I’m pretty sure that every blogpost I ever wrote about Thailand and Bangkok in particular was essentially just one big love fest. It’s true that the most popular of destinations in Asia is simply always guaranteed to provide a good time, pretty much regardless of weather, company or budget. It’s a bit like a Disneyland for adults with fun people, amazing food, stimulating culture, great nightlife, incredible beaches – and trust me, that list can go on and on. Bangkok tourism is like no other tourism out there.
Consequently, it was essentially a no-brainer when Thai Airways sent me an email back in November, asking if I would be interested to join a trip to Bangkok and a nearby beach town called Hua Hin. Of course I wanted to join! Now in all honesty, I usually shy away from group trips, I’m just not very good at keeping a schedule on when to eat, where to go and who to hang out with. But in this case – hey, this was Thailand – it couldn’t possibly be bad. And what do you know? I was right.
First lucky strike was that despite an otherwise international team of bloggers, my buddy Marlen who blogs for Ignant was also invited, so together we had a pretty good time going for sunrise swims in the giant pool of the Dusit Thani Hua Hin Hotel, spending a lifetime haggling with cabdrivers for semi-fair prices, shopping clothes on Bangkok street-markets and eating in some really incredible restaurants.
Now I must admit, it seems that every time I do go to Thailand something crazy just happened or is still in the process of happening. The first time I went just shortly after the Tsunami hit, the next time I was there during the insane floods of fall 2011 and this time the long-term demonstrations as part of the current political crisis were in full swing. While I have heard a few comments about people cancelling or postponing their Thailand trip due to those unrests, I can assure you that in the 4 days we spent in Bangkok we noticed none of that. We were merely informed that cabdrivers had to take detours to get from the center of the city to popular backpacker mecca Khao San Road, but we didn’t even deal with that by simply taking the boat ferry. More fun anyway. I guess what I’m saying is, if you’re considering a trip to Bangkok or Thailand, don’t let political or weather conditions curb your enthusiasm.
After a total of about 8 trips and at least 2 full months spent in the Thai capitol I feel quite entitled to give you a quick low-down on what the city is all about and what should definitely make it on your to-do list while there. Most to-do lists for Bangkok one finds on the web are all about temples and theaters, here’s a bit more relaxed attitude to what not to miss while in one of the world’s most exciting metropolis.
1. Try all the street food your stomach can fit. Yes, even the insects, you only live once. But whatever you do, don’t mis out on sticky rice (khao niaw), it’s my favorite.
2. Take tuk-tuks, they’re great fun. Stay away from the ones that are waiting outside touristy spots as they might try to scam you. Always opt for tuk tuks you hail off the street. For longer journeys (air-conditioned) taxis are best – in polluted Bangkok your lungs will thank you. Always negotiate prices first or insist on the meter.
3. Shop till you drop. There might be no other place on earth with this many malls, markets and shops to buy from. And it seems there is something for everyone, except of course those taller than 5’5.
4. Go for a ride on the river ferry, because you can’t beat spending 30cents on a cruise.
5. On sundays go to Chatuchak market, the world’s largest weekend market. Seeing it all in one day is a challenge so come early, take breaks, bring cash. This is a prime spot for vintage shopping as many marketeers import their vintage clothing from Japan. This is especially awesome for petite girls, if you’re tall, buy some presents for your friends back home.
6. Splurge and treat yourself to dinner at Vertigo, the restaurant on top of the Banyan Tree hotel. Reservations are necessary as this place is seriously popular.
7. Want the views but can’t spare the cash for the food? Grab a drink at Sky Bar atop the State Tower. Or at any of these great roof top bars.
8. Look out for nightmarkets. Khao San is the obvious choice and probably best at catering to backpackers but my favorite is actually Siam night market, starting at 6 every evening, located right by Siam Station.
9. Ride the sky train, but never during rush hour.
10. Get a foot massage. Or a Thai massage. Or any massage, because they’re usually cheap and awesome and easy to come by. My personal favorite are the footrubs on and around Khao San Road. Enjoyed at nighttime, smoothie in hand, this is a top spot for people watching while getting the full spa-treatment.
