Need advice on where to visit

[alphagemo]

I want to visit a couple new places around Thailand this summer for like a week each. I'm already planning on going to Hua Hin and Chiang Mai. These are what I was thinking but not sure which:

Udon thani

Khon kaen

Buriram

Chaiyaphum

Kanchanaburi

Ubon ratchathani

Just want some opinions not just for mongering stuff. Any opinions are welcome.

Thanks

[LASportsNut]

6 hours ago, alphagemo said:

I want to visit a couple new places around Thailand this summer for like a week each. I'm already planning on going to Hua Hin and Chiang Mai. These are what I was thinking but not sure which:

Udon thani

Khon kaen

Buriram

Chaiyaphum

Kanchanaburi

Ubon ratchathani

Just want some opinions not just for mongering stuff. Any opinions are welcome.

Thanks

Based on your list, I have only been to Buriram and Ubon Ratchathani.

Bored out of my mind. Hot!!

I will never go back.

Buriram might be ok during MotoGP week.

[Phoenix Dave]

I went to Buriram in 2019 for an Endurance (Car) race, had a good time, but not a ton of mongering opportunities, especially when you have to compete with a bunch of super-fit young race car drivers. But still had a blast.

[CampariO]

I would recommend Kanchanaburi from your list, plenty of sights:

Death railway, Hellfire Pass, Tham Krasae, River Quai Bridge and JEATH War museum, War cemetary, Wat tham sua (Tiger cave tempel) + Wat Tham Khao Noi, Wat Ban Tam, Cave temple Wat Tham Mangkonthong, Wat Tham Khao Pun, Wat Tham Pu Wa, Wat prasat muan sing, rain tree, Mallika R.E 124, Erawan Nationalpark with the water falls, Hin Dad Hot Spring, Pha Tad Waterfall, Khao Laem skywalk.

 

Edited May 1 by CampariO

[alphagemo]

Thanks.

I honestly just chose those places cause they are the areas I see the names of most often

[Bonkabit]

Ferry Phuket-Phi Phi Islands, 3 days. Stay away from mosque, early morning amplified calls to prayer.

Then ferry continue to Krabi/Ao Nang, 3-4 days.

Take ferry, not vomit inducing speedboat!

Edited May 2 by Bonkabit

[Fire Bar Matt]

It’s always best to post whatever the month or months you are referring to, we don’t have summer here, we have cool, hot and wet. Monsoon and wet season vary across the country, from your post you said a week each but not how many weeks total so how many of those options are you thinking about, is 1 or 2 of them or 4 or 5.

Are you planning on flying between each one or driving a car, taking a bus or train? There’s a lot of km’s between say Udon Thani and Kanchanaburi. Some of your options could be done on a road trip together, the Issan towns for example and most wouldn’t require a weeks stay, more like 2 - 3 nights.

Since you mentioned going to Hua Hin, I’d say go to Kanchanaburi after, it’s north west of it and as @CampariO listed has many places to visit, I’ve been 3 times and still want to go back again. 

[Rocketboy]

I've been to Khon Kaen, Korat, Kanchanaburi and Hua Hin.

 

Flew to Khon Kaen came back in a car. Caught the bus from Pattaya to Korat. Rode in a car from Pattaya to Kanchanaburi, saw most of the sites mentioned. Worthwhile place to visit and definitely want to go again!

Edited May 2 by Rocketboy

[sadisfied]

For about a week's stay, I'd say:

- Kanchanaburi. I stayed in town both times I went there but next time I'd like to stay further North too for a few days, to really explore the lake / national park area. I'd also recommend riding on the train. Nice little bar area in town.

- Phuket. More to it than the nightlife in Patong. I can easily spend a week on Phuket hitting the beaches and waterfalls, going to the occasional Muay Thai class, getting to the islands. Khao Lak and Krabi are not too far either.

I also tend to combine a few nearby places to make them into a longer trip, e.g. last time I was in Pattaya, I spent 3 nights each in Koh Samet and Chanthaburi. Some other combos, including the ones I haven't done yet:

- Trat, Koh Chang, Koh Mak, Koh Kood

- Ayutthaya, Khao Yai

- Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang

- Trang, Ko Kradan, Ko Muk, Ko Lipe, Ko Lanta

- Sukhothai, Khao Kho, Phu Kradueng, Khon Kaen

- Udon Thani, pop over to Vientiane 

[alphagemo]

8 hours ago, Fire Bar Matt said:

It’s always best to post whatever the month or months you are referring to, we don’t have summer here, we have cool, hot and wet. Monsoon and wet season vary across the country, from your post you said a week each but not how many weeks total so how many of those options are you thinking about, is 1 or 2 of them or 4 or 5.

Are you planning on flying between each one or driving a car, taking a bus or train? There’s a lot of km’s between say Udon Thani and Kanchanaburi. Some of your options could be done on a road trip together, the Issan towns for example and most wouldn’t require a weeks stay, more like 2 - 3 nights.

