---
title: "Plan your Thailand holiday"
description: "Everything to plan a Thailand trip: when to go, where to stay, hotel and flight tips, transport from the airport and ready-made itineraries."
url: https://bestofthailand.org/holidays
locale: en
---

# 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](https://bestofthailand.org/islands) settles step 2 by month, because the Andaman and the Gulf are dry at different times of year, and [the route planner](https://bestofthailand.org/routes) 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](https://bestofthailand.org/budget), and the paperwork the border asks for on the [entry requirements checklist](https://bestofthailand.org/entry-checklist).

01

## Pick your season

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

[Check the seasons →](https://bestofthailand.org/weather)

02

## 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 →](https://bestofthailand.org/guide)

03

## Book hotels & flights

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

[See hotels →](https://bestofthailand.org/directory/hotels-resorts)

04

## 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 →](https://bestofthailand.org/getting-around)

## 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](https://bestofthailand.org/motorbike) has the fines and the road-risk figures. Rentals from local operators are listed in our directory.

[Find rentals](https://bestofthailand.org/directory/transport-rentals)

## Markets to build a day around

[See all →](https://bestofthailand.org/eat-drink/markets-food-courts)

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.

**[Chatuchak Weekend Market](https://bestofthailand.org/place/chatuchak-weekend-market)** — ![Chatuchak Weekend Market](https://bestofthailand.org/images/pool/cat-markets-food-courts-1.webp)Featured — 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)](https://bestofthailand.org/place/rawvaela-cafe-taling-chan)** — ![Rawvaela Cafe (รอเวลา คาเฟ่)](https://bestofthailand.org/images/pool/cat-markets-food-courts-7.webp) — 4.6 — Markets & Food Courts · Taling Chan — Open nowuntil 18:00฿฿Kids — Bang Ramat Road in Taling Chan is home to Rawvaela Cafe, serving cafe fare and beverages for diners.

**[Or Tor Kor Market](https://bestofthailand.org/place/or-tor-kor)** — ![Or Tor Kor Market](https://bestofthailand.org/images/pool/cat-markets-food-courts-6.webp) — 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](https://bestofthailand.org/place/sai-tai-center-taling-chan)** — ![Sai Tai Center](https://bestofthailand.org/images/pool/cat-markets-food-courts-2.webp) — 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](https://bestofthailand.org/place/saenee-food-market-phasi-charoen)** — ![Saenee Food Market](https://bestofthailand.org/images/pool/cat-markets-food-courts-5.webp) — 4.2 — Markets & Food Courts · Phasi Charoen — Open nowuntil 20:00Step-free — Saenee Food Market in Phasi Charoen's Bang Wa area offers fresh food, groceries, and market goods for shopping.

**[Sixty Million Baht Market](https://bestofthailand.org/place/sixty-million-market)** — ![Sixty Million Baht Market](https://bestofthailand.org/images/pool/cat-markets-food-courts-5.webp) — 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.

Best of Thailand

https://bestofthailand.org/holidays

Scan or type the address for opening hours, phone numbers and the map.