15 things to do in Thailand

The 15 worth the flight

The best of Thailand mixes the water, the temples, the fights and the clubs, spread across Bangkok, the islands and the north.

• A yacht day among the limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay
• Maya Bay and the Phi Phi islands
• Bangkok's Grand Palace and Wat Pho
• The old capital of Ayutthaya
• A Muay Thai class at a Thai camp
• Ringside at Rajadamnern Stadium
• Sunset at a Bangkok rooftop bar
• A VIP section at a superclub
• The Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan
• A December festival: Tomorrowland or EDC
• The Yi Peng lanterns in Chiang Mai
• A jungle zipline near Chiang Mai
• Diving or snorkelling at the Similan Islands
• A golf day in Pattaya
• Street food, then a private dinner cruise on the river

Pick five, add a beach, and the trip builds itself.

If you only do five

Only got a week? Do these five: a yacht day in Phang Nga Bay, Bangkok's temples, a Muay Thai fight, a rooftop at sunset and the Full Moon Party.

Those five cover the islands, the city, the sport and the party, and they fit into one week with a single flight between Bangkok and Phuket or Koh Samui.

For a first trip, start in Bangkok for the temples and rooftops, then fly south for the boats.

See our Thailand itinerary for 5-, 7- and 10-day routes.

Do those five and you've done Thailand properly.

A day on your own boat

If I had one day in Thailand, I'd spend it on a boat: your own boat among the limestone islands, the swim platform down, and no tour crowds.

Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh is open from about 7am to 6pm, and the national park charges foreign adults ฿400 to land, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Department of National Parks say, with wading only to the knees. The national park closes it every year from 1 August to 30 September.

Phang Nga Bay's islands are the classic Phuket yacht day, and Koh Larn is the easy one from Pattaya.

See yacht parties in Thailand.

Ask Tanner to hold a boat for your date.

Temples and the old capital

Bangkok's Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun are the classic first day in Thailand, and Ayutthaya, the old capital, is the best day trip.

Ayutthaya was the capital of Siam from 1350 until 1767 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Entry is ฿50 per temple, or ฿220 for the combined ticket.

Go early, before 9am, to beat the heat and the tour buses.

Cover the shoulders and knees for the temples. See things to do in Bangkok and our day trips from Bangkok.

Muay Thai: train or watch

Muay Thai is the one to try yourself, as a morning class at a camp or an evening ringside at a stadium.

A group class at a Thai camp is quoted on request, and most camps take walk-ins.

Ringside at Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok is ฿2,500 a person, close enough to hear every kick.

See our Muay Thai camp and Rajadamnern Stadium guides.

Watch one fight from ringside, and half the group wants a class the next morning.

Rooftops, then a 4am club

Thailand's nightlife is one of its biggest draws: rooftop bars at sunset, then a VIP section at a superclub.

Licensed entertainment venues in Bangkok, Chonburi (including Pattaya), Phuket, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui district, and licensed venues inside hotels, may open until 4am under Ministerial Regulation No. 3, the Government Public Relations Department confirms (checked November 2026). Ordinary bars and restaurants close earlier, usually by 2am. In Bangkok, the licensed clubs are in Silom, RCA and Ratchada.

Illuzion in Phuket is our pick for the big club night, and our host meets the group outside and walks them in.

See Thailand nightlife and our best party islands in Thailand.

Ask Tanner to put your name on the list.

Full Moon, Tomorrowland and the lanterns

December is the biggest festival month, and the Full Moon comes round every month.

The Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan runs every month; the next dates are 24 November, 24 December and 31 December 2026.

Tomorrowland Thailand runs from 11 to 13 December 2026 at Wisdom Valley near Pattaya, its first full-scale edition in Asia, and EDC Thailand is in Phuket from 18 to 20 December.

In April, Songkran, the Thai New Year, turns the whole country into a water fight from 13 to 15 April 2027.

Chiang Mai's Yi Peng lantern releases are on 24 and 25 November 2026. See the Thailand party calendar.

Jungle, waterfalls and ziplines

Thailand's jungle days are the best change of pace on a party trip: ziplines in the north and waterfalls in the west.

Zipline parks in the hills near Chiang Mai string ziplines and sky bridges through the forest, and most collect you from your hotel.

Erawan Falls in Kanchanaburi has seven tiers of turquoise pools, with a national park fee at the gate.

In Krabi, the climb of more than 1,200 steps to Tiger Cave Temple ends in one of the best views in the south. See our things to do in Krabi.

One jungle day is the reset a party week needs.

Diving and snorkelling

The Similan Islands have some of the clearest water in Thailand, and the national park is open from 15 October 2026 to 15 May 2027, the Government Public Relations Department says (checked November 2026).

The Similans are a long speedboat ride from Khao Lak or Phuket, so make it a full day.

Koh Tao is the place to learn to dive, with some of the easiest snorkelling and diving just offshore.

See our best beaches in Thailand and Koh Tao scuba diving.

Golf in Pattaya

Pattaya is Thailand's golf capital, about two hours from Bangkok by road, with more than 20 courses close by.

Green fees are quoted on request, from the easy local courses up to Siam Country Club's Old Course.

Play 18 in the morning, rest by the pool, and be on Walking Street by ten.

See our Pattaya guide.

What a week costs

On a budget of hostels, street food and buses, very little.

A party trip costs more, because the big costs are the villa, the boat and the club evenings.

A full party week for 12 starts from about ฿300,000, before flights.

See what a Thailand trip costs, line by line.

What's the 3-day rule?

It's the arrival-card window: every visitor files the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card online in the 3 days before arriving, through Thailand's Immigration Bureau.

One submission can cover a group of up to 10 travellers.

Travellers from 60 countries and territories can then stay 30 days without a visa.

See our arrival card and visa guide.

File it the night before you fly, and it's done.

Off the usual route

Some of the best things to do in Thailand are in Isaan, the northeast, where few visitors go.

The Red Lotus Sea near Udon Thani blooms from December to February, the Surin Elephant Round-Up is on the third weekend of November, and the Mekong has the Naga fireballs. See our Isaan travel guide.

Insider tip: the lotus flowers close by about 11am, so be on the boat at sunrise.

Tanner's pick: first trip? Bangkok and Phuket. Second trip? Add Isaan.

Ask Tanner to fit one unusual day into the week.

The best of it for a group

For a group, the best days keep everyone together: a yacht day, a villa party, a ringside evening and a VIP section.

Base the group in a pool villa, from ฿18,500 a day, with a DJ at ฿8,000 a day and an open bar at ฿1,500 a person.

A car with a driver waits all evening.

See our bachelor party ideas and villa parties in Thailand.

One villa, one boat, one table: that's the week.

Pick your five

Pick your five, then the places that hold them. Bangkok plus a beach covers most of the list.

Then add the villa, the boat and the club evenings. Our where to go in Thailand guide helps you choose the stops.

City by city, see the things to do in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui and Krabi.

Plan it with Tanner, and he sends back the plan for your group and your dates.

Things to do in Thailand in short

• The top five for a week: a yacht day, Bangkok's temples, Muay Thai, a rooftop at sunset and the Full Moon Party.

• Maya Bay closes every year from 1 August to 30 September.
• The Similan Islands are open from 15 October to about 15 May.
• Licensed entertainment venues in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui district may open until 4am; ordinary bars and restaurants close earlier, usually by 2am.
• December is the festival month, with Tomorrowland Thailand from 11 to 13 December 2026.
• Best months: November to February for most of the country.

Checked October 2026.