Since you mentioned going to Hua Hin, I’d say go to Kanchanaburi after, it’s north west of it and as @CampariO listed has many places to visit, I’ve been 3 times and still want to go back again. 

True I should be more specific.

Hua Hin will be the beginning of August on the bus from the airport. Then I will work out the route to anywhere else I would go after. Ideally I would do 1 or 2 directly after HH then back to pattaya and either stay there or do 1 more place if I only do 1 after HH.

I have never driven a motor vehicle outside of the US besides military ones in korea. So, not driving a car but I want to try trains and I will fly or bus if I need to.

7 hours ago, sadisfied said:

For about a week's stay, I'd say:

- Kanchanaburi. I stayed in town both times I went there but next time I'd like to stay further North too for a few days, to really explore the lake / national park area. I'd also recommend riding on the train. Nice little bar area in town.

- Phuket. More to it than the nightlife in Patong. I can easily spend a week on Phuket hitting the beaches and waterfalls, going to the occasional Muay Thai class, getting to the islands. Khao Lak and Krabi are not too far either.

I also tend to combine a few nearby places to make them into a longer trip, e.g. last time I was in Pattaya, I spent 3 nights each in Koh Samet and Chanthaburi. Some other combos, including the ones I haven't done yet:

- Trat, Koh Chang, Koh Mak, Koh Kood

- Ayutthaya, Khao Yai

- Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang

- Trang, Ko Kradan, Ko Muk, Ko Lipe, Ko Lanta

- Sukhothai, Khao Kho, Phu Kradueng, Khon Kaen

- Udon Thani, pop over to Vientiane 

Thanks, I will look into some places.

[Fire Bar Matt]

18 minutes ago, alphagemo said:

True I should be more specific.

Hua Hin will be the beginning of August on the bus from the airport. Then I will work out the route to anywhere else I would go after. Ideally I would do 1 or 2 directly after HH then back to pattaya and either stay there or do 1 more place if I only do 1 after HH.

I have never driven a motor vehicle outside of the US besides military ones in korea. So, not driving a car but I want to try trains and I will fly or bus if I need to.

Thanks, I will look into some places.

Here’s how you can get from Hua Hin to Kanchanaburi 

Link

A forward journey from there would be Chiang Mai as you are heading north.

From there you could figure out travel to Chaiyaphum and Burriram then back to Pattaya, that way you are doing a loop. 

[isaactom]

I recommend  Chiang Mai ... the national park.. there are around 3 waterfalls on the way.. you can enjoy tent night stay inside the national park.. there is a forest trial also.. just ask chatgpt to plan the trip... 

I also visited Mekumpong which was just awesome..  

 

[Bonkabit]

13 hours ago, alphagemo said:

 

I have never driven a motor vehicle outside of the US besides military ones in korea.

Thailand is one of the 40% of countries that drive on the wrong side of the road. The king ordained this after a visit to England and being appropriately impressed.

>So, not driving a car but I want to try trains and I will fly or bus if I need to.

Check train timetables; some lines are very slow - in need of overhaul e.g. Bangkok to Pattaya, bus is much quicker.

Internal airfares are cheap, check  Thailand Flights

[j_omm]

Usually before we come to Thailand we have all these ideas of where we want to go..I second the forget Ubon ratchathani unless you are going to Laos, 2 days more than enough but really not even worth the trip..On the ground you will make it to Hua Hin after 3/4 days start getting a bit bored then head to Pattaya..After a few days in Pattaya you probably won`t want to go anywhere else its such an easy place to hang out in .

[Phoenix Dave]

9 hours ago, j_omm said:

Usually before we come to Thailand we have all these ideas of where we want to go..I second the forget Ubon ratchathani unless you are going to Laos, 2 days more than enough but really not even worth the trip..On the ground you will make it to Hua Hin after 3/4 days start getting a bit bored then head to Pattaya..After a few days in Pattaya you probably won`t want to go anywhere else its such an easy place to hang out in .

I feel about the same, though with a good long term partner to visit these areas with me, I could be quite happy on a trip of discovery. No way I'd bother just going alone, hoping to find mongering opportunities along the way. Most of the enjoyment for me would be seeing someone I care about learn the joys of traveling and learning about their own country.

[bgtp]

Of the places the OP listed, I think Kanchanaburi is the most interesting. Someone posted already about several of the things you can do there. I really enjoy the riverside towns along the Mekong River in Isaan. A couple of years ago I spent a week in Nakhon Phanom town. Some might find it boring , but I thought it was a great place to relax for a week. There’s a bicycle trail along the river, dinner cruises, and a Walking Street night market on the weekends.

I generally go alone and many times I’ve met some nice Thai ladies along the way. I also agree that arranging a loop of destinations is a good idea. Just have a look at a map and find some combination that works for you. As an example, I flew Bangkok-Chiang Mai, flew Chiang Mai-Udon Thani, bus Udon Thani-Nakhon Phanom, flew Nakhon Phanom-Bangkok.