Best Vacations for Families in Thailand.

Thailand offers some of the most incredible value vacations for families anywhere in the world. Looking for a break from that cold European winter or and exotic adventure outside the USA, then Thailand awaits you with open arms.

There are some super exiting holiday destinations starting with the southern islands of Phuket and Koh Samui. You can travel further a field if you like to Bangkok and over to Pattaya for more beach action.

Traveling north to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, discover Hill tribe cultures, treks and elephants to full your days. Your nights can be filled with bars, restaurants and incredible street food experiences.

Adventure in the form of cultural tours, night life with amazing bars and even more world class street food for you to devour. How about a trek on an elephant or down the river on a long tailed boat or canoe?

Discover the myriad of fantastic theme and water parks dotted around Thailand’s tourist areas. It will be easy to keep the kids laughing and enjoying themselves for the whole trip splashing in the pools of the hotels or water parks. So much to discover on your Thailand vacation with something for all the family.

Phuket & Koh Samui.

Incredibly these two long term favorites of Thailand’s holiday scene are still both well priced and easy to get to. If your flying any distance to get to Thailand then Suvarnabhumi airport near Bangkok or Singapore’s Changi airport will be where you transit on your way to these pristine white beaches and beautiful hotels.

It’s a short 40 minute flight from Bangkok to about an hour and fifteen from Singapore to land at Phuket or Ko Samui airports. Flights are comfortable with international food and drink services from Singapore and domestic service from Bangkok now returning.

It’s worth noting that only recently have Thai domestic flights reported they are only recently recommenced the service of drinks and meals on flights post the recent Covit lock down.

Best Vacations for Families – What’s To Discover in Thailand.

The best vacations for families in Thailand offer clean white sandy beaches with sunbeds, umbrella’s with food and drink at your fingertips. Why not have a relaxing massage while you watch the kids playing on the beach. All of this awaits you on the major Thailand beaches. The beaches offer plenty of entertainment with para gliding as well as jet skiing readily available for the family.

There are boats towing long Sausage boats up and around the beach for some excitement. If your not a beach person the major hotels have locations overlooking the beach with beautiful pools divided into shallow and deeper for all different ages. There are pool bars serving a myriad of drinks to tantalize your taste buds as well as snacks and meals when you get pekish.

Dinning Out.

Dinning put in Phuket and Koh Samui as well as the rest of Thailand is certainly worth the effort to get out and discover. There are many exciting areas filled with bars as well as restaurants to wine and dine the night away. The streets also in the offer a wide range of food as well as souvenirs, stalls with clothes and much more. There are also many night bazaars and markets to discover again to delight in foods, drinks and entertainment.

There are some incredible artists on the streets as well and in the night bazaars able to draw you and the family in crayon, pencil as well as oil paints. The pictures I have seen are so true to life and would just be amazing to hang on your wall at home. A pleasant memory of your visit to Thailand.

Best Vacations for Families – Feeling Adventurous?

There is plenty of opportunity for some family adventures kayaking around the beach or islands. Take the kids for a ride on a jet ski or canoe along the beach and enjoy the incredible vistas. Scuba diving is an amazing experience so why not take a diving course and explore the crystal clear waters of the Andaman Sea or Gulf of Siam.

Day trips from Phuket can take you and the family to many of the popular island attractions. Visit the islands on quality organized cruises and discover island treasures like Phi Phi, Pang Nga Bay or Kho Yao Yai Island.

• Phi Phi Island
• Pang Nga Bay
• Kho Yao Noi

Tours

Tours offer an array of opportunities from snorkeling to canoeing in the open ocean including through narrow passages into an inner sanctuary of Pha Nga. There are visits to occupied islands with their own communities with unique lifestyles. Their wooden homes are often built with stilts into the sea as well on the land. The villages are another unique lifestyle to visit.

The canoe trips are truly exceptional especially into the center of a now extinct volcano with its own central lake. Getting to discover this incredible place requires arriving on the low tide so as to wind through the caves where you emerge into a world of near vertical walls surrounded by crystal clear waters.

Best Vacations for Families – Phuket Water Parks.

Phuket’s offers many fantastic waterparks that can make the best vacations for families. The kids will love splashing around in the kids friendly pools always under the eye of the diligent park staff. The kids will love heading up the stairs and sliding down the variety of water slides into the waiting pools.

The many well managed water slides offer a chance for kids to play and parents can relax all the while keeping an eye on the kids. Here are five popular parks you may enjoy a day out at. There are some more but some are still closed post Civit so check before heading out.

• Andamanda Phuket
• Blue Tree Phuket
• Splash Jungle
• Rawai Park
• Aqua Kingdom Phuket

Elephant Tours (Chang).

Elephants have been super important to Thailand since its inception 1200 years ago. If your up to a day out, then elephant shows make jaw dropping opportunities for some of the best vacations for families in Thailand.

The Elephant shows, which can be found also in Chiang Mai and Udon help the upkeep of these beautiful animals. With little work for elephants in today’s world they love to show you how incredibly intelligent they are and you will be amazed by these majestic creatures.

Watch them work in a display environment as well as take a ride on the backs of these incredibly large but gentle creatures. They are loved by their mahouts who treat them like children. There are some really beautiful walks in the jungle with groups of elephants taking you through thick rainforests on well defined and safe tracks. The elephants are very sure footed having experienced one of these tours personally.

Best Vacations for Families – Bangkok Family Vacations.

Heading north from Phuket and Koh Samui, Bangkok (Kroongthep) offers the best vacations for families with amazing choices in hotels and apartments all ready for you to enjoy your stay in Thailand.

Bangkok offers so much to visit you could easily spend your while vacation there. Cultural experiences offer a lot to families on vacation and why wouldn’t you experience some Thai culture having spent hours on an air raft to get there.

A list of sight see options for you to consider:

• Auttaya – Thailand’s ancient first capital.
• Rose Garden ultralight Experience.
• Bridge Over the River Kwai & Death Railway.
• Bangkok Canal Tour.
• Railway Market.
• Floating Market.
• Royal Palace & Emerald Buddha.
• Markets Galore.
• Street Food Extravaganza.

Thailand Transport Choices.

Transport in Thailand is relatively inexpensive with Tuk Tuk and Taxis available throughout the country. These are inexpensive generally but always negotiate the cost of the ride before you leave the hotel. Generally these drivers are excellent but as always there can be exceptions. Taking a tuk tuk or Taxi then check with hotel staff regarding a fair price. The taxis have meters so ensure they turn the meter on on departure from your hotel.

Thailand Taxi’s

If your traveling too or from the airport in Bangkok be aware the freeway will cost extra onto of the basic fare so ensure you approve either the express way or the old roads. The express way is much faster at a minimal extra cost.

It is recommended to organise transfers with the hotel that you have booked with. They will happily meet you as you exit the International arrivals, guide you to a waiting air-conditioned van to be transported hassle free arrival to your hotel. It’s a lot less hassle and depending on hotel you may have it included or pay when you book.

Tuk Tuks are a fun way to get around the cities and towns you may visit. In tourist areas there will likely be fixed prices to get from one point to another. These may be on a placard or sign on the Tuk Tuk (Pronounced – Took Took).

Outside tourists areas it’s a matter of negotiating a price. Showing a Tuk Tuk driver a picture of where you want to go is pretty easy but it’s likely they will understand the names of places you want to go. If your going local on the transport around and also have a bit of fun.

I’m sure the kids will think it’s fun riding on a tuk tuk. Get some advice from your hotel on costs and check how far it is on Google maps even.

Technology can ensure your not being driven in circles to extend the trip and fare. I have experienced this in my early days but there was no internet back then. Tourists in any country are a target for those few poor quality taxi drivers.

Push Bike and Motobike Tours.

Push bike and motorbike tours have become very popular over the years & although not necessarily a family vacation choice. It’s one for those without young families could find interesting.

Push bike tour options include Bankok to Chiang Rai which is a ten day ride including meals, fruit and isotonic drinks, accomidation as well as clothes, maps etc. Ig you need to rent a bike the this is an additional cost. There is a road captain guiding you safely through your journey as well as a van always ready to assist with a repair or new tire. I guess if your a mad biker then you would likely bring your own bike but the option is there to hire.

A tour like this is slated at £1599 UK pounds plus £200 pounds for a rental bike. If your interested here is one I found you could consider: Thailand Cycle Tours : https://thailandcycletours.com/tour/bangkok-chiang-rai

Looking for Motorbike tours around Thailand, riding through the winding backroads and mountain passes in Thailand would be a very different adventure, certainly would be exhilarating.

The basic tours are a range of 3 days or more with bike, fuel as well as meals and three star accommodation with a bike captain to guide you safely through an exhilarating tour of Thailand’s incredible scenery.

Author.

Brendon McAliece is an Expatriate Australian living in Thailand. He has spent nearly 40 years traveling to and more recently living in Thailand. He speaks fluent Thai, enjoys the quiet life in a small village located outside Chiang Rai and loves to share his travel experiences over more than 40 years. He has also lived in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and of course Thailand.