Whether it’s a romantic getaway or a fun vacay with friends, Thailand has it all. From pristine beaches to ancient temples to some scrumptious food, this country is the perfect package.

We visited Thailand in the end of Dec 2022 as a group of 5 friends.

Below is an itinerary to help you plan your long overdue trip to Thailand. So go ahead and plan away!

The blog contains these sections:

• High level plan/ itinerary
• Budget
• Flights
• Visa
• Forex
• Must install apps
• Detailed itinerary

🗓️ High level itinerary

8 days is a good time to cover Thailand – you can spend 1 day in Bangkok, 2-3 days in Phuket, 2 days in Krabi, 2 days in Koh Samui

• Bangkok – Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Khao San Road
• Phuket – Big Buddha, Wat Chalong, Karon Beach, Old Town, Chillva Market, Bangla Walking Street, James Bond Island Tour
• Krabi – Railay Beach, Phi Phi & Maya Bay tour, Tiger Cave & Emerald Pool
• Koh Samui – Chongemon beach, Chaweng beach, Silver beach, Bophut night market

💰 Budget

	Per person	Comments
Flights to & from India	Rs.25,000	round trip
Internal Transportation	Rs.17,000	between cities
Accommodation	Rs.20,000	Rs. 2.5K per night
Food	Rs.15,000	Rs. 2K per day
Experiences	Rs.18,000	island tours, massage, visa
Miscellaneous	Rs.5,000
Total Budget	Rs.1,00,000	per person

✈️ Flights

Air Asia operates direct flights between Bangalore and Bangkok and GoAir operates between Bangalore and Phuket. Ideal way would be to fly into Bangkok and fly out of Phuket or vice versa (this saves time required to travel all the way back to the initial city)

🧳 AK’s Travel Tidbits 🧳

• Air Asia has only 7kg cabin baggage included as part of the fare – so be careful while comparing prices, don’t just fall for the low price bait and later end up spending money on check-in baggage fees. GoAir gives 20 kg check-in plus 7 kg cabin as part of the fare
  • The cap of 7kg cabin baggage is applicable on internal flights in Thailand. Ensure to check the baggage policy beforehand to avoid surprises later
• Book flight tickets at least 2-3 months in advance to get the best deals. For peak periods (November – February), we would suggest booking 4-5 months in advance

📃Visa

Thai Government has made it visa-free for Indians travelling between Nov 10, 2023 to May 10, 2024 for short term stay up to 30 days

Even otherwise, getting a Thai Visa is quite easy for Indians – there are 2 ways to avail the visa:

1. Visa on Arrival (VOA) after you land in Thailand
   • Go to the VOA Counter and submit the filled VOA form, 2 photographs (4 x 6 cm), hotel reservations, return flight ticket and 2000 Baht in cash only
   • The waiting time could be quite long if you land at peak hours. So make sure you download, print and fill the VOA form and keep all the required documents handy
2. Apply online and get e-VOA
   • Login to e-VOA site and follow the steps mentioned (fill application, upload documents, pay fee). You will have to submit the exact same documents as mentioned above (photographs, hotel reservations, return flight ticket). But the major difference is that the visa fee is 2500 Baht which is to be paid online and there will be no waiting time issue at the airport
     • To avoid any delays in processing of e-VOA. We would recommend you to submit the filled form at least 2 weeks in advance of your travel date. Typically e-VOA gets processed in 3-4 working days

💵 Forex

• As mentioned earlier you would need 2000 Baht in cash for the VOA. Apart from that, during the VOA process, they may also ask for financial proof and one needs to have funds of at least 10,000 Baht per person either in cash or in the bank account. To make the process quick and simple during the VOA interview, we carried 12,000 Baht per person in cash
• We also carried a Forex card and used it withdraw Bahts from local ATMs. Note that every ATM in Thailand charges a flat fee for each withdrawal
  • Ensure you withdraw the maximum amount every time (Krungsri ATMs had the highest withdrawal limit of 30,000 THB per transaction)
• At the time of our travel (Dec 2022), 1 Baht = 2.4 INR

🧳 AK’s Travel Tidbits 🧳

Use the extravelmoney.com (applicable to India) to find which authorized forex vendor offers the best exchange rates in your locality

📱 Must install apps

Grab: It is the SEA equivalent of Uber. Download it and have your Forex card added as the payment option to reduce cash usage. Also always make it a practice to check for rates on Grab before checking with any local cab owners/ hotel folks – as with any other tourist destinations, local cab owners charge exorbitant rates

📝 Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Bangkok – arrival & sightseeing