11. If on a budget stay at a hotel in the Khao San Road area, but never directly on Khao San (far too loud). I like the Wild Orchid Villa (cool balcony showers!)
12. Let yourself get lost. Wander the streets for ages, sit inside a public bus and let it take you to somewhere new. Bangkok is so easy to live adventures in, take advantage.
13. Relax hard. For a busy city like this one it’s remarkable how easy it can be to come down for a few days. The Khao San area is light in traffic and pedestrian friendly. Grab a seat at one of the guest house restaurants along Chana Songkhram and watch a movie while slurping your 3rd banana milkshake of the day or order some pancakes. My favorite spot for this is New My House Guest House. Then smile at the fact that this set you back a mere dollar or two.
14. With all the budgeting and cheapness, don’t miss out on one or 2 nights at a fancy hotel of your choice. The Kempinski is a good one in a great and central location. Great breakfast here, too!
15. Get out of town. One of the beauties of Bangkok is that the nearest beach is only a couple of hours drive away with Hua Hin being your easiest option to reach. We stayed at the Dusit Thani Hua Hin, which was beautiful and offered great food at any time of day. Hua Hin itself is a bit slow during the day but the night market here is awesome. A perfect little spot for a weekend away.
Last but not least, it’s important not to let the 6.3 million people who call Bangkok their home get to you. Yes, it’s a big city, there is smog and traffic and it can sometimes unnerve you if you let it. But just like most other large cities there is beauty in the hustle and bustle and it never gets boring. Always a new place to discover, a new flavor to taste, a new experience to live. Come here with an open heart and an open mind and just like many others before you, you will fall for this city.
We love Bangkok for its diversity and the fact there is always something new and cool to do and to discover. If this list isn’t enough to fill your itinerary, if your heart wants more fun/experiences/adventure, I suggest you head over to this place that offers a huge list of great things to do in Bangkok. Cooking class with a local chef? Cycling tour through or out of town? You name it, it’s all there.
Another awesome resource to book experiences that will last a lifetime is KKday, where you can get an all safe and mega fun Tuk Tuk Tour for a steal or the Spa experience your mind and body long for. Because remember: experiences are what will stick, so don’t deprive yourself of having a many as possible!
Ready to book your trip? Here are some hotel suggestions that will give you the time of your life without breaking the bank.
5 stars: The star among the 5-star luxury hotels in Bangkok is the Siam Kempinski, which aims to leave your breathless with comfort and design. Expect stunning views, incredible food and outstanding service.
4 stars: If you love cool design hotels, you will adore the Inn a day, which offers all that any hip traveler could possibly ask for. Book well in advance and insure to get a hefty discount.
3 stars: The Old Capital Bike Inn stuns travelers with old-worldly charms. From the moment you walk into this centrally located hotel your heart will skip a beat and you will never want to leave.
Budget: On a hostel budget, but no interest in sharing a room with 10 others? Micro Hostel is central, clean and gets good reviews from travelers. A single room only costs about €15, while a double bedroom goes for €23. The rooms are tiny, but in this city the only reason to be at your hotel is to sleep.
I’ll leave you with a few more impressions of Bangkok, city of roof-top bars, spa-treatments, night-markets, street food, traffic jams, skyscrapers, river boats and so much more.
*Attention: This post contains sponsored links!
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Great ideas!! I love Bangkok. And I agree Thai Air is awesome! I became addicted to the massages while there!
Thanks for sharing. Keep it up!
Thanks for sharing your ideas. I'd love to visit Bangkok and I'd totally try everything that fits in my stomach. I also love rooftop bars and am convinced that the views in Bangkok are amazing.
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The markets and the street food are my favorites!
http://liveitinerantly.com/
Thanks for the info. And very nice photos too.
Can't get enough of bangkok :)
Thank you for the wonderful post! I'm a frequent flyer to bangkok and I can never get enough of this amazing country. It feels like home away from home for me. Good day!
Thanku for yur suggestions and cant wait to see a city like this.
Hey! Sounds amazing. I'm doing my internship in Hua Hin next year. Did you enjoy this city? Do you have any recommendations?
Bangkok is an amazing city. I visited in 2013 and I am going back this year (2015) Friendly people but like anywhere you just have to be "streetwise" and treat the Thai people with courtesy and you will have a great holiday.
