Get to know 27 utmost tourist attractions in Thailand in this blog post.
Thailand, the one Asian country that attracts more than a million visitors in a year, is a hot vacation paradise in the world. No other Asian country can boast of such tremendous tourism than Thailand.
A brief overview of Thailand and tourist attractions in Thailand:
Thailand’s position on the world atlas is exciting. Its closest neighbouring countries include:
- Burma
- Cambodia
- Laos
- Malaysia
Thailand’s west coast is facing the Andaman Sea, and on its south, the Gulf of Thailand washes its shores.
Thailand’s biggest attraction factor is its never-ending nightlife that ends not before 4 am.
The next big tourist attraction of Thailand is its food, especially the street food that begins as early as 9 am!
Apart from Thailand’s stunning beaches, there are several islands that beg you to see their beauty. As many as 1430 islands and islets belong to Thailand; out of them, several hundreds are uninhabited.
If you are contemplating a visit to Thailand, know the following 27 tourist attractions in Thailand are utmost tourist importance. If this is your first visit to Thailand, you should not miss out on these 27 tourist attractions in Thailand to visit and things to do.
The diversity of geography will stun you. The tropical forest cover to the outlying islands and islets host exotic birds, insects, and mammals.
Hindu temples, Buddhist monasteries will also be in your itinerary of Thai tour.
Overall, Thailand is captivating and an ultimate destination for a tourist.
Tourist Attractions in Thailand: Bangkok, Thailand
Being the capital of Thailand, naturally, you will be spending a minimum of 2 days to explore this sprawling and bustling city. There are just too many tourist attractions to see in Bangkok. I will list down some of them below.
Temple of Emerald Buddha
This is going to be your first stop in the guided tour of the Bangkok city.
The majority of people in Thailand are Buddhists and they naturally take pride in showing the tourist, the best of Buddhist relics and monasteries.
Khaosan Road, Bangkok
I think that image above of Khaosan Road speaks volumes of what can you buy and how can you kill almost 6 hours starting from 5 pm. There are just too many things to buy and eat.
Wat Arun-a Buddhist temple
It is located on the banks Chao Phraya River.
What a beautiful place to see in Thailand. It oozes peace.
Lumphini Park
Lumphini Park, a creatively landscaped public park containing flowering plants, lawns, and fountains.
- Ocean World-a must-see for children. The excellent marine life of Thailand is what you will see here.
- Madame Tussauds-it is a famous landmark in many cities in the world such as London and New York. It is actually an art gallery of replica wax statues of the celebrities of the country.
- Dream World Theme Park
It is a wonderful tourist place to see in Thailand. Dream World Theme Park offer water games and rides amusement park.
- China Town-it is an inevitable tourist place to in most of the big Asian cities such as Singapore, Hong Kong. In China Town, you will find hundreds of shops selling a myriad of things that we can buy. There will be a long road full of just restaurants, rather cafeterias where you can eat and drink happily. It is a pedestrian-only street.
- Floating Market of Bangkok-this is another important tourist landmark and an awesome place to go.
You can buy liquors, perfumes, footwear, dress materials, wallets, cheap jewellery, spices, and herb. The herbs and spices are of top quality and sold at very cheap rates.
Tourist Attractions in Thailand: Chiang Rai-Thailand
This antique clock tower is the identity of Chiang Rai-a Buddhist town in the north of Thailand, on the border of Burma and Laos.
Chaing Rai, is the second most visited place of Thailand, next to Bangkok. Being close to the borders of two other Asian countries that also comprise Buddhist monuments it attracts thousands of Buddhist tourists to visit Chiang Rai, a sacred city for them. This is a big shopping hub for non-Thai tourists. Souvenirs, miniature Buddha figurines, wooden handicrafts, and incense sticks are gobbled up by the tourists. Don’t ever miss going to this awesome place to see in Thailand.
Tourist Attractions in Thailand: Hua Hin, Thailand
Hua Hin has been a very popular touristy place to see in Thailand. Here, your trip to Hua Hin gets interesting as you have to travel almost to the southern end of Thailand.
Hua Hin is a coastal resort facing the Gulf of Thailand. This place gained tourists attention only when the rich and famous people of Thailand started buying land on the seafront and built spacious resorts with all the facilities and modern amenities.
As you saw in the video above, there are quite a lot of things to do in Hua Hin such as:
- Kite-surfing
- Diving
- Shopping
- Dining-this is a great pleasure in Hua Hin as the foods are supposed to be out of the world.
- Enjoying a few rides in the water theme park
- Shop in the floating market during the late evening
- Raja Bhakti Park-an antique theme park
Places to Visit in Thailand: Lopburi, Thailand
Well, this is a city mobbed by monkeys that belong to the species of Macaque. Tourists’ main interest is to visit this Thai city to see the thousands of monkeys everywhere and get mugged without any warning.
