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Lonely Planet Thailand
Lonely Planet: The world’s number one travel guide publisher*
Lonely Planet’s Thailand is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Learn to cook authentic Thai dishes in Chiang Mai, rock-climb the limestone karsts (or watch from the sugar-white beaches) of Railay, and trek through dense jungle and stay in tree-top bungalows in Kanchanaburi – all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Thailand and begin your journey now!
Inside Lonely Planet’s Thailand:
Colour maps and images throughout
Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests
Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots
Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices
Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss
Cultural insights provide a richer, more rewarding travel experience - covering history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics
Covers Bangkok, Central Thailand, Ko Chang, Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand, Hua Hin, Southern Gulf, Ko Samui, Lower Gulf, Phuket, Andaman Coast
The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet’s Thailand is our most comprehensive guide to Thailand, and is perfect for discovering both popular and offbeat experiences.
Looking for just the highlights? Check out Pocket Bangkok and Pocket Phuket, our handy-sized guides featuring the best sights and experiences for a short visit.
Looking for more extensive coverage? Check out Lonely Planet’s Thailand’s Islands & Beaches and Bangkok guides for an in-depth look at all these regions have to offer.
eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones)
Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges
Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews
Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience
Seamlessly flip between pages
Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash
Embedded links to recommendations’ websites
Zoom-in maps and images
Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing
About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973.
2019 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 1982
1101 people are currently reading
796 people want to read
About the author
Lonely Planet
3,653 books882 followersOUR STORY
A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies and Lonely Planet was born. One hundred million guidebooks later, Lonely Planet is the world’s leading travel guide publisher with content to almost every destination on the planet.
A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies and Lonely Planet was born. One hundred million guidebooks later, Lonely Planet is the world’s leading travel guide publisher with content to almost every destination on the planet.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
September 1, 2007
HA! Well, let me TELL YOU... My mom has a client who spends half her year in the states, and half her year in Thailand. So, when my mom mentioned that her daughter (me!) and friends were planning to travel to Thailand, her client offered her house to us! Who could pass THAT up?! WELLLLLL... our lines of communication got crossed, and things didn't go QUITE as planned. My mother's client was so excited to have guests, she hired painters to paint her whole house... not realizing that would be occuring WHILE we were supposed to be staying there. Long story short? We were picked up by her relatives in Thailand and dropped off at a hostel, not knowing what was going on! We thought we were going to be living with a family, so we hadn't planned out what were were going to do there AT ALL. If it weren't for Lonely Planet, we wouldn't have had a CLUE where to go or what to do!
WORD TO THE WISE! Do NOT visit Pattaya unless you are a plump, 50+ year old European man looking to hook up with a hot, young, Thai girly-boy. There are prettier beaches on the Koh's (we LOVED Koh Chang) AND a lower creep factor! Can't beat it!
WORD TO THE WISE! Do NOT visit Pattaya unless you are a plump, 50+ year old European man looking to hook up with a hot, young, Thai girly-boy. There are prettier beaches on the Koh's (we LOVED Koh Chang) AND a lower creep factor! Can't beat it!
February 4, 2022
Great guidebook, even there is 2021 October edition, so with majority of updated information. The only disadvantage that names/titles of places are very different than i.e. google maps. So sometimes impossible to find.
December 7, 2019
I used this for a trip to Phuket on an Asian cruise in December 2019. Although I have largely been impressed by Lonely Planet guides in the past, this one was lacking, and the section on Phuket tiny. The guide may be better for those planning longer trips and island hops around Thailand, and I might come back to it in future when planning a longer trip, but at this moment in time, I must admit that I am rather disappointed.
January 18, 2022
After dusting off my bookshelf in late December last year, I stumbled on my copy of Lonely planet Thailand 2014 edition. Aborted plans, resulting in ensuing ignoring of the book. But, to let go of it and make space I decided to read it cover to cover, before I can dispose it to a secondhand shop. As an alternative to being not able to travel without hassle in this covid climate. This is a good alternative, I must say.
As far as the book goes, it's a very informative guide (no prize for saying that I guess) considering the publisher.
The core will probably stay the same for the latest editions, however, the way the book is setup, buying the latest version is the best value for money and no need for mental calculations to constantly seek the exchange rates, current guidelines, restrictions etc.
Also, I will assume there will be a huge difference with covid related travel arrangements and also slightly differing rainy days with climate shift.
So, inspite of the detailed information here, latest updates will be needed.
