Writer’s Travel Guide to Thailand: Best Writing Spots

Beautiful island beaches, breathtaking jagged mountains, lush jungles and culturally rich cities. If any of these help fuel inspiration for you to write, Thailand should be your next writing retreat destination.

After spending a month exploring all the corners of Thailand, I’ve compiled a list of places I found to be great writing spots.

In this guide, you’ll find my favorite accommodations, cafes and other writing spots in the most interesting places in Thailand.

Read on to find out which places in Thailand are best for you when planning your next writing retreat!

This article contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commission at no extra cost to you. That being said, I would never recommend anything I didn’t or wouldn’t use myself.

Bangkok

Many backpackers I met were unimpressed with the capital of Thailand, and while I’m among them, I still think it’s a great place for a writing retreat.

If you read any of my other Writer’s Travel Guides, you’ll know I get the most writing done in places where there aren’t too many distractions. I’m not saying there’s nothing to do in Bangkok, but there are admittedly much more interesting things to see in Thailand.

Compared to other places in SE Asia, this is just another big, crowded city. If you get distracted easily by the lure of exciting activities and beautiful sights, Bangkok is a place where you won’t find many distractions.

That’s not to say there aren’t many inspiring things to see and do when you need a writing break in Thailand’s capital.

Where to Get Inspired: Bangkok

Bangkok offers a wide array of some of the most gorgeous architecture I have ever seen. You can find it in the old town, where the Royal Palace is located. The wealth, details and grandeur of the palace and nearby temple

Museums are some of the best places for me to get writing inspiration while traveling, and the National Museum of Thailand is no exception. You can find it right nearby the Royal Palace too, and I highly recommend a visit there. It was the best national museum I’ve been to in SE Asia so far.

[Find out what other ways you can get writing inspiration while traveling here.]

If you want a good place for cheap food (you don’t literally need to be a starving artist) or to people watch and learn about new cultures, try out a night market.

My favorite one was located in China Town. The food was amazing, the street was lit up colorfully and I’d get a dinner of foods new to me for a dollar.

Where to Write: Bangkok

Just as in any big city, there are lots of places in Bangkok to write. From park benches to nice hotels and hostels to cafes, Bangkok has it all.

If you’re ready to write after a day of exploring the Old Town and temples, I’d recommend AMA. It’s located near the Royal Palace and the ferry to Wat Arun. In addition to some of the best Pad Thai I’ve ever had, this place has a cozy atmosphere and amazing service. It’s the perfect place to spend a few hours while enjoying amazing food.

Besides that, Bangkok has plenty of cafes where you can write the day away. Most hostels I came across had cafes, so it’s handy to book one of those.

Where to Stay: Bangkok

If you’re a budget traveler, you’ll be able to find loads of prices suitable for the starving artist. I stayed in two hostels and was able to write at both.

Krit Hostel has a coffee shop as its lobby, so you don’t even need to leave the building for a place to write. Offering good food options as well, I spent an entire day in here just writing and not needing to leave the building.

Urby Hostel is a bit more upscale, and while this shows in the price (minimally), it boasts an amazing balcony with a view of the river. It’s a great place to sit, write and watch river cruise boats sail by below you. If you’d rather write indoors, there are two cozy common areas where you can sit on a bean bag, couch or at a table.

For the more luxury traveler, the Marriot Marquis Queen’s Park has a very nice lobby fit for the poshest writer. Sit down on one of the comfy chairs and write the day away here, complete with lots of targets for people watching. When you need some fresh air, head out for a walk at Queen’s Park nearby.

Pai

Probably my favorite part of Thailand, I stayed longer than planned in this small mountain town. I’m not the only one who overstayed my original plans here. And in fact, most people I met were visiting Pai for the second time or more. Some loved it so much they stayed to live there.

What makes Pai so popular is the laid-back, creative vibe. While it has changed in recent years to a more touristy, Westernized place, Pai still holds magic everyone can’t get enough from.

Where to Get Inspired: Pai

Wandering the little streets of Pai should do the trick. Make sure to eat at the night market, which goes on every night and where I ate dinner almost every night. If you like being around books when you’re writing one yourself, wander through Siam Books.

And if you want some more inspiration, there’s so much to see and do around this little town.

I’d suggest renting a motorbike to explore all this region has to offer. If you don’t know how, it’s a great place to learn; Pai is where I truly learned how to ride.

[Do be careful though. Every other person you’ll see in Pai is bandaged, in a cast or has a scar because of motorbikes.]

