Quick answer
This Thailand and Dubai holiday runs one way, with no doubling back. It starts at a Gulf beach resort in Jebel Ali, then moves on to Bangkok and an elephant camp in the hills north of Chiang Mai. It ends with a private-pool stay on the Andaman coast at Krabi, where you fly home. November to March is the window that suits all four stops.
With four hotels, you pack up three times before the flight home, so keep the first evening at each new stop free of plans.
How the nights divide between the four stops is confirmed with your quote.
It suits travellers who want a city, the northern hills and the coast in one trip without arranging the internal flights themselves. It is less suited to anyone who would rather unpack once and spend the whole holiday in one beach base.
Why You'll Love It
Good to know
Day by Day
The holiday starts with the long-haul flight from the UK to Dubai. On landing, a private driver meets you in arrivals for the drive to Jebel Ali, and the rest of the day is yours to settle in by the Gulf.
Days here are your own, starting with the resort beach and pools. For a day in the city, take the Burj Khalifa lift and watch the Dubai Fountain from Dubai Mall. Or cross Dubai Creek by abra from the Al Fahidi historic district to the gold and spice souks in Deira.
You fly on from Dubai to Bangkok and check in at Banyan Tree Bangkok. Go early to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, home of the Reclining Buddha, before the midday heat. Later, take a long-tail boat along the Chao Phraya River and the Thonburi canals.
You fly north to Chiang Mai and continue by road to The Bush Camp. Days here follow the camp’s own programme with its elephants, so activity times are set by the camp team rather than a fixed itinerary.
You fly south to Krabi for the final stop at Banyan Tree Krabi. Beyond the resort, Ao Nang is the nearest town for restaurants and shops. Long-tail boats run from its beach to Railay, and day trips to the Phi Phi or Hong Islands can be booked locally.
On the last morning, after breakfast, you leave Banyan Tree Krabi for Krabi International Airport and the flight back to the UK.
Where You'll Stay
5-star hotel
JA Palm Tree Court is an all-suite beachfront resort within JA The Resort at Jebel Ali, off Sheikh Zayed Road at Exit 13, so every booking here is a suite rather than a standard room. Breakfast is included. Jebel Ali lies well south-west of Downtown Dubai, so treat it as a resort stay first and a city base second.
5-star hotel
Banyan Tree Bangkok is a high-rise hotel at 21/100 South Sathorn Road, in the city's central business district. You stay on a bed and breakfast basis. Rooms and suites have floor-to-ceiling windows over the skyline, and the hotel has a Banyan Tree Spa, swimming pool, health club and club lounge.
5-star hotel
The Bush Camp Chiang Mai has 25 glamping tents with views over the Ping River, about two hours by road from Chiang Mai airport. Your meal plan here is confirmed with your quote. The camp runs a chain-free, hands-off elephant experience, with mahouts caring for the elephants, and guests help prepare the elephants' meals.
5-star hotel
Banyan Tree Krabi stands on Tubkaek Beach in Krabi province, with 72 suites and villas set in tropical rainforest gardens above the shore. Each one has its own private pool, and you stay on a bed and breakfast basis. The resort also has a Banyan Tree Spa and a dedicated Wellbeing Sanctuary.
All prices are per person based on two adults sharing. Includes return flights and accommodation. Click any month to enquire.
| ✈ Flights | Return flights from UK included |
| 🧳 Baggage | 23kg checked baggage |
| 🏛 Hotel | 17 nights accommodation |
| 🚌 Transfers | Private airport transfers |
| ✈ Airport Taxes | All airport taxes included |
| 💳 Deposit | 30% per person to secure booking |
Dubai is hottest when Thailand is wettest, so the two seasons line up in the same months.
| Months | Dubai | Bangkok and Chiang Mai | Krabi |
|---|---|---|---|
| November to March | Average highs of about 31°C in November, falling to 24°C in January. | Outside the rainy season. | Outside the rainy season on the Andaman coast. |
| May to October | Average highs above 40°C in July and August. | Rainy season. Heavy rain disrupts transport most in the north and the mountains. | Rainy season, as across most of Thailand. |
April sits between the two: Dubai is heating up and the Thai rains have not yet started. Crop burning can bring smoke haze to Bangkok and Chiang Mai (FCDO). Regions and seasons across the country are in our Thailand holidays guide.
The stop turns one very long journey into two shorter flights.
Jet lag comes in two steps as well. Dubai is three hours ahead of the UK in summer and four in winter, and Thailand is a further three hours on.
The cost is time. Every night by the Gulf is a night not spent in Thailand, so a traveller with no interest in Dubai is better off flying straight to Bangkok. For what the city offers beyond the beach, see our Dubai holiday guide.
The rules for British passport holders differ at each border.
| United Arab Emirates | Thailand | |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | Free visitor visa stamped on arrival, up to 90 days in any 180. | Since 15 September 2026, visa-exempt entry for tourism of up to 30 days. |
| Passport validity | At least 6 months from the date you arrive. | At least 6 months from arrival, with 1 blank page. |
| Before you land | Controlled medicines need Ministry of Health approval, normally 5 working days. | Thailand Digital Arrival Card, completed online in the 3 days before you arrive. |
Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Krabi together fit well inside the 30-day limit. Thai officials can ask to see your flight home and proof of funds of at least 10,000 baht per person or 20,000 baht per family. Carrying cannabis out of Thailand is illegal, even in transit.
The FCDO's Thailand advice, updated on 28 September 2026, reports severe flooding in Bangkok and nearby provinces but does not advise against travel to any stop on this route. Its UAE advice warns of possible flight cancellations and airspace closures linked to regional tensions, again without advising against travel. Your flights and hotels are one package protected under ATOL 10713, so if a flight is cancelled, rearranging the later stops falls to us rather than to you.
For evenings in Chiang Mai's old city, swap the elephant camp for a city hotel, or for a second beach. Extra nights can be added at any of the four stops. For the Thai stops without the Gulf, compare the Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi and Phuket without Dubai holiday. To add Indonesia instead, look at the Dubai, Bangkok, Bali and Singapore route. Other pairings are in our guide to multi-centre holidays from the UK.
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