Thailand / Things to do
Things to do
in Thailand.
44 trips worth booking and 69 places you can simply turn up to, across 11 destinations. Different things, checked differently.
Worth booking
Tours and experiences.
Each operator is judged on its own score, never averaged with the others running the same trip. Our bar for a tour is 9.0 out of 10 and at least 50 reviews. Anything below it is left off rather than quietly rounded up.
01wildlifeChiang MaiResearched PickA Chiang Mai elephant sanctuaryChiang Mai has a great many elephant venues. Four clear our scoring bar, and what they have visitors do with the elephants differs more than their names suggest.10.09,510 reviews02cultureKoh SamuiResearched PickThe half-day island tourThe minivan circuit of the island's landmarks in half a day, with 1,568 reviews behind it, which is the deepest sample of any tour on this site.10.01,568 reviews03waterKoh TaoResearched PickLearning to dive on Koh TaoThe island that certifies more divers than anywhere else in Asia, from a one-day try dive to fun dives for people who already hold a card.10.0302 reviews04waterKoh TaoResearched PickA Koh Tao and Nang Yuan snorkelling tripHalf a day round the island by boat from Mae Haad pier, with Koh Nang Yuan's viewpoint, a reef stop and the quieter bays on the east coast.10.0292 reviews05waterKoh LantaResearched PickDiving from Koh LantaTwo-dive days for certified divers, run out to Koh Haa and, in season, to Hin Daeng and Hin Muang. The best-reviewed operator on the island by a distance.10.0240 reviews06waterKoh Phi PhiResearched PickThe Maya Bay sunrise tripLeaving Phi Phi Don before dawn to reach Maya Bay ahead of the Phuket and Krabi boats. Maya Bay reopened on 1 October 2026.10.0129 reviews07foodChiang MaiResearched PickA Chiang Mai cooking classHalf a day at a cooking school, usually with a market visit first, cooking four or five dishes and eating them. Chiang Mai has a great many of these, and four clear our bar with ease.9.84,635 reviews08wildlifePhuketResearched PickA Phuket elephant sanctuaryFour venues on the island sell morning and afternoon visits, all rated above our bar, and they are not offering the same thing to the elephants.9.83,419 reviews09wildlifePattayaResearched PickA Pattaya elephant sanctuaryTwo elephant venues near Pattaya clear our bar. Both describe feeding and contact rather than riding, in their own words.9.82,025 reviews10culturePattayaResearched PickA private day around PattayaA car, a driver and a day, built around whichever of Pattaya's sights you actually want. 928 reviews at 4.9 out of 5.9.8928 reviews11wildlifeKoh SamuiResearched PickSamui Elephant HomeA half-day feeding and bathing visit scoring 4.9 out of 5, the highest-rated thing to do we found on the island.9.873 reviewsabout ฿2,70212cultureBangkokResearched PickDamnoen Saduak floating marketThe canal market in Ratchaburi, about 63km west of Bangkok, usually sold with the Maeklong railway market in the same early morning.9.628,424 reviews13waterBangkokResearched PickA Chao Phraya dinner cruiseTwo hours up and down the river after dark, past Wat Arun and the Grand Palace, on boats ranging from a buffet barge to something considerably grander.9.618,012 reviews14waterPhuketResearched PickA Phi Phi islands day tripThe standard Phuket boat day: Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Bamboo Island and a snorkel stop, about 45km east across the Andaman.9.614,766 reviews15cultureBangkokResearched PickA day trip to AyutthayaThe old Siamese capital about 67km north of the Grand Palace, sacked in 1767 and now a UNESCO World Heritage site, sold as a day trip by half of Bangkok.9.612,180 reviews16waterPhuketResearched PickPhang Nga Bay and James Bond IslandThe limestone karsts north-east of Phuket, with sea canoeing into the caves and the rock from The Man with the Golden Gun at the end of it.9.68,732 reviews17cultureChiang MaiResearched PickThe White Temple day trip to Chiang RaiA long day from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai province for the White Temple, the Blue Temple and usually the Black House, with much of it on the road.9.62,787 reviews18cultureBangkokResearched PickMuay Thai at