Thailand is the jewel of Southeast Asia, mainly known for its tropical beaches, islands and wild nightlife along with royal palaces, ancient ruins and ornate temples displaying figures of Buddha. Thailand has so much to offer that one visit is never enough – you'll want to come back and discover more time after time.
Thailand Places to Visit (based on your theme of the trip):
1. Bangkok / Pattaya
This is a good option for those who are visiting Thailand for the second time, aiming for shopping and adult entertainment and not that much interested in sight-seeing. Also, it is "the spot" for those who have limited days (3-4) and coming with a sole intention of Bachelor party.
2. Phuket / Phi Phi / Krabi
Despite the efforts from the local government for changing the image of Thai Tourism from Adult Entertainment to a Family Destination, I still feel this is not a destination for families and couples. But to get the complete feel of this country, you should include Phuket / Phi Phi / Krabi in your itinerary. Thai adult entertainment is not limited to a particular gender, so if you are planning for a Bachelorette party along with photo sessions on beautiful beaches, these are must visit places.
3. Bangkok / Pattaya / Phuket / Phi Phi / Krabi
This itinerary covers all the 5 major cities of Thailand and is advisable for those who are planning for minimum of 9 days trip with a budget of Rs. 50, 000+ per person. This gives you best of both worlds of Thailand, adult entertainment and the beautiful beaches. This blog cvoers a budget trip for the same.
Thailand Best Time to Visit:
1. November to February
This is the best and most recommended time to visit Thailand, during which the land is cool after the monsoon and before the sweltering heat sets in at the beginning of March
2. September - October
These months are recommended for budget travelling as travel fares and hotel prices see a drop during this period. The weather is getting better, but it has not hit the peak tourist season yet and you will not be able to experience the best of Thailand.
3. March-May, July-August
These months are not at all advised for visit. March - May is the summer season, which is way too hot and humid. July - August is the wet season characterized with high rainfall and humidity, where many islands shut down keeping safety in mind.
How to Reach from Mumbai:
Thailand has two major international airports (Bangkok - BKK and Phuket - HKT) which are well connected with non-stop flights from Mumbai (BOM). You can reach at either of the city and return from the same or the other. It totally depends on the cost at which you are getting the flight tickets. Flights to Phuket airport are costlier compared to Bangkok, so I suggest booking round trip flight from Bangkok which will cost you around Rs. 16,500 per person. Prefer to book via corporate booking so if tickets get cheaper you can cancel the booking without any loss and re-book again.
Below are the two flights which are convenient as per time:
Mumbai (BOM) - Bangkok (BKK) : IndiGo 6E1794 (9.30 pm - 3.25 am)
Bangkok (BKK) - Mumbai (BOM) : IndiGo 6E1793 (2.25 pm - 6.35 pm)Where to Stay?
1. Pattaya: Walking Street, Pattaya Beach
2. Phuket: Bangla Walking Street, Patong Beach
3. Phi Phi: Loh Dalum Beach
4. Krabi: Ao Nang Beach
5. Bangkok: Khaosan RoadBudget:
Total budget of the trip will be around Rs. 50,000 per person if you travel in a group of 5/6 people. Detailed breakdown is given below
Two-way flight tickets from Mumbai: Rs. 16,500
Bangkok - Phuket Flight: Rs. 2,500
Krabi - Bangkok Bus: Rs. 2,000
Phuket - Phi Phi - Krabi Ferry: Rs. 2,000
Island Tour (3 days): Rs. 5,000
Accommodation cost for 7 days (Rs. 1000 per day): Rs. 7,000
Food and Beverages for 9 days (Rs. 700 per day): Rs. 6,500
Local travel for 9 days (Rs. 500 per day): Rs. 4,500
Adult Entertainment / Shopping : Rs. 4,000
Summary of 9-day Itinerary:
Day 1 : Mumbai - Bangkok - Pattaya, Stay in Pattaya
Day 2 : Pattaya - Coral Island Tour, Stay in Pattaya
Day 3 : Pattaya - Bangkok - Phuket, Stay in Phuket
Day 4 : Phuket - Koh Kahi Island Tour, Stay in Phuket
Day 5 : Phuket - Phi Phi Island, Stay on Phi Phi Island
Day 6 : Phi Phi Island - Krabi, Stay in Krabi
Day 7 : Krabi - 4 Island Tour, Overnight Bus to Bangkok
Day 8 : Bangkok Shopping and Sight-seeing, Stay in Bangkok
Day 9 : Bangkok - Mumbai Flight
Day 1: Exploring Pattaya City
With the above mentioned flight you will reach Bangkok airport (BKK) at around 3.40 am. Once you reach the airport below are the list of things to do in sequence
1. Freshen-up
2. Thailand On Arrival Visa and Immigration:
As a personal remark, you should start running towards the Visa counter and join the queue to beat the crowd. BKK is one of the busiest airports and there will be always a queue of minimum 50 people. There are two queues; one is free and another is 200 Baht per person. Visa fees for Thailand is free for Indians and you should join the queue for free. Once your turn comes go to the counter with below documents;
- Passport
- One 4*6 photo (Thailand Visa photo size)
- Filled Visa form (You can get the form outside of the Visa office)
- Filled Arrival Card (You will get this in flight or at the airport)
- Return Tickets (If one ticket has all the names, then one copy is sufficient)
- Hotel booking at least for the first day of stay (One copy for group is sufficient)
- Cash and Card (This was not asked for my trip)
Once you submit all these documents at the desk, you will get the stamped passport after a waiting time of 10 to 15 minutes. After this you need to pass through the immigration and passport control counter.