Yes, whatever you have on your hand or shirt pocket will be fearlessly taken away by the monkeys who are just not afraid of you.
There is also monkey temple and annual festival dedicated to the monkeys.
The video below reminds me of my long before experience in Tirupathi, a pilgrimage town in India.
Lopburi, the Thai tourist place is not far away from Bangkok. Just about three hours car journey from Bangkok will get you to Jobpuri.
Trivia: These monkeys in Thailand are non-vegetarian; they eat crabs with relish.
It seems the whole city is caged because of the wire mesh installed everywhere to ward off the monkeys.
Tourist Attractions in Thailand: Pai, Thailand
Pai one of the beautiful place to see in Thailand that unfortunately, the majority of the tourists are oblivious of.
Pai is a small town that is located on the shores of River Pai. The surrounding valley and natural geysers are picturesque and peaceful. It is an ideal place in Thailand to unwind and shrug the dust off collected while roaming in the dusty streets of Bangkok.
Walk along the Pai river’s banks, take a cool bath in the Mo Paeng Waterfall before warming yourself in the hot springs.
Other things to do in Pai, Thailand:
- River rafting
- Trekking on the surrounding mountains
- Go to see the elephants camp
There are small kiosks that serve Yunnan cuisine.
World Heritage Site in Thailand Sukothai, Thailand
If you want to see this beautiful Buddha statue and many more ancient temples and buildings, you need to visit Sukothai, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
There is a nearby small town known as Sukothai Thani. First, you have to reach Sukothai Thani from Bangkok, that is 430 km away.
Trivia: Thailand was known as Siam in ancient times. Sukothai was the capital of Siam.
Do you realize how important it is to see Sukothai that will also give you glimpses of Thailand’s original culture and beliefs?
Beautiful Tourist Attractions in Thailand: Khao Yai National Park, Thailand
Thus far you have only seen the elephants in temples and in enclosures. Have you ever seen the wild elephants roaming the tropical rainforests of Thailand?
If not, you have to visit Khao Yai National Park, Thailand. From Bangkok, this national park is 200 km away.
As you saw in the image above, the national park is set amidst the lush green tropical forest with hidden waterfalls and incredible canopy of trees.
The fauna mainly includes elephants, Gibbons, and Muntjacs (barking deer).
Tourist Attractions in Thailand: Koh Chang Island, Thailand
Let me tell you one thing, buddy! The islands of Thailand are simply breathtaking! The calm sea, especially the islands on the Gulf of Thailand are blissfully calm. The beaches in Koh Chang Island are lovely, wearing white sand, thus inviting you to take a plunge on the blue water.
The backdrop of dense tropical jungle begs you to stroll through it, listening to the birds’ call, watching a rabbit disappear in its borough, monkeys screeching when they see you-such a memorable way to spend half a day in this awesome place in Thailand.
To go to this big island, you can only go on a ferry as there is no airport.
Mu Ko Chang National Park is part of this island. This attraction alone is enough for you to make a trip to Koh Chang Island.
Beyond the tropical forests, there are hills with several walking trails.
Koh Chang Island is certainly one of the top tourist attractions in Thailand.
Koh Lipe Island, Thailand
Wow! Can any place match this white sand beach and its lovely turquoise water? Absolutely fascinating! It is no wonder this rated as the best tourist place to see among Thailand’s islands.
Koh (meaning island) Lipe is in the middle of Andaman Sea, between Thailand and India.
Places to see and things to do in Koh Lipe Island, Thailand:
- Tarutao National Marine Park
- Snorkelling to see the gentle coral reefs
- Pattaya Beach-this is a world-famous tourist attraction
- Scuba diving to see the Yong Hua Shipwreck
- See the bioluminescent planktons in the evening
I would make an exclusive trip to Thailand’s Koh Lipe just to see this stunning natural phenomenon.
- Meet the aboriginal Urak Lawai
Mae Jam Terraced Rice Fields, Thailand
The route to Chiang Mai is picturesque, dotted with many rice terraces. Look at the picture above. Isn’t it a terrific sight to behold?
The Mae Jam rice terraces come under the bucket list of beautiful places to see in Thailand. This is an ingenious method of rice cultivation.
The Grand Palace, Bangkok
I think this would take half of your day to see fully and leisurely. It is not a single palace but consists of mini palaces, courtyards, pavilions, etc.
A former king’s official residence (palace) will reveal the royal furniture and furnishings, defence weapons, dining hall, kitchen, the courtyard-all these will give you an idea of how they lived in the past.
Temple of the Emerald Buddha is also located in this palace complex. It is one of the foremost places to see in Thailand.
However, remember to go before 3 pm as it closes at 3.30 pm for the tourists.
Rai Leh Beach, Krabi, Thailand
Rai Leh is a beach and the most visited tourist attraction in Thailand.
