Thailand Cities

Bangkok

Considered as the paradise of travellers, Bangkok, known in Thai as City of Angels, is the second largest city in Southeast Asia. It boosts maximum number of exquisite Buddhist temples and dynamic and fantastic nightlife, as well as a wide range of shopping and dining, which show an overwhelming mix of oldness and newness. You can savor Thai legends and history by exposing yourself into the vivid wall paintings in Grand Palace, or put on a backpack to dig into the stagger alleys of Khao San Road, or jabber your prayers among incense smog, bell ring and sutras chant in the morning.

Like an intimate friend, Bangkok makes tourists feel at home. As the capital and the largest city of Thailand, Bangkok leads nationwide development of Thai politics, economy, trade, transportation, education and social technology etc., racing toward the great expectation in contraction under the nurture of history and the supervision of modern. Chao Phraya River extends its graceful body through the center of Bangkok, reflecting the inverted images of splendid attractions and unique Thai folk on the bank.

Tourism in Thailand grows more and more maturely with rich travel resources, numerous service facilities, convenient transportation and abundant commodity trading such as noble metal and jewels, as well as various and wonderful activities in different section, e.g. sex industry. The multifaceted appearance gives this city an exotic appeal and makes it become one of the world's top tourist destination cities, which draws millions of tourists to plunge into this colorful world.

Recommended Tours with Bangkok

• 11 Days Thailand Highlights Tour
• 8 Days Thailand Classic Tour
• 17 Days Thailand Discovery Tour
• 9 Days UNSEEN Thailand Tour
• 5 Days Bangkok Exploration Tour

Phuket

Phuket, formerly known as Thalang, one of the southern provinces of Thailand without land boundaries, is connected to mainland Thailand by two bridges.

Praised as “Pearl of the South” by the tourists industry, Phuket is a whirl of colour and cosmopolitanism, where the rich come to play. The 810-sq-km island is Thailand’s largest, wealthiest, most populous and most visited. It features rocky peninsulas, jagged coastal terrain, sandy bays, tropical vegetation and the ubiquitous limestone cliffs. 

It is a place to see and be seen, to dine on delicious seafood, scuba in blue seas, sip cocktails on pearly white beaches and retire at night to a leisure resort or dazzling yacht. Daytime beach activities excite tourists while at night the lights come up, the music is pumped and the well-dressed throngs flock to the beach-side bars and hip clubs. It is considered the ultimate paradise, especially if you are looking for glamour and glitz.

Recommended Tours with Phuket

• 6 Days Southern Thailand Exploration Tour
• 7 Days Colorful Paradise Thailand Island Tour

Pattaya

Pattaya is a seaside resort on the Eastern Gulf Coast of Thailand, about 150 km southeast of Bangkok, mostly famous for its go-go and beer bars, and now it has been given some family-friendly attractions and activities by local authorities to attract local families and holidaymakers from around the world. The sex industry here is going strong and sex tourism remains the key money earner for Pattaya. Lying on the beach in the sunshine and visit the featured bar at night is the most pleasureful enjoyment during Pattaya travel.

The plethora of hotels and guest houses, and easy access from the capital and airport, make it a popular weekend getaway. Catering for over five million annual visitors, Pattaya is also able to offer an excellent range of eating options and a wide variety of things to do. Its population is a colourful mix of nationalities and ethnicities from near and far.

Pattaya occupies most of the coastline of Bang Lamung District. Its bustling nightlife gets great reputation all over Thailand, gathering shows, bars, carnivals etc. as a whole. If you want to enjoy the quiet relax, beach is best way to go. The one side of Pattaya is full of bustle and excitement, the other side is a kind of energetic tranquility, which may give a distinctive and fantastic experience in Thailand travel.

Recommended Tours with Pattaya

• 17 Days Thailand Discovery Tour
• 9 Days UNSEEN Thailand Tour

Samui

Samui, also called as Ko Samui, is an island off the east coast of the Kra Isthmus in Thailand. It is Thailand's third largest island after Phuket and Ko Chang, located close to the mainland town of Surat Thani. Samui has abundant natural resources, white sandy beaches, coral reefs and coconut trees. 

