I went to Thailand for the first time in 2017. Actually, I went two times that year. I spent a month in the north seeing Thai culture, and a month in the south experiencing island life and an intense meditation retreat. This year, I went back with my husband and mom as their pseudo tour guide. It was fun seeing a place I visited years ago on my own, and now sharing it with family. I knew my mom had to try some of the best things to do in Thailand on her first visit and I didn’t mind redoing them. There were also a few things I missed on my first trip, and I was eager to see them this time around.
Tour the Temples
Thailand was the first country I went to in Asia and the first country I solo traveled to. I was so excited when I arrived that I saw almost every temple in Bangkok. That’s a lot of temples! I then went on to see every temple in Ayutthaya, every temple in Lopburi, and every temple in Chiang Mai. I kind of overdid it. The truth is, you don’t need to see EVERY TEMPLE, but there are a few truly spectacular ones worth going out of the way for.
My husband had been to Thailand before too and the only thing on his wish list was to go back to Wat Pho in Bangkok. Wat Pho has a giant sleeping Buddha that is so long that it’s hard to see the entire length at once. It’s surrounded by several other buildings and stupas that are stunning. You could spend a few hours walking around the entire compound.
No matter where you are in Thailand, try to visit a famous temple in the area. Chances are, you’ll pass a ton of tiny temples when you are walking too. Hop in and take a quick peak around. Thai architecture is unique, and on a sunny day the temples glitter like they are covered in diamonds!
Ride in a Tuk-tuk
Taking a tuk-tuk ride is something you can’t do in many countries, and it’s become a bucket list item for people visiting Thailand. I recommend getting a tuk-tuk at night. Look for the ones with the neon lights and the music playing. There’s something so fun and silly about flying through traffic with a disco happening and feeling like you are about to fall out the side at every turn. It might not be the grandest thing to do, but you can’t visit Thailand without getting in at least one tuk-tuk.
Visit an Elephant Sanctuary
People used to visit Thailand with the aim of riding an elephant. As it became public knowledge that the elephants were tortured into submission, people started to avoid elephant tourism. These days, there’s a solution for the already trained elephants to retire into sanctuaries. Elephants are offered bananas and given baths in the river instead of riding.
It’s important to do some research before going because you want to make sure the elephants have been rescued either from the logging industry or tourism. People are paying good money to bathe elephants these days, so you should check that the elephants were not purchased and then trained for this experience. I’ve been to Elephant Nature Park and Into the Wild Elephant Camp. Both of these are located in Chiang Mai and both have rescue elephants.
Get a Thai Massage
Thai massages are something you tend to either love or hate. I absolutely love them. I should start by saying that Thai massages can be intense. I always start by asking for a “soft soft” massage. Thai massage focuses on pressure points and has a very unique feel compared to other massages. There’s also a bit of yoga like stretches at the end. Thai massages are the only massages I’ve ever had where I leave feeling like I have a new body for the next three to five days. The crazy thing is most places only charge around ten dollars.
My favorite massage was in Chiang Mai at Lila Massage. We found out after our massage that the masseuses are women who served time in prison. Thai massages are a way for prisoners to earn money when they finish serving time. I have to say, it was the best massage I’ve ever had and one of the nicest massage parlors in that price range. If I lived in Chiang Mai, I’d surely go there once a week.
Go Shopping in an Unusual Market
One of my favorite parts of Thailand is the culture of markets. While this might seem silly, a few of these markets have become famous because they are so unusual. Have they turned into tourist traps? …Kind of. Does that mean you shouldn’t go? Not at all. In Bangkok, we went to the floating and railway market. These were two things I didn’t get to do last time, and it was so much fun. A lot of travel bloggers put down these tourist areas because they aren’t “off-the-beaten-path”, but things become famous and popular for a reason. And these markets are just plain fun!
We went to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Markets and Maeklong Railway Market. There are other floating markets, but I’ve heard some are dirty. Although these were touristy, I would still recommend them. We decided to hire our own taxi to take us rather than a group tour, but I think the group tour is worth it to avoid all the negotiating. Someone tried to charge us $100 for a one-hour boat ride. It was crazy. Just down the street, the same ride was $26.
Take a Muay Thai Class
On my second trip to Thailand, I found myself in a hostel on Koh Samui with a couple of weeks to chill before my meditation retreat. A few of the guys staying there were spending a month training in Muay Thai at the local gym. While I didn’t have a full month to commit, I did have some free time. I ended up taking a few classes and it was a lot of fun. Don’t get me wrong, it was difficult. It was an outdoor gym with no air conditioning. I sweated out buckets of sweat as I worked out, and I felt like I couldn’t walk for a week. But, it was such a fun way to experience a different side of Thailand.