Rajadamnern StadiumThailand's oldest purpose-built boxing stadium, north-east of the old town, where cards run several nights a week and tickets are sold in tiers.9.62,780 reviews19natureChiang MaiResearched PickA Doi Inthanon day tripThe standard day out of Chiang Mai: waterfalls on the way up, the twin royal pagodas, the summit, and usually a hill-tribe market, with the driving done for you.9.61,358 reviews20foodBangkokResearched PickA Bangkok street food tourGuided eating, usually four hours after dark, through the stalls and shophouses of one neighbourhood rather than a list of famous streets.9.6743 reviews21natureKoh SamuiResearched PickTree Bridge Zipline SamuiA jungle zipline course scoring 4.8 out of 5 from 125 reviews, the deepest review sample of any high-scoring activity on the island.9.6125 reviewsabout ฿1,85122foodHua HinResearched PickHua Hin sights and the Monsoon Valley vineyardA Klook day tour pairing Hua Hin's sights with the Monsoon Valley vineyard in the hills inland, 4.8 out of 5 from 94 reviews.9.694 reviews23nightlifePattayaResearched PickA Pattaya cabaret showThree Pattaya cabaret theatres, Alcazar, Tiffany's and Colosseum, all clear our bar. An hour of costumes, mime and production numbers, and the family-safe side of Pattaya's night.9.47,053 reviews24waterKrabiResearched PickThe Four Islands day tripKrabi's standard boat day: Poda, Chicken Island, the Thalay Waen sandbar and Phra Nang, by longtail or speedboat from Ao Nang.9.43,340 reviews25waterKrabiResearched PickThe Hong Islands day tripA day among the karsts north of Ao Nang, with a lagoon you enter through a gap in the rock and a viewpoint over the whole group.9.41,612 reviews26natureKrabiResearched PickThe jungle day tour: Tiger Cave, Emerald Pool and the hot springsThe standard land day from Ao Nang or Krabi Town: the temple, the Emerald Pool and the hot springs waterfall, in a van, in that order.9.41,251 reviews27waterPattayaResearched PickThe outer islands by catamaranKo Phai, Koh Rin and Koh Ped, the far islands an hour out, on a catamaran with lunch. The quiet alternative to Ko Larn's crowds.9.4155 reviews28cultureKoh SamuiResearched PickBig Buddha and Wat Plai Laem Half-Day TourA guided half-day round of the island's two best-known temples, with hotel transfers, at the lowest price of any tour we list.9.460 reviewsabout ฿85029waterPattayaResearched PickA Ko Larn island tourCoral Island by speedboat with the water sports bundled in, sold as the easy version of a trip you can also do on a public ferry for a fraction of the price.9.23,873 reviews30waterHua HinResearched PickVana Nava Water JungleA water park at Khao Takiab whose Klook ticket scores 4.6 out of 5 from 1,829 reviews. Two of its rides are closed for maintenance until 3 October 2026, by the park's own notice.9.21,829 reviews31waterKrabiResearched PickPhi Phi from KrabiThe Phi Phi day trip run from the Krabi side: Maya Bay, Pileh, Monkey Beach and Bamboo Island, about 40km out and back.9.2404 reviews32waterPhuketResearched PickThe Similan IslandsGranite islands and the clearest water in the Andaman, about 100km north-west of Phuket, open roughly half the year and shut for the monsoon.9.2249 reviews33nightlifePhuketResearched PickSimon CabaretPatong's long-running ladyboy cabaret, an hour of sequins, mime and big production numbers, sitting exactly on our scoring bar.9.04,412 reviews34waterKrabiResearched PickThe seven islands sunset tripAn afternoon and evening version of the island circuit, ending with dinner on a beach and a swim after dark to look for plankton.9.0979 reviews35waterKoh SamuiResearched PickPig Island by speedboatThe short run south to Koh Madsum and Koh Tan, where the pigs on the beach are the draw and the snorkelling is the reason to stay.9.0762 reviews36natureKoh SamuiResearched PickThe 4x4 jungle safariA day in the middle of the island by jeep, up tracks a hire car cannot take, with lunch and the viewpoints most visitors never reach.9.0525 reviews37waterKoh LantaResearched PickThe Koh Rok and Koh Haa snorkelling tripThe full-day snorkelling run south to Koh Rok and Koh Haa, the clearest water reachable from Lanta in a day. Ko Rok closed for the monsoon from 1 