Help me where should I go in Thailand?
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Have you been to Thailand recently?
Mrs E and I have booked flights for end of Feb to mid March 2026. I've been there in '94 and '98, but not since. Then, mainly in Bangkok and Kanchanaburi, on Koh Tao and Koh Phangan as well as in the Krabi area (Rai Leh). Things have probably changed a lot.
We're planning a mix of nature (hiking, motorbiking, rafting) in the first week and then about two weeks of hanging out on the beach (snorkeling, diving, etc.).
For the first part the initial plan was to go to Pai, but the North doesn't seem suitable that time of the year due to the burning season. Do you have any other suggestions for an area with good opportunities for outdoor activities?
For the second part I was very happy with the places I mentioned above when I was there in the 90s, as they were still pretty much remote. But where to go now to enjoy a relaxed beach life? By that I mean small accomodation compounds, relaxed people, good local food for reasonable prices, nice reefs for snorkeling.
Please share your knowledge. I would greatly appreciate your recommendations.
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I used to live in Bangkok and always recommend at least two days there as the city just gets better and better each year. Stay away from Phuket, Phi Phi and Koh Samui as over commercialised and ruined by Chinese and trust fund kids. Also Hua Hin and Pattaya are a no for me. Koh Lipe, Koh Lanta and Koh Tao for the beaches.
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rayong was pretty decent.. small town and quiet and kinda easy to drive to, from Bangkok.
really liked it when I drove down to meet G&P, the one year pronto denim carnival was cancelled..
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cool, thanks @louisbosco will check
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I was in Bangkok about 7 years ago for 6-7 days. I decided to spend a couple days hunting for records. It wasn’t easy. But it led me into some really interesting back alleys of the city and I met some really colorful people.
In the easy chair with my boots on, melted whiskey in my hand. Could'na been asleep for more than three hours...time to go to work again...
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I have done a coupe of really great bike tours in Bangkok
See pics in this thread
https://forum.ironheart.co.uk/topic/3636/se-asia-and-pronto-denim-carnival-2014
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Koh Lanta is stellar. Rent a Vespa and scoot around the island to beach hop. Phi Phi is pretty, but a total tourist trap. My wife and I lucked out when we went because it was February 2020 and right before COVID hit the West, but Thailand had already closed tourism from China so it was empty when we were there. Crazy to think about! We could tell something strange was about to happen.
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For laid back beach time Ko Pra Thong is amazing. It's a little remote (3hrs bus from Phuket, then a 1 hour boat ride). Relatively underdeveloped. Not a place to go if you want moon parties and all that, but beautiful and chill.
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@Mizmazzle said in Help me where should I go in Thailand?:
But it led me into some really interesting back alleys of the city and I met some really colorful people
Did you improve your table tennis skills?
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We rendezvoused with the family two years ago in a villa on Phuket in Kamala Beach. We loved it. Yes, Phuket does attract the tourists. But because Kamala Beach is south of Patong, it seems to filter most tourists out. Super chill with a nice beach.
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@endo I was there in 2016 so almost a decade ago. Loved Bangkok, koh phangan, koh tao and also koh samui was nice but a little crowded. If you can, I can recommend spending a couple days in cambodia, siem reap was a cool experience
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@Bridger haha. I guess it did kind of come across that way. Ping Pong show not my thing…
But genuinely, it was more like odd marketplaces and alley ways lined with unique characters selling all sorts of random stuff. I discovered some really cool old Thai psych music and traditional style Thai pop and what not. It was a really fun musical scavenger hunt.
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Thanks @jimcasey will check on Ko Pra Thong, sounds like my kind of thing.
@FlavourFade I travelled Cambodia in the 90s, when the Khmer Rouge still controlled half the country, nobody really reigned in Phnom Penh, and I almost drowned when our boat sank in the middle of the Tonle Sap (another story). Back then, I was the only tourist in Angkor Wat with about 5-6 other people, and I rode alone from temple to temple on a motorbike. That can't be repeated.
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@endo wow !! That sounds like a story I'd like to hear with a nice cold beer!! Cambodia has still been quite the adventure when I was there but nowhere close to your trip
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