We are considering Thailand for around 2 weeks in Jan or Feb 2026. Never been to the region, or Asia for that matter. We are terrible flyers who cant sleep on planes hence why its taking so long. Not interested in beaches much. Pretty much food, culture and major sights. My initial thought is Chiang Mai, and Bangkok serve as a good intro. Although would love to include Singapore as well somehow. Any tips on timing, destinations, or anything else? TIA
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That can be a great trip, though Iâve never been to Chiang Mai. But there are so many possibilities in SE Asia foodwise - it would help if you could be more specific. Are you looking for Michelin type places or also open to local spots?
Even if you are not into beaches the food scene in coastal areas can be equally wonderful with eg open grill type places outdoors and regional specialties.
I guess for a first timer Singapore, Bangkok and Chiang Mai make sense. But, most importantly, there are no bad choices as itâs such an amazing region.
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I spent 3 weeks traveling Thailand with my ex in '98. We went to Bangkok a few times, to her familyâs village up north, took a trip to Chiang Mai from there, then went south to Koh Samet, Koh Phi Phi, and Ko Lanta. I was blown away by the natural beauty of the landscape, the stunning temples practically everywhere, and the kindness of the people we encountered, most of whom did not speak English. The food was spectacular, although we didnât go to any fancy places â mostly street food, soup shacks, beach bars⌠that type of stuff, but we were in our mid-20s. Iâm also a big beach bum, so that was important to me. The beaches are gorgeous.
We flew from Frankfurt (I was still living in Germany at the time) via Kuala Lumpur, and it was the longest flight Iâd ever been on.
Singapore is high on my list as well, and I am hopeful to âswing byâ en route home from a HK trip that is very tentatively planned for winter 2025. The long flight is daunting, though 
Whatever you end up doing, I look forward to reading about it 
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Thailand is a beautiful country with very friendly people and OUTSTANDING food choices.
Bangkok is a bit steamy/hot but it is simply a great city. The Wats/temples are amazing, the Chao Phraya boat taxis are a great way to see one side of the city but can be a bit intimidating the first time you use them. Search for any of Peter/Klyeohâs posts on Bangkok. He is a phenomenal resource! Any of his advice can be relied on. Be respectful, wear sleeved shirts and avoid walking shorts or shorter skirts if you visit a Wat.
Find a friendly hotel in BKK (I like LiveZen near Phrom Phong Sky Train station, though it is in Little Tokyo and does not have chairs just tatami mats) and just wander from Chinatown (great small cafes and iced coffee!) to Wat to river to modern shopping malls (my current fave is EmSphere for food, people watching and shopping) to old mall food courts like Big C Supercenter Ratchadamri. Take a Khlong taxi down a Bangkok canal at least once. Walk in one of Bankokâs parks early in the morning, places like Lumpini Park or Benjakitti Park are very nice in the cool of the morning. Trying street vendors for food is a must.
Both the Sky Train and the Subway are safe and very useful. Well worth exploring them as you wander the city!
Chatuchak Market is a heaving mess and well worth seeing for its incredible variety. I loved the Jim Thompson House, for the mystery, the history and the garden.
Khaosan Road is a hoot, still a crazy mess after all these years.
Try Hainan Chicken and Rice at any of Peterâs recoâs! Also, old faves like Mango w Sticky Rice are even better here! Get Minced Pork w Basil and a Fried Egg on Top from a vendor! (Pad Krapao at Ung Jia Huad near Asok Sky Tain station)
Start early and hit the hotel for a siesta at mid day. Maybe choose a hotel with a pool for the siesta. I stayed at the Key Premier for the pool but liked the staff at LiveZen better, even though they do not have a pool. Pools are very nice in BKK.
And Chiang Mai is so worth a week, as well! Take the Sleeper Train one way, maybe fly the other. But the Sleeper Train is very popular and frequently sells out.
Seat61.com is a great resource for the train.
I am writing this on my phone so I am just skating over the surface but Thailand has a LOT to offer!!
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Thank you. To clarify Iâm not really looking for food reccos quite yet, just a general idea, and whether Iâm on the right track with these destinations (which you answered). Singapore is just a big maybe at this point as I get the sense that it may be overkill and thereâs too much to do in the other two.
