Thailand is a country with so much to offer. It’s a Country known for its backpacker vibe but you don’t need to be a backpacker to enjoy Thailand. Thailand has gorgeous islands, jungle, national parks, impressive temples, culture, an array of activities, and a really good party scene with awesome party islands!
If you’re going to be spending 1 month in Thailand and you mainly want to Party, this is the Thailand Patyy Itinerary I suggest you use as it includes all of the best party spots in Thailand!
1 Month Thailand Itinerary
Thailand Travel Tips
Note – if you are visiting for less than one month, 2 weeks or 3 weeks for example, you can definitely adapt the below, visit just a few places and still have a great time! Or have a look at my 2 weeks in Thailand Itinerary!
Tip – If you are flexible on dates, I would REALLY recommend you check out when the Full Moon will be so that you can work your Thailand itinerary around it. It would be a disaster (to most people), to arrive in Thailand and the Full Moon to be on your second day when you weren’t on Koh Phangan- the main Thailand Party Island! You can see the Full Moon Party schedule here!
Bangkok
Bangkok should be your starting point on your 1 month Thailand itinerary. Khao San Road specifically.
Khao San Road is probably one of the most ‘backpacker’ areas in the world. It’s the gateway to South East Asia and it’s also a lot of fun, whether you’re a backpacker or a holidaymaker.
During the day Khao San Road is busy with people and market stalls but as night comes the stalls slowly start to go away and the bars open out onto the road instead. The music is pumping, the beers and buckets are flowing and it’s easy to have a night here that you won’t forget (or may forget but not because it wasn’t fun!).
I would suggest spending at least 3 nights in Bangkok to fully enjoy it and at least one of these on Khao San Road, if not two, and head to the City for another night, preferably to a cocktail bar with a view.. you’ve seen The Hangover, you know what I mean!
Here are some interesting Thailand and Bangkok facts to help you prepare for your first stop!
There are lots of nice hotels and plenty of good hostels around the Khao San Road Area. I have stayed at Nouvo City Hotel which I recommend.
Koh Samui
From Bangkok, your Thailand island-hopping itinerary starts on this 1 month Thailand itinerary. You can fly or get an overnight bus and boat to the island of Koh Samui.
For cheap internal flights have a look here on Skyscanner, you can get great deals if you book in advance. Or book your bus and boat from Bangkok to Koh Samui in advance here!
Koh Samui is a fairly large island and it’s very built up. Some may say its the best island in Thailand but that depends what you want from an island.
Chaweng Beach is the best area for nightlife in Koh Samui so I’d recommend staying there, I stayed at Floral Hotel Chaweng which I really liked, plus it’s really close to the airport.
Koh Samui a lot of fun with a lot of restaurants, bars and activities including some of the best hotels in Thailand, but don’t expect to get an authentic Thai experience from Koh Samui, especially if you are staying in Chaweng.
Related Post: How to Visit Koh Samui on a Budget!
What you can get though is drinks on the beach, a big clubbing scene, and awesome adrenaline-filled day trips around the island and to nearby islands to ease the hangovers, like these:
Chaweng Beach is one of the main places to find a party in Thailand and popular beach bars and clubs are: Ark Bar, Bar Solo, Soi Reggae.
I would suggest staying in Koh Samui for 4 nights, you may need a chilled night after Bangkok and Koh Samui has enough activities to keep you busy for a lifetime so make sure you fill your days with them too. Although Thailand is a good place to Party, there is so much more to the Country as well!
Koh Phangan
Did someone say Full Moon Party??
As I said at the start, you really should plan your 1 month Thailand itinerary around a Full Moon Party! If you’re visiting Thailand for one month there will be a Full Moon Party at some time in the month but you don’t want to be in South Thailand, far away from Koh Phangan and then realise its a Full Moon that night because Koh Phangan is the key island to visit in Thailand if you want to party! You can see the Party schedule here!
Koh Phangan is actually quite a big island and Haad Rin is the town and beach where all of the Full Moon parties happen. Haad Rin is packed full of places to eat and it has tonnes of shops to buy clothes in including allll of the neon attire you will need for a Full Moon Party! This Koh Phangan Guide is helpful to find out more information about the island.
Be sure to book your boats to and from Koh Phangan in advance because everyone is trying to go and leave on the same dates. You can book them in advance on 12Go Asia for pretty much the same price as when you’re in Thailand!
Most Hotels and Hostels have a 5-night minimum stay, especially the ones in Haad Rin. However, that’s fine as the 4 nights leading up to the Full Moon Party are a lot of fun! There’s something going on each night – the Jungle Party, the Pool Parties at Coral Bungalows, the Waterfall Party, and if you just want to head to the beach (which is what I prefer doing), then the beach is always buzzing!