• Landed early in the morning and headed straight to the VOA counter. It was a smooth VOA process – no queue, got the visa in 15-20 min. Basic questions from the officer, and we’re good to go!
• We then purchased a SIM card at a reseller kiosk in the airport. Went with AIS since this has an extensive coverage. 8 days plan with 15GB internet and unlimited local calls costed us 300 Baht
• We stayed at Methavalai Residence right in the city center next to Khao San road. Checked in and headed straight to Grand Palace. It was the official residence of Kings of Thailand. Instead of one massive building it is made up of numerous halls, temples, gardens and courtyards. The entry fee is 500 Baht
• We then headed to Wat Pho – also known as the temple of reclining Buddha. Entry fee is 200 Baht. Post that since it was sunny we decided to explore other attractions of the city using the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat
  • The boat operates at 30 min frequency. One could use it to visit major attractions such as the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Chinatown. Single journey ticket costs 60 Baht and a day pass costs around 200-300 Bahts
• We had lunch at Thipsamai, a Michelin star restaurant. They serve one of the best Pad Thai – highly recommended!! 
• In the evening, post sunset we went to check out one of the tallest rooftop dining places in Bangkok located on the 64th floor of State Towers. It offered an incredible view of Bangkok city and Chao Phraya river. Few of the luxury dining options on this floor are Mezzaluna, Sky Bar (featured in Hangover 2), Sirocco
• We then decided to explore the city’s nightlife and went to the Khao San road. The entire street comes to life in the evening with pop-up restaurants, pubs and street vendors. It’s traffic-free, and as the night unfolds, the streets come alive with people

Day 2: Phuket – arrival

• We had brunch at another amazing Michelin star restaurant Krua Apsorn – thai green curry, raw papaya salad and fluffy omelet were to die for!
• We then booked a cab and headed to airport to catch our flight to Phuket
• We landed in Phuket in the afternoon and headed to our hotel (Patong Lodge Hotel) right in the city center. Attractions in Phuket are quite spread out – you could decide to stay close to one of these attractions and commute to the rest via cabs/ tuk tuks – they are easily available and are quite affordable too
  • We stayed near the Patong beach area. One could also choose to stay near Karon beach, Old town or Big Buddha area as well
• We then headed to the old town area. This is an area with streets filled with houses painted in vibrant colors, designer boutiques, souvenir shops, restaurants and street vendors. We spent some time here clicking a few pictures and grabbed some Thai snacks. The burgers at Juicy Lucy burger were very tasty
• Booked a cab and headed to Chillva market – a weekday bazaar decked up with fairy lights, lined with street food vendors, souvenir shops, and apparel stores. You can find a wide variety of local delicacies here – however we felt veg options were quite limited. Also on most of the days there will be a live concert. And there is an open seating area where one can sit down and enjoy their street food

Day 3: James Bond island

• We had booked a day trip to James Bond island via GetYourGuide. This tour included visits to James Bond island, Phang Nga bay and Hong island
• We were picked up at our hotel at 8AM. It started with a long 1 hour ride to the ferry point. We then boarded our speed boat and started cruising towards the James bond Island. The views on the way to the island were just surreal. Once we reaches, we were given enough time to explore the island and play on the beach. Post this we were served a buffet lunch which was quite tasty and had a fairly good vegetarian spread
• We then were taken to a hidden lagoon on Panak island where we went on a kayak in groups of 2 in bright emerald waters. We then explored a cave in the Hong island. We ended our tour swimming in the crystal clear waters of the Lawa Yai island. It was a very well organised day trip – would highly recommend!
• We were dropped back to our hotel around 6PM. We freshened up and headed to explore the Patong beach & Bangla walking street. It is a vibrant street with eateries, pubs and music playing all around. The street also features one of the largest clubs in Thailand – Illuzion. However, this street is not kid and family friendly

Day 4: Phuket – sightseeing

• We had rented a minivan from Grab for the entire day to cover few places in Phuket and head to Krabi in the evening on the road
• We explored the crystal clear waters of Kata and Karon beaches. Do try the coconut shake at one of the shacks here
• We then headed to Wat Chalong. The walls and ceilings have intricate paintings illustrating life of Buddha. It also houses several golden statues of Buddha in different forms. The main building has a total of 3 floors – do climb up to the terrace for a bird’s eye view of the entire temple area
• Enjoyed an authentic Thai lunch at Mountain Breeze restaurant. Highly recommend it – every dish was delicious, with flavors as authentic as they come. Plus, the restaurant offers a magnificent view of Phuket town and the entire valley
• Post lunch we made a quick pit stop at Big Buddha and headed to Krabi on road
• We checked into our B&B in the Ao Nang beach area. Would recommend staying here since it is the most happening area and also all the boats for day trips start from here

🧳AK’s Travel Tidbits🧳

If you are a group of 5-8, we would recommend you just book a minivan on Grab instead of 2 cabs – it works out to be cheaper. Unlike India, minivans are available as frequently as cabs in Thailand

