Thailand itinerary: 1 month, the whole country (or Thailand and Laos)

Most Thailand itineraries are a compromise between regions. A month is long enough that you mostly stop compromising: you can do the north and both coasts in one trip, or swap a coast for Laos, without the two-nights-here, one-night-there pace that a shorter trip forces. It's still real travel, though, not a holiday where everything is booked and waiting; expect a handful of long transport days and pack light enough to move every few days.

The recommended route: the complete Thailand loop

This is the shape of our 21-day Thailand Complete trip with an extra week added at the end: it covers the same Bangkok, north, Khao Sok and Andaman route, then spends a full week on the Gulf islands instead of finishing after a few nights on Koh Phangan. For the full day-by-day on each leg, see the Northern Thailand itinerary, the Andaman coast itinerary, the Gulf islands itinerary and the Khao Sok guide.

This pace still moves you every 2 to 3 days for most of the month, with two multi-day stretches (the Andaman coast and the Gulf islands) where you can properly slow down. If that's still too fast, drop one region: the "both coasts, no north" version below trades the mountains for more time on the beaches instead.

Other ways to spend 1 month

• 

  1 to 2 weeks · November to February

  Laos itinerary

  Cross overland from Chiang Rai for the Mekong slow boat, Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng.

  Best for A second country, not a second coast

• 

  2 weeks · November to April

  Andaman coast itinerary

  Both coasts and Khao Sok, with no northern leg to fit in.

  Best for Beaches and diving, no mountains

Thailand and Laos (about 28 days)

Trade the Gulf islands for a second country. Three weeks of mainland Thailand, finishing in the north, then an overland crossing into Laos for a week to ten days. This only really works if you're happy to skip one coast; there isn't enough time in a month to do the north, both coasts and Laos properly.

The Mekong slow boat leaves from Huay Xai in the morning, so many travellers sleep in Chiang Khong or Huay Xai the night before. Huay Xai is in Bokeo province, where the UK, Canadian and German governments advise extra care or warn against travel to parts of the province, so read your own government's advice before you plan around this crossing; our Laos visa guide sets out what each says. Our Northern Thailand & Laos Slow Boat trip is a 12-day alternative covering Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane, with a flight to Luang Prabang instead of the two-day boat. This route leaves Thailand for good after the north, so your Thai days only need to cover the first 18 or so. You will need a Laos visa (an e-visa or a visa on arrival); see the Laos itinerary and the Laos visa guide for the rules on that side of the border.

Both coasts, no north (about 28 days)

For travellers who've done the north before, or who'd rather have more island time than mountain time, drop the north entirely and slow the coasts down instead: more nights on Koh Lanta, a full PADI Advanced course on Koh Tao, or simply more beach days with nothing booked. This version needs the same narrow window as any two-coast Thailand trip, January to April, when the Andaman side and the Gulf islands are both calm at once; outside those months, pick one coast and stay longer there instead.

Choosing between them

Costs, best time and getting around

Budget about 1,000 to 1,500 baht a day (roughly US$30 to $45 at September 2026 rates) for food, drinks and local transport, more on the islands and on party nights. Beds, domestic flights, the sleeper train, tours, the Khao Sok raft house and any Laos border costs come on top; our Thailand cost guide breaks them down. Mid-December to about 20 February is the one window that suits the whole loop: the north is cool and dry, both coasts are calm, and the smoke in the north only starts building from late February. Outside it, lean on whichever coast is in season and shift a few extra days there. The Gulf islands are best from February to September and rainy from October to December, and the Andaman coast is best from November to April. Domestic flights do most of the heavy lifting, each turning a day or more of buses and boats into an hour or two in the air. Chiang Mai to Krabi has direct flights, and Krabi to Koh Samui is a nonstop flight of about 50 minutes.

A month is also longer than Thailand's standard visa-free stay for most passports, which was cut from 60 to 30 days on 15 September 2026. A 28-day trip fits inside that window; anything longer needs the one available extension (another 30 days, 1,900 baht, at a Thai immigration office, at the officer's discretion). If you plan to re-enter Thailand by land after a spell in Laos, visa-exempt land entries are capped at two per calendar year. You also need to file the free TDAC arrival card within 3 days before you arrive. See the Thailand visa rules before you book flights.

Keep planning

• Thailand itinerary guide
• 3-week Thailand itinerary
• 2-week Thailand itinerary
• 10-day Thailand itinerary
• 7-day Thailand itinerary
• Thailand entry requirements
• Thailand cost guide