10 Crazy Extreme Adventures in Thailand Not to Miss

written by local expert Anna Faustino

Anna is a co-founder of Adventure in You and has been traveling the world for the last 9 years. She has spent time living in Thailand, Mexico, Indonesia, and Spain and is our local expert in these areas. Her expertise on travel, gear, and building businesses have been featured on Foundr, Business Insider, Yahoo Travel, and more.

For all the adrenaline and action lovers out there, you would be surprised to find out that Thailand has a lot to offer! Beyond the many temples, tuk-tuks and Pad Thai laden streets, Thailand has a vibrant adventure scene bustling and growing.

So if you think of yourself as an action-lover and thrill-seeker, head on over to Thailand and experience a wide variety of adventure sports from mountain biking, bungee jumping, all the way to skydiving. So sit back, buckle up, and get ready for an adventure-filled tour of Thailand and everything that it has to offer.

White Water Rafting

For those of you that don’t know, there are actually a lot of places where you can go white water rafting in Thailand. The rapids range from anything from level 1 to level five. For a trip of the lifetime, try out the rafting expeditions set amongst rich tropical forests, wild animals, bamboo camps, and flowing rivers which is offered by a lot of tour providers around Northern Thailand.

Things to consider when choosing where to go white water rafting is the class and level of rapids and when to do it as in some parts, white water rafting isn’t available all year round. You can go rafting for as long as 6 hours or even overnight trips or short and sweet 2 hour trips.

Where to do it: Pai, Chiang Mai, Chumpon and other places in Northern Thailand

Resources: Check out the Adventure Tourism Thailand article as they break down the locations as well as the class of rapids and the length of average trips in the area.

Group of people white water rafting

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Scuba Diving with Whale Sharks

For underwater enthusiasts, visit the Surin Islands and dive in the Richelieu Rock where whale sharks are usually found. The adrenaline of swimming next to these 30 ft. gentle giants is something else! Despite the fact that they appear huge, they are quite amazing sea creatures and count on their staple diet of plankton. I do admit to personally fearing that one might swallow me accidentally, however, after multiple whale shark encounters, I am pleased to say that they have no interest in me whatsoever. While you are in the area, checking out the dive sites by Similan Islands are very worth it as it is some of the best in Thailand.

Where to do it: To dive with these beautiful creatures, head on over to Mu Koh Surin National Park. Do take note that the national park is closed from mid-May to mid-October for rehabilitation. February to April are your best chances to see one. Most people dive these areas on a liveaboard which travels around the National Park.

Resources: Are you a beach and diving enthusiast? Read Best Scuba Diving in Thailand and Ultimate List to Thailand’s Best Beaches.diving with whale sharks

Editor’s Note: Looking for Adventure Activities while in Thailand? Check out these awesome adventures in Thailand.

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Kiteboarding

Once upon a time, I used to be a beach bum and a kiteboarder. Although I feel that me doing that was a lifetime ago, let me tell you that there are very little things that you can compare to the adrenaline and enjoyment of kiting on a good day. The wind, the sunshine, and the fun waves to ride. If you love surfing and other water sports, try your luck at kiteboarding. Trust me, you will love it! Luckily, Thailand has a lot of places where you can try out kiteboarding as it has such the ideal climate along with strong vigorous winds.

Where to do it:

If you’re interested in kiteboarding, take a look at the options by clicking the following links of kiteboarding lessons/schools in:

My suggestion? Find a good school along with a good place which has relatively consistent wind and you will soon find yourself falling in love with this sport. Man kiteboarding in Thailand

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Rock Climbing

Thailand is a gem for hardcore and beginner rock climbing enthusiasts. You have a number of man-made walls in places like Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and other large cities. However, if you want the real deal, head on over to the islands like Railey and Ton Sai where you can find the most amazing crystal clear waters accompanied by impressive limestone cliffs that tower over you.

Again, the courses vary in height and you can either get a guide to help you out for the day or you can also just rent equipment for those that are slightly more advanced. Just the sheer thought of swinging and climbing from one rock to the other while you’re suspended high up is enough to get me excited!

Where to do it: Head on to the Province of Krabi. When you get there, you can either stay in Ao Nang and make trips to either Railey or Ton Sai.

Resources: Interested in Rock Climbing? Read Everything You Need to Know about Ton Sai Beach and check our guide on where to stay in Krabi to help you find a cool place to stay.

Man rockclimbing in Thailand

Wakeboarding

In Thailand, wakeboarding is one of the most popular and thrilling water-activities that is relished by both travelers and locals alike. Nowadays, due to the sport’s growing popularity, you have wake parks opening up in various areas of Thailand. In Bangkok, wakeboarding is limited to just cables whereas if you’re seeking for some boat action, you can then visit Pattaya.

There are also a few companies who operate on the Thai islands where you can try riding in the open ocean from the back of a boat. Taco Lake and Thai Wake Park are two awesome places near Bangkok where you can try out your luck at standing up….or practice the art of gracefully falling which trust me, is quite difficult.

