Southern Thailand is most famous for its gorgeous beaches and islands. The North is beautiful too with its mountains, but make sure to avoid the burning season. The air quality becomes very bad, and you won’t be able to enjoy the views from the mountains much due to the smoke. We visited in February and March, which is the burning season, so we decided to focus on the south and we had no regrets. With only 45 days visa-free, we were more than happy to travel to Southern Thailand only and we still felt we needed more time to see all the things we wanted to see.
This travel guide for Southern Thailand follows a route from north (Bangkok) to south with the described places color-coded as a must-visit, highly recommended, and if time permits.
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Table of Contents - The Ultimate Travel Guide to Southern Thailand
Traveling Southern Thailand - Tips & Tricks
Currency: The local currency is Thai Baht. The excahnge rate at the time of writing is about 35 Baht to 1 USD and 38 Baht to 1 EUR.
ATMs: I couldn’t find a free ATM to withdraw cash, all of them charged me 220 Baht. Since this is a flat fee, it’s best to take bigger sums out and pay by card when you can and don’t get charged extra. A bank like Wise or Revolut lets you take out a certain amount of cash for free per month and has great exchange rates. So using their card helps keep the fees down. And as always, always pick an ATM that gives you Thai Baht, and never accept the proposed exchange fee, if it gives you one. Both of these options mean a horrible exchange rate and therefore a very expensive withdrawal.
Transport: Thailand has a great public transport system, consisting of buses, trains, ferries, and minivans. The best website to check your options, schedules, and prices is 12GO, but I prefer to buy tickets on the spot at the ticket offices.
Food: Thai food is easily my favorite Asian cuisine, and one of my favorites overall. The food is so diverse and very tasty. From curries to fried rice to pad thai and from street food snacks to fresh fish. Amazing. If you’re a big meat eater you might struggle a bit with the local cuisine, but there are plenty of western restaurants around as well where you can get a burger or something else.
When to visit Southern Thailand
The best time to visit Southern Thailand is from November to April, when it’s the dry season in most of Thailand. The Gulf of Thailand as a slightly different rainy season though, here it rains from October to December. From January to April, the whole of Southern Thailand has their dry season, but do note that as the dry season advances, and the next rain season is coming closer, days get hotter and more humid too.
As there is not as much agriculture in Southern Thailand, you don’t need to worry about the burning of the crops like in Northern Thailand. There will be the odd one burning, but you’ll have no problems enjoying your trip here this time of year.
How to get to Southern Thailand
If you only want to visit the beaches of Southern Thailand, you can fly into Phuket. Phuket is a big international airport in the south of Thailand. If you want to see a few other places as well, or flights to Phuket are expensive, you can also fly into Bangkok and spend some time here and around before heading south.
Bangkok
Bangkok is Thailand’s capital. It’s a huge and busy city with plenty of things to see and do. The most famous sites are the Grand Palace and Wat Pho (home of the famous reclining Buddha). But there are plenty of temples, big and small, famous and unknown to tourists, in Bangkok which you can visit. Do note that in order to be able to enter a temple, you’ll need to wear clothes that cover your body from your shoulders to your knees. This is where the famous elephant pants every person who visited Thailand has come in handy.
One of the best things to do in Bangkok, is taking a boat along the Chao Praya River. The boats serve as public transport to move around the city but also offer nice views and a relaxing kind of city tour. There are tourist boats you can take too, but there is no need. They are more expensive than the public transport ones, which are 16 baht each (less than 0.50 USD/EUR, at the time of writing). Plus, the public ferries take you along the same route.
If you’re tired of the city, head over to Lumphini Park. Lumphini is a beautiful big park and a great place to chill in the shade for a bit. The park is full of Asian water monitor lizards and birds, offering great photo opportunities.
Bangkok is also full of markets, from the (now very touristic) floating markets, to night markets and food markets. A visit to Bangkok is not complete without a visit to at least one of its colorful and fragrant markets.