Points of interest include a bamboo bridge over rice fields, waterfalls, a canyon, a land split caused by earthquakes, a Chinese village, hot springs and mountain viewpoints. There’s a reason why people stay so long; there’s lots to do!

My favorite motorbike drive was to Tham Lot cave. It’s a longer drive and the roads are very windy and scary (it was my second day ever motorbiking!), but the views are worth it. Once you get to Tham Lot, you can get a guide to take you in by boat. Then you can walk around this humongous cave- one of the coolest I’ve been in.

Where to Write: Pai

There are so many cafes in Pai. Try to write in all of them and you’ll have a completed manuscript in no time.

Here are some of my favorites:

Rabbit Café: You how they have cat cafes? Well, the name of this one should say it all. Sure, you might not get much writing down with bunnies hopping around your table. But they’re so cute you won’t even mind too much.

Bom Bowls: Located on the other side of the river from town, this cute little place is perfect for vegan, local and organic food. Like most places in Pai, it has cozy seating in a peaceful setting, with Wi-Fi and hammock for your convenience. They have amazing smoothie bowls, so make sure to get one before leaving Pai!

Om Garden Café: This one not only has a super cute and cozy space, but the food is divine. It’s some of the best food I’ve had on my entire trip, and I loved the greenery. It truly felt like you were sitting in a mystical garden here.

Like writing in bars? Check out Spirit Bar, a hidden bar with the cozy, chill vibe found throughout all of Pai.

It’s a little tricky to get to; you have to go through a narrow alley, which I would have been hesitant about heading into if I were alone. But once you get through it, you’ll find yourself in a little courtyard with comfy cushions to sit on or a treehouse to lounge in.

But the place where I wrote the most was at Suandoi- keep reading to find out why.

Where to Stay: Pai

Suandoi Backpacker Resort is perhaps the main reason why I extended my stay in Pai. I would have stayed there a whole month if I had the chance.

Located on a hill on the other side of the river from the town, Suandoi felt secluded while still close enough to everything. While it was always quiet and peaceful during the day, there were always people to socialize with and meet in the evenings- I made lots of friends staying here.

When I was there, they had a yoga teacher providing yoga classes every morning that I never missed. Ponds were laid out throughout the property with great places to sit down and write. You could literally just plop yourself down on the platform bridge running through the main one; sometimes you’ll find people doing yoga here too. My favorite spot was perhaps the treehouse with hammocks hanging underneath.

An on-site restaurant and bar, organized activities and events, free breakfast, tons of places to sit and write, views of the mountains, beautiful nature and peaceful vibes- what more can you want?

They also offer both dorm rooms and private rooms, so pick depending on your budget.

Chiang Rai

Also located in the north, Chiang Rai is used by backpackers as a stopping point before crossing the Laos border. This was the purpose of my visit to this city, but I found it to be one of the more beautiful parts of Thailand- and a great place for writing.

The city itself doesn’t have much to do, and that’s ideal for any writer trying to get some work done. The area around Chiang Rai is a gem though, offering a tempting writing break as a reward for meeting your word count.

Where to Get Inspired: Chiang Rai

Anyone who read my guide to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia knows I love tea. And like in Cameron Highlands, you can find breathtaking tea plantations near Chiang Rai too.

I chose to drive over to Choui Fong, which was a bit far but very worth is. This tea plantation has very high-quality tea and the café you can find up on tea tree covered hill is one of the fanciest places I found in Thailand for a writing spot. Here you can enjoy a cup of fresh brewed tea as you sit overlooking rolls of green hills as you write.

If you want a dose of nature closer to Chiang Rai, check out the Khun Korn National Park. It has a really beautiful waterfall, though I didn’t much enjoy swimming in its pool- the water was really cold!

If temples are more your thing, Chiang Rai is known for some really unique temples. The Blue Temple is conveniently located within the city, but the White Temple is the more famous one.

Newly constructed, this is hands down the most interesting temple I’ve been to (and I’ve been to a lot). It’s a privately-owned art exhibit of a Buddhist Temple. Highlights include superheroes and other pop culture cartoons painted inside the temple. Like I said, definitely the most interesting!

Where to Stay: Chaing Rai

For anyone looking for a friendly, social yet chill environment, I can’t recommend Get Hi Hostel enough. Many hostels I’ve stayed at in the past had a “welcome home” motto and would say it to you when you entered. It always felt cheesy and forced, but this is the first hostel where it felt true.

The owner of this hostel genuinely cares about all her guests and makes it so easy for everyone to be included. It’s stressful socializing while traveling when you’re also trying to use your free time to write instead of meeting people to share travels with. This hostel makes it easy- and also offers a very comfy couch to lounge on while writing.

