Because this was a spur-of-the-moment trip, time was tight and there was no time to make a detailed plan. So we bought a semi–group tour package directly on Ctrip. May is low season, with fewer people, so overall it wasn’t too expensive.
Pre-departure prep:
*** card — we used China Merchants Bank; applied on Thursday, paid for expedited service and it arrived on Monday. Pretty fast.
2. Beach/reef shoes — a must. When going offshore around Phuket there are reefs and driftwood; it’s easy to get hurt.
3. Sunglasses, swim trunks, disposable raincoats (considering rainy season)
4. Don’t bring too many clothes — I packed four days’ worth plus one set of swimwear
5. Sun-protective clothing
6. Hat (we didn’t buy in advance — ended up buying at the market; lots of styles and cheap)
7. A pair of comfortable sandals — I brought Crocs
8. 20,000 THB per person
9. Waterproof phone pouch
Formal itinerary:
On 5/15 we went straight from work to take the late flight to Bangkok, with about one hour time difference.
We landed at 22:15, swapped in our SIMs — we had two: one unlimited, one 30GB for a week. Then we found the driver arranged by Ctrip; smooth pickup. The hotel is a bit far from the airport and we didn’t get there until nearly 23:30.
We stayed the first two nights at Oakwood Residence Sukhumvit, Bangkok.
The hotel is average — nothing good or bad — but the location is decent: a 7‑Eleven right outside, BTS a short walk away, and a few stops to the Central shopping area. It’s also quite close by taxi to Jodd Fairs night market (though they charged me too much).
After check‑in we put our things down; it was already 00:30, so we grabbed two instant noodles at the nearby 7‑Eleven.
Day 1: Morning at Maeklong Railway Market + Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.
They’re basically ordinary markets. Some areas smell (it’s summer and they sell meat). If you want a taste of local life, go; if you’re squeamish, you can skip these two.
We bought straw hats in the market, and around 10:30 cooled off in a nearby café near the starting point. At 11:10 the train passed by.
Both places cater to tourists, so bargain hard — be bold.
Calling out this pad thai — it’s sweet and quite wet. Not my taste.
In the afternoon we arrived at Wat Phra Kaew + Grand Palace around 15:30. Not too crowded; having a guide was nice for explanations. Personally the Grand Palace was just so-so, but since it’s right next to Wat Phra Kaew, we toured both.
There are lots of squirrels on the trees outside Wat Phra Kaew — they don’t seem very afraid of people.
At 16:00 we headed straight to the Chao Phraya River for the boat — 30 THB per stop, and we reached Wat Arun directly. People will try to sell you private boat tours for about 1,000+ THB; two people can charter and visit several spots, then return for sunset. We weren’t into that, so we just spent 60 THB. Be sure to go to the upper deck — the boat is fast and the breeze feels amazing.
If you just want a basic Wat Arun “check‑in”, this level is enough. But I recommend buying tickets to enter — it’s more beautiful up close. There are Thai costumes for rent outside (about 300 THB) including outfit and hairstyling, but styles are limited. Many people dress up elsewhere and then come here. PS: Wat Arun closes at 18:00. We arrived at 17:00 and I thought styling would take time, so I didn’t rent a Thai outfit. In reality the temple isn’t big; you can finish quickly. It’s perfect for photos in Thai dress. Arriving around 16:00 gives you more time.
This was what we saw waiting for the boat after leaving Wat Arun — the flowers were in full bloom.
Wat ArunAt 18:00 we set off to eat. After returning by boat there’s BTS nearby — very convenient.
First stop was Chula 50 Kitchen — it’s hyped on Bilibili and Xiaohongshu. Big thumbs up: it’s truly delicious. We arrived around 18:30, waited briefly, and then were seated; soon the line grew long.
The first dish was average — the mantis shrimp wasn’t very firm — but given they gave eight shrimps for 280 THB, fine 
. The second dish was amazing and a must order — curry soft-scrambled egg with crab meat over rice. If we hadn’t planned to hit other places afterward I could have devoured three bowls.
Then we walked toward Chulalongkorn University, turned onto a street, opened Google Maps, searched for highly rated shops, and sat down at places with lots of locals and no long queues.
The second place was a soup with oysters, sea bass, cabbage, and two dipping sauces; the green one was super tasty — as soon as it arrived you could smell lemony sourness; the soup itself was fresh and sweet.
The third place was a bit of a fail — this red soup was sweet; not my thing 
The owner kept saying “spicy spicy” — we fell for it.
