Bangkok, Thailand: Top 5 Things to Do and More

By the time we arrived in Bangkok, it was 7pm, and we had been traveling for what seemed like eternity.  We grabbed the public bus from the BKK airport (the S1 bus) to get to our hotel on Khao San Road, which cost 60THB (Thai Bhat) per person, or less than $2.  The journey took about an hour and a half due to traffic, for which Bangkok is notorious.  We were dumped out on Khao San Road, which was teeming with tourists and locals alike – it was sensory overload on little sleep.  We darted in between the sea of people and food stalls that peppered the main strip to make our way to the hotel.  In that moment, we were thankful we had carry-on sized backpacks as our luggage.  

Accommodations

We stayed at Dang Derm in the Park Hotel, which is only a five-minute walk from the bus stop.  It’s on the main drag of Khao San Road, but protected from much of the noise of the partygoers.  The room was very nice and clean.  I would recommend it to anyone going to Khao San Road if they want to stay on the main strip; however, when we went back to Bangkok, we opted to stay on Rambuttri Road, which is one road over and decidedly more chill.  We would recommend staying on Rambuttri road and simply walking over to Khao San road to party. We stayed at Khaosan Art Hotel on the second trip for our one-night stopover before heading north.  It worked for the one night, but I wouldn’t recommend it for longer stays.

We used Booking.com for our accommodation – use our referral link so that you can get a $25 reward!  https://www.booking.com/s/43_8/roxyba87

Top Five Things to Do in Bangkok

Over the next few of days, we hit up many of the highlights in the Old City of Bangkok.  We visited the Wat Pho (adjacent to The Grand Palace), Wat Arun (“Wat” means temple, by the way), and the Golden Mount.  We recommend visiting these places either early in the morning or later in the afternoon to escape the heat of day.  While it was the cool season in November, temperatures reached highs of 95 degrees with over 50% humidity. 

1. Wat Pho and The Grand Palace 

Generally, tourists will visit The Grand Palace and the Wat Pho at the same time given that they are right next to each other, but our research indicated that The Grand Palace was not worth the entrance fee (500THB per person), and huge throngs of tourists, so we stuck to the Wat Pho to see the famous Reclining Buddha.  If you really are interested in visiting the Grand Palace you should be there early in the morning (8am) to avoid the crowds and heat. In order to visit the Wat Pho, you need to make sure that you are appropriately dressed.  Knees and shoulders must be covered.  We sported the harem pants that are ubiquitous around the tourist spots and cost about 100-150THB ($3-$4) from any of the tourist shops.  We made the unfortunate mistake of arriving at noon in the sweltering heat and during a peak time – you couldn’t swing a cat without hitting a tourist.  However, it was well worth the visit.  The Wat Pho is one of Bangkok’s oldest temples and was built by King Rama I in 1781.  It houses the impressive Reclining Buddha, which is 49 feet (15 meters) tall and 151 feet (46 meters) long.  It is a jaw-dropping sight.  The Buddha is adorned with mother-of-pearl, representing 108 auspicious symbols – this is a sacred number in Buddhism.  The reclining posture represents the position in which Buddha died.  

Beware of scams on your walk over to the Grand Palace/Wat Pho are.  There are some locals who target tourists and divert them from the Grand Palace/Wat Pho, claiming that it is closed in order to plop you into a tuk-tuk that takes you to other destinations for a flat fee (they are never closed).  I would, however, recommend taking a spin around the Old City in a tuk-tuk to get a quick tour of the surrounding sights.  It’s not for the faint-of-heart though – some of the drivers are mad men on the road.

2. Wat Arun

The Wat Arun, often referred to as “The Temple of Dawn”, is another temple that you can access by taking a cheap ferry across the Chao Phraya River, which is a short distance from the Wat Pho.  It dates back to the Siamese Ayutthaya Kingdom (14th through 18th centuries).  The Wat Arun was awe-inspiring.  It was aesthetically very different from the Wat Pho (some of the Wats can start to become repetitive after you see a few).  The Wat Arun comprised five prangs that were adorned with intricate designs of mosaics made from broken pieces of Chinese porcelain.  The central prang can be climbed for a great vantage point of the river.

