Hey everyone,
My group and I are flying in from Australia for a New Year's holiday in Thailand from 30 December to 8 January.
Our international flights lock us into landing and departing from Phuket, but we want to spend New Year's Eve in Bangkok and also fit Pattaya into the trip.
Can anyone help us structure the best itinerary to hit all three places in 9 days?

A few specific questions we have:
The NYE Logistics: We land in Phuket on 30 Dec. If we fly up to Bangkok on 31 Dec, is the afternoon traffic a total nightmare? How should we time that domestic flight so we don't miss the midnight countdown?
Time Split: How many days/nights should we realistically allocate to Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket to get a good mix of nightlife, island hopping, and sightseeing without spending the whole holiday in transit?

Pattaya Transit: What is the easiest and most efficient way to get a group from Bangkok to Pattaya and then back down to Phuket?
NYE Spot: Where is the best high-energy spot in Bangkok for a group of Aussies to watch the fireworks at midnight (e.g., CentralWorld, ICONSIAM, a river cruise, or a rooftop)?
We would love to hear your suggestions on how to map this out smoothly! Thanks in advance.

I don’t want any hookers. I am a 5’5 dark skinned man - how successful will i be during nightlife and dating apps?

Hi Experts, traveling to Bangkok for our anniversary in Nov for 6 days, it’s our first time to Bangkok.
I am overwhelmed as to which area to select, stay in or which hotel, close to public transport, main thing we want to stay away from the adult nightlife areas.
We love shopping,dining,roof bars & to be able to walk around the neighborhood.
Any suggestions please.
Thanks

Hi everyone!

I'm a German tourist currently in Thailand, trying to register my DJI Mini 3 with the NBTC.

I entered Thailand on October 13 under Visa Exemption, and my passport stamp allows me to stay until November 11. I'm actually leaving on October 24.

The NBTC registration form offers two options: "VISA" or "No VISA".

I selected "No VISA" and entered 30 days, but my application keeps getting rejected for corrections. Even after contacting the NBTC, I haven't received a clear answer. They keep referring to "Visa on Arrival", which isn't the same as Visa Exemption.

Has anyone successfully registered a drone under Visa Exemption? Which option did you select, and what dates did you enter?

My CAAT registration is already completed. NBTC is the only thing holding me back.

Thanks for any help!

Chiang Mai CAD komloy sky lantern festival 25th Nov tickets- 2 on sale platinum category. Pickup at maya lifestyle.

If anyone interested please DM

I want to book their airport xfer n they are cheap but requires deposit. Can’t find any reviews. Anyone tried?

I (28F) am planning a trip with my parents to Thailand in the first week of January. I understand that this is a peak tourist season so the prices for hotels and such are high, and since we're on a budget, I'm thinking of sticking to Southern Thailand. I am planning for around 9-10 days with 3 days in Phuket, 4 days in Krabi and 1 day back to Phuket for the flight back the next day. I am struggling to build an itinerary since there's so much information I'm getting confused about booking hotels. So far, I've listed the Buddha temple, dolphin show in Phuket, phi phi islands and the 7 island tour in Phuket. What are some must see locations I should add to my list and which places/beaches would be best to stay? I would prefer a beach/place which isn't super crowded since this is near new year's but also has good places to eat nearby and good connectivity to visit things. Need help! Thank you so much in advance!!

Hello everybody! Im on Koh Phangan for January and February 2027 and Im wondering if there is any run club or maybe even a race in that time frame on Phangan or Samui?

All the best

Amazing yellowish sunset over Bangkok - Wednesday October 14th 2026

I came here this time three years ago for my 21st birthday and it was super busy, mushroom party central. Can’t score any shrooms now. Thinking my 24th is going to be a lot more slow 😅

Hi, I’m an American woman planning on visiting Thailand for a couple weeks before doing a yoga teacher training in Rishikesh. I’d like to end in Bangkok to be able to catch a direct flight to Delhi, but I’m having trouble figuring out how to structure my itinerary, and also wondering if anyone has recommendations for a short-term meditation retreat where I could engage with that part of Thai culture (I’d like to do 3-5 days, not 10).