Accommodation Tip: Bangkok is a huge city, with many options to stay. The touristic center is Khao San Road. Here you’ll find everything you need, from souvenirs to restaurants to tourist agencies. So it’s convenient to stay close to Khao San Road, but not right in it, because it gets noisy!
If you’re flying into Bangkok, you can also opt for staying close to the airport rail link, which is what we did. We stayed at Sodsai Garden, which is close to the airport train, has easy access to public transport to travel around, and is close to plenty of restaurants and spas offering cheap and good massages. It’s a great option if you want to stay a bit further away from the touristic center.
How to get to Bangkok
Bangkok receives many daily international flights. It is one of the cheaper destinations to fly into when visiting Southeast Asia. Bangkok is also very well connected with the rest of Thailand and neighboring countries by bus and there are trains to some destinations.
Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya is one of the former capitals of Thailand, which was then called Siam. You can visit the ruins of the old city which was destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century.
The old city is divided into different sectors, which have an entrance fee of 50 baht each (less than 1.50 USD/EUR, at the time of writing). If you want to visit all 6 main temples you can also buy a combi ticket for the discounted price of 220 Baht. The sectors themselves are not so big, but they are a little spread out. So the best way to get to know as much of the old city as possible is by renting a bike. The grounds are too big to see everything on foot unless you stay more than one day.
To access the old city, you’ll need to take a ferry (10 baht = more or less 30 ct) because it’s on an island. Don’t bother renting a bike before boarding, you can rent one on the island for the same price (60 baht at the time of writing, less than 2 EUR/USD). This saves you the hassle of getting the bike on board the ferry and the extra fee for the bike, even though it’s not much (15 baht).
It’s also possible to hire a tuk-tuk if you don’t want to cycle. But since it’s a touristic place, tuk-tuks are quite expensive. Plus, getting around by bike is fun and gives you the complete freedom to explore at your own pace.
How to get to Ayutthaya from Bangkok
The best way to get from Bangkok to Ayutthaya is by train from Hua Lamphong station. A ticket cost about 20 Baht and the journey takes about 90 minutes. If you want to visit Ayutthaya as a day trip from Bangkok, take the train at 9am or 10.30 am to have enough time to visit the city.
Kanchanaburi
Kanchanaburi is a town west of Bangkok. The star attraction here is the seven-layered Erawan waterfall with crystal clear water. The waterfalls are located in a National Park and you can hike to the upper level and swim in several of the pools. But there are other interesting things to do in Kanchanaburi as well. Many of those things are related to the Second World War and the Burma Railway that was built here. While it is technically possible to visit Kanchanaburi as a day trip from Bangkok, this makes your stay very rushed. I recommend staying 3 days in Kanchanaburi to enjoy everything this town has to offer.
How to get to Kanchanaburi from Bangkok
You can travel from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi by train or by minivan. A train ticket costs 100 baht and the journey takes about 2.5 hours. Do check the current schedule beforehand, as there are only two trains a day each way. I found the minivans more comfortable than the trains. A ticket costs about 110 baht and the journey also takes about 2.5 hours. Vans go every hour from the new southern bus terminal in Bangkok. There is no need to go to the ticket offices upstairs. Just head to where the busses/vans are waiting and you’ll see stands that say “Kanchanaburi”.
Koh Tao
Koh Tao was the first island in the Gulf of Thailand that we visited. It’s famous for diving, especially for beginners. With open water courses starting from around 9000 baht for 3 days, it’s a cheap spot to get your diving certificate. Besides being cheap, another reason why Koh Tao is popular for getting your diving license is because the beginner diving spots are very nice. There are better places in Southeast Asia for experienced divers, but for beginners, Koh Tao is hard to beat.
If you don’t want to go diving, snorkeling is great here too. Or if you’re not sure, all diving schools offer try dives (also called discovery dives). This way you could give it a go before you decide whether you want to get your certificate or not.
Nang Yuan
When you look up Koh Tao, the first picture that pops up is most likely one of two islands connected by a sandbar. This is Nang Yuan. It’s a resort, and therefore private property, but visitors are allowed to spend the day there. You’ll need to get a taxi boat to the island and pay 250 baht for entry. Bring your snorkel gear as well. The coral is not in great condition, but there are still fish around and we saw some small black-tip sharks, which was really cool.
