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 Mai

Javier Sobrino walking through Koh Phi Phi

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.

Thailand

Koh LantaVíctor, several trips · Javier, 3 weeks2+months

Chiang MaiVíctor, every year1+month a year

Koh SamuiJavier, 20255weeks

Koh Phi PhiJavier, and he’d stay 1 or 2 nights4days

Beyond Thailand

LombokJavier, August 20253weeks

SeoulJavier10days

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

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 200 to 250 THB a day.

Best for:
Digital nomads
Couples on a budget
Quiet

Where to stay in Koh Lanta

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

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 Seoul

ibis Styles Ambassador MyeongdongMyeongdong · 3 days8.5/10

Gongsimga 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 and three in Lombok. About us.

Instagram TikTok YouTube