Thailand itinerary 10 days – how to plan your dream Thailand vacation

Steeped in the traditions of Buddhism, it’s rare to see or hear any open hostility towards same-sex couples. Having decriminalised homosexuality in 1956 – a decade before the UK or Germany – Bangkok has since been named one of the best LGBT+ destinations in the world. However, Thailand has one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates in the world, largely due to the limited practice of safe sex, so should you be tempted by some no-strings fun while on vacation in Thailand, be sure to be safe!

Lying within tropical climes, Thailand’s weather is warm and humid throughout the year. The rainy season lasts roughly between June and October, peaking in August and September. However, while heavy, downpours tend to be short, leaving plenty of time to do everything you’ve planned for 10 days in Thailand, even at this time of year.

Any Thailand trip plan should include time in Bangkok, home to the main international airport. Not just the Thai capital, but also Asia’s unofficial gay capital, this thriving megacity is an extraordinary demonstration of how the traditional and the contemporary can co-exist. Our best advice? Jump in headfirst and go with the flow!

To begin your itinerary in Thailand head straight to Wat Saket Buddhist temple on the Golden Mount at the heart of the city, whose 300 gently spiralling steps lead to uninterrupted panoramic views, including towards the stunning pointed golden roofs of Wat Pho, the ‘temple of the reclining Buddha’ and the birthplace of Thai massage. You can experience this age-old practice for yourself at Chakran Spa, a dedicated (and in no way sordid) gay sauna with a rooftop lounge that’s a great place to watch the tropical sun sink below the horizon.

Before you leave Bangkok be sure to visit Chinatown, just north of the Chao Phraya River and a city within a city, complete with its own monumental gateway. Centred around Yaowarat Road, you’ll find everything from parks to croc-inhabited temples. Then check out the food stalls of Ratchada (“Train”) Night Market, that have been serving up authentic freshly-prepared dishes for decades.

Be sure to read our full Bangkok City Guide for more info about what to do and see in the city, where to eat and what nightlife to explore.

Where to stay in Bangkok

In Thailand’s pulsating capital, where ancient temples rise between gleaming skyscrapers and the Chao Phraya River weaves through centuries of history, the finest hotels capture the city’s intoxicating energy whilst providing sophisticated sanctuary. Capella Bangkok crowns the banks of the mighty Chao Phraya with contemporary elegance, its suites offering unobstructed views over the waterway’s constant ballet of longtail boats and royal ferries. The Siam presents a more intimate interpretation where art deco glamour meets traditional Thai architecture, each suite uniquely designed with antique furnishings and contemporary Thai art. For legendary hospitality, Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok continues setting the standard after 140 years, its colonial-era charm preserved through meticulous renovations that maintain the property’s storied heritage whilst introducing contemporary comforts.

From the hectic streets of Bangkok, journey north to the laid-back streets and attractive rolling landscapes of Chiang Rai City, where a rented bicycle will get you to the likes of Wat Rong Khun (the White Temple), weighed down by intricate carvings like a Christmas cake on steroids. Wat Rong Seua Ten (the Blue Temple) is startling for the richness of its decoration too, with a joyously vibrant interior plusher than even its Prussian blue and gold exterior. Nearby, the colour palette is completed by the Black House, or Baan Dam Museum, a gallery space for some of Thailand’s most important contemporary artists inside beautiful traditional structures.

If you’re adventurous by nature, you’ll find the border between Thailand and Myanmar (Burma) temptingly close to Chiang Rai. You can slip across on the Myanmar and the Golden Triangle Trip, taking in the sights of Tachileik, a town with a distinct Burmese aura despite its border location.

Where to stay in Chiang Rai

Where Thailand’s mystical northern reaches meet the borders of Laos and Myanmar amidst mist-shrouded peaks, Chiang Rai offers luxury that embraces both wild beauty and cultural heritage. Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle redefines safari luxury through fifteen elevated tents hovering above the jungle canopy, each offering panoramic views across three countries whilst maintaining expedition romance through canvas walls and private decks where ethical elephant encounters unfold in the camp’s private sanctuary. Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort presents traditional Lanna architecture cascading towards the Mekong River, where guests participate in conservation programmes combining mahout wisdom with contemporary research, all whilst enjoying suites that frame views of elephants roaming freely through ancient forests.

Not to be confused with Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai boasts easily-walkable central avenues and a picturesque location near thick rainforest. It’s easy enough to lose a day amid the delights of the Old City, interspersed with ancient temples attended by shaven-headed monks, and a riverside that harks back to a time when even Bangkok was just a sleepy backwater. As afternoon becomes evening, be sure to check out its famous Night Bazaar, awash with a film of atmospheric lighting and just about everything you could ever need.

The following day make the hour-long journey to Elephant Nature Park, a rescue centre for abused elephants, buffalo, and other native species. The ethos is very much on rehabilitation, so you’ll find no elephant rides on offer here, though you can help out at feeding time before tucking into an excellent vegetarian buffet yourself, and then take as much delight from bath time as the elephants seem too.

Where to stay in Chiang Mai

Nestled within rolling mountains and emerald rice paddies, Chiang Mai’s luxury accommodations celebrate the ancient kingdom of Lanna through properties honouring traditional craftsmanship whilst embracing contemporary design. Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai creates an immersive celebration of northern Thai culture amongst working rice terraces, where traditional Lanna pavilions rise on stilts above the paddies with soaring peaked roofs and intricate local woodwork. 137 Pillars House transforms a colonial-era teak mansion into an intimate retreat where East India Company heritage meets Thai hospitality, thirty suites scattered throughout restored buildings and tropical gardens. Anantara Chiang Mai Resort occupies a prime riverside position where contemporary Thai architecture creates sophisticated sanctuaries, each room maximising views over the Mae Ping River and surrounding mountains.

See any image of the coast of Krabi Province, on the long neck of land that stretches towards Malaysia to the south, and we can pretty much guarantee you’ll want to drop everything and head there straight away.

This is the Thailand of Leonardo Di Caprio’s The Beach and the secret lairs of many a Bond villain. The crystal-clear waters serve as a wonderful backdrop to lazy days on the picture-postcard sands such as Railay Beach. Should you find the energy to do more than top-up the sunscreen, jump on a boat and head out to explore the something-for-everyone islands of Koh Phi Phi – the peaceful Phi Phi Leh, or Phi Phi Don, where the beaches are as happening as the nightclubs.