City guide
Bangkok
The capital and the country's main gateway, split between the riverside temples of the old city and the malls and Skytrain of the modern districts to the east.
Read guide →Collection
Central Thailand travel guides
Central Thailand is where most trips begin, whether or not people mean it to. Bangkok, the old capital at Ayutthaya, the bridge at Kanchanaburi, and the beaches of the eastern seaboard all sit within a few hours of each other. These are the guides for the middle of the country.
Destination guides
Historic city guide
Ayutthaya
The ruined former capital of Siam: an island of brick temples and root-wrapped Buddha heads, and the easiest big day trip north of Bangkok.
Read guide →City guide
Pattaya
A big, developed resort city an easy drive from Bangkok, with a busy main beach, the quieter Jomtien bay next door, and nightlife at its core.
Read guide →River town guide
Kanchanaburi
The Bridge over the River Kwai and the wartime Death Railway, alongside Erawan's seven-tier waterfall and guesthouses built on floating rafts.
Read guide →National park guide
Khao Yai
Thailand's oldest national park: rainforest with wild elephants and hornbills, a strip of weekend resorts, and the country's best-known vineyards.
Read guide →Beach town guide
Bang Saen
The closest proper beach to Bangkok, a casuarina-lined Chonburi seafront that fills with Thai families and students and sees almost no foreign tourists.
Read guide →More from Central Thailand
4 September 2026
Koh Samet: the island to pick when you only have three days from Bangkok
Koh Samet is 3.5 hours from Bangkok, has proper white sand and gets less rain than the southern islands. Fewer foreigners go than you'd expect.
Read post →28 August 2026
One Day in Bangkok: How I'd Show It to a Friend
If I had one day to show a friend Bangkok, here's the exact route I'd take: a local morning market, a river boat to Talad Noi, and Wat Arun at golden hour.
Read post →23 August 2026
Baan Kudichin: Bangkok's Portuguese Quarter, an Easy Half-Day Next to Wat Arun
A few streets from Wat Arun sits Kudichin, Bangkok's old Portuguese quarter: a living community, a free museum, and a cake only three families still make.
Read post →11 July 2026
Bang Saen: the beach Bangkok goes to when it doesn't want tourists
Bang Saen is two hours east of Bangkok and almost no foreigners ever go there. That's the whole point.
Read post →11 July 2026
Kanchanaburi: the River Kwai, the Death Railway, and the waterfalls that overshadow both
Most people visit Kanchanaburi for the Bridge on the River Kwai. Most people leave wishing they'd stayed longer for Erawan.
Read post →11 July 2026
Khao Yai: Thailand's oldest national park, and a surprisingly good excuse for wine
Khao Yai is three hours from Bangkok, genuinely wild, and surrounded by Thai vineyards. Most visitors only know about the first part.
Read post →31 May 2026
Ayutthaya Day Trip from Bangkok: Temples, Ruins & How to Get There
Ayutthaya is the easiest great day trip from Bangkok: a UNESCO city of brick temple ruins 80km north. Here's how to get there, what to see, and how to avoid the tourist-trap version.
Read post →29 May 2026
Bangkok Without the Tourist Traps: What Locals Actually Do
Skip the tourist traps. Here's what locals actually do in Bangkok: underrated temples, real night markets, and the places the guidebooks keep missing.
Read post →14 May 2026
Bangkok Night Markets 2026: Best Picks, Hours & Local Tips
Which Bangkok night markets are worth your evening in 2026 — including the reopened Rot Fai Ratchada (already touristy), the one locals actually use, and which to skip.
Read post →6 May 2026
Where to Stay in Bangkok: Best Areas for Your Trip
Where you stay in Bangkok shapes the whole trip. The best area for first-timers, nightlife, families, food and budget, and the one rule that beats the rest.
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