For Your Next Trip: The Best Cities to Visit in Thailand
Thailand is a beautiful country in Southeast Asia that has tropical beaches and breathtaking scenery. The country is full of rich history and culture, delicious food, and various sights to see. If you’re planning your next trip, here’s a list of the best cities in Thailand that you should consider visiting!
Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo by Preecha.MJ/ CC BY 4.0
bangkok
Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and is known for its street life. There are many tourist attractions and places to shop in the city. There’s the Grand Palace, which was built for the new King in 1782 and covers 218,000 square meters. It houses resident and throne halls, a temple, and administrative buildings. The castle is stunning, with detailed architectural patterns, statues, and colors of red, orange, and blue.
In addition to the gorgeous castle, there are many beautiful temples to visit in Bangkok. There’s the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which resides in the Outer Court of the Grand Palace. There’s also the Golden Buddha temple, which features a large, golden statue of Buddha on the inside. The Golden Mount is another stunning Buddhist temple that features a statue of a golden Buddha. Visitors climb a large set of spiral stairs up the mountain, with various rest stops in between, to get to the temple and a stunning view of the city.
Other tourist attractions in Bangkok include the centralwOrld shopping mall, the SEA Life Bangkok Ocean World aquarium, the Safari World Bangkok zoo, and the Chatuchak Weekend Market that houses thousands of vendors selling art, food, and more with live entertainment.
Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo by TrapperFrank/ CC BY 3.0
pattaya city
Pattaya City is a beachy city on the eastern Gulf coast of Thailand. The city has various museums, beaches, parks, gardens, and shopping malls. There’s the Art in Paradise Pattaya Museum that has 3D exhibits and displays, the gorgeous Nong Nooch Botanical Gardens housing a collection of plants from all over the world across 50 different gardens, and Jomtien Beach which has many restaurants and hotels nearby.
In addition to this, there are many shopping malls in Pattaya City. Notable ones include Terminal 21 Pattaya—which has streets representing shops from different cities around the world, such as Tokyo, Paris, and Italy streets—and the Central Pattaya shopping mall, which is a beachfront mall housing a large selection of shops and a big food court.
Other popular attractions include the Underwater World Pattaya aquarium, the Pattaya Floating Market—which is a market on the riverside selling traditional Thai products and showcasing various waterfront stores—and the Ramayana Water Park.
A Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo by Vyacheslav Argenberg/ CC BY 4.0
chiang mai
Chiang Mai is a city in Thailand residing in the mountainous region up north. For those who love culture and history, this city is rich with it! There are so many gorgeous Buddhist temples to visit. Notable ones include Wat Phra That Toi Kham—a temple in a mountainous forest region featuring a large gold and white statue of Buddha—the Wat Chedi Luang temple, and the Wat Pha Lat temple that is hidden in the woods and accessible via a hiking trail.
In addition to gorgeous temples, the city has various markets. The Wua Lai Walking Street is a traditional night market with vendors selling street food and handcrafted items. The Chiang Mai Night Bazaar is another night market that offers clothing, jewelry, art, and more. The Kad Luang market is also a great market to visit, and it has three stories worth of goods with floors dedicated to food, cheap clothing, and other merchandise.
Scenic places to visit include Doi Suthep—a granite mountain peak with a mountainside temple—and Doi Suthep-Pui National Park which has temples and gorgeous waterfalls. It’s the perfect place to go hiking or connect with nature.
Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo by ILikelargeFries / Public Domain
surat thani
Surat Thani is a city in Southern Thailand. The city features many parks, temples, and shrines. There’s the Ko Lamphu Park, which is an island state park that has a river view and paths for walking and riding bikes. There’s also the Mu Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park, in the Gulf of Thailand. The islands in this park cover 18 square kilometers. The park houses various species of birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
Surat Thani City Pillar Shrine is another popular place to visit. It is a place of worship that is 108 inches high. The shrine is pure white with golden accents and has an image of Buddha meditating carved onto the front. The Ban Don Floating Market is also popular, and it features delicious food vendors.
But the highlight of this city are the many Buddhist temples. There’s the Wat Som Wang Wanaram temple where visitors can feed fish and pay homage to monks, the Wat Bang Bai Mai temple, and the Wat Phra Yai temple, which is on a small island and has a large golden Buddha statue. All of the temples in Surat Thani are gorgeous and perfect places to visit if you’re interested in learning about the culture and religion of Thailand.
Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo by Mozhar/ CC BY 3.0
Hat Yai
Hat Yai is a city near the Malaysian border in the southern part of Thailand. It’s a very popular city to visit for shopping and attending markets. There’s the Central Hatyai shopping mall, which houses many stores selling homeware, fashion, and cosmetics. There’s also the Kim Yong Market, which has vendors selling souvenirs, trinkets, snacks, and dried fruit.
Other notable markets include the ASEAN Night Bazaar Hatyai market and the Greenway Night Market. The ASEAN Night Bazaar Hatyai market has vendors selling clothing, souvenirs, food, and drinks. The Greenway Night Market is a flea market where customers can find unique fashion pieces.
Besides shopping, there are other popular attractions to visit in the city. Some include the gorgeous Ton Nga Chang Wildlife Sanctuary—a national park that has scenic waterfalls—the Golden Mermaid Statue at Samila beach, and the stunning Wat Chue Chang Buddhist temple—one of the most famous Chinese temples in the city.
Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo by Mozhar/ CC BY 3.0
mueang chiang rai
Mueang Chiang Rai is a city in the northern part of Thailand. It houses many historical and cultural tourist attractions. Some include the Oub Kham Museum—a museum that has exhibitions full of jewelry, sculptures, and clothing to showcase Thai tribal culture—the Baan Dam Art Museum which has various buildings within it of contemporary and traditional architecture, and the Wat Rong Khun Buddhist temple—an entirely white temple with an intricate, architectural design.
Other notable tourist attractions include the Chiang Rai Clock Tower—an entirely golden clock with many architectural details and that shines different colors at night—the King Mangrai Monument, and the Khun Korn Forest Park Waterfall which features hiking trails along beautiful scenic waterfalls.
For those who like to shop, the city has various markets, such as the Chiang Rai night Bazaar and the Walking Street Chiang Rai, both of which feature street food as well as unique gifts and souvenirs.
conclusion
All of these cities offer visitors a rich cultural and historical experience of Thailand. From stunning temples to scenic parks, these cities truly allow visitors to immerse themselves in Thai culture. And for all the shoppers out there, these cities offer many shopping malls and markets for visitors to buy unique, handcrafted gifts and delicious, traditional Thai cuisine! If you’re planning your next trip, you’ll want to consider one of these beautiful cities in Thailand!
