AroundBangkok &

p493

Phuket &

NorthernThailand

CentralThailand

p151

p291

Provincep230

Chiang Mai

NortheasternThailand

p407

Eastern Seaboardp188

p54Ko Chang &

Hua Hin &the Upper

Gulf

Ko Samui& the

Lower Gulfp526

Coastp597

the Andaman

THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

China Williams, Mark Beales, Tim Bewer, Celeste Brash, Austin Bush, David Eimer,

Adam Skolnick

Thailand

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

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ON THE ROAD PLAN YOUR TRIP

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PÀT TAI; FOOD SPOTTER’S GUIDE P726

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PEOPLE & CULTURE P705

Welcome to Thailand . . . . .6

Thailand’s Top 20 . . . . . . .10

Need to Know . . . . . . . . . 22

First Time Thailand . . . . 24

What’s New . . . . . . . . . . . 26

If You Like . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Month by Month . . . . . . . 29

Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Eat & Drink Like a Local . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Choose Your Beach . . . . 42

Travel with Children . . . . .47

Regions at a Glance . . . . 50

BANGKOK & AROUND . . . . . . . . . . 54Sights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Festivals.&.Events . . . . . . . . 98Sleeping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98Eating. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112Drinking.&.Nightlife. . . . . . 121Entertainment .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..126Shopping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130Ko.Kret. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148Amphawa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148Nakhon.Pathom. . . . . . . . . 149

CENTRAL THAILAND . . . . . . . . .151Ayuthaya.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154Lopburi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164Kanchanaburi. . . . . . . . . . . 169Khao.Laem..National.Park.. . . . . . . . . . . 181Si.Nakharin..National.Park.. . . . . . . . . . . 182Chaloem.Ratanakosin.National.Park.. . . . . . . . . . . 182Thong.Pha.Phum..National.Park.. . . . . . . . . . . 183Sangkhlaburi. . . . . . . . . . . . 184

Contents

KO CHANG & EASTERN SEABOARD . . . . . . . 188Si.Racha. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189Ko.Si.Chang.. . . . . . . . . . . . 193Pattaya. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195Rayong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201Ban.Phe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201Ko.Samet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202Chanthaburi.. . . . . . . . . . . . 207Trat. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..210Ko.Chang. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214Ko.Wai.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226Ko.Mak. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226Ko.Kut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228

CHIANG MAI PROVINCE . . . . . . . . 230Chiang.Mai . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231Northern Chiang Mai Province . . . . . . . . . . . . 280Mae.Sa.Valley.&..Samoeng. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .280Chiang.Dao. . . . . . . . . . . . ..281Doi.Ang.Khang . . . . . . . . . .284Fang.&.Tha.Ton. . . . . . . . . .284Southern Chiang Mai Province . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287Bo.Sang. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287San.Kamphaeng. . . . . . . . .287Mae.Kampong. . . . . . . . . . .287Hang.Dong.&..Ban.Thawai . . . . . . . . . . . . .288Doi.Inthanon..National.Park . . . . . . . . . . .289

NORTHERN THAILAND . . . . . . . . 291Lamphun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .294Doi.Khun.Tan..National.Park.. . . . . . . . . . . 297Lampang.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297Chiang.Rai. . . . . . . . . . . . . .305Mae.Salong.(Santikhiri).. . . 315Mae.Sai.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318Doi.Tung. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322Chiang.Saen.. . . . . . . . . . . . 322Sop.Ruak. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326Chiang.Khong. . . . . . . . . . . 327Phayao. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332Phrae.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335Nan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .339Phitsanulok. . . . . . . . . . . . . 347Phu.Hin.Rong.Kla..National.Park.. . . . . . . . . . . 353Sukhothai.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354Si.Satchanalai-Chaliang.Historical.Park.. . . . . . . . . .364Kamphaeng.Phet. . . . . . . . 367

Tak Province . . . . . . . . . 371Mae.Sot.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372Um.Phang.&.Around.. . . . . 376Mae Hong Son Province . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381Pai. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381Soppong.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .390Mae.Hong.Son.. . . . . . . . . . 393Khun.Yuam.. . . . . . . . . . . . .402Mae.Sariang.. . . . . . . . . . . .403Salawin.National.Park. . . .406.Mae.Sam.Laep.. . . . . . . . . .406