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Thanks. Iâm with you on the flight. The longest I flew so far is around 10-12 hours to/from Israel. The plan is to rack the points for first class. Thats just about the only way we can fly this long
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Wow! Thank you so much Ziv. This is gold.
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Business class seats are as good for long flights and much easier to get through points. We have upgraded to both over time and first class extra cost isnât worth it compared to business class
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Yes, just wanted to get a sense of the food scene youâre after. Bangkok has a great combination of high end restaurants and local street foods, but its downside is its lousy infrastructure which limits the amount of things you want to do in a day.
Even if you only do Bangkok and Chiang Mai, youâll still be scratching the surface.
Singapore is a great entry into SE Asia, and with the bonus of having one of the nicest hotel pools in the world at Marina Bay Sands. If you could stretch your holidays to a few days more, you could do all three comfortably. Traveling isnât a problem, very efficient to and from Bangkok.
Already planning my own next trip to Thailand!
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Got it. Iâm interested in any kind of food scene. From street food to Michelin. That pool looks amazing.
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One thing to consider with Chiang Mai is that the air quality is really terrible starting in January and continuing through April. I would consider instead Penang at this time of year. I think itâs has the best mix of high quality food experiences and culture. The food is superior to Singapore and much cheaper. Peter on the Asia board has a wealth of information on places to go in Penang.
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Thanks for the shout out, @tigerjohn .
@Ziggy , youâre most welcome to ask any specifics if youâre coming to Penang
I shanât comment on Chiang Mai, as I was there many years ago and my take on the place may be outdated. But one place Iâd still mention is Nasi Jumpru - itâs a beautiful spot, and I know itâs still doing very well as its owner, N T Maneeyoung, became Facebook friends with me after my last visit in 2017, and I still get fabulous updates of his place.
For Bangkok, Chinatownâs main thoroughfare, Thanon Yaowarat, becomes a giant outdoor food street every evening. Donât miss it.
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Thanks Peter. Looking forward to diving deeper into the food scene and using your expertise.
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This is why I asked, thanks. Does this mean Nov-Dec are the best months for Chiang Mai, or thereâs an even better time.
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The best times are during the rainy season when the air quality is best, June-October. Nov-Dec is the beginning of the ramping up of the pollution which culiminates in March-April. The AQ has gotten much worse since 2021 when COVID began to ease.
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Iâll be following along as well as we are thinking the same thing. H will hopefully be retired by then and will have the time to take more than a weekâs vacation at one time.
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I can provide a brief overview of the âseasonsâ in Thailand.
Dry season is Nov-Feb. temps are a little cooler (30-32) and humidity a bit lower. Pollution is not bad but ramps up in mid Jan to Feb in CM and BKK.
Hot season is March to early June (when the monsoon arrives; this varies a bit). Air pollution is at its worst, temps are 34-39 or higher.
Rainy season is June to October. Fresh air, medium temps (31-34) higher humidity. Usually it rains hard for 30-60 min in the afternoon. There are no all day rains.
In the South and islands there is less pollution and their hot season is muted a bit. Rainy season sees more frequent thundershowers and more rain activity throughout the day.
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re the flights, zolpidem aka ambien is a great help to get through the long ones, you can sleep or drowse most of the way. Used to get to and from India and Central asia by me (and repeatedly by my daughters who have travelled more extensively in asia.), half pills to make sure I get to sleep travelling to Europe on the night flights. Also helps in getting on the local time schedule when you arrive at remote destinations.
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Yes, my PIC and I usually split one on our yearly flight to Berlin. Itâs enough for both of us to sleep at least 4-5 hours, and makes one hell of a difference on arrival.
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I didnât need help with my 2-3x a year long haul flights until the frequency doubled last year, then Melatonin did the job both on the flight and for a day or two after arrival (15-18h flights, India, HK, Singpore).
5mg Melatonin worked well for a good stretch of sleep, but when I tried 10mg once, I was a zombie the next day!
I prefer homeopathic jet lag remedies â there are a couple Iâve used from Amazon that are effective.
Iâm still a bit wary of prescription sleep meds, though I know theyâre commonplace nowadays.
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