The cheap fan bungalows share beachfront property with places boasting beautifully decorated rooms, crisp white sheets, lush gardens and lavish pools, which highlight its charm to attract tourists. The best-visited time is during the hot and dry season, from February to late June.

Recommended Tours with Samui

• 7 Days Colorful Paradise Thailand Island Tour

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai, sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand, subdivided into four wards: Nakhon Ping, Srivijaya, Mengrai, and Kawila. Located in over 700km northwest of Bangkok, it has in excess of 300 temples that make the old city centre visually striking. Its historic importance is derived from its close proximity to Ping River and major trading routes.

In recent years, Chiang Mai has become an increasingly modern city and has been attracting over 5 million visitors each year. Many visitors stay in Chiang Mai longer than planned due to the high quality and low price of accommodation, food and shopping. The city features cool nightlife, international feel and friendliness of people, and scatters remarkable bars, restaurants, book stores, and cafes, as well as distinctive stores of clothing, crafts and second-hand books. With the increasing cultural and spiritual experience – Thai languages, massage, cooking, yoga and Vipassana – Chiang Mai has become much more than just a quick stop in Thailand travel.

The best time to visit Chiang Mai is between July and March, when the weather is relatively pleasant, the air is clearest and the surrounding hills are green.

Recommended Tours with Chiang Mai

• 11 Days Thailand Highlights Tour
• 8 Days Thailand Classic Tour
• 17 Days Thailand Discovery Tour
• 9 Days Northern Thailand Amazing Tour

Chiang Rai

Founded by Phaya Mengrai on 1262 as part of the Lao-Tai Lanna kingdom, Chiang Rai City lies in the flat alluvial plain of the Mae Kok River, a tributary of the Mekong, about 200 km northeast of Chiang Mai City and 860 km north of Bangkok, with a tropical wet and dry climate. Chiang Rai is the northernmost large rural area in Thailand. Half of its northern border with Laos is formed by Mekong River while mountains form the other half with Myanmar (Burma).

Chiang Rai has been marketed in tourist literature as “the gateway to the Golden Triangle”, and regarded as an alternative to Chiang Mai. It is a little more laid-back, and anyone interested in trekking will find that they can reach village areas quicker than from Chiang Mai. Also it houses many humane and natural attractions that burnish the glamour of this remote land, such as Wat Phra Kaew, Boomerang Adventure Park, Night Bazaar, etc.

Recommended Tours with Chiang Rai

• 11 Days Thailand Highlights Tour
• 17 Days Thailand Discovery Tour
• 9 Days Northern Thailand Amazing Tour

Krabi

Sittng on the west coast of southern Thailand at the mouth of the Krabi River, about 180km from Phuket, Krabi is subject to a 6-month rainy season between May and November. It features friendly people, delicious food and some local flavor with many good guesthouse and dining options. 

The town is the capital of Krabi Province which is blessed with some amazing scenic karst formations and beautiful coastal beaches that attract international tourists especially rock-climbers. It is an important transport hub for ferries to the islands along the coast. Most travellers take it as a jumping-off point for the wonderful surrounding destionations such as Ko Phi Phi. Kayaking, sailing, birdwatching and snorkeling are also among top activities in Krabi.

Recommended Tours with Krabi

• 6 Days Southern Thailand Exploration Tour

Cha Am

Known for its casuarinas-lined beach, Cha Am has long been popular with provincial Thai families. 40km south of Phetchaburi and 25km north of Hua Hin, it is a famous beach resort town in the southern part of Phetchaburi province, central Thailand. It houses the only American university in Thailand and is home to many high rise beach resorts.

