Plan your Thailand holiday

Four steps from daydream to departure gate.

Two of the four have a calculator behind them rather than a rule of thumb: which island settles step 2 by month, because the Andaman and the Gulf are dry at different times of year, and the route planner prices the legs between your bases — 70 sourced ferry, train, bus and flight connections between 26 destinations. What the whole thing costs is on the trip budget calculator, and the paperwork the border asks for on the entry requirements checklist.

Pick your season

November–February is cool and dry everywhere. The Gulf islands (Samui) stay driest February–June.

Check the seasons →

Choose your bases

Classic first trip: 3 nights Bangkok, 2 nights Chiang Mai, 4 nights on an island. Our guides cover each stop.

Browse destinations →

Book hotels & flights

Bangkok hotel picks run from ฿1,200 boutique stays to riverside five-stars.

See hotels →

Sort arrival & transport

Airport Rail Link into the city, BTS/MRT fares, river boats and when to just take a taxi.

Fares and cards for 2026 →

Car & scooter rental

An International Driving Permit is required alongside your licence — and for a scooter that licence has to carry a motorcycle entitlement, or the insurance does not pay. What renting a motorbike actually requires has the fines and the road-risk figures. Rentals from local operators are listed in our directory.

Find rentals

Markets to build a day around

See all →

Step 2 is picking bases; markets are what fills the days inside them, and their opening days decide the shape of a week — Chatuchak is a weekend market, Or Tor Kor opens daily. Filtered to listings with 500 or more reviews: 63 listed in Bangkok under Markets & Food Courts; the 6 shown here average 4.4 across 62,795 Google reviews.

Featured

Chatuchak Weekend Market

4.5

Markets & Food Courts · Chatuchak

฿

Over 15,000 stalls across 27 sections — the world's largest weekend market, from vintage fashion to street snacks.

Rawvaela Cafe (รอเวลา คาเฟ่)

4.6

Markets & Food Courts · Taling Chan

Closed nowopens 10:00฿฿Kids

Bang Ramat Road in Taling Chan is home to Rawvaela Cafe, serving cafe fare and beverages for diners.

Or Tor Kor Market

4.4

Markets & Food Courts · Phaya Thai

฿฿

One of the world's best fresh markets — premium Thai fruit, curries and a superb cooked-food court.

Sai Tai Center

4.4

Markets & Food Courts · Taling Chan

Closed nowopens 16:00Step-freeKids

Large market complex in Taling Chan's Chim Phli area on Phutthamonthon Sai 1, Sai Tai Center hosts numerous food and retail vendors.

Saenee Food Market

4.2

Markets & Food Courts · Phasi Charoen

Closed nowopens 06:00Step-free

Saenee Food Market in Phasi Charoen's Bang Wa area offers fresh food, groceries, and market goods for shopping.

Sixty Million Baht Market

4.1

Markets & Food Courts · Ari

฿

Ari's Phahonyothin Soi 7 hosts a local market and open-air food court where diners find budget-friendly casual Thai meals and street food.

Pulled from our directory when this page was last rebuilt: featured and Verified listings first, then by rating weighted for how many reviews it rests on.

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