A beautiful corner of the Earth, a tropical paradise, beloved by tourists for the warm sea, the hot sun and the incredible beauty of natural exoticism – this is Thailand with its many beaches. What happiness is experienced by those who, after a dank cold, severe frosts, landing at the airport of Bangkok and Phuket, fall into the gentle warmth and beauty of the tropics. Each of them thinks at such moments about how wonderful life is! Visiting the capital is a great pleasure. If you still do not know where it is better to relax in Thailand and which resort to choose, then the review will help you decide.
Pattaya
Favored by Russians, the inexpensive resort is located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand (165 km from Bangkok). Pattaya is the center of nightlife and entertainment, where everything is at stake in the tourism industry. Countless bars, restaurants with interesting programs, discos, competitions do not let tourists get bored. looking at the snow-white skyscrapers rising against the backdrop of azure waves, you will never believe that there was once a miserable fishing village here. Now it is a beautiful city with excellent infrastructure. It is surrounded by picturesque national parks, virgin forests.
The beaches of Pattaya itself are not very clean, the water is rather muddy, but very warm, comfortable, so they are full of people. A truly heavenly vacation awaits everyone on its islands, of which there are more than a dozen: Ko Lan, Ko Sichang, Ko Sak and others. Ferries, boats go to the islands, the cost of the trip is from 30 baht, depending on the distance. There are wonderful clean beaches (the disadvantage is a thin layer of sand), the cleanest sea, excellent beach equipment. Staying in Pattaya is every day – new discoveries, interesting excursions around the area: the city of ancient temples in Cambodia – Angkor; Laos, floating hotels of the amazing Kwai River, winding through the thickets of the jungle. This is a sea of positive emotions from the surrounding exotic, which can rarely be seen in other places.
Phuket
The picturesque island, washed by the waters of the Andaman Sea, is located in the southwestern side of Thailand, 863 km from Bangkok, from where you can fly by plane. But from other places in the country, you can come to Phuket along a wide, half-kilometer-long bridge laid from the mainland. Therefore, there is no ferry service here, as on other islands. Its name is translated as “hill”, which is true: from a distance, the island looks like a high hill (the highest point is 529 m).
A truly heavenly vacation awaits everyone here: beautiful sand, clear sea with constantly warm water, picturesque umbrellas of coastal palms, enchanting landscapes, a sea of entertainment and many impressive excursions. Phuket is an expensive, fashionable resort, with luxurious hotels, many restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and discos. However, even people with a modest budget have the opportunity to have a great rest here, find housing, food, get a good “portion” of the most wonderful impressions and a good rest. From here, unforgettable excursions to Singapore, to the natural pearl – Khao Sok National Park and other amazing places in the region are organized.
Koh Samui
This is the third largest island in Thailand, until the 70s of the last century it was practically inaccessible to tourists, since it was in almost complete isolation from the mainland. Thanks to this, the virgin nature of pristine beauty has been preserved here, the main brainchild of which are coconut palms. Stunning landscapes conquer at first sight: white-sand beaches, transparent crystal of emerald-blue waves, bright exotic greenery, sparkling waterfalls.
Now a developed tourist infrastructure has been created on Koh Samui with a network of bungalow hotels, restaurants, cafes, eateries. Many people like the excellent gym, equipped with modern equipment. Delicious, plentiful and inexpensive food with Thai national dishes of rice and shrimp, generously flavored with coconut milk or butter. Here you can eat for life everything that is prepared from these extraordinary fruits, bring home super-healthy coconut oil. Children are delighted with visiting the sheep farm, where they feed the animals, watch them, stroke the lambs.
Krabi
This southern province of Thailand is located on the border with Malaysia, on the shores of the Andaman Sea, 800 km from Bangkok. The inhabitants themselves call it the country of a thousand islands (there are more than 200 of them) and love their land very much.
There is still no mass invasion of tourists, so the unimaginable beauty of the surrounding landscapes is preserved in its original form. Each island in Krabi is a true paradise, where there is everything for a wonderful holiday: velvet sand, clear water, red corals, palm thickets.
It will be a great pleasure to see natural treasures here, such as parks, limestone caves, huge accumulations of shells. Phang Nga Bay amazes with the views of its marine landscapes with unrealistic beauty of lagoons, mysterious underwater caves and turquoise waves. The picturesque islands of Tarutao Park with unique tropical landscapes cause admiration.
Phi-Phi
If someone has already managed to visit many places in Thailand, but has not yet been to Phi Phi, then it will seem to him that he has not seen anything before. The archipelago, consisting of 6 islands, is a fantastic sight beyond reality. The land of fabulously beautiful landscapes, where the serene sea is adjacent to the mighty mountain spurs covered with green massif, where flocks of fishing boats whiten on the emerald water.
There are places here, looking at which, you can't believe that you see it in reality. Huge sheer cliffs, standing like formidable sentries, on both sides of a narrow strait; or hanging horizontally over the shore – hardly anywhere else you can see this! On the wonderful beaches of the islands with incredibly clean sand and the sea, a wonderful active holiday is provided: diving, snorkeling, fishing, boating are done here. There are very interesting tourist sites in the vicinity: the Viking Cave (Phi Phi Ley Island), Maya Bay, famous for filming the Hollywood movie “The Beach” with Leo Caprio; an impressive visit to the observation deck (about Phi Phi Don), from which you can see the stunning beauty of the entire archipelago.
