10 days in Thailand: itinerary

Ten days fits three bases: Bangkok, one northern city, one coast. The parent route for this length is Bangkok 3 nights, Chiang Mai 3 nights, then Krabi or Railay (or Samui) 4 nights, with two domestic flights and a flight home from the southern airport via Bangkok.

The trips that go wrong try to add Ayutthaya, Chiang Rai, Khao Sok and two islands. Each extra stop costs half a day of packing, transfers and check-in. If you want more places, take the 14-day route instead.

Pick the coast by season, not by preference: the Andaman side (Krabi, Phuket, Koh Lanta) is dry Nov–Apr, the Gulf side (Samui, Phangan, Koh Tao) Feb–Sep. In the overlap months either works.

The line is a simple triangle: Bangkok in the centre, Chiang Mai about 700 km north, the Andaman or Gulf coast about 800 km south. Both long legs are domestic flights of roughly 1–1.5 h; the same trips by train or bus take 10–12 h or more.

Book the two domestic flights early. Bangkok–Chiang Mai and the Chiang Mai–south legs are the busiest domestic routes in the country, and prices rise in the Nov–Feb high season. Flying into Krabi and out of Phuket (or the reverse) avoids backtracking.

Treat the first day in each base as a settling day: you arrive, drop bags, eat nearby and sleep. The second and third days are the ones that carry the sightseeing.

Domestic flights are the backbone of a 10-day trip. Bangkok has two airports: Suvarnabhumi for most international and some domestic flights, Don Mueang for the low-cost carriers. Allow three hours between an international arrival and a domestic departure if you are changing airports.

In Bangkok, the BTS Skytrain and MRT metro beat taxis at rush hour; river boats cover the old city. In Chiang Mai, songthaews (shared red trucks) and Grab cover most trips within the old city for short money. On the coast, longtail boats and hotel transfers handle the last leg — Railay has no road access, so you arrive by boat from Ao Nang or Krabi Town.

Skip overnight buses on this length of trip. A 12-hour bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai saves a flight but costs a day of your ten.

Three bases, three different logics. In Bangkok, stay near a BTS or MRT station — Sukhumvit or Silom — so you are not stuck in traffic. Riverside costs more but puts the boats and the old city within reach.

In Chiang Mai, the old city (inside the moat) is walkable and full of guesthouses; Nimmanhaemin is newer, with cafés and condos. On the coast, Railay is car-free and boat-only, Ao Nang is the practical base with shops and transfers, and Krabi Town is the cheapest of the three.

Book the coast last. If a storm or a cancelled boat hits, a flexible booking in Ao Nang or Krabi Town is easier to change than a prepaid resort on an island.

A 10-day trip in Thailand lands around 35,000–70,000 THB per person (roughly USD 1,000–2,000) excluding international flights, depending on how many domestic flights you take and whether you sleep in hostels or resorts. The two internal flights are the single biggest variable.

Food is cheap if you eat where locals do: a street plate runs 50–80 THB, a mid-range restaurant meal 150–350 THB. Domestic flights, boat trips and island transfers are where the money goes.

Swap the north for a second coast: Bangkok 3 nights, Krabi 4, Koh Lanta 3. This suits travellers who want beaches over temples and avoids a third flight.

Swap Chiang Mai for Chiang Rai if you have already seen the north, or for Kanchanaburi (2.5–3 h from Bangkok by road) if you want the Death Railway and Erawan falls without flying.

If your dates fall in Feb–Apr, the north is in its smoke season and the Gulf coast is at its best — reverse the order and go south first. If you have more time, the 14-day route adds Ayutthaya, Chiang Rai and Khao Sok without the rush.