Thailand

Bangkok + an Island, the Honest Route

Thailand is the country where I stopped pretending to be 'off the beaten path'. The beaten path is beaten because it's good. The route below is the one I'd suggest to a first-time visitor with about ten days: a few days of city, a few days of water, one travel day in between.

Route, day by day

Days 1–3 — Bangkok. Grand Palace and Wat Pho on day one (early). Chinatown street-food crawl. A long-tail boat through the Thonburi canals. Don't try to fit the Chatuchak weekend market into a weekday; it isn't there.

Day 4 — Travel south. Domestic flight from BKK to Krabi (1.5h) or Surat Thani for the Koh Samui ferry. Either way: half-travel day, half-recovery day.

Days 5–8 — Krabi / Railay or Koh Samui. Pick one. Krabi → Railay Beach is more dramatic (limestone cliffs). Koh Samui is easier (resorts, infrastructure). Day trips to Phi Phi or Ang Thong are touristy but legitimately beautiful.

Day 9 — Return north. Fly back to Bangkok. A spare evening to revisit a favourite restaurant or rooftop.

Day 10 — Bangkok or Ayutthaya. If you haven't seen Ayutthaya, do it as a day trip: 90-minute train, ancient temples, back in time for dinner.

Practical notes

• The taxi rule in Bangkok: insist on the meter, or use Grab. The flat-rate quote is always a worse deal.
• Tuk-tuks are a one-time experience, not a transit strategy.
• Beach booking: book the boat / ferry through your hotel; the open-counter places at the harbour are markup-heavy.
• SIM card: AIS or TrueMove desks at the airport; 7-day tourist data is cheap and worth it.

What I'd write more about

• The Koh Samui versus Phuket decision, from someone who's done both.
• A guide to Bangkok night markets that aren't aimed at tourists.
• Why the long-tail boat at sunrise is worth the early start.

Note: Working draft based on memory and a route I'd recommend. I'll expand each day with photos, specific places, and longer reflections as I revisit my notes.