Thailand
Thailand
Thailand has been on my list for awhile and after very little planning (lol), I decided to go with friends with about a month to plan. Thailand is already very popular and one of the reasons is probably because of the Thai gastrodiplomacy project started in 2001! Coming from the US, the flights will be the most expensive part, but when you get there, the US dollar can go a long way.
When I Went:
January 2023
Itinerary:
Chiang Mai (4 days) > Krabi (4 days) > Bangkok (2 night)
How long:
10 days
Notes:
If you plan to go inside temples, be prepared to have something to cover your shoulders and knees and to take off your shoes. We bought cheap sarongs outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok because we forgot to bring something to cover up.
How I got there:
I took a Korean Air flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Seoul, Korea (ICN). We went into the city since we had a 13.5 hour layover. Then we flew into Chiang Mai (CNX) on a 6 hour flight.
From Chiang Mai, we took a 2 hour flight to Krabi (KBV) on Air Asia. From Krabi we went to Bangkok (DMK) on a 1.5 hour Air Asia flight. On the way home we flew out of the other bigger Bangkok airport, BKK, to Seoul then back to LAX.
How we got around:
We had some private tours that picked us up, otherwise tuk tuks are great and you can download the apps Grab and Bolt which are like Uber & Lyft. It’s always a good idea to ask how much the fare is before getting into the ride unless already disclosed in the app.
Weather:
People kept telling us it would be very hot, but I have been in hotter weather. Chiang Mai is in the northern part of the country so it wasn’t too bad. Krabi was near the water so there was also a nice breeze. Bangkok was the sneaky one. The hottest day was our last full day in Thailand. Bring a little fan, water, sunscreen, and a hat!
Language:
Many people spoke English especially at shops, restaurants, hotels, etc. where we went. Many menus and signs have English on it. As always, it’s good to learn basic words and phrases for where you’re going like hello, please, and thank you! Here is a video with some pronunciations.
Cash or Credit Card?:
Get cash!! While some places do take credit card, it is not as common as some sites made it seem like. Order some Thai baht (THB) ahead of time or find an ATM when you get there.
Tipping:
Ah, tipping. It is expected in US culture, but not as much elsewhere. I looked at a lot of sites and what I read was tipping is not expected, but appreciated in most cases.
Street food/night market vendors - no need. If you liked it; buy another one instead.
Restaurants/cafes - leaving behind some small change is fine if you’d like; it’s not like a percentage of the bill. So if your food is 85 THB and you give 100 THB, you can leave the change. If you’re at a higher end restaurant, then the expectation to tip a higher percentage is greater.
Taxis/rides - same deal as with restaurants and cafes.
Massages - appreciated, not expected. There is a lot of competition and the service is direct so I feel like it is appropriate to tip. I read that 50-100 THB on a 300 THB massage is pretty good.
Tour guides - if your tour was long and also if it was a small or private tour (and they did a good job), tipping is a good idea. I read that 100-200 THB per person is nice.
Hotel - same as cafes, taxis, etc.
What to eat:
So much delicious food in Thailand! The must eats list is longer, but these are my favorite that you’ll find almost everywhere.
Roti - panfried dough that is cooked to order. You can get a variety of toppings and things inside it. Everything from Nutella, banana, corn, etc.
Fruit juice and smoothies - so fresh and tasty! You’ll find it everywhere. My favorite was pineapple and watermelon.
Thai tea - it’s completely acceptable to drink one or two a day ;) If you’ve never had Thai tea, it is a black tea with spices, sugar, condensed milk, and some sort of milk (evaporated, half and half, coconut milk, etc).
Khao soi - popular dish from Chiang Mai that you can find in Northern Thailand. It’s a noodle dish most commonly with coconut curry soup, braised chicken, and crunchy fried noodles on top.
Coconut ice cream and coconut water - the street vendors will serve coconut ice cream right in the shells and top with peanuts. So cheap and delicious. You’ll also find fresh coconuts everywhere and it’s so refreshing.
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is in the northern part of Thailand and one of the larger cities in Thailand. Compared to Bangkok, it seemed quieter and has a much smaller population.
Accommodations:
Chiang Mai - Wing Lanna Hotel was in a good location in the Old Town. We were able to walk to many restaurants, temples, and spas.