Phi Phi Islands

Located between the large island of Phuket and the western Andaman Sea coast of the mainland, Phi Phi Islands are administratively part of Krabi province and about 40km offshore from Krabi, with two scenic limestone islands of Ko Phi Phi Don, the largest and the most populated island of the group, and Ko Phi Phi Leh. Ko Phi Phi Don has the entire tourist infrastructure, including resorts, restaurants, bars, tour agencies and dive schools, while Ko Phi Phi Leh, the second largest one, is hemmed in by towering limestone cliffs, and visited by many people as well. 

The rest of the islands in the group, including Bida Nok, Bida Noi, and Bamboo Island (Ko Mai Phai), are not much more than large limestone rocks jutting out of the sea.

Recommended Tours with Phi Phi Islands

• 7 Days Colorful Paradise Thailand Island Tour

Ayuthaya

Once the second capital of the Siamese Kingdom, the Historic City of Ayutthaya flourished from the 14th to the 18th centuries, then got attacked and razed by the Burmese army in 1767 that burned the city to the ground and forced the inhabitants to abandon the city, and at last never rebuilt in the same location and remains known today as an extensive archaeological site.  

Ayutthaya is now an archaeological ruin, characterized by the remains of tall prang (reliquary towers) and Buddhist monasteries of monumental proportions. Ruins of temples and palaces scatter around it to evidence its legendary past. What’s more, a refreshed city has sprung up around the holy ruins. Life revolves around the river. Modernization has become normal all over this historic city. From the past to the present, the twists and turns of long history witness Ayutthaya's development.

Ayutthaya is also an island at the confluence of three rivers: Chao Phraya River, Lopburi River and Pa Sak River. As the train station is at the east side off the island, most visitors will need to cross the river by ferry boat. Most temple ruins can be found at the northwest of the island, while accommodation and night life is clustered around the northeast. As non-Siamese peoples were not allowed to live inside the city walls, things foreign are found off the island.

Recommended Tours with Ayuthaya

• 11 Days Thailand Highlights Tour
• 8 Days Thailand Classic Tour
• 17 Days Thailand Discovery Tour
• 9 Days UNSEEN Thailand Tour
• 5 Days Bangkok Exploration Tour

Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi is a town in the west of Thailand, 130 km west of Bangkok in the slightly elevated valley of Mae Nam Mae Klong amid hills and sugar-cane plantations, is the birthplace of the Buddhist monk Phrabhavanaviriyakhun. It is the capital of Kanchanaburi province, which is home to some of Thailand’s largest waterfalls and most extensive wildlife sanctuaries as well as mountains that form a natural boundary with Myanmar (Burma). Kanchanaburi has a tropical savanna climate. Yearly April is very hot with the average daily maximum at 38.1 °C (100.6 °F). The monsoon season runs from May through October. 

Kanchanaburi receives many travellers, both Western and Asian. Visitors of all stripes will find it a pleasant town with plenty of to do and a convenient springboard for treks into the province’s lush forests. Also the Bridge on the River Kwai is a great attraction for most visitors.

Recommended Tours with Kanchanaburi

• 11 Days Thailand Highlights Tour
• 17 Days Thailand Discovery Tour
• 9 Days UNSEEN Thailand Tour
• 5 Days Bangkok Exploration Tour
• 6 Days Southern Thailand Exploration Tour

Mae Hong Son

Located in the Shan Hills, near the border with Burma along the banks of Pai River, Mae Hong Son is a town in northwest Thailand, capital of the Mae Hong Son Province with a tropical savanna climate. 

Surrounded by mountains and punctuated by small but picturesque Jong Kham Lake, this provincial capital is relatively peaceful and has become part of northern Thailand’s standard tourist circuit with many guesthouses, hotels and resorts. Much of its prosperity is due to iths supply of rice and consumer goods to the drug lords across the border. Several Karen and Shan villages nearby can be visited as day trips and further afield are Lisu, Lahu and Musoe villages. The best time to visit Mae Hong Son is between November and March when the town is at its most beautiful.

