Guide to Visiting Bangkok

Bangkok is a great place to start a trip around Thailand and Southeast Asia as a whole. Apart from being incredibly well connected to almost the entire world, it is a shiny city perfect to begin a wider travel experience.

Its temples and palaces, amazing shopping, great variety of cafés and restaurants and a never ending nightlife can’t be matched by any other city in the region. And its proximity to the sea makes it an ideal first stop on the way to the beach.

Just like many of our friends, we were asking us this question: is Bangkok worth visiting? It turned out to be one of the most fascinating cities in the world!

What is Bangkok Like

From an architectural point of view Bangkok is a strange and unique city. Unlike almost all important cities in the region it doesn’t have the European urban matrix that dominated through the nineteenth century.

So we are talking about a city with no real city center. There is no main square, main commercial street, or orthogonal street grid typical of other regional metropolises. As a result Bangkok’s Old Town – Rattanakosin Island, has no financial or commercial center, is not precisely walking friendly and doesn’t have Skytrain or metro (although they are building a metro line through here).

Most hotels are located in geographically peripheral but better equipped Sukhumvit and Silom. The only area in the center where you can find some accommodation is around touristy Khao San road, where there are plenty of budget hotels and hostels, restaurants and souvenir shops.

Check out this post if you have 4 days in Bangkok.

Why You Should Visit Bangkok

It is Home to Thailand’s Most Impressive Temple

Like everywhere around the globe the most prominent architecture includes sacral objects. In Bangkok, Buddhist pagodas and temples dominate the scene. Wat Pho next to the Royal Palace stands out for its beauty and grace. It is home of the 151 foot (46 m) long reclining Buddha.

Take note that locals call it Wat Phra Chetuphon. You can enter the temple from the side streets. However, we strongly recommend taking a boat to the other side of the river, stopping for some pictures, and coming back with the boat. The views from the boat are epic!

Wat Pho is pretty big. Thus, you need at least a couple of hours to explore it. Remember that the temple is alive. Women should cover their shoulders, chest, and knees. Men must wear long pants. Since you must take your shoes off, wear some socks. It can be way too hot!

The Royal Palace is Stunning

What really sets Bangkok apart is the glory and wealth of its famous Grand Palace. Inside the Palace, The Temple of the Emerald Buddha Wat Phra Khew is an architectural masterpiece crowded with richly decorated stupas and astonishing sculptures.

The Royal Palace is huge. You need at least three hours to explore it. Since it opens from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, we strongly recommend visiting early. It can be way too hot at noon. As when visiting Wat Pho, you must wear appropriate clothing. If you forgot, rent some at the door.

You can buy water inside the Palace. Actually, there is a very cool coffee shop inside. You can buy your ticket online or at the door. It includes the entrance to Wat Phra Kaew and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles. Take a boat from Ratchaworadit Pier in front of the palace and enjoy memorable views.

There’s Another Spectacular Temple

Wat Arun, across the river, is another impressive temple, known for its impressive 82 m tall Khmer-style spire dominating the riverscape. We strongly recommend taking a boat to cross the Chao Phraya River. It’s a super short trip. The views of Wat Arun, the Royal Palace, and Wat Pho from the boat are priceless.

You can buy your ticket at the pier. The Chao Praya Express Boat connects the three buildings in no time. The temple is famous for its 260 feet (79 meters) tall spire. Intricate porcelain decorations cover the spire. The temple opens daily from 8:30 AM to 6 PM. You need at least an hour to explore it.

The best times to visit are when the sun rises and sets. The colors are magical. Some people rush between the Palace, Wat Arun, and Wat Pho. We believe it’s better to take your time to enjoy each place. Perhaps you can visit the Palace one day and both temples the next day.

And Another One

Foreigners know Wat Benchamabophit Dusitwanaram as The Marble Temple. Locals call it Wat Ben. The compound is next to King Rama IX Memorial Park. It’s a 45-minute walk north east from the Royal Palace. If you are tired, hop on a taxi or tuk-tuk and ask to go to Wat Ben.