It’s best to go either early in the morning or in the afternoon. Tours come around 11 and stay around 1.5 hours meaning the beach and bay are full at this time and there is a long queue to the viewpoint from where you can take this iconic picture.
How to get to Koh Tao from Bangkok
If you’re coming from Kanchanaburi or Ayutthaya, you’ll need to make your way back to Bangkok first, and travel to Koh Tao from here.
Koh Phangan
Koh Phangan is most famous for the full moon party and many other parties that are held here throughout the year. But Koh Phagnan is not only a party destination. It’s also home to some of the best beaches of the Thai Golf Islands. The largely unspoiled Bottle Beach is my favorite. There are also plenty of hikes you can do in Koh Phangan, but as we visited in the hot and humid month of September, the only hike I did was up to the Bottle Beach viewpoint. If it’s gorgeous beaches you’re after, Koh Phangan is your island. Do note that the island gets incredibly crowded during the Full Moon Party, so avoid these days if you’re not interested in attending this party.
How to get to Koh Phangan from Koh Tao
There are multiple ferries per day between Koh Tao and Koh Phangan. Make sure to check the current schedule at the ferry terminal. The boat ride takes about 1h15.
Koh Samui
Koh Samui is the biggest island of this Gulf of Thailand trio. I had high expectations of Koh Samui as many people speak very positively about it, but I was actually quite disappointed with this island. It’s very big and built up, and feels more like a city rather than a paradisic island. There are some nice sights to see, so if you like to spend your days between sightseeing and relaxing on the beach Koh Samui might be for you. But I personally liked Koh Tao and Koh Phangan a lot more than Koh Samui.
How to get to Koh Samui from Koh Phangan
Ferries between these islands are frequent and go roughly every hour throughout most of the day, with a break in the middle of the day. Check out the current schedule at the ferry terminal, or just rock up if you don’t mind waiting. Do note that Koh Samui has several piers, so make sure you’re taking a ferry to the pier closest to your accommodation or opt for a ferry ticket including a transfer to your accommodation. Taxis are quite expensive in Koh Samui.
Koh Samui, Koh Phangan or Koh Tao – Can’t visit them all and not sure which island to pick? Read my guide Koh Samui vs Koh Phangan vs Koh Tao: Which island in the Gulf of Thailand is the best to help you pick the best island to stay on.
Khao Sok
Khao Sok is a national park that offers jungle, caves, and a giant (artificial) lake with limestone cliffs. You can do day trips from Khao Sok town, or stay a night on the lake. To visit the jungle and waterfalls you don’t need to contract a tour or guide. Just pay the fee of 200 baht and you can visit the waterfalls. Make sure to keep an eye open for wildlife, we saw some monkeys on the way. For the lake you do need to contract a tour.
Jungle and waterfall hike
If you want to hike the jungle and waterfall trail in Khao Sok National Park, you have the option to go by yourself or hire a guide. It’s said you need a guide to visit the waterfalls further away, but it’s not enforced. We spontaneously decided we wanted to continue after reaching the end of the trail you could do without a guide and hiked to the next waterfall. It was easy enough to visit on your own. We crossed multiple people who were on their own as well and groups with guides who didn’t tell us off for not having a guide. Guides are great at spotting wildlife though, and can tell you more about the place, so it might be worth getting one anyway.
Ratchaprapha Lake
To visit Ratchaprapha Lake you have to contract a tour. We spoke to a few agencies and they all offered some or less the same for the same price. Jungle Huts included a night your in the package though and the girl at the tourdesk was super helpful and friendly. So we decided to go with them. They were also the only ones we spoke to who offered a trip to the “water cave” at the lake, as well as the standard trip to the diamond cave. We opted for the Diamond Cave though, as that one gave us more time to enjoy the lake.