NORTHEASTERN THAILAND . . . . . . . . 407Nakhon.Ratchasima..(Khorat). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410Phimai.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417Khao.Yai.National.Park.. . . 419Nang.Rong.. . . . . . . . . . . . .423Phanom.Rung..Historical.Park.. . . . . . . . . .423Surin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .426Si.Saket. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431Ubon.Ratchathani.. . . . . . . 431Khon.Kaen. . . . . . . . . . . . . .442Udon.Thani.. . . . . . . . . . . . .450Nong.Khai.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457Loei. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .466Chiang.Khan. . . . . . . . . . . .469Phu.Ruea.National.Park.. . . 471Dan.Sai. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472Phu.Kradueng..National.Park.. . . . . . . . . . . 473Bueng.Kan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474Wat.Phu.Tok.. . . . . . . . . . . . 475Ban.Kham.Pia. . . . . . . . . . . 475Nakhon.Phanom.. . . . . . . . 476That.Phanom.. . . . . . . . . . . 479Sakon.Nakhon.. . . . . . . . . . 481Phu.Phan.Mountains. . . . .484Mukdahan.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .485

BUDDHISM P714

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Phu.Pha.Thoep.National.Park . . . . . . . . . . . 487Yasothon.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .488Roi.Et.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .490

HUA HIN & THE UPPER GULF . . . . . . 493Phetchaburi.(Phetburi).. . . 495Kaeng.Krachan..National.Park.. . . . . . . . . . .499Cha-am.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .500Hua.Hin.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .502Pranburi.&.Around. . . . . . . 513Khao.Sam.Roi.Yot..National.Park . . . . . . . . . . . 514Prachuap.Khiri.Khan. . . . . 516

Ban.Krut .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .520.Bang.Saphan.Yai. . . . . . . . .520Chumphon.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 522

KO SAMUI & THE LOWER GULF . . 526Ko.Samui. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527Ko.Pha-Ngan. . . . . . . . . . . .549Ko.Tao.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565Ang.Thong.Marine..National.Park.. . . . . . . . . . .580Surat.Thani.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 581Ao.Khanom.. . . . . . . . . . . . .584Nakhon.Si.Thammarat.. . . 585Songkhla.&.Around.. . . . . . 587

Hat.Yai.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .589.Yala. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .590Pattani.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 591Narathiwat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 592

Sungai.Kolok. . . . . . . . . . . .594

PHUKET & THE ANDAMAN COAST . . 597Ranong.Town. . . . . . . . . . . .600Ko.Chang. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .603Ko.Phayam.. . . . . . . . . . . . .604Laem.Son.National..Park.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .605Phang-Nga Province . . . 606Ko.Phra.Thong.. . . . . . . . . .606

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AYUTHAYA P154

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KAREN HILL TRIBE P708

ON THE ROAD

Contents

Ko.Ra.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .606Khao.Sok.National.Park.. . . 606Khao.Lak.&.Around.. . . . . .608Surin.Islands.Marine..National.Park.. . . . . . . . . . . 611Similan.Islands.Marine.National.Park . . . . . . . . . . . 612Phang-Nga.Town . . . . . . . . 613Ao.Phang-Nga. . . . . . . . . . . 613Ko.Yao.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 615Phuket Island . . . . . . . . 617Phuket.Town.. . . . . . . . . . . . 621Ko.Sireh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 627Laem.Phanwa. . . . . . . . . . . 627Rawai.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 627Hat.Kata. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .629

Hat.Karon.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631Hat.Patong.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 632Hat.Kamala. . . . . . . . . . . . . 637Hat.Surin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .639Ao.Bang.Thao. . . . . . . . . . .640Sirinat.National.Park. . . . . 641Khao.Phra.Taew.Royal..Wildlife.&.Forest.Reserve.. . .642Thalang.District.. . . . . . . . .643Krabi.Town. . . . . . . . . . . . . .643Ao.Nang. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .646Railay.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .649Ko.Phi-Phi.Don. . . . . . . . . .654Ko.Phi-Phi.Leh.. . . . . . . . . . 661Ko.Jum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 661Ko.Si.Boya. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 661Ko.Lanta.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .662Trang.Town.. . . . . . . . . . . . .669Trang.Beaches . . . . . . . . . . 671Trang.Islands. . . . . . . . . . . . 673Satun Province . . . . . . . 676Pak.Bara.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 676Ko.Bulon.Leh.. . . . . . . . . . . 677Ko.Tarutao.Marine..National.Park . . . . . . . . . . . 677Ko.Adang. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .683Ko.Rawi.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .683Satun.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .684

LOI KRATHONG P31

UNDERSTAND

SURVIVAL GUIDE

SPECIAL FEATURESGetting Off the Beaten Track Map . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Choose Your Beach . . . . 42