Chang
Few people know that “chang” means “elephant”, and this name was not given to the island by chance: it is the second largest island in Thailand, located on the southeastern border with Cambodia, about 400 km from Bangkok. Chang, almost completely covered with impenetrable jungles, picturesque mountains, is a real reserve of exotic species of flora and fauna. Therefore, since 1982, it has been given the status of a National Marine Park in order to preserve rare natural resources. Those who love a quiet, secluded vacation will find amazing landscapes with wonderful waterfalls, peaceful silence, and gentle sea on the island. There is no fuss here, life flows smoothly, you can leisurely walk through the picturesque surroundings, fish.
What a delight lovers of photography and diving will experience: the underwater world of these places is insanely beautiful with the colorful coral reefs, bizarre algae, fabulous colors of fish and other marine life. Beach Party Mini Fullmoon Party will give an unforgettable romantic experience: dancing on the sand in the pearly moonlight to passionate, sensual music! Rest among such beauty will be remembered for a lifetime as the most pleasant event of a lifetime.
Phangan
It is located not far from the Koh Samui is also famous for a large number of beaches (20), which are not constantly crowded, although tourists of various stripes and occupations are very fond of this charming island. According to the atmosphere prevailing on the island, it is compared with Goa in India. There are legends about the karmic force lurking here, so you won’t see anyone on Koh Phangan: yogis, prano-eaters, freaks, dreadlocks and the most ordinary tourists.
Here they can offer inexpensive bungalows, cheap lunches. But it is better to book a place in advance, otherwise you will have to settle in an expensive hotel. Those who want to splash around in the clear waters, lie down on the soft sand, and gain strength come here. Walking on scooters on hills; pedestrian promenades through the exotic jungle; incredibly beautiful views; observing the local fauna is a great pastime!
Tao
A small but very picturesque island popular among tourists for its magnificent landscapes, where majestic cliffs coexist with lush greenery, where there are violent ebbs and flows and wonderful beaches. Many of them have rental equipment for diving, snorkeling (swimming under water with a mask) and other types of entertainment. Particularly famous is Chalok Baan Khao beach, where divers come from all over the world. There is an opportunity to learn diving for everyone under the guidance of professional instructors. The rest also have something to do: group climbing, boat trips to amazing places, paintball games – no one will be bored.
Hua Hin
The oldest mainland resort in Thailand is located in a cozy corner of the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, which was chosen by King Rama 7 for his summer palace, and this laid the foundation for the development of the resort. The royal family still prefers to stay here. This fact left a certain imprint on the atmosphere of the resort: peace and order reign here, radiant cleanliness and silence at night.
Luxury hotels with 4-5 stars offer upscale rooms, luxurious suites, which are affordable for wealthy people. Families with children mostly like to relax here. A long beach with white sand is equipped with excellent infrastructure, many golf courses – everything is there for an aristocratic holiday.
Bangkok
This bustling 12-million metropolis is called by the inhabitants “Krung Tep – the city of angels”, although in translation its name sounds like “the city of wild glory”. Probably, the people know the very difficult history of the capital and are grateful that it is now flourishing, being an administrative, business, cultural, historical and industrial center. At first glance, Bangkok amazes with its sky-high skyscrapers, luxurious hotels, luxurious palaces and shopping centers, which are not inferior in beauty, scope and architecture to the famous cities of the world. An eccentric clot of inexhaustible energy lives in it, overflowing. The diverse polyphony of the Thai mega-centre at first deafens, and then you gradually begin to get used to the city symphony.
Looking more closely, you can see that next to the ultra-modern architectural masterpieces are ancient Buddhist pagodas and monuments of ancient history. There are more than 4 hundred of them (pagodas), it is impossible to visit them all, but you should definitely get to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Keo. This huge architectural complex consists of several majestic buildings, inside which there is something to see and admire. Here is an emerald Buddha statue – a unique shrine of the Thais, everything here is striking in its rich splendor and beauty.
Bangkok is the center of beautiful parks with amazing rides: Dream World is the largest in Thailand; “Dream World” – mysterious and fascinating; City Siam – with dizzying rides and many others. For the complete happiness of your children, it is enough to visit at least one of the three mentioned parks – it will be a bright, exciting, fun holiday that leaves the most wonderful impressions.
In addition, Bangkok is the world's shopping capital: in countless supermarkets, shopping centers and all kinds of shops, you can buy everything inexpensively. A variety of types of hotels: villas, apartments, hostels – from the most luxurious to the most primitive (bed and breakfast) can accommodate a huge number of tourists with different needs and opportunities. If you are going to travel further, there will be no problems with the trip, from here you can easily get to any neighboring state or to the islands of Thailand.
When to relax in Thailand
The main condition for a good rest and choice of place is the weather factor, since Thailand is located in 2 climatic zones: subtropical monsoon and equatorial. In this regard, there are 3 weather seasons in the country:
If we analyze these data, we can conclude that the most suitable season for Russians is cold: comfortable air and water temperatures, it is easy to breathe. More information about choosing a place and time to rest in Thailand can be found in another article.