Photo: echiner1, CC BY-SA 2.0
Bangkok
3 nights · Bangkok
Get over the flight, eat well and see the river neighborhoods.
Next, by train: Sleeper train or flight.
A Thailand directory, from a family farm in Buriram
Thailand beyond
the usual four stops.
Every blog sends you to the same handful of places. This directory starts where they stop: islands you can still have mostly to yourself, Isan's Khmer ruins, and the quiet North.
136 places · 77 provinces · Thai names on every page
Pick a route, watch the trip
Five trips that fit together. Choose one and the map walks you through it, stop by stop.
The faint lines are all five routes. Pick one above to start, or read about them all.
About 2 weeks
First Trip
Photo: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0
Chiang Mai
4 nights · Chiang Mai
Northern city life, temples and Doi Suthep just outside town.
Next, by flight: Flight to Krabi.
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 3.0
Railay
6 nights · Krabi
Cliffs and beaches you can only reach by boat. Stay here for the rest of the trip.
The classic Thailand trip, with three long stays instead of a chain of transfers.
Save the places. Plan the trip. The iPhone app, $4.99 onceAbout 2 weeks
Old Capitals
Photo: echiner1, CC BY-SA 2.0
Bangkok
3 nights · Bangkok
Start here, and leave from Krung Thep Aphiwat station.
Next, by train: The Bangkok Connex takes about 75 minutes from Krung Thep Aphiwat to Ayutthaya.
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
Ayutthaya
2 nights · Ayutthaya
Stay over so you can see the ruins early and late in the day.
Next, by train: Train and bus.
Photo: Wasanamak, CC BY-SA 3.0
Sukhothai
3 nights · Sukhothai
Thailand's early capital, with Chaliang and Si Satchanalai within reach.
Next, by road: Bus.
Photo: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0
Chiang Mai
5 nights · Chiang Mai
The longest stop, with time for day trips into the mountains.
Follow Thai history north by train and bus, from Ayutthaya to Sukhothai to Chiang Mai.
Save the places. Plan the trip. The iPhone app, $4.99 onceAbout 8 nights
Mae Hong Son Loop
Photo: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0
Chiang Mai
2 nights · Chiang Mai
Sort out your car or driver here.
Next, by road: Route 1095.
Photo: 江上清风1961, CC BY 3.0
Pai
2 nights · Mae Hong Son
A relaxed town in a wide valley, and a good first stop.
Next, by road: Route 1095.
Photo: Mr.Peerapong Prasutr, CC BY-SA 4.0
Mae Hong Son
2 nights · Mae Hong Son
The small provincial capital, with Pang Ung close by.
Next, by road: Route 108.
Photo: Angkun-ane, CC BY-SA 4.0
Mae Sariang
1 night · Mae Hong Son
A quiet town on the Yuam River, and the halfway point on the way home.
Next, by road: Route 108.
Photo: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0
Chiang Mai
1 night · Chiang Mai
Back where you started, with a night to return the car and rest.
About 600 km of mountain road, out through Pai and back through Mae Sariang.
Save the places. Plan the trip. The iPhone app, $4.99 onceAbout 2 weeks
Andaman Coast
Photo: Mussi Katz, CC0
Phuket Old Town
3 nights · Phuket
Fly into Phuket and stay near the old town or a beach.
Next, by road: Bus.
Photo: BerryJ, CC BY-SA 4.0
Khao Sok National Park
3 nights · Surat Thani
Rainforest around the village, or a night on Cheow Lan Lake.
Next, by road: Minibus and boat.
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 3.0
Railay
4 nights · Krabi
Limestone cliffs and beaches, with climbing if you like.
Next, by boat: Boat and van.
Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0
Ko Lanta
3 nights · Krabi
Slow down for the last few days.
Phuket, the Khao Sok rainforest, Railay and Ko Lanta, in an order that only crosses the coast once.
Save the places. Plan the trip. The iPhone app, $4.99 onceAbout a week
Khmer Temple Trail
Photo: echiner1, CC BY-SA 2.0
Bangkok
No overnight · Bangkok
Leave in the morning, or spend a night here first.
Next, by train: About 4 to 6 hours to Korat, depending on the train.
Photo: Net ohhayo, CC BY-SA 3.0
Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima)
1 night · Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat)
Isan's largest city, and the jumping-off point for Phimai.
Next, by road: Local bus.
Photo: Ahoerstemeier, CC BY-SA 3.0
Phimai Historical Park
2 nights · Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat)
A huge Khmer temple in the middle of a small town. Phanom Wan is back toward Korat.
Next, by train: Bus and train.
Photo: Leelaryonkul, CC BY-SA 4.0
Buriram
3 nights · Buriram
Your base for the temples and the farm country around them.
Next, by road: Car, taxi or tour.
Photo: Benh LIEU SONG, CC BY-SA 3.0
Phanom Rung Historical Park
No overnight · Buriram
A day trip from Buriram, to the temple on the rim of an extinct volcano.
East from Bangkok through Korat and Phimai to Buriram, where Mike's Thai family farms, and up to Phanom Rung.
Save the places. Plan the trip. The iPhone app, $4.99 onceThe South, past Phuket
The beaches and islands most people come to Thailand for, starting where the crowds thin out.
Isan, where we know the roads
Thailand's northeast gets a fraction of the visitors and most of the Khmer temples. Our family farm is here.
Free guides from my own trips
Read them here or download the PDF. Start with Buriram, where our family farm is.
Explore Buriram
Khmer temples, rice fields, football and MotoGP, from a family with a farm here
Updated November 2026
Bangkok by Boat
A guide to the Chao Phraya River boats, piers and what's near each stop
Updated December 2024
Thailand by Train
Which station, which berth, when tickets open, and the routes worth your time
Updated November 2026
Browse by region
Browse by interest
Learn before you go
Common questions
What is Thailand Explorer?
A free directory of places across Thailand, strongest in Isan and the North, with Thai names, maps, best months and dated practical info. It goes with the Thailand Explorer app for iPhone, $4.99 once with no subscription.
Where does the information come from?
Our own visits, Tourism Authority of Thailand open data for hours and fees, and Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons for names, maps and photos. Every fact shows its source and date.
Is Isan worth visiting?
Yes, if you like Khmer temples, real local food and places with few other tourists. It's the least visited big region of Thailand. Start with Phanom Rung in Buriram or Phimai near Korat.
Plan it in the app
Save places to a trip, build a bucket list and keep your memories in the Thailand Explorer app for iPhone. $4.99 once, no subscription.
