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10 Nights 11 Days Thailand Trip Plan with a kid : Pattaya and Koh Samet
A Thailand Trip with Kids
May 2024
Itinerary for My 10-Night, 11-Day Thailand Trip with Kids
- May 6th: Stay at a hotel near the airport
- May 7th – 9th (2 nights): Pattaya
- May 9th – 12th (3 nights): Koh Samet
- May 12th – 17th (5 nights): Pattaya
1. Deciding on Dates
When planning a trip to Thailand, I had to consider that in Australia, there are four school holidays each year, and during these times, flight prices go up. The period right after the New Year is the peak season, so I decided to avoid that. After Easter holidays, I figured out my schedule and ended up planning the trip for May 6th, staying 10 nights and 11 days.
2. Flights
Actually, I bought cheap tickets for AirAsia in early 2019 before getting pregnant. I had booked them for my 10th month of pregnancy in March 2020, but then the pandemic hit… 😔 The flight got canceled, and I got a credit that I was finally able to use after five years! I had to rebook my flights. There were no flight beds available for the Sydney-Bangkok route, so I had to book regular economy tickets instead.
After the pandemic, there were no direct flights from Brisbane to Bangkok, so I decided to drive from Brisbane to Sydney (a 10-hour drive) to catch the flight from Sydney. We stayed at a friend’s house for a couple of days and then flew out of Sydney airport on May 6th, using AirAsia for the Sydney-Bangkok direct flight.
If we didn’t have a child, we could have just gone to Sydney with light luggage, but since we have a little one, we expected a lot of baggage and a car seat for Liam. Taking a taxi or public transport would be too much, so we decided to drive to Sydney instead.
3. Travel Destinations
Planning a trip with a kid requires a lot of thought. If we didn’t plan with the kid in mind, we’d end up exhausted. While I wanted to visit Bangkok after such a long time, I realized that traveling with a young boy in a city wouldn’t be easy. After looking into various locations, I found that Pattaya was a perfect fit for a kid-friendly trip! Plus, if you’re in Thailand, you have to go to the islands to get that holiday vibe, right? So, we decided on 7 nights in Pattaya and 3 nights on Koh Samet.
4. Hotels
I was really excited about booking the hotels for this trip! I browsed Agoda, Booking.com, Expedia, and even official websites to compare prices. Pattaya has many family-friendly hotels, so I was a bit overwhelmed by the choices. Liam, at just 3 and a half, is already an adventurous kid who loves big water slides, so a regular hotel might bore him, but places like Mirage Pattaya felt too large for our liking. After much thought, I decided on the following:
- Hotel Near the Airport: We’ll be arriving at around 10 p.m., so I’ll book a hotel near the airport for an easy night’s stay.
- Grande Centre Point Space Pattaya (2 nights): We plan to stay mostly at the hotel and enjoy the facilities. I booked through the official website, which was about $20 cheaper and included 5 tokens per night (compared to 2 tokens when booked through third-party sites).
- Samed Pavilion Resort (Koh Samet): I initially considered staying at the Samed Villa Resort next door, but their policy only allows free stays for children up to age 3, and the price was too high. So, I chose Samed Pavilion, which offers free stays and breakfast for kids up to 4 years old. We’ll rent a scooter to explore the island, so it seemed like the perfect choice. I’ve stayed at Samed Villa before, and although the rooms weren’t spectacular, the resort atmosphere was amazing!
- Centre Point Prime Pattaya (5 nights): Since we planned on renting a car to explore Pattaya, we needed a hotel that was comfortable and affordable. This hotel was a great choice with excellent value for money. It has a kids’ wave pool, which was a big draw for Liam. While it’s a bit far from the city center, the hotel offers a shuttle bus. We decided it wasn’t a big deal since we’ll be driving.
5. Rental Car
With a child, we had to think about transportation. In the past, I’ve traveled around Asia using public transport, but traveling with a child means more baggage and less convenience. For this trip, we’ll need a rental car for the full 10 days, so I’ve arranged to pick it up at the airport. Luckily, in Thailand, the driving side is the same as in Australia, so I’m not worried about driving there.
6. Long-Term Parking at Sydney Airport
I reserved long-term parking at Sydney Airport for $250 for 11 days. This was a great option because it’s only a 2-minute walk to the terminal, which will be so much easier with the kid and all our luggage!
Click here to book a parking at Sydney airport
https://prebook.sydneyairport.com.au