I’m considering flying into Chiang Mai, and then flying down to Samui for a few days and going to 1-2 islands. And then circling back up to Bangkok before leaving for India. But I’m a little concerned about the burning season because I am sensitive to air quality issues, and also I want to be safe and comfortable as a solo woman traveler. I’d like to avoid being near the prostitution capitals / places that attract those types of tourists as much as possible. I do like techno music / a good dance party, and a beer with friends, but I’m not a huge partier especially when I am traveling solo. I grew up in a place with great beaches and have spent a lot of time at them in my life already, so I’m more curious about culture and cafes/unique experiences than laying on the sand all day (though the full moon parties / places that have both sound very appealing!).

I studied abroad in Vietnam in college, but have not been back to SE Asia since I was 19, and haven’t been to Thailand/any of the other countries in the area. I loved Hanoi (LOVED Hanoi) and Hoi An, wasn’t as into Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh, if that helps.

Based off of this, do any experienced Thailand travelers have some recs for me/does the country seem like a good fit in general based off my concerns? Does my itinerary sound like a good intro to the place based off what I’m looking for? Is the prostitution culture somewhat easy to avoid in these spots, as seeing it usually makes me so sad and uncomfortable, and I’d like to avoid creepy Western men as much as possible? Also, any personal experiences with short term intros to the Vipassana / Thai forest meditation traditions?

Thank you so so much. 🪷

edit: I’m most interested in hearing from other women who have solo traveled there or people of any gender who have gone to Thailand spiritually seeking. If you are a “recovering creepy Western man”, I wish you luck in your recovery and you can respond to other posts on here, thanks.

So I flew from Chiang Mai to Bangkok to Phuket today.

I had a checked in bag that made it to Bangkok but wasn’t loaded on the plane to Phuket.

Absolutely fucking fuming.

I spoke to the staff and reported it etc usual bs they said they’d update me.

Has anyone had a similar experience? How long did it take for you to get your bags delivered to you?

I’m only in Phuket for 2 days so also worried it won’t be here on time either.

I luckily have an apple air tag in the bag and it’s shows it’s still at BKK and have shared the link with them.

Will they throw it on the next plane to Phuket? Does it have to be a flight from the same airline?

Can I claim compensation?

TIA

I'm Filipino and it has always been my dream to visit the Golden Buddha in Bangkok and I was surprised to hear from people that single men are considered "sus" if they visit Thailand alone. I wonder what people would think of me?

I’ll be visiting Bangkok for the first time and staying for a little over three weeks. I’ve booked several hotels in different areas because I wanted to experience different parts of the city rather than stay in one place the entire trip.

Here’s roughly where I’ll be staying:

Sukhumvit Soi 29 (near Asok/Phrom Phong)
Lumphini / Sathorn area
Surawong / Silom area
Back to Sukhumvit Soi 29
Ratchathewi (near Ratchathewi BTS)
Phrom Phong area

My main question is about Ratchathewi. The only reason I booked there is because a brand new hotel recently opened and I thought it would be nice to experience it.

But I’m starting to wonder whether the location is actually worth staying in for few nights, or if I’d be better off returning to Sukhumvit or Lumphini instead.

I enjoy nice restaurants, cafes,upscale places, meeting people, exploring the city and going out in the evenings. I prefer areas with a good atmosphere where there’s plenty to do nearby.

For those familiar with Bangkok, how would you compare these neighborhoods? Is Ratchathewi a good base for six nights, or would you recommend spending more time in Sukhumvit or Lumphini?

Would appreciate some local perspectives before I finalize everything. Thanks!

Hi everyone! My fiancée and I are planning our honeymoon in Thailand from May 17 to 31. This is the itinerary recommended by our travel agency, and we'd love to hear your thoughts before we book as it would be the first time for us to visit Thailand.

Our current plan is:

• Bangkok (May 18–22): Floating market and Maeklong Railway Market, Grand Palace and Wat Pho, a day trip to Ayutthaya, plus some free time.
• Chiang Mai (May 22–25): Doi Suthep and Wat Pha Lat, an elephant experience, and a free day to explore.
• Phi Phi Islands (May 25–30): A stay at SAii Phi Phi Island Village Resort for a relaxing beach holiday before flying home from Phuket.

