For a lot of backpackers, Thailand is where the first big trip through Asia begins, and there is a good reason for that. Tropical islands, chaotic cities, temples, jungle, street food, and a backpacker scene where you have new friends within about a day.
But Thailand is a lot more than Full Moon Parties, pad thai and white sand. The culture is its own thing, the people are genuinely friendly, and every region feels like a different country.
This guide is about Thailand itself: the people, the culture, the food, religion and everyday life.
Thailand at a glance
Thailand sits in Southeast Asia and borders Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. It runs from the mountains in the north all the way down to the tropical islands in the south.
The capital is Bangkok, an enormous city where glass skyscrapers, street food carts, shopping malls and centuries-old temples all sit side by side.
Thailand used to be called Siam. The name Thailand roughly translates as Land of the Free, and it is the only country in Southeast Asia that was never officially colonised by a European power. When the name changed and where you still run into Siam today is in what is Siam called now.
The Thai people
Thailand has around 70 million people, made up of a mix of ethnic and cultural groups.
What you will probably notice first is how friendly a lot of Thai people are. A smile, a small gesture, someone trying to help you out while neither of you speaks the other’s language: that is all part of travelling here.
That does not mean everyone is the same. Bangkok feels nothing like a small village in Isaan, and island life is a world away from life in the north.
Family matters a lot in Thai society. Several generations often live close together, and children usually look after their parents as they get older.
The Land of Smiles
Thailand is often called the Land of Smiles.
A Thai smile does not always mean what you might think, though. Of course people smile because they are happy, but a smile can also be politeness, a sign of discomfort, or a way to keep a tense moment calm.
Thai people generally prefer to avoid direct confrontation.
That is why getting angry or raising your voice almost always backfires. Stay calm, keep it friendly, have a bit of patience, and you will get a lot further.
Thai culture
Respect is a huge part of Thai culture.
You see it in the wai, the familiar greeting where you press your palms together and bow your head slightly.
As a visitor you really do not need to know every cultural rule. A few things make a big difference, though: be friendly, show respect to older people, behave properly at temples, and try not to lose your temper when something does not go to plan. The other rules and habits worth knowing are in Thailand etiquette: the rules, culture and laws backpackers really need to know.
Thailand can look like organised chaos at times.
Strangely enough, it nearly always works out in the end.
Buddhism and religion
Buddhism plays a big role in Thailand. The vast majority of people identify as Buddhist, and there are more than 40,000 temples across the country.
Monks are simply part of everyday street life. Early in the morning especially, you will see them collecting food and other offerings.
Thailand has other religions too. There are relatively many Muslims in the south, and around the country you will also find Christian, Hindu and Chinese religious communities.
The king and the royal family
Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, and the royal family holds a very special place in society.
You will see pictures of the king everywhere: along the roads, in shops, on government buildings and on the banknotes.
The most important thing to know as a traveller is that Thailand has strict laws against insulting the monarchy.
So treat images of the king with respect, and do not make jokes or offensive comments about the royal family.
The Thai language
The official language is Thai, and to most visitors the Thai script looks pretty intimidating.
The good news is that English gets you a long way in the tourist areas. Head further off the usual route and it gets harder.
Learning a few words of Thai goes down really well.
Hello → Sawasdee Thank you → Khop khun Delicious → Aroy Not spicy → Mai phet
Men usually add krab to the end of a sentence to sound polite, and women add ka.
Even just an enthusiastic aroy mak! after a good meal can get you a huge smile.
Thai food
And then maybe the best reason of all to go to Thailand: the food.
Thai cooking is all about balancing sweet, sour, salty and spicy. And the best part? You do not need an expensive restaurant for an amazing meal.
Some of the best food of your trip will probably come off a plastic stool at the side of the road.
The dishes you have to try are pad thai, pad kra pao, tom yum, massaman curry, green curry, mango sticky rice and, once you are up north, khao soi.
Fair warning:
When a Thai person says something is “a little spicy”, that can be properly hot by the standards of most people back home.
Street food is part of life
Street food is part of everyday life in Thailand.
There are little stalls everywhere cooking to order. Noodle soup and fried rice, grilled meat, fresh fruit and roti.
Bangkok is famous for it, but pretty much every Thai town has a night market where you can eat brilliantly for very little. Where to start in the capital is in Bangkok street food, and we have covered the evening markets of the north in Chiang Mai night markets.
