I know how exciting and stressful traveling can be, especially when travelling with young children. The sheer excitement that children feel when they find out about an upcoming trip is worth all the planning.

For the next few posts I want to explore and share some tips about travelling, eating, shopping and activities in Thailand with children. From my experiences along with those of friends and family, I have an interesting perspective of some of the dynamics of the overall travel experience.

Thailand is a great family destination to experience between the food, culture, and the beautiful backdrops in cities, beaches and mountains. Thai people are very friendly – Land of Smiles, are very accommodating and are affectionate towards children. There is a strong love for children, which can be overwhelming but heartwarming at the same time.

I have travelled around Thailand quite a lot with my daughter who is four and a half now, and I realized that travelling with her in any part of Thailand is very comfortable.

When my daughter was a toddler and was wearing diapers, I did not have to bring a big pack from home as diapers are available at any supermarket or even small convenient stores. After we tried almost all brands, we chose Japanese “Merries” and Thai “Baby Love” for their price and quality.

Weather is a factor that should be considered as depending on where you are travelling from, it is most likely going to be much hotter in Thailand. Staying hydrated is very important for the little ones and for yourself – and bottled water is the best option for that. Don’t forget that even if it is cloudy, your skin can still be burned, so I would recommend to use sunblock regardless of cloudy or sunny – and hats or caps, especially for the little ones.

When staying at a beach destination, I would recommend staying at a beachfront hotel. The weather can be quite hot for children to travel to and from the beach, plus, public beaches in Thailand are not equipped with showers – unlike those hotels that are right on the beach, where all the facilities are right there, including kids pools, snack bars, showers and many other little things that would make your trip much more pleasant.

Transportation depending on the size of your family can sometimes be an issue; however, in many major cities in Thailand, especially in Bangkok, there are many options to get around. If walking is more your speed, it is helpful to note in many places, sidewalks do not exist and if they do, they may not be smoothly paved and may be crowded with vendors. However, for the adventurous family it adds another level of excitement to traveling around. There are taxis, tuk tuks, and public transportation such as the Sky Train (BTS) and Subway (MRT) in Bangkok. The options for transportation vary based on the location, but be sure to ask the concierge at your hotel for suggestions as they have a great wealth of knowledge. If your child is still in a car seat, it would be suggested to bring the seat with you as they are generally not provided in taxis or for other transportation – however, there is no strict requirement to have a child in a special child car in Thailand.

When you are booking your accommodation, it is worth exploring what types of amenities they can offer you for your children. Most hotels would only offer 1 extra bed in the room, so if you travel with 2-3 kids, staying in one room would be quite challenging (unless you are lucky to get 2 connecting rooms).

There are some hotels, both in resorts and in Bangkok, which offer family-oriented accommodation with suites that allow for a family of four to stay comfortably with bunk beds, pull-out sofas, most hotels offer complimentary baby cots. There are also good deals you can explore and in some cases find options for complimentary stays for children. Normally in Thailand a children is considered up to the age of 12 (though there are a couple of hotels that charge kids price up to the age of 16 or even 18).

Whatever your choice of hotel or destination in Thailand, I am sure that you and your family will enjoy your holiday, as it’s a great family-friendly country with lovely people.

Make sure to stay tuned to my next post talking about eating in Thailand – best options for children.