Thailand was number one on my travel bucket list for as long as I can remember. And after finally making it happen, I can say this with complete confidence:
If you’re considering Thailand with kids, go.
Our 14-day adventure as a family of five gave us a little bit of everything we love about traveling. We indulged in incredible street food, relaxed on world-class beaches, explored bustling night markets, and unwound with ridiculously affordable massages. We hung out in authentic local neighborhoods and checked off multiple genuine, core-memory bucket-list experiences.
Was every hotel flawless? Nope.
Did every single activity go according to plan? Of course not. (Hello, tropical rainstorms!)
Did we splurge on a few big excursions? Absolutely.
But overall, this was an unforgettable family trip.
In this post, I’m breaking down our exact 14-day Thailand itinerary through Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Chumphon, and Bangkok—including every dollar we spent—to show you exactly how doable, affordable, and magical Thailand with kids can be.
Our 14-Day Thailand Itinerary at a Glance
Our route looked like this:
Hanoi → Chiang Mai → Koh Samui → Koh Tao → Chumphon → Bangkok → Home
We spent several days in northern Thailand before heading south for some island time. From there, we made our way to Chumphon and eventually flew to Bangkok for the final few days of our trip.
It was a lot of moving around, but it gave us a really fun mix of city, mountains, beaches, islands, local neighborhoods, markets, and some pretty epic experiences.
Days 1–3: Chiang Mai With Kids
Day 1: Arriving in Chiang Mai
Before Thailand, we were in Vietnam, so we flew from Hanoi to Chiang Mai. Our flights were through AirAsia and cost $294.36 for all five of us, including prepaid seats so we could sit together.
We stayed at Amaka B&B, which is technically a hostel, but our family had a giant bunk room that worked perfectly for the five of us. It’s one of my kids’ favorite accommodations ever.
And breakfast? Included. It was made to order and delicious. Our two-night stay at Amaka cost $152.
After settling in, we walked to the nearby Chang Phueak food market. We are a street-food-loving family, and this market blew us away—so much so that we came back the next night.
For our first evening in Chiang Mai, we spent $33.81 after arriving, not including our flight or hotel.
Day 2: Doi Suthep, Tuk Tuks & Night Markets
For our first full day in Chiang Mai, we took a songthaew tour to Doi Suthep Temple for $19.68 total. This was not something we pre-arranged; we just found a guy on the street who told us he would take us to see the sights.
Unfortunately, we made the rookie mistake of not dressing appropriately for the temple, so I had to rent clothes for my daughter and me for 62 cents.
I think that’s probably the cheapest travel mistake we’ve ever made!
Oh, and there were SO. MANY. STAIRS. Just be prepared. It was 100% worth it, though.
After our morning tour, we explored more of Chiang Mai by tuk tuk. We visited the Orchid Jade Factory, the Thai Silk Village, and a textile market. We purchased a jade bracelet as a souvenir and enjoyed seeing the entire sericulture process from silkworm to fabric.
Then, we returned to Chang Phueak for another delicious dinner.
Between food, transportation, and activities, we spent $85.53 for the day.
Day 3: Massages, Baan Kang Wat & Elephants
This was one of my favorite days in Thailand.
My youngest daughter and I visited the Women’s Massage Center and had foot massages from vocational graduates from the women’s prison.
The massages cost us just $15.35 total, and they were incredible. I only wish I’d visited sooner and booked more treatments! I highly recommend adding this to your Chiang Mai itinerary.
We also spent time at Baan Kang Wat, where we ate lunch and wandered through the shops as a family. If you’re looking for unique jewelry, art, or textiles, I definitely recommend taking an afternoon to wander through the stalls—you’re bound to find something unique and beautiful.
After lunch, it was time to load our bags into a Bolt and head out to our next adventure. We traveled north outside central Chiang Mai to visit an elephant sanctuary eco-lodge.
We spent one night at Chai Lai Orchid, and our two rooms cost $118 for the night.
We loved feeding the elephants and playing in the river near the lodge. And while the experience was rustic and there were definitely bugs, it was also a genuine bucket-list experience for our family.