Illustrated Guide to the Grand Palace . . . . . . . . . . 60

Food Spotter’s Guide . . 726

Thailand Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 688

History & Politics . . . . . .691

People & Culture . . . . . 705

The Sex Industry in Thailand . . . . . . . . . . . .719

Food & Drink . . . . . . . . . .721

Arts & Architecture . . . 730

Environment & Wildlife . . . . . . . . . . . . 742

Responsible Travel . . . . 748

Directory A-Z . . . . . . . . . 754

Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . 765

Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .773

Language . . . . . . . . . . . . .779

Mae

Hon

g So

n Pr

ovin

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ount

ain

scen

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trek

king

and

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p381

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Plan Your Trip

FELIX

HU

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TY IM

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2 WEEKS

Thanks to expanded domestic air travel, you can do a highlights tour of Thailand, sampling the beaches, mountains and cities. And remember that there are plenty of ‘hidden’ spots in the midst of crowded tourist centres.

Start off in Bangkok, where you can master the public transit system, visit the gleaming temples of Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho, explore the shopping malls and party like a rock star. Getting lost in Bang-kok is an under-appreciated attraction and neighbourhoods like Chinatown have

people-packed streets where you’ll see the weird and the wonderful.

Fly up to Chiang Mai, which can keep you busy for several days with Thai cook-ing classes, temple-spotting, monk chats and fabulous food. Then there is the sur-rounding countryside explored on road trips through the mountains, trekking to hill-tribe villages, elephant encounters and ziplining through the forest. Don’t forget to visit the cool highlands of Doi Suthep or Doi Inthanon, two famous northern mountains.

Thailand’s Highlights

Itineraries

#

#

_

•

CAMBODIA

INDONESIA

MYANMAR(BURMA)

LAOS

VIETNAM

THAILAND

S O U T HC H I N A

S E A

B a y o fB e n g a l

A n d a m a nS e a

G u l f o fT h a i l a n d

I N D I A NO C E A N

HǎinánChiang Mai

BANGKOK

Ko Samui#–

#–

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Ko Pha-NganKo Tao

ÉÉ

#_

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#•#•

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32 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Elephant ride, Chiang Mai (p230)

Reward all of your hard work getting to know Thai culture with a getaway to the tropical island of Ko Samui, an inter-national resort jam-packed with package tourists, hotels and even traffic. But there are quiet corners and a buffet of beaches to suit every sand hunter. Bangkok Airways runs at least one direct flight between Chi-ang Mai and Samui per day, but book way in advance for a cheaper fare. While there, spend a day exploring the uninhabited Ang Thong National Marine Park.

Dial down your vacation with a stop in Ko Pha-Ngan, an easy boat trip from Ko Samui. Head to one of its overblown

rave parties or time your visit to miss the crowded and sloppy event for some laid-back hammock hanging or diving instead. Next door is little Ko Tao, the Gulf of Thailand’s dive certification centre; there are also near-shore reefs if you need to greet the fishes after breakfast.

Return to Bangkok with a tan, a Thai recipe book and lots of travel tales for the water cooler.

33PLAN

YOUR TRIP It

Iner

ar

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#

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CAMBODIA

INDONESIA

MYANMAR(BURMA)

LAOS

VIETNAM

THAILAND

S O U T HC H I N A

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34

PLAN YO

UR TRIP ItIn

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4 WEEKS Essential Thailand

The classic Thailand trip meanders through almost every corner of the kingdom. If you need to save time, hop on a flight – planes go everywhere.

Start off in Bangkok, and then take a train north to the ancient capital of Ayuthaya. Make a brief detour to the monkey town of Lopburi. From here, follow the culture trail north to Sukhothai, where you can cycle through the historic and crumbling ruins of another ancient capital. Hightail it to Chiang Mai, the laid-back ‘lady’ of the north. Then switchback into the mountains to the party scene of Pai. Climb deep-er into the hills to the Myanmar-influenced town of Mae Hong Son. Loop back to Chiang Mai.

By now the beach is calling, so fly to the Gulf of Thailand and thread through Ko Samui for air connections, Ko Pha-Ngan for beach bumming and partying, and Ko Tao for diving and snorkelling.

Bus over to the Andaman Coast and its limestone mountains jutting out of the sea. Ko Phi-Phi is the prettiest, priciest and parti-est of them all. Little Ko Jum holds tight to a fast-disappearing beach-shack, hippie vibe. Ko Lanta has gentrified into a package-tour desti-nation, but the dive scene is the real attraction. Rock climbers opt for nearby Krabi.

If you’ve got the itch for more sand then continue down the peninsula to the Trang Islands, another collection of limestone sea mountains and gin-clear water. Or opt for the islands offshore from Satun. There’s emerging and mid-range Ko Bulon Leh, rustic Ko Taru-tao or overblown but still well-loved Ko Lipe.

