Are you worrying about travelling to Thailand with kids? We can help you with that. If you’d like to dip your toe in the water of Asian family travel, taking kids to Thailand would be my top recommendation. We have been to Thailand with our children 20+ times, each trip has been fabulous and problems have been few. Hopefully we can help you get your family to Thailand. Thailand, we think, is the most child-friendly and family-friendly destination in Southeast Asia, it’s also one of the most affordable for families. Thailand is easy to visit and to travel around and offers an abundance of fun things to do for kids and parents to include in your itinerary.
First let me say hi, my name is Alyson, I’m a mum and professional travel blogger. I’ve taken my kids to amazing destinations on every continent bar Antarctica. Thailand is one of the best destinations in the world with kids. Sometimes I write guides and how-to pieces, sometimes travel stories, sometimes I’m a travel consultant, sometimes just a mum.
Have a look around our site when you’re done with this Thailand with kids blog and sign up to follow.
We started taking our kids to Thailand when they were 4 and 6 years old and kept taking them into their late teens. Our pre-kids travel experience meant that we weren’t taking a leap into the unknown. We’d spent months in Thailand long before we started a family. Knowing what to expect is always reassuring.
I can see how parents would worry about maybe trying travel in Southeast Asia with kids for the first time. I’m here to try to convince you not to worry. Thailand is a great country, it can be great for you and your kids.
My kids are in the video below, haggling with a vendor on Bangkok’s iconic Khao San Rd, washing and feeding elephants, cooking and eating Thai food, kickboxing and generally having fun in Thailand.
Most people who visit Thailand with kids spot that the Thai people really do seem to love kids.
Give it a look. Thailand looks pretty fun, don’t you think?
The index further down the page shows you what’s in this post, you can click on the items or scroll through as usual. We cover where to go in Thailand, hotels and other accommodation styles, sightseeing, activities, tours, getting around, food. We have everything you need to know before arranging your Thailand vacation.
We think this sort of travel doesn’t just make for great vacations, it is an extremely valuable part of a child’s education particularly when you hit the cultural and historic highlights. That’s just one of the reasons people travel abroad with their kids.
In Thailand, we would recommend towns and cities like Sukhothai (one of the ancient cities), Kanchanaburi (WWII history – The Bridge on the River Kwai), Chiang Mai (walled old city full of temples in the north), Hill Tribe encounters (to learn about the people of this region), Ayutthaya (another ancient city) and Bangkok as starting points in educational travel.
Then there are wildlife and nature encounters, of course there are elephants, tigers, monkeys and more to open kids eyes. You can even visit the hospital in Bangkok to see snakes and learn how they produce antivenom. Try to pick the ethical ways of seeing these animals.
Don’t forget the floating markets, the best ones to see aren’t the ones that the majority or tourists visit, more on that further down the page.
Then you have beautiful beaches, resorts and islands, from Phuket to Ao Nang Krabi to Ko Samet in the north. We can tell you what a lot of these places are like and which are best for families and kids.
There is so much to enjoy and to learn in Thailand when you start exploring history, culture, climate, ecosystems, agriculture and more. We also have a useful Thailand family travel home page that fills you in on all the nuts and bolts of Thai travel. (click through on the link, it will open in a new tab for you) along with itinerary suggestions to help you simply plan.
Here are the top reasons not to worry about taking kids to Thailand. We are never paid to recommend particular hotels here, all views are our own.
Thailand with Kids is Easy. Stop Worrying!
Nobody in my family has even had tummy problems in Thailand
That’s possibly what parents worry about most I think, the children getting sick. It’s true, we’ve all been fine. We’ve had rare tummy problems over the years in Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia, India, and Nepal, but never Thailand.
UPDATE: Boo and I had a nasty GI virus in Chiang Mai on a recent trip, our luck ran out. But that’s a pretty good track record in dozens of visits.
You have to be careful, obviously. I have seen people get very sick in Thailand. We only drink bottled water, we even clean our teeth with it. It would be better to take a special bottle to purify tap water and skip the heavy plastic consumption while putting your mind at rest. Take a look at these here. (opens in new tab) That link takes you to LifeStraw, but if you want to spend more the Grayl water bottles are all the rage for 2023. See those here. They do pay for themselves.
We do drink fresh fruit shakes with ice, the children have at least one every day. Ice is generally made with clean water but follow your gut feeling on that one.
Occasionally eating salad and garnishes has been fine for us in recent years. Likewise eating at street stalls, they’re often where you’ll find the best food.
That said, don’t scrimp on the travel insurance, my husband once had excellent emergency surgery in Thailand for a sport-related injury, without good insurance cover, it would have been a different story.
Thai food is amazing!
Thai food has to be one of the best cuisines in the world. It’s light, fresh, healthy and delicious. If you’re new to Thai food check out our Beginners’ Guide to Thai Food. It’s not all mouth burningly hot, it’s cheap and available everywhere.
If you or your children aren’t keen on Asian food you will find Starbucks and Mc Donalds, pizza outlets and plenty of mouth-watering fresh fruit to keep even the picky eaters happy.
Is Theft a Problem in Thailand?
We have never been robbed or been victims of pickpockets or card skimming in all the years we have been taking our kids to Thailand.
If you want to be extra safe, purchase an anti-theft bag with a slash-proof body and strap, hidden pockets, plus a strong hook to attach it to furniture while seated. This is our favourite anti-theft large messenger travel bag to keep your family’s money safe on your vacation or extended travels in Thailand. For a smaller purse, but safer, look at this one. To keep a small amount of cash in a very secret place, consider a travel safety money belt like this, or a neck wallet for cash in Thailand. Be particularly vigilant in crowded night markets, train stations, buses, and any busy areas.
Thailand with Young Kids, Toddlers and Babies
I would have absolutely no worries about taking a hotel-based holiday or vacation in Thailand with babies or a toddler. For more adventurous travel, backpacking, taking sleeper trains, buses or any style of travel with long distances involved, I’d think twice.