3. Collect your Check-in Luggage
4. Duty Free Shop
Thailand allows 1 lit liquor per person to buy from the Duty Free shops. Prefr to buy just in case you want to drink when everything is closed or just save money. If you do smoke, buy a pack of 200 cigarettes which will cost you around Rs. 7.5 per cigarette.
5. Get a Sim Card
International roaming pack on your Indian telecom operator comes at a cost of Rs. 2,500 for 8 days (Airtel). Compared to this, getting a Thai sim (Singtel) at around Rs. 750 for 8 days is a much better option.
6. Transfer to Pattaya
Bus is the best way to reach Pattaya from BKK airport instead of cab. There’s no need to book it in advance. You can take the ticket at the counter (cash only) in front of Gate 8 Level 1. It will cost 130 THB per person which is lot cheaper than the cab. A cab shared by 4 persons will cost you around 1100 THB. Bus will make total 5 stops in Pattaya and according to your hotel location you can get down at your destination. Although as per bus timings provided, the frequency is one hour, we saw buses starting at 6.30, 6.40, 7.20.
It will take around 2 hours from landing to complete all the above steps. If you are hungry, eat at the airport or wait till you reach Pattaya. You can find both restaurants and smoking zone at Gate 8 only. Prices for a single dish starts from 60 THB and is good enough for one person. It’s a heaven for non-vegetarians with wide variety of gastronomic delights.
Bus starts exactly on time and will drop you promptly at 8.40 am in Pattaya. As soon as you get down, lots of motorbike taxi will come to you, but those are costly (80 THB per person) and are subject to pure bargaining. It is better to wait for Songtaew (sharing taxi), where the fare per person is around 10 THB for short distance and 20 THB for longer destinations.
Most of the hotels will have check-in time as 2 pm, but early check-in required in this itinerary as you will be reaching well before 10 am. Start your day at around 11 am to the attractions listed below. You can either hire a motorbike for around 200 - 250 THB or take Songtaew which are easily available and affordable. For bikes you need to keep your passport and make a security deposit.
1. Pattaya Floating Market for Lunch and Shopping
From your hotel, start the day with visiting the Floating Market. It is all about the taste of Thai culture and charm, plus authentic Thai teak wood architecture. It will cost you around 10 - 20 THB for reaching the market and 200 THB for the entrance fee. Market is having total area of 100,000 sqm, it is divided into four sections – each representing and selling items from the four major parts of Thailand (north, northeast, central and south). You can expect to find many eateries, fruit stalls, souvenir shops and some art galleries here.
2. Jomtien Beach
Visit the nearby Jomtien beach after your time at the market. People prefer this beach over Pattaya Beach for swimming. As its your first day, I would recommend not to go in the water, you can just lay back and relax on the beach with a couple of beers.
3. Pattaya Viewpoint
Try to reach the Viewpoint before the sunset. Enjoy the enthralling city view which will gradually glow in vibrant lights around 8 - 9 pm. This spot is Perfect for enjoying the stunning scenery and a photo session.
4. Pattaya Walking Street (After 10 pm till 1-2 am)
Last and the most awaited stop for the day. Walking Street is to be visited only after 9 - 10 pm. Its hardly a 1.5 km walk along the seashore from the Viewpoint. Pattaya Walking Street is the biggest and busiest party hotspot in the whole of Thailand. Nothing comes close to matching the 500 meters of fun which is located at the end of Pattaya’s Beach Road. Almost every building on both sides of the road – as well as many in the side streets around it – is a nightclub, beer bar, restaurant or go-go bar. At night, the road comes alive with neon lights, thumping music from different genres, food vendors, street performances and party animals around the world.