Activities/Sights To See:
Elephant Nature Park - this was the star event of the trip and it happened to be our first full day. Ethical elephant sanctuaries are the way to go so do not go for a place that offers elephant rides. We did the Highlands tour where we were picked up in Chiang Mai and driven to the park 1 hour, 15 minutes away. There were 8 of us in the small group and we got to feed and walk alongside three beautiful elephants; all rescued from riding camps.
The Nature Park itself was very beautiful and calming. Lunch was provided and we got to feed the elephants watermelon, bananas, and some homemade treats. A truly incredible experience!
Doi Inthanon National Park - home to the highest point in Thailand! We took a private tour and got picked up from our hotel in Chiang Mai. It was about 1.5 hours to the summit, but we made many stops along the way so it flew by. Our guide was very nice and knowledgeable.
We stopped by some waterfalls, took a stroll through a cloud forest, and visited the famous twin pagodas. We were also able to stop by the Karen Tribe village and see local villages. They harvest their own coffee beans there which you can also try and buy.
Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan - there are A LOT of temples in Thailand. We simply chose this one because it was closest to where we were, but it was really nice and had a lot of reviews. The temple had a lot of gold and there were flowers so it all looked very pretty.
Massages at Makkha Health & Spa - I absolutely love massages because I have tight shoulders and neck so naturally I wanted to get all the massages I could while in Thailand. We did two massages in Chiang Mai, both with Makkha. Colonial Gardens location was stunning and the Ancient House one was beautiful in a very different way. They were also right around the corner from each other haha.
They served tea and some type of rice treat before the massage and tea and fresh mango afterwards. Regardless of your massage, they give you a top and bottom to wear which I didn’t mind. The massages had good pressure and overall a lovely experience. You can definitely get cheaper massages, but that being said this was not nearly as much as you’d pay for if you were in the US.
Food & Drinks:
Cafes & Desserts :
Carrotcoffeecnx - Minimalist/industrial/modern cafe with some good drinks. They have two levels of seating including an outdoor space.
Akha Ama Phrasingh - Similar aesthetic to the one above. It looks really nice inside and the coffee was good.
Khom Chocolate House - this place was really cute and a chocolate lovers dream. They had all sorts of chocolate drinks with different types of chocolates from around the world.
Samlan Thai Desserts - ice cream dessert with toppings. Quirky with lots of notes and drawings on the walls.
Restaurants:
Deck 1 - this was not the most authentic place, but it had a nice patio with a river view. The restaurant itself was very nice looking.
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar - if you don’t go to a night market while in Thailand, do you really go to Thailand!? This night market is very nice and has a lot of seating. You can tell it is a bit touristy and one of our guides confirmed that. That being said, still a fun experience and they have a lot of street vendors if you want to buy things. I got an avocado smoothie, fried chicken, and roti
Huen Phen - this restaurant has been around since 1986. We ate inside and it reminded me of an antique shop. Random old school decor but in a fun way. We got Khao soi and a Thai tea. Khao soi is a must when in Chiang Mai. The most common version is a coconut curry soup with braised chicken. They can have a little kick to it, but I’m also a baby with spicy food. Egg noodles are in the dish - boiled and served in the curry and fried served on top.
Chiang Mai Gate Market - this night market is more of a local’s market. It’s smaller than the Night Bazaar, but there are some good food options too.
Enough time?
I really enjoyed Chiang Mai. There were so many restaurants that I wanted to try, but didn’t have time for. That being said, not sure what we would’ve done more IN the city other than eat. Outside of the area there were definitely more activities to do so I would’ve liked 3-4 days in Northern Thailand. I would’ve gone to another national park or two and gone up to Chiang Rai which I heard good things about.
Krabi
We flew from Chiang Mai to Krabi. Getting to Ao Nang from the Krabi airport was around 40 minutes. Looking for transportation was a little frantic and we were originally quoted a high price, but our hesitation kept bringing down the price until we were more comfortable with it. Grab is also available in the area.
A lot of people go to Phuket so we looked into that, but we figured this might be more chill so we went with Krabi instead. Krabi is closer to the Hong Island and Phi Phi Islands is closer to the middle of them, but slightly closer to Phuket.
Accommodations:
KG Private Pool Villas Soi 9 - this was a bit further from the beach (15-20 minute walk), but seeing how touristy it could be by the beach, I didn’t mind this. The actual place was fine. I would give it a 7 or 8/10. The staff was very friendly.
Activities/Sights To See:
Hong Island - we took a private tour with Andaman Camp & Cruise. They picked us up from our hotel in Ao Nang and drove us to Klong Muang Beach where we got on a traditional longboat. It took about 20 minutes to get to Koh Hong.
