Thailand with kids

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is well set up for tourism but a much more manageable size than Bangkok. Kids will love the night markets, as well as cycling through the tiny alleyways – known as soi – to explore away from the main roads. Cycling out to the temples on the outskirts also takes them through lesser visited residential areas – it’s great fun.

Lesley Schofield, from our supplier All Points East, shares her tips on travelling in Thailand with kids: “Thailand is the most fantastic destination for children. It’s comparatively safe, there are good standards of food hygiene, people absolutely love kids and will interact with them. The standard of English is reasonable – but it’s also good for our kids to discover that everyone doesn’t speak English particularly well. In some villages they have a much more rural existence. They have satellite dishes – but on their huts. They drive round in pickup trucks – but that’s because they haven’t got roads. So they’re not backward by any means, but they are living a much more simple life than we are. And while that still exists in the world, and it exists somewhere that’s safe and pleasant, I think it’s brilliant to get kids out there to discover it.”