You can go to this fantastic beach in Thailand only by a boat even though it is not detached from the mainland. You saw the tall limestone cliffs in the video; they are the reason the Rai Leh beach cannot be accessed by a road.
It is a favourite tourist place for mountaineers. Even children are seen practising rock climbing in Rai Leh beach.
It is always an incredible sight when you see towering rocks simply grow out of the sea-right?
There are two caves that you will tourists are eagerly visiting and you can also join them to see and explore Diamond Cave and Princess Cave.
Never say ‘no’ to your tour guide when he said, “Get ready for Rai Leh, we are moving in an hour”.
Mae Hong Son, Thailand
Salween River
Elephants and elephants everywhere, Since it was originally a elephants training camp as early as 19th century, you can see them a lot.
Mae Hong Son, one of the best naturally beautiful Tourist attractions in Thailand to see. It is a trekkers’ haven. The mountain range “Shan Hills” is covered in mist most of the time and that provides an ideal condition to the mountaineers.
Mae Hong Son is also a great place to spot wildlife as there 6 wildlife sanctuaries and four national parks.
The only negativity about visiting Mae Hong Son is the distance from Bangkok that is located about 930 km away.
Tourist Attractions in Thailand: Giant Swing, Thailand
It is giant indeed, but where is the actual swing? I think I am mistaken; the structure looks certainly like a swing.
This is a sacred place for Buddhists that attracts tourists from neighbouring countries including monks from Dharamshala in India.
Nearby the giant swing, there are several Buddhist temples and the whole area filled with fragrance emanating from the incense sticks. The most important temple is “Wat Suthat”.
Since the Giant Swing is located in the city of Bangkok, it falls as an important place to see in the local tour itinerary.
Kanchanaburi and the war memorial, Thailand
First, you see a picture of a railway bridge below.
The generation prior to the present one would recall nostalgic memories of a war movie “The Bridge on the River Kwai” starring Alec Guinness.
The bridge you see in the picture above is a good railway bridge replacing the destroyed one during World War II. The bridge on the River Kwai built by the allied force’s war prisoners for the Japanese army was blown away by the builders finally.
The river that is flowing under the railway bridge (known as Death Bridge now) is the Kwai River. The bridge, also known as Burma Bridge as it connects Burma.
Thi Lo Su Waterfalls, Thailand
The video capturing the falling water from a height of nearly 800 feet was aesthetically shot. The bird’s eye view magnifies the entire surroundings of lush green mountains.
A waterfall looks more beautiful if there is green coverage around it-eh?
The waterfall is fed by Mae Klong River that further flows through the adjoining Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary.
Though this waterfall should be on the list of places to see in Thailand, it is always deserted because it is nearly 700 km away from the Thai capital Bangkok.
Phuket, Thailand
Phuket, one of the finest Tourist attractions in Thailand to see in and it invariably occupies the second spot in the itinerary of organized Thai tour operators.
The Phuket is a captivating island of Thailand and its major tourist centre. The Phuket attracts thousands of visitors every day and thus perennially crowded.
The island is full of the rainforest, evergreen mountains, waterfalls, mountain streams, and tough hiking trails.
Phuket’s beaches are great for spending time with your family. The fun and frolic is contagious here.
Being a top-most visited place in Thailand, there are numerous resorts and holiday rental villas. Interspersed with massage parlours, discotheques, nightclubs, and spa studios, the tourists feel very reluctant to retire to their hotels even after 2 am.
A tourist to Phuket will have the best of his time when he decides to go on an island hopping tour on a ferry visiting at least a dozen of 32 islands and islets of Phuket.
Phuket Island connected by road and rail from Bangkok. Nevertheless, it is not advisable to take a train or a car to reach Phuket from Bangkok because the distance between them is 860 km.
Therefore, you take a flight from Bangkok to Phuket. The journey time is just 75 minutes.
The beaches, nightlife, and ultra-luxury holiday resorts that attract a large number of tourists to Phuket Island, Thailand.
For adventure sports lovers, there are several water sports options offered that include:
- Surfing
- Kite surfing
- Parasailing
- Snorkeling
- Scuba diving
Chumphon City, Thailand
Certainly, this is an under-rated Tourist attractions in Thailand to see. You will understand why after you read further.
As a tourist to Chumpon city, what can you see?
- Royal Gold Coast Beaches-great for surfing
- Mo Ku Chumphon National Park
- Thung Wua Laen-white sand beach where canoeing is pursued.
- Khao Phang Forest Park
- Bang Son Beach-isolated beach with clean and clear water
- Hat Sai Ri Beach
In order not to make you postpone your return ticket, I shrunk the list of beautiful Tourist attractions in Thailand to see; else, I could go on and on to end up numbering 50 at last.
Go ahead, meticulously plan your trip to Thailand so that you see at least 50% of Tourist attractions in Thailand I have covered in this blog post.