The fifth night will then bring you the Full Moon Party! Get ready to party allll night long with a few thousand other people and staying up to see the sunrise over the ocean!
I suggest staying on Koh Phangan for 6 nights so you can have 4 pre-party nights, the main party night and a night to sleep before leaving as you really don’t want to have to leave the island on the morning after the Full Moon Party. I’ve been there and it isn’t fun!
If you don’t fancy staying that long or you don’t want to stay in the busy area of Haad Rin, I’d recommend Shiralea Backpackers Resort to you. I stayed here recently and it’s a great alternative accommodation in Koh Phangan to Haad Rin. It’s located on the West in Haad Yao, it has dorm rooms and huts which have a minimum of 3-night stay usually, a swimming pool and a really great atmosphere, they do pre-party drinks and do quizzes and pool parties when there are not any parties. Plus its 2 minutes from a really nice beach!
Another really good area to stay in is Thong Nai Pan on Koh Phangan up in the remote North-East part of the island if you want/need some chill time on Koh Phangan as well as some party nights!
I’ve done 3 Full Moon Parties, one of which was for NYE and I loved every one!
Tip – If you can’t make it to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party, it’s worth checking out the dates for the Half Moon Party in Koh Phangan as this is pretty big now too. The only catch is that the cost of the Half Moon Party is pretty expensive at around1500baht because it’s held inland and has set up costs, drinks are also very expensive, however, I’ve heard it’s still really fun!
Tip – If you want to go to a Full Moon Party in Thailand but you don’t want to go to the pre-parties or spend 3-5 days on Koh Phangan, you can still go!
It’s very popular for people to stay on Koh Samui or Koh Tao and get a boat over to the island late afternoon and then back at some point during the night or early in the morning! You do need to book the boat in advance because they get very busy, you can book a transfer boat here, and be sure to book your accommodation well in advance too!
Koh Tao
After Koh Phangan take a short ferry ride to Koh Tao. A lot of people will be heading to this island afterwards too. It’s a lot more chilled out than Koh Phangan (the Haad Rin side of Koh Phangan anyway). It’s also a lot more authentic and less flashy than Koh Samui.
Sariee Beach is the party place to be on Koh Tao, the beach is beautiful in the day time and offers the most stunning sunsets but come night-time this beach is lined with bars and guys playing with fire! There’s no clubs, just really cool bars!
Tip – I would really suggest getting accommodation on Sariee Beach, it’s the main place to be on Koh Tao, plus unless you ride a moped you’ll have to pay for shuttles to and from Sairee Beach from where you’re staying and that money could go on beer!
For accommodation in Sairee Beach including hotels, bungalows and hostels have a look here! I stayed at Lotus Hotel over Christmas in Thailand and I would really recommend it!
Koh Tao offers a pub crawl which I’ve seen there many times so if you want you could join this, this would be especially good if you’re travelling alone. Or you can find all of the bars by yourself as they are easy to spot and walk to.
Lotus Bar, Coco Bar, Fishbowl and The Sunset Bar are just a few that I have visited and know are good!
Koh Tao is also a really popular island for its diving, it also offers some great hikes and plenty of gorgeous beaches to chill on so be sure to make use of your days in Koh Tao too.
I would suggest staying in Koh Tao for 4-5 nights depending on how tired you are by this point and there are lots of things to do in Koh Tao too whether you want to relax, party more or be adventurous!
Phi Phi
Getting to Phi Phi from Koh Tao will involve an overnight boat and bus or a daytime boat and bus, it will take about 12 hours but it’s totally worth it! This can be booked in Koh Tao or in advance online here.
Phi Phi island is a really small island in the South of Thailand. There are no cars and no mopeds. It’s an island with a range of accommodation from cramped guesthouses to gorgeous resort hotels and a range of people visit Phi Phi because it is gorgeous.
Phi Phi is another one of the top party places in Thailand. The Irish bar is a good place to start and Slinky’s bar on the beach has always been my most visited bar but there are plenty of bars to choose from along the beach and they are all so close together, which is another thing that I love. Be sure to check out the guys that are playing with fire along the beach too!
Tip – The nightlife in Phi Phi starts earlier and finishes slightly earlier so don’t spend too long getting ready or going out fashionably late, otherwise you’ll miss the party!
However, an earlier night may mean you feel ok for a day trip the next day which would be good as Phi Phi offers lots of trips around the nearby islands. You can also go Diving and snorkelling.
I would recommend spending 3 nights on Phi Phi!
To read about my most recent trip to Phi Phi and how I ended up getting a bamboo tattoo done have a look at this post – Getting a Bamboo Tattoo on Phi Phi Island!!
