Are you working on your Thailand itinerary? Before anything else, ask yourself: What type of traveler are you? Backpacker or luxury? Chill or adventurous? Touristy or off-the-beaten path? Or like me, are you a mix of everything?
You’ll find plenty of itineraries from different types of travel bloggers, and at the end of the day, it’s all depends on your travel style and budget. I looked through several blogs for inspiration, asked advice from my fellow flashpackers, considered my budget, and tweaked everything into a 16-day plan.
But as the old adage goes, nothing ever goes according to plan. A lot of items on my original list were either skipped or replaced. I ended up with some spur-of-the-moment adventures—like taking a side trip to Pai while I was in Chiang Mai instead of seeing the Chiang Rai temples. For me, that’s the best part of traveling solo—the little surprises and unplanned adventures.
If you’re spending a little over two weeks in Thailand and are looking for a sample itinerary to help you organize yours, here’s my 16-day itinerary, which I completed in December last year.
Day 1: Manila to Bangkok
• Checked into Avani Sukhumvit Bangkok Hotel
• Shopping and food tripping at the famous malls:
• The Emporium
• Siam Square
• MBK Center
Day 2: Bangkok
• Hop-on, hop-off bus tour around Bangkok, with stopovers at:
• Grand Palace
• Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha)
• Tha Tian Market
• IconSiam Mall
• Dinner Cruise at Chao Phraya River
Day 3: Bangkok
• Chatuchak Market
Day 4: Bangkok
• Bangkok Classic Day Tour, which consisted of:
• Maeklong Railway Market
• Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
• Lao Tukluck Floating Market
• Chang Puang Camp, Damnoen Saduak (Unethical elephant sanctuary). I walked out and skipped this part when I saw the cruel treatment of the chained elephants. But I did take videos to help educated other travelers about elephant welfare.)
• IconSiam Mall
Day 5: Bangkok to Chiang Mai
• Checked into The Common Hostel
• Coffee at Fern Forest Café
• Relaxed day of exploring the neighborhood on foot
• Thai massage at the Women’s Massage Center, run by former prisoners
Day 6: Chiang Mai
• Explored Chiang Mai on foot and via Grab motorbike:
• Think Park
• Maya Mall
• Nimman Road
• Nap 2022 Art and Design Event
• Ploen Ruedee Night Market
• Kalare Night Market
• Anusarn Market
Day 7: Chiang Mai to Pai
• Early-morning bus to Pai
• Checked into Sabaydee Guest House, which I don’t recommend. I was just desperate at that time.
• Lunch and explored Pai Walking Street
• Rented my own motorbike to explore Pai’s top sights, including:
• I Am Pai
• I Love You Pai Café
• Love Strawberry Pai
• Pai Canyon
• Dinner and market window shopping at Pai Walking Street
• Pai Full Moon Party at Flow Bar
Day 8: Pai Chiang Mai
• Bus back to Pai
• Lunch near the Pai Bus Station
• Back to The Common Hostel
• The Sticky Waterfalls
• Jazz Night at Jazz Co-Op
Day 9: Chiang Mai to Phuket
• Checked into: Book-A-Bed Poshtel
• Limelight Avenue Mall
• Phuket Indy Market
Day 10: Phuket
• Phuket Post Office for my postcard project (vlog coming soon!)
• Phuket Weekend Market Naka
Day 11: Phuket
• Freedom Beach
• Phuket Sunday Street Market
• Thalang Market
Day 12: Phuket
• Breakfast at Bookhemian Café
• Thalang Road
• Dibuk Road
• Late lunch at Dibuk Resto
• Soi Rommannee St.
• Central Phuket Festival Mall
Day 13: Phuket and Beyond
• Island Day Trip, which consisted of:
• Maya Bay
• Bamboo Island
• Pileh Lagoon
• Baby Shark Bay
• Phi Phi Don
• Viking Cove
• Late dinner at Limelight Avenue Mall
Day 14: Phuket to Bangkok
• Checked into Samsen Street Hotel
• Pratunam Night Market
• Platinum Mall
• Central World Mall
Day 15: Bangkok
• Sampheng Market
• Chinatown
• Jodd Fairs
• G Tower x Hinghoi Market
• Poolside Movie Night at Samsen Street Hotel
Day 16: Bangkok to Manila
• Flight back to Manila
Looking back, what would I have done differently?
I definitely would have spent less time in Phuket. I took one look at the nightlife of Patong Beach and realized immediately that it’s not for me. I would have extended my stay in Thailand to at least three weeks (My Filipino passport allows me a maximum of 30 days in Thailand) and explored lesser-known islands like Ko Lipe.
I would have stayed longer in Chiang Mai. I would have polished my motorbiking skills so that I could do the Mae Hong Son Loop, the famed 1,860 curves and 373-mile-long (600km) circular route in far-flung northern Thailand.
As for the original Full Moon Party (the Pai party I went to was a fetus version) in Koh Phangan, that’s a no for me. I’m sure my 20-something-year-old self would have said yes to fist-pumping to house music with thousands of travelers from around the world in Thailand’s wildly famous party island, but this geriatric millennial is done with that era of her life.
And lastly, I would have volunteered in an ethical elephant sanctuary for at least a week. I would have interviewed animal welfare activists to help me write educational articles about elephant welfare.
How are your travel plans coming along? What places are on your two-week Thailand itinerary so far?