First week in Thailand (7 days)
A first week has one fork after Bangkok. North for temples and food. South for a beach. Pick with the monsoon, not with a map that shows both.
Duration7 days
ForkChiang Mai or one coast
Do notTwo island groups
A first week has one fork after Bangkok. Three nights in the city is enough. The remaining four nights belong to one other place. The fork flight is about 70 minutes to CNX, HKT, USM, or KBV.
Day by day
1 Bangkok arrival
Airport car or ARL. Sukhumvit sleep.
2 Palace morning
Rattanakosin early, river boat, dinner in Thonglor.
3 City buffer
Siam, Chinatown, or a rest day. Fly or train tonight if you take the sleeper north.
4 Fork day
Chiang Mai Old City, or a HKT/USM/KBV landing and a beach transfer.
5 Deepen the fork
Nimman or a boat day. Not a new city.
6 Second full day away
This is the day the trip needed.
7 Return and out
Fly back to BKK only if the long-haul needs it. Same-day international is a gamble.
Book
Common questions
- North or south on a first week?
- North if you care about food and wats. South if you need a beach. The 14-day plan is how you do both.