Thailand Travel Guide: 5 Cities, Costs and Itineraries
Temples, islands and street food, all linked by one cheap flight network
Overview
Thailand works as a first Southeast Asia trip and as a fifth one, which is rare. Bangkok gives you the chaos and the temples, Chiang Mai gives you mountains and a slower pace, and the south splits into two coastlines with completely different personalities and completely different weather calendars. Getting around is easy: domestic flights are cheap, trains are scenic if you have time to spare, and Grab works in every city that matters. The food alone justifies the trip, and it's cheap enough that a mid-range budget still feels generous. None of that means it's frictionless. Tourist zones run scams that are old news to locals and expensive lessons for everyone else: the tuk-tuk driver who insists the temple is closed today and offers a detour to his cousin's gem shop, the jet ski operator who finds new damage the moment you return the ski, the friendly stranger steering you toward a once-in-a-lifetime gem deal. None of it is dangerous, all of it is avoidable once you know the pattern, and it shouldn't stop you from going.
Best time to visit
November to February is dry and cool almost everywhere and the closest thing to a universal answer. After that it splits by coast: the Andaman side and the Gulf side flood at different times of year.
- Nov-Feb
- Cool and dry nationwide, the safest bet for Bangkok, Chiang Mai and both coasts. Also the most crowded and priciest.
- Mar-Apr
- Hot season, temperatures spike into the high 30s. Songkran water festival mid-April is chaotic fun if you don't mind getting soaked.
- May-Oct
- Southwest monsoon soaks the Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi), wettest around Sept. The Gulf side (Koh Samui) stays comparatively dry through most of this window.
- Oct-Dec
- Northeast monsoon flips it: Koh Samui and the Gulf islands get their rain, peaking in November, while the Andaman coast dries out.
Visa
Canadian passport holders get 60 days visa-exempt entry, but this is changing. As of September 15, 2026, Thailand cuts the visa-exempt stay for Canadians from 60 to 30 days. Anyone who enters on or before September 14, 2026 keeps the full 60 days already granted; anyone entering from September 15 onward gets 30 days. A 30-day extension is available in-country at any immigration office for 1,900 baht. Everyone, regardless of visa type, must file a Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online within 72 hours of arrival at tdac.immigration.go.th; it replaced the old paper TM6 form in May 2025. Passport needs 6 months validity and immigration can ask for proof of onward travel and sufficient funds, though this is rarely enforced for Canadians.
Money
Currency: THB. Cards work in malls, chain hotels and mid-range restaurants in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket, but street food, markets, songthaews and small guesthouses are cash-only. Carry baht everywhere outside city centers. Most Thai ATMs now charge a flat foreign-card fee of 220-350 baht per withdrawal on top of your own bank's fee, so make fewer, larger withdrawals rather than many small ones. Always decline dynamic currency conversion and let the ATM charge you in baht. Not culturally expected but increasingly common in tourist areas. Round up taxis, leave 20-50 baht for a good meal at a sit-down restaurant, and tip hotel porters and spa staff 50-100 baht. Street food and markets, no tip.
| Budget | Mid-range | Splurge |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 100 | 250 |
Getting around
Domestic flights are the fastest way to link Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket and Krabi: AirAsia, Nok Air and Thai Vietjet all run these routes, with fares often under CAD 50 if booked ahead, and flight time rarely exceeds 1.5 hours. Overnight VIP buses and sleeper trains connect the same cities cheaper but slower, and the Bangkok-Chiang Mai overnight train is worth doing once for the experience. Within any city, Grab is the default for cars and is far less hassle than flagging a taxi, which in tourist zones often means haggling or a rigged meter. In Bangkok, the BTS Skytrain and MRT beat traffic entirely. Songthaews (shared pickup trucks) cover short hops in Chiang Mai and the islands where Grab coverage thins out.
Connectivity
A tourist eSIM is the easiest option and skips the airport SIM counter queue entirely; AIS, dtac and True all sell tourist data packages, typically CAD 8-15 for 10-20GB over two weeks, installable before you land if your phone supports eSIM. Physical SIMs are just as cheap at any 7-Eleven or airport counter (around 300-450 baht for 8-15 days) if you'd rather have a backup number. Wifi is reliable and free in nearly every hotel, cafe and hostel, so a local SIM is really for maps and Grab on the move rather than a necessity.
Where to go
Locations on this map
- Bangkok13.76, 100.50
- Chiang Mai18.79, 98.99
- Chiang Rai19.91, 99.84
- Krabi8.09, 98.91
- Phuket7.88, 98.39
Bangkok
Gilded temples next to street food carts, a river that runs the whole show, and traffic that forces you to slow down and take the boat instead.
Chiang Mai
Northern Thailand's temple city: moat-ringed Old City, mountain viewpoints, a real cooking and elephant sanctuary scene, and cheap, walkable living once you learn to avoid burning season.
Chiang Rai
Thailand's northernmost city and home of the White Temple. Best treated as a 2 night stop or day trip from Chiang Mai, not a long base.
Krabi
Krabi means limestone towers dropping into turquoise water, a beach reachable only by boat, and climbers on the cliffs above the sand. Slower and cheaper than Phuket, with scenery that does most of the work.
Phuket
Thailand's biggest island, a mountain-and-beach mix of package resorts, a genuinely good old town, and day-trip access to Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay. Pick your beach carefully.
Frequently asked questions
Do Canadians need a visa for Thailand?
No, not for tourism up to the visa-exempt limit. That limit is 60 days if you enter before September 15, 2026, and drops to 30 days for anyone entering on or after that date. You can extend a visa-exempt stay by 30 days at an immigration office in Thailand for 1,900 baht.
How many days do I need in Thailand?
Two weeks covers Bangkok plus one region (north or south) at a comfortable pace. Ten days is workable if you pick two cities and one island area rather than trying to circuit the whole country. Three weeks or more lets you do north and south without feeling rushed.
Is Thailand safe for tourists?
Yes, violent crime against tourists is rare. The real risks are scams (tuk-tuk detours, gem shops, jet ski damage claims), traffic (scooter accidents are the most common serious injury), and heatstroke or food-related stomach upsets. Use Tourist Police (1155) if you're targeted by a scam.
Should I visit Phuket or Koh Samui, and when?
They're on opposite coasts with opposite rainy seasons. Phuket and the Andaman side are best November to April; Koh Samui and the Gulf side are driest roughly December to September, with their wet stretch hitting October-November. Check which coast matches your travel dates before booking.
Is Bangkok worth more than a couple of days?
Yes if you like food and neighbourhoods, less so if temples are the main draw, since you can hit the big ones (Wat Pho, Wat Arun, the Grand Palace) in a day and a half. Three to four days lets you add a market, a day trip, and enough time to actually eat well.
What's the best way to get between Thai cities?
Domestic flights on AirAsia, Nok Air or Thai Vietjet are cheapest and fastest for Bangkok-Chiang Mai-Phuket-Krabi routes, often under an hour and a half and under CAD 50 booked ahead. Overnight trains and VIP buses are slower but cost less and save a hotel night.