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Part of the endless Bangkok skyline, 2012.
Bangkok isn’t everyone’s thing – it’s a mile-a-minute melting pot of culture, contrasts, and commercialism – but I love it. It’s also Reed’s favorite destination when we go to Thailand, which means we usually stay for at least four days to catch up with friends and visit all our favorite hotspots. However, if you’re not keen on the crowds and pollution, two or three days is enough time to experience the highlights.
If you missed my introduction to this four-part blog series, you can read it here.
Day 12-14: The City
What to do in Bangkok
To start, I recommend spending one day going up and down the Chao Phraya river by water taxi – take the Bangkok Transit System (BTS) “sky train” to Saphan Taksin, walk to the pier, and buy a day pass. You can get off at a bunch of interesting stops.
Left: Silhouetted against the Chao Phraya, 2017. Right: The Holy Rosary Church, Bangkok
Despite its name, the Temple of the Dawn is particularly striking at sunset.
Wat Arun, or the Temple of the Dawn, will be one of the first sights you see from the water taxi as you head upstream. Its colorful mosaics are vastly different from the common gilded temples you’ll see all around Thailand. Dating to the 18th and 19th centuries, Wat Arun is covered in Chinese porcelain arrayed in delicate patterns.
Colorful tiles cover the temple. It’s a steep climb to the top.
On the descent – there’s no shame scooting down on your bum.
There are many stops along the river – it’s worth sitting back and assessing your options while you enjoy the cool breeze on the water. I can’t claim to have tried them all, so either do your research beforehand, or wing it and have an adventure! Chinatown, or Yaowarat, is a cool neighborhood to just walk around as parts of it really feel like you’re not in Bangkok anymore.
The muddy waters of the Chao Phraya river and a slice of Bangkok’s never-ending construction, as seen from the dock at the Mandarin Oriental hotel.
Disembarking at the Mandarin Oriental for high tea in their famed Author’s Lounge.
Plan to make your last stop at the Mandarin Oriental hotel with high tea in their renowned Authors’ Lounge (reservations are required). Select from their western or Mandarin Oriental tea, featuring bite-size sweet and savory Thai confections. It’s a delightful change from finger-sandwiches and scones. Fun fact – it was the Portuguese who brought the art of baking with eggs and sugar to Thailand.
Bite-sized snacks served in porcelain gilded with a traditional Thai pattern that looks like gemstones set in gold.
As you return downtown, get off the BTS at Silom and spend an hour in Lumpini park. This is a great place to participate in some group aerobics, go for a jog, or sit and watch the monitor lizards slip lazily in and out of the water. Yes, that’s right – the 240 acre park is filled with them, so don’t be surprised if one crosses your path!
A monitor lizard in one of the Lumpini park canals, 2015.
On your second day, visit the Jatujak (or Chatuchak) market and shop ‘til you drop. Some stores are open during the week, but to get the full effect, go on the weekend. The market is the least crowded in the morning. Take the BTS all the way to Mo Chit at the end of the Sukhumvit line, and walk a quarter mile to the market’s entrance – just follow the flow of the crowd.
People lining up patiently to board the BTS.
In the afternoon, check out the Jim Thompson house, a museum and silk store a few blocks from Siam Square. Jim Thompson was an American businessman who helped revitalize the Thai silk industry in the 1950s and 1960s. He disappeared mysteriously in the forests of Malaysia and was never seen again. Now his traditional Thai wooden house has been converted into a museum with stunning works of art, antiques, and silk textiles from his personal collection.
At the Jim Thompson house in 2015.
Though the Grand Palace is on every list of must-see destinations in Bangkok, I recommend skipping it, especially if you saw any other Thai temple anywhere else in Thailand. With the exception of Wat Arun, all the temples share the same architectural style. There are simply far too many tourists at the Grand Palace which, combined with the heat, doesn’t make it feel very grand. The palace lacks the wabi-sabi of Wat Arun and the character and dignity of Vimanmek Palace – a royal villa made out of teak wood – which I recommend visiting instead. To get there, take the BTS to Victory Monument and then hop on an open-air bus straight down Ratchawithi road. It will be an adventure. That’s all I’ll say about taking public buses in Bangkok.
If you do insist on visiting the Grand Palace, here are two critical tips:
- Ignore anyone who approaches you outside the palace saying that it’s closed, unless they’re police in uniform. They’re trying to hustle you. The palace is only closed on Buddhist and royal holidays. The easiest way to make sure it’s open is to ask your hotel or hostel concierge before you leave for the day, or pop into any other hotel and ask – Thai people are super nice, especially in hospitality. They won’t mind if you ask questions and aren’t a hotel guest.
- You will need to dress modestly. This applies to visiting any palace or temple in Thailand. For men, this means long pants and a shirt that covers your shoulders. For women, this means a long skirt (long pants are ok if the legs are wide – nothing tight), and a shirt that covers your chest, shoulders, and stomach. Many places have clothing or wraps you can rent, but save yourself the hassle of standing in line by dressing appropriately. That said, some places are more stringent than others. I’ve gotten away with loose sleeveless tops before, like in the photos from Wat Arun above, and less formal temples will allow tight pants too.
Shopping in Bangkok
If you don’t want to comb through Jatujak for quality souvenirs, or really hate haggling, check out Narai Phand. This air conditioned government-run crafts center has mostly quality souvenirs, though obviously the prices are steeper than they would be at a market place. Get off at the Chit Lom BTS station. The Bangrak shopping district near the Saphan Taksin BTS station is great for antiques and unique crafts.
Bangkok Night Life
For a grittier taste of Bangkok, check out Silom market – the Patpong area is part of the red-light district, and it’s interesting to see tourists browse the endless stalls of knock-off handbags and pirated DVDs right next to strip clubs with their doors flung wide open. For more of a hippie/backpacker vibe, spend the evening on Khao San road.
For an upscale experience, pick one of the many bars and restaurants with rooftop views – The Sky Bar at lebua State Tower has an especially breathtaking view after dark, and is where the helicopter scene in The Hangover II was filmed. Though there’s also an adjacent Mediterranean restaurant, Sirocco, it’s over-priced – have dinner somewhere else and just come for the bar.
The Dome at lebua State Tower by night – and by day, behind the Mandarin Oriental hotel.
Bangkok Food
For tasty, cheap food, I recommend the food courts in the better shopping malls. Cooks have to vie for these spots which provide steady income and an air-conditioned work space, so they are generally very good and definitely clean. The Emporium off of the Phrom Pong BTS station, Central Chitlom off of the Chitlom BTS station, and the always bustling Siam Paragon off of the Siam BTS station have very good food courts. Street food in Bangkok is hit or miss, so ask the locals for recommendations.
For higher-end cuisine, just do a search for the current hot spots. If you like Indian food, Bangkok’s Gaggan has been awarded best restaurant in Asia several years in a row. Trying northern and southern Thai cuisine in Bangkok is also a treat. We ate at Khua Kling Pak Sod last summer and the southern spice was a (delicious) kick in the pants.
Lunch with a friend at Khua Kling Pak Sod in the Thong Lor neighborhood.
This concludes my Thailand Travel Guide series, but let me know if you have questions or a suggestion for another topic – leave me a comment below, email me, or send me an Instagram DM.
If you missed my previous posts on traveling in Thailand, check them out here:
