Five days in Thailand is best spent on Bangkok and Pattaya: a cabaret night and Coral Island in Pattaya, then a Chao Phraya dinner cruise, Safari World and, if your flight allows, the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Phuket and Krabi need six days or more to do properly. This is the plan two of our 5-day Thailand trips follow, written for a flight from Hyderabad, Bengaluru or Chennai, with where to stay, how to move between the two cities and what costs extra, at September 2026 prices.
The plan at a glance
| Day | Base | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pattaya | Land in Bangkok, drive to Pattaya, cabaret |
| 2 | Pattaya | Coral Island by speedboat |
| 3 | Bangkok | Drive to Bangkok, river dinner cruise |
| 4 | Bangkok | Safari World and Marine Park |
| 5 | Flight home | Grand Palace if the flight allows |
Pattaya comes first, so the drive is done on arrival day and the last two nights are in Bangkok, where the flight home leaves from. The plan works in any month; in September and October, Bangkok's wettest weeks, keep some slack for a downpour.
Day 1: land in Bangkok, drive to Pattaya, cabaret night
- The flight: each of Hyderabad (roughly 3 hours 45 minutes in the air), Bengaluru (around four hours) and Chennai (3 hours 30 to 40 minutes) has a non-stop to Bangkok every day. Submit the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card within the three days before you land.
- The drive: about 145 to 150 km to Pattaya, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, by the transfer in the day plan. Check in and rest.
- Evening: a cabaret show with costumes and stage sets; tickets and transfers are included.
- Money: take out baht in one or two larger withdrawals, because Thai ATMs charge foreign cards about 250 baht each time. A tourist SIM at the airport starts at about 299 baht for 8 days, with your passport.
Day 2: Coral Island by speedboat
- Morning: transfer to the pier and a speedboat to Coral Island (Koh Larn), 7.5 km off Pattaya.
- Day: clear-water beaches and swimming. Parasailing, sea walking, jet skis and snorkelling are optional, at extra cost.
- Lunch: included on both trips that follow this plan.
- Evening: free on Pattaya's Beach Road.
- Watch for: never leave your passport as a deposit for a jet ski.
Day 3: back to Bangkok and a Chao Phraya dinner cruise
- Morning: check out and drive back to Bangkok, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, and check in.
- Afternoon: an easy one; if your hotel is in Pratunam, the malls are a short walk away.
- Evening: transfer to the river for the Chao Phraya dinner cruise, past the lit-up temples and palaces, with dinner on board.
Day 4: Safari World and Marine Park
- Day: the drive-through safari park and the marine park shows on the edge of the city, the family day of the trip. Entry is included, and lunch too on the Honeymoon Retreat.
- Evening: a night market or the Pratunam malls.
- Food: Bangkok has dozens of Indian restaurants, including vegetarian ones around Sukhumvit and in Pahurat, Bangkok's Little India. Thai dishes often use fish sauce, so vegetarians should ask for "jay" food, which is vegan and also leaves out onion and garlic.
Day 5: the Grand Palace if your flight allows, then home
- In the package: check-out and the transfer to the airport.
- With an evening flight: a morning is enough for the Grand Palace with Wat Phra Kaew (ticket 500 baht, roughly ₹1,450; the counter opens at 8:30 am and stops selling at 3:30 pm) and next-door Wat Pho, home of the 46-metre Reclining Buddha (300 baht, roughly ₹870). They are not in the package, so go by metered taxi or Grab.
- Dress for it: the Grand Palace refuses sleeveless, see-through or short tops, shorts, mini skirts and torn or tight trousers. Wear the right clothes from the hotel rather than counting on a cover-up at the gate.
- Watch for: the tuk-tuk driver who says the palace is closed and offers a detour to a gem shop.
Where to stay and how to get around
In Pattaya, stay along Beach Road or in Jomtien; in Bangkok, Sukhumvit or Pratunam, near the BTS Skytrain and the malls. If you book your own rooms, typical rates are about ₹2,000 to ₹4,500 a night for a clean 2 or 3-star, ₹4,500 to ₹9,000 for a 4-star and ₹12,000 to ₹25,000 and up for a 5-star; on our trips the hotels are in the price.
On these trips Bangkok and Pattaya are joined by road, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours each way. Inside Bangkok the BTS costs roughly 17 to 65 baht a ride, metered taxis start at 35 baht, and Grab is about 80 to 200 baht for short trips. Agree a tuk-tuk fare before you get in.
Which of our trips follow this plan
- 5 Days Bangkok Pattaya Honeymoon Retreat, from ₹27,250 per person: exactly these days, with the cabaret, lunch on the Coral Island and Safari World days, and the dinner cruise.
- 5 Days Bangkok Pattaya Coral Island Bliss, from ₹45,670 per person: the same days with private car transfers, the Alcazar cabaret, lunch on Coral Island, the dinner cruise and both Safari World parks.
Both are private packages rather than fixed group departures, priced per person on twin sharing without international flights, which are quoted separately. Entry is visa-free for this length as of September 2026, so there is no visa fee. With a day or more to spare, the 6 Days Phuket Bangkok Pattaya Getaway (from ₹32,000) swaps Coral Island, the cabaret and the cruise for two nights in Phuket with the Phi Phi speedboat day and a Bangkok temple visit, and the 9 Days Thailand Phuket Krabi Pattaya Bliss (from ₹52,750) runs this whole plan after Phuket and Krabi; both need a domestic flight that is not in the price. With only four days, keep to one base.
Questions we are asked most
Is 5 days enough for Thailand?
Five days is enough for Bangkok and Pattaya: a cabaret night, Coral Island, a Chao Phraya dinner cruise and Safari World. Phuket and Krabi need six days or more, which is why our island trips run six to nine days.
Can I do Phuket and Krabi in 5 days?
It is tight. Six days suits Phuket and Krabi, with the Phi Phi speedboat day and the Krabi four-island tour, and Chennai has no non-stop to Phuket at present. For five days, Bangkok and Pattaya fits without rushing.
How far is Pattaya from Bangkok?
About 145 to 150 km, or 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours by road. On all our 5-day Bangkok and Pattaya trips the day plan includes the drive from Bangkok airport to Pattaya, the drive back to Bangkok and the airport drop.
What the whole trip costs is in the Thailand trip cost guide, the entry rule in Thailand visa for Indians and the months in the best time to visit Thailand. To book these five days, or stretch them, start from the Thailand tour packages and tell the planner your dates, your city and who is travelling.