Places to go in on your walk down the Walking Street:
1. Nightclubs
Modern nightclub with full bar, DJs and a neon-lit dance floor. These describes the places which opens after 10 pm and go till 4 am on the walking street. These places are the infamous pick up points. Don't be in a hurry as cost is as high as 3k-4k THB at around 10-11 pm but same will go down to 1000 THB after 12 am. Food is not served in these clubs, only liquor (1000 THB for beer tower) and hookah (500 THB for hookah) are available. Don't order anything for the girls, as it can go a lot heavy on your wallet. Famous Pattaya night clubs are Nashaa, Kama, Raas and Tony and best suited for Indian crowd.
2. Go Go Bar These are kind of strip clubs and can go heavy on your wallet. A lap dance will come at a cost of 500 THB, but you will end up spending much more on tips as it is mandatory or they won't let you leave the place. Few options - What's Up A-Go-Go, Baccara A Go Go, Alcatraz, Airport Club and Iron Club.
3. Live Band and Beer Bars These are open door places. Similar to clubs but the DJ is replaced with live shows. Crowd is bit standard than club and music is not that loud. If you want to speak to each other, always prefer these ones.
4. Ping Pong Shows You will see lots of people showing you a poster for Ping Pong show. It is a form of stage entertainment that takes places in strip clubs. These are (in)famous shows in Thailand and I personally feel that they are below humanity and not to be encouraged.
There are lots of other attractions in Pattaya city but if you are going for Bachelor party, they will not amuse you that much. Some of the destinations ideal for families are.
1. Sanctuary of Truth (500 THB per person)
2. Tiffany Cabaret Show ( 700 - 800 THB per person)
3. Ripley's Believe It or not (300 THB per person)
4. Big Buddha Hill (Free)
5. Art in Paradise (400 THB per person)
6. Buddha Mountain (Free)
7. Mini Siam (250 THB per person)
8. Gardens of Nong Nooch (500 THB per person)
9. Underwater World (500 THB per person)
10. Elephant Village (600 THB per person)
Day 2: Islands around Pattaya
Today’s itinerary is filled with island tours. Pattaya's islands might not rival the exotic island destinations in the south of Thailand, but they make the perfect day-trip to enjoy swimming. Below are the four major islands nearby to Pattaya. Since the islands are not so far away, visitors can easily go there in the morning, stay for several hours and then come back to Pattaya Beach in the late afternoon. The most convenient way of doing this is by taking a guided tour.
Below are the four major island tours operated from Pattaya:
1. Pattaya Coral Island (Koh Larn)
2. Koh Samet
3. Monkey Island
4. Koh Sak
Among these four, Coral Island near Pattaya is a little piece of paradise beyond the hustle and bustle of Pattaya, situated 7.5 kms west of Pattaya Beach. Packages start from 300 THB till 2000 THB per person. 300 THB package includes the basics, ferry ride and lunch. Packages with 2000 THB includes Seawalk, Parasailing, Snorkeling, Speed Boat, Banana Ride, etc along with ferry ride and lunch. You can find lots of agents on the Walking Street who will take provide you bookings for such tours. Best thing they will provide are free pick up and drop from your hotel. Tour starts at around 9 am and you will come back to hotel by 4 pm. After relaxing a bit and freshening up, you can visit the Walking Street again just for one more wild party and massage.
Day 3: Pattaya to Phuket Travel
Today you will travel from Pattaya to Phuket via domestic flight from the Bangkok domestic airport (DMK). There are two ways to reach; bus and cab. If you choose bus, it will cost you around 180 THB per person, but it will take a total of 5 hours which is 2.5 hrs more than the cab. Direct cab services are preferred which will cost you around 250 - 300 THB per person with free pick up from hotel and less time for travel.
Prefer a afternoon flight from DMK to HKT and start 5 hours before (3 hours travel and 2 hours at airport) from your hotel. MakeMyTrip shows only Hand Luggage flights from DMK to HKT (Thai Lion Air). It took us 30 min to arrange the luggage between two bags but still we paid 1150 THB for 25 kg extra luggage. Only one bag is allowed with less than 9 kg and they do check it strictly.
Before reaching the airport, you should inform your hotel to arrange for pick up from airport. Bus services totally sucks at Phuket airport. They will make you wait for 1 hour and charge 170 THB per person whereas cab will start as soon as you board and will drop you at the hotel at somewhat same price (sometimes even lower). As you will be reaching Phuket in the late evening, the only attraction for the day is Bangala Walking Street which is more or less similar but costly compared to Pattaya Walking Street. It offers similar kind of establishments and entertainment options. Tiger and Sensation are the best clubs. If you don’t want to spend much money, you can get beer cans from 7/11 or Family Mart on MRP (sold till 12.30 am) and enjoy them while walking on the road. Even you can go to Patong Beach (end of walking street) and relax on the sand with a beer in your hand.
