These guides and recommendations were based on our personal travel experiences when we travelled to Thailand last May 2025. If there’s any important updates that weren’t added in my post below or if you have any tips, please don’t hesitate to drop them in our comments section below to also help our fellow travelers to enjoy their upcoming Thailand trip. Thank you!
Thailand Travel Requirements
You’ll need a valid passport with at least six months validity, and a visa depending on your nationality and purpose of travel. But if you are a Philippine passport holder, a visa is not required for a short-term stay: 30 days. For more information about Thailand visas, you can read here.
As of May 1, 2025, all foreign nationals entering Thailand are required to complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) within 72 hours of their arrival. Beware of fake TDAC websites. Please be reminded that the real TDAC website will not require any payments. Here’s the link to the website.
Best Time to Visit Thailand
The best months to visit Thailand are November to February, offering cooler, drier weather perfect for exploring and enjoying the beaches. Here’s breakdown summary:
- November to February – ideal months to visit, with pleasant temperature and low humidity.
- March to April – these months can be really hot, especially in the cities.
- May to October – the rainy season, with monsoon rains and high humidity.
We visited Thailand the last week of May and I was really expecting heavy rains and floods, but luckily we only experienced high humidity and light rains. The weather was also pretty unpredictable during our stay. It was mostly cloudy with high humidity and then we suddenly experienced light rain. Then a few minutes later it will go back to being cloudy again, lol.
Thailand Travel Essentials
- Thailand travel adaptor – in Thailand, electrical plug types they used are Type A, B, C and O. Type A is the plug which has two flat parallel pins, type B has two flat parallel pins and a grounding pin, type C has two round pins and type O has two round pins and a grounding pin, and it’s specific to Thailand. Thailand operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz.
- Thailand internet/data connection – you can choose from the following options
- Thailand sim card – I recommend opting for this one if you are only traveling alone or two to minimize cost. You can get one at 7/11 upon arrival at DMK or BKK or purchase one in advance online. I recommend getting a DTAC tourist sim card.
- Pocket wifi – if you are traveling in a group, I recommend opting for this one. You can get one from Klook or directly at the airport.
- BTS Skytrain and MRT cards – BTS Skytrain uses the Rabbit Card, while the MRT uses a single-journey token system or EMV contactless cards.
- If you are traveling for less than a week in Thailand, it’s not highly recommended to get one.
- Hand-held Fan, Caps, Umbrella, Water, Sunscreen or anything that could fight the hot weather – Thailand is a tropical country and whether you travel during rainy or sunny season, I still recommend having the items mentioned above.
Currency Used in Thailand
Thailand uses Thai Baht which is around Php 1.73 or $0.03 (as of date of posting). It is recommended to have a small amount of money before arriving at the airport or if it is not possible, you can exchange only a small amount at the airport since their conversion is really low.
Superrich and Good Rate have some of the best exchange rates in Thailand. There’s one in BKK airport and other areas in Thailand, especially Bangkok. Another convenient option would be withdrawing cash through their local ATM. If you are from the Philippines, I recommend using a Gcash card to withdraw because their exchange rate is better than our local bank.
Where to Stay in Bangkok
This depends on your budget, interests and transportation:
- Budget – Khao San Road and Banglamphu are great for budget travelers, while Sukhumvit and Riverside offer more upscale options.
- Interests – If you enjoy shopping and nightlife, Sukhumvit and Siam are good choices. If you prefer a more laid-back atmosphere, consider the Riverside or Banglamphu areas.
- Transportation – Siam and Sukhumvit are well-connected to the BTS Skytrain and MRT subway. The Riverside area is accessible by river taxis and ferries.
We booked ours at P18 Hotel which is just a few minutes walk to BTS and around 15 minutes walk to Platinum Fashion Mall.
Getting Around Bangkok
There are plenty of ways to get around Bangkok, whether it’s by taxi, rail, ferry, bus, tuk-tuk, motorbike or ride-hailing app.
Getting to and from the Airport
- Airport Rail Link – the ride from the airport to MRT or Phaya Thai station will take about 30 minutes.
- Taxis – there’s some taxi drivers that charge too much so I don’t really recommend this.
- Bus – affordable option to get to Bangkok proper.
- Private transfer/ride hailing app – usually available 24 hours.
In Thailand, the most common forms of transportation vary depending on the context. For long-distance travel, buses and trains are popular choices, with buses being the most common and affordable for both short and long trips. Within cities, motorbikes and tuk-tuks are frequently used for shorter distances, while public transportation like the BTS (Skytrain) and MRT (subway) in Bangkok are also popular.
My Personal Travel Trip Before You Explore Bangkok
- Thailand is a tropical country, so make sure to always bring water, a hand-held fan or just an ordinary fan, a towel or a handkerchief, a cap or umbrella to relieve you of the hot weather.
