Walking the streets where the pungent smell of spices fill the air. Gazing at serene Buddhas, eating endless bowls of noodles and dunking spring rolls in to sweet, sticky sauces. Meeting the nicest of people every single day. Our family holiday to Thailand with kids was filled with beautiful sights and the most memorable of experiences. It’s one none of us will ever forget. Scroll to the bottom to find a two week itinerary for a family trip to Thailand for you to adjust to your own timeframe and likes.
👩💻 About the author – Nichola is a family travel expert and has written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, Lonely Planet Magazine and Wanderlust, amongst many others. She’s spent over a decade travelling the world with her children, finding the best places for you to explore too.
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Table of Contents
Travelling to Thailand
We headed out of London to Bangkok on Etihad Airways. The journey became the start of the adventure as we feasted on delicious food, stretched out on the lay-flat beds and watched films throughout.
It was the perfect start to our travels.
Arriving in to Bangkok – our family holiday to Thailand
We arrived into Bangkok and were suddenly immersed in a colourful, pungent landscape. Taking our suitcases on the airport train we immediately found ourselves passing by rice fields and apartment blocks.
We gazed out of the windows. Jet-lagged and bewildered but so happy to have been transported to the Thai capital so smoothly.
Hotel in Bangkok
We made our way to our first hotel, the Montien Surawong Hotel Bangkok. Through the roads that were alive with street sellers and stalls heaving with sweet fruits and skewered meats.
The calm of the Montien enveloped us and we sank in to its soft interiors. It was the perfect base while we were in the city with a tranquil rooftop pool to enjoy on our times away from sightseeing.
Bangkok charmed us on this visit like it hadn’t done before. We reveled in its energy, enjoyed the chaos, and sought out the tranquility.
Seeing the Bangkok sights – our family holiday to Thailand
Wat Pho with its reclining Buddhas was always going to be a highlight. Seeing the beautiful Buddha, so serene and peaceful, its patterned feet decorated as if with swirls of henna, was wonderful.
Wandering through the temples, it was the perfect antidote to the crazy traffic of Bangkok.
We also enjoyed the Royal Palace which gleamed full of golden opulence. And browsed through the amulet market for trinkets and icons.
Jim Thompson’s house was filled with all the intrigue and attraction it had the first time I visited Bangkok before kids. This leafy historic compound was such a pause on the fast-paced city.
We loved tiptoeing through the polished wooden hallways and peering over at this American’s collected treasures. That he disappeared in the 1960s, having revitalised the Thai silk industry single-handedly, makes his story even more tantalising.
We ate in beautiful restaurants in Bangkok. From the vegetarian hidden down the quietest backstreet from Chinatown. To the street snacks we shared in the backs of tuks tuks as they bumped through the streets.
Rainy season meant that sudden, somewhat violent downpours were almost a daily occurrence. Rather than lament these we loved them.
Huge raindrops would fall and clean the ground, allowing its earthy sweetness to rise along with the gradual return to the heat. It was exciting and cooling and fun.
The best things to do in Bangkok with kids
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sits 700 kilometres north of Bangkok but feels entirely different. Once the capital of the Lanna Empire today it oozes character and community.
Houses in the historic centre cosy up together, side by side, lights glowing and welcoming within. There’s a confident bustle to the city which is very different from the frantic pace of Bangkok.
We loved wandering the streets here. The stalls for the market snaked through the middle and were the perfect place to pick up some souvenirs.
Hotel in Chiang Mai
We stayed at the picturesque Siripanna Villa Resort which was an ideal retreat. Afternoons spent lounging by their beautiful pools and a chance to try out rice planting in their fields were particular highlights.
One of our favorite activities, of the whole trip to Thailand, was hiring a Songthaew – an adorable fire-truck red little taxi. It’s the way everyone gets around in the city.
We had it for the day to wind our way up twisting country roads to temples that sat on the hilltops.
Seeing the Chiang Mai sights – our family trip to Thailand
The most famous of these was Wat Phra That Doi Suthep which sits high up on the mountain it’s named after. You walk the beautifully decorated snake stairs to the golden domes at the peak.
