Thailand with kids: places we love

Of course you should visit Thailand with kids – if ever a country was built for holidays with kids it’s the Land of Smiles. Thailand has so much to see and explore, from the energetic streets of Bangkok , the jungles, temples and paddies in the north and its coastline and stunning islands.

The streets of Bangkok have what I reckon is the best street food in Asia – from fresh fruit and spicy salads, to seafood, soup and bbq and the bustling energy and steamy heat lets you know you’re in Asia now. You can spend months exploring Thailand, but you can see a lot in a few days too – check out this two week Thailand itinerary.

Here are the places we love with kids in Thailand.

Bangkok

Bangkok is Thailands capital and is an amazing city – it is so vibrant and fun and has the best street food I’ve found. If you love pork you will be in heaven! Visit the flower markets, Wat Arun and Wat Poh temples, the Royal Palace and take a river cruise and ride down the old canals on a riverboat – watch out for ladies in canoes who will paddle over to sell you beer and snacks. Seeing a show at the Asiatic is always high on the list, and if you have children let them experience Kidzania for a a day. Jump in a tuk tuk for a city tour, and visit rooftop bars at night time for amazing views of the city.

Visit Chiang Mai

We love Chiang Mai – it’s definitely a laid back town although much busier now than it was a few years ago. You can use Change Mai as a base to explore northern Thailand, visit an elephant sanctuary – please make sure it is ethical, we visited the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary but now I would suggest only seeing eles in the wild if you can. Please do not ride elephants! The Elephant Poo Poo Paper Park is a afternoon activity and the many temples around Chiang May are beautiful. You can get a day pass into the Shangri-La Chiang Mai and spend the day by the pool – always worth it.

Making paper at the Elephant Poo Poo Park

An island stay in Ko Lipe

This beautiful island can be reached from Thailand or from Langkawi in Malaysia. It boasts blue water, lovely snorkelling and white sand beaches plus some of the most spectacular sunsets we’ve ever seen. Accommodation ranges from basic to a little more fancy with a pool. Make sure to get air conditioning as it gets hot out there on the island.

Island fun in Phuket

Beaches, temples and day trips to Phi Phi and Similan islands, plus water activities and sea kayaking makes Phuket a fun destination for a family holiday. We stayed at the Novotel Karon Beach which is great for families. It has lot of activities for kids and a rooftop waterslide. So much fun!