Thailand runs from the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea islands in the south to the hills bordering Myanmar and Laos in the north, with Bangkok’s temples, markets and river traffic in between. The country logged 32,974,321 foreign visitors in 2025, and Bangkok’s main airport, Suvarnabhumi, handled 62,234,693 passengers in 2024 on its own. Most first trips combine a few days in the capital with either the southern beaches or the northern hills; doing both comfortably takes two weeks or more.
Regions and main cities
Bangkok is the hub for almost every itinerary: temples, riverside markets and the Skytrain make the city workable in two or three days before moving on. South of the capital, the Gulf and Andaman coasts hold the beach islands — Phuket, Koh Samui and the Phi-Phi group among them — reached by direct flight or overnight ferry from the mainland. North of Bangkok, Chiang Mai is the base for the hill country, with an old walled city, night markets and jungle treks into the surrounding hills. Further north again, Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle border area draw a smaller, slower crowd. Between the two, Sukhothai keeps the ruined temples of Thailand’s first capital, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the northeastern Isan region, less visited by foreign tourists, keeps its own dialect, food and festival calendar.
Getting there and around
Most international flights land at Suvarnabhumi or the budget-carrier hub Don Mueang, both in Bangkok; domestic flights connect on to Phuket, Chiang Mai and the smaller island airports, and a handful of routes also run direct into Chiang Mai and Phuket from abroad. Trains and long-distance buses link Bangkok to the north, northeast and south; the islands are reached by ferry from mainland piers, and overnight sleeper trains cover the longer domestic routes cheaply, usually with a berth included in the fare. Rental cars and motorbikes are common on the islands and in the north, less useful in central Bangkok’s traffic, where the Skytrain, metro and river boats cover most sightseeing without a car.
When to go
The climate is tropical: hot and dry from March to June, wet from around July to October, and cool and dry from November to February, which is the busiest and most comfortable season for most of the country. Songkran, the Thai New Year water festival, is officially celebrated on 13-15 April and is one of the busiest and most boisterous weeks to be anywhere in the country, with transport booked up well in advance.
Money, safety and visas
Prices, cash habits and typical daily costs are covered separately once the cost guide for Thailand is live; the currency, plugs and emergency numbers in the box above cover what you need on arrival. Government safety advisories differ in detail between the Netherlands, the UK and the US, particularly for the area near the Cambodian border — check the current levels in the box above before finalising a route through the east or northeast. Visa-exempt travellers from the EU, UK and US should also check the box above: Thailand shortened its visa-exempt stay in September 2026, and the exact terms depend on your passport.