Night tour
Another cool experience in Khao Sok is the night tour. Our tour guide was incredible at spotting animals! From insects to frogs and monkeys to snakes! Very impressive. We spotted more animals here than on our night tour in Borneo!
As tickets to the Khao Sok National Park are valid for 24 hours, you don’t have to buy a separate ticket if you do this tour the day before or on the same day as the lake tour or jungle and waterfall hike.
How to get to Khao Sok from Koh Samui
You can buy combined tickets for the ferry and the bus to Khao Sok from any of the islands in the Gulf of Thailand, including Koh Samui.
Khao Lak
Khao Lak is the gateway to the Similan and Surin islands. You can visit the Similan Islands from Phuket as well, but it’s a lot further. I recommend going from Khao Lak instead, as this is quite a long day already.
Surin vs Similan
The Surin islands are more expensive and further away from Khao Lak compared to the Similan islands. They are less touristic though and, unlike the Similan Islands, you can stay here overnight. We opted for the Similan Islands since we wanted to do a day trip and Surin is quite far for a day trip. But the underwater world of the Surin islands is said to be better than that of the Similan islands.
The Similan Islands is a beautiful island group. Similan means nine, but this archipelago actually consists of 11 islands. Tourists are only allowed to visit a few of them though. Some are for general day trippers, others for divers. We enjoyed the trip and saw some nice fish and corals while snorkeling, but we were very surprised about the amount of people and boats going! We knew it was touristic, but didn’t expect this many people! Groups did divide a bit for snorkeling, but the lunch and viewpoint stops were very crowded. So if you don’t want this, look into a Surin overnight tour instead.
Other things to do in Khao Lak
Other than visiting islands, you can also chill on the beach in Khao Lak. Coconut Beach is a very nice beach. It’s a little further from the center, but easy to reach with a scooter. The water is blue, the sand is pretty close to being white and it’s not crowded at all! Coconut Beach gets its name from the many coconut trees along the beach and the path leading up to the beach.
For something different than beaches, you can visit the Sai Rung waterfall. Entrance is free it’s just 20 baht to park your scooter/motorcycle or 10 baht to stall a bike. The waterfall is only small, but nice if you’re looking for something else to do. There is a little restaurant where you can eat or drink something as well. If you like temples, you can check out Wat Phadung Tham Phothi. This temple itself was damaged by the tsunami in 2004, but the Buddha and pagoda were untouched!
Accommodation tip – If you’re traveling with a few friends or as a family and you’re willing to pay a little more, Coconut Homes and Cafe is a great place to stay. This accommodation offers very nice bungalows, a cafe with delicious drinks and cakes, and a pool. It’s located in a quieter part of Khao Lak and within walking distance to Coconut Beach where you can relax and enjoy a delicious meal on the beach.
How to get to Khao Lak from Khao Sok
Most buses between Surat Tani and Phuket will stop at both Khao Lak and Khao Sok, so you can use these buses to travel from Khao Sok to Khao Lak. This bus is the cheapest option, but there are minivans available as well. Buy your ticket a day in advance at the bus stop, or the minivan terminal to confirm the schedule and reserve your spot. Most accommodations offer tickets as well.
Phuket
Phuket is the gateway to Southern Thailand and one of the most popular tourist destinations. It does provide a good strategic point if you just want to stay in one place and do day trips from here. But I’m really not a fan of the atmosphere of Phuket.
It’s busy, it’s loud, and it’s the postcard example of Thailand being exploited for Western tourism. It’s all about partying and spending money and there is a lot of sex tourism as well. Many people love Phuket though, and I guess that if you just want to party at night and chill on a beach during the day you might like it. But it’s just not for me. Patong is mostly notorious for being like this, but I felt a similar atmosphere in different towns of Phuket.
If you do want to check out what the fuzz is all about, or like the strategic location, there are some nice beaches you can visit and there is the iconic Big Buddha.
Freedom Beach is probably the nicest beach in Phuket. Unfortunately, you have to pay to enter it. It did look beautiful from above, but as we arrived late in the afternoon after a day of exploring, we didn’t want to pay just to see it without having time to enjoy it. So we turned around.
