Things to Do in Thailand

Easily one of Bangkok’s most visually striking landmarks, the Temple of the Dawn (Wat Arun) towers over the Chao Phraya River. Its colorfully decorated spires are the star features—the temple’s central prang stands 260 feet (79 meters) tall and is intricately decorated with tiny pieces of colored glass and Chinese porcelain. 

Named for the Hindu god Aruna who is said to emulate the rising sun, this Buddhist temple was built in the era of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, an ancient Siamese city-state. It’s now one of Thailand’s top landmarks, attracting visitors who come to wander the complex and its interior and those who clamber up the steep steps to enjoy unparalleled vistas of Bangkok’s skyline and the winding Chao Phraya River.

With its location on the river’s western bank, Wat Arun is best enjoyed from a canal cruise. Opt for a half-day longtail boat tour to see the temple along with top Bangkok attractions such as Chinatown, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew), the Grand Palace, and the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho). To see Temple of the Dawn lit up with the sunset’s golden glow, choose a dinner cruise; to view the temple from land, join a bike or tuk-tuk tour of the city. 

 

The Temple of Dawn is located on the Chao Phraya River’s west bank, across from the Grand Palace. The easiest way to reach the temple is by water taxi from Tha Tien Pier, near Wat Pho. By road from the city center, head to the west side of the Chao Phraya River by way of the Phra Pin-klao Bridge, then follow the waterway south on Arum Amarin Road.

 

It’s possible to see the temple at dawn, but the central prang and wider temple complex typically opens at 8:30am. Opt for a sunrise visit to explore the exterior and beat the crowds (and the heat).

 

Exploring the Temple’s Interior Spaces          

While the temple’s intricate exterior details are an obvious draw, its interior is also full of wonder. Don’t miss the incense-scented Ordination Hall and its prominently seated golden Buddha, the towering mosaic-lined chambers of the secluded Prayer Hall, or the human-sized Buddha’s footprint.

The Basics
The gigantic golden Buddha statue is the largest in Thailand, measuring 151 feet (46 meters) long and 50 feet (15 meters) tall. The Buddha's feet alone are 16 feet (five meters) tall, both exquisitely decorated and inlaid with mother-of-pearl. A walk along the length of the entire statue is a treat in and of itself, but visitors would be remiss if they didn't enter the temple and explore the whole Wat Pho compound, which is full of artwork and Buddha images. The oldest temple in Thailand, the complex also remains a hub of knowledge for traditional Thai medicine and Thai massage, and travelers can even book a massage appointment here.

A key Bangkok attraction, the temple is included in most city and temple tours of the capital, frequently grouped with visits to Bangkok temples such as Wat Arun, Wat Traimit (home to a solid gold Buddha statue), the Gem Gallery, and Chinatown, among other combinations for half-day tours. For a memorable way to visit this and other important sights in the city, join a tour guide for a sunset or night bike tour; hop on a tuk tuk for a fun-filled sightseeing adventure; or board a longtail boat to arrive via the Chao Phraya River.

Things to Know Before You Go

• The temple is most often visited on half-day sightseeing tours of Bangkok.
  
• The site is not easily accessed by wheelchair.
  
• Dress conservatively—visitors shouldn't wear shorts or low-cut tops, and women must cover their arms.
  

How to Get to the Temple of the Reclining Buddha
The sprawling grounds of Wat Pho have two walled compounds divided by Soi Chetuphon. The reclining Buddha and famous Thai massage school can be found on the northern side, while the temple's monastic facilities are located in the southern compound. The easiest way to access the temple is by boat: take the Chao Phraya River Express to the Tha Thien pier. The temple is located next to the Grand Palace and behind the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew).

Visit during the morning or evening to beat the heat and crowds of the middle of the day.

Splash Jungle Water Park's exhilarating rides, including Boomerango and the Superbowl, and six-level wavepool attract hundreds of visitors to this coastal Phuket destination every day.

Themed rides give a nod to the ancient Mayans, lush landscapes of Turkey, old-world architecture of Northern Europe and the culture and colors of Africa. This continental vibe means that travelers will find thrills beyond just the rides. Splash Jungle Water Park has something for the less adventurous set too, with quiet play pools for kids, soothing hydrotherapy springs and a lazy river perfect for floating the day away.

