First Time in Thailand: Advice for 15-Day Itinerary

Hello everyone,

We’re 49 years old, love beautiful landscapes, meeting locals, discovering local food and traditions, and we avoid overly touristy places. We enjoy hiking, cycling, running, and diving.

This is our first time in Thailand (my husband knows Bangkok). We arrive on Friday, November 13th in Bangkok (city visit) and return on Friday, November 27th. We’re considering heading south (possibly toward Krabi) from the 14th to the 18th to enjoy the beautiful beaches, go diving, and see Khao Sok... Then back to Bangkok and on to Kanchanaburi to see the Sai Yok Noi waterfalls, followed by a bike visit to Ayutthaya. From there, we’d take an overnight train to the north: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and the Lantern Festival from November 21st to 25th. On the 26th, we’d take a flight from Chiang Mai to Bangkok (city visit), and on the 27th, we have our flight back to France.

Does this itinerary seem too packed? Should we remove some things to avoid feeling rushed and fully enjoy the trip? Do you recommend anything other than Krabi?

Thanks for your help

Good evening, Here’s a more readable version, unless I’m mistaken:

Bangkok, 1 night Krabi + Khao Sok, 5 nights Kanchanaburi + Ayutthaya... 1 night 🏴‍☠️ Train to Chiang Rai, 1 night Chiang Mai + Rai, 5 nights Bangkok, 1 night

What’s the point of that first almost useless day in Bangkok when your trip is already limited? From the arrival airport (BKK), there are several flights a day to Krabi (including 5 low-cost options) that would let you connect immediately.

Does this itinerary seem too packed to you?

Yes, Kanchanaburi and Ayutthaya deserve at least 3 nights and 1 night respectively. Similarly, 5 nights for Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai is too little—adding 2 or 3 more wouldn’t hurt to avoid rushing.

Should we cut some things to avoid it feeling like a "race" and fully enjoy the trip?

Clearly, yes.

A few tips:

- Direct low-cost flights exist from Krabi to Chiang Mai (3 on 19/11).

- There are 1 or 2 tourist shuttles from Kanchanaburi to Ayutthaya (book at least the day before with your Kanchanaburi accommodation). This is the only option to connect the two without going through Bangkok.

- Krabi to Kanchanaburi route: Take a night train from Trang or Surat Thani to Ban Pong, then a bus from Ban Pong to Kan (every 20 minutes, 1 hour) to avoid passing through Bangkok (saving about 5 hours). Or, if flying: low-cost flights with AirAsia, Nok Air, or Thai Lion Air from Krabi to Bangkok Don Muang (DMK), then a taxi to the Mo Chit bus terminal for minivans, and a minivan (every 20 minutes) to Kan in 2.5–3 hours (luggage on your lap or rent an extra seat for it).

- During the Loy Krathong festival week, flights and trains book up fast, as do accommodations in Chiang Mai.

- The Loy Krathong ceremony is celebrated by locals everywhere there’s water, so you don’t need to go to a specific city to see it.

- Sai Yok Noi isn’t worth the trip from Kanchanaburi alone (2–3 hours round trip). It’s better to combine it with other interesting sites in the area (Tham Krasae viaduct, a night on a raft in Sai Yok Yai National Park, etc.).

We (...) enjoy (...) meeting locals,

With the places you’re planning to visit and at this pace, you’ll only meet people with direct or indirect commercial interests.

We avoid overly touristy spots.

Even though November is less crowded, your itinerary is still quite tourist-heavy.

Thanks Songsam for your reply. On 11/13, I’ll join my husband who will already be in Bangkok for work for 5 days. We can only start our trip on Saturday, 11/14.

Following your advice, I’m wondering if, with 18 days on site, it might be better to just explore the North and skip the beaches in the South. So, visit Kanchanaburi, the waterfalls, and possibly Ayutthaya, then head to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, and return to Bangkok on 11/26.

Otherwise, option 2: Spend a max of 4 days at the beach, then take a direct flight to the north and visit Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai during the Lantern Festival, and return on 11/25 with the overnight train (apparently, it’s an experience worth having), and spend the night of 11/26 in Bangkok before flying back to France. But in this case, we’d skip Kanchanaburi and its waterfalls...

I’ll admit, I’m a bit lost because people I know tell me the North is stunning and that the beaches of Ko Phi Phi and Ko Lanta are also a must-see...

Thanks in advance

the overnight train (apparently it's an experience you've got to try)

As long as you hurry. Option 1 For a sleeper train Ayutthaya or Bangkok-Chiang Mai on 17 or 18/11, everything is fully booked except for train 109, which gets you there at 4 AM (+ delay, which in some cases can actually be a good thing...). Or seated places.

Return Chiang Mai-Bangkok by sleeper on 25 or 26/11: everything is fully booked, only seated places left (in this case, VIP buses are more comfortable and faster).

All this info is from the official State Railway of Thailand website: https://dticket.railway.co.th/DTicketPublicWeb/home/Home. On their site, Bangkok = Krung Thep Aphiwat.

Otherwise, flights—but hurry there too. Or buses, plenty of companies offering comfortable to VIP options. No train from Chiang Rai to Bangkok.

Both options seem good to me, but personally, I’d go with option 1 because any beach stay feels like a waste of time to me when you consider all there is to see elsewhere in this country.