The fourth place was nam do huu (southern tofu). Recommended: the purple sweet‑potato tofu — quite special, and ginger sugar made it cooling. After that we went to ELVISSUKI & seafood. It had a lot of people in line, but when we arrived around 22:00–23:00 we bravely asked, “Do you have a table for two?” Luckily, yes, and we sat down 
Plum juice wasn’t good 
— like dried plum in water.
Portion was fine but flavorless — not marinated.
This was the best of the night; the dipping sauce was great too.
This is “sai krok” dried pork 
with a strong porky odor 
— totally unacceptable.
Day 2 was all about shopping. From the hotel we took the MRT a few stops and arrived directly.
The three major malls are interconnected. We mainly wanted fragrance, so we did some homework on Xiaohongshu beforehand.
First was Journal — their hyped mango sticky rice was so‑so, so we passed. Their “galangal” and Songkran scents were quite special, so we bought those, plus a grapefruit — very fresh. Note the spray is oil‑based, not watery.
Second was MITH perfume — we bought pomegranate and another one recommended by the staff. Not very expensive, but after using it on myself the longevity felt weaker than Journal. Still very fragrant, fruity, and fun to play with.
Third was the fragrance brand KARMAKAMET. As soon as you enter, the smell is amazing — you feel like you’ll be marinated just by walking around. But many items are over 100 ml; considering we’d fly to Phuket later and didn’t want to check luggage, we only bought sachets here.
I had previously bought sachets from a Xiaohongshu‑recommended store called PEYLAA and thought those were special and nice. But after smelling KARMAKAMET’s sachets, it’s clear you get what you pay for — so fragrant. My husband, a straight guy, bought a lot.
After shopping we went back to the hotel to wait for the driver. The airport is small but a bit far; 30 minutes is plenty to get there. Maybe because it was low season, there weren’t many people and security had no queue.
In Phuket we stayed at Marina Resort. The environment was nice, with a pool and a pretty little courtyard. The only downside is it’s halfway up a hill, so rides to and from there cost a pretty penny.
We opted for hotel breakfast; otherwise by the time I finished makeup and we went out for breakfast each day, we’d be starving!
It’s best to stay on the ground floor here — slide open the glass door and you’re right at the pool. Every night we swam first before resting. Or swim in the morning right after getting up.
At night we ate at a stall recommended on Bilibili. It said “clear soup”, but the broth was a bit sweet. I chose wide rice noodles — personally didn’t like them; they felt like glutinous rice skins.
Next was a Phuket Town day tour.
First stop: Karon Viewpoint — nice scenery but felt a bit far. Starting from Patong in the morning we drove quite a while. If not on the way, personally I don’t think it’s necessary.
Second stop: Wat Chalong. We had a coconut there. The weather was great that day. The flowers and incense for worship are free — help yourself.
Third stop: lunch — supposedly Michelin, but the taste was average. Honestly, their fried rice noodles weren’t much different from a street stall, though the decor was nice — outside the courtyard is full of greenery and flowers and looks great in photos, but I forgot to take any. From then on, I lost my filter for restaurants that claim “Michelin”.
Fourth stop: Phuket Old Town.
It’s a colorful old street — feels like every seaside city must have one — so I didn’t find it very special. It was also very hot that day: walk a bit, duck into air‑conditioning, walk a bit, cool down again ☀️☀️
Fifth stop: Mangrove Seaview Restaurant for sunset and afternoon tea. Our timing was a bit early so we didn’t catch the sunset 
but sipping drinks in the sea breeze was still very pleasant and comfy.
Sixth stop: King Power Duty Free. Personally, not much worth buying — most items are easily available back home and not that much cheaper. But we had a 200 RMB coupon that day, so we bought a foundation for a friend. We stayed about an hour and left 
At night we went to the Frog Night Market — pretty average for both food and goods. A bit disappointing.
Day 4 was island‑hopping: Khai Island, then Big Phi Phi + Little Phi Phi, and finally Maya Bay.
Be sure to do sun protection 
and remember beach socks — the islands are all reefs; flip‑flops aren’t enough.
We didn’t return to the hotel after the tour, so I wore my swimsuit inside: a towel, disposable underwear, a padded strappy top, a pair of pants, swim goggles, and a straw hat — that’s enough.
Highly recommend swimsuit cover‑ups like mine 
— once the speedboat breeze hits, it dries quickly; sun‑protective and comfy.
After returning in the afternoon, swap to the strappy top for a fresh look.
Definitely bring swim goggles — the water is super clear. In the shallows of Little Phi Phi you can already see small fish — so pretty. I thought Patong’s beach was nice enough, but Little Phi Phi is crystal clear like jelly.
We chartered a boat to a Xiaohongshu‑famous “jelly‑sea” spot — forgot the exact name.
The water was truly crystal clear, but there are many rocks. The guide will choose a shallow area for everyone to get in the water; you can’t go far. On the way back we even saw small sharks.
Second stop in the afternoon was snorkeling, so don’t eat too much at lunch. My husband ate too much and felt nauseous after snorkeling. Luckily we brought motion‑sickness meds — they came in handy.
They provide snorkeling masks. The water pressure is strong, so you can’t really take photos. We chose snorkeling with one coach leading many people. I don’t know how to swim, but the coach was very professional. Don’t scare yourself — as long as the mask is secure, you’ll be fine. If you’re unsure, ask the coach to help adjust it.
I didn’t tie my hair well and it came loose, so I kept pushing it back, which distracted me from watching the fish 
The last stop was Maya Bay. The water is clear and the sand is super fine, but lots of driftwood and trash float in, so you can’t swim there. It’s better for photos and sunbathing.
We returned around dusk. Since snorkeling was tiring today, we went for a Thai massage afterward.
The guide recommended let’s relax — packages from 2,000–3,500 THB. I chose hot‑stone massage; you can pick your favorite essential oil. I must praise Thai essential oils — so fragrant.
You can even shower before the massage, which was perfect for rinsing off my hair marinated by sea salt.
Maybe the lady thought I’m a girl, so she wasn’t too heavy‑handed. But my husband chose the pure Thai massage, and he kept saying it hurt afterward.
Before the full‑body massage there was a foot massage. You lie half‑reclined, which is very comfortable, and afterward the skin on your calves stayed smooth and glossy for several days 
.
Afterward they served ginger tea with a little flower.
Post‑massage we picked a random place for dinner. In Thailand, curry and tom yum rarely fail — this big portion was only 250 THB.
But pork dishes are exceptions — of the few pork dishes we tried in Thailand, two tasted funky.
On Day 5 we strolled beaches near the hotel: Patong Beach → Jungceylon Mall → Karon Beach → Banzaan Seafood Market.
Patong Beach has quite a lot of big rocks, but the water is still very clear; the sand is slightly pokey on the feet.
We tried parasailing — you can bargain boldly here. I finally got close to the child’s price and then shaved off a bit more.
We went to Karon Beach in the afternoon — the waves were huge. As someone who can’t swim, I didn’t dare go far and shouldn’t go far. Even at shin‑deep water, countless waves pushed you back 
The tide rose very quickly — it suddenly washed away our little “nest” on the shore 
Luckily my phone was heavy and didn’t wander off. But our blanket, umbrella, and sandals were swept away.
Across from the beach there’s a place to rinse off sand. Because the waves were so big, our pants and swimwear were full of sand and felt heavy to walk in. After rinsing off, we saw a beautiful sunset glow.
After getting ourselves sorted, we went straight to Banzaan Seafood Market. It’s mostly Chinese visitors there — many can speak Chinese, and some stall owners even speak Cantonese. So don’t assume people can’t understand you; be mindful when discussing bargaining strategies.
We didn’t have much cash left, so we didn’t order a lot. The above meal cost 200 RMB total — very tasty and fresh, with firm meat.
The ground floor sells seafood; the second floor handles cooking. The second‑floor kitchens accept Alipay and Visa. We wanted to save some cash for cooking fees, but we worried unnecessarily — both taste and price were satisfying. On the last day, after checking out and getting back our 30,000 THB deposit, we used the morning to go again for a second round.
On the final day it poured with rain. We were worried rain would cause traffic jams, so after seafood we went straight to the airport.
The airport has King Power Duty Free — many perfumes are discounted — but the airport is small and besides King Power there isn’t much to browse.
That’s the end of the trip — bye‑bye~
Last little tips:
1) For fruits and other foods, focus on Bangkok. In the busy areas of Phuket it’s mostly fries and fried fish, and our guide said fruits there aren’t great.
2) Thai outfits are better shot in Bangkok. Phuket has them too, but fewer shops and choices, and prices are higher than in Bangkok.
3) Don’t bring too many cosmetics or skincare — this trip was to try Thai products 
We bought some samples at 7‑Eleven and in the business district — seeding products is a fun experience too.
4) Bring a small handheld fan — more practical than electric fans.
5) Bring digestive pills — spicy foods can be really spicy.
6) A comfortable pair of sandals is more important than anything.
7) Mango and durian dried fruit are great snacks and souvenirs.
8) If you have a Visa card, you really don’t need much cash. On our itinerary, we brought 4,000 RMB for two people and still had money left at the airport. Too lazy to exchange back, we just bought a Chloé perfume, had a big meal, and grabbed a bunch of snacks at the airport.