Koh Lanta
Koh Lanta can be reached by ferry from Phi Phi in just a few hours as its pretty much next door. I think Koh Lanta is top of the list in the best islands in Thailand to visit!
It’s a super chilled out island which you’ll probably need by this point, however, there is a party held somewhere at least each night, you just need to find it. Everyone I speak to loves Koh Lanta and I know exactly why they do!
I would recommend staying on Long Beach which is a gorgeous part of Koh Lanta’s west coast, meaning the sunsets are some of the best I have ever seen in my life and there is also a good amount going on a long the beach too.
Tip – Funky Fish is usually my go-to place to stay and eat, they make one good Thai Red Curry! Nearby is Ozone who like to hold a party!
As Koh Lanta is another gorgeous island it means there is the possibility of doing another awesome boat trip like these. Koh Lanta is still very un-visited compared to other islands in Thailand so the water and beaches around it are very pristine!
I did the 4 Island Boat trip when I was last on Koh Lanta and we visited some really nice spots.
I think that 4 nights is a good amount of time to spend in Koh Lanta and will give you the chance to chill before your last stop!
Phuket
Phuket is one of the places that you either love or hate. To be fair it is very seedy in a lot of areas, it’s very built up and full of resorts but if you pick the right resorts and have the money to spend you can be in absolute paradise in Phuket!
Party wise the place you will need to head to is Bangla Road! This isn’t paradise but it is a lot of fun. Think about the strip of Zante or Magaluf and times it by 10. That’s Bangla Road!
It’s full of bars and huge huge clubs! It’s a big tourist spot for Australian’s and as long as you take it for what it is, you will enjoy it!
Tip – If you’re on a budget by this point, a lot of the big clubs offer deals which include entry and drinks until a certain time, people will be out on the street selling these during the afternoon and all evening so search around for the best price and make the most of the unlimited bar!
Finish off your month in Thailand by spending 4 nights in Phuket, ideally in a hotel by a nice beach. If you’re staying in a guesthouse or you are tight on money by this point I would suggest staying for just 1-2 nights as you can’t enjoy Phuket properly without staying somewhere nice and having some money to do activities etc!
There are so many day trips from Phuket you can do and Phuket tours, some of the best are:
Phuket has an airport with a lot of international connections, or you can fly or take a bus back to Bangkok and leave Thailand from there! Search for flights home here and read here how to find cheap domestic flights in Thailand.
Remember you can now book transport through Thailand in advance which is really helpful to save you time when you’re there and to make sure you get a ticket when it’s busy. Buses and Boats can be booked in advance on 12GO Asia for pretty much the same price as in Thailand!
- A recap of this 1 month Thailand Itinerary:
- Bangkok – 3 nights
- Overnight travel night
- Koh Samui – 4 nights
- Koh Phangan – 6 nights
- Koh Tao – 5 nights
- Overnight travel night
- Phi Phi – 3 nights
- Koh Lanta – 4 nights
- Phuket – 4 nights
Important Thailand Travel Information
Thailand provides a free 30-day visa on arrival for most nationalities.
I would suggest booking accommodation in advance for all of these places as they are popular places to go. You may like the idea of arriving on an island and finding somewhere to stay but I speak from experience when I say it’s not that exotic, especially during high season.
A lot of accommodation can be found online, especially on Booking.com. I use this site to book most of my accommodation around Asia so be sure to check it out!
Ensure you definitely book your accommodation in Koh Phangan as far out as possible as this island is soo busy during the Full Moon Party and Half Moon Party!
Watch your drinking and know your limits! Chang which is the beer of Thailand is unregulated, I’ve found that I can have a bottle sometimes and feel ok, and have one another time and feel quite drunk! The buckets are also really strong! They are filled with a lot of ice but they also have a lot of spirits in them!
To save money, buy buckets from the stalls in the streets rather than in the bars! These days you don’t generally need to worry about what they put in them but still make sure you can see the person serving you open a sealed bottle and pour it in your bucket in front of you.
Leave the fire dancing to the locals! Don’t get drunk and think you can dance with fire, it’s not worth it!
If you hire a moped to drive around the islands, be careful! Especially if you are hungover and never drive when you have been drinking, it’s not just yourself that you could hurt..plus if you damage the moped, it will cost you a lot of money!
Don’t cause any trouble, whether that’s with fellow travellers and holidaymakers, or the locals. Everyone is in Thailand to have a good time!
Buying a sim card in Thailand when you land is a good idea so you have constant internet and don’t need to worry about wifi!
AND THEN READ THIS POST FOR EVEN MORE TIPS: 60 Tips To Know BEFORE Going to Thailand To Have The BEST Time!
Now its time to book that trip to Thailand!
For more of my posts on Thailand see: