chumphon on the mainland. For divers, Smartraveller lists decompression chambers near popular dive sites on Koh Tao and Koh Samui.

Trang and Koh Lipe are quieter, and the north-east and Nan add history

Trang's islands are far less crowded than Krabi's, TAT says. Stay on Koh Muk or Koh Kradan and swim into the Emerald Cave. A quiet boat trip near Koh Libong gives you a chance to see dugongs.

Koh Lipe, in Satun, Thailand's southernmost Andaman province, has some of the clearest water in the country. Nearby Tarutao belongs to Satun Geopark, Thailand's only UNESCO Global Geopark. Ferries run to Koh Lipe from Pak Bara and Phuket, and on to Langkawi in Malaysia.

In the north-east, Nakhon Phanom on the Mekong holds its Illuminated Boat Procession around Wan Ok Phansa, the end of the three-month rainy retreat. The Third Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge crosses to Thakhek, so look at data plans for Laos if you'll cross.

Ban Chiang, in Udon Thani, is a UNESCO-listed prehistoric site with the earliest evidence of farming and metalwork in the region. Nan province lies about 700 km north of Bangkok. Its small capital dates to the 14th century, when the first known community settled on the Nan River.

Two Bangkok airports and island ferries link the regions

Bangkok has two international airports, Suvarnabhumi (BKK) and Don Mueang (DMK), so confirm which one each flight uses. Carry your passport on domestic flights too: Smartraveller says foreign passengers can be refused boarding without it.

On ferries and speedboats, Smartraveller's advice is to wear your life jacket, avoid travelling after dark and skip overcrowded boats. It also warns of strong rips at some beaches, where lifesaving services are rare and not up to Australian standards.

If your trip starts with a domestic flight at home, check connections at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane before you book a tight change.

Australian tourists get 30 days visa-free, and Smartraveller flags some areas

Since 15 September 2026, Australian passport holders can visit Thailand visa-free for tourism and stay up to 30 days, the Tourism Authority of Thailand says. That replaced the old 60-day exemption.

Before you fly, complete the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online or in the THIM app, within 3 days before you arrive. Smartraveller warns of fake sites that charge a fee, and says your passport must be valid for more than six months.

TAT says visa-free entries over land borders are generally limited to two a calendar year. Smartraveller says you may only get two visa-free entries each calendar year without a justifiable reason. If you plan several trips, ask the Royal Thai Embassy. Smartraveller also says to be ready to show proof of accommodation, enough funds for your stay and an onward or return flight ticket. Without them, you may be refused entry. TAT gave the same reminder about funds in July 2026.

Smartraveller's Thailand advice is "Exercise a high degree of caution" overall. It says "Do not travel" within 10 km of the Thailand-Cambodia land border in seven provinces: Sa Kaeo, Buriram, Si Saket, Surin, Ubon Ratchathani, Chanthaburi and mainland Trat. It also says "Reconsider your need to travel" to Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat. None of the places in this guide are in those areas. Fighting can also occur along the Thailand-Myanmar border.

Smartraveller also warns that vapes are illegal in Thailand. Travellers have been arrested for carrying medicine, even with an Australian prescription, so check yours with the Royal Thai Embassy before you pack.

We read these pages on 26 October 2026, including Smartraveller's advice as updated that day. Entry rules can change at short notice, so check Smartraveller, TAT and the Royal Thai Embassy in Canberra again before you book. For the rest of the admin, work through our pre-trip checklist for Australians.

Park tickets, ferry times and maps all need mobile data

A two-coast trip leans on your phone for park e-tickets, ferry times, maps and ride apps. Before you pick a plan, estimate how much data you'll need.

HelloRoam's Thailand plans run on AIS, dtac and TrueMove H, depending on the plan. Our Thailand page listed those networks on 26 October 2026, and the plan page shows the current one.

Before you fly, check your phone supports eSIM, then install the eSIM on Wi-Fi at home so it connects when you land.

Keep your Australian number on for bank codes sent by text, and set the travel eSIM as your mobile data line. On an iPhone or Pixel, each line has its own data roaming switch, so you can turn it off for the home line only. Many Samsung Galaxy phones have one switch for both lines: leave it on, or the travel eSIM loses data too.

Weighing up your carrier's roaming pack instead? See how an eSIM compares with roaming. And if you'll spend a few nights in one hotel with good Wi-Fi, you might not need a plan at all.

Save 1155 for the tourist police; Smartraveller says visitors without a Thai SIM card can reach them through the Thailand Tourist Police App. If your eSIM won't connect, HelloRoam support answers 24/7 by email at help@helloroam.com and on WhatsApp.