Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi Itinerary

Hello,

between Chiang Mai and Krabi: maybe Sukhothai... Is it easy to get around between these three cities?

From Chiang Mai to Sukhothai, there are about half a dozen buses a day (6-7 hours) with the terminus at "New" Sukhothai (the current city), but they can also drop you off at "Old" Sukhothai (the ruins). Accommodation is available in both old and new Sukhothai.

From there, to continue to Krabi, you’ll first need to head down to Bangkok (plenty of buses, 6-7 hours, running until late in the evening from New Sukhothai). By taking a late bus, you could arrive in Bangkok early in the morning and then take a taxi to Don Muang Airport (DMK), which isn’t too far away. From there, daily low-cost flights to Krabi depart (1 with Nok Air, 4-5 with AirAsia, and 2 with Thai Lion Air). Another option is Bangkok Airways, flying from Sukhothai to Bangkok (BKK) and then BKK to Krabi, but it’s not worth it—especially since it’s not a low-cost airline. If you don’t want to fly at all, you can take another bus from Bangkok to Krabi. I’m not sure about the frequencies, but it should be doable.

I can’t answer your questions about the islands, but others will probably be able to help.

Wow, thank you so much! This is going to help me a lot. It's really great to have all these details! I'll go through everything now. [:)]

Honestly, I would’ve chosen to fly from Chiang Mai to Krabi to save a ton of time.

Yeah... I’ve been thinking the same. I’m a bit lost—I’ve only just started my research and I’m already getting confused with the "connections." We’re planning to do Marseille/Bangkok, then a train to Chiang Mai, then a flight to Krabi, and finally head back up to Bangkok to fly home... The only thing I’m sure of is that we want to see both the North and the South! [;)]

Estak13:

This time, we’d just like to focus on (...) and 10/12 days in the Krabi area. I’ll admit, I’m really struggling to choose an island near Krabi. (...) Which island would you recommend for snorkeling, nature hikes, and beautiful beaches?

Oim:

I can’t answer your questions about the islands, but others probably can.

Seriously, is there no one on this forum who’s been to the Krabi area and could answer Estak13??? It’s hardly an off-the-beaten-path destination...

Hello, so around Krabi the best beaches are north of Ao Nang: Tubkaek is beautiful, but of course that’s where the hotels are the most expensive…

Ao Nang is good for grabbing drinks, buying weed, and getting tattoos. Kind of like Phi Phi…

It’s also the place to catch a boat to Railay, which is still a really beautiful spot despite the mass tourism…

From there, you can take a long-tail boat tour to the islands: my personal favorite is Koh Hong.

For hikes, the best thing is to have your own transport and get up close to the karst formations on land.

Otherwise, in the area—just my personal opinion—the best is Koh Lanta.

And I forgot an important detail: around Ao Nang there’s no water at low tide—you can’t swim there. At Railay it’s better because the whole bay has sand.

Hi everyone, and thanks for all your replies. I’ve read them carefully, but I’ve also gone through quite a few forum threads and… I don’t know where to go anymore! It’s awful. I’m not sure where to head in the south. I’m looking for a seaside destination that’s easy to reach from Bangkok Airport (not the low-cost one) by bus or train. I read the Lonely Planet, and Hua Hin seemed nice (parks to visit nearby, charming little towns not far away…). Then I came across a few threads here talking about "Vikings," an ugly, concrete-filled town, and sewage flowing into the sea… so back to square one. [:/] Pattaya looks horrible, at least for us. What about Chanthaburi? Is it easy to get to from Bangkok? And are there any nice natural sites once you’re there? Thanks so much for your help.

Hi there, Since finding a beach destination seems to be such a dilemma for you, I’d suggest skipping the beach altogether and diving deeper into the North—it’d be way more rewarding in my opinion, but I’m afraid you might think I’m a bit of a weirdo...

Chanthaburi is definitely worth looking into—it’s a region with national parks too. And even gemstones! Not far away, there’s Koh Chang and two other gorgeous islands.