The land of smiles is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Asia. Thousands flock to the country off the back of its reputation for excellent food, tropical beaches, mountain terrain, and most of all Thai people’s happy go lucky outlook on life.
If you have ever been to Thailand, then you will already know that Thai culture is like no other, and experiencing what Thai’s call ‘Thai-ness’ is an unusual experience in itself.
However, after getting settled into the Thai way of life and the unusual becomes the norm, for those that still have itchy feet and feel Thailand still has so more to offer, then why not consider checking out some of the more unusual activities available in Thailand while on your holiday adventure?
In this guide, we are going to help you add to your Thai experience by walking you through the 10 most unusual experiences in Thailand.
1. Eat Birds Nest Soup
As Thailand is so famous for its diverse cuisine we thought we would begin with something out of the ordinary on Thailand’s food menu. Birds nest soup is actually a Chinese invented dish but it is also incredibly popular amongst the locals in southern Thailand.
Though, getting to the locals that eat birds net soup is not easy as they tend to live in remote areas off the usual tourist routes. Therefore, if you are looking to give this strange but oddly popular dish a whirl, then next time you are in Bangkok visit a restaurant called Nam Sing in Chinatown (Yaowarat Road).
Although, we should warn you that this dish is one of the most expensive in the Kingdom as dishes start at around THB 200 ($6.50) and can reach as high as THB 1,000 ($30.00).
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2. Stay In a 5-Star Luxury Tree House With Private Swimming Pool
Next on our list is something not for the faint-hearted, or at least not for those scared of heights. You can find treehouse bungalows on most of Thailand’s popular backpacker islands, but none like the luxury experience offered by a treehouse resort that overlooks the Keemala village on the West coast of Phuket island.
The resort has a host of luxury treehouses set in the dense forest. Each one comes complete with its own sunbed area, outdoor shower, and luxury king size beds. Some even have swimming pools attached to them. What’s more is all the treehouses here have a scenic view overlooking the forest, villages below, and the Andaman Sea.
What makes this one of Thailand’s 10 most unusual experiences is the fact that you can stay in a luxury treehouse and live life to the max!
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I have never hear of this company before , and after reading all these reviews ,I decided to give it a try . The professionalism and communicative skill received by one of the agent , Sharon of Asia Highlights , convince me that She was the right travel agent for my trip in Asia . Very quickly she communicated with me and got all the detail of my desire vacation . Sharon made me a great itinerary with great experiences that I am dreaming to experience and I am looking forward to it . Thanks Sharon for been so great and crafting me a dream vacation with great suggestions.
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orge alvarez,
May 2023
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Coco Yang worked tirelessly to…
From the moment I landed in Bangkok, Ms Noi Ying was there to welcome me and get me settled into my hotel. We enjoyed several days together touring Bangkok and Kanchanaburi. In Chiang Mai, Mr Ekachai took my son snd I on an amazing trip to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary and to visit a community Lanna home, gardens and a hands-on cooking class preparing an authentic Thai meal. Lisa arranged a last-minute speedboat tour of 5 breathtaking islands in Phuket. From start to finish, the guides exceeded my expectations!! Thank you, Asia Highlight!! Debbie Woods
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Debbie Woods,
May 2023
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Sharon from Asia highlights has been…
Sharon from Asia highlights has been amazing. She offered her amazing ideas to other tours I wanted. We have planned the perfect 9 day itinerary to Thailand. She worked in my budget and was very flexible when I had to change my flights. Thank you sharon. Can’t wait for the trip.
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Heather Stern Wilensky,
Apr 2023
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Ms. Ning first review 4-2023
Ms. Albee Ning has been doing a great job accommodating my requests and itinerary changes. Remember the first itinerary is a rough draft and you may modify it to suit your tastes. Remember you can not do it all and see everything in 3 weeks. If the flight wasn't so long I would visit Southeast Asia more often. I will update my review in a few months. We don't leave for 9 more months. Asia Highlights is working well for me so far!
