Best Domestic Travel Tips in Thailand

Table of Contents

• Bangkok to Hua Hin/Pattaya/Rayong/Ayutthaya
• Bangkok to Kho Samui/Phuket
• Bangkok to Chiang Mai/Khon Kaen/Ubon Ratchathani
• Conclusion

Once you’ve been around Bangkok, you’ll feel the itch to explore cities and towns further a field. Here are some helpful Domestic Travel Tips Thailand, for when you want to explore cities in the country, save money, and more.

Bangkok to Hua Hin/Pattaya/Rayong/Ayutthaya

These small cities are have their own unique characteristics and attractions, but what they have in common is that they are driving distance from Bangkok. Hua Hin is only a 2-3 hour drive, Pattaya is less than 2 hours, Rayong is 3-4 hours, and Ayutthaya is only a 2 hours from Bangkok.

The best way to get to them is:

• Hire a taxi: Yes, taxi drivers can and often will drive you to and from these destinations and back to Bangkok if you ask. In fact at Suvarnabhumi Airport the Taxi drivers are queuing up in hopes that one of you will ask them to take you to Pattaya, for a handsome fee.
• Busses: Whether it’s a tour bus, and city-to-city bus, you’ll find cheap fares available for you, you’ll find the at Mo Chit, near the Chatuchak Market.
• Hire a car: Easily the most convenient method of getting to these cities. But when hiring a car make sure you and the leasing company agree on the scratches and scrapes on the exterior of the car before you drive off, to ensure smooth dealings when returning the car.

If you’re visiting night markets and street food stalls, here are some tips on what Bank Notes to use.

Bangkok to Kho Samui/Phuket

These are dream destinations for travellers to Thailand. Many people celebrate thier honeymoon there, and many more go to attend the full moon parties.

The best way to get there is:

• Book an internal flight: Prices for domestic flights in Thailand is really low, and you can find the cheapest on Google, Skyscanner, or Trip.com.
• Drive and Boat: If you’re taking land transportation, either car, train, taxi, bus or others, you’ll eventually have to use a boat to get to the islands. Luckily there are many boat services from land to the island and they are easy to find, as well as being a fun way to break up your journey.

Bangkok to Chiang Mai/Khon Kaen/Ubon Ratchathani

These small towns are closer to nature than Bangkok, you’ll find many zoos, animal parks, and ancient archaeological sites in these areas. Getting to them from Bangkok is easy enough because they connected on land.

The best ways to get to these cities are:

• Train: convenient, cheap, and lets you see Thailand roll by as you get to you destinations. The Night Train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is popular with local Thai’s as well as visitors to the country for a long time. You can catch them now from Bangkok’s main train stations.
• Drive: hire car and drive through Thailand. A trip to Chiang Mai on the road can take 8 hours (without stops), to Khon Kaen only 6 hours, and to Ubon Ratchathani only 5 hours.
• Fly: if you want to save time, then flying will get you to those cities in under an hour, excluding waiting time at the airports! It’s convenient and low cost.

Conclusion

Thailand is a well connected domestically. In fact during the Covid Pandemic the Thailand Tourism sector relied solely on the domestic market, and as a result many local Thai’s were able to enjoy many parts of the country that they had not perviously been able to due to high prices or lack of time.

You’ll find that Flying, and maybe car hire, are some of the best ways to get around when you want to go outside of Bangkok. And for those island escapes, you’ll eventually have to take a boat trip if you’re making the initial journey on the roads.