June and Ko Ha from 1 August, both to 30 September 2026. Reopening is not confirmed as of 27 October 2026.9.0166 reviews38waterKoh TaoResearched PickThe wooden boat snorkelling dayA small-group day around the island on an old wooden boat with a sun deck, meals included, instead of the packed speedboats.9.0156 reviews39waterKoh PhanganResearched PickAng Thong marine park, from PhanganThe forty-two island archipelago by speedboat from Phangan rather than Samui, with the lagoon, snorkelling and kayaks. Closed 1 November to 15 December.9.0136 reviews40waterKoh Phi PhiAlso ListedIsland snorkelling from Phi PhiThe half and full day snorkelling runs that leave from Ton Sai rather than the mainland. Neither clears our pick bar, and both are here with their numbers showing.9.0108 reviews41natureKoh PhanganResearched PickThe Koh Phangan road tripA shared day around the island by road: viewpoints, waterfalls and the beaches at the far end, without hiring a scooter on roads that catch people out.9.0101 reviews42natureKoh PhanganResearched PickThe Phangan jungle ATV safariNinety minutes on a quad bike through the interior with a guide in front, which is the sane way to see the inland tracks.9.078 reviews43naturePattayaResearched PickATV and buggy ridingA 34 kilometre ride through the hills behind Pattaya for people who have ridden before, on quads or buggies.9.074 reviews44waterKoh SamuiResearched PickAng Thong National Marine ParkThe forty-two island archipelago north-west of Samui, reachable only by boat, and the one day trip most people build their week around.9.072 reviews
Just turn up
Places you visit.
A temple and a waterfall have no guest score, and no honest way to get one. These pages tell you where the place is, what we confirmed and when, and what we could not confirm. We will not borrow a tour operator's rating and let it look like the waterfall's.
01foodBangkokResearched PickAsiatique The RiverfrontThe old East Asiatic Company docks turned into a riverside night market with a Ferris wheel, free to enter and reached by a free shuttle boat.No guest score exists02natureBangkokResearched PickBang Krachao, the green lungA river bend of villages, orchards and raised concrete cycle paths, ten minutes across the water from the city and kept deliberately unbuilt.No guest score exists03nightlifePhuketResearched PickBangla RoadFour hundred metres of bars, clubs and noise through the middle of Patong, pedestrianised in the evening, and licensed to trade later than almost anywhere else in Thailand.No guest score exists04waterKoh PhanganResearched PickBottle BeachHat Khuat, a secluded beach on the north coast with no easy road, reached by longtail boat from Chaloklum or by a long hike.No guest score exists05cultureBangkokResearched PickChatuchak Weekend MarketThe weekend market in the north of the city, thousands of stalls under tin, with opening days that three official-looking sources describe three different ways.No guest score exists06cultureHua HinResearched PickCicada MarketA weekend evening market of art, food, music and theatre in a garden at Khao Takiab, open Friday to Sunday from 4pm, according to its operator.No guest score exists07natureChiang MaiResearched PickDoi InthanonThailand's highest mountain, a long drive south-west of Chiang Mai, with the twin royal pagodas, waterfalls on the way up and a cloud forest at the top.No guest score exists08foodKoh SamuiResearched PickFisherman's Village, BophutA strip of old Chinese shophouses on the Bophut seafront turned into restaurants and bars, and the reason Bophut solves a problem the other quiet beaches do not.No guest score exists09nightlifeKoh PhanganResearched PickHaad Rin and the Full Moon PartyHaad Rin Nok, the beach where the monthly Full Moon Party is held, organised by the bars on the beach rather than by any official body.No guest score exists10viewpointKoh SamuiResearched PickHin Ta and Hin YaiThe Grandfather and Grandmother rocks at the south end of Lamai, a fifteen-minute stop that most Samui itineraries include and nobody spends an afternoon at.No guest score exists11foodHua HinResearched PickHua Hin night marketThe evening street market on Dechanuchit Road in the town