3. Golden Mount

Another point of interest is the Golden Mount or Wat Saket, which is a man-made hill with a gold chedi at the top.  Construction of this Wat was started by King Rama III in the early 1800’s, but didn’t get completed until the end of the century by Rama V (there are a lot of “King Ramas”, we’ve learned).  This used to be the highest point in the city and continues to be a sacred location for pilgrimage in November.  It’s going to require a bit of exercise to reach the top – there are 300 some steps – so it’s better to make the climb when the sun is not the strongest.

4. Bangkok’s Central Business District

Our nightlife was limited to Khao San Road for convenience sake and because getting from the Old City to Bangkok’s downtown, central business district takes about an hour, primarily because the Skytrain doesn’t run through the Old City.  You either have to take a taxi for roughly 400TBH ($12, maybe you can haggle lower) and sit in frustrating traffic to catch the Skytrain or you can take a ferry down the Chao Phraya River from Khao San Road to the Saphan Taksin Skytrain stop.  Suffice it to say, it’s a pain to get to and from. Also worth noting that taxis have meters but rarely use them, instead they want to agree on a flat price before they take off. It’s also best to grab a moving taxi on a busy street instead of the taxis parked outside of tourist locations which will charge more. You can also download the app Grab to order a taxi, which is like Thailand’s version of Uber.

We did take the trek one night to meet a friend from my study abroad days.  We met her at the Phloen Chit stop, which is in the embassy district of Bangkok and drastically different from the Old City.  The second you exit the Skytrain, you’re swallowed by towering skyscrapers and the scene consists of many commercial stores and restaurants.  There’s a palpable city buzz that we did enjoy – I guess we’re city slickers at heart.  We had some nice cocktails at Central Embassy, which is a high-end shopping mall.  The mall also has a luxury movie theater (whoever thought there was such a thing?) that has day beds with pillows and blankets, an all-you-can drink minibar, and a concierge button.  We had this on our list of things to do, but ran out of time on this trip.  We then went to a rooftop bar at Above Eleven with breathtaking views of Bangkok’s skyline – a must if you find yourself in the central business district. There are other luxury malls nearby as well, such as Siem Paragon, which hosts its own luxury theater, high end stores, and even Lamborghini and Ferrari dealerships.

5. Hangout on Khao San Road

If you know anything about Bangkok, then you know that Khao San Road is the backpackers’ mecca.  It reminded me of New Orleans’s Bourbon Street. 

We made our way to the opposite end of Khao San Road, intercepted by people selling all sorts of things along the way – scorpion popsicles (because why not?), ping pong show tickets (look it up), men hustling to sell you tailored suits, and tourists getting very public foot and back massages on the sidewalk, which was very odd to see at first, but for about 200THB ($6) it was a great option and one of the best massages we’ve had. 

Eat the street food.  There are so many street chefs cooking mouth-watering Thai dishes, and it can be hard to choose what to eat.  We settled on a food stall operated by a petite, Thai chef who was cooking up a storm of delicious pad thai.  It was phenomenal – the best pad thai we’ve ever had and for only $2 a plate!  We could get used to this. 

If you want some crazy night life, then slip into one of the many bars on this street and sip on a whiskey bucket.  If you want something more chill, then go to Rambuttri Road which is just one street over.  There, you’ll hear cover bands or solo performers singing pretty good renditions of popular songs from the many restaurants and bars on the street, with less noise and chaos.

Our Key Takeaways and Tips

Bangkok is a city that seemingly never sleeps.  It has a lot to offer like fashion, food, culture, etc. and serves as a central hub to jump to other destinations.  I had a love-hate relationship with the place.  It appealed to the city girl in me, but it was a bit too chaotic.   I much preferred Chiang Mai, which was a nice city alternative.  Stay tuned for that post!  Below are some quick tips to keep in mind: 

1. Use the Grab app for taxis (Asia’s Uber and Lyft)
2. Beware of the scams around the tourist sights (go with your gut and don’t trust a stranger who is too friendly)
3. Grab a drink at a rooftop bar to see the Bangkok skyline
4. Check out Khao San Road, even if just for one night
5. Try the street food!