A lot of times, travelers go to see tourist attractions, but we don’t often think about taking classes when we visit a new country. Taking a Muay Thai class in Thailand is so unique. If you’re into fitness, you have to try it! In fact, this one class got me hooked on Muay Thai, which I trained in for a couple of months in Nepal. Then, I switched to boxing which I trained in for a few years! I even got my mom, sister, husband, sister-in-law and nieces to train with me at some point!
Ride the Local Railway
One of my favorite memories from my first trip in Thailand was riding the Northern train. I rode it all the way to Chiang Mai which was long and tiring, but you can ride it just an hour north of Bangkok to visit the famous ancient temple town of Ayutthaya. Riding the train is such an interesting experience. If you’re feeling adventurous, book a third-class ticket. The people I know who went first class didn’t get as much of a local experience.
As the train pulls into stations, tons of local vendors hop on and quickly run through the rows selling food and drinks. Have small change ready and watch what the locals are buying. I swear the best fried chicken I’ve ever had in my life came from a man walking up and down the aisles selling his homemade chicken out of a basket and served wrapped in old newspaper. If you’re worried about food poisoning, ask your doctor about taking activated charcoal before your trip. It helps prevent food poisoning when you are eating in adventurous places.
Take a Cooking Class
I’ve taken two cooking classes in Thailand and it was such a fun experience. Thai food is so different from the American and Italian food I grew up with. I wouldn’t even know what spices to buy or how to prepare them. I took cooking classes in at least 8 different countries, but the one I cook the most at home is Thai. Both classes I took were in Chiang Mai. I recommend Mama Noi Cookery School and Thai Secret Cooking School. Both provided a fantastic cookbook to take home with you. The food we prepared was amazing. I honestly felt like a chef because everything came out so good.
Eat Street Food at a Local Market
While there are a million touristy markets for buying souvenirs and clothing, it’s the local markets that really blow me away. There’s two main types of markets that I’ve noticed. The morning market is where people buy ingredients to cook for the day, however, there are also people selling pre-made food. These items are super cheap. You can get an entire feast for a few dollars. The morning markets seem to slow down around lunch time but they are the place to be around 8 or 9 am. I recommend the San Pa Koi Market in Chiang Mai. Our hotel was near there and there is even a Michelin rated food stall.
Then, there’s the night markets. There are touristy and non-touristy ones, but this is where you can try a million different things in smaller serving sizes. I love this because you don’t need to commit to one place or one meal. You can hop around trying whatever you want. It’s also super cheap. My favorite night markets were the Night Market in Chiang Mai and the Chinatown Night Market in Bangkok. Look for the lines of local people. In Chinatown, we ended up getting on lines just because they were busy and tons of people were waiting. We tried some amazing foods we wouldn’t have picked out ourselves.
Party on a Beach
Part of visiting Thailand is going to a beach party. On my first visit, I stayed in a hostel in Koh Samui, and even though I was a 28-year-old surrounded by 18-year old’s on their gap year, I decided to go out with them one night. Let me tell you, there’s no party like a Thailand party.
We ended up on the beach with a DJ blaring music and actual buckets of booze with 15 straws in each one. Our whole hostel had gone out in a group of about 20 people and it was a blast. At some point, there was a fire show and me and a friend were selected to participate. All I remember is the guy whispering to me “Whatever you do, don’t move!” Shortly after, a ball of fire was flying past my face so close that I feared I’d singed off my eyebrows. After surviving, I asked the guy how long he’d been doing this and he joked, “Oh, tonight my first night!”
Sing Along at a LadyBoy Cabaret
Something I hadn’t done on my first trip was go to a ladyboy cabaret. To be honest, I was a little afraid. Not of the ladyboys, but Thailand can be a sketchy place and as a solo traveler I was afraid to go to bars by myself at night. Most days, I was back at my hostel by seven or eight. Of course, this was a high priority for me while traveling with my mom and husband, so we all went together.
We ended up at Ram Show Bar in Chiang Mai which had amazing reviews online. We got there, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The show was amazing with great choreography, a fun audience, and some stellar performances (I’m looking at you Lady Gaga). I only wish that the second half of the performance hadn’t been so late, otherwise we would have stayed to see some more!
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Michelle Della Giovanna
Writer at Full Time Explorer
I’m just your average New Yorker who quit her job in the fashion industry to explore the world. Come find out what it’s like to trade in five-inch heels for squat toilets.
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