Day 5: Railay beach

• We decided to go on a day trip to Railay beach. It is a peninsula which is 15-20 min away from Krabi
  • The Government operates transfer boats between Krabi and Railay. You can chose to spend an entire day at Railay by taking a boat at 8 AM from Krabi and come back in a boat at 6PM from Railay. We bought tickets at the Government counter near Ao Nang beach. Shared boat costs 100 Baht per person one way.
• The boat dropped us at Railay west beach. Since there were quite a few longtail boats docked on this beach, we went to the more peaceful Phra Nang beach by walk. The walking trail is filled with cafes, restaurants and fancy resorts. We spent few hours making sandcastles and playing in this beach
  • Phra Nang also has a couple of rock climbing spots that you could try out
  • You could also do some cave exploration
• We had Pad Thai and Mango Sticky Rice for lunch at one of the Thai restaurants. Definitely try out Mango Sticky Rice in Thailand, it is the most popular dessert over here and is available in most restaurants
• We came back to the Railay west beach and spent time on the beach and went on a Kayak in the evening. We witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets and took the boat back to Krabi

Day 6: Phi Phi & Maya Bay

• We booked a Phi Phi & Maya Bay private trip on a long tail boat at the government kiosk near Ao Nang beach for 7000 Baht for the 5 of us (it can accommodate max. 6 people)
  • This is more of a point-to-point pick-up and drop service and not a guided tour
• We first went to Maya Bay, a journey of 1.5 hours from Krabi. This is one of the most picturesque spots in Thailand and we got some really good pictures! (must visit)
  • Try to start early in the day to avoid crowds and get some disturbance-free pictures
• We were then taken to Pi Leh Lagoon for snorkeling – the boat operator provided us the required gears. We snorkeled for 30-40 min and spotted few fishes and corals in the bright emerald water
• We then were taken to Phi Phi island. We chilled at the beach for some time and then hiked up for a magnificent view of the island. There is a small entry fee of 30 Baht to access viewpoints.
  • Just ensure you don’t hike between 11AM – 3PM since it will be quite sunny and there is not much shade on the way
• We thought of having dinner at Kodam Kitchen which is highly rated for Thai dishes such as Masamman Curry, Mango sticky rice and Pineapple fried rice. However, the wait time was more than 30min. So we decided to skip it and have dinner at an Indian restaurant nearby instead

🧳AK’s Travel Tidbits🧳

In Phi Phi, a lot of places open only after evening and the island is known to have an amazing nightlife. To experience Phi Phi to the fullest, we would suggest staying for at least one night on the island

Instead of coming to Krabi by road from Phuket, ideal plan would be to go to Phi Phi from Phuket via speedboat, stay for a night, visit Maya Bay from Phi Phi the next day morning and then head to Krabi in the evening

Day 7: Koh Samui – arrival

• The next morning, we headed to a popular resort island Koh Samui. It was a long journey split into two parts – 3 hours by bus and 1 hour in a ferry
  • For any commute that involved ferries, we made bookings via booking@phanganferries.com. We opted for one of these 2 ferry operators Lomprayah or Seatron since they are the most reliable ones
• We reached Koh Samui early evening. We had taken the resort drop-off service from the ferry operator since the pier is quite far from the central area and Grab is not very reliable in Koh Samui. We stayed in Sasitara Thai Villas near the Bhoput area (closer to Big Buddha)
  • One could also choose to stay near the more happening Chaweng beach area (ideal for a group of friends) or a bit laid-back Lamai beach area (ideal for couples & families)
• Feeling a bit tired after the long journey, we chose to unwind in our resort and watched the sunset by the infinity pool

Day 7: Koh Samui – sightseeing

• Scooter is the best way to explore Koh Samui (costs about 250 Baht a day) since attractions are scattered and local cabs are expensive and Grab is not reliable
  • There are quite a few scooter rental shops. Pick the one closest to your resort
• We decided to go beach hopping – we went to Choengmon beach, Chaweng beach, Lamai beach and Silver beach (this is the most beautiful of all!). On the way to Choengmon beach, we also stopped by Lad Koh viewpoint
• Had lunch at a Lamai Veggie, a vegan restaurant in Lamai beach area which serves a set Thai menu in Indian thaali style
• We then visited the Bhoput night market – had some Thai street food, shopped souvenirs and watched a fire show at Coco Tam’s beach club
  • One could also choose to go to Chaweng night market and chill at the beach clubs in that area

Day 8: Koh Samui – sightseeing & return

• Started our day with a visit to Wat Plai Laem and Big Buddha
  • Wat Plai Laem temple area is built on a lake and has huge statues of 18 armed Guanyin goddess and Laughing Buddha. There are also small shrines of various Indian gods
  • Big Buddha is one of the major landmarks of Koh Samui and can seen from miles away. It is a peaceful place to meditate and also offers great views of the bay
• We then returned to Phuket to catch our return flight to India the next morning, opting for an Airbnb closer to the Phuket airport. In the evening, treated ourselves to a much-needed Thai massage at Sabai, a perfect way to unwind before the return journey after a jam-packed week.
  • In case you are in the Patong beach area, you could also check out Let’s Relax Spa

In case you have a few more days, you could also explore Chiang Mai region in the north of Thailand, Koh Tao (known for scuba diving) and Koh Phangan (known for its full moon parties)