As of the writeup, sometimes I felt it's too instructive that descriptive and could have done with some more pictures and maps, otherwise it gets the remaining stars for the work put in to get this book out. Reading the book doesn't give you the feeling that the author has been to the place, so it sounds to mechanical at times. But, it probably is supposed to sound like that.
One thing is for sure, if you travel or not, you will probably end up knowing more about the place than the rest of the world who hasn't been to Thailand, and more than some of locals who don't travel to other side of their own country.
Enjoyable coffee table read + some more for inquisitive readers.
As far as the book goes, it's a very informative guide (no prize for saying that I guess) considering the publisher.
The core will probably stay the same for the latest editions, however, the way the book is setup, buying the latest version is the best value for money and no need for mental calculations to constantly seek the exchange rates, current guidelines, restrictions etc.
Also, I will assume there will be a huge difference with covid related travel arrangements and also slightly differing rainy days with climate shift.
So, inspite of the detailed information here, latest updates will be needed.
As of the writeup, sometimes I felt it's too instructive that descriptive and could have done with some more pictures and maps, otherwise it gets the remaining stars for the work put in to get this book out. Reading the book doesn't give you the feeling that the author has been to the place, so it sounds to mechanical at times. But, it probably is supposed to sound like that.
One thing is for sure, if you travel or not, you will probably end up knowing more about the place than the rest of the world who hasn't been to Thailand, and more than some of locals who don't travel to other side of their own country.
Enjoyable coffee table read + some more for inquisitive readers.
January 22, 2024
Up to the usual high standard of Lonely Planet guides. Detailed listings and descriptions of most places you're likely to visit when backpacking around the country.
A concise history and culture section at the back. Which I slways enjoy reading in an LP book whilst I'm travelling.
I would never prepare for my travels, nor undertake them, without a Lonely Planet guide to the country I'm visiting. Congratilations to LP on over fifty years of quality research and travel.
A concise history and culture section at the back. Which I slways enjoy reading in an LP book whilst I'm travelling.
I would never prepare for my travels, nor undertake them, without a Lonely Planet guide to the country I'm visiting. Congratilations to LP on over fifty years of quality research and travel.
November 2, 2025
Read it back to front 3 times now, so I'm counting it 😂
January 30, 2012
This was sort of helpful, but I will admit I did most of my research re: accommodations online via TripAdvisor & Agoda, since hostels and hotels change owners and/or close or increase rates so quickly in Thailand.
The book is heavy to tote around, and while the writing is okay, the user experience is lacking. For example, the maps are black & white and single-page instead of fold-outs, with confusingly numbered location keys/geo coordinates. You end up having to flip back and forth to see where the restaurant or site you're looking for is located, and there's not enough emphasis on really important sites like airports, railway and bus stations, or transit stops.
I REALLY wish that instead of spending money on pages of colour pictures of the country, food and natives, they had made colour, fold-out maps instead. Would also have liked more recommended walking tours for cities; there was only one for Bangkok (Wat Pho, Palace, Wat Arun) and it took two hours to complete, but I was in the city for days and again, used the Internet to find things like Chatuchak Market, etc.
Not a bad overview, but clunky, with a lot of history/culture information that was not helpful to me on the road, and too much exposition with not enough succinct "how to" bundles. Would also like plastic tabs dividing sections to make it easier to flip to them.
The book is heavy to tote around, and while the writing is okay, the user experience is lacking. For example, the maps are black & white and single-page instead of fold-outs, with confusingly numbered location keys/geo coordinates. You end up having to flip back and forth to see where the restaurant or site you're looking for is located, and there's not enough emphasis on really important sites like airports, railway and bus stations, or transit stops.
I REALLY wish that instead of spending money on pages of colour pictures of the country, food and natives, they had made colour, fold-out maps instead. Would also have liked more recommended walking tours for cities; there was only one for Bangkok (Wat Pho, Palace, Wat Arun) and it took two hours to complete, but I was in the city for days and again, used the Internet to find things like Chatuchak Market, etc.
Not a bad overview, but clunky, with a lot of history/culture information that was not helpful to me on the road, and too much exposition with not enough succinct "how to" bundles. Would also like plastic tabs dividing sections to make it easier to flip to them.
September 12, 2016
It does cover the basics, but I would never EVER take any Lonely Planet information for granted without double and triple checking it online from other sources. In my opinion all travel guidebooks should be conducted with the assistance of locals to eliminate mistakes and gaps. After reading Lonely Planet Cyprus (I'm Cypriot), I realized that this is not the case (lots of mistakes a local would never make, lots of important info missing) and since then I'm more skeptical about anything I read in travel guides. It doesn't matter how long you're visiting a country for and how many expats you talk to. Locals will ALWAYS be more knowledgeable about their own country, and I don't see any Thai names among the writers of this book.