We're particularly interested in good food, nature, culture, and a beautiful beach resort to finish our honeymoon.

A few things we're unsure about:

• Is the itinerary balanced, or would you change the number of days in each place?
• Is the floating market worth visiting, or is it too touristy?
• Is Phi Phi a good choice in late May, considering the weather and sea conditions?
• Would you change anything else about the itinerary recommended by the agency?

We'd really appreciate advice from people who have travelled to Thailand around this time of year. Thanks!

I just discovered 711 packed meals are like 290-400 kcal.. like that is way too low i need big carb meals and i dont like asian food. any ideas?

I travel from north to south, if you are going too feel free to text☺️

Before I travelled Asia I was naively optimistic about the nature of women. I had a very western post-modern liberal Gen Z university student view of sexuality, dating, and marriage. Think ideas such as “theres someone for everyone”, “women prioritize more than looks”, and “who cares if she had a hoe phase, good for her”. You know the type. This perspective was shaped by growing up in the USA and only having experience with american women and american culture.

During a year traveling, I opened my eyes to womens true nature. I saw tourist girls cheating on their boyfriends at home with the exciting Dutch/Aussie/American tourist they just met. I witnessed hypergamy in action. Literally FEELING womens feelings for their partner leave their body upon receiving a bit of attention from a man with higher social status than them.

What started as an awakening has turned into a nightmare, I am incapable of shutting off this part of my brain when I talk to or even see women, especially when I return to the USA. I know it’s not healthy long term, and I would like to find a happy middle-ground where I don’t immediately resent women I’ve never met while also not being an oofy-doofy jestermaxxing cringelord like I was in college.

Heading to Bangkok for three weeks and trying to map out the specialty coffee situation. I work as a barista back in Toronto so I am a bit picky about espresso and pour over but I also love a good $2 iced coffee from a random cart. Wondering if anyone has recent experience with places like Phils or Roots or some of the smaller indie shops. Are they pulling good shots or is it mostly aesthetic cafes with mediocre beans. FWIW I care more about the extraction than the vibe. I am shooting film while I travel so sitting somewhere with decent light and a good cup is ideal but I will happily stand on a sidewalk if the coffee is right. Also curious if anyone has asked local cart vendors about their beans and gotten useful answers. My Thai is very basic but I try. YMMV but I found similar spots in Hanoi were a mix of great and overpriced. Just looking for some ground truth from people who have been recently. If anyone has sources or a good blog with a current list I would take that too. Mostly want to avoid wasting mornings on bad lattes.

Ive been in Bangkok for almost a day now and I can’t use the grab app. It’s saying unavailable in this area. It says to select another country to explore other areas. Ive been using bolt but the last one I took asked if I wanted to pay extra to go on the highway and that rubbed me the wrong way. I know grab is the recommended option but I’m not sure why it’s not working. Has anyone encountered this before?

Hi all! We’re a family of 5 (2 kids aged 11 and 5, plus an elderly family member) planning 4 nights in Bangkok around mid-November, with a budget of $160/night.

I’ve narrowed it down to these 3 hotels and am leaning towards Centre Point Plus Hotel Silom due to having a washer/dryer. Which would you recommend for the best location and convenience for our family? From my research, it seems like a good idea to avoid Sukhumvit area between Nana and Asok areas?

• Centre Point Sukhumvit 10
• Mandarin Hotel Managed by Centre Point
• Centre Point Plus Hotel Silom

Thanks for your advice!

Hi - Looking for any recommendations for the cheapest esims that have a local number. Just want the local number to make online purchases (receive OTP codes), but don't need any data. I've seen older posts but for physical sim cards, wondering what options there would be for esim? My phone doesn't support physical sim.

Gonna visit Bangkok and Phuket next month. I'm sorting out an eSIM before the trip and currently considering Jetpac's 7-day 10GB plan around for $9.5.

Anyone tried it there, especially outside the main tourist areas? Open to other suggestions with good coverage and better deals as well.