Bangkok, you love it or you hate it. For many, Thailand’s capital is the starting point of a trip through Asia or Thailand and should not be missed! This bustling city has almost as many inhabitants as Belgium and can be very overwhelming the first time. There is so much to experience in this metropolis with its many contrasts of culture, tradition and nature. The choice is vast, which is why we went before you. Here you will read what are the 10 best things you should definitely see or do during your first time in Bangkok, Thailand.
10 best things to do in Bangkok, Thailand
Below read what to do during a first time Bangkok in Thailand. Ranging from temple visits to delicious street food, there is something for everyone in this diverse metropolis! These are the 10 most fun sights and activities in Bangkok!
1) The Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew
One of the most beautiful sights in Bangkok is the Royal Palace and its attached temple Wat Phra Kaew. Both buildings are located on a complex as large as 22 acres, so you can easily spend half a day here. You will feast your eyes here because everywhere you look you will see gold-decorated details, Buddha figurines of all sizes and mosaic tiles that create a beautiful display of colors. An admission ticket costs THB 500 or about €14 and gives you access to both the temple and the palace. A nice bonus and what many don’t know is that afterwards you can also catch a traditional dance show at the Royal Theater for free. A little train is waiting for you at the exit of the complex to take you to the theater. Definitely highly recommended!
Opening hours Royal Palace and Temple: daily from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm (ticket sales until 3:30 pm) | price: 500 THB (~ €14)
TRAVEL TIP! To enter the Royal Palace and temples in Thailand, your knees and shoulders must always be covered.
2) Wat Arun
Also called the Temple of Dawn, Wat Arun towers high above the Chao Phraya River. The 75-meter-high temple is particularly stunning when it is sunset, as you get a beautiful sunlight on the colorful stupas or towers. For only 5 THB or €0.14, take the ferry to the entrance of the temple. The admission ticket itself is 200 THB or €5.5. By closing time, you can take the ferry back across the river to enjoy the most beautiful sunset in Bangkok, with Wat Arun beautifully illuminated in the foreground.
Opening hours Wat Arun: daily from 08h00 – 18h00 | price: 200 THB (~ €5.5)
3) Wat Pho
There are more than 400 temples in Bangkok, so visiting them all may not be in the cards. But Wat Pho or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha certainly cannot be missed during your first time in Bangkok. This temple complex is located next to the Royal Palace and again, you can easily wander around for a few hours while enjoying the many colorful details. The centerpiece of the temple is the no less than 46 meters long and 18 meters high Buddha, also called “the Reclining Buddha. If you want to learn more about Bangkok’s most beautiful temples, combine them in a guided day tour.
Opening hours Wat Pho: daily from 08h00 – 18h30 | price: 200 THB (~ €5.5)
4) Street food tour
Bangkok is the Valhalla of street food. No matter where you stay in Bangkok, on every street corner you will find stalls selling all kinds of local food and at any hour of the day (or night). But for the real experience, you have to be in Chinatown. Every day here you will find a huge street food market with the tastiest and craziest dishes. We did a street food tour through Secretfood tours to learn even more about these dishes and the culture behind them. Our personal favorites? Stir-fried chicken with Thai basil (Kao-phad-prow-kai), Chinese doughnut with pandan filling (Pa Tong Kao) or the Thai pancake (Khanom Buang). Highly recommended to do in Bangkok in Thailand!
5) Rooftop Bar
You can get lost through the streets of Bangkok for hours, days and even weeks. But definitely consider viewing the city from above. The modern skyline, with its many skyscrapers, is a sight in itself. Bangkok has several rooftop bars you can go to, but we found the Red Sky Bar really worth a visit. Drink prices are not next to it, but if you come between 5 and 6 p.m. you get the second gin tonic at half price. And the view is truly priceless, watching the city transition from day to night.