Road safety isn’t so great in Thailand. You are going to struggle to find car seats and sharing a sleeper berth on a bus or train with a toddler could be hard.
The problem with toddlers and babies is that they like to crawl around on the floor, touch everything and then put their fingers in their mouths. This would worry me.
You’ll probably be able to feed babies and toddlers in Thailand just fine, even if they just eat fruit, fried rice and Starbucks, food shouldn’t be an issue.
There are plenty of pharmacies and pharmacists will advise you and sell you many drugs without even needing a prescription. We’ve used a private Thai hospital on Ko Samui, it was excellent.
Disposable nappies, baby formula and most baby and toddler products are easily available in Thailand. They even have Boots the Chemists in big towns and will stock many products that you are used to.
Just do a mommy risk assessment in your hotel room, check for potential hazards for small children. I’m sure you know which dangers to look for.
Getting Around Thailand With Kids – Child and Infant Car Seats
Regular taxis and minibuses in Thailand do not generally provide infant seats, car seats or booster seats for children.They sometimes don’t even have seatbelts.
If you require these extra safety features for your children, consider booking transfers and tours in a private vehicle with driver from a company that can provide child seats if booked in advance. Take a look at KiwiTaxi here, for your airport transfer in Thailand, or private tours in Thailand with an experienced driver and/or guide.
Thailand with Kids – Accommodation
Family accommodation in Thailand is easy to find, often good and are great value. There is no shortage of family rooms and suites, kids’ clubs, kids’ activities, and fun things to see and do in Thailand.
On a global scale, Thailand has got to be one of the cheapest countries for families to visit. We’ve paid as little as $12/night in country areas (check out lovely Kanchanaburi for incredibly low prices) or you can pay $500/ night for luxury, it’s up to you.
Top-end hotels are pretty affordable and standards are good, they seem to get hotels right in Thailand. Pictured above is the Novotel Phuket Karon Beach Resort and Spa (an Agoda link), you can also see it on Booking.com, it’s a dream of a hotel that we used recently, really good for families with loads of facilities, right opposite the beach. Chick through and look at the pools and family suites.
Novotel have plenty of other hotels in various resort towns in Thailand too, try Patong Beach (near Bangkok.)
We recommend checking Hotels Combined if you’re serious about finding the absolute best price for your stay. This booking engine compares multiple online booking engines to find you the best deal available. Alternatively, try our interactive Thailand map that shows rentals and hotels side by side.
Hotels.com often has good deals, they tend to be non-refundable but Hotels.com has a cool stay 10 nights, get 1 free feature sometimes.
We also love to use Agoda for Asia as they are the experts for the region and often have a bigger selection, particularly try them for smaller hotels and budget accommodation but they do list luxury hotels, villas and resorts too.
If you’re the sort to book a long time in advance, reserving multiple hotels on a fully refundable basis, Booking.com is your friend.
In Bangkok and on the main beaches you will pay more than in Chiang Mai and country areas. For a family of 4 in Bangkok you’re looking at around $40 US/night minimum. There are cheaper places, but you’ll struggle to find them online.
A favourite of ours in Bangkok for flying visits is Shanti Lodge, a cute, hippy-style guest house near the flower market and river jetty (below)
The stunning Anantara Riverside Resort, Bangkok is the ultimate in top-end luxury, yet at $500/night (approx) for a 2-bedroom family suite with breakfast, is still good value.
A more moderate family holiday budget would be around $100/night, for that you can still get a family suite with two bedrooms .Try the Chatrium Riverside Hotel in Silom, one of our favourite areas of Bangkok.
Or have a look at the boutique hotel I picked for my 50th Birthday in Bangkok last year. We took a family room full of old-world Thai charm.
For beaches we enjoy Ko Phangan, where we use Haad Salad Villas, we were there for 6 weeks a couple of years ago and our beach bungalow came in at just $30/night. We’re also fond of Ko Samet, the closest island from Bangkok and easy to get to. We’ve tested out Ko Samui, Phuket and Krabi for you too.
Further Reading:
Some people swear by AirBnB for family travel. We’ve used them with decent results in London and the Americas, but never in Asia. I think if I were looking for an apartment rental I’d use Booking.com or Agoda for convenience and peace of mind in Thailand. Use the special map we made for you. It can compare different hotel and apartment providers side by side, it make choosing your hotel really easy!
Thailand with Kids, Things To Do
Obviously, there are beautiful beaches and pools to keep your kids amused in Thailand. There are also resort hotels with kids’ clubs, babysitting and play facilities.
You can also visit zoos and aquariums, playgrounds and theme parks, Thailand has plenty of kid-friendly fun family attractions depending on where you are.
We enjoy visiting temples, palaces, and ancient cities and there is no reason not to do this with kids so long as the children stay hydrated, well-fed and rested.
Your days may have to be shorter and rest stops more frequent but our kids love running around exploring interesting sites and they’ve always been made welcome by the Thai people.
We’ve taken our kids to cookery classes from about 8 years old and they’ve interacted with elephants and snakes at ethical animal attractions.
You won’t be short of things to do in Thailand with kids, it’s probably the best set-up country in South East Asia for family visitors.
Thailand with Kids, Food
If your children are picky eaters, they should be fine in Thailand.
It’s not just Thai food. Western food is available too. Kids can stay pretty healthy and eat well on simple foods like eggs, fruit, cheese toasties and chips.
Cheese is patchy, admittedly, dairy is thin on the ground in South East Asia because it’s just not a big feature in an Asian diet. Processed cheese appears more regularly than the real stuff.
My boys enjoy banana chocolate roti, fried bananas and sweet potato balls from street vendors as well as the gentler Thai dishes, chicken with vegetables, chicken with cashews along with soups like tom ka gai.
Thai food isn’t always spiked with masses of chilies.
It seems there is a 7-11 convenience store every few paces in the tourist hubs of Thailand so you should never be too far from an emergency yoghurt, juice or Milo. There is Mc Donalds, Starbucks, and KFC if your kids need that sort of thing.