Recommended Tours with Mae Hong Son

• 17 Days Thailand Discovery Tour
• 9 Days Northern Thailand Amazing Tour

Lampang

Situated in the valley of the Wang River, Lampang, also called Nakhon Lampang, is the third largest town in northern Thailand and capital of Lampang Province. It was built as a walled rectangle alongside a river. The traditional rice paddy farming, pineapple, and sugarcane constitute major food crop in Lampang. Considered by some Thais as the last paradise in Thailand, the city is growing rapidly as trading and transportation center, offering much of the historic interest of Lanna as well as Chiang Mai without the overt commercialization. Located in the hearth of the North, it is also a good base for excursions and travel within Northern Thailand.

Lampang is well-served by road, rail, and air transportation. Tourists typically stop by for lunch and visit the more famous attractions such as Wat Phra That Lampang Luang and Thai Elephant Conservation Center, etc. Many of visitors look for a taste of urban northern Thailand without the crass commercialism in Lampang.

Recommended Tours with Lampang

• 9 Days Northern Thailand Amazing Tour

Phetchaburi

Located approximately 160 km south of Bangkok, at the northern end of the Thai Peninsula, Phetchaburi, meaning City of Diamonds in Thai, is a town in southern Thailand and the capital of Phetchaburi Province. The people of the city engage in a variety of recreational activities.

Dotted with an unusually large number of old temples, Phectchaburi provides a glimpse of the traditional Siamese urban wat. The region is mostly flat, save for the forested Khao Wang hill on the outskirts of town which has the remains of a Rama IV palace and several wat along with a good aerial view of the area. The hill and town is the site of an annual festival, called the Phra Nakhon Khiri Fair. It lasts for eight days in early February and includes a sound and light show and classical Thai dance.

Prachuap Khiri Khan

Lying in the large muddy bay of Ao Prachuap, roughly 80km south of Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan is a town in southern Thailand and the capital of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. The area has large pineapple and coconut industries, in addition to being popular with Thai tourists. Colourful fishing boats and faraway limestone cliffs provide a pretty backdrop to this town. Fishing is the mainstay of Prachuap Khiri Khan’s local economy, and the seafood is fantastic and cheap. Monkeys abound, and Wat Thammikaram houses many monkeys and a monkey fountain statue on a hill. The town emits a kind of laid-back local vibe that almost managers to feel charming.

Prachuap Khiri Khan is home to a Royal Thai Air Force base, and was an invasion point for Japanese troops in 1941, during World War II. An annual memorial is held each December to honour the 38 Thai airmen and civilians who died fighting against the Japanese in the Battle of Prachuab Khirikhan.

Recommended Tours with Prachuap Khiri Khan

• 6 Days Southern Thailand Exploration Tour

Ranong

With a bustling fishing port, Ranong is a small and friendly town and the capital of the Ranong Province which is least-populated with heavy forests and mountains, with a tropical monsoon climate. It is separated from Myanmar (Burma) by Pak Chan, the estuary of Mae Nam Chan. Many Burmese reside in Ranong. 

Although there is nothing of great cultural interest in the town, some buildings are architecturally appealing. Most visitors come for visa services and stay just long enough to enjoy the natural hot springs. The city is a launching pad for live-abroad trips to Phuket and a gateway to Kawthoung and Thahtay Island. 

Recommended Tours with Ranong

• 6 Days Southern Thailand Exploration Tour

Nakhon Pathom

Nakorn Pathom is the capital city of Nakorn Pathom Province, one of the central provinces of Thailand located in the alluvial plain of central Thailand, just 56km from Bangkok. It’s a typical provincial Thai city, home to the Phra Pathom Chedi, the tallest Buddhist monument in the world, which is a reminder of the long vanished Dvaravati civilization that once flourished here. By tradition Nakhon Pathom is where Buddhism first came to Thailand.

The city also proudly wears its first-born statues within its name, which derives from the Pali “Nagara Pathama” meaning “First City”.

Rayong