Mountains, Jungle & Caves
Most first trips never leave the coast. Inland Thailand is cooler, greener and far quieter: hill country in the north, rainforest older than the Amazon in the south, and caves with temples inside them.
Cold Mornings and Tea Terraces
Hill country along the Burmese border, at its best from November to February when the fog forms and nights drop to single digits. The caves up here are the best in the country, and the forest starts where the ridges do.
Where Bangkok Goes for Green
Everything here is within a few hours of the capital, which is why the parks fill at weekends and empty midweek.
Older Forest, Bigger Limestone
The rainforest here predates the Amazon, and the karst towers that make the islands famous run inland too.
Pilgrim Hills and Quiet Waterfalls
The least visited corner, an easy add-on to a Chanthaburi or Trat trip.
The Inland Seasons Run Opposite to the Beaches
Cool and dry, and the only season the fog forms on the ridges. Nights in the north drop to single digits Celsius, the 40s Fahrenheit, so bring a layer. Busiest, and worth booking.
Hot, and in the north smoky: agricultural burning fills the valleys with haze through March and April. The one stretch to avoid inland.
Green season. Waterfalls are at their best, trails are muddy and leeches are out. Some park routes close, so check before you commit to a long drive.
Park entry for foreigners is usually a few hundred baht per person per day, collected at the gate and separate from any tour price. See When to Go for the month-by-month picture.
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Written by Belle, a Thai American who travels to Thailand every other year and has family in Bangkok. Everything here comes from my own visits unless the text says otherwise. Prices and journey times are typical cases rather than quotes, so recheck anything time-sensitive before you pay. Brand mentions are never paid placements, and the guide is reader-supported: some links may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
How we research →Photographs on this page that are not mine are used under the licenses below and hosted on this site rather than hotlinked. Uncredited photographs are my own.
- Doi Chiang Dao in the cloudsTakeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source
- Mae Salong tea plantationsTakeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source
- Bua Tong sticky waterfallchootrong, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source
- Haew Suwat waterfallUser:Tontanthailand, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source
- Sarika waterfallSongpholt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source
- Sea of mist at Phanoen ThungRushen, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source
- Asian elephant in ThailandJames B Cutchin, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source
- Mon bridge at SangkhlaburiMammalwatcher, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source
- Lawa CaveKriengsak Jirasirirojanakorn, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source
- Khao Luang CaveZinneke, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source
- Limestone formations on Cheow Lan LakeVyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source
- Phraya Nakhon Cave pavilionAhoerstemeier, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source
- Khao Daeng viewpointKOSIN SUKHUM, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source
- Khao Khitchakut National ParkJannyDavison, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source
- Namtok Phlio waterfallKAlexey, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source