Railay Beach

While this beach and the surrounding town is part of Krabi and located on mainland, it feels much more like an island.

Quieter and more laid back than other parts of Krabi, like Krabi town and Ao Nang Beach, you can only get to Railay Beach by boat. This is because the impressive limestone mountains surrounding the beach don’t allow the passage of a road through them.

Where to Get Inspired: Railay

You won’t have too many distractions here, other than the extreme beauty, and this makes Railay Beach one of the best places in Thailand for a writing destination.

The beach itself is a reason to visit. It is hailed as one of the most beautiful in the world, and I believe it. The only problem you’ll have here is the difficulty of looking at your writing when there are such beautiful views in front of you. It’s a particularly gorgeous spot to watch sunset; bring along a blanket, notebook and beer as you wait for it.

Where to Write: Railay

The reggae bars near Railay Beach are great places to write with chill vibes.

Coffee Station was a particularly cute spot. Like the other establishments on the little road running through the town, it was made of driftwood and was decorated colorfully.

A bit rustic for some, I thought it was extremely cozy with cushions to sit on and tables to set laptops on. To complete the writing vibes, there was a shelf of books.

Where to Stay: Railay

For the budget travelers, Blanco Hideout remains one of my favorite hostels in all my four months of travel in SE Asia. A climb up a long flight of rickety stairs takes you up to a beautiful view over the ocean and rugged cliffs below.

You could enjoy this view up on a deck by the pool, which is the perfect place lay out with a laptop and write.

It’s technically a party hostel, but when I was there in low season (October) it was quiet and calm, though still social. If it ever does get too rowdy for you, there’s plenty of options for places to write down in town on the narrow, carless roads.

Khao Sok

Where to Get Inspired: Khao Sok

For the writers who enjoy the most inspiration from nature, Khao Sok National Park is the place for you. This national park offers the ultimate nature writing retreat, allowing you to immerse yourself deep in one of the beautiful jungles of Thailand.

You can either do a day tour or overnight two-day tour of the humongous man-made lake located in this park. I opted for the overnight tour, and I’m really glad I did.

In addition to hours navigating the gorgeous turquoise waters on a wooden longboat, you get guided on a hike deep in a lush rainforest. If you choose to opt for the overnight option, you’ll get to sleep in a floating bungalow on the lake.

From here, you can swim, take out a kayak whenever you have free time, go on a guided jungle hike and indulge in a feast. With lots of free time, don’t forget to schedule out some time for writing.

Where to Write: Khao Son

If you’re someone who likes to write deep in nature on your phone or in a notebook, you can write anywhere. Set yourself down on bench, log or rock and write. If you don’t get too distracted by beautiful sights, hike up to a waterfall before setting yourself down to write.

The two-day lake tour is a great mini writing retreat within a writing retreat. You won’t have access to Wi-Fi here, so it’s a great place to unplug, do some jungle hiking, kayaking and finally, a bit of writing in the comfort of your floating bungalow. [Pro tip: bring a flashlight or headlamp; there’s no electricity at night.]

Where to Stay: Khao Sok

For budget stays before your more expensive overnight lake tour, stay at Coco Hostel. It has comfortable beds with curtains so you’ll be well rested before the tour, and the balcony out back is a cozy space to get some writing done.

If you book your lake tour through Coco Hostel, you’ll stay in the floating bungalows I stayed in. Like I said, this will be one of the best places to write if you like writing in nature.

Wake up in the morning to watch the sunrise over the lake and jungle from the comfort of your bungalow porch. Write a bit during this time, then take a kayak out to experience the serene silence of the area, broken only by the distant calls of monkeys and birds. Full of new ideas, come back to your bungalow to write some more.

Books to Read:

As a writer, it’s crucial to read other’s writing to improve your own. And what better way to learn more about Thailand’s culture and history before traveling than by reading a book set there?

Who knows, maybe one of these will even inspire you to write your own book set in Thailand. At the very least, these books will definitely convince you to visit the country if I haven’t already.

Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon

For a look a historical look at Thailand, check out this historical fiction book based on a true story. That story is of Anna Leonowens, who was an English teacher for the king of Siam (now known as Thailand).

It’s an older book, written in 1944, but still offers a great look at Siamese culture.

Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski

For a look at Thai hill tribe life, check out the fictional novel. This novel follows the mystery surrounding an imprisoned anthropologist’s suicide and is set in northern Thailand.

Dream of a Thousand Lives: A Sojourn in Thailand by Karen Connelly

For a non-fiction book, this literary award winning one is sure to inspire your own poetic words.