centre, an ordinary road by day.No guest score exists12cultureHua HinResearched PickHua Hin railway stationThe old wooden station of 1926 and the Royal Waiting Room beside it, kept as a heritage building since trains moved to a new station to the south.No guest score exists13viewpointPhuketResearched PickKaron ViewpointThe pull-in on the hill road between Nai Harn and Kata Noi, where three beaches line up in one curve, and the one listing on this page with a price confirmed by the council that runs it.No guest score exists14viewpointHua HinResearched PickKhao Daeng viewpointA short, steep climb in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park to what the Tourism Authority calls the park's best panorama.No guest score exists15natureKrabiResearched PickKhao Khanab NamThe twin limestone towers on the river at Krabi Town, the emblem of the province, with caves you climb into and a fifteen-minute boat ride to reach them.No guest score exists16nightlifeBangkokResearched PickKhao San Road410 metres of bars, pad thai carts and tattoo shops a kilometre north of the Grand Palace. Free, loud, and not what it was in 1995.No guest score exists17viewpointHua HinResearched PickKhao Takiab and its templeThe hill at the southern end of Hua Hin beach, with a temple on top and a standing Buddha facing the sea.No guest score exists18natureKoh LantaResearched PickKhlong Chak WaterfallA small forest waterfall inland from Klong Chak bay near the southern tip, reached on foot by a trail through the forest.No guest score exists19naturePattayaResearched PickKo Larn, Coral IslandThe island off Pattaya's Bali Hai pier with the clear water the mainland beaches lack, reached by a public ferry that costs less than a coffee.No guest score exists20natureKoh TaoResearched PickKoh Nang YuanThree small islands off Koh Tao joined by a sandbar, a short boat ride from Mae Haad or Sairee, with a published entrance fee and a published list of rules.No guest score exists21foodKrabiResearched PickKrabi Walking StreetA weekend night market on Maharat Soi 8 in Krabi Town, running since 2009, with a stage, a food court of plastic stools and no admission anyone can point to.No guest score exists22cultureKoh LantaResearched PickLanta Old TownBan Si Raya, the old fishing and trading town on the east coast, with wooden shophouses, houses over the water and a community of several faiths.No guest score exists23natureBangkokResearched PickLumphini ParkThe city's central park between Silom and Sukhumvit, open from half past four in the morning, and free as far as anyone can tell, though the city has never written it down.No guest score exists24natureKoh Phi PhiResearched PickMaya BayThe cliff-ringed bay on Ko Phi Phi Le from The Beach, closed in 2018 to let the reef recover, and reported closed every year since for part of the monsoon.No guest score exists25cultureHua HinResearched PickMrigadayavan PalaceKing Rama VI's seaside palace of 1923 at Cha-am: 16 teak buildings raised on pillars and linked by balconies and corridors.No guest score exists26natureKoh LantaResearched PickMu Ko Lanta National ParkThe park headquarters at Laem Tanod, the island's southern tip, with a lighthouse on the cape, a beach and a nature trail through the forest.No guest score exists27cultureBangkokResearched PickMuseum SiamAn interactive museum about what being Thai means, in a colonial-era ministry building near Wat Pho. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00.No guest score exists28natureKoh SamuiResearched PickNa Muang WaterfallTwo waterfalls in the island's interior, the lower one a short walk from the road and the upper one a proper climb.No guest score exists29naturePattayaResearched PickNong Nooch Tropical GardenA vast landscaped garden south of Pattaya, with themed sections, a dinosaur valley and cultural shows, open every day of the year.No guest score exists30cultureBangkokResearched PickPak Khlong Talat, the flower marketBangkok's wholesale flower market, running all night by the river south of Wat Pho. Free, and at its best between four and eight in the morning.No guest score exists31natureKoh PhanganResearched PickPhaeng Waterfall and Domsila ViewpointA forest waterfall in the middle of the island, with a rock viewpoint above it looking out over the south-west coast.No guest score exists32natureHua HinResearched PickPhraya Nakhon CaveA large cave in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, lit through a hole in its roof, with a royal pavilion built for King Rama V in 1890 standing inside.No guest score exists33culturePhuketResearched PickPhuket Old TownThe Sino-Portuguese quarter around Thalang Road, built on tin money, and the part of Phuket that has nothing to do with beaches.No guest score exists34viewpointPhuketResearched PickPromthep CapeThe headland at the southern tip of the island, with the Kanchanaphisek lighthouse on it, and the sunset that every Phuket itinerary ends on.No guest score exists35natureKrabiResearched PickRailay and Phra NangA peninsula with no road in, reached by longtail from Ao Nang in about fifteen minutes, with the best-known cliffs and cave beach in Thailand at the end of it.No guest score exists36cultureBangkokResearched PickTalat NoiSino-Portuguese shophouses, engine-parts workshops and street art in the lanes between Chinatown and the river. Free, and lived in.No guest score exists37natureKrabiResearched PickThalay Waen, the Separated SeaA sandbar that surfaces between three islands off Ao Nang as the tide drops, and disappears again a few hours later.No guest score exists38natureKoh PhanganResearched PickThan Sadet WaterfallThe stream and falls in the east of the island that give Than Sadet-Ko Pha-ngan National Park its name, on an island King Rama V visited many times.No guest score exists39cultureBangkokResearched PickThe Bangkok Art and Culture CentreNine floors of free contemporary art spiralling around an atrium, joined to BTS National Stadium by a skywalk. Closed Mondays.No guest score exists40cultureBangkokResearched PickThe Bangkok National MuseumThailand's largest museum, in the old Front Palace beside Sanam Luang, 240 baht for a foreigner and closed Mondays and Tuesdays.No guest score exists41culturePhuketResearched PickThe Big BuddhaThe 45-metre marble Buddha on Nakkerd Hill, visible from half the island, closed for eighteen months after a landslide and reported reopened in March 2026 under new custodians.No guest score exists42natureKrabiResearched PickThe Emerald PoolA warm spring-fed pool in lowland rainforest at Khlong Thom, an hour from Ao Nang, inside a wildlife sanctuary rather than a national park.No guest score exists43cultureBangkokResearched PickThe Grand Palace and Wat Phra KaewThe royal compound on the river with the Emerald Buddha inside it, at 500 baht for foreign visitors, a figure the palace publishes on its own site.No guest score exists44cultureBangkokResearched PickThe Jim Thompson House MuseumTeak houses and an Asian art collection on a canal-side plot behind National Stadium station, 250 baht for an adult, guided only.No guest score exists45cultureBangkokResearched PickThe Maeklong railway marketA working produce market built along a live railway line, where the stalls and awnings pull back for each passing train. About 80km south-west of Bangkok.No guest score exists46viewpointBangkokResearched PickThe Mahanakhon SkyWalkA glass floor on the 78th storey of the King Power Mahanakhon tower. 1,000 baht before 15:30, 1,200 baht after, and the price is on their own site.No guest score exists47viewpointKoh Phi PhiResearched PickThe Phi Phi viewpointThe climb above the village to 186 metres, where the two bays either side of the isthmus curve away from each other, and the one walk everybody on the island does.No guest score exists48culturePattayaResearched PickThe Sanctuary of TruthA temple-palace carved entirely from wood on the Naklua shoreline, still unfinished after decades of work, with hard hats issued at the door.No guest score exists49natureChiang MaiResearched PickThe Sticky WaterfallsA tiered waterfall north of Chiang Mai whose limestone is so grippy you can walk straight up it, and one of the few sights in this guide that is officially free.No guest score exists50foodChiang MaiResearched PickThe Sunday Walking StreetEvery Sunday evening the city closes Ratchadamnoen Road from Tha Phae Gate to Wat Phra Singh and fills it with stalls, with a smaller Saturday version on Wua Lai Road.No guest score exists51natureKoh LantaResearched PickTung Yee Peng mangrovesA community mangrove forest on the sheltered east coast of northern Lanta Yai, with a nature-study walkway into the trees.No guest score exists52nightlifePattayaResearched PickWalking StreetThe neon strip at the south end of Pattaya Beach Road, closed to traffic at night, running down to Bali Hai pier, and licensed to trade until four in the morning.No guest score exists53foodChiang MaiResearched PickWarorot MarketChiang Mai's big central market, Kad Luang, by the Ping River, where the city buys its sausages, chilli pastes, dried fruit and everything else.No guest score exists54cultureBangkokResearched PickWat ArunThe porcelain-studded prang on the Thonburi bank, floodlit after dark, and the one listing here where nobody would tell us the price.No guest score exists55cultureBangkokResearched PickWat Benchamabophit, the Marble TempleThe white Carrara marble temple in Dusit, built from 1899 under Rama V, 50 baht for a foreign visitor and quiet by Bangkok standards.No guest score exists56culturePhuketResearched PickWat ChalongPhuket's principal Buddhist temple, a grand three-tier chedi at Chalong, and the busiest stop on every island tour.No guest score exists57cultureChiang MaiResearched PickWat Chedi LuangThe ruined giant chedi in the middle of the Old City, broken by an earthquake centuries ago, and home to the city pillar.No guest score exists58cultureHua HinResearched PickWat Huay MongkolA temple inland from Hua Hin with a seated statue of the revered monk Luang Pho Thuat, 11.5 metres high by the Tourism Authority's figures.No guest score exists59cultureBangkokResearched PickWat Paknam and the glass stupaA 69-metre seated Buddha and a green glass stupa under a painted ceiling, on the Thonburi side, away from the old-city temple trail.No guest score exists60cultureBangkokResearched PickWat PhoThe reclining Buddha, the massage school that trained most of Thailand's masseurs, and 300 baht at the gate, about 400 metres south of the Grand Palace.No guest score exists61cultureChiang MaiResearched PickWat Phra SinghThe Old City's most important temple, at the western end of Ratchadamnoen, home to the Phra Buddha Sihing image and a textbook piece of Lanna architecture.No guest score exists62cultureChiang MaiResearched PickWat Phra That Doi SuthepThe gilded temple on the mountain above Chiang Mai, reached by an 11km road and a naga staircase, and the one sight nearly every visitor to the city makes.No guest score exists63culturePattayaResearched PickWat Phra Yai, the Pattaya Big BuddhaThe seated gold Buddha on the top of Pratumnak Hill between Pattaya and Jomtien, up a naga staircase, with the bay laid out below the hill.No guest score exists64cultureKoh PhanganResearched PickWat Phu Khao NoiA hilltop temple about 3km inland from the Thong Sala pier, a registered historic site with an old main chedi and smaller chedis around it.No guest score exists65viewpointBangkokResearched PickWat Saket and the Golden MountA gilded chedi on an artificial hill east of the old town, reached by a spiral staircase, with a view over Rattanakosin and no price anybody would publish to us.No guest score exists66cultureBangkokResearched PickWat Suthat and the Giant SwingA first-class royal temple founded under Rama I, with murals worth the entry, behind the red teak frame of the Giant Swing. 100 baht for a foreign visitor.No guest score exists67cultureKrabiResearched PickWat Tham Suea, the Tiger Cave TempleA working monastery outside Krabi Town with 1,237 steps up to a summit shrine, a figure the province publishes and most guidebooks get wrong.No guest score exists68cultureBangkokResearched PickWat Traimit and the Golden BuddhaFive and a half tonnes of solid gold Buddha at the Chinatown end of Charoen Krung Road, in a purpose-built hall it moved into in 2010.No guest score exists69foodBangkokResearched PickYaowarat, Chinatown's main streetA kilometre of neon, gold shops and pavement kitchens that turns into the busiest street food strip in the country after dark. Free to walk.No guest score exists