Sawadee kha, Bangkok! Thailand’s sprawling capital city is the jump off point for many a South East Asia adventure. Bangkok is a loud, colourful city absolutely teeming with the best (and worst) of what Asia has to offer. It’s a great spot to begin getting over the inevitable culture shock of a first jaunt through Asia. English is spoken widely through the city, the metro system is easy to navigate, and Thai food is the BEST so that really needs no explanation.
It can be a nightmare figuring out where to stay in Bangkok. It’s a massive city and each neighbourhood has it’s pros and cons. We decided to stay in the Bang Lamphu neighbourhood. If it’s your first time in Bangkok, it’s definitely your best choice. The backpacker haven of Khao San Road is in Bang Lamphu, the Grand Palace and the major temples are close by, and there’s TONS of small restaurants and food stalls.
I love the busy vibe of the area but Khao San Road itself is a bit of a beast, and definitely a bit chaotic. Another option is Soi Ram Buttri. A winding street a few minutes walk from Khao San Road, Ram Buttri has a solid mix of guesthouses, street food stalls and restaurants, but is much quieter so you can actually sleep. The one downside to keep in mind to staying near Khao Shan Road is that the metro lines don’t extend down into the area.
Bangkok’s answer to Uber, it’s way easier (and safer) than getting a taxi. Unlike Uber, you pay the Grab driver cash once the ride is complete. I used Grab the entire time in Asia, major plus for not having to battle taxi drivers to turn on their meters.
The ferry system is a good way to bypass the ridiculously congested Bangkok traffic. The ferry runs along the Chao Phraya and stops near the Grand Palace and temples, plus it’s super cheap. Tickets for the ferry are 9-11 baht, or there is a tourist sightseeing ferry that is 200 baht a day. It runs on a flag system, different coloured flags = different routes. The orange flags cover the majority of the touristy things. There are maps at the ferry terminals, and the staff are pretty good at herding lost tourists onto the right ferries.
Really you can’t talk about Bangkok without mentioning the ubiquitous tuktuk. These autorickshaws are absolutely everywhere in Bangkok, weaving through the ever present traffic jams making for a quick trip. They’re so much fun to ride around in, and it’s part of the Bangkok experience in my opinion. Tuktuk rides are usually a fair bit more expensive than a cab, but for shorter distances it’s not a huge deal.
I’m beginning to sound like a broken record here, but make sure to negotiate before getting in otherwise you’ll be charged a ridiculous price once you get to your destination. And, if the price seems ridiculously cheap, you’re probably going to be taken on a joyride to a tailor or a jadeshop. Just be warned.
After a fairly stressful first day in Bangkok that consisted mainly of tracking down my luggage that was unwillingly abandoned in Beijing, (according to Beijing airport staff 4 hours isn’t enough time to get a connection and they keep you in airport purgatory for hours until they force you to go through to your connection without getting your luggage), we were ready for a do over on our second day. We woke up early, wolfed down a quick breakfast and took a Grab to the Grand Palace for opening. We were hoping to beat the crush of tour buses that constantly pour in. We’ve learned our lesson about visiting any sort of temple/ruin/landmark after 11 am.
In the heart of Bangkok, only a few minutes drive from Khao San Road, is one of the jewels of Bangkok’s tourist circuit. The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings that used to house the Thai Royal Family, but is now used for official events. It takes a couple hours to fully wander the Grand Palace and it’s grounds. The winding streets surrounding the Grand Palace definitely deserve an explore as well!
The Grand Palace is beautiful, but without some sort of guide it’s hard to appreciate the ornate buildings. It’s possible to hire a guide at the front gates, but I like doing things at my own pace (slow). I found a Grand Palace audio guide in the app store, and it was exactly what we were looking for.
The Reclining Buddha is an easy walk from the Grand Palace, so it’s a good idea to do the two together. Also, ignore the drivers when they tell you that one of the temples is closed for the day. This scheme is meant to hustle you into one of the waiting tuktuks to bring you to a temple further away which will contain a little stop at the usual commission jewellery stores.
Across the river from the Grand Palace is Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn. The gorgeous porcelain encrusted temple is beautiful at any time but is extra spectacular at sunset. Settle in at one of the bars across the river to watch the sunset behind Wat Arun. Entrance to Wat Arun is 100 baht, and the easiest way to get there is to grab one of the river ferries along Chao Phraya.
Make sure to wear appropriate clothing when visiting the Grand Palace or any of the temples! Everyone is supposed to keep their shoulders and knees covered, and no flip flops. They’re much more strict on girls than guys (shocker). Tom had on a tshirt and long khakis and was fine, but I was a no go with my knees showing. There’s a spot to rent cover ups outside the gates of most of the temples, but I definitely spent a few minutes grumbling about the injustice though.
Amazing food in Bangkok is abundant, but the best way to sample a little bit of everything is to check out one of the many markets. One of the most well known markets in Bangkok is Yaowarat, the nightly (except Mondays!), street market in Chinatown. Food stalls line the streets, offering up an inconceivable number of dishes to try. We spent hours wandering Yaowarat checking out the different stalls. There’s a huge variety of food to try, but seafood is one of the main draws. I love the vibes of night markets, they’re always packed with people and I love a good grazing meal.
If it’s your first time visiting a street market, it can be extremely overwhelming. Luckily the vendors at Yaowarat are pretty used to tourists milling about, so make your way to the person who seems to be in charge (usually the one surrounded by people yelling out orders ????), order what you want and then try to find a seat. Definitely communal seating, so squeeze in at any table where you can find space. The vendors somehow manage to remember what you ordered and bring your food to you.
The closest MRT station to Yaowarat is Wat Mangkon MRT station, and bus #35 leaves from the Khao San Road area, double check on google maps before heading out though.
Chatuchak once was strictly a weekend market, but due to it’s insane popularity it now spills into the weekdays. It’s an absolute beast, with over 10,000 sprawling stalls you can spend a full day there and not see everything. Anything you could ever possibly want or need can be found here, at a fraction of the price at the Khao San Road stalls. While the ‘hand made’ tags are definitely questionable, it’s still a great spot to pick up a few mementos. You know, things that are a step up from the 6 pack of elephant embroidered change purses. I left with a whole new summer wardrobe, majority being linen pieces that would be a fortune at home.
The easiest way to get to Chatuchak Market is to the metro to Chatuchak, or the Skytrain to MoChit.
We also went to Sukhumvit Soi 38 to check out a night food market that was recommended, but it was dismantled for construction. A few stalls remain in a foodcourt area, but it’s not near anything else in Bangkok. The selection is pretty sparse, so it’s not really worth the trek getting there.
The cheapest and quickest way to get into Bangkok from Suvarnabhumi airport is the metro system. There are 2 metro lines running from Suvarnabhumi, the City line (blue) and the Express line (red). The price depends on the distance travelled, but the airport to the end of the line is 44 baht. A daily pass is 140 baht, so if you are staying near the train line and plan on popping around Bangkok, it’s good value. In Suvarnabhumi airport the metro entrance is downstairs and to the right of baggage claim.
Phaya Thai is the last station, and from there it’s a quick cab or bus to Khao San Road. Make sure it’s a cab with a METER lightbox, and ensure that the driver will actually turn the meter on before getting in. Other cabs are ‘app cabs’, and will be far more expensive, since they won’t run the meter.
There is no direct sky train or metro to Don Mueang airport. With public transit you take the skytrain to Mo Chit station and from there a shuttle bus runs to the airport. The Don Mueang airport express buses also run to/from Khao San Road. The stop is outside of Wat Chana Songkhram. The bus comes every 20 minutes or so, but doesn’t follow an exact timetable.
Jok Pochana
Tucked down a side street a few minutes walk from Khao San Road, an outdoor grill and a few tables lit up with string lights. There’s a display of seafood out front to pick from, and the tables fill up quickly. We had the most amazing yellow curry crab and prawn curry, and it was ridiculously cheap.
Karim Roti Mataba
Small restaurant serving Thai-Muslim dishes, the star of the show being the murtabak and curries. We had a beef and chicken murtabak and they were SO good.
Thipsamai
Touted as the best pad thai in Bangkok, we ventured over to Thipsamai to try the famous padthai. We both got the egg wrapped pad thai with prawns. PERSONALLY, I think the padthai was good but I don’t think it was the best padthai I’ve ever had.
Not sure where you’re heading after Bangkok? I recommend Koh Tao! The perfect little island with a laid back vibe, it’s a great spot to chill or to learn to scuba dive!
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