Where to stay with kids in Thailand

Family hotel picks in Thailand

• 

  Kata / Karon / Bang Tao€€Mid-range

  Phuket — west coast family resorts

  The value gap is the point: pools, kids' clubs and family suites at rates that would buy a standard European double room.

  • Shallow children's pools and often a slide
  • Kids' club included in the rate
  • Family suites and interconnecting rooms
  • Airport transfers arranged by the hotel

  Fitting a family in

  Family suites with a separate children's room are common and cost far less than two rooms in Europe.

  Watch out. Check how far the beach actually is — 'beachfront' sometimes means across a main road, which matters with young children.

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• 

  Sukhumvit / Riverside€€Mid-range

  Bangkok — Skytrain hotels with a pool

  A pool is not a luxury in Bangkok; it is the afternoon plan. Being on the Skytrain removes the traffic from every other part of the day.

  • Rooftop or garden pool for the hot afternoon
  • Walking distance to a BTS or MRT station
  • Family rooms at mid-range prices

  Fitting a family in

  Rooms sleeping four are widely available and inexpensive compared with European cities.

  Watch out. Check the walk to the station in metres, not blocks. Bangkok pavements are hard going in the heat.

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• 

  Old Town / Riverside€Budget

  Chiang Mai — pool hotels near the old town

  Chiang Mai is the best value in the country, and a pool hotel a few minutes from the walled old town gives both walkable sightseeing and a place to cool off.

  • Walking distance to the old town and night markets
  • Pool for the middle of the day
  • Sanctuary tours pick up from the hotel

  Fitting a family in

  Family rooms and two-bedroom villas are inexpensive by comparison with the islands.

  Watch out. Air quality is poor during the burning season, roughly late February to April. Hotel filtration matters then.

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• 

  Ao Nang€€Mid-range

  Krabi — Ao Nang hotels with a pool

  Everything a family needs in Krabi sits on one street — boats, food, pharmacies and a supermarket — so a pool hotel set back from the beach road removes taxis from the trip almost entirely.

  • Pool for the hot middle of the day
  • Walking distance to the beach road and the boat pier
  • Tour desks and airport transfers arranged at reception
  • Restaurants at every price level within a few minutes

  Fitting a family in

  Rooms sleeping three or four are standard. Interconnecting rooms are less common than on Phuket, so a family of five should confirm the configuration before booking.

  Watch out. Ao Nang's own beach empties to flats at low tide and the longtail pier occupies one end of it. A sea-view room here is not the same thing as a swimming beach.

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• 

  Klong Muang / Tubkaak€€€Higher-end

  Krabi — quiet beach resorts at Klong Muang & Tubkaak

  A calm, gently shelving stretch of coast with resort grounds big enough for children to roam, twenty minutes clear of the Ao Nang crowds.

  • Direct beach access with gentle entry
  • Kids' clubs and shallow pools at the larger resorts
  • Shaded grounds set away from any road
  • Private boat trips arranged from the beach

  Fitting a family in

  Family suites and two-bedroom villas are the norm along this stretch rather than the exception.

  Watch out. There is almost nothing outside the gates. Every meal off-site, every pharmacy run and every trip into Ao Nang is a taxi, which adds up quickly over a week.

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• 

  Mae Nam / Bophut / Choeng Mon€€Mid-range

  Koh Samui — north-coast family resorts

  The north coast has the calmest water and the gentlest shelving on the island, and the shortest transfer from the airport — which with tired children is worth more than a sunset view.

  • Sheltered bays with gradual entry
  • Kids' clubs and shallow pools at the larger resorts
  • Short airport transfer
  • Food within walking distance at Bophut and Mae Nam

  Fitting a family in

  Family rooms, interconnecting doubles and small pool villas are all widely available at mid-range prices.

  Watch out. Several north-coast beaches stay ankle-deep a long way out at low tide. That is ideal for paddling toddlers and frustrating for older children who want to swim.

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• 

  Taling Ngam / Chaweng Noi hills€€€Higher-end

  Koh Samui — hillside pool villas

  A private pool and three or four bedrooms under one roof costs less than the equivalent resort rooms, which suits families planning to spend most days at the villa rather than out.

  • Private pool and a full kitchen
  • Two to four bedrooms in a single booking
  • Quiet and space well away from a beach road
  • Housekeeping usually included in the rate

  Fitting a family in

  Whole-villa rates sleep six to eight comfortably, so two families or visiting grandparents fit into one booking.

  Watch out. Access roads are steep and rough, a car or a hired driver is effectively compulsory, and private pools are rarely fenced — the main safety issue with non-swimmers.

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