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Chiefray,
Apr 2023
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Perfect Trip To Thailand…
We had so much fun in Bangkok with Tanni and Tom as they kept laughing at all of our silly jokes. Paul, our guide and Chiang Mai was really thoughtful, fun and full of great information about the temples and sights. Thanks so much! Brian and Michelle
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Scott Orchard,
Mar 2023
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I highly recommend Asia Highlights
I highly recommend Asia Highlights. I worked with Alisa and she is fantastic! I was planning my honeymoon trip, and I changed the destination multiple times. Each time, Alisa provided me an updated itinerary with activities that matched my interests. Whether I had a small change to an activity, a question about one of the arrangements, or a change or destination, Alisa was helpful, thoughtful, and knowledgeable, providing me with updated options in an extremely timely manner. In the end, despite the fact that I changed my mind on location multiple times, I ended up booking a 17 day trip to Thailand for this upcoming November. I am extremely excited to experience everything that Alisa planned for us. I recommend Asia Highlights to everyone and look forward to using them again on any other trips to Asia in the future. Thank you Alisa and Asia Highlights!
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Britt Rosen,
Mar 2023
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Three weeks encompassing Vietnam
A special shoutout to our last guide in Bangkok - Ms. Ka-Noon who spoiled us with her kindness and then got us through check in and security for our flight home in record time at that huge Bangkok airport.
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Deby,
Feb 2023
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Over the last 5 years we've used Asia…
Over the last 5 years we've used Asia highlights twice. And both times we've had fantastic vacations. Would not want to do it any different when we travel to Asia from now on. Sharon was fantastic. She was a wonderful agent who helped us nail down our trip and make everything go as smooth as possible.
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Todd Atwell,
Feb 2023
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Family Trip to Thailand
Our trip to Thailand comprised three generations of the family , ten people and an age range of 4 to 70 so a potentially difficult brief.Our itinerary over two weeks involved four locations, and a number of different trips and tours.From out arrival at an extremely busy Bangkok airport Asia Highlights were terrific.In each location we were met by a smiling , knowledgeable and professional guide who simply made everything easy and stress free for everyone.Our transportation was clean and comfortable . Transport was always ready for us at the agreed time and the drivers were excellent.There were so many highlights enjoyed by all the age groups. The floating houses , railway market and elephant sanctuary were particular favourites.We had one minor glitch with the accommodation in Phuket which was immediately dealt with by Tip. I think we would have struggled to resolve the problem by ourselves.
So, thank you Asia Highlights , Cathy, Tip and tour guides Tanny, Sam and Lisa. It was a memorable holiday and we will be back.
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Roger Pyle,
Feb 2023
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Trip of a lifetime from Asia Highlights!
I recommend highly Asia Highlights as a travel company. Our travel consultant Albee took the time to connect with us during the planning process to make sure we were comfortable with our itinerary. When we arrived, we were met by our guide and all the details were attended to. They picked great hotels and tours. I often describe our trip as the trip of a lifetime! Would definitely use them again when we come back to Asia
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Nancy Parker,
Feb 2023
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Asia Highlights and Albee - highly recommended
Asia Highlights is very reliable agency and Albee is an amazing representative of the company. From the moment when we contacted her until our departure, the whole support we received was 6* level. She prepared our trip offer within few hours and afterwards she was extremely flexible to adjust as per our needs. In the period between the offer and the trip, Albee was always available for all our questions and supported us on the best possible way. During the trip she was again flexible to add new activities/transfers and this went on the smoothest possible way. Thank you, Albee and Asia Highlights. Definitely we will approach you again for our next Asian trip
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AZ,
Feb 2023
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5 STAR CUSTOMER SERVICE BY MONICA
Monica is a very sweet young lady who speaks excellent English via email/WhatsApp, and knows the importance of excellent customer service.
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Trent,
Jan 2023
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We had an awesome experience with Asia Highlights
We started our trip in Bangkok, where Mr. Prassert our tour guide, met us. He was on time and the van was clean and well-maintained. Mr. Prassert was our guide for the 4 days we spent in Bangkok. He was helpful, kind, and willing to accommodate our pee and coffee breaks. The driver was safe and punctual.
Next, we went to Chiang Mai.Gemma exceeded every expectation we had for our tour of Chiang Mai! She had a great attitude that made exploring the city fun and exciting, as well as an abundance of knowledge and experience. She was always spot on with figuring out logistics and coming up with unique ideas that suited our interests and schedules. Gemma was incredibly generous with her time and even walked us to security at the airport to make sure we could carry all of our luggage. That’s just one example of how far out of her way she went to make our trip easier and more enjoyable. Gemma was sincerely interested in making every minute of our trip count. We’re very grateful to have met her and feel like we have found a friend in Gemma! Our driver in Chiang Mai was also great and very accommodating to our changes in schedules.
