Thai lakeside and river towns off the beaten path.
Less-touristed lakeside and river towns in Thailand, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Lampang
Northern Thai city on the Wang River with a walkable centre dense with cafés, restaurants, and historic temples, Lampang is the third-largest city in the reg…
Thong Pha Phum
District in Kanchanaburi province, western Thailand, Thong Pha Phum sits alongside the Vajiralongkorn Dam reservoir and is home to Thong Pha Phum National Pa…
Ang Thong
A tiny provincial capital on both banks of the Chao Phraya River in central Thailand, Ang Thong is known for its reclining Buddha statues, traditional drum-m…
Damnoen Saduak
Damnoen Saduak, a town in Ratchaburi province in western Thailand, is best known for its floating market, held daily until noon on the canal that gives the d…
Chiang Saen
Ancient walled city on the Mekong River in northern Thailand's Chiang Rai province, Chiang Saen was founded in the 14th century as a Lanna Kingdom stronghold…
Mae Hong Son
This little provincial capital in the Shan Hills of north-west Thailand, Mae Hong Son sits along the banks of the River Pai near the border with Myanmar, wit…
Nakhon Sawan
This riverside city in Lower Northern Thailand sits at the confluence of the Ping and Nan rivers, where they join to form the Chao Phraya, making it a histor…
Chanthaburi
A riverside city in eastern Thailand with a dense café and restaurant scene along the Chanthaburi River, the city is also home to the Cathedral of the Immacu…
Chachoengsao
This riverside town on the Bang Pakong River in central Thailand, Chachoengsao sits a short distance east of Bangkok and is accessible by train.
Ban Rak Thai
High-mountain village in Mae Hong Son province, Ban Rak Thai — also known locally as Ban Mae Aw — sits around a large reservoir in the highlands, with cafés,…
Uthai Thani
A riverside town in Thailand's upper central region, Uthai Thani sits on the bank of the Sakae Krang River, a few kilometres upstream from where it meets the…
Nakhon Phanom
This town in northeastern Thailand sits directly on the Mekong River, which marks the border with Laos, with mountains visible across the water.
Phatthana Nikhom
This district in Lopburi province, central Thailand, is home to the Pa Sak Jolasid Dam, a large reservoir that brings the area its waterside character.
Nonthaburi
This riverside city on the Chao Phraya, Nonthaburi sits just north of Bangkok and is served by the Chao Phraya Express Boat as well as the MRT Purple and Pin…
Si Songkhram
Lively street market fills the main road of this riverside district town in northeast Thailand's Nakhon Phanom province, where colorful vendor umbrellas, loc…
Lat Lum Kaeo
A flat, canal-laced district in central Thailand's Pathum Thani province, where a striking white-and-crimson Buddhist temple with layered rooflines and a sil…
Mae Sai
Thailand's northernmost town, Mae Sai sits at the country's far northern tip where Phahonyothin Road crosses the Mae Sai River into Myanmar's Tachileik — mak…
Su-ngai Kolok
A border crossing town in Thailand's Narathiwat Province, Su-ngai Kolok sits directly across the Kolok River from Rantau Panjang in Malaysia's Kelantan state…
Mukdahan
A compact riverside town in Thailand's northeastern Isaan region, Mukdahan sits on the west bank of the Mekong River facing Laos, with a café and restaurant…
Chiang Khan
Riverside town in Thailand's Loei province where a wide, sandy-banked river faces a dramatic conical peak across the water, backed by rolling upland hills an…
Phayao
This lakeside town in the mountains of northern Thailand, Phayao sits on the shore of Phayao Lake and traces its origins to a city-state founded between 900…
Yasothon
This compact town on the Chi River in Thailand's north-eastern Isaan region, Yasothon has a walkable centre with a concentrated café and restaurant scene alo…
Kamphaeng Phet
This central Thailand town on the Ping River whose historical park — containing ruins of 14th- to 16th-century temples, city fortifications, and Buddha statu…
Bueng Khong Long
This district in northeastern Thailand's Bueng Kan province built around the Bueng Khong Long reservoir, created in the 1980s under a royal initiative by Kin…
Phanna Nikhom
A district in Thailand's Sakon Nakhon province where forested hills roll toward a river valley, offering elevated viewpoints across a wide, tree-covered land…
Pathum Thani
A riverside town north of Bangkok, Pathum Thani sits along the Chao Phraya and forms part of the Thai capital's wider metropolitan area.
Sakon Nakhon
Regional Isan city in northeast Thailand, marked by a grand golden ceremonial gate at its roundabout entrance, with a large nearby lake, surrounding hills, a…
Non Din Daeng
A district in Buriram province, northeastern Thailand, Non Din Daeng draws visitors to the Lam Nang Rong reservoir, the Nong Hong castle ruins, and the Dong…
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
The ruins of the Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, spread across this island town at the confluence of the Chao Phraya and Pa Sak rive…
Samut Songkhram
A compact riverside town in central Thailand, a short drive from Bangkok, with cafés and restaurants concentrated along the waterfront.
Trat
This walkable town on the Trat River near the Cambodian border, with a centre full of cafés and restaurants and a waterfront shaped by fishing and maritime t…
Bueng Kan
This little town on the Mekong River in northeastern Thailand's Isan region, sitting directly across the water from the Laotian town of Pakxan — making it a…
Uttaradit
A north Thai river town where a calm waterway lined with lush tropical greenery flows past a low-rise centre, with upland country close by and enough cafés a…
Phrae
A northern Thai town set along a broad, tree-lined river, with upland country close by, a walkable centre offering cafés and local restaurants, and enough in…
Loei
A town in northeast Thailand's Isaan region, Loei sits close to several well-known mountain ranges — Phu Kradung, Phu Luang, and Phu Ruea among them — whose…
Maha Sarakham
University town on the Chi River in Thailand's northeastern Isan region, Maha Sarakham has built a reputation as the "Taxila of Isan" — a reference to the an…
Ratchaburi
This riverside town in western Thailand, Ratchaburi sits along the Mae Klong River with a walkable centre full of cafés and restaurants.
Suphan Buri
This town in central Thailand's Chao Phraya Basin sitting along the Tha Chin River, Suphan Buri carries a long history and a concentration of heritage sites…
Khlong Luang
A canal-laced city in Pathum Thani province, Khlong Luang sits within easy reach of the ancient capital region and offers a glimpse of everyday Thai life alo…
Khong Chiam
Riverside town at Thailand's eastern tip in Ubon Ratchathani, where the Mekong flows past and ancient red-ochre rock art covers nearby cliff faces, complemen…
That Phanom
This small Thai riverside town where the Mekong forms a natural border with Laos, drawing visitors for its waterfront atmosphere and the surrounding hilly co…
Wichian Buri
This riverside town in central Thailand's upland fringe, Wichian Buri offers a relaxed waterside base with easy access to the broader region's celebrated her…
Kaeng Sanam Nang
Waterside spot in Thailand with surrounding hills, Kaeng Sanam Nang offers a scenic riverside setting that rewards visitors seeking calm natural landscapes a…
Tak Bai
A riverside town on Thailand's southern border with Malaysia, Tak Bai sits along the water's edge with surrounding hills and enough local character to draw i…
Kamphaeng Saen
A Thai town set directly on the water with hilly surrounds, offering a relaxed base for those drawn to riverside scenery and the quieter pace of central Thai…