We loved this temple where Buddhist monks blessed us and wrapped our wrists in cotton bracelets. Everywhere the sweet tingling of bells hung in the air as they caught on the wind.
But our collective favourite temple has to be Wat Pha Lat which peeked out, half hidden amongst the jungle-like undergrowth. Here we wandered through the statues and took in the tranquility with the softly bubbling stream accompanying us.
Chiang Mai was a delight, in every sense. As we tucked in to a vegetarian version of Khao Soi, the famous noodle dish from this region, we all knew this was somewhere we wanted to return to.
Surat Thani
After a few days in Chiang Mai it was time to fly south to the Thai islands. On our family holiday to Thailand with kids we wanted to ensure we mixed up the culture with beach time and pools.
We flew from Chiang Mai to Surat Thani, a transport hub in the centre of the region. It wasn’t somewhere to linger and we checked in to the Lee Hotel for our short visit.
Getting to Koh Samui – on a family holiday to Thailand with kids
The following morning we stopped for supermarket snacks (fizzy drinks, tomato ketchup flavoured crisps and passion fruit biscuits) before dragging our cases to one of the numerous tour operator desks.
We joined with the backpackers and young travellers and piled on to a small minibus, bound for the port. This felt like such a glimpse in to another world and I felt small pangs of envy at their extended travels.
At the port we picked up hot coffee and made our way to the ferry heading to Koh Samui (while the backpackers peeled off and boarded the Ko Pha Ngan bound boat).
It was a quiet ferry and the journey was incredibly smooth. We browsed the little onboard shop and reclined our chairs to relax.
My favourite time was climbing the stairs to the rusty deck and staring across the azure sea to the islands which were hazy on the horizon. It felt like Thailand at its most beautiful.
Koh Samui
As Koh Samui came into view I knew this was going to be a special part of our family holiday to Thailand. There was no sign of the over-commercialisation I feared.
The beach looked peaceful and postcard perfect and the island revealed a tumbling green canopy.
As we drove through the backstreets it was wonderful to see an island that still retained its soul.
We were staying at the Prana Resort Nandana Samui which was the perfect place for us to all kick back a little and relax.
We enjoyed our time by the beach and pool. Taking in the Thai spa and even a cookery class at the resort.
We did make it out to the Big Buddha which was majestic and had beautiful views all around.
Our time on Koh Samui was wonderful and we enjoyed the downtime.
A family holiday to Thailand – Koh Samui to Phuket
When it came time to leave we took the fast catamaran across from Koh Samui to the mainland. And from there we boarded the cross-country bus.
This five hour journey saw changing landscapes and an interesting craggy middle to the country.
We loved stopping in the service centre where fresh curries were served beside bags of dried fruits and interesting snacks. It was a great insight.
Phuket
Phuket was our last stop in Thailand. This was somewhere to relax and while a little more culture would have been nice the children loved this location.
We didn’t look too intently for the off-the-beaten track experiences in Phuket but they didn’t seem readily available.
We stayed at the lovely Sunwing Kamala Beach which the children adored. They splashed about in the pools, whizzed down the water slides and we all walked barefoot along the beach.
We did venture out a little and bought roadside coconuts and pandan-filled doughnuts. But for the most part this was a time for the children to have fun.
Leaving Thailand was not without its problems
When it was time to leave Thailand none of us wanted the adventure to be over.
We headed to Phuket Airport for our flight with Air Asia to Bangkok to meet our international Etihad connection.
It was here we found our flight delayed because of bad weather in Bangkok. It was so stressful.
The time ticked by.
We became convinced we were going to miss our Etihad flight.
Air Asia (who we weren’t working with) were amazing. They had our bags labelled and moved to be the first taken off at landing.
They relocated us to the front of the plane so we would be the first passengers to disembark. And finally the flight took off.
At Bangkok Airport, Air Asia staff rushed us off the plane, onto a mini bus and to the baggage hall. They raced us to the Etihad desk where the staff there were waiting for us.
We were checked in and then a member of Etihad ran with us through the airport and onto our flight. It was the most incredibly stressful, but heartwarming delay ever.
We are so grateful to all the staff who helped us that day.