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Lois Paskow,
Dec 2022
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Thailand & Cambodia 2022
Albee went above and beyond to make our trip perfect. She rearranged flights due to a mistake of mine. She made sure we were still picked up and escorted to the airport. I felt comfortable and safe with all our reps. She did an excellent job and I highly recommend her booking your next trip. Thank you, Albee.
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Karen Brooks,
Dec 2022
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Perfect vacation thanks to Albee we…
I can’t say enough about how much we appreciate all the efforts, attention to details and immediate responses to all questions that Albee and her team provided. The Asia Highlights team deserves more stars than the maximum allowed because of continually going above and beyond all expectations. Thanks Albee for making our vacation through south east Asia absolutely perfect!!!
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Michael Sharp,
Dec 2022
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2023 Chiang Mai CAD Yipeng Festival
We got early bird ticket and Bella was assisting us through whatsapp. Easy, competitive price, front row tickets. Thanks Bella, for being patient explaining everything to me. Highly recommended.
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lily hartati,
Dec 2022
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Bella has been an outstanding customer service rep
Bella has been an outstanding customer service rep. She was responsive and knowledgeable. Buying tickets from their website was super easy and the whole process was straightforward. Highly recommended.
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Khai,
Nov 2022
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I was ever so grateful to have a point…
I was ever so grateful to have a point of contact while in a foreign country for the first time, alone, that helped me through the Ins and outs of getting to and from my destination. Albee was readily available which brought me much comfort and feeling of safety. If in this part of the world again, I will not hesitate to use your services..
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Omega,
Nov 2022
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Memorable Experience!!!
I booked tickets to the Chiang Mai Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Nov 2022. Bella was extremely responsive and helpful!!
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Bowen,
Nov 2022
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Personalized
It is the attention to detail and what we specifically wanted to see that made the reservation experience so exciting.
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Peter Bongiovanni,
Nov 2022
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3. Stand On The Wat Pha Tak Suea Skywalk (Chiang Rai)
In the north of Thailand, there is a glass-floored sky-walk that sticks out of the edge of a cliff face. From the walkway leading up to the skywalk, the view is out of this world, and once you reach the main attraction which is the skywalk itself, you will be met with stunning panoramic views of the Mekong River and its surroundings.
What makes this attraction so unusual is that this walkway sticks out like a diving board over a swimming pool. Except below you, there is nothing but air and mountainous terrain hundreds of feet below. As the treck up to the skywalk runs across the borders of Laos, to get here, we recommend that you book a hotel in Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai and arrange a tour from here.
10-Day Island Hopping Tour around Eastern Thailand:
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4. Take Your Chances On a Cursed Thailand Beach (Phuket/Krabi)
The black pebble beach of Koh Hingham is in the south of Thailand. According to Thai mythology, the Gods adorned the beach with precious stones and then placed a curse over the entire island. If you have ever visited a beach and taken back a pebble or two as a souvenir, then you would not expect any come back. However, if you dare take one form the black pebble beach of Koh Hingham, then it comes with the risk of facing the wrath of the ancient Thai god Tarutao!
Visitors that take any of the black stones from this island will be cursed forever until the stone is returned. It could be worth testing out, but if you do, watch the horror of the Thais that take you to this island – their superstition is so strong that they might even refuse to take you back to your hotel and leave you on the island.
5. Take a Trip to The Human Body Museum (Bangkok)
Inside the human body museum, there are 14 dissected human bodies from Japan. Ultimately what makes this one of the most unusual experiences in Thailand is the fact that these are in fact bonified real bodies - no pun intended! Why the university didn’t simply design models is a mystery.
This is certainly one of the strangest museums in the world. That said, for Thais, it is not that strange at all!. Thais tend to not get queasy over when it comes to the dead. In fact, all you need to do is turn on the Thai news or look at the pictures in a Thai newspaper to see that the cameramen do not hold back when reporting on tragic accidents.
Albeit, there is a good reason these bodies are on display. The bodies are in the medical faculty at one of Thailand’s top universities – Chulalongkorn. Each body is displayed at a different level of dissection for educational purposes. If this sounds like an unusual experience you would like to try out, then the showpiece is also open to the public and free to enter between 10:00 – 16:00 Monday to Friday.
