Bangkok + Phuket: three days of city and a week of sea
A scheme that works better than two weeks on one beach: temples, boats and street food first, then the Andaman Sea. The domestic flight takes an hour.
Why not straight to the beach
The direct flight to Phuket is long, and the first day goes on acclimatising anyway. Bangkok at the start removes that problem: you come round in a city where there is something to do at any hour, and you arrive at the sea with the time difference already out of your head. Flying home from Phuket is easy — return flights exist, and the loop costs less than two separate tickets.
Bangkok in three days
Day one is the royal quarter: the Grand Palace with the Emerald Buddha, Wat Pho with a forty-six-metre reclining Buddha, then a boat across the river to Wat Arun. You will have to dress modestly; the rule is enforced strictly. Day two is water and markets: the scheduled express along the Chao Phraya instead of a tour, the Thonburi canals, and in the evening Chinatown on Yaowarat, where people eat standing up and that is the right way. Day three is the modern city: a viewpoint, air-conditioned malls, and at the weekend the Chatuchak market, where half a day disappears easily.
Phuket: what there is besides the beach
The beaches divide by character: Patong is loud and nocturnal, Kata and Karon calmer, Nai Harn and Freedom quietest of all. But the island's most underrated place is Phuket Town: Sino-Portuguese mansions, coffee shops, street art, and almost nobody makes it there. Boats leave the island for Phang Nga Bay with its limestone stacks and for Phi Phi, which is beautiful and crowded at once — go on the first departure. The Promthep viewpoint at sunset is the one queue worth standing in.
When to go
November–April. That is the dry season on the Andaman coast: calm sea, boats running, rain rare. From May to October the monsoon arrives — on Phuket not endless downpour but short heavy rain and a swell that closes swimming and cancels island trips. Bangkok is hot all year, though December and January breathe noticeably easier.
How to split the days
Three nights in Bangkok and seven or eight on Phuket is the base version. If you have done Bangkok before, cut it to two nights and add a day to the sea. Nights are changed with steppers in the planner form, and the flight price barely moves for such a rearrangement — accommodation, however, moves noticeably.
Islands around Phuket
Phi Phi is the best known and the busiest: Maya Bay is opened and closed to let the coral recover, and swimming there is restricted. The Similans have the best snorkelling and diving in the region, but the park is only open from mid-October to May. Racha and Coral are closer and calmer, good for half a day. Phang Nga with its limestone towers is done in long-tail boats, with kayaks for the famous islands. One rule holds everywhere: the earlier you set out, the fewer people on the water.
What to eat in Bangkok
Everyone knows pad thai; the rest is more interesting. Khao man kai — chicken with rice cooked in chicken broth, sold under pink signs. Som tam, green papaya salad, with the heat level agreed in advance and taken seriously. Boat noodle shops where the broth has been simmering for decades. Mango with sticky rice for dessert. The guide is simple: a queue of locals at lunchtime beats any rating, and an empty display case at four in the afternoon is a bad sign.
Practical matters
Thailand is visa-free for a Russian passport, up to 60 days. Move around Bangkok by metro and boat rather than taxi: the traffic is serious. Everyone rents a motorbike on Phuket, but an A-category licence is formally required and actually checked, and insurance does not work without one. Street food can and should be eaten — judge by the queues of locals.
Moscow → Bangkok → Phuket
Route and nights go into the form — adjust the date and passengers.