THAILAND TRAVEL (2023) | 15 Beautiful Places To Visit In Thailand (+ Travel Itineraries & Tips)

What's up guys we're here in Thailand we just finished traveling around the country for two months and in this video we're going to show you our top 15 destinations everything from the north to the south so hope you enjoy the video. Thailand is located in the center of mainland Southeast Asia. It's one of the most popular tourist destinations in the entire world thanks to its affordability, safety, natural beauty, and interesting culture. Thailand has even been nicknamed the land of smiles because of its genuinely warm and welcoming locals. There's something for everyone here from the tropical beaches, immense limestone formations, and colorful underwater world in the south to the delicious cuisine, ancient temples, and lush mountain landscapes in the north. In this video we highlight our top 15 places to visit in Thailand. Make sure to watch until the end as we also share three travel tips and suggested itineraries to help you plan your own Thailand trip. Now let's dive in. We are Zach and Ina. We make helpful videos about destinations around the world so you can easily plan your own adventures. Bangkok is located in the center of Thailand. With most international flights arriving to this capital city it's often the first place people visit on a trip around the country. Just like most other big cities Bangkok is noisy, crowded, and overwhelming at times. But look deeper and you'll find a city that's vibrant, historic, and really authentic. Featuring some of the country's best temples and palaces, a number of traditional floating markets, and one of the largest outdoor markets in the world, it's a destination in Thailand that you can't miss. If you do go to Bangkok make sure to watch our full video on the city to learn more about all the fun things you can do there. The province of Phayao is situated in the north of Thailand. Being relatively undiscovered by tourists, this is a truly peaceful and authentic destination to visit. Phulongkha Forest Park is the absolute highlight here, boasting some of the most incredible sunrise views above beautiful sea mist. Stay at one of the accommodations along road 1148 for the best views. Phayao is also home to the biggest freshwater lake in northern Thailand and has a variety of unique hidden temples. Located in southern Thailand, Koh Lanta is a laid-back island that's a hidden paradise of unspoiled beaches, affordable accommodations, and delicious food. Easily accessible by boat from nearby Phuket, Koh Phi Phi, or Ao Nang, Koh Lanta is a great place to add to your itinerary if you're looking to relax. One of the main reasons travelers come here is to dive or snorkel at its nearby islands and reefs such as Koh Ha. But what we enjoyed most was to simply relax and watch the sunset. So if you're visiting Koh Lanta, definitely make sure you come to the west side of the island for sunset. It's super beautiful and there's a lot of cool beach bars or you can just get your own beer and enjoy the setting sun. Located about 80 kilometers or 50 miles north of Bangkok, the ancient city of Ayutthaya was Thailand's capital from the 14th to 18th century. Today, you can find remarkable temple ruins that date back to that period. Highlights of Ayutthaya Historical Park include Wat Phra Mahathat, where you can find a statue of a buddha's head entwined in tree roots, as well as Wat Chaiwatthanaram and Wat Phra Si Sampet, the largest of all the temples in the park. It is possible to visit as a day tour from Bangkok, but to get a real feel of the place, spend a few days and bike around the park. The stunning Phang Nha Bay covers 400 square kilometers or 150 miles and can be found in the Andaman Sea between the island of Phuket and the mainland of southern Thailand. This natural area has towering limestone cliffs, mangrove forests, emerald waters, and numerous islands. Most travelers visit on a day trip from Phuket, which generally includes a stop at the Monkey Cave and the famous James Bond Island. You can find a link to the day tour that we did from Phuket in the description below the video. The Samoy Archipelago is located in the Gulf of Thailand and includes the popular resort island of Koh Samoy, the laid-back Koh Phangan, the diving island of Katow, and Ang Thong Marine Park. Enjoying all three main islands is definitely an option, as they all have distinct vibes and attract different types of travelers. Our favorite one was Koh Phangan, as it had some of the most spectacular beaches and scenery while also attracting a younger crowd. But the marine park is also a must visit, and we enjoyed it on a day trip from Koh Samoy. We have separate full videos about Koh Phangan and Koh Samoy on our channel, so definitely check those out if you're heading in that direction. Heading back to northern Thailand, we have the ancient town of Sukhothai, which is home to UNESCO-listed Sukhothai Historical Park. The park contains approximately 193 ruins that date back to the 13th century Sukhothai Kingdom. The most impressive temple is Wat Mahathat, which features beautiful stupas, a pillared pavilion, and two large Buddha images. Other ruins you can't miss are Wat Si Sawai, which is the oldest temple in the park, as well as Wat Sa Si, located in the middle of a lake in a great sunset backdrop. So one of the fun things here in Sukhothai is that the park, the historical park, is actually car-free, so you can just ride your bike or walk and there's no cars around you. At number 8, we have the Phi Phi Islands, which are surrounded by sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, and spectacular natural scenery. Phi Phi Don is the larger of the two islands, and has a range of tourist facilities and accommodations, while Phi Phi Le is the most pristine one, and home to the famous Maya Bay. Both islands are definitely worth visiting, but you can expect large crowds, as they're extremely popular