Where you can do it: Bangkok, Koh Phangan, Rayong Province
Man wakeboarding

Flight of the Gibbon

Ever dreamed of flying? Well, to us, ziplines is probably as good as it gets. Not only are they a lot of fun but the multi-tiered platforms and of ziplines and sky bridges amidst the beautiful stunning forest is an experience that we highly recommend.

You can opt to join multi-day tours where you combine ziplining with white water rafting, Segway tours, kayaking or rock climbing. Alternatively, you can also just spend a couple of hours zipping from one tree top to the next enjoying the lush green exotic forests.

Where you can do it: Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Pattaya, Koh Phangan

Resources: Flight of the Gibbon ExperienceMan ziplining at Flight of the Gibbon

Skydiving in Thailand

Skydiving in Thailand? I was skeptical at first but after much research, I discovered that there are indeed a variety of companies who offer this heart pumping activity. You have jump points in both Bangkok and Pattaya for those that are keen to try it out.

Most of the companies are Western run so safety is a top priority. Thai Sky Adventures (situated near Nong Kho Reservoir) are renowned for offering the best skydiving experience in one of the most congested airspaces in the world. Apart from tandem jumps, they also do full certification courses for those who are eager to take their adventurous streak to the next level.

Where you can do it: Bangkok, Pattaya, near Udon Thani

Man skydiving

Surfing

Yeah, that’s right you heard me. There is surfing in Thailand. Although the waves here are nothing in comparison to Bali and some spots in the Philippines, there are still some places enough to get you stoked. Based on what we hear from people, there are waves in Khao Lak north of Phuket. Kata, Nai Harn, and Kalim are also spots you can check depending on the season. We also got some inside info about how there are pretty decent waves in Koh Lanta. If you want some good consistent waves, consider hitting up a wave pool like Flow House in Bangkok.

Where you can do it: Phuket, Koh Lanta, Bangkok (wave pool)

Resources: Read this article which talks in detail about Surfing in Thailand. If you’re keen to catch some waves, check out these Best Places to Stay in Phuket 

Man surfing

Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is simply put one of the best ways to see and explore a place. We love weaving through the busy streets until we make our way to a hidden calm and serene spot in some jungle. For biking enthusiasts, you can head on to Chiang Mai, the ultimate biking paradise to escape out of the tourist-packed city while viewing the fantastic forests of Thailand. The trails in Chiang Mai are fun, challenging and incredibly beautiful. Bike down mountains, forests, and lakes all while experiencing the raw beauty of the countryside.

Where you can do it: Chiang Mai as well as in the Southern Thailand. To be perfectly honest, you can do this pretty much anywhere in Thailand, even on the islands! Best to do your research before hand and narrow down to a route or a particular experience you want to do.

Resources: Read about our full Experience Hiking and Biking in Chiang Mai and our experience Cycling on Koh Yao Noi, Phuket Group of people mountain biking

Bungy Jumping

It is time to conquer your fears and jump in many of Thailand’s available bungy jumps designed to get you excited and pumped. Visit the highest Bungy Jump in Thailand in Pattaya Bungy Jump which is comprised of an exceptional team of jump masters that are there to guide you. In Pattaya, you can jump along with your family and friends, unwind at the bar on site and watch your jumping session on the big screen for as long as you want. Apart from being the highest one in Pattaya, there are surprisingly loads of other places where you can get your adrenaline fix from.

Where you can do it: Pattaya, Koh Samui, Phuket, Chiang Mai.

Resources: Best Places to Stay in Koh Samui | Things to do in PhuketMan bungee jumping off a crane

So there you have it, our epic list of extreme sports in Thailand. So what are you waiting for? Head on down here and go on an adrenaline binge with the wide variety of things to do and places to see.


Looking for other guides to Thailand? Check out these articles

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19 thoughts on “10 Crazy Extreme Adventures in Thailand Not to Miss”

  1. I am not a very active person, but I loved ziplining and diving (sadly not with whale sharks).
    Mountainbiking, kiteboarding and surfing sound very interesting and I hope I can do these activities next time I visit Thailand 🙂
    What a trip worth if youre not getting out of your comfort zone, right? 🙂
    x

    Reply
  2. Thailand is already an exciting place, but these activities could really amp it up! I’ll keep the skydiving and bungee jumping on the list for my next time in Thailand.

    Reply
  3. I’m going to have to revisit Thailand and re-do it properly. Such a great list of activities I wish I had done while there, minus the adrenaline ones like bungee jumping and sky diving … I’m a giant chicken! 😛

    Reply
  4. It looks like Thailand is the place to go to do extreme sports! I would really love to swim with the whale sharks, and it would be interesting to do a cost comparison between doing it in Thailand compared to going to Ningaloo Reef in Australia – I suspect that it would be cheaper to get to and do in Thailand…

    Reply
  5. You two are such daredevils!! Had no idea all of these activities were available in Thailand! The skydiving is intriguing…hoping to do it before my 30th birthday, which is soon!

    Reply
  6. Had no idea Thailand had so much to offer in terms of adventures. Kiteboarding looks like something I’d like to try. Will give it a try on our trip to Thailand later this year. Cool list of things to do.

    Reply
  7. Cool – I’d love to do any of those. Many have I already done, but none in Thailand. Who said Asia would be boring? 🙂

    Reply

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