Once we got to the island, we had to pay an entrance fee (300 THB for adults). We went early so it wasn’t as busy. We took the staircase up to the Hong Island 360° View Point. Honestly it wasn’t too bad. It was uphill all the way, but it didn’t take too long and the view was awesome.
Afterwards we took the boat to Hong Lagoon which is very shallow. We were able to get off and put our feet into the water which went up to my mid thighs. Our next stop was Pakbia Beach where we had homemade lunch from our guide, Ying. There were monkeys around grabbing and eating coconuts!
Our last stop was Koh Lao Landing which was also very pretty. It looked like there was a food/drink stand but no one was there. Also had some restrooms. Small, but had a great view too.
Railay Beach - this can only be reached by boat. We took a long boat from Ao Nang which only took 10-15 minutes. You can buy tickets near the beach towards the left. There’s an east and west beach to get dropped off at and we arrived at the west one. There is a fun beachy vibe once you get to the restaurants. We had lunch then headed to Railay East.
We went up the craziest looking trailhead to go to the East Railay Viewpoint, which also goes to the Lagoon but we decided to stop at the viewpoint. The start of the trail was a rope that you needed to use to go straight up a bunch of rocks. The rope seemed sturdy but the nerve-racking thing was also the pointy rocks and finding your next step. It didn’t take too long though, maybe 20 minutes to get to the viewpoint. It was definitely worth it!
Afterwards we took a short walk to Phra Nang Beach and hung out for a bit. The rock formations were awesome and it was a very peaceful beach. We headed back for a bite to eat before our kayaking tour!
Kayaking (Railay Beach) - we took a night bioluminescence kayak tour with Freebird Paddle Co. We were in clear kayaks and left from Railay West. It was fun and a good workout. The bioluminescence wasn’t super vibrant but it was there. Nonetheless it was a good workout and fun. We were the only people doing the tour and there were two friendly guides. I imagine a sunset kayak tour would’ve been really nice too.
Phi Phi Islands - the most popular islands in this area! Because of the distance, we took a speedboat that took 40-45 minutes instead a longboat. We had a private tour with the same company and with the amount of people we saw, we’re glad we went that route. The ride was a little bumpy, but we all had took some Bonine just in case.
First stop was Maya Bay which was made famous by the movie The Beach. You could tell it was a bit touristy (aside from the sheer amount of tourists) by the fact that there was a really nicely kept walkway and photo op signs. The water was this amazing light blue and it was beautiful so I could understand why.
Pi Leh Bay (Pi Leh Lagoon) was our next stop where we got out for some swimming and snorkeling. It was beautiful and there were a lot of fish in the water. We had some motor problems but eventually got it fixed enough to head to Ton Sai Beach.
There were a lot of shops, restaurants, and hotels so if you’re thinking of staying overnight, this would be a good option. We had homemade lunch on the beach and got to explore for a bit. It was a fairly large island so we didn’t get to spend as much time on it.
On our way back, we stopped by Bamboo Island for some more snorkeling. The water was super clear and also had a ton of fish. We saw Chicken Island on the ride home, and as the name implies, there is a rock formation that looks like a chicken head!
Royal Palm Massage - we got one massage here and the staff was very friendly. There was a lot of natural light here during the day and the massage was good as well.
Food & Drinks:
Hello Blue Monkey Aonang @ Time Story - nice patio away from the main part of town and wow, I absolutely loved the desserts there. We went back the next day for it. We had some apps too, but the bananas in coconut milk/ice cream was divine and the fried bananas with coconut ice cream was delicious.
Yaksa - small cafe with a nice open patio. Liked a couple dishes more than the others, but overall pretty good.
Cafe Lekker - got some Thai tea here and the inside was cute.
The Kitchen by Matoy (Ao Nang) - the food was good and had a decent sized patio. I got pineapple fried rice, fresh coconut, and a Thai tea.
Wanna’s Place Ao Nang - right across from the water. The menu was a mix of Thai and Swiss which was the combo no one ever thought they’d have. Lol. The food was fine, and I got chicken satay, watermelon juice, and a rosti (potato dish). I liked some other places in town better, but this place is good if you want a view of the beach.
Summer Fresh @ Railay Beach - the last stop on our food tour and we watched the sunset here. The rooftop was really nice and had a view of the sea and a nearby church.