Home to the world's largest gold Buddha statue, the Temple of the Golden Buddha (Wat Traimit) is a prominent stop on Bangkok’s temple trail. Measuring nine feet (three meters) tall and weighing more than five tons (4,535 kilograms), the Buddha attracts floods of visitors who come to marvel at its size and gleaming golden surface.

Visits to the Temple of the Golden Buddha (Wat Traimit) are most often included on Bangkok temple tours that also stop at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha at the Grand Palace and the reclining Buddha statue at Wat Pho. Tours typically run about a half day, but full-day itineraries may also take you sightseeing in Bangkok or beyond, with explorations of floating markets and night markets, or a tuk-tuk or canal ride. Some tours include lunch in nearby Chinatown. See the temple as part of a private or small-group tour for more individualized commentary from the guide.

Located on Traimit Road at the end of Yaowarat Road in Chinatown, the Temple of the Golden Buddha (Wat Traimit) is best reached from nearby Hua Lamphong Station, the main railway station in Bangkok. However, the easiest way to visit is with a guided tour that includes round-trip transportation from your hotel. 

Due to the remarkable architecture and Golden Buddha statue, Wat Traimit is a popular attraction year-round, so booking your tour early is recommended. It’s best to arrive in the morning to beat the crowds as well as the potential for afternoon heat or rain.

The centuries-old Golden Buddha, seated in a peaceful lotus position, is made of solid gold. Once hidden from invading Burmese armies by a covering of plaster, its gold cast wasn’t discovered until the 1950s. Pieces of the plaster that once formed its disguise can now be found in a display case at the onsite museum.

Nearly 200 unique ruins are tucked into the 70 square kilometers of land that make up the Sukhothai Historical Park, including towering buddhas, ornate palaces and crumbling temples. Travelers can wander the area on foot, or rent bikes and ride between the structures that date back as far as the 13th and 14th centuries.

Visitors love the quiet, peaceful escape of the park, which provides a stark contrast to some of Thailand’s more urban destinations. The most popular ruins are located near the central entrance and are visited by most tour groups, but the sites further afield are equally beautiful and far less crowded.

The Three Kings Monument is located in the center of Chiang Mai’s walled city in front of the old provincial administration building, which now houses the Chiang Mai City Art & Cultural Center. This is one of several museums that have opened within old municipal buildings surrounding the Three Kings Monument, making this area particularly popular with history fans and other tourists.

The bronze sculpture of the founder fathers of Chiang Mai – King Mengrai standing with King Ramkhamhaeng of Sukhothai and King Ngam Muang of Phayao – is a proud symbol of the history of Chiang Mai, commemorating the alliance forged by the kings in the development of the city in the 13th century. The monument serves as a shrine for local residents, who often leave offerings of flowers and candles in the hope of receiving blessings.

Due to its historic and cultural significance, as well as its central location, visiting the Three Kings Monument is included on various Chiang Mai sightseeing tours, including historic bike tours and even food tours.

The spectacularly ornamented Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) is one of the most important Buddhist temples in Thailand. Located within the Grand Palace in Bangkok’s Old City, a site highlight is a sacred pre–15th-century statue of the Buddha in a seated meditation pose carved from a single block of jade.

As one of Bangkok’s biggest tourist attractions, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha is included in numerous sightseeing tours. Most tours include a guided visit of the Bangkok Grand Palace, as well as options to combine the temple with a River of Kings canal cruise or a visit to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market or Bangkok’s largest flower market. If you’re based in Hua Hin, you can see the temple and other city highlights on a day trip to Bangkok.

To reach the Emerald Buddha Temple, take the Silom Line to Saphan Taksin Station and leave through exit 2. From there, take a boat taxi to the Tha Chang Pier near the Grand Palace main entrance.

To avoid the biggest crowds, plan to visit first thing in the morning or after lunch, when most tour buses have departed. Sometimes the temple closes to the public when the Grand Palace is being used for state functions.

Pay attention to the robes draped over the 26-inch (66-centimeter) Emerald Buddha perched high up on its gilded shrine. At the beginning of each season, the king changes the monastic robes to suit the season: hot, rainy, or cool.

SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World, formerly called Siam Ocean World, is one of Southeast Asia’s biggest aquariums, encompassing 110,000 square feet (10,200 square meters) of exhibit space and over a million gallons (5 million liters) of tanks. The aquarium is divided into several themed areas, including the innovative Shark Walk, where instead of passing through an acrylic tunnel, visitors walk above a tank where five species of sharks swim.

Popular aquatic residents include a colony of African penguins at Rocky Shore, an array of colorful and often bizarre seahorses at Seahorse Kingdom, short clawed otters in the Tropical Rainforest and a host of mesmerizing jellies. For an additional fee, guests can participate in feeding boat rides, behind-the-scenes tours, 4D cinema screenings and shark tank dives.

Sukhumvit Road is the longest boulevard in Thailand (with the Skytrain running along most of its length), and the surrounding neighborhood has become the city’s makeshift international zone, with expats and well-off Thais living on the small side streets, called sois, that intersect it. It’s a neighborhood where choices are endless. Luxury hotels stand beside budget accommodations, and the food scene from five star to street stand is top notch.

What Sukhumvit lacks in tourist attractions it makes up for in its buzzing shopping and nightlife scene. By day air-conditioned shopping malls offer just about anything under the sun and sumptuous days spas promise relaxation. By night the neighborhood comes alive with some of Bangkok’s top nightclubs (and a few notorious red light districts).

Siam Park City is a large theme park located in the Khan Na Yao district of Bangkok. It opened in 1980, and although it underwent a complete renovation in 2007, certain areas may still seem a little old-­fashioned to international visitors. However, some of its newer attractions are impressive, including the Vortex ride, which is one of just two of the world's largest suspended looping roller coasters.

With both an amusement park and a water park, Siam Park's amusement area is separated into four sub-zones that include X-Zone for adrenaline junkies; Fantasy World aimed at teenagers; Small World for the kids; and Family World for everyone to enjoy.

The water park features the world's largest wave pool, along with a spa area and various sized swimming pools. There are small, gentle slides for the younger kids, as well as a seven­-story speed slide for thrill-seekers and older children.The park also has a wide range of facilities to keep visitors replenished throughout the day, including restaurants, food stalls and a convenience store.

Thailand is very rightfully famous for its orchids — more than 1,300 documented species grow in the country and it’s the largest exporter of tropical orchids in the world. While Chiang Mai has no shortage of gardens to visit, one of the most unique to the area (and most colorful) is the Sai Nam Phung Orchid Farm.

The biggest orchid farm in Chiang Mai is also to very nearly every species native to Thailand, including the incredibly rare Vanda coerulea alba, or “Pure White,” orchid. The variety of shapes and colors is staggering, and visitors to the farm get to learn about how the flowers are grown. The onsite gift shop sells lovely orchid- and butterfly-themed souvenirs you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.

In 1976, up on one of the highest peaks of central Koh Samui, an old, local durian farmer decided to start a Magic Garden. At 77 years old, upon retiring from farming Thailand’s most popular and foul-smelling fruit, Nim Thongsuk started setting up a variety of Buddha statues on his family’s land and kept expanding the park until his death fourteen years later. Today, the Secret Buddha Garden is a popular tourist attraction and although it remains private, it can be accessed for a small fee. 

The statues are set up in the midst of a lush jungle landscape, next to a waterfall and stream amongst Koh Samui’s native trees and flowers. Often, the statues are hidden amongst the foliage, with new discoveries to be made around every corner. The Buddhas, animals and deity figures are all hand carved, each with their own unique stone carvings and decorations. Some are arranged in groups, frozen in dance-like poses or with instruments in their laps, others stand alone, but they all tell tales from popular Buddhist folklore and mythology and they all have different meanings, which a guide will tell you about. On the way to the garden, as well as within the park itself, beautiful views over the island can be had and there are several viewpoints worth a visit. 

The Tha Kha Floating Market offers a peaceful respite from the crowds of Bangkok and the throng of tourists attracted to the larger floating markets closer to the capital. The market takes place each weekend in a tranquil, rural setting amid the canals and fruit plantations of the Samut Songkhram province.

Among the rural scenes and local traditions, visitors to Tha Kha will find locals punting along the waterways in wooden boats filled with fragrant flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables, colorful spices, and dried fish. Despite being only 10 kilometers from the larger and more famous Amphawa Floating Market, this is a wholly relaxing affair, where you can get an insight into rural village life and drift along the sugar-palm-lined waterways with a friendly local guide.

