Thailand Express

You reserve your spot for free and pay nothing to join. Once enough travellers have joined, usually around 10, we confirm the departure and email you a confirmation with an invoice for the full trip price. You pay it by card or bank transfer within 7 days, in your own currency: USD, GBP, EUR, AUD, CAD, NZD or INR. Reservations close 7 days before the trip starts.

Yes, if the moves are planned well. This trip goes north overnight on the train and south on one direct flight, so no day is spent on a long transfer and each stop gets its own day. If you want more time in the mountains, including Pai, look at Thailand in 2 Weeks.

Solo travellers aged 18 to 40. Most people come on their own, and some bring a friend. The maximum for each departure is shown with its dates, and it's never more than 16.

The Trip Host travels with the group for all 8 days and handles the trains, flight, boats, tickets and check-ins. They're also the person you go to if anything goes wrong. Where an activity needs a local guide, one leads that visit. Nothing on the itinerary is compulsory, so tell the Trip Host if you want to skip something and nobody will wait for you.

It starts at our hostel in Bangkok on the afternoon of Day 1, and we send you the address when you book. It ends on Koh Phangan after breakfast on Day 8. Book a flight from Koh Samui (USM) leaving after about 13:00 on Day 8, or fly home from Bangkok the next day. Surat Thani (URT) is usually cheaper but takes longer to reach.

Mid-December to mid-February, and June to August. From mid-December to mid-February the north is dry and cool and the Gulf is calm. In June to August the north is green, with showers that usually come in the afternoon, and the Gulf islands have some of their best weather. We don't run it from late February to April, when smoke from burning fields settles over the north, or from October to early December, when the Gulf islands get their rain.

Many nationalities can visit Thailand without a visa for up to 30 days, which covers this trip. Rules change, so check our Thailand visa guide for your passport before you book flights. Everyone also needs to file the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online within 3 days before landing. Travel insurance is a condition of joining, and it must cover medical treatment and evacuation.

Social hostels and small guesthouses with air-con. You share a twin or small dorm room with travellers of the same gender, and private rooms are available on request. On Day 2 you sleep in a 2nd-class berth on the sleeper train.

Five meals are included: three dinners and two lunches. Outside the included meals, daily spending is about 800 to 1,300 baht in Bangkok, 700 to 1,200 baht in Chiang Mai and 1,000 to 1,500 baht on the islands, not counting your bed. A street-food dish costs about 50 to 80 baht. If you're vegetarian, vegan or have allergies, tell us when you book. Thai food is easy to adapt, and for serious allergies we can give you a card in Thai to show at restaurants.

A backpack or soft bag you can carry up a pier ramp, because suitcases are awkward on boats. Bring clothes that cover shoulders and knees for the Grand Palace and the temples, a light layer for the train's air-con, sandals, a refillable water bottle, reef-safe sunscreen and a waterproof phone pouch.

You won't need one, because we arrange transport on the island. To ride legally in Thailand you need a motorbike licence from home and an International Driving Permit that covers motorbikes. Without both you can be fined, and your travel insurance probably won't pay out if you crash.

Averagely fit. There's a lot of walking in Bangkok's heat, some steps at Doi Suthep, and getting in and out of boats. You need to be comfortable in the water to snorkel, and you can stay on deck if you'd rather.