Thailand is Not All Sleaze.
Yes, there is a big sex industry in Thailand. Yes, western men visit to pick up Thai girls and yes, you will see a lot of ladyboys. None of the above has ever really bothered us in the slightest in all of Thailand except Patong in Phuket.
If you stay away from the sleazy areas you’ll be fine. You will see ladyboys, but most are so good the kids won’t even realise, if that bothers you. My husband doesn’t even realise most of the time.
I’d warn family travellers to stay away from Patong, it was too sleazy for us but the beach looked nice.
Thailand is Not All Drugs and Full Moon Parties.
Thailand has long been a big draw for the gap year kids and there is a big party scene to match. As with the sex trade, if you stay away from the party scene, it won’t bother you at all. We actually took our kids to the full moon party on Ko Phangan, just for the experience, early in the evening. It was fun!
It was on the other end of the island and didn’t disturb our six weeks of heaven on Ko Phangan at all.
Getting Around Thailand with Kids is Easy.
The train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is a must-do classic if you have the time and sleeper trains in Thailand are fun. I’m very happy to take my children on them. Admittedly, I prefer to share a bottom bunk with them than let them sleep solo up top, although they have done that and all has been well.
The-air con carriages were shut at night and there was an attendant on duty making it pretty difficult for anyone without a ticket to wander through.
There have been issues in the past causing alcohol to be banned on these trains. We feel safe enough on them, but you make your own call.
I have a post about travelling on Thai trains here, plus a few more in the Thailand archives. We’ve had good experiences with buses, taxis, river boats and tuk-tuks. You won’t find car seats unless you go out of your way to find them. We never have. Or simply book a car with car seats or baby seats via KiwiTaxi.
The roads in Thailand are dangerous and that can be concerning.
Always haggle with tuk-tuk drivers, always find a taxi driver with a meter. More tips on getting around Thailand coming soon.
It’s a good idea to order an eSIM for Thailand, it will save you time to not have to buy one at the airport and with kids that’s always a good thing. Do that here. Google maps will be your best friend for finding your way around in Thailand. If you have an older phone, you can buy a SIM card in 7-11 stores in Thailand.
We’ve even hired cars and road-tripped around northern Thailand and Phuket. The 3 times we’ve done this we’ve loved the experience. Find the best deal on car hire in Thailand using DiscoverCars (here). It’s probably not the best idea to put your kids on the back of a scooter though. Road death rates are high in Thailand.
Thailand is beautiful. The Thai people love kids, the history, culture and architecture are amazing and the beaches are often superb.
Thailand is an amazing country.
Breathtakingly beautiful temples and palaces, rich culture and lovely beaches. The Thais really do love children and they constantly made a fuss of my curly-haired little one. The kids can get fed up with it sometimes, maybe teach them to say no.
Always remember when you travel, that most people are just like you with families that they love. They’re usually there to help you, not harm you.
Further Reading
- Thailand Family Travel our Complete Guide. It pulls all our Thailand content together on one page with tips, ideas, hotels, guides and destinations.
- Highlights of Thailand for Families a quick overview of some of the amazing things you can do in Thailand with kids.
- Hiring a Car in Thailand One of our favourite ways to explore, particularly in the beautiful north and it was a perfect choice with our kids.
Guide Book for Thailand With Kids
Don’t forget your guidebook, we always use Lonely Planet, they’re a good read and allow you to learn about the history, culture, food and customs of a country before you visit.
We tend to book our tours online, find our review of GetYourGuide for tours, activities and transfers here.
We hope you found our look at Thailand with kids and for families useful, we have loads more content on our travel blog including a suggested Thailand itinerary. Thailand can be great with kids, but if you’re looking for something different, maybe for a family holiday, also consider Vietnam, it’s arguably easier, often cheaper and the Vietnamese people and food can be equally fantastic.
If you'd like to hire a car during your stay, use this car rental comparison tool to find the best deal!
We also suggest you take a look at this company to get a quote for all kinds of the more tricky adventure or extended travel insurance.
Try Stayz / VRBO for an alternative way to find rentals on homes/apartments/condos in any country!
Families thinking about taking a family vacation to Thailand will find a lot of useful information in this article. Convenience and safety are a parent’s first concerns, so it’s comforting to know that Thailand has a variety of family-friendly attractions and lodging options. Your advice on how to use public transit and pick appropriate lodging is quite useful. We appreciate you giving these suggestions so that our family’s trip to Thailand won’t be stressful!
Convenience is honetly NEVER something we think about. Safety maybe, but I’ve never considered any major travel destination unsafe.
Hi,
Thanks for such a great site. Have you any recommendations for cultural/ethical animal trips near Phuket?
Taking my 10 year old boy in July/August – but we’re only there for 12 days. I’m a single mum, travelling from uk, going further afield together for the first time. Really appreciating the tips you have on here, thanks.
Julianne.
Hi, we didn’t look for such on Phuket and didn’t see anything even close to ethical animal attractions there. It was all pretty horrific actually. Tiger and elephant shows, monkey shows, baby elephants chained by the side of the road, drugged tigers. I think you may have to leave Phuket to find anything OK. But times are changing. Maybe there is something there now.
Hello Alison,
We want to explore Asia this year in the month of April (3 weeks). I prefer to go to thailand with my family (two boys of 4 and 6), but we ‘re hesitating about the climate. We ‘ve read some online artikals stating that it’s to hot hot in that period of the year?
What is your opinion?
Depends on your definition of ” too hot”. It’s always pretty hot, I’ve never found it ” too hot” weather extremes are pretty interesting, I love experiencing them, I’m never really bothered by hot or cold, you just modify your behaviour accordingly. Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
Hi Alyson,
I’ve always wanted to travel to Thailand after hearing all the wonderful things. I have a family of 4, kids age 11 and 17. We travel overseas often so we are experienced travellers and quite adventurous when it comes to doing things and eating. If you had to plan a 10 -12 day itinerary for a family that is first time to Thailand, what would you suggest in terms of cities or towns ? For local excursions, restaurants, shopping etc., I think I can handle that once I know where to go but just in terms of places over a 10=12 day period, what would be your recommendations ?
