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Where to stay in Thailand? After months there, we’ll help you choose

  • Months on the ground
  • For stays of weeks, not days
  • Areas to avoid, too
Víctor Redondo at a local restaurant in Nimman, Chiang MaiJavier Sobrino walking through Koh Phi Phi
A temple in Chiang Mai
DiscoveringStays

Where to stay in Chiang Mai

Víctor spends at least a month a year here. The area for working, the quiet ones, and the ones to avoid.

Read the guide

How long we’ve spent in each place

Time on the ground, not a weekend. Each guide says who went.

ThailandKoh LantaKoh LantaVíctor, several trips · Javier, 3 weeks2+ months thereChiang MaiChiang MaiVíctor, the nomad baseA month there every yearKoh SamuiKoh SamuiJavier, 20255 weeks thereBangkokBangkokJavier and Víctor, back almost every year34 nights thereKoh Phi PhiKoh Phi PhiJavier, and 1 or 2 nights is enough4 days there
Beyond ThailandVietnamVietnamJavier, three trips41 nights thereLombokLombokJavier, August 20253 weeks thereSeoulSeoulJavier, plus two hotel reviews10 days there

Pick your base

Who each place suits, and the one thing to know before you book.

Chiang Mai · Víctor Redondo

Chiang Mai, the base for working

Víctor stays one or two months at a time, works from coworking spaces like Yellow, PunSpace or Life Space, and has eaten at the same khao soi stall more than 40 times.

Nimman is his favourite area, and the one for digital nomads. The Old City suits a first visit of 2 to 4 days without a scooter, and the Riverside is for couples.

  • Best for:
  • Digital nomads
  • Long stays
  • Couples
Where to stay in Chiang Mai
Also:Where to eat in Chiang MaiThe temples worth visiting
Bangkok · Javier Sobrino and Víctor Redondo

Bangkok, where you choose a station

Between the two of us, 34 nights in Bangkok across ten places to stay, and we go back almost every year.

Distance here is measured in traffic jams, not kilometers, so you don’t choose a neighborhood, you choose a station. Sukhumvit is where we’ve slept the most and our pick for a first visit, and for a layover there’s a resort right next to Suvarnabhumi airport.

  • Best for:
  • First visit
  • Layovers
  • 4 days or more
Where to stay in Bangkok
Also:Getting around BangkokBangkok in 3 daysWhere to eat in Bangkok
Koh Lanta · Víctor Redondo

Koh Lanta, for silence and long beaches

Víctor has spent more than two months on the island across several trips, and Javier spent three weeks at Emerald Bungalows in Klong Khong.

Long Beach is the nomad stretch, with cafés with wifi and KoHub, one of the best known coworking spaces in Asia. In Klong Khong, Kantiang Bay and to reach Old Town, you need a motorbike, at about 300 THB a day.

  • Best for:
  • Digital nomads
  • Couples on a budget
  • Quiet
Where to stay in Koh Lanta
Also:3, 5 and 7-day itinerariesThe best beachesWhere to eatGetting aroundWhat to see
Koh Samui · Javier Sobrino

Koh Samui, the comfortable island

Javier spent five weeks living on the island in 2025, with a scooter, which is what he recommends.

Lamai is his pick as a digital nomad: quiet, no parties, coworking spaces like Amy Village and a beer at sunset. Choeng Mon is his first choice for couples who want silence 10 to 15 minutes from Chaweng.

  • Best for:
  • Digital nomads
  • Couples
  • Honeymoons
Where to stay in Koh Samui
Koh Phi Phi · Javier Sobrino

Koh Phi Phi, a stop and not a base

Javier spent four days here, travelling in a group and as a couple. His advice is blunt: stay 1 or 2 nights to see the nature, then move on, or sleep in Krabi and do it as a day trip.

For a couple, he sends you to Koh Lanta instead.

  • Best for:
  • A night or two
  • Groups
Where to stay in Koh Phi Phi
Also:The Phi Phi islands tour

Beyond Thailand

The other places in Asia we’ve written up in English.

Lombok, Indonesia · Javier Sobrino

Lombok, after three weeks

Kuta is the base, with coworking spaces, surf schools and restaurants for every budget, and you need a scooter. With 5 nights you cover Kuta, a quiet area, Rinjani and a nearby island.

  • Best for:
  • Digital nomads
  • Couples
  • Surf
Where to stay in Lombok
Seoul, South Korea · Javier Sobrino

Seoul, after ten days

Myeongdong is the best area to stay, with palaces, markets and the historic areas within a 30-minute walk. Add a night or two in a traditional guesthouse near the palace.

  • Best for:
  • First visit
  • Couples
Where to stay in Seoul
Hotels I’ve reviewed in Seoulibis Styles Ambassador Myeongdongibis Styles Ambassador MyeongdongMyeongdong · 3 days8.5/10Gongsimga Hanok GuesthouseGongsimga Hanok GuesthouseA traditional hanok · 1 night8.0/10
Who’s behind this

Two of us, months at a time

Víctor Redondo, co-founder, spends at least a month a year in Chiang Mai and has spent more than two months on Koh Lanta. Javier Sobrino, who founded Discovering Stays, spent five weeks on Koh Samui, three in Lombok and 41 nights in Vietnam. About us.

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Javier Sobrino, founder of Discovering Stays
Javier Sobrino, founder of Discovering Stays
Where to stay in Chiang Mai

Need a hand?

We've stayed here ourselves and experienced it firsthand. If you have any questions, leave a comment below and avoid the typical first-timer mistakes.