Try the things you do not recognise. That is half the fun.
Thailand has range
One of the best things about Thailand is that you can have completely different trips without ever leaving the country.
Bangkok gives you chaos, rooftop bars, markets, temples and gigantic malls.
Chiang Mai gives you mountains, night markets, temples and a far more relaxed pace.
Around Pai you get viewpoints, waterfalls and a proper backpacker vibe.
Down south are Krabi, Koh Tao, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi, where life is all beaches, diving, snorkelling and island time.
That is why you can travel through Thailand for weeks or even months without ever feeling like you are seeing the same place twice.
Island life
For a lot of backpackers, Thailand really starts the moment they head for the islands.
Riding a scooter under the palm trees, a coconut on the beach, snorkelling, diving, and a drink with other backpackers in the evening.
But the islands are very different from each other.
Some are known for parties, others for diving, nature or peace and quiet. So there is no need to tick off every famous Thai island in one trip.
Pick the islands that suit the way you travel. Every one of them has its own page, and you will find them all on our Thailand page.
Is Thailand cheap?
Thailand can still be a cheap country to backpack, but it depends completely on how you travel.
A local dish can cost a couple of euros, while a trendy beach club will happily charge you European prices.
The same goes for places to sleep. You can get a hostel bed for very little, but Thailand also has resorts that cost hundreds of euros a night.
That freedom to choose is exactly what makes Thailand so good for backpackers.
Travelling around Thailand
Thailand is pretty easy to travel through on your own.
Trains, buses, minivans, domestic flights and ferries connect almost every well-known destination.
And then there are the famous night bus and night train.
Not always the most comfortable night of your life, but waking up on the other side of the country without paying for a room is part of the backpacking deal.
Which option works best on which route is in getting around Thailand. Which stops to do in which order is in our itinerary from Bangkok to the islands, and what a trip like that costs per day is in backpacking Thailand: cost per day.
Scooters
In a lot of places a scooter is the easiest way to explore.
Especially on the islands and in smaller towns, it gives you a huge amount of freedom.
Just remember that Thai traffic has its own logic. Traffic drives on the left, the rules of the road get interpreted fairly creatively, and accidents involving tourists happen a lot.
A helmet and the right licence are not optional extras.
The climate
Thailand has a tropical climate. Expect heat, high humidity and the occasional massive tropical downpour.
Broadly speaking, people talk about a dry season, a hot season and a rainy season.
But Thailand is a long country and the climate changes by region. It can be glorious on one side of the country while it rains every day on the other.
So when you plan, do not just look at “the rainy season in Thailand”, look at the specific region you want to visit. We have worked that out by month and by coast in best time to visit Thailand.
Festivals
Thai people know how to throw a party.
The best known is Songkran, Thai New Year in April. What started as a tradition of gently sprinkling water has turned, in a lot of places, into one giant water fight.
Another beautiful one is Loy Krathong, when small decorated baskets with candles are set out on the water.
On top of that there are local festivals, temple fairs and markets all over the country.
Why Thailand is so popular with backpackers
Thailand has pretty much the perfect mix for a backpacking trip.
It is different enough to feel a long way from home, but easy enough to travel on your own.
You can sleep cheaply, eat incredibly well, meet other backpackers without trying, and there is loads to do.
One day you are walking through a centuries-old temple.
The next you are lying on a tropical island.
And two days later you are crammed in the back of a minivan to your next stop with people you had not met the day before.
That is exactly what makes backpacking Thailand so good.
You have to experience Thailand yourself
You can read a hundred blogs about Thailand, but in the end you just have to go.
Eat something without knowing what it is. Take a local boat. Get up early for a temple. Go diving or snorkelling. Wander a night market and try out a few words of Thai.
And above all: do not plan every day to the minute.
Some of the best moments of a backpacking trip happen exactly when your plans fall apart.
The five experiences that make a trip through Thailand complete, as far as we are concerned, are in best things to do in Thailand.
How much should you book in advance?
Come to Thailand with a rough plan, but leave plenty of room to change your mind on the way.
Maybe you were going to spend three days on an island and it turns into ten. Maybe the place you had barely read about turns out to be your favourite stop of the whole trip.
There is a reason Thailand is where so many backpackers first fall for travelling in Asia.
Want to start planning from here? Our Thailand page puts the twelve stops in order, with the hostels and the daily budget for each one.