Thanks in advance.
We have a post on Thailant itineraries Joe, perfect for you, right here. https://worldtravelfamily.com/thailand-itinerary-2-weeks-and-3-weeks-planning-trip/
What is it like in hui Hin
Hua Hin is not my favourite place. Big beach, very developed but had the best tom yung goong of my life there.
Hello
I’m am looking to go to Thailand in November with my 8 year old daughter and partner for 2 weeks. We have £2500 budget plus trips. Does anyone have any advice of where to go?
We want to see elephant sanctuary/monkeys/waterfalls/nice beach/hotel pool etc etc
I’d appreciate any help immensely as I’m at a loss of where to begin and almost giving up !
I’ve been told Bangkok for a few days-then Chiang Mai or Khao Lak and Phuket or Krabi. So confusing of where to go what with weather/cost/and places gd for kids ! Thanks in advance x
Certainly you should see Bangkok. Then I’d go up to Chiang Mai. As you only have 2 weeks I’d fly rather than taking the overnight sleeper train. There are reputable elephant attractions up there without riding. There are plenty of opportunities to see forests up there, I’ve seen wild monkeys but very rarely. There are horrible monkey / tiger / elephant attractions on Phuket and I’d suggest you keep well clear of them. Alternatively there is a no-ride elephant rescue place in Kanchanaburi – we have a full post on that one. You can do that as a full day trip from Bangkok and I tell you how to book that. Then travel on to whatever beach you prefer.
we are going to bangkok and hui hin in july with an 18 and 15 year old. are they allowed in bars?
Depends what sort of bar but we take our kids into bars / restaurants, from babies up and never been refused, anywhere in the world really. Other than the US. But keep them away from the sex tourism places, like Soi Cowboy in Bangkok and Patong, Phuket.
Hi Alyson, Great info on your site. We are going to be in Thailand for 5 days only in March. We have already done Bangkok before. Would therefore love to travel with my kids (2 and 4) somewhere different and not too far from Bangkok, Any suggestions, maybe even hotels around 50 to 60 dollars per night?
Many thanks!
From Bangkok, Kanchanaburi is close, and Ayutthaya. Also the Samut Songkran area where you’ll find the famous Railway Market and Amphawa Floating Market. All are possible as short trips from Bangkok, or you can head there and stay a night or two. That price point is easily achieved in Thailand, there will be plenty to choose from.
Hi Alyson!
I love your site1! We are planing to travel to Thailand in November and will leave in January 2019. We are intresed in Chang Mai. Do you have any insight on travels in Chang Mai with a toddle ( 1 year 4 months). Any specific recommendations?
Thanks,
Moni
Hi Moni. Chiang Mai is lovely. The air can be quite polluted so be ready for that. Chef and I struggle to run up there at any time of the year, we’ve never actually been there in burning season, I can’t even imagine what it’s like. I guess safety is the big thing to think about. Are you happy to hop in the back of a songtaw or tuk tuk with a toddler? Are you going to freak out about not having a car seat? Will your baby be OK with the heat. Also be careful about mosquitos and consider vaccinations, otherwise…you should be fine.
Hi there, thankyou so much for all of this great information. We will be travelling to Thailand and SE Asia next year in August, September and October. I know this is the wet/monsoon/typhoon! season. What would you recommend for travelling in Thailand in September?
Thanks so much
K
You’ll be fine, but it depends where?
thanks, we are arriving into Siingapore in mid August and just working our way up toward China. We have a couple of months in the region. I’m just in the planning stages, looking for tips on where the best places visit would be. We are very keen on Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. I’ll read more on your site. I think I was just hoping to hear that we could still have a great time in the region.
Thanks
Krissy
yep, absolutely fine, the only thing to look up is sea conditions if you want to take ferries really. And potential flooding.
Hello,
Thanks for this great website. We’re thinking of heading to Thailand (and / or Cambodia and Bali) for a few months Jan – March ’19 for maternity and paternity leave. We’ll have a 3 year old and a baby (3/4 months ish!). Can you advise on beach locations (in the South?) where we can rent a villa and relax but also have access to activities for the toddler. E.g., if you know of local craft or painting classes / football / gym / something / play areas etc. in any beach resorts it would be so useful.. basically we’re looking for anything that we can take the toddler to so he can also engage with others his age..
Advice most welcome!
Thank you.
Anna
We’re not really into beaches sorry, so not much use, unfortunately. My guess would be Samui but loads of tourists, which of course you’ll need for those sort of activities to be available.
Hellow,
Age of my baby is only 7 months. if I want to plan to visit Thailand in early July, am I going to face any difficulties with my baby in that trip?? Such as can I enjoy the sea trip ( all attractive islands)?? What will be the weather conditions????
I think travelling with a baby is actually easier than with a toddler. No food problems and they won’t be running off or crawling around on the ground and putting things in their mouth. July is supposedly good for the east coast islands ( Ko Samui area) and you shouldn’t hit the heavy rains until August. But just Google ” weather in Thailand in July”.
I heard that baby below 2 years ar not allowed to go for a sea trip like trip to phi phi island,James bond island etc…is it true??? Can I travel this island with my baby.
No idea sorry. We chartered our own boat to go out to James Bond Island. I doubt very much that they would have a suitable life jacket / emergency floatation device, for such a small baby. Maybe you should take your own. These trips are both from Phuket. Phuket isn’t a great choice in July, the east side is better.
My sister who lives in California is bringing her kids in Bangkok this coming Songkran festival and she’s been asking me a lot of stuff regarding about her trip. She’s worried about them getting sick and whatnot so what I did was I sent her this article and she said that she’s no longer worries now and she’s going to put everything you wrote in her mind.
Dear,
As mentioned above there is supposed to be an itinerary for a two week travel to Thailand with children (3-6-9 years). But I cannot find it. Can you please tell me where to find it? We were thinking Bangkok 3 days, Ayutthaya for a day trip, river kwai for 2 nights (maybe too much time lost for transportation between Ayutthaya and river kwai?), then the night train south, visit khao sok, stay for 3 nights ( any alternative for the elephant hills tented camp since they do not allow children under 4?) and then Krabi, last two days Phuket to catch a flight back to Bangkok and then off to Europe.
Many thanks in advance!
It’s not published yet ( the itinerary suggestions) I’m actually in Bangkok and Kanchanaburi right now doing further research.
Ok thank you for the update! I’ll will check the site now and then! Do you think the whole ayuttaya -river kwai-bangkok for night train is a realistic roadtrip? We are looking to book at river kwai since we will be there for christmas and hotels seem to fill up.
Many thanks!!!
Sorry, would have to look at this more closely and we’re literally on the way to Kanchanaburi tomorrow. Not sure how you plan to get from Kanchanaburi to Ayutthaya, will you return to Bangkok or get a direct bus ( maybe taxi) ?
Thailand itinerary now done Veronique https://worldtravelfamily.com/thailand-itinerary-2-weeks-and-3-weeks-planning-trip/
Thank you for this awesome website! We just booked our tickets for a 2 week holiday in Thailand with our children (3-6-9) for christmas holidays. I will look up your itinerary for the two week trip. We do not want to wait too long to decide where to stay since it is allready an expensive time of the year. We can’t wait to go! Finally we make that trip to Thailand!!!
Thanks for all the great info! Do you have any suggested routes posted or articles posted about how to map out a family trip? We are considering taking 6 kids right after Christmas for 2 weeks. Assuming we fly into Bangkok, I think we would spend a few days there, head to Chaing Mai for a few days, then head south. Not sure how to plan that all out yet. Hoping you can direct me! Thanks!
Hi Becky, I has a 2 week Thailand itinerary in draft form. I’ll hurry up with it for you.
Hi, nice article.
Can you suggest the best way to start a travel blog?
You talk a bit about travelling through other SE Asia countries, Laos, Cambodia, India, Nepal etc. We are a canadian family planning a gap year through the majority of this area. Our kids will be 7.5, 5.5 and 2.5. When looking at travelling between and through these countries what would you suggest?
thanks,
Have a look at the rest of our website David, we cover all of those countries in depth. If you go to categories, top right side bar, you can easily access all information you need on travel in Asia and south east Asia.
I was more specifically referring to transportation wise, one way flights, trains, busses (keeping in mind the 2.5 year old) sorry for not being more specific
Too many variables, each route has pros and cons, it depends where you particularly want to go and how much you want to spend/ how short of time you are. Taking a 2.5 year old on any public transport is challenging, I really wouldn’t do Nepal, no way, see our post on Nepal with kids for explanation. Flying is probably easiest with a toddler but will cost most. Although buses and trains are great in Thailand, Laos…bus journeys are tough and Long, ditto Cambodia. Way too much to discuss in a comment sorry.
Have you ever visited Koh Lipe? Koh Lipe is called a hidden paradise in Thailand. While it is not as popular tourist destination as Phuket or Krabi, it does offer a spectacular place to relax yourselves with half of the cost you pay in Phuket or Krabi.
Koh Lipe is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful islands in the Andaman Sea. Besides crystal clear water and white sandy beaches, Koh Lipe has nurtured numerous aquatic diversities such as coral reefs, sea anemone, and underwater animals and those have earned Koh Lipe as one of the top diving sites in the world.
Hi, can you please advise , I have found flights via Dubai and its only 1 hour between flights, do you think that would be enough to change flights etc, what if 1st flight is delay, are these flights are somehow connected? Im worry that I wont be able to find where to go in only 1 hour and travelling alone with my 2 kids.
Thank you!
Are you booking the flights as one, or as 2 separate flights? If you book straight through and baggage is checked straight to Bangkok, it should be fine.
Thank you for your quick reply.
Booking as one but still worry about delays and will got stuck in Dubai, not sure if the 2nd flight will be automatically delayed too?
If you’ve booked through they will guarantee that. So long as you’ve booked one flight not 2.
Hi. I’ve been to Thailand two times before.now it’s our first time with the little one.she is 21 months old.i know all the risks about mosquitos and hepatitis but what I come across now and start to worry me is the kidnapping…………I may just be a bit nuts but what is your opinion please.
Thanks
Kidnapping in Thailand, or anywhere else, has never even crossed my mind.
This is a great summary of Thailand and how to do it with kids. We plan to go (2 adults, 4 kids) next summer, and will definitely use your tips on places and accommodations! To get a good feel for Thailand, how much time would you recommend? Ideally we’d like to hit a few countries on the way, including Vietnam and China.
At least a month, ideally 3 months Per.
Hi,
Can anyone advise a route plan of what to see and do in Thailand. We are a novice family with four kids going in April for 3 weeks. I want to see as much as I can of stunning beaches and culture. Flying into Bangkok and happy to make our way overland by sleep trains and even boats if needed????? Any help please
Louise I’ll try and write a 3 week Thailand itinerary post for you. I’ll try to do it tomorrow, sign up!
Hi ,
I’m very glad that I’ve found your website . I can’t make decision about Thailand ? We know that we are going for Holiday in the end of November , but we haven’t decided where ? I’m concern about ( mosquits – malaria and other and etc ) my daughter is 11 years old . Now we are taking Mexico even into consideration ( pacific coast ) we would like to go to Thailand , but I’m really worried about my daughter . We live in UK , will appreciate your opinion
Great post! We are planning to go to Thailand in Oct or Nov this year with our 2year daughter. We plan to spend a week. Can you suggest what should we cover? Since we only have a week I think covering 2 destinations will suffice…also we are vegetarians if at all that matters.
Bangkok and either Chiang Mai ( train up, flight back to save time, ) or somewhere close to Bangkok like Ayutthaya or Kanchanaburi would be my pick, Vegetarian food is super easy tofind and there are plenty of vegan places too.