with day-trippers from nearby Phuket and Dao Nang. Sitting right on the border with Myanmar and Laos, Chiang Rai is the northernmost province in Thailand. Chiang Rai City is known for its abundance of colorful temples and art, such as the famous White Temple, the Blue Temple, and the eccentric Ban Dao Museum. But venture outside the city, and you'll find a natural paradise, filled with cascading waterfalls, beautiful tea plantations, small villages tucked away in the mountains, and impressive caves. Another province we adore is the less trodden Kanchanaburi, situated to the west of Bangkok. It's a must-visit for anyone interested in an authentic Thai experience filled with cultural, natural, and historical attractions. From the infamous Death Railway over the River Kwai, to the fascinating temples set amongst stunning scenery, or inside a cave, and the picturesque seven-tiered Erawan Falls, we wish we spent even more time in this area, as four days didn't feel like enough for us. Located in the province of Krabi in southern Thailand, Railay Beach is one of the most beautiful beach destinations in the entire country. It's only accessible by boat due to the towering cliffs that cut it off from the mainland. You can expect white sand beaches, a small village, and tall natural limestone walls being climbed by both beginner and advanced rock climbers. As Railay is close to the city of Ao Nang, you can also decide to base yourself there and visit other areas of the province, which we highlight in our full Krabi video. At number four, we have the province of Chiang Mai, located in the northwest of Thailand. It's one of the most popular places to visit in the country, thanks to its stunning temples and architecture, beautiful mountain scenery, friendly locals, and delicious cuisine. Chiang Mai City is home to the best night market we experienced in all of Thailand, running every Sunday evening. But the surrounding nature parks are also a must-visit, such as Doi Inthanon National Park, which is home to stunning viewpoints, beautiful waterfalls, and the notorious Twin Pagodas. Our favorite place to visit in the province was Elephant Nature Park, which is known for its ethical treatment of these majestic animals. So the baby elephants just had their afternoon snack and it looks like they have some energy they're starting to play. And now we've made it to our top three of Thailand. Located in the far south near the Malaysian border, you can find the small paradise island of Koh Lipe. Celebrated for its white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, and abundant marine life, this is the ultimate beach destination for snorkeling, diving, and relaxing. It's actually so tiny that you can easily walk from one end to the other. Most travelers only visit Koh Lipe on their way to Malaysia, so the island remains a true hidden gem. Khao Sok National Park is located on the mainland of southern Thailand. Consisting of the immense Chao Larn Lake, steep limestone mountains, a lush rainforest, and a wealth of flora and fauna, nature is truly at its best here. In fact, the park is so vast that the best way to explore it is by doing a multi-day excursion on a longtail boat. We joined a three-day tour of the park and stayed in one of the majestic floating bungalows on the lake. It was one of our most memorable experiences of our entire Thailand trip. Located in the northwest of Thailand, Mae Hong Son is likely the most beautiful province in the country. Filled with mountain landscapes, cascading waterfalls, and authentic Thai villages, there's an adventure around every corner. The most popular way to explore this region is by driving the Mae Hong Son Loop, a 600 kilometer or 372 mile route that takes at least four days to complete. Highlights include the idyllic mountain town of Pai, the impressive Nam Lot cave, the Chinese settlement of Ban Rak Thai, the capital Mae Hong Son city, and the long neck Karen tribe at Hoi Phu Kheng. If you're interested in going there, check out our full video about this magical loop for a more detailed overview. As we promised at the beginning of our video, we'll now share three things that we learned in Thailand that will help your own trip. First, the best place to eat traditional Thai food is at the street markets, and you can find them in almost any city in the country. We also made use of Google reviews to find good places to eat, since the restaurants tended to vary in quality and price. Secondly, the best way to get around the islands and cities is with a rented vehicle. We usually rented a scooter, as they were the cheapest and easiest way to navigate the narrow roads. By law, an international driving license is required, and you'll be asked to show yours if you get pulled over by the police. Finally, public transportation is also widely used in Thailand, and it's especially easy to get from one major destination to another. At any tourist town, you'll find tour agencies that issue bus, train, and ferry tickets, but you can also reserve tickets online, and we use the website One Two Go Asia. If you're going to travel from the north all the way to the south of the country, we do recommend to fly, as the prices are generally cheap and it saves a lot of time. We also included a few Thailand trip itinerary options on the screen, in case you want to use them to guide your own adventure around the country. This was our personal top 15 of Thailand travel destinations. There are a few places we visited that didn't make our top, such as Phuket, and there are of course other beautiful destinations in the country too. If you're planning your Thailand trip, we recommend keeping things organized with our interactive travel planner. Find a discount code below. We also included links to all of our other Thailand videos in the description below the video, so you can use those to get more detailed information on most of the places that we mentioned. We'll catch you on the next adventure!