- If you are going to follow my itinerary below, make sure to wear comfortable footwear since it will involve a lot of walking.
- Before your trip, make sure you purchase Alaxan fr and take it every night before going to bed after the whole day of exploring. I guarantee that you will not have any body pains the next day, *wink.
- For card use either for withdrawal or purchases, I recommend using Gcash card because their exchange rate is better than our local bank card.
- If you are going to follow the group tour I availed in my itinerary below, I recommend that you have WhatsApp already installed to your phone because that’s the main communication you have with your tour guide.
- I also recommend bringing snacks and water if you are going to avail a group tour.
- Make sure to dress appropriately when visiting a temple. That means no legs and shoulders exposed. If you are wearing one, I recommend bringing a big scarf or sarong with you.
- If you are going to Pattaya, I recommend riding a bus at Ekkamai bus terminal. Ride a bus and not a van for a more comfortable travel.
- If you are commuting from Pattaya to Bangkok, make sure that you are not traveling during peak time because of the traffic.
- If you are going to Bang Pa-In Royal Palace and Ancient City, they usually ask for your driver’s license if you are going to rent their gold cart.
- If you don’t have a driver’s license or you don’t know how to drive, you can avail the tram tour in Ancient City for 2 hours.
- For the entrance fees and tours, I booked on Klook, Agoda and Trip. I just searched which one is cheaper, lol.
- If you are riding Songthaew, they usually have two buttons near the hand railings you need to press when you want to get off.
- If you want to ride the bus but are scared you will not be able to get off at your stop, don’t worry because they have bus conductors that can assist you. They are also the one who collects the fare.
Links of the Tours/Entrances Fees We Availed
We all want to travel while still saving a little bit right? Hahaha. So to help out my fellow travelers, let me share with you the tours and entrances I availed for our trip below:
- Local Sim – Agoda
- Nong Nooch Tropical Garden – Trip ( I availed the Ticket+Dining+In-park Sightseeing Bus tour package)
- Sanctuary of Truth – Agoda
- Chao Phraya Tourist Boat: 1 day Unlimited Hop On Hop Off Pass – Agoda
- Ayutthaya Temples One Day Tour – Klook (the cheapest I found!)
- Ancient City & Erawan Museum – Klook (I chose the option that has lunch/dinner buffet)
5 Full Days Bangkok Thailand Itinerary
Day 1 (Arrival)
- 2:25 AM – Flight from Cebu to Don Mueng via Cebu Pacific 5J 5958
- 5:35 AM – Arrival at Don Mueang International Airport
- Pass immigration.
- Get luggages in carousel
- Get purchased sim via Agoda
- Withdraw money
- 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM – Ride bus, train to hotel
- Ride A1 bus (Mo Chit), get off at Opposite Chatuchak Park (Stop 1)
- Walk around 5 minutes to Mo Chit BTS station.
- Ride the Sukhumvit line to Kheha. Get off at Ratchathewi, 6 stops
- Then walk around 7 minutes to hotel
- 9:00 AM – 9:10 AM – Leave bags
- 9:10 AM – 1:30 PM – Walk around Siam area
- Bangkok Signage
- MBK Center
- Siam Center
- Siam Paragon
- Siam Square One
- Lunch
- CentralWorld
- Big C
- 1:30 PM – 2:10 PM – Walk to CentralWorld bus stop. Wait for the bus 511 or 2 or 79 then get off at Bangkok Business College bus stop. Then walk around 6 minutes to the hotel.
- 2:10 PM – 4:30 PM – Rest
- 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM – Freshen up
- 5:00 PM – 5:20 PM – Walk to Pratunam Market
- 5:20 PM – 7:00 PM – Shop. Dinner
- 7:00 PM – 7:10 PM – Walk to Platinum Fashion Mall
- 7:10 PM – 9:00 PM – Shop
- 9:00 PM – 9:15 PM – Walk back to hotel
Day 2 (Pattaya DIY Day Tour)
- 5:00 AM – 5:30 AM – Ride Grab/bolt to Ekkamai bus terminal
- 5:30 AM – Get bus ticket going to North Pattaya Bus Terminal
- 6:00 AM – 8:00 AM – Bus ride to Pattaya
- 8:00 AM – 8:35 AM – Ride Grab/bolt to Nong Nooch Tropical Garden
- 8:35 AM – 11:35 AM – Explore
- We don’t recommend Elephant riding! If you want to interact with Elephants, go to an ethical Elephant sanctuary instead. Please!
- 11:30 AM – 12:30 AM – Lunch at Nong Nooch Tropical Garden
- 12:30 PM – 12:45 PM – Ride Grab/bolt to Khao Chi Chan
- 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM – Explore
- 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM – Ride Grab/bolt to Sanctuary of truth
- 2:15 PM – 4:15 PM – Explore
- 4:15 PM – 4:40 PM – Ride Grab/bolt to North Pattaya Bus Terminal
- 4:40 PM – 8:00 PM – Purchase bus ticket and wait for bus (traffic time is also added)
- 8:00 PM – 8:32 PM – Walk to Ekkamai BTS station. Ride BTS Sukhumvit line to Khu Khot. Get off at Ratchathewi station. 8 stops
- 8:32 PM – 8:40 PM – Walk back to the hotel
*We actually have dinner at Runway Street Food in our itinerary, but we’re so tired so we decided to skip it. Unfortunately, we were caught up with the night traffic, lol.
Day 3 (Temple tour)
- 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM – Ride a bus to The Grand Palace
- Walk to Bangkok Business College bus stop
- Ride bus 60 (MRT Sanam Chai). Get off at Bangkok City Pillar Shrine.
- Walk around 6 minutes to The Grand Palace
- 9:30 AM – Claim ticket purchased online
- 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM – Explore
- Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha
- Wat Pho
- Tuk-tuk tour (not really recommended)
- Claim hop off hop on tourist boat ticket at Tha Chang ferry terminal.
- Wat Arun
- Iconsiam
- Asiatique Riverfront Mall
- 4:30 PM – 5:20 PM – Go back to Phra Arthit ferry terminal
- 6:00 PM – Ride boat again going to Iconsiam (sunset boat ride)
- Explore
- Fountain show at 7PM and 8PM
- 9:00 PM – Ride Grab/Bus going to hotel
*We were too tired for this tour so after visiting Asiatique, we decided to go home rather than wait for the sunset for the boat ride. I just added them above in case you want to try it. But we were not too tired to shop again at Platinum Fashion Mall after, lol.
Day 4 (Ayutthaya Day Tour)
- 7:00 AM – 7:30 AM – Ride Grab/bolt going to Future Cafe & Restaurant for tour meet-up
- 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM – Ayutthaya day tour
- 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM – Tour drop off at Jodds Fair Market. Eat. Explore.
- 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM – Ride MRT and LRT to Ratchathewi
- Ride MRT to Sukhumvit. 2 stops.
- Walk to Asok BTS station
- Ride BTS Sukhumvit line to Khu Khot. Get off at Ratchathewi. 5 stops.
- 8:00 PM – 8:15 PM – Walk to Massage shop (we went to Siam Heng Heng Thai Massage because it’s near Platinum Fashion Mall)
- 8:15 PM – 9:15 PM – Thai Massage
- 9:15 PM – Dinner. Walk back to hotel
Day 5 (Ancient City, Erawan Museum & Shopping)
- 7:30 AM – 7:40 AM – Walk to Ratchathewi BTS station
- 7:40 AM – 8:45 AM – Ride BTS Sukhumvit line going to Kheha. 17 stops.
- 8:45 AM – 9:00 AM – Ride Songthaew to Ancient City
- You can see this songthaew (it’s like a smaller version of jeepney?) the moment you exit Kheha BTS station. Just look at the lined songthaew and ask if they will pass the Ancient City.
- 9:00 AM – 12:10 PM – Explore Ancient City
- 12:10 PM – 1:10 PM – Lunch buffet at Ancient City
- 1:10 PM – 1:40 PM – Ride bolt/grab to Erawan Museum
- 1:40 PM – 3:40 PM – Explore Erawan Museum
- 3:40 PM – 3:55 PM – Walk to Chang Erawan BTS station (not recommended because it was quite far, lol)
- 3:55 PM – 4:31 PM – Ride BTS Sukhumvit line to Khu Khot.
- Get off at Ratchathewi. 18 stops.
- 4:31 PM – 4:42 PM – Walk to Tofu skincare
- 4:42 PM – 5:30 PM – Shop
- 5:30 PM – 5:40 PM – Walk to Platinum Fashion Mall
- 5:40 PM – 7:30 PM – Last minute shopping
- 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM – Dinner
- 8:30 PM – 8:43 PM – Walk to the hotel
- 8:43 PM – 9:30 PM – Pack-up
- 9:30 PM – Lights off.
Day 6 – May 30, Friday (Departure)
- 2:30 AM – 2:45 AM – Early hotel check-out
- 2:45 AM – 3:25 AM – Ride airport transport to airport
- 3:25 AM – 6:35 AM
- Check-in
- Flight
- 11:40 AM – Arrival in Cebu
Expenses
Please note that I didn’t add any personal expenses, such as food and souvenirs. This computation is good for 1 person, 2 pax traveling together.
Our per meal budget was supposed to be 100 baht, but there’s some small shops near our hotel that sell meals for 35-40 baht and the hotel we are staying at has some free instant noodles, coffee, snacks and candies so we were able to really save a lot.
To have an idea, I had Php 15,000 pocket money which is already more than enough for the meals, bus/train/grab fares, massage, pasalubongs, and other personal expenses. I used a Gcash card during this trip.