Hello, after reading this amazing piece of writing i am
too glad to share my knowledge here with friends.
Wow! Awesome review and I so love the pictures. I recently started a travel and fashion blog, and what better way to kickstart my blogging than to visit Asia's shopping capital. It's like hitting two birds with one stone- to see such a beautiful place and get the latest fashion trends!
I wrote a short review on my trip to Siem Reap- you might want to check it out and let me know what you think!
http://no-cer.weebly.com/
Great post. I love Bangkok. I am here for a month and it is so much more than Khao San road (Although that is pretty fun).
Do you remember the location/organisation of the ferry ride?
If you come to BKK.I would like to recommend indoor activity "The Escape Hunt Experience" to be your choice. It's like the escape game on the phone but it's real to lock you in the room and you have to solve the puzzles until you can escape from the room. I really had extremely fun !
You can check it from the link below.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293916-d4476446-Reviews-The_Escape_Hunt_Experience_Bangkok-Bangkok.html
What a great listing of fun things to do in Bangkok. I agree 100% with you on the foot massages - they are super cheap & some of the best massages that I have had in my life.
Check out what my husband & I did during our 2 days in Bangkok:
http://moneyleftfortravel.com/2-days-in-bangkok-thailand/
#ploy I've tried The Escape Hunt in Bangkok and it was a great fun.
Thank you! When I tell people the best shwarma I’ve eaten was in Bangkok, they look at me like I just escapes from an asylum! ha ha
Thanks for the great lists. Very useful informations for me. And Your photography skills are awesome. :)
Chatuchak market was amazing and a best shopping stop for me as i'm a shopaholic..:) Thanks for sharing your lovely travel experiences..I will be traveling to Bangkok for three days in next month hence was looking for Bangkok city attractions to visit..Came across your blog and stopped for reading it..another site which have great number of things to do in Bangkok city for all age group people was TripHobo..Over here I planned my itinerary using its planner tool which was terrific.
Some great choices of what to do in Bangkok, also don't forget to get a Take a trip down the chao phraya river, go to the movie cinema, get a Thai massage (Healthland do really good ones), visit the Ancient city in Samut prakan, check out China town, Tong lor restaurants and bars, Maggie Choo is an interesting bar and very unique, you can have a spa or go on a beauty splurg and don't forget to try Sukumvit soi 11 for some nice restaurants, bars and clubs. You will fall in love with Bangkok there is so much to do...
My favorite thing about BKK is the night markets in Bangkok!!
If you dont know which one to choose from or where to go,, visit my site..Happy Shopping !
nightmarketbangkok.com
Khao San Road - go there to see the dregs of humanity - but by all means go and buy the Singha singlet and elephant pants to wear around and be stared at by the Thais in disgust.
Chatuchak - hotter than the outside temperature, crowded beyond belief, same products as any other market
Healthland - pay up front, no refund or changing of therapists if they are useless (which they most of them time are)
Cinemas - so loud that it takes 2 days for your ears to come back to normal (and I am partially deaf already)
Ancient City - far away and expensive
Night markets - all sell the same crap but if you have to go, don't buy from the first vendor you see, there will be 20 other vendors with the same product
Hua Hin - dirty ocean and beach from the fishing boats that go out every night
Tuk-tuks - the scourge of Bangkok, taxis are cheaper and have air conditioning
Street food - pork and seafood and poultry sitting outside without refrigeration in 35+ degree weather and no hand cleaning - hello Hepatitis! Hello e.coli! Hello food poisoning! You can find decent food cooked in mom and pop restaurants that have basins to clean hands and refrigeration for the same price as street crap
There are fun/interesting things to do in Bangkok
Cycle tour through Prapradaeng, Bang Kachao (the green lung of BKK) - the single greatest experience you will have in Bangkok
Suan Luang Rama IX park
Cycling through Suan Rot Fai
Escape Hunt in Asoke
Dialogue in the Dark Jamjuri Square
Riding the boats on the river
Siriraj Medical Museum
Free 1 or 2 hour Thai Class at Language Express - Phaya Thai station
Medical care for a fraction of the price of your country
Paintbar
Fresh Flower Market 24 hours a day Pak Khlong Talad
Bangkok Correction Museum
Grand Palace is the only temple you need - the rest are awful
Sounds like you are better off staying home
It really good information for me. I just come to visit bangkokr first time.
