Outdoor Activities

Adventurous Sports
Beach/Islands
Culture
Eco-tourism
Golf

Adventurous Sports
Thailand's diverse geography offers an impressive range of activities. Northern Thailand's mountainous forests are renowned for their spectacular waterfalls, lush green scenery, caves, birds, and other wildlife. The exotic elephant safaris and trekking with knowledgeable guides to visit remote hilltribes have become very popular. The Southern coastline is ideal for all aquatic fun, regardless of your level of expertise. An abundance of national parks, land and marine, scattered throughout the country provides a variety for exploring Thailand's natural wilderness. Some come to take advantage of the country's plentiful, excellent golf courses, while others seek their thrills in adventurous sports. Whatever your choice may be, there's bound to be an activity tailored especially for you.

Those in need of adrenaline rush and want more out of life, take your pick of any of these thrill-seeking activities sure to be memorable. Whether you're a novice or expert, the skilled staffs and facilities ensures safety is a priority.

Cave Explorations
Because of Thailand's mountainous geography, particularly in the North, West and South, an abundance of natural caves are on hand for exploring. Some contain beautiful limestone creations, while others house sacred Buddha images. Though safe and vividly marked, most require a guide. Don't be alarmed if you should encounter sleeping, harmless bats.
Rock Climbing
This cliffhanging sport began in Krabi, with its scenic location and many challenging routes, but is now available at many sites throughout the country. The sport's popularity has picked up dramatically over the past few years, with the introduction of artificial wall climbing offered in most metropolis and resort towns.

Whitewater Rafting
Take your pick of the leisurely bamboo rafting on tranquil rivers in the North or the more exciting whitewater rafting in sturdy inflatable rubber boats in strong currents and rocky gorges. Umphang in Tak made whitewater rafting famous among locals and has earned a world class rating. Nowadays, many more places around the nation offer this thrilling ride, with class ratings from 1-5.

In popular seaside resorts, a variety of water sports are on offer, from parasailing, waterskiing, windsurfing and motorboat/ jet ski rentals. Inflatable "banana boat" rides have gained in popularity, where a maximum of 5 sitting astride an elongated rubber tube attempt to hold on as the motorboat tugging it sends it into a number of swerves, eventually resulting in a wipe out.

Beach/Islands

Deep Sea Fishing
Anglers have a choice of excellent facilities for big game fishing at Pattaya and Phuket, where it's almost guaranteed you'll catch a sailfish at the latter destination throughout the year.
Islands
Spectacular off-shore islands dot the azure waters of Southern Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand, providing ample opportunities for frolicking in the sun or for perfecting those tans.

Kayaking/ Sea Canoeing
Having gained much popularity in recent years, kayaking is widely available at all seaside resort towns. It first became known in Krabi and Phang Nga, being the most peaceful way and only way to enjoy the strange karst islets, narrow channels and mangrove forests.

Sailing
The international yachting fraternity love Thailand's dramatic coastline and congregate once a year at Phuket for the annual King's Cup Regatta. H.R.H. The King was once an avid sailor and still shows interest for this sport. Though sailing is possible from Hua Hin and Pattaya, the best facilities and most scenic sights are in Phuket. Charter a yacht, join a crew or even sail one of your own, the choice is endless.

Scuba Diving/ Snorkeling
The Andaman Sea offers some of the world's most spectacular coral reefs, ocean drop-offs, and submerged pinnacles. With numerous wreck dive sites and islands also available on the Gulf of Thailand side, diving is capable nearly year-round. The crystal clear waters enables you to view colorful sea fans and soft corals for up to 100 feet, while the murky waters, full of nutrients, attracts larger marine animals, with numerous sightings of the elusive whale shark. The tropical, warm currents means suiting up in bathing suits is quite adequate.

Culture

Learn about the different elements that comprises this enchanting Kingdom. See what you cannot experience from reading guidebooks and gain a deeper insight into the unique and diverse lifestyles of the Thai people.

Cultural (BKK)
Experience the harmonious mixture of cultural diversity that forms a large metropolis, enabling it to survive as the capital of the Land of Smiles.

Cultural (North)
With their own history and influences, the 700 years plus Lanna culture of the North have their own stories to tell.

Hilltribes
Most commonly found in remote areas of Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, and Tak, each unique tribe has their own unique culture and tradition. Their exotic distinction manages to attracts and fascinates all, though they've been around for numerous decades.

River Cruises
Take a boat ride among the labyrinth of canals and observe the traditional lifestyle still in existence. Floating markets, people giving alms to monks in boats, children playing in the waters - all part of a normal life you've only read or heard about.

Eco-tourism

To be in touch with nature and to help conserve it for future generations, these types of activities were designed for responsible nature lovers. Appreciate the beauty, view its wonders, but keep it intact for others too.

Bicycle Tours
What a better way to fully appreciate the local lifestyle than by pedaling through those narrow roads that tourist buses can't penetrate? It is also a novel and good way to enjoy the natural wilderness and historical ruins.

Elephant Safaris
Experience lurching through the forests atop a pachyderm and learn to appreciate its mighty strength and agility, able to wade across deep rivers. Most elephant camps that offers treks are based in Chiang Mai, but elephant rides are also offered at tourist destinations in most resort towns.

Sea Cruises
Take a cruise and view the impressive scenery the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea has to offer. Travel in style and leisure.

Trekking
Thailand offers ideal terrain for hiking, from the limestone forests of Krabi to the undulating mountains in the North, where many hilltribe people live. Head over to any national parks for nature-based trekking, teeming with wildlife, waterfalls, and other natural attractions. Some treks incorporate elephant safaris and other modes of transportation.

Walking Tour
Sometimes the best, and time-efficient ways to learn about Thai culture is simply by walking around, either plainly observing or immersing yourself with the people. Most walking tours involves temples within the same vicinity. And in Bangkok, sometimes walking is much faster than cars.

Wildlife Viewing
Some of the rarest, tropical animals and birds can still be found in the nation's national parks. The most common trips are birdwatching, but even a simple walk in any mountainous area will guarantee a sighting of at least some common animals found in Thailand: gibbons and monkeys.

Golf

The nation's passion for golf has never waned. The excellent golf courses scattered around the nation, with diverse scenic backdrops, have hosted numerous international competitions. Though many clubs are exclusive, numerous golfing holidays are commonly available throughout the year at popular golfing destinations. More information

Content by Tourism Authority of Thailand