Or you could skip the beaches south of Kra-bi and instead take a cultural antidote to the northeast, the agricultural heartland. Transit through Bangkok and then crawl through the jungles of Khao Yai National Park. From here, head to Nakhon Ratchasima (Kho-rat), a transit point for trips to the Angkor ruins at Phimai. Follow the Khmer trail east to Phanom Rung, the most important and visually impressive of the Angkor temples in Thailand. Surrounding Phanom Rung are a handful of smaller, more remote temples known for their regal but forgotten ambience.Top: View from Ko Phi-Phi Don (p654)

Bottom: Diving in Ko Tao (p565)

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35PLAN

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37PLAN

YOUR TRIP O

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aten

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K

Austin Bush Bangkok, Northern Thailand Austin Bush came to Thailand in 1999 as part of a language study programme hosted by Chiang Mai University. The lure of city life, employment and spicy food eventually led Austin to Bangkok. City life, employment and spicy food have managed to keep him there since. Austin is a native of Oregon and a writer and photographer who often focuses on food. Samples of his work can be seen at www.austinbushphotography.com. Austin also wrote the Eat Like a

Local, Food & Drink and Food Spotter’s Guide chapters.

David Eimer Ko Chang & Eastern Seaboard, Hua Hin & the Upper Gulf, and Ko Samui & the Lower Gulf A decade of visiting Thailand in search of beaches and fine food prompted David to relocate to Bangkok in 2012. Since then, his work as a journal-ist for a variety of newspapers and magazines has taken him from the far south of Thailand, to its northernmost extremities, with many stops in between. Originally from London, David spent seven years living in Beijing, and another five in LA,

prior to moving to Bangkok. He has contributed to 11 Lonely Planet books.

Adam SkolnickPhuket & the Andaman Coast Adam Skolnick writes about travel, culture, health, sports, human rights and the environment for Lonely Planet, Outside, Travel & Leisure, Salon.com, BBC.com and ESPN.com. He has authored and co-authored two dozen Lonely Planet guidebooks. On this research trip he drove over 3000 km and hopped more than 50 long-tails. His debut novel, Middle of Somewhere, is set to publish in 2014. Read more of his work at www.adamskolnick.com, and find him

on Twitter and Instagram (@adamskolnick).

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

China Williams Coordinating Author, Chiang Mai Every two years, China Williams leaves her quiet suburban life for a guidebook deployment to Thailand. This time she brought along her one-year old daughter as her research assistant and to boost her cuteness factor. It worked; the Thais were smitten. She first came to Thai-land in 1997 to teach English in Surin. Since then she has shuttled across the Pacific for more than a decade working on various Thailand and Southeast Asia

titles. Thailand gets richer and happier with every visit. China lives in Catonsville, Maryland (USA) with her husband, Matt, son, Felix, and daughter, Phoebe.

Mark Beales Central Thailand After working as a journalist for 13 years, Mark swapped the chilly shores of England for the sunnier coasts of Thailand. Since 2004 he has lived in Thailand, where he has written several books for Lonely Planet, tried his hand at being a TV presenter and is currently Head of English at an international school in Rayong. Highlights on this trip included triumphing in a chilli-eating competition with voluntary workers in Sangkhlaburi. For more on Mark’s work,

visit www.markbeales.com.

Tim Bewer Northeastern Thailand While growing up, Tim didn’t travel much except for the obligatory pilgrimage to Disney World and an annual summer week at the lake. He’s spent most of his adult life making up for this, and has since visited over 80 countries, including most in Southeast Asia. After university he worked briefly as a legislative assistant before quitting capitol life to backpack around West Africa. It was during this trip that the idea of becoming a freelance travel writer

and photographer was hatched, and he’s been at it ever since. He has lived in Khon Kaen, Thailand since 2007.

Celeste Brash Ko Samui & the Lower Gulf Celeste first arrived in Thailand as a student of Thai language, history and culture at Chiang Mai University. She’s come back count-less times since and has done the gamut from wild nights on Ko Pha-Ngan to weeks of silence at a Buddhist Wat. Her writing has appeared in publications ranging from Islands Magazine to newspapers and anthologies. She’s contrib-uted to around 50 Lonely Planet guides but her heart is irrevocably stuck on

Southeast Asia. When not in exotic places, she and her family live in Portland, Oregon. Find her on the web at www.celestebrash.com.

OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.

Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

OUR WRITERS

Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.

Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty LtdABN 36 005 607 98315th edition – July 2014ISBN 978 1 74220 580 9© Lonely Planet 2014 Photographs © as indicated 201410 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Printed in ChinaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.

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© Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’