Phuket is the place where you should opt for a rejuvenating massage and related services. Just outside Bangala Walking Street, you will find lots and lots of massage parlors. Go little late, preferably after 12 am and you will get a good price. Normally full body massage starts from 350 THB which last for 30 mins. For additional services of 30 min you need to pay minimum 500 to 2000 THB depending on the service. Sometimes if you are lucky, you will get a full package with massage for 1000 THB (1 hour).
Day 4: Famous Island Tour around Phuket
Phuket does have lots of beaches (Freedom, Kata, Karon, Kamala, Surin, etc) but still it’s all about Island tours when you are here. There are many options available but below are the two famous beaches. If you have extra days here, you can cover the other islands as well. You can look for these tours on discounted price on Klook.
1. James Bond Island (1000 THB)
2. Koh Khai Islands (750 THB)
Guided and well managed tour packages are available for both of them separately and together also. We opted for Koh Khai Islands. Koh Khai is a group of famous tiny islands just 15 minutes speedboat ride from Phuket east coast. There are 3 islands: Koh Khai Nai, Khai Nai and Koh Khai Nok.
You will get to see lots of tour operator shops near Bangala Street. Bargaining is very much required. It was mentioned 900 THB but we managed to get it at 740 THB per head. This package includes pickup and drop from hotel, snacks, fruits, cold drink, water and snorkeling. All these islands are coral, so be careful while diving and swimming. You can carry your own drinks to the beach which will be lot cheaper. Tour timings are prompt, they picked us at 9 am and dropped back at the hotel by sharp 4 pm. Later, wind up your day with a stroll on the walking street.
Day 5: Visit to Phi Phi
Today you will be travelling from Phuket to Phi Phi Island. The Island is 2 hours away from Phuket via an AC ferry. It will cost you 400 THB per person. Three time slots are available, but 9.15 am (pick up time from hotel) is the most convenient one. The experience of the Ferry is damn amazing. You can carry your own alcohol and snacks. Go to top deck and enjoy the cool breeze with booze.
You will reach Tonsai pier (Phi Phi Island) by 12.30 pm. You need to pay 20 THB as island entry fee. Its always safe to pre-book your hotels at Tonsai as it will be difficult to get one after reaching there. Your hotel guy will be here with a sign board. There are no vehicles in Phi Phi and you need to walk through the market to your hotel. Hotel guy will help you with the luggage.
First tourist spot for the day will be Long Beach. you can either walk to the beach which will take more than 30 min or take a long boat for 100 THB. Come back to the hotel in evening for the infinity pool and jaw dropping view of the sunset. Head to Loh Dalum Beach for Phi Phi Nightlife. It’s a must spot for the outdoor fire shows. Phi Phi does have lots of food options compared to other places in Thailand. You will get all cuisines at a reasonable price here. Must haves are Big Slice of Pizza, Sushi and Pan Cake,
If you have an extra day at Phi Phi, you can plan for the nearby island tour. This includes visit to Monkey Beach, Bamboo Island, passing through Mosquito Island and Maya Bay These full day / half day tours will cost you anywhere from 1000 to 2000 THB. If you are looking for snorkeling and scuba diving, Phi Phi is the best choice in whole of Thailand.
Day 6: Phi Phi to Krabi
Wakeup call at 7 am. Get ready and leave for the nearby viewpoint by 8 am. Entry fee for Viewpoint is 30 THB per person. Reaching the point is one hell of a climb. This is the place where visitors take the iconic ‘2 bays view’ photo of Phi Phi. On the left is Tonsai Bay and Loh Dalum beach is on the right, and those majestic limestone cliffs serve as background.
Come back to hotel by 9 am. Checkout and catch the 10.30 am ferry to Krabi. Only 10.30 am and 3.30 pm ferry have free transfer to Ao Nang beach, which is the topmost attraction in Krabi. 10.30 am ferry will reach Krabi by 12.20 pm. Take a minibus to your stay at Ao Nang beach to reach by 1:15 PM.
Sunset view from Ao Nang beach is a must-see event. There are no hotels on the beach, but many are available opposite to the beach road. Prefer to buy beer from 7/11 shop and enjoy the sunset view from beach. If you are looking for the local street food, visit the nearby mosque area.