Hello, we are traveling to Thailand November 27th and planned on spending 4 nights in Koh Phangan with our granddaughters, 18mos and 4 years old. My daughter read that it will be monsoon season and suggested I cancel and rebook a beach resort on the east side. Do you have any suggestions?
I think the ferries can be the problem, rough weather can stop them running. I’ve been on Ko Phangan into late October and the wet season had started, we had no problems but it could have been luck. Just a few tropical downpours and we love those.
Hi Alyson,
We are considering to visit Thailand in 2018 for the first time with our four (!) kids. They will be 13, 12, 10 and 9 years old. Online it is hard to find affordable accomodations for a fairly big family. Please note that the childeren are too young to stay in a room by themselves. Therefore, we would prefer an appartment or house.
Do you have any tips?
Thank you in advance!
Ricardo
No, not really Ricardo. I have seen rooms for 6 but rarely. I’d be doing two rouns of 3 with one adult in each I guess, but that’s going to cost you. There are plenty of apartments and house rentals in Thailand, maybe start on Airbnb. It’s not something we look into much because we like hotels, sorry.
Great site with a wealth of information. I’ve noticed that your family has visited some of the popular beach destinations in Thailand. What beach destination is appropriate for a 3 and 5 year old? We’re looking for Shallow, calm, turquoise blue water with off the beach snorkeling for beginners in March. Thanks!
We’re not big on beaches sorry Linda. I’d avoid the big tourist islands like Samui and Phuket.
I hear Hua Hin is excellent beach for kids. Easy drive from Bangkok.
We’ve ben to Hua Hin and didn’t like it much so we’ve never covered it on the site, sorry.
Hi
Love your website
great reading
we are heading to Thailand in December (first time)
3 nights bangkok
10 nights chiang mai
7 nights koh samui
we have 5 & 9 year old boys
is there any thing you would recommend as a do not miss whilst your there?
would greatly appreciate the help
the travel websites are overwhelming!
many thanks
So much Carly, I don’t know where to begin! I know and love Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Samui I’ve only spent a few nights on. I can’t answer that question here now. If you’d like to connect alysonworldtravelfamily@gmail.com I’ll do my best!
what did you find out from him i am interested.
Do you think it is safe for a single female with two children ages of 5 and 6 to travel around this country
Absolutely yes @Imforgie. Obviously be sensible, don’t go exploring seedy areas or hanging around late at night, but I see no particular danger or worry in travelling in Thailand at all. It’s quite possibly the country I feel most comfortable in and I have visited as a single mum with small children, as have quite a few of my coaching clients. One is there right now and having ridiculous amounts of fun with her kids.
Do you always do the flight direct? My husband is disabled and can only manage about 4 hours comfortably on a plane, I was wondering if we could break up the journey with a couple of stops?
We usually go via the Middle East Ella, either Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha from Europe. Istanbul is another big flight hub to check. Use Skyscanner to reverse engineer the flight from Thailand, see what flights are coming out, where to, cheapest, then see what connects. You’ll find better deals that way that any other. See our post on using Skyscanner to find best flights ( it’s on the front page, right side bar)
Hi Josh, what about mosquitoes? Dengue fever is a real problem. How did you protect your children? How often were your children bitten?
We all get bitten fairly often Martin, we often forget to put repellent on at sunset, particularly if we’re out and it just gets late. Nobody has ever had Dengue in any of the countries we’ve visited and we’ve been in Sri Lanka and Laos during massive outbreaks for months on end. They’re pretty pro-active in Thailand about squashing outbreaks through mosquito extermination. We lived with Dengue in Australia, we know the ropes, avoid shady areas near clean standing water, during the day too. The Dengue mosquitos are kinda rare. We have a post about mosquito avoidance here https://worldtravelfamily.com/tips-avoiding-mosquitos/
Is a 10month old too young to take to thailand ? ????
Depends what you’re planning on doing and where you’re going Josh. Also on your comfort levels, your expectations, your anxiety. I’d do it, with care. Thailand is a very westernised country. If you have any particular worries, just ask, I can let you know the lay of the land. I often suggest people don’t take very young kids ( toddlers) travelling, but by travelling I don’t mean a 2 week holiday, I mean traipsing all over Asia with backpacks, and more countries like Cmbodia, Laos, India. Thailand is certainly one of the easiest ones. Cheers.
Hi
M from india, i am planning to visit with my family to Thailand in February 2018 with my 6 months baby, will it be a right decision to travel from india to Thailand with a 6 months baby for 8 days stay in Thailand….Thailand’s weather safe for such a small baby or not..?? 12 hrs travelling is eight decision or not…??
Plz suggest m really worried about it…
I tend to advise people against travelling with babies and toddlers, but the smaller the baby the easier they are. It will be breast fed and won’t be crawling about on dirty floors and putting everything in its mouth, so it’s actually easier to travel with them at that age rather than once they are a bit bigger. Weather shouldn’t be a problem, I don’t know what you mean by that sorry. Depends where, far north will be cool, south always hot. Coming from India I would think Thailand would be little different.
Thank you for this wonderful post. I found an amazing deal (or at least I think it is) and would like to take my two kids next April during their spring break. They will be 6 and 9 and while I’ve been dying to visit I wasn’t so sure it would be a good experience for them. It would be our entire family’s first time in Asia, so the unknown can be a bit overwhelming!
Maria we hope you have a wonderful time. We’re big fans of Thailand, it feels like home to us. Enjoy!
Great post, thanks! My husband and I backpacked through Thailand and Malaysia in 2002. We LOVED Thailand and now we would like to take our 2 boys there next summer to experience this kind of adventure. Having been there before makes it easier but we were not in a family mindset back then so this is very helpful! Our only time is August – can you recommend the best places for a family during the rainy season? Is it worth it to try to go to the Andaman coast during that time?
Cheers!
-Sandy
Sorry, don’t know Sandy, we left Ko Phangan after 6 weeks when the wet really started, but that was later in the year, September/October. We usually don’t go to the beaches so much as the cities and for those it makes little difference, so long as there’s no flooding!
