In photos, Thailand tempts you with coconut palms, golden roofs and crystal-clear sea. With young children, though, it's often the practical little things that matter more than grand plans: whether you manage breakfast before the sun really starts to bite, whether the water by the shore is calm, and whether there's some shade nearby to hide in.
At Cestoteka, we created our Thailand guide especially for your little ones. Not as a list of places you simply have to tick off, but as a country they can set out to discover — through grains of rice, an elephant's trunk, temple bells, sweet fruit and warm sea. And that's exactly what travelling with them is about, too: not how much ground you cover, but what they actually take home with them.
When to go
Thailand is warm all year round. Rather than "warm versus cold", the real question is usually whether the rain comes in short bursts, or whether the heat is the kind that makes even grown-ups want to spend the whole day lying under a fan.
Many families find the drier, slightly cooler part of the year, roughly November to February, the most pleasant. Even then, the weather isn't the same everywhere. The Andaman coast and the islands in the Gulf of Thailand have different rainy seasons, so it's worth choosing your dates based on where exactly you're heading.
Spring can be properly hot and humid, while the monsoon months bring showers — sometimes short and dramatic, sometimes the kind that rearranges your entire day trip. And instead of exploring a temple, you find yourselves exploring the menu of the nearest café. If you're planning boat trips, bear in mind that the weather also affects conditions at sea.
Leave some time with nothing planned at all — for swimming, playing in the sand or simply lazing about together. That's a holiday too.
The south, the islands, or Bangkok?
Thailand is big, and its places differ a lot. Bangkok is exciting, noisy, fragrant and full of contrasts. For a little traveller, though, it can all be a bit much at once: the heat, the traffic, the crowds and the long journeys across town. That's why Bangkok may work better as a stopover than as the main destination of your week. Stroll through a park, wander down to the river, soak up the feel of Asia and visit a colourful temple.
If you're mainly after the sea and calmer days, the south or one of the islands may suit you better. When choosing, look at what's around your accommodation, too. Some places are peaceful, others stay lively well into the night. So the very same turquoise sea in a photo can mean a completely different holiday.
One lovely base and a few shorter trips can give you more than endless packing and island-hopping. In the meantime, the children will find their favourite breakfast spot, their way to the beach, or a gecko they'll look for on the same wall every evening. And you won't be constantly thinking about what needs packing for the next move.
Heat, sun and a tropical rhythm
The tropical sun is strong even when it's cloudy. Children can burn faster than you'd expect, even during a short spell by the water. And we can vouch from first-hand experience that the sun is not to be underestimated. High-factor sun cream, a hat and UV tops really do come in handy.
Keep a bottle of water within reach and offer the children a drink even while they're playing, when they won't think of being thirsty themselves.
In the morning you can enjoy the beach or an outing, then rest over lunchtime with a book or some crayons. A midday break isn't laziness. In this heat, it may well turn out to be the best idea of the whole holiday. Once the heat eases a little, you can head out again. And if you don't feel like it, feel free to stay put a little longer.
Factor jet lag after the long flight into your plans, too — and don't expect it to affect only the children. You may end up glad when you're all wide awake together at three in the morning, rather than taking it in turns. You don't have to do everything on day one. Give yourselves time to acclimatise, take a stroll around the area and go for your first swim. The temple and the boat trip will wait for you.
Beaches for little travellers
Not every Thai beach is equally suitable for young children. Some have a gentle slope and shallow water; at others the water gets deep quickly or the waves are bigger. So when choosing, look not just at the colour of the sea, but also at the space to play, the shade available and how easy it is to get into the water. Conditions can also change with the weather and the tide.
For swimming together with non-swimmers, calmer bays with a gentle slope tend to be the nicest — you can stay side by side while the children gradually get used to the sea.
What delights children most might be a crab by a rock, a footprint in the wet sand or building a dam together. That kind of exploring needs no extra programme.
Temples, led by children's curiosity
Thai temples draw children in with their golden roofs, colourful statues, flowers and the scent of incense sticks. Some will walk in, look around and that's enough for them. Others are captivated by every bell and every detail, and would happily explore the whole complex. Go at their pace. This may be the very place that excites them most — and who knows when you'll be back.
Tell them a few simple rules in advance: in a temple you speak quietly, shoes often come off, and it's best to keep shoulders and knees covered. It's enough for them to know that it's an important place for local people, a bit like walking into somewhere at home where everyone whispers.
Geckos, butterflies and elephants
Thailand is teeming with life, and that's often what little travellers enjoy most. A gecko on the wall, a butterfly on a flower, fish by the jetty or chickens in a village can hold their attention for a surprisingly long time. There are more insects in the tropics than at home, so a child-friendly insect repellent comes in handy, along with a mosquito net depending on your accommodation.
With elephants, be careful about what you promise and where you go. The nicest way is to observe elephants with respect: learn how they live, what they eat and how they use their trunks, and stick to places that focus on ethical observation and care, not rides and shows. Little travellers don't need the whole ethical debate the grown-ups are having. It's enough to say that an elephant is a big animal with its own needs, and that it's nicer to watch it and learn about it than to ask it to perform.
Food and markets
Thai food can be surprisingly child-friendly if you go for the milder options. Rice, fruit, mild soups, noodles without fiery sauces, or baked and grilled dishes without chilli often rescue even fussy eaters. Mango, bananas, pineapple or dragon fruit aren't just a snack, but a small adventure on a plate.
When ordering, make it clear the food is for a child and ask for "no spicy". Feel free to repeat that it really is for a child. Taste the first mouthful yourself, as even a mild dish can be quite fiery for a little tongue. But who knows — maybe you have a little chilli lover at home and just don't know it yet.
At the market, you'll find piles of fruit, the smell of cooking and plenty of things tempting you to try them. But you don't have to taste everything at once. Pick something together that catches the children's eye, and feel free to add some familiar rice or cucumber. New flavours are easier to try when there's something familiar on the plate too.
What to pack
Thailand isn't the back of beyond. In towns and tourist areas you can buy most everyday things much as you would at home, so there's no need to pack supplies for every conceivable situation. Do bring any regular medication and your tried-and-tested children's products, though.
Useful things include high-factor sun cream, hats, sunglasses, UV tops, light clothes covering shoulders and knees for temples, sandals and comfortable shoes for walking. In the little ones' backpacks, pack a water bottle, a snack, a thin hoodie for the air conditioning and a favourite toy for those long stretches.
Getting children excited about the trip
Let the children choose which toy or book goes into their own backpack. Before you leave, find Thailand on a map together and talk about what's ahead: the long flight, the warm sea, different smells and fruit they may never have tasted. Look at pictures of temples, boats or animals, and find out what they're looking forward to.
Let the children plan one day
Give the children the chance to experience Thailand in their own way and discover first-hand how different it is from home. To touch the warm sand, smell freshly cooked rice, gaze up at a temple roof and taste fruit that grows on the trees here.
And why not let your little traveller plan one day? You may be surprised by what they noticed along the way and what turned out to be their biggest highlight.
If you'd like to introduce Thailand to your children before you go, we've created an illustrated guide for them: Thailand guide. Inside, temples, islands, animals, food and little activities to discover together are waiting for them.