After sunset, Ao Nang Center Point and Soi RCA Entertainment are the only two party places here, which are nowhere near to what you experienced in Phuket or Pattaya. It’s better to skip these places and visit the nearby Night Market.
Day 7: Stunning Island tour around Krabi
This is the day for the famous 4 Island Tour at Krabi. A Lovely 4 Islands trip in Longtail Boat just off the coast of Krabi at Ao Nang is an unforgettable memory. The 4 Islands are the most convenient, easiest and cheapest way to get a true idea of what a tropical Island should be. This tour will cost you 750 THB per person including food and National Park entrance Fees (400 THB). Pick up from hotel will be at 8 am and you can return to the hotel by 3 pm. You will get approximately an hour at each of the islands.
Attractions:
1. Railey beach (Princess Bay) and Princess Cave
There is no direct sunlight in Princess Bay and it’s really an amazing feeling to swim in the shadow. It is also famous for Princess cave, which is located near the eastern end of bay. In fact, there are two caves next to each other featuring the same decorative items: a large collection of carved wooden phallic symbols, offerings and other objects believed to help with fertility.
2. Poda island
You can find amazingly crystal clear water and less crowded island at Poda. A coral reef lies 20 meters offshore, and the combination of scenery, beach and excellent snorkeling make it one of the best places in this tour. Lunch will be served here for the trip.
3. Tup Island
Tup is much smaller than the other islands in the group and most island-hopping tourists come here to witness and photograph the amazing parting of the seas. On low tide you can walk across the sandbar from Chicken Island to Koh Mor on the left or from Tup on the right. The whole area is picturesque with stunning panoramic views of the Krabi coastline in the background.
4 Chicken Island Koh Kai is the actual name of this island, but popular as Chicken Island because of chicken-shaped rock forming in its southern tip. Boat will stop nearby to island for 30 min snorkeling where you can dive from boat.
After the island tour, you can go back to hotel to collect your bags. Leave by 5 pm for Krabi Bus Terminal from the hotel to catch 6 pm bus to Bangkok. Hotel will arrange a minivan for you which will cost 500 THB and 30 min to reach the Bus Terminal.
Comfortable double decker, semi-sleeper bus from Krabi to Bangkok is available from the Bus Terminal. Blanket, coffee, snacks and water bottle will be provided. Bus does have a washroom also. It stops at Suraththani for a 45 min food break. Bus will drop you to Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal exactly at 5.30 am. The bus also has another stop at Mochit which comes after the Southern terminal if you have opted the stay there.
Once you get down from the bus, you will be surrounded by lots of taxi drivers. It’s better to avoid them and go to the nearby taxi stand (100 m). Police officers there will assist you with the taxi at a reasonable price of 200 THB per taxi from bus terminal to Khaosan Road area. If not, you can check the price on Grab (Similar to Uber) app and insist the same to the taxi driver. Sometimes you can get cheaper rates than the Grab.
Day 8: Shopping in Bangkok
You need to do early check-in as you will reaching the hotel by 6 am. Inform prior at the hotel about your arrival. Bangkok, Thailand’s capital city, is a large city known for ornate shrines and vibrant street life along with its options at shopping. Chatuchak Weekend Market and MBK Center are must to visit places on your shopping checklist.
Chatuchak Weekend Market is one of the world's largest weekend markets and covers an area of 27 Acres and contains more than 15,000 booths selling goods from every part of Thailand. Anything and everything can be found here at a reasonable bargaining local price (not a tourist price). On the other hand, MBK Center is an iconic budget shopping mall standing in the heart of Bangkok. Compared to the other malls in Siam area, MBK has always kept the budget-conscious clientele in mind and feels a bit like any other shopping mall.
Bangkok's next attraction is its adult entertainment. There are three notorious places for the same: Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy and Patpong. As all three are not possible to cover, pick any one of the three and enjoy the place. Nana Plaza, which is Bangkok's ‘naughty central’, is notorious for its racy themed go-go bars. Unlike the better-known Soi Cowboy or Patpong, Nana Plaza is a 'more adult' scene area. It is a popular venue for those in the mood for an exotic visual experience, and something extreme.
You can end your day on KhaoSan Road. Khao San Road, a short street in central Bangkok, is the center of the backpackers' universe in Bangkok and is bursting with fun, tacky and useful things to blow your baht on.
Day 9: Bye Bye Bangkok
Check-out from your hotel by 10 am. Hotel guy will be help you book a Grab to airport. Reach at least 3 hours before your departure time as there will be huge queues. It will take atleast two hours to complete all the processes. Nothing much to do at the at airport except shopping for chocolates and liquor in their duty free shops.