Plus, I would have liked to know more about transportation options (i.e. ferry and bus timetables and routes), especially for Bangkok.
Considering I bought it used for only 10 euros I'm quite happy with it, but I would have been disappointed had I paid full price.
Plus, I would have liked to know more about transportation options (i.e. ferry and bus timetables and routes), especially for Bangkok.
Considering I bought it used for only 10 euros I'm quite happy with it, but I would have been disappointed had I paid full price.
July 12, 2018
The only flaw with this guide is that it barely talks about a town that turned out to be the most magical town I've ever visited: Pai. DO NOT MISS IT!! Rent a scooter in Chiang Mai and enjoy the beautiful scenery as you work your way through hundreds of curves to this quaint town full of love and laughter. WARNING: you'll stay there longer than you intended
November 30, 2025
Disappointing.
I bought this guide to help plan a 9 day trip travelling from Beijing to Chiang Mai via Ayutthaya & Sukhothai by train.
The good: the food recommendations are as usually quite good. Especially the boat noodle place in Ayutthaya was an excellent recommendation.
The bad: We did the suggested city walk in Chiang Mai. One of the most famous and interesting Wats (the Silver temple) was a few 100 meters away from the end point of the walk, but LP didn't care to include it or even mention it in the guide. We thankfully spotted this on Google maps while looking for a place to have a drink.
The ugly: There is hardly any info on Sukhothai at all - literally 2 pages and that's it. I understand that book real estate is slim when covering an entire country, but it is mentioned in those 2 pages that Sukhothai is one of the 5 top historical sites in all of Asia. Still no info whatsoever of lodgings or even restaurants?
For the train travel logistics I had to research everything on line, where I found much more detailed and accurate information.
For many years buying an LP guide was an automatic first step when planning a trip to a new-to-me country. I'm starting to question whether there is still any additional value in using LP guides over just using the internet.
I bought this guide to help plan a 9 day trip travelling from Beijing to Chiang Mai via Ayutthaya & Sukhothai by train.
The good: the food recommendations are as usually quite good. Especially the boat noodle place in Ayutthaya was an excellent recommendation.
The bad: We did the suggested city walk in Chiang Mai. One of the most famous and interesting Wats (the Silver temple) was a few 100 meters away from the end point of the walk, but LP didn't care to include it or even mention it in the guide. We thankfully spotted this on Google maps while looking for a place to have a drink.
The ugly: There is hardly any info on Sukhothai at all - literally 2 pages and that's it. I understand that book real estate is slim when covering an entire country, but it is mentioned in those 2 pages that Sukhothai is one of the 5 top historical sites in all of Asia. Still no info whatsoever of lodgings or even restaurants?
For the train travel logistics I had to research everything on line, where I found much more detailed and accurate information.
For many years buying an LP guide was an automatic first step when planning a trip to a new-to-me country. I'm starting to question whether there is still any additional value in using LP guides over just using the internet.
March 24, 2017
Granted I have not gotten to Thailand yet (later this year, I will!), I think this is a great guide to give you a good start in vacation/travel research. It does bring up ethics in regards to elephant sanctuaries (and does mention ones that allow elephant riding--which is a BIG no-no for elephant health), but misses out on some of the ones I've been researching separately. Overall, it has given me some ideas of where I want to go, and what places I want to avoid. Definitely appreciate the information on scams.
January 29, 2025
This was very in depth. You're obviously probably supposed to read sections and I read the whole way through so it was a bit reiterative but it was great to learn about all of the different areas in Thailand. We're only really going to be in one specific city and not traveling much since also working but I took some notes for if we're able to return. And, it gave me some specific things that we do plan to do on our trip.
April 18, 2023
Invaluable on my recent trip to SE Asia. I was concerned that post Covid a lot of the informtion would be out of date but that didn't seem to be a problem. I like the format of LP guides and prefer them to Rough Guide or Frommers. If you're going to Thailand, this is going to be a pre requisite.
December 30, 2023
It seems much like all LP guides - lots of breadth, not a lot of depth, which leaves lots of room for exploration, but also for inefficiency!
I won't know how useful this book really is until my trip though, I'll update this review after it
I won't know how useful this book really is until my trip though, I'll update this review after it
July 22, 2024
Great guide full of hints and tips. It's not pocket sized so not one I'd look to take out during the day necessarily, however it's perfect for prepping for our honeymoon and giving an introduction in what to expect in Thailand.
