The guide · 43 chapters
Thailand Guide
Golden temples, jade beaches, and the most complex cuisine in Asia
Continue where you left off
Your progress
0 / 43
A chapter counts once opened
0 / 43
0 favorites
No chapters match these filters.
Explore the destination
55 POIs
Full map
Filter by city or category and find the closest point to you.
Filter by category or click a point for details
Chapter01 · 1 chapter
Introduction
The essential read that puts the country on the map before the journey begins.
Introduction to ThailandA country that contradicts every expectationRead the chapter↗Chapter02 · 4 chapters
History
The essential moments that explain everything you will see afterwards.
01Sukhothai and the first kingdomsThe origin of the Thai kingdom and the first great civilisation of the northRead→02Ayutthaya: four centuries of splendourThe capital that impressed Europe and was destroyed in a single nightLocked→03From Siam to ThailandHow the only uncolonised country in Southeast Asia built its modernityLocked→04Contemporary ThailandTiger economy, turbulent politics and the weight of traditionLocked→
Chapter03 · 11 chapters
Mainland
A considered selection for entering the destination with context.
BangkokThe city that never stops surprising→AyutthayaThe ruins of a capital that was larger than London→LopburiThe city of monkeys and the forgotten temples of the Javanese era→Kanchanaburi & the River KwaiWhere natural beauty and the darkest history share the same landscape→SukhothaiThe first Thai capital, where the kingdom was born among paddy fields and Buddhas→Khao YaiThe park where elephants cross the road and hornbills fly over the pines→Chiang MaiThe city the north invented to counterbalance Bangkok→Chiang RaiThe border city where contemporary art coexists with the Golden Triangle→PaiThe town where backpackers go to rest and tourists go to watch backpackers→PhuketThailand's largest island, between overcrowding and the beauty that persists→Krabi & RailayThe limestone towers that define the image of southern Thailand→
Chapter04 · 10 chapters
Islands
From west to east, the stops that shape the journey.
Koh SamuiThe Gulf's big island, between mass tourism and the coconut palm that persistsOpen city↗02Koh PhanganMore than the Full Moon Party, though the Full Moon Party matters too10 min●↗03Koh TaoThe world capital of budget diving and the corals that still survive10 min●↗04Koh Phi PhiThe legend of paradise between mass tourism and the reefs trying to survive10 min●↗05Koh LantaThe island that those who know Koh Phi Phi choose the second time around10 min●↗06Koh LipeThe last paradise of the south, 30 minutes from Malaysia9 min●↗07Koh ChangThe large island of the eastern Gulf, more mountainous than its southern sisters9 min●↗08Koh KoodThe island that hasn't yet decided whether it wants to be famous8 min●↗09Koh Yao NoiThe island between Phuket and Krabi, where real fishermen still live9 min●↗10Which island to chooseAn honest guide to choosing based on what you're actually looking for12 min●↗
Chapter05 · 9 chapters
Culture & daily life
The codes, flavours and rhythms that never fit on a map.
Buddhism as operating systemTheravada, merit, monks and the animism that Buddhism never displaced.Read the chapter→
The monarchy as a third dimensionLèse-majesté, omnipresent portraits and traveller's prudence.●The wai and hierarchy encoded in the bodyThe Thai greeting as an instant map of social hierarchy.●Thirteen smiles and sanukThe smile as sophisticated social management, and sanuk applied to work.●Face and the confrontation that does not happenWhy shouting at a Thai taxi driver is the surest way not to get what you want.●Thai cuisineThe most complex cuisine in Asia and how to eat it properly●Essential phrasebookBasic Thai for independent travellers●What to skip in ThailandThe tourist traps not worth falling into●Books & filmsBooks and films to understand Thailand before and after going●
Chapter06 · 5 chapters
Practical information
Clear answers for travelling with fewer doubts and more freedom.
When to go to ThailandTwo seasons, three coasts, and the only question that matters●Transport in ThailandHow to move between cities and islands without wasting time or money●Budget & accommodationWhat travelling Thailand actually costs●Visa & entryHow to enter Thailand in 2026●Safety & healthWhat you actually need to know●
Chapter07 · 3 chapters
Itineraries
Choose a structure and make it yours. No two journeys need be the same.
01Bangkok & the northThe classic mainland Thailand itinerary, day by day: Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Lopburi, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai10 daysLocked ↗02South & islandsAndaman and Gulf beaches, day by day: the itinerary for understanding the differences between the two coasts10 daysLocked ↗03Complete ThailandThe great country circuit, day by day, from the north to the far south21 daysLocked ↗