The Ultimate Luxury Thailand Itinerary: 7 Days in Bangkok, Koh Yao Yai & Chiang Mai (LGBTQ+)
Thailand has been at the top of our bucket list for as long as we can remember — so when we finally got the chance to go, we were counting down the days! And it lived up to every expectation.
It's no secret that Thailand is one of the most visited destinations in the world, drawing nearly 35 million tourists a year with its ancient temples, street food scene, and beaches that look almost too good to be real. And if the country wasn’t popular enough, it became even more famous from HBO's recent White Lotus season that was set there.
In just 7 days, we somehow managed to cover a lot of the country — and we're still not sure how we pulled it off! One week is not enough time to truly do Thailand justice. We'd encourage anyone who can to stay longer, but if a week is what you've got, you're in good hands. Here's exactly how we spent our 7 days in the country.
Bangkok
Your first stop on the trip should be Bangkok. It’s the largest city in the country and is famous for it’s affordability, delicious food, and street markets. We actually didn’t have a ton of time to explore Bangkok on our trip but either way it’s a great starting point since it connects to everywhere else in the country.
Where to Stay in Bangkok
We stayed at the W Bangkok which is a luxury, 5 star hotel with a rooftop pool and panoramic views of the city. The hotel blends modern, vibrant design in a historic 19th-century European-inspired building. W Bangkok is also in an amazing location and we had the absolutely best hospitality experience staying here.
Browse other Bangkok hotels here on Expedia!
Since we really just used Bangkok as a starting point, we didn’t get to explore much of the city. But we will be back because we fell in love with the city, even just for the short time we had there. We will make sure to update this section with best things to do and food options whenever we go back!
Find Bangkok activities and tours here on Expedia!
Koh Yao Yai
Most people when they visit Thailand will want to explore the beaches in the southern part of the country. And there are so many islands and areas where you can do just that! We were staying on the island of Koh Yao Yai, but also visited Phuket, Krabi, and the Hong Islands during our stay. One of the more popular islands is this region is Koh Samui — famous for the Four Seasons Koh Samui which was used as the hotel in HBO’s White Lotus. You really can’t go wrong with any island in this region, but we loved the calm and quietness of Koh Yao Yai and it was still very easily accessible by boat to any of the other islands.
How to Get to Koh Yao Yai
We flew from Bangkok to Phuket, and then took about a 25 minute boat ride to Koh Yao Yai. The hotel we were staying at, Anatara, had a private boat transfer from Phuket to Koh Yao Yai.
Where to Stay in Koh Yao Yai
We stayed at the Anatara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas and the most amazing experience. Anatara is luxury, 5 star resort with a private beach as well as 3 on-site restaurants. The hospitality at this hotel was incredible and truly made the experience staying there unforgettable. Our villa even had a private pool, in addition to the multiple pools around the property. This hotel was probably our favorite hotel we have ever stayed in, and we highly recommend it if you’re coming to this island.
Browse other accomodations on Koh Yao Yai here on Expedia!
Best Things to do on Koh Yao Yai
Traditional Long Tail Boat Tour - One of the best things to do is an island hopping boat tour . There are many different ones to choose from and the most popular tour is probably to the Phi Phi Islands, but we chose to go to the Hong Islands. The Hong Islands are located in Krabi and are a group of limestone islands known for breathtaking emerald lagoons, white sand beaches, and snorkeling.
Things to Note: Koh Yao Yai's population is 95% Muslim, and locals work hard to prevent it from becoming just another party island — so expect no nightlife, but a genuinely authentic and peaceful slice of Thai island life.
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is located in the norther part of the country and is famous for it’s mountain views and it’s over 100 Buddhist temples. Here it is also popular to visit an Elephant Sanctuary as the most well-known one in the country is located in Chiang Mai. We adored Chiang Mai and the city felt like it had a relaxed and chill feel while still yet being everything a Southeast Asian city has to offer.
How to Get to Chiang Mai
We flew from Phuket to Chiang Mai, but flights also leave from many other cities in the country, including Bangkok. Chiang Mai is located in the north of the country, but it was still just a short 1.5 hour flight from Phuket to there.
To get around Chiang Mai, we recommend walking to using Grab. Grab is a rideshare service similar to Uber that is used a lot in Asian countries. Grab is very affordable and you even choose to go on the back of a Grab bike to get around instead of a car! Make sure to download the Grab app before you arrive.
Where to Stay in Chiang Mai
We stayed at Aleenta Retreat Chiang Mai which is a luxury, 5-star hotel known for it’s peaceful atmosphere, spa, and yoga classes. We loved how much they had on property here — we were able to take free yoga classes and get massages right on premises.
Browse other Chiang Mai hotels here on Expedia!
Best Things to do in Chiang Mai
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Thai Yoga Class
Watchediuang Varaviharn Temple
Walking Street Night Market (Wua Lai Road)
Visit the most famous temple, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep - located on the top of a mountain, it is considered to be one of the most sacred pilgrimage spots in Thailand.
Do an Old Town Tricycle Tour - we got driven around the city in tricycles and made some fun stops along the way!
Check out a Chiang Mai Night Market - there are many famous night markets in the city, but we visited Walking Street (Wua Lai Road). Here you’ll find local food, souvenirs, crafts, and clothing.
Explore Watchediuang Varaviharn Temple - a historic 14th-century temple in the heart of Chiang Mai's Old City
Visit Elephant Nature Park - an Elephant sanctuary located a little outside the city, where rescued elephants live and have a safe, caring home in nature.
Get a Thai Massage - Different than your typical massage, a Thai massage combines stretching and acupuncture to relieve muscle tension and improve flexibility.
Do a Thai Yoga Class - Thai yoga focuses more on stretching and acupuncture — similar to the Thai massage — and is also supposed to imrpove flexibility and muscle strain.
Find other Chiang Mai tours and activities here on Expedia!
Where to Eat & Drink in Chiang Mai
Ekachan
Walking Street Night Market
TEDS
Ekachan
V Secret Vegan
TEDS Coffe & Eatery
Sapphic Riot - sapphic bar
The night markets - Sunday Walking Street (Ratchadamnoen Road), the Saturday Walking Street (Wua Lai Road), and the nightly Chang Khlan Night Bazaar
The LGBTQ+ Scene in Thailand
Thailand is widely known as one of the most welcoming countries for LGBTQ+ people in the world. They were the first country in Southeast Asia to pass equal marriage in 2025, and also at that time legalized adoption for same-sex couples. The Thai language has its own vocabulary for queer identities and they even recognize a third gender, Kathoey.
As a lesbian couple in Thailand, we felt extremely safe and saw tons of other queer couples (locals and tourists alike) walking around in every region we visited. We went to Thailand right after they passed equal marriage, and the locals were just exuding with happiness. We got to attend a few events around the legalization of equal marriage in the country, so we got to see first hand how much it means to the queer community there.
In Chiang Mai we got to visited a local sapphic bar called Sapphic Riot, and it was so nice to get to support the local LGBTQ+ community that way. As a queer couple, we adored Thailand and we would tell any of our LGBTQ+ friends to visit there.
If you want to see our week in Thailand first hand — we recommend watching our YouTube video below which encapsulates everything we did on our trip!
Thank you to Thailand Insider for hosting us on our trip. As always, all opinions are honest and our own. Some links on this post are affiliate links of which we receive a small commission, but the price is the same for you.