One of the most popular shows in Thailand and certainly the glitziest drag show in Phuket, the Simon Cabaret Show is an evening of glamorous entertainment that wows night after night. A family-friendly show, the performance tends to appeal to a wide range of people of all ages.

Rivaling many Las Vegas shows in terms of sheer size, charm and glitter, the show sees Simon Cabaret’s world-famous ladyboys decked out in dazzling costumes to perform comedy acts and show-stopping song-and-dance routines inspired by Thai culture and traditions. Clever choreography and rapid set changes, plus the sheer energy of the highly skilled transgender and transvestite entertainers, ensure a good night out for everyone, while bright lights, booming sound and elaborate sets all add to the theatrical extravaganza. Guests also have the opportunity to meet the stars afterwards and have their photos taken with them.

The Simon Cabaret Show is hugely popular, so it’s best to book tickets in advance; this will give you the choice of show times—either the early evening show at 7:45pm, or the later show starting at 9:30pm. 

One of the newest additions to Thailand’s western Mu Koh Similan Marine National Park is Ko Ta Chai (Tachai Island), and it may just be the most easily accessible too. For decades the impeccably clear waters of Thailand’s Andaman Islands have lured divers with colorful protected wildlife, including whale sharks, manta rays, sea turtles, quirky frog fish, ornate harlequin shrimp and hundreds of species of reef fish. Only recently, however, have travelers and day tour operators, put uninhabited and less-than-a-square-mile Tachai Island on the map. While geographically distinct from its famous cohort—Tachai is about halfway between the largest northern cluster of Similan Islands and the Surin Islands to the south—it shares the region’s renowned palm-fringed, white sandy beaches and wildlife. In fact, some say Tachai’s coral and chances of spotting mantas or whale sharks are superior. It also really is a lot more accessible; Tachai is only an hour-and-a-half speedboat ride from coastal Khao Lak.

Most visitors to Tachai Island come via a full-day organized snorkeling or diving tour from popular Phuket. Once on the island, expansive sandy refuges and an interior jungle await. Still blissfully remote, the only things to do here besides snorkel and dive are relax, swim, enjoy a Thai picnic and take a light trek to discover the island’s land-wandering hermit and unique “chicken” crabs before hopping on the boat back home.

Thailand’s Similan Islands National Park, a group of 11 islands in the Andaman Sea, is one of the most pristine places in the world for diving. The islands boast picturesque landscapes with white-sand beaches, large granite rocks jutting out from the earth, dense jungles teeming with diverse fauna and flora, and crystal-clear azure waters.

The main attraction of the Similan Islands are their coral reefs teeming with wildlife. Divers and snorkelers can see a number of marine species such as manta rays, sea turtles, sea snakes, a number of pelagic species, and perhaps even a whale shark. 

The only way to explore the islands is through an organized tour from Phuket or Krabi. Day tours generally include snorkeling or diving, a buffet lunch, and free time to explore the islands. Some tours include the national park entrance fee for visitors to the Similan Islands.

The archipelago is located about 44 miles (70 kilometers) off the western coast of southern Thailand. Since the islands are heavily protected by the Thai government, the only way to access them is through an organized tour. 

The Similan Islands are open only between mid-October and mid-May, to allow the delicate ecosystem to recover from tourism. Scuba divers and snorkelers are encouraged to visit during the months of December and March, when there is less rain and the waters are the clearest. These months are considered the high season, the weather is most pleasant.

The coral reefs of the Similan Islands are ideal for experienced scuba divers. Spots like Shark Fin Reef, Boulder City, Bird Rock, and Anita’s Reef offer some of the area’s best visibility and an abundance of wildlife such as leopard sharks, moray eels, and stingrays. Liveaboard tours are available for experienced divers and range from a couple of days to a full week.

The kinetic city of Bangkok has plenty of transportation options. Whether it’s balancing aboard the back of a moto or relaxing in the air-conditioned comfort of a minibus with music blasting, this is a city that’s made to move. Travelers agree that the easiest, safest and cheapest way to traverse the city is aboard the Bangkok Skytrain. This elevated subway system allows visitors to take in the view and skip the traffic jams. More often referred to as “BTS,” the clean and convenient Skytrain fills up during rush hour, but tends to be easy to board all other times of day.