Thanks :)
Bangkok is a visual and culinary sensation plus a haven for the guys extend your horizon here: http://newvisiting.com/things-to-do-in-bangkok-day-and-night
Nice tips for a quick trip to Bangkok, there's so much more to see here than people first realize. I especially like exploring the small inner city islands along the Chao Praya River too!
Visiting Thailand in a couple of weeks. This information was very helpful, thank you so much, I would definitely use your blog as a guide. Also those pictures are gorgeous. Cheers.
You covered all the bases about Bangkok. Except the most salient. The people. Did you not notice their charm, humour and extreme courtesy dealing with tourist hordes clumping through their city pumping up prices on all the basics?
There's even an entire article and video by the same author about how much she loves the people of Bangkok :) https://www.travelettes.net/why-i-love-bangkok/, https://vimeo.com/32698769
One thing I would add is taking a cooking class with Cookly while traveling in Thailand! So much fun and the best way to experience Thai culture.
I too went to Bangkok & truly loved the experience. Here is my account of the same.
http://www.markmyadventure.com/top-things-to-do-in-bangkok/
Hoping to hear from you on my experience.
To Matt. Icant believe your negayivity, Bangkok is a wonderful place to visit just go there with open mind and heart.
Must Visit when in Bangkok: Ban Nokkamin Foundation...
When visiting Bangkok, don't just go look at temples and nice places. Check the Ban Nokkamin Foundation. It's a shelter for homeless children, which you can pass by all the time. The kids are incredible and warm hearted. Check it out here ->
Yes I was there last time at the Ban Nokkamin Foundation with my wife. Was incredible with the kids. All so friendly and nice.
Next time we will visit these kids again. They also made a campaign for their orphan house where they painted "lucky stones"
Here the link: http://sarahalohahoo.blogspot.com/2017/04/blog-travel-in-bangkok-baan-nokkamin.html?m=1
Thanks for the article, also love the Kempinski, even for staycation ;) and you're right, there's a lot to do in BKK
I was more than happy to uncover this great site. I need to to thank you for your time due to this fantastic read!! I definitely enjoyed every bit of it and I have you bookmarked to see new information on your blog.
A visit to Wat Pho is a must for any traveler to Bangkok, it is the home to the Reclining Buddha which stands at fifteen meters tall and forty-six meters long, the feet alone are measured at over five meters. The whole statue is covered in gold leaf and looks incredible when you get up close.
Out of all the posts about Bangkok from other websites, this is the best one. Great job! I will def take into account all your suggestions
I have been visited many places in Bangkok too, but I like the most at Koasan Street, I like the food and love to massage. Thanks for sharing this good info!
I wait to travel to Germany and drive on the autobahn. Then I'll travel to Bangkok.
Wow is so beautiful tip for my trip next month in Bankok. I will visit some resort in Thailand soon. Thaks you!
I want to visit in Bangkok, Bangkok is a beautiful country.
Great photography!
Nice Photographies!
I must say you have very interesting content here.
I love to travel, I am a photographer. your photo is very nice.
Amazing post! I'm heading to Bangkok next month and you sure have given me some inspiration.
During my research lately, I also came across this site which has Bangkok travel itinerary templates, which you then can import into a trip planner to play around and customize your trip. Their site is called Trip Planning Master, I'd say definitely check it out!
Here's a link to one of its itinerary templates:
https://www.tripplanningmaster.com/pgt/Bangkok/Gems-of-Bangkok-[1-3]/ASBangko0319
I have been travelling for the last three years and now I am planing to have a trip in the coming summer vacations in Turkey.This article helped me a lot in terms of how to travle on bike and what equipments are require for the journey.
Thanks for sharing this valuable article. (Y)
Bangkok is a beautiful city and I visited this city last year. A great venue for vacations and enjoyment. Thanks for reminding me those days.
Bangkok is a very interesting place to visit. In the future, if I made to make a trip for outdoor vacation then my first wish to Bangkok. I heard about Bangkok's nice resort where we spend our best time.