Coco 2004 Restaurant (Railay Beach) - Two levels and it looks like a treehouse. Very tropical and fun. We just got some small sides before going on our kayak tour.
Oricha Bubble Tea (Railay Beach) - I couldn’t find it on Google maps, but it’s there and a tiny shop where you can get boba or fresh drinks.
Enough time?
Four days was a good amount of time for us, but it was pretty packed. You could easily add a couple more days here to see more. If I had more time, I would’ve made my way north to Khao Sok National Park which I heard good things about.
Bangkok
Bangkok is a huge city with around 11 million people! There are a lot of different areas to check out, but unless you live there you probably won’t even touch the surface. This was the hottest part of the trip by far. Being from Los Angeles, dealing with lots of cars and people, smog, a spread out city, etc. it doesn’t phase me as much, but if you’re not used to it, this can be a little overwhelming.
Accommodations:
The Ember Hotel - I enjoyed this. It was a modern, chic hotel in a good location. Bangkok is a pretty big city and not sure why we decided on this part of town, but I liked it. The room had a cute little balcony, mood lighting, and a nice modern bathroom. We were a quick walk from a night market and not too far from the Grand Palace. We only briefly checked out the roof bar and the restaurant next to the lobby was nice.
Activities/Sights To See:
I’ll be quite honest; we didn’t do much in Bangkok! Haha. We took it real easy and we only had two days.
Grand Palace - it lives up to its name! We thought we were done, but then saw there was a whole other section we hadn’t even touched. It was 500 THB (approx $15) to visit.
So it was a hot day and we were wearing shorts. We forgot to bring something to cover our knees so we could enter the Palace, but there are people outside that will sell you sarongs and have signs reminding you that you cannot enter otherwise. The sarongs were only $4 so it was ok and ended up with a souvenir to take home.
Khaosan Road - this is a very lively street with lots of shops and restaurants. It can be quite loud so if that’s not your thing (it’s not mine), then maybe just do a quick walk through.
Massage - we got one at Thai Thai Thai Thong Massage. Compared to the really nice ones we got in Chiang Mai, this was absolutely no frills. lol. This was a classic small massage place. The staff was friendly and it was on the cheaper side.
Food & Drinks:
Konnichipan Bakery - bakery with a ton of options and I had a Thai tea roll and a cinnamon croissant. Both great!
Chao Doi - there are multiple locations. Solid Thai tea with a bunch of other tea and coffee options.
Kayy Coffee - coffee shop with some fun drinks and a nice back and front patio. Close to the river as well.
Fine Of Course Ice Cream - nice little ice cream shop with a good variety of flavors, desserts, and drinks. And most importantly for us, air conditioning. lol. The day was very hot so AC and ice cream was amazing.
Lemoncurd Bread & Coffee - we only had coffee here, but nice small cafe that was a bit hard to find, but good for a quiet place to sit down.
Night Street Food Market - this is the name that shows up on Google maps which I’m sure will come up with a lot of other options. This one had a lot of food choices, but only downside was not a ton of seating as it was right on the sides of a roundabout. A lot of these markets are next to streets and cars, but this one was a little weird because of the shape.
Ram Buttri Alley - so we didn’t necessarily eat at restaurants here, but the night market was on part of this street and the restaurants looked so cute. It was touristy for sure. There were a lot of outdoor massage chairs, loud music, shops, and many food options.
Raan Jay Fai - one of the famous chefs in Thailand. She was featured on the Netflix series, Street Food: Asia. She is a badass woman in her 70s who is cooking all of the dishes herself. You can see her doing so and she’s got the look. She’s got googles on along with her bright lipstick. The line/wait was long and it was walk in only. We put down our names and eventually we sat down three hours later. TBH, I’m not super down to wait this long for food, but at a certain point you were committed.
Her signature dish is the crab omelette which looks pretty tasty, however, since I don’t eat shellfish, this would’ve been completely lost on me. I got a fried pork dish and it had fried garlic on top. It was delicious! That dish wasn’t that expensive, but the crab omelette is not the cheapest meal. By no means is it steakhouse price though, just know that you’re in for a more expensive dish. This article has some good dos and donts when going there.
Chinatown Night Market - TBH, I was so overwhelmed by all the crowds and the massive amount of food options. We shared some chicken rice and I also got a fresh coconut. Because it was in Chinatown, there were Chinese food options along with Thai.
Enough time?
Two days for a city that big is not enough, but being here can be a little overwhelming. If you want to see more, you can definitely go for 3-4 days.