Stop-over in Abu Dhabi on the way home from our family holiday to Thailand
As we were flying with Etihad we had the option of adding a stop over in Abu Dhabi on the way home, which we did. I would so recommend this as it was the perfect end to the trip.
We spent four days in Abu Dhabi at the incredible Warner Bros. Hotel which we all adored.
We visited the theme parks of Yas Island, shopped in the mall for baklava and sweets and swam in the rooftop pool as the sun beat down.
It really was a wonderful way to finish our travels.
Conclusions on our family holiday to Thailand
We loved our trip to Thailand. It was full of evocative sights, different tastes, wonderful people and experiences we will all remember forever.
If you’re considering a trip I can’t recommend it highly enough. It didn’t feel daunting or overwhelming and the children haven’t stopped talking about it.
Thailand is a special country and we can’t wait to return to explore more.
Check out our complete guide to Thailand with kids for more information.
See our video of our family trip to Thailand here
An itinerary for a two week family holiday to Thailand
This is a slightly condensed version of our own family holiday to Thailand. We went for nearly three weeks but this is condensed for a two week itinerary for Thailand. You can extend the time in Koh Samui or Phuket if you would like. You can also save time by flying from Koh Samui to Phuket but we actually enjoyed the journey across the middle of Thailand.
Day 1: arrive in Bangkok
- Arrive and transfer via airport train to the city centre
- Check in to Montien Surawong Hotel Bangkok or your chosen Bangkok hotel.
- Relax and unwind at the rooftop pool
- Dinner near Chinatown or enjoy Bangkok street food
Explore Bangkok – day 2
- Visit Wat Pho to see the reclining Buddha
- Explore the Grand Palace
- Stop by the amulet market for trinkets
- Lunch at a riverside café
- Visit Jim Thompson House for culture and a garden break
- Optional: tuk tuk tour or canal boat ride
- Dinner at a family-friendly Thai restaurant
Day 3: Bangkok to Chiang Mai
- Fly to Chiang Mai
- Check in to Siripanna Villa Resort or your chosen Chiang Mai hotel
- Spend the afternoon by the pool
- Optional: try rice planting in the hotel’s fields
- Dinner in Chiang Mai’s Old Town
Temples of Chiang Mai – day 3
- Hire a red Songthaew for a day trip
- Visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
- Explore jungle-hidden Wat Pha Lat
- Receive a blessing from Buddhist monks
- Return for dinner and try Khao Soi
Day 5: explore Chiang Mai + markets
- Explore local markets for souvenirs
- Visit a craft village or local museum
- Optional: Thai cooking class or elephant sanctuary (choose ethical options)
- Evening street food tasting
Fly to Surat Thani – transit day
- Fly to Surat Thani
- Overnight at Lee Hotel or another Surat Thani hotel
- Prepare for island travel the next day
Day 7: travel to Koh Samui
- Pick up ferry tickets and snacks
- Ferry ride to Koh Samui
- Check in to Prana Resort Nandana or another Koh Samui hotel
- Enjoy a beach walk and swim
Koh Samui relaxation + optional activities – day 8
- Relax at beach and pool
- Optional: take a Thai cooking class at the resort
- Visit Big Buddha for views and culture
- Dinner by the sea
Day 9: more of Koh Samui
- Optional activities:
- Visit Secret Buddha Garden
- Explore Na Muang Waterfalls
- Go on a snorkelling trip
- Visit Samui Elephant Sanctuary
- Enjoy a beachside Thai massage
Travel to Phuket – day 10
- Take fast catamaran to the mainland
- Bus journey to Phuket
- Check in to Sunwing Kamala Beach Resort or another Phuket hotel
- Dinner and beach stroll
Day 11–13: relax in Phuket
- Pool time and waterslides for the kids
- Explore Kamala Beach
- Optional excursions:
- Visit Old Phuket Town for culture and cafés
- Day trip to Phi Phi Islands or Phang Nga Bay
- Visit Big Buddha and Wat Chalong
- Street snacks and coconut drinks from local vendors
Depart from Phuket – day 14
- Final morning beach walk
- Transfer to airport for departure
Your holiday check list
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- 💳 Get a Currensea Card to easily pay for purchases when you’re abroad