July 4, 2025
The guide itself was the usual solid stuff from Lonely Planet, but there were multiple printing issues with doubled text making sections hard to read, and the odd case of missed editing mistakes. The quality control leaves something to be desired!
May 14, 2017
Very good recap and detailed travel book!
January 25, 2018
Good basic overview of Thailand. Plenty of useful maps and tidbits of information. Well organized and typical of Lonely Planet guides.
March 10, 2018
useful
April 25, 2018
thí book bring many information about thailand
Read
October 18, 2023*ebook*
September 23, 2025
I love these books. They never fail to get me excited for an upcoming trip and provide a plethora of recommendation and advice that are essential.
December 23, 2023
Bangkok, Wonderful as always!
January 17, 2011
So, I got the Kindle-for-iPad edition and needless to say, I won't be doing that again.
There are 0 pictures. 0. And there's a few maps, but they aren't fold-out or anything but segments of a larger map spread out over multiple pages. Impossible to read. Also, I got pretty tired of all the sections on how important it is to volunteer and about the carbon footprint and about how I shouldn't worry about getting a local's price because I probably make a million more dollars per day than the average person in Thailand.
There are several good sections, fortunately. The first part of the book has some neat Itineraries that I wont have time for but wish I did; plus the Culture, Bangkok, Language, and "Thailand and You" sections were really helpful and thorough.
In the final analysis, though, I didn't love it, and I will think twice before buying another LP book. I mean, I like how the tone of this book is very casual, like-you-are-talking-to-a-friend relaxed, but for me it was a little too relaxed. And too preachy.
Of course, if you are a 20-something environmentalist socialist backpacker, go right out and get this. These are your people.
There are 0 pictures. 0. And there's a few maps, but they aren't fold-out or anything but segments of a larger map spread out over multiple pages. Impossible to read. Also, I got pretty tired of all the sections on how important it is to volunteer and about the carbon footprint and about how I shouldn't worry about getting a local's price because I probably make a million more dollars per day than the average person in Thailand.
There are several good sections, fortunately. The first part of the book has some neat Itineraries that I wont have time for but wish I did; plus the Culture, Bangkok, Language, and "Thailand and You" sections were really helpful and thorough.
In the final analysis, though, I didn't love it, and I will think twice before buying another LP book. I mean, I like how the tone of this book is very casual, like-you-are-talking-to-a-friend relaxed, but for me it was a little too relaxed. And too preachy.
Of course, if you are a 20-something environmentalist socialist backpacker, go right out and get this. These are your people.
May 19, 2012
I used the 2012 edition which is in the new LP format, designed after the buy-out from the BBC. I really like the new format in terms of design, it feels fresh and looks good. I think there are a few issues that need to be resolved in terms of usability though - the maps are rubbish, and some of them are upside-down in the book! Even the pull out map of Bangkok wasn't detailed enough to be of any use. The key aspect of the guidebook's use - details of transport - was vague and not a lot of use and why is there not a map of the skytrain routes? Overall, great style but light on useful content (the reason why one invests in a guidebook).
July 18, 2007
I bought this book without ever seeing the person who sold it to me. In a traveling mailing list she mentioned that she had two identical books that she planned to sell one of those. As I was about to go to Bangkok and Hua Hin, well, this book helped a little bit. It was too wide, for someone who planned to stay more than two weeks and visit all over Thailand this will be a good book to read through and guide you.
July 17, 2007
mike had this one and the newer one. the updated one is better, of course, but this one was more than adequate. the most significant improvement is the all too accurate portrayal of the shameless, conniving tuk-tuk drivers, who took-took jocelyn and me more than once before mike arrived to make fun of us for being so gullible!
one complaint with the lp books - too heavy.
one complaint with the lp books - too heavy.
November 21, 2007
I call this book "emergency travel kit" ... really good for solo travelling, especially for someone who does not want to ask or socialize with other backpackers ... but really, socializing with others are the best way to find your way, use this as an emergency and knowing places to hit, but always remember that theory doesn't always works
January 24, 2009
Ok, I'll admit that I only read the general information and the bits on Bangkok and Hua Hin, but they're the only places I'm going! The information I read was handy and I'll probably photocopy those areas before I go, rather than taking the whole book.
I must admit, I am looking forward to the shopping, hopefully I'll have some money left at that point!
I must admit, I am looking forward to the shopping, hopefully I'll have some money left at that point!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews