Introduction: Bangkok Travel Guide
Bangkok is a great city to visit and must be in your travel list if you plan on going to Thailand. You will not need to spend too much time there, but a couple of day will be great.
Bangkok has two faces. One is the pretty city with the temples and palaces, the other is the poverty within its border. In our last night there, we hanged around some shady streets at night in the city center (not the touristic area) and saw a really different Bangkok. Homeless, rats, lots of dirty places where along our way.
But that’s not what you want to see, Bangkok has stunning landmarks that are a must to see!
Table of Contents
Mapping the Bangkok Travel Guide
Getting there
The best way to get to Bangkok and Thailand is to fly directly to its international airport. From there you can:
- Take a train to the city. The Airport Rail Link Train is a sky train that connects Suvarnabhumi Airport with the city center called Airport Rail Link. It takes around 30min and cost 1 to 2€
- Take a Taxi. More expensive, it will cost around 15 to 20€ (to be paid in Bath).
Those are the most convenient ways.
Moving Around
To get around Bangkok, the easiest way is to use the MRT. A railway network that runs through the city. For more fun, you can also hop on a Tuk-Tuk, but it will cost much more.
When to Visit
Bangkok can be visited all year round. But like all Thailand, the best time to visit the city is during the cool season, between November and February.
The hot season runs from March to June and the rainy one from July to October.
What to Eat
Generally, in Thailand, the to-go-food are:
- Pad Thai (Thai Style Fried Noodles)
- Som Tam (Spicy Green Papaya Salad)
- Pad See Eiw (Thick Noodle Dish)
- Khao Pad (Fried Rice)
- Gaeng Keow Wan (Green Curry)
- Pad Phak (Fried Vegetables)
- Kao Niew Ma Muang (Mango and Sticky Rice)
Things to do in Bangkok
Wat Pho - The Reclining Buddha
One of the most visited places in Bangkok is the Reclining Buddha, a 15m tall and 46m long statue of Buddha laying on its side. The statue is covered in gold leaf and there are 108 bowls on the way into the temple. It is believed that Buddha completed 108 positive actions on his way to becoming perfect.
Wat Arun
Wat Arun takes its name Aruna, the God of Dawn. Located on the bank of the Chao Phraya River, the temple stands at 79 metres tall next to the Grand Palace. Its main tower is covered in ceramic tiles and colored porcelain making it a beautiful and incredible place.
Grand Palace Wat Phra Kaew
The most famous place in Bangkok, the Grand Palace. The palace used to be the Siam king’s home as well as the place where the government took seat from 1782 till 1925. Visiting the palace can take a couple of hours.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
If you are into shopping, you need to check this place out. With over 8000 stalls covering 27 acres of space, this market is one of the largest markets in the world. Open every Saturday and Sunday it attracts nearly 200,000 visitors a day, you will find everything you could ever imagine for sale there and mostly at local prices rather than tourist prices (but try to bargain anyway).
Boat Trip along the Chao Phraya River
There is more than one way to enjoy the Chao Phraya River. You are visiting the Wat Arun temple and want to go to the grand Palace and Reclining Buddha? The best way is to take a boat to cross the river.
There are many stops, so feel free to stay on, or hop off and back on.
Roof top bar
A must to do while in town. During daytime or even at night. There are various places in Bangkok where you can go for a drink and you will have to choose one of the many bars there are around.
Floating Market
Floating markets are not what they were anymore and some of the market became tourists’ attractions. But some of them keep authenticity. Thaling Chan and Khlong Lat Mayom are still beautiful floating market worth going out of the city center of Bangkok.
Khao San Road
The most known streets in town. Filled with bars, open markets, stalls, vendor of every type. You can get yourself a bucket of Thai Whiskey and Coke while eating some insects.
Chinatown Yaowarat Road
Some of the best street food in Bangkok. You will find endless food stalls serving everything from ice cream to bird nest soup
Flower Market
This is the first thing we visited in Bangkok; it is a super interesting place to wander through. Open 24/7, it is amazing to visit it at night.
Visit Malls
Bangkok has many many malls. So, visiting one is kind of mandatory while in town. If not for shopping, just to take a break from the street stalls.
Bangkok National Museum
Home to the largest collection of artifacts and Thai art in all of Thailand. The museum was first opened by King Rama V to show off all the gifts that his father had given to him.
2 to 3 Days Itinerary in Bangkok
Day 1:
- Wat Pho – The Reclining Buddha
- Grand Palace Wat Phra Kaew
- Boat Trip along the Chao Phraya River
- Wat Arun
- Flower Market
- Roof top bar
Day 2:
- Floating Market
- Chinatown Yaowarat Road
- Visit Malls
- Khao San Road
- Wat Saket (Phu Khao Thong)
Day 3
- Chatuchak Weekend Market
- Bangkok National Museum
ชั่วเจ็ดทีดีเจ็ดหน (chua jet tee dee jet hon) – Bad seven times, good seven times.
Meaning: Every cloud has a silver lining. (There is something good even in a bad situation.)