We would love to take our 16 year old daughter,but want to avoid sleaze at all costs! are there any cities where this is possible?We love walking,history,architecture and FOOD.
Thank you
sam
london
Sam unless you go to one of the dodgy districts you won’t see anything more sleazy than ladyboys or old white dudes with gorgeous young women. It’s really not too bad at all. The sex districts are to be avoided and that’s easy to do. I’ve actually never been to Patpong in Bangkok. It’s on the other side of town from the parts we like.
do you recomend to travel with 7month old baby? how about moscitos and malaria? thanks!
Generally I think babies are easier than toddlers Paula. I first took my younger son to Thailand when he was 4. Although Malaria is low risk in most of Thailand, Dengue is present, although I would consider the risk low if you take proper precautions. But do you really want to be coating your baby in repellent which, even if you use a natural product, will end up in eyes and mouth? Of course with a baby you could net them more easily that a toddler. It’s easy to get a mosquito net to cover a stroller or travel cot. And of course breast fed babies have less chance of tummy trouble than active crawlers or toddlers who will put things in their mouths. If you’re going to a big resort or hotel I see no difference in taking a baby to Thailand than to anywhere else. But think about vaccinations. I can’t remember now if 7 month olds have vaccinations or not, it’s too long ago for me now! Your major enemy being the plane journey, that’s where they seem to pick up the most bugs and viruses.
Hi, I’m looking to go to Thailand this year with my partner and three kids (2,5 &7). I want to do a multi centre trip but struggling to decide where is best . I’ve looked and 3nights Bangkok , then Phuket then koh Samoi…then there is also krabi etc ….any ideas welcome since I’ve only ever travelled in Europe ! Also when is the best time of year to go? IThanks in advance for any reply.
Hi
Just wondering if you have any real ‘must do’ kids highlights in Thailand. I am planning on setting off for a month or two with my 7 year old in a couple of weeks.
A lot of the time the simple things that children love are not covered in the guide books and so was hoping to get the inside info from yourselves!
I’ve not planned a route as yet and so we are not confined to any particular area.
Thanks
K
Maybe I’ll ask the kids that question kathleen! I think they just love soaking it all up, bu they always like climbing the prangs at Wat Arun and they’ve been ack to Wat Po a couple of times. They’d also say kayaking on Ko Phangan. Of course, hanging out on the Khao San Rd in the early evening is a must!
hi we re in thailand right now. I have a 4 year old and 7 year old. we spent 11 days on kolanta. it was great. id recommend booking a bungalow with a kitchen. really helps to be honest since kids are hungry at different times and its just more comfortable. food from markets is fresh and cheap and theres quite a range.the kids loved elwphant trekking and also the national park. id suggest going for the day. so much to see there. and there’s a trek which takes a couple of hrs. theres also cooking classes whoch my daughtet was interested in. im in phagan now. theres temples and waterfalls to aee. night markets etc. oh I also took the kids to see treaditional thai dance and dire shows. they LOVED it.
good luck
love from land of smiles
Self catering would totaly spoil a trip to Asia for me, for us it’s all about eating out. We’ve had no problems with that at all.
worked great for us. had a bungalow on the beach. my four year old took awhile to adjust so it was great. we still atw out everywhere and tried steeet fiids etc but I bought the best local produce from markets. kids could havr as much fruit etc as they liked. its extremely convenient
were a few other families like us and all agreed its goid having a kitchen.
Whatever works for you is great Vanessa. Everybody does this thing differently. We enjoy all eating out together 3 times a day.
hi! fantastic post. We re thinking of travelling to thailand in dec . we have two kids aged 4 and 8. would u know where i could go about booking a bungalo/hut on the beach – preferably self catering. my husband and i have travelled to asia and india before so know little about the culture but travelling with kids u want bit more comfort. as well, may i ask – are hospitals available and accessible easily? my son is asthmatic so i need to know where i can go for treatment?
best regards
vanessa
My husband had excellent medical treatment, he had surgery in Ko Samui. Bangkok and Thailand ae widely regarded as centres of medical excellence, so no worries unless you are very remote ( and it’s always easy enough to just get a taxi or train back to BKK).
We just book through Agoda, they’re Asia specialists, great customer service, use the(affiliate) links above and I make about 5c !
Easy to change or cancel booking with them, we’ve done it loads.
Hey, really helpful post on Thailand 🙂 I really want to travel with my daughter in a few years, when she’s about 8. I’m a single parent though, was thinking of teaching out there and getting her into a school. Are there any posts on schools ect? And do you think Thailand is a safe place for a lone female parent?… would love to backpack just not sure how I would home teach if doing that.. any info be greatly appreciated:)thanks
I know nothing about schools sorry, we homeschool. Yes, I think Thailand is very safe, I never worry about security, theft, any of that stuff here. But you have to be sensible, obviously.
Hi, I know this is a very old post but I hope you can still help! My husband and I are taking our two daughters, 5 and 8 to Thailand this summer for three weeks. It’s our first time as a family although my husband has been years ago. I was really looking forward to our travels until I read about people catching Dengue Fever which can be in extreme cases, fatal. I am now considering cancelling my dream holiday as I don’t want to put my kids at risk. Do you have any opinion on this? It’s difficult to find information on exactly how much of a risk it is…..great post on Thailand above.
Hi Emma, Dengue is everywhere, we lived with it every wet season in Queensland and just about every country we visit has it. Google it for yourself, but it is usually milder in children and only becomes potentially fatal on repeat infections across the 4 strains. Avoid mosquitoes during the day, wear clothes, wear sprays ( I have a post about avoiding mosquitos https://worldtravelfamily.com/tips-avoiding-mosquitos/. There are major outbreaks in particular areas from time to time, you’ll find active areas if you search online. If you worried about Dengue you’d never leave home. When you get on the ground look around you, see the millions of people living, with children, with virtually no protection, it will put things in perspective and make you feel better, I promise. If you Google death rates and infection rates for a big outbreak you will see tens or hundreds of thousands of cases, very few deaths, even here in Cambodia where medical care sucks. ( our doctor in Siem Reap told us to head to Bangkok straight away with any major concerns). I think my youngest had it in Vang Vieng,there was a huge outbreak when we were there, wet season, we went to the hospital but got no conclusive results, he’s fine
Thanks so much. We decided to go anyway! Think I was overreacting slightly 🙂 Thanks for the advice. We very much look forward to seeing Thailand with our girls 🙂 Good luck on your travels. V inspiring!