Opening hours Red Sky Bar: daily from 17h – 01h00 | dress code: smart casual
6) Klong river tour
Bangkok is also known as the Venice of the East. The city is divided into new and old parts by the Chao Phraya River, the beating heart of Bangkok. The old part is called Thonburi and includes many canals where locals still live in wooden stilt houses and vendors offer you all kinds of stuff from their boats. On the street you will be in front of a Klong tour several times but you will soon pay 1000 THB or €28 per person. Therefore, speak to a skipper yourself at the pier to negotiate up to a better price which is around 500 THB or €14 per person. A tour takes an average of an hour and a half and is one of the most fun things to do in Bangkok, Thailand!
7) Shopping in the megamalls
Shop till you drop, you can definitely do that in Bangkok. There are as many as sixty malls scattered throughout the city, with some being even bigger than others. The three best known are Siam Paragon for the more expensive brands and CentralWorld and MBK Center for the more contemporary brands. In these shopping centers you can easily spend a whole day because here you will find everything: countless stores, various restaurants and bars, supermarkets and even cinemas. Nice to have seen once, and the cool air conditioning is nice.
Mall opening hours: daily from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
8) Riding in a tuktuk
You can get around Bangkok in so many different ways. You have the subway, the bus, Grab, the ferry but also the well-known tuktuks. These pimped-out tricycles race through Bangkok’s perpetual traffic and are an attraction in themselves. Get your best negotiating skills because some drivers can be very persistent. Agree on a clear price in advance and hop on the back to be taken to your next destination. Or join a guided tour of Bangkok by tuktuk!
9) Dragon spotting in Lumphini park
Anyone who thought you couldn’t see wildlife in Bangkok was wrong! Lumphini Park is Bangkok’s green lung and the ideal place to escape the chaos of the city for a while. In the middle of the park is a pond where you can spot numerous water dragons. These are harmless as long as you don’t get too close and quite impressive to see. Enjoy the tranquility as you stroll through this green oasis of a whopping 56 acres. Or put on your running shoes and go for a jog among the locals!
10) Khao San Road
Finally, you can’t come to Bangkok without visiting perhaps Thailand’s most famous street. Khao San Road, better known as the backpackers street, is the ideal place to end a day in Bangkok. Indeed, at night, this street comes alive with numerous bars and souvenir shops while one street vendor after another tries to sell you something like fried scorpion, a massage or a tailored suit. It may feel a bit like a madhouse, but a visit to Khao San Road should not be missed during your first time in Bangkok.
How to visit Bangkok in Thailand
Bangkok has two international airports: Don Muang (DMK) and Suvarnabhumi (BKK). Both are international airports, but most flights from Belgium or the Netherlands arrive at Suvarnabhumi. Look carefully at which airport you arrive in, as both are fairly far apart. Both airports are connected to Bangkok’s subway system (BTS). You can take the subway to the city center and then take a cab or Grab to your hotel. Or take a cab directly from the airport to your hotel, which costs around 500 THB (~ €13).
In Bangkok itself, you can get around in various ways such as the tuktuk mentioned above. The easiest way to get around Bangkok is to use the BTS (the subway). This will cost you about €1 per ticket. Another way to get around is with the cab apps Grab or Uber.
Where to stay in Bangkok
Bangkok is a huge city with numerous accommodations. The best area to stay during your first time in Bangkok is in the Banglamphu district. Here you are within walking distance of Bangkok’s main attractions such as the temples and Khao San Road. This is the district of choice to discover Bangkok’s best sights. At L amphu Tree House Boutique stay in an oasis of tranquility in the middle of the city. Another option is to find a hotel that is close to the Bangkok subway line. That way you can easily explore the entire city. We stayed in Apartment45 Hostel, close to Lumphini Park and within walking distance to the subway.
Still have questions about what to do in Bangkok or Thailand? Let us know in a comment below! Looking for more information about your next trip? Please do not hesitate to contact us or send an email to info@snoezelsontheroad.com
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