Thailand’s biggest draws split into four groups: royal and religious history around Bangkok and Ayutthaya, national parks in the north and northeast, a handful of museums and preserved houses, and a festival calendar built around the lunar year. Here’s what each one actually involves, with the hours, fees and dates you need to plan around.
Historical sites
The Grand Palace in Bangkok has been the official residence of Thailand’s kings since 1782, though by 1925 the king, royal family and government had moved permanently to other residences; the complex still hosts state ceremonies today. Inside its walls stands Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, built in 1783 as a royal chapel rather than a working monastery — it has no living quarters for monks. The complex is open daily from 8:30am, with ticket sales stopping at 3:30pm, and a single 500 THB ticket covers the palace, Wat Phra Kaew and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles; Thai nationals enter free with ID, and children under 120cm enter free. Dress rules are enforced at the gate: shoulders, knees and ankles covered, no exceptions.
North of Bangkok, the ruins of Ayutthaya mark the second capital of Siam, founded by King Ramathibodi I in 1351 and razed by the Burmese army in 1767 after more than four centuries as a trading power. UNESCO inscribed the Ayutthaya Historical Park as a World Heritage Site in 1991; the park today covers 289 hectares dotted with temple ruins and monuments, including Wat Mahathat, Wat Ratchaburana and Wat Phra Si Sanphet.
National parks
Khao Yai National Park was Thailand’s first national park, established by royal proclamation on 18 September 1962 and covering 2,166 km² of rainforest, grassland and mountain. It forms part of the Dong Phayayen–Khao Yai Forest Complex, which UNESCO listed as a World Heritage Site in 2005. Wild elephants, gibbons and hundreds of recorded bird species live inside the park; trails, guided wildlife drives and overnight camping at designated sites are all bookable through the park itself (see the accommodation guide for the entrance-fee categories that apply here).
In Chiang Mai province, Doi Inthanon National Park is named for its summit, which at 2,565 metres is the highest point in Thailand. The peak draws a reported 12,000 visitors on New Year’s Day alone, and its cooler climate and waterfalls — Mae Ya and Mae Klang among them — make it a year-round hiking and birdwatching destination.
Museums and historic houses
The Bangkok National Museum traces its origins to a royal collection first opened to the public on 19 September 1874 and is one of the largest museums in Southeast Asia, with galleries arranged chronologically from prehistory to the Bangkok era. It’s open Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 4pm, with last entry at 3:30pm, and closed Monday and Tuesday; foreign visitors pay 240 THB.
The Jim Thompson House preserves the Bangkok home of the American silk entrepreneur and art collector Jim Thompson, built from several traditional teak houses moved to the site. It’s open daily from 10am to 5pm, with the last guided tour departing at 5pm; entry is a guided tour only, priced at 250 THB for adults and 150 THB for ages 10–21, with under-10s free alongside a paying adult. Guides run in five languages, including English.
Festivals
Songkran, the Thai New Year, is fixed as a national holiday on 13–15 April, and UNESCO added it to its intangible cultural heritage list in 2024. Traditional observance runs through temple visits and merit-making, but the festival is now known internationally for its street-wide water fights.
Loi Krathong falls on the full moon of the 12th month of the traditional Thai lunar calendar, typically landing in November. People float small decorated baskets — krathongs, traditionally made from banana-tree trunks and leaves — on rivers and canals to mark a wish or let go of a grievance; in Chiang Mai the same night includes sky-lantern releases known as khom loi.
Landmarks
Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple in Chiang Rai, was designed by artist Chalermchai Kositpipat and opened to visitors in 1997. Its white surface is whitewash mixed with mirrored glass chips rather than porcelain, and its murals mix conventional Buddhist imagery with modern pop-culture references.
The Damnoen Saduak floating market sits along the canal of the same name in Ratchaburi province, southwest of Bangkok. Vendors sell fruit, cooked food and souvenirs from boats along the canal, and the market is busiest — and most photogenic — before mid-morning.
Practical tips
- Book Grand Palace and Ayutthaya visits for the morning; both sites get hot and crowded by midday, and the Grand Palace stops selling tickets at 3:30pm.
- The Jim Thompson House is open daily, 10am to 5pm; the Bangkok National Museum is closed Monday and Tuesday — plan around that if you’re combining the two.
- If your trip lands in mid-April or November, expect Songkran or Loi Krathong crowds and pricing at any site on this list; book transport and rooms further ahead than usual.
What to check before you go
- Whether the site you want is open the day you plan to go — the national museum is closed Monday and Tuesday; the Grand Palace and the Jim Thompson House are both open daily.
- The current entrance fee, since foreign-visitor prices at royal and national sites are revised periodically.
- The currency and emergency number are in the facts box.