Thailand: Bangkok, the islands and the north — how to choose your holiday

Bangkok: temples, markets and street food

Thailand's capital overwhelms you at first — and wins you over almost straight away. The Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Pho with its huge Reclining Buddha, and Wat Arun on the far bank of the river are the city's great sacred sites. The easiest way to move between them is by river boat along the Chao Phraya: it's quick, and the ride feels like a sightseeing tour in itself.

In the evening Bangkok reveals itself all over again: markets, night-time streets full of food, rooftops overlooking the city lights. At the weekend it's worth dropping into the vast Chatuchak market, and outside the city you can visit the floating markets or the ancient capital of Ayutthaya with its temple ruins.

Islands and beaches

Thailand has two sea coasts. On the Andaman Sea lie Phuket, Krabi with its sheer cliffs and Railay Beach, and the Phi Phi Islands with their turquoise bays. In the Gulf of Thailand are Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, where people go for peace and quiet, parties or diving.

The rainy season reaches these coasts in different months, so at almost any time of year you can find somewhere with good weather. Ferries and speedboats run between the islands, and on many beaches you can hop on a longtail boat to reach the neighbouring bays.

The north: Chiang Mai and the mountains

Northern Thailand is cooler, greener and calmer. Chiang Mai, with its old town ringed by a moat, is full of temples, coffee shops and night markets. Above the city stands the Doi Suthep temple with views over the valley, and all around are mountains, waterfalls, rice fields and villages.

From here travellers head to Chiang Rai with its unusual White Temple and to the mountain town of Pai. If you'd like to see elephants, choose sanctuaries and centres that genuinely care for the animals and don't offer rides to tourists.

What to try

Thai cuisine is one of the best reasons to come: vibrant, fresh and wonderfully varied.

• Pad thai — stir-fried rice noodles with peanuts and lime.
• Tom yum — a hot, sour and fragrant soup with prawns.
• Green curry made with coconut milk.
• Som tam — green papaya salad, which can be very spicy.
• Khao soi — noodles in curry, the pride of the north.
• Mango with sticky rice and coconut sauce — the signature dessert.

Good to know before you go

Thais are friendly and patient, and a few rules will help you avoid awkward moments.

• The royal family is held in enormous respect in Thailand — keep this in mind in conversation.
• Enter temples in modest clothing, take your shoes off at the entrance and don't touch monks.
• Don't touch anyone's head, and don't point your feet at people or at statues of the Buddha.
• Agree the price with tuk-tuk drivers and boatmen in advance; taxis are easy to book through an app.
• Drink bottled water and don't forget the sunscreen.

Staying connected on the trip

In Thailand you need your smartphone at every step: to plot a route around Bangkok, call a car, find a ferry timetable or translate a menu at the market. You can install your eSIM at home over Wi-Fi — then you won't have to hunt for a SIM card at the airport after landing. When a plan's validity starts is shown on the checkout page before payment: for some plans it begins at the first connection in the destination country, for others on installation or right after purchase. Your main number stays in your phone, and calls and messages to it keep arriving as usual, under your carrier's terms.