You can read more about our stay at Chai Lai Orchid [here].
For the entire day, including our massages, food, and transportation, we spent $169.46, not including our hotel.
Days 4–7: Koh Samui With Kids
The next morning, we woke up to three gentle giants visiting our porch and a made-to-order breakfast delivered by resort staff. Breakfast was amazing, and our elephant visitors made it even better. We will never forget this experience!
Sadly, the end of breakfast signaled our time to head back to the Chiang Mai airport, and the Chai Lai Orchid staff arranged another bumpy ride down the mountain for us.
We flew to Koh Samui on Bangkok Airways, which cost $628 for our family of five and surprisingly included lounge access. This was an unexpected perk, and we enjoyed another round of breakfast.
Upon arrival in Koh Samui, we checked into Crystal Bay Yacht Club Resort, where we had a two-bedroom villa for $305.49 for three nights.
I have some mixed feelings about this one, though, and you can read about those [here].
Our Time in Koh Samui
Our first morning taught us a quick lesson: our resort wasn’t in a heavily built-up area, requiring a one-mile trek just to find an open coffee shop.
So, from there, we opted for a songthaew to get us to Wat Khunaram to see the mummified monk, Luang Pho Daeng.
Oh my gosh, “interesting” doesn’t even begin to describe it.
Just be sure to add this unique cultural experience to your Koh Samui itinerary.
The rest of our time on the island was pure relaxation. The kids bought cheap toy fishing nets and spent hours playing on the beach, which gave me the perfect window to get an hour-long beach massage for $14.09. (Don’t worry, Dad was on lifeguard duty!)
We spent our evenings eating our way through local night spots, including the bustling Fisherman’s Village Night Market.
We didn’t do a lot on Koh Samui, but what we enjoyed was being able to slow down a bit, relax, and just enjoy the scenery. We didn’t feel like we had to fill every minute with activities.
The total we spent for our time on the island was $385.02, not including our hotel or flight.
Days 7–10: Koh Tao With Kids
After a few days in Koh Samui, it was time to pack up and head to the Pralarn ferry to make our way to Koh Tao. Our ferry tickets cost $76.23 for all five of us.
We checked into Wind Beach Resort, where we had a family Mountain View room for three nights. It was $259.35, and breakfast was included.
We really liked this hotel, especially because of its location. We could easily walk to restaurants, and the resort had a pool that the kids loved. Plus, there was a 7-Eleven right next door, which is always a win for our family.
And the beach was just steps away.
We spent a lot of time exploring the beach and swimming in the hotel pool. Since there were several restaurants right by our accommodations, we could easily find delicious food any time we needed it.
Our total spending on the transfer day was $124.40, not including the ferry or hotel.
Day 8: Swimming With Giants—Our Biggest Splurge
This was one of the biggest splurges of our trip.
My husband arranged a private snorkeling excursion through Unseen Tours for $330. While it was higher than our usual daily budget, it was worth every single penny.
The boat captain, the owner/guide, and his wife, who acted as our private chef, treated us like royalty. They took us to the breathtaking viewpoints of Koh Nang Yuan, served us a fresh, brilliant feast on the boat that effortlessly accommodated our two vegetarians, and saved the best for last: Shark Bay.
Swimming alongside giant, wild sea turtles was a core-memory, bucket-list finale.
Our total spending for the day was $434.51.
Day 9: Fishing, Haircuts & a Canceled Trapeze Class
We had another activity planned for this day, but Thailand had other plans.
My daughter had signed up for a trapeze class, which was something none of us had ever tried before. Unfortunately, it started raining right before the class, and the instructor made the decision to cancel.
This was understandable, of course, but also a bummer.
So instead, we walked into town and she got a haircut for $18.48.
Meanwhile, my husband and our other two kids went on a deep-sea fishing excursion to the tune of $215.92.
Again, that’s more than we would normally spend on a day’s excursion, but we balanced those splurges with plenty of inexpensive beach days throughout the trip.
Our total spending for the day was $329.10.
Day 10: Chumphon—The Hidden Gem of Our Thailand Trip
We caught the Lomprayah ferry from Koh Tao to mainland Chumphon for $103.99 and checked into a two-bedroom bungalow at Nana Beach Hotel for $101.52.
Honestly? I fell in love with Chumphon.
It felt wonderfully empty of tourists. The sea was too rough for swimming, but walking down peaceful roads, buying handmade jewelry, and interacting with locals at authentic neighborhood restaurants made us wish we had booked a few more nights.
Chumphon total spend: $150.88
Days 11–13: Bangkok With Kids
An easy AirAsia flight costing $160 for five brought us to Bangkok.
We opted out of the tourist strips and rented a three-bedroom home called Home Khet Bangkok Yai for $258.79 for three nights.
The location was one of my favorite things about it. It was next to an elementary school in an older, local Bangkok neighborhood along the canal, and it felt completely different from staying in a typical tourist area.
It was such a treat for my kids to see kids their ages in their day-to-day activities. Plus, the surrounding scenery was just incredible.
Day 11: Canals, Monitor Lizards & Chinatown
We spent hours relaxing at Baan Ploen Dee, a canal-side restaurant. We drank smoothies, watched wild monitor lizards swim past, and played local coin games before taking a tuk tuk to the Chinatown Night Market for dinner.
Local spend: $148.63
Day 12: Chatuchak, MBK & Labubus
We explored on foot and by tuk tuk, hitting up Wintage, Chatuchak Market, and the MBK Center.
The kids talked us into buying Labubus—remember those viral blind-box plushies?
Local spend: $103.07
Day 13: Bangkok’s Beautiful Malls & Asiatique
We marveled at Siamsook (truly the most gorgeous shopping mall I have ever seen—even the bathrooms are works of art!) and took the free ferry over to Asiatique.
While the ferry ride was scenic, Asiatique itself didn’t quite capture our interest, so we quickly headed back to a local night market for our final dinner.
Local spend: $175.72
Day 14: Heading Home
Sadly, after two weeks, it was time to leave Thailand.
We grabbed a quick breakfast from the convenience store—because of course we did—and then took a Bolt to the airport.
The flights themselves were pretty easy.
The jet lag on the other end, however, was brutal.
How Much Does Thailand Cost for a Family of 5?
Here is the exact financial breakdown of our 14 days in Thailand.
| Expense Category | Details / Breakdown | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Major Transportation | Hanoi to Chiang Mai ($294.36); Chiang Mai to Koh Samui ($628.00); Koh Samui to Koh Tao Ferry ($76.23); Koh Tao to Chumphon Ferry ($103.99); Chumphon to Bangkok ($160.00) | $1,262.58 |
| Accommodations | Amaka B&B ($152.00); Chai Lai Orchid ($118.00); Crystal Bay Yacht Club ($305.49); Wind Beach Resort ($259.35); Nana Beach Hotel ($101.52); Home Khet Airbnb ($258.79) | $1,195.15 |
| Daily Local Spend | Food, tuk tuks/taxis, private snorkeling, deep-sea fishing, souvenirs, massages, and incidentals | $2,140.13 |
| GRAND TOTAL | Excludes long-haul flights paid for with miles | $4,597.86 |
For a family of five traveling for two full weeks, $4,597.86 is an incredible value.
We indulged in massive splurges like the private boat tour and multiple internal flights, but easily balanced it out by eating cheap (but spectacular) street food, staying at family-friendly local lodging, and enjoying free beach days.
Final Thoughts: Would We Take Our Kids to Thailand Again?
Absolutely. In a heartbeat.
Thailand was one of those trips where the individual pieces were all so different.
In two weeks, we walked ancient temples, got world-class massages, played with elephants, swam in mountain rivers, snorkeled with giant sea turtles, spent lazy days on beaches, and explored the vibrant canals of Bangkok.
Was it picture-perfect? Of course not.
We dealt with canceled activities, bugs, and muddy shower water.
But that is the beautiful reality of family travel. The hiccups fade, and what remains are the memories of an epic adventure.
If Thailand is on your bucket list, stop waiting.
Pack your bags and go!
I can only hope we get the chance to go back someday.
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