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Travel guide

Thailand holidays: a travel guide for UK visitors

Bangkok’s temples and canals, the old capitals, the hills around Chiang Mai and two coasts with opposite seasons: a practical guide to Thailand holidays and tours, with the best time to visit Thailand month by month.

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Why visit Thailand

Thailand is the country most people choose for a first trip to Southeast Asia, and it earns that place: the food, the temples and the warmth of the welcome are all as good as their reputation, and the country is easy to travel in. Almost every tour starts in Bangkok, with its gilded temples, river and canals, then heads north through the ruined capitals of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai to Chiang Mai, where the hills are cooler and the pace slower. Others go west to Kanchanaburi and the River Kwai, or on to the national parks and islands of the south. The Thailand most visitors worry about, the party beaches and the nightlife strips, is a small corner of it, and not where tours spend their time. Many tours also cross into Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam, and a guided trip makes those borders, the overnight trains and the long distances simple.

Best time to visit Thailand

The best time to visit Thailand for touring is November to February, the cool, dry season, when Bangkok, the old capitals and the north are at their most comfortable and the Andaman coast, around Krabi, is calm and sunny. It is also the busiest and most expensive time, especially at Christmas and New Year. From March the heat builds, peaking in April, the hottest month, when Songkran, the Thai New Year, turns the streets into a water fight. The rainy season runs from about May to October across most of the country, usually as heavy afternoon downpours rather than all-day rain; landscapes are green and crowds thin, but trekking trails are muddy and the Andaman sea is rough. The Gulf coast, around Koh Samui, runs on a different calendar: it is at its driest in July and August and wettest from October to December.

Thailand month by month

JanuaryBest
Cool by Thai standards and dry almost everywhere, including Bangkok, the north and the Andaman coast.
FebruaryBest
Still dry and comfortable in the north and centre; the Andaman coast remains reliably dry too.
MarchGood
Heat builds in Bangkok and the north; the Andaman coast is still dry and increasingly hot.
AprilQuiet
The hottest month across most of the country, though still dry on the Andaman coast.
MayQuiet
The south-west monsoon usually arrives, bringing rain to the Andaman coast and, later in the month, the north.
JuneQuiet
Wet season under way on the Andaman coast and in the north, usually in heavy afternoon bursts.
JulyQuiet
Rain continues on the Andaman side and in the north, while the Gulf coast around Koh Samui stays comparatively drier.
AugustQuiet
Among the wetter months on the Andaman coast; the Gulf coast around Koh Samui remains a drier alternative.
SeptemberQuiet
Rain persists on the Andaman coast and in the north; the Gulf coast starts to turn wetter too.
OctoberQuiet
The south-west monsoon eases on the Andaman coast, while the north-east monsoon begins bringing rain to the Gulf coast.
NovemberGood
The Andaman coast and the north dry out; the Gulf coast, around Koh Samui, is now in its wettest stretch.
DecemberBest
Dry, cool and settled across Bangkok, the north and the Andaman coast; the Gulf coast is still finishing its rains.

Top things to do in Thailand

  1. 1

    See Bangkok and the old capitals

    Bangkok’s Grand Palace, the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho and the boats on the Chao Phraya river begin almost every tour. North of the city, the ruined temples of Ayutthaya and, further on, Sukhothai were the capitals of the Thai kingdoms before Bangkok, and many tours stop at both on the way north.

  2. 2

    Head north to Chiang Mai

    The old walled city of Chiang Mai has hundreds of temples, a famous night market and cooler air than the plains. It is the base for the hills of northern Thailand, for cookery classes, and for visits to elephant sanctuaries where the animals are watched rather than ridden.

  3. 3

    Follow the River Kwai to Kanchanaburi

    West of Bangkok, Kanchanaburi holds the bridge over the River Kwai and the war cemeteries of the Thailand–Burma railway, built by prisoners of war in the Second World War. Tours combine it with river rafts, waterfalls and, further south, the rainforest and lake of Khao Sok National Park.

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Thailand travel questions

When is the best time to visit Thailand?
November to February for most tours: it is the coolest, driest time in Bangkok, the north and on the Andaman coast around Krabi. March to May is very hot, and the rainy season runs from about May to October. If your dates are fixed to the summer holidays, the Gulf coast around Koh Samui is the driest part of the country in July and August.
Is Thailand good at Christmas?
The weather is at its best, dry and warm without the heat of spring, across Bangkok, the north and the Andaman coast. It is also the busiest and most expensive fortnight of the year, so tours over Christmas and New Year book up early. The Gulf coast is often still finishing its rains in December.
Is two weeks enough for Thailand?
Two weeks covers Bangkok, the old capitals and the north comfortably, or Bangkok and the River Kwai with time on an island. Covering the north and the beaches as well is possible but means a domestic flight or an overnight train. Shorter tours concentrate on one region; longer ones often add Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam.
Do UK citizens need a visa for Thailand?
Not for a holiday of up to 30 days (the limit from 15 September 2026). Your passport needs at least six months’ validity from arrival, and you must complete Thailand’s online Digital Arrival Card within the three days before you land. Officials may ask to see proof of onward travel and enough money for your stay. The rules change often; check the UK government’s travel advice before you book.
Can I take my prescription medicines to Thailand?
Usually, but check first. Medicines containing narcotic drugs, which can include some strong painkillers, need a permit from Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration, applied for online at least two weeks before you travel. Keep all medicines in their original labelled packaging with your prescription or a letter from your doctor. The rules depend on the medicine, so ask the Royal Thai Embassy in London well before you go.
Can I take my vape to Thailand?
No. It is illegal to possess or use a vape, e-cigarette or heated tobacco device anywhere in Thailand, with no exception for tourists, and the penalties are heavy. Leave it at home.
Do I need malaria tablets for Thailand?
Not usually for a standard tour. According to TravelHealthPro, there is no malaria risk in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai or Koh Samui, and a very low risk in most other areas; the low-risk areas are the rural, forested borders. Dengue is present, so avoid mosquito bites, especially by day. See your GP or a travel clinic at least six weeks before you go.
Is Thailand safe for tourists?
Most visits are trouble-free. The UK government advises against all but essential travel to the four southern provinces on the border with Malaysia, which tours do not visit. Drug laws are very strict, and criticising the Thai royal family is a crime that carries a long prison sentence. Read the UK government’s travel advice before you go.
Is Thailand good for solo travellers?
Yes, and a tour is an easy way to do it. Just You runs tours made entirely of solo travellers, and small-group tours are open to people travelling alone. Whether you pay a single supplement depends on the operator and the tour, so check before you book.
Is Thailand good for a family holiday?
Very. The food is easy to like, the people are welcoming to children, and tours designed for families mix temples and cities with jungle, rafting and beaches. Family tours usually set a minimum age, so check it before you book.
Should I take a tour or travel around Thailand on my own?
Thailand is one of the easiest countries in Asia to travel independently. A tour still takes care of the parts that use the most time: domestic flights, overnight trains, ferries, hotels and the border crossings into Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam, with a guide who explains what you are seeing. Most tours include free time in each place.
Are elephant visits on Thailand tours ethical?
It depends on the place. Riding elephants and watching them perform are widely regarded as harmful, and many sanctuaries now offer only watching elephants from a distance. If a tour includes an elephant visit, ask the operator where it is and what contact is allowed before you book.
What should I wear to visit temples in Thailand?
Cover your shoulders and knees, and take your shoes off before entering a temple building; a light scarf or sarong is useful. The Grand Palace in Bangkok is strict about dress. Never point your feet at a Buddha image or touch a monk if you are a woman.
Which Thai coast is best for my dates?
It depends on the month. The Andaman coast, around Krabi and Phuket, is best from November to April and rough during the summer monsoon. The Gulf coast, around Koh Samui, is driest from January to August and wettest from October to December.
Can I combine Thailand with Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam?
Yes, and many tours do: Bangkok to Siem Reap for Angkor Wat, on to Vietnam, or north into Laos along the Mekong. These journeys cross land borders, so check what your tour includes for visas and permits in each country.

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