You can take a boat from the palace to Thewes Pier and then walk 20 minutes east along Thanon Si Ayutthaya Road. The temple opens from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Access to the compound is free. You pay 50 baht to enter the main temple. Remember to wear appropriate clothing.

The Marble Temple is unique because it combines Thai and European architecture. King Chulalongkorn ordered its construction in 1899. It took 11 years to complete. You will see Italian Carrara marble everywhere. Notice the pillars and courtyard. Two massive Singa lions stand tall next to the main hall.

There’s also a Great Viewpoint with a Temple

We love the Golden Mount Temple because it combines incredible architecture with lovely nature. Locals call it Wat Saket. The hill is half an hour’s walk from the Royal Palace. The closest subway station is Sam Yot. A tuk-tuk or taxi from the palace will take you there in no time.

The temple opens from 7 AM to 7 PM. We strongly recommend going at 5 PM. You will have enough time to enjoy the hill and see a killer sunset over the city. You need to pay 50 baht to enter the main temple. Remember to wear appropriate clothing.

You have to climb 320 steps to reach the summit. Stop along the way to drink water and admire the views. The hill and the temple were built in the mid-19^th Century. Once done with the temple, check out the park in front. There’s a section of the old city walls.

Its China Town is One of the World’s Biggest

Chinatown is one of our favorite neighborhoods in Bangkok. The area is about half an hour’s walk southeast of the Royal Palace. The closest metro station is Wat Mangkon. You can visit at all times during the day. China Town shines at night with thousands of lights!

The entire neighborhood is a shopper’s paradise. Whatever you want, you will find it here. As you can imagine, food is a major attraction too. Fantastic eateries of all kinds line China Town’s streets. In particular, next to the metro station. The night market is two blocks from the station. It opens till 11 PM.

You’ve got several temples to discover. Kwan Tung Shrine is a Chinese temple next to the metro station. From there, walk two blocks south to Chao Mae Kuan Im Shrine, another Chinese temple. The biggest temple is nearby. Kuan Yim Shrine from 1903 is part of a foundation helping local poor Chinese.

There is a Unique House Museum

You will see Jim Thompson stores all around the country. The American businessman is credited with saving the Thai silk industry. He was also an OSS agent, later the Central Intelligence Agency. In any case, he was one of the most famous foreigners living in the country in the 50s and 60s.

He collected so many art pieces from all over the region that he decided to build a new home. Today, the Jim Thompson House Museum is one of Bangkok’s most famous museums. The place is beautiful. He dismantled and shipped old houses from all over the country and re-assembled them in his compound.

Some are over 100 years old! The garden and ponds are as gorgeous as the dwellings. The collection inside will take your breath away. We are talking about ancient Chinese pottery, Victorian chandeliers, Burmese sculptures, and Thai masterpieces. You need to pay an entrance fee. There’s a shop and a coffee shop.

Bangkok has Great Hotels

Choosing a place to stay is not an easy task. Options vary from a cheap noisy and bad quality hotel/hostel near the center in Khao San, to a fancy hotel around Sukhumvit, surrounded by huge shopping malls on one side, and open canals, bad smell and street vendors selling everything from food to sex toys, on the other.

I would definitely recommend somewhere near the river, not far from the city center, like Silom, which offers a more or less local neighborhood, not too dirty, not far from the “center” and with good connections to the rest of the city. Our favorite hotel in Bangkok is The Peninsula, next to the river. It’s worth every penny.

Staying relatively close to the Khao San Road is another great option. There are plenty of nice bars and restaurants around, and you can walk to some of the historical sites. Make sure to stay far enough from the infamous street. It can get pretty noisy! We recommend the Centra by Centara. It’s got plush rooms, a pool, and an unbeatable location.

Check out this post for the best places to stay in Bangkok.

Moving Around is an Adventure

Moving about Bangkok can be really time consuming. It