Hi! We’re planning to go to Thailand and stay there for a few months with our kids. Our concern is snakes, can you please comment if what I have read in some other places is likely to be true:) I mean finding cobras in your garden or house – haven’t been to Asia, don’t know what to expect. Thanks
I have never seen a venomous snake outside of Africa. I’ve seen the odd python in Far North Queensland, and a few tree snakes but I’ve never seen a snake at all in Thailand. Does that help?
I have lived in Thailand for over a year, I dont see nothing wrong with taking your kids there. They will love it, elephants, beaches it has it all. I think the media give it a bad rep because of all the stereotypes.
Places like Korat have a ton of adventure games for children to do.
Wow – great post with so many helpful tips! Can’t wait to take my kids to Thailand one day!
I’ve been debating back and forth on taking my son on his first international trip to Thailand. Your post was definitely helpful and making me feel more at ease with it. Thank you!
Hi Alyson, a very timely post. Thank you.
My family and I are going to both Thailand and Indonesia next summer. I’ve been to loads of countries in Asia as it’s my favourite continent however, my husband and son haven’t. I admit. I am a little worried.
My husband is German too so expects some sort of organised thinking as I’m planning everything independently.
This post has helped to ease my mind…and his, a little LOL! I fear that as the trip gets closer, I might begin to nag!
Great post. If you ask me, Thailand is the best country in the world for kids. The Thai people love little ones, it’s exotic, the health-care is great in case of mishaps, and the food is varied and wonderful. You can’t go wrong.
love it, love it, love it. your photography is amazing love. and i love how you hit on all the stereotypes that we all built about thailand, it’s not all sleazy and it’s not all moon parties. and oh, deep sigh, there is nothing like kanchanaburi, right? 🙂 gabi
Great info Alyson! We can’t wait to get there. It is nice to know picky eaters should be fine. I am more worried about Alan than the kids with food. We are going to hit Malaysia too, but I think you prefer Thailand. When I backpacked over there 20 years ago, I fell in love with Thailand and wanted to breeze through Malaysia, so we will see what the rest of the family thinks. I sure wish you guys were going to be there when we are next year.
Good luck with Alan in Malaysia Heidi! One of our biggest problems there was the food, none of us like Malaysian food, but the Indian you can find there is great.
I don’t have kids but can totally see why Thailand would be a great place to take them. I myself am a picky eater but find that I manage well in Thailand; in general we have found Thailand the easiest country to travel around so far in Asia.
I don’t have kids but have lived in Thailand for over 3 years and have seen plenty of children of all ages having a great time here.
Thanks for that! We’re planning a year’s travels with our boys and Thailand is at the top of the list. How long do you generally stay in one place before you notice that your kids are getting bored?
To tell the truth Chris, the longer we stay the better. Wherever we are becomes normal then, we start doing a bit of schoolwork or I have time to read to them, go for long walks and play with them properly. When we’re rushing about it seems I’m always too busy catching up with work and laundry to give them enough time. Also it depends on your days, if you have a list of things to do each day. We very rarely do that, we’re not great sight-seers, we just kind of soak it all up. Our 6 weeks on Ko Phangan was wonderful, the longer we stayed, the more settled we became. Have a great trip Chris!
It’s a wonderful country whatever your age! (I’m a grandma – and love it, food, parties and all!
Thanks Alison, great post..we are planning a few months in Thailand and this post helps put my teen daughter at ease! Cheers, Beth
Our sons are 29 and 26. The 26 year old is a travel blogger and already has been all over the world — including Thailand. So, it will just be the really big kids — my husband and I traveling in Thailand (Laos, Camodia and Vietnam) next month. This post is helpful for us even without children in tow. (I kind of wish we had some little ones. It seems to be a way to connect with the locals). The travel doctor we consulted also suggested using bottled water for drinking and teeth brushing. Since Thailand will be our first stop, I think we’ll try to follow the advice about staying away from ice and raw unpeelable fruits and vegetables. But, who knows? We’re probably almost as likely to get sick from the 26 hours of flying from the 26 hours of flying from the east coast of the United States.
Safe travels to the Old Country.
Thanks Alison, great timing with this post, as I am trying to convince my husband that we should travel with the children in South East Asia. Our own travel experience is mostly European, so I really appreciate your advice on Thailand with children. Thanks!
Great post! I have to agree with all of that and we also love Thailand. The last time we went, our youngest was only 11 months old and it was fine. Nothing to worry about at all. In fact, I think it is a fabulous place to take young kids and can be easier than travelling at home in Australia, because
1. things are cheap so there is no need to self cater or take public transportation if we don’t want to.
2. The Thais are so so kid friendly. Our kids received so much positive attention. It was so nice eating out wherever we wanted without nasty stares and we would actually get to eat in peace since the waiting staff would all be crowding around amusing our kids. Just lovely!
Thanks Sharon. Yep, in agreement all round. Taxis are so cheap in Bangkok that it’s hardly worth getting a bus, in the islands the price skyrockets though and there is no alternative.
Yes that was something that really frustrated us when we went to Phuket with our then one year old. It was still far cheaper than at home, although I automatically put my travel tightass hat on and refused to pay $6 for a ride!
Thanks so much Alison! This post is perfectly timed as I’m trying to convince my husband that we should take the kids to South East Asia. Our own travel experience is mostly European so your advice has been very well received, thanks!
That is exactly the sort of comment I love Gina! Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment, it means a lot. Enjoy your trip.