4-Day Best of Chiang Mai Tour:
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6. Experience a Thai Massage From A Prison Inmate (Chiang Mai)
If you happen to visit the north of Thailand, namely Chiang Mai, then check out the ‘Women’s Correctional Institution Vocational Training Centre’ for non-violent offenders. The facility was set up to help female inmates train and learn skills that will help them find gainful employment after their release.
One of the most popular skills taught at the facility is how to perform the famous Thai massage. As a result of this, the trainee inmates need real-life subjects to test out their newfound skills, and the facility needs a way to keep funding going in order to remain open. Therefore, if you want to support this project, pop in between 8 am to 4.30 pm from Monday to Friday and a correctional officer will escort you to the massage area where you will pay just 180 baht for a 1-hour session.
7. Visit a Prisoner in Bangkok’s Notorious Bang Kwang Prison (Bangkok)
Thailand’s most notorious hotel is known as the Bangkok Hilton – except this is no ordinary hotel as you don’t get to choose a room and some people never get to check out. Bang Kwang is one of the country’s largest prison facilities and has been the subject of numerous movies.
The prison’s inmates have been incarcerated for crimes as petty as theft for more serious crimes such as drug trafficking and homicide. Despite this, the prison allows the general public to come in and visit any of its prisoners for 30 minutes.
5-Day Essential Bangkok Tour:
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8. Visit the Airplane Graveyard (Bangkok)
In one of Bangkok’s western districts called Bang Kapi, there is a rather unusual graveyard full of old airplanes. The graveyard became an attraction after someone stumbled across it finding two Boeing 747s abandoned here. From here onward two McDonnell Douglas MD-82 jetliners were added as well as another Boeing 747.
The jetliners are a popular attraction because one of them was the very plane that caught fire in Phucket in 2007, and you can climb inside all the planes and sit in the cockpits, passenger seats, as well as explore the cargo/baggage holds.
You can easily get a taxi here from any hotel in Bangkok via the highway. Just ask the taxi to take you to Soi 103 Ramkhamhaeng Road.
9. Visit The Wooden Temple - Sanctuary of Truth (Pattaya)
The Sanctuary of Truth is arguably one of Thailand's strangest temples. It is also one that is not advertised as a tourist attraction very often but easily accessible from Pattaya and Bangkok.
It is located on a large beach at the Ratchavete Cape near Pattaya where the temple clearly stands out because of its hybrid of religion, philosophy, and art.
The temple boasts out of the ordinary sculptures and a structure that gives it an almost eerie look and feel. Even eerier is that the temple is almost entirely carved out of wood so you will hear its constant creaking in the wind – some still believe the temple is home to numerous ghosts.
The temple began construction in 1981 and stands at 100 meters tall, and you will notice that its construction was never finished. Not only is this an unusual temple, but its wooden structure and constant creaking also make it quite creepy.
If this sounds like your kind of unusual experience, then we recommend arranging a half-day trip from Pattaya or a full-day trip from Bangkok.
8-Day Northern Thailand Discovery:
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10. Visit the Batcaves in Khao Yai
Khao Yai has fast become one of Thailand’s popular attractions for both domestic as well as foreign tourists. The province is just outside of Bangkok to the northeast and is very easy to get to thanks to its recent upsurge in popularity.
However, unlike most tourist destinations in the Kingdom of Thailand, there are no beaches or mountains here. Instead, there Khao Yai is a lush rural area with scenic hilltop views, waterfalls, lakes, farms, rice paddies, and in general a slow pace of life.
There is also a huge national park here which is home to a wide number of species indigenous to Thailand which includes millions of vampire bats!
Now it might sound crazy, but you can book a trip to walk into the bat caves in Khao Yai national park which are home to what nature experts believe to be over one million vampire bats.
Inside the caves, there is a labyrinthine of tunnels that you can traverse with a tour guide, and as you shine your torch to the caves’ ceilings you will see the local inhabitants sleeping upside down in true bat fashion!
That said, seeing the bats sleeping and the inside of the caves is not the highlight of this unusual experience. Once you are done exploring, you can step outside the caves and set yourself in a nearby field overlooking the cave mouth. Come dusk the bats will begin to emerge.
Initially, the bats begin by trickling out until eventually a huge black cloud of bats grouped together to take to the skies shifting through the sky like a black mamba snake!
Tour Thailand Your Way with Us
Feel free to tell us your ideas and needs — we will try our best to create a satisfying trip according to your interests. Check out the following links to learn more about our tours and get a head start on planning your hassle-free vacation today!