🇯🇵 Japan or 🇹🇭 Thailand
Which one, honestly
Japan leads on cities, nature and getting around. Thailand leads on the sea and value for money.
A normal day costs about $165 in Japan and $85 in Thailand.
Side by side
- 🇯🇵 Japan🇹🇭 Thailand
- Mar, Apr, May, Oct, NovBest monthsJan, Feb, Nov, Dec
- $165A normal day$85
- 14h to TokyoNonstop from London11h 30m to Bangkok
- Not the drawBeaches and seaExceptional
- ExceptionalCities and cultureVery good
- ExceptionalFoodExceptional
- ExceptionalNature and hikingVery good
- GoodValue for moneyExceptional
- ExceptionalEasy to get aroundVery good
- The best rail network in the world, buy the pass before you arriveGetting aroundCheap domestic flights, sleeper trains and boats, all easy
- Golden Week in early May, when the whole country travels at onceWhen to avoidApril, the hottest month, and the burning season in the north
Pick by what you want
🇯🇵 Choose Japan if
you want somewhere that feels genuinely different, you like cities and food, and you want everything to work perfectly.
🇹🇭 Choose Thailand if
you want your money to go a very long way, with beaches and food, and you do not mind heat.
Full Japan guide →Full Thailand guide →
And what the world thinks
Dead even. The next vote breaks the tie.
Compare something else
Written and checked by hand. Nothing here about visas or entry rules: those change often and depend on your passport, so check an official source.