Nai Han Beach is quite a nice beach to spend some time at. I recommend arriving early to secure a spot in the shade. Yanui Beach is also nice, but small and more exploited. There are many stalls to rent kayaks, paddle boards, umbrellas, and food stalls, so it felt a lot busier. Nai Han is a big beach, so even though there are also a lot of people, it absorbs the crowds a bit better.
Other than beaches, the big Buddha is an iconic sight. It’s nice, but I prefer the smaller temples more off the tourist radar. The views are nice though, and the Buddha is pretty cool. They have some signs explaining a bit about Buddhism here as well.
How to get to Phuket from Koh Lak
There are shared minivans between Khao Lak and Phuket. Check the current schedule with your accommodation and also confirm where the van will stop. Khao Lak is a large strip, so there are multiple places where you can hop on the van.
Railay Beach
Railay Beach is one of my favorite places in Southern Thailand. This peninsula feels more like an island and the limestone cliffs are impressive and offer beautiful views wherever you look. It’s possible to visit Railay as a day trip from Ao Nang, which is a cheaper place to stay than Railay. But I think Railay deserves at least one night. The peninsula is nicest in the early morning and late afternoon when there are no day trippers around.
Besides relaxing on the beach, Railay is also great for rock climbing, caving, and kayaking. And there are some awesome viewpoints you can hike to.
How to get to Railey Beach from Phuket
To get to Railay Beach from Phuket, you first need to take a bus to Ao Nang. There are multiple minivans a day leaving the terminal in Phuket Old Town for Ao Nang. You might need to change vans at the intersection of Ao Nang and Krabi, but you can buy a ticket for the whole trip. Ask the driver to drop you off at Ao Nang beach and buy a ticket for the boat to Railay at the ticket office. Boats leave when they have gathered enough people, which generally doesn’t take very long during the day.
Koh Lanta
Koh Lanta is the perfect island for those who are looking for less touristic islands than the other ones mentioned in this guide. It is touristic enough to have the infrastructure for a comfortable stay (from accommodations to restaurants to scooter rentals), but it (still) lacks the crowds that visit the other islands. The island has a super laid-back feel to it, and beautiful stretches of beach with plenty of space to put your towel down without being bothered by anyone trying to sell you something.
Long Beach is the biggest beach and has the easiest access from town. I recommend staying in this part of Koh Lanta. Bamboo Beach is a remote, but beautiful beach in the south of Koh Lanta. Go here early in the morning to get shade. Be careful with the monkeys though! They disappear when the heat arrives, but they are actively looking for things to steal in the morning. Nui Bay is another beautiful beach. This beach is smaller than the other ones, so it does get more crowded.
If you want to visit something else that’s not a beach, you could drive to Lanta Old Town. It’s more of a strip with restaurants and souvenir shops than a town, but it’s a nice destination if you want to go for a drive.
How to get to Koh Lanta from Railay Beach
Take a boat from Railay to either Ao Nang or Krabi, and a bus from there. Most busses don’t go very far down the island so keep that in mind when booking your accommodation. If you want to stay further down (I recommend staying along Long Beach), rent a motorbike on the northern tip of the island (around the harbor or Khlong Dao Beach) or take a motor taxi.
Other things to do in Southern Thailand
Of course, there are still many more things to do in Southern Thailand. There are so many islands left to explore still!
The most obvious one we left out, is Phi Phi. We doubted a lot whether we visited or not, but after speaking to people who did go, we decided not to. It’s just too busy and too exploited and for us, it’s hard to enjoy a place when there are so many people. So we decided to skip Phi Phi.
We very much wanted to visit Koh Lipe, but since we had a flight booked to Sumatra from Penang already, and it was a little tricky to get to from Koh Lanta, we decided to skip Koh Lipe. Due to the long travel times, we wouldn’t have a lot of time to enjoy Koh Lipe nor Penang before our flight, so we decided to leave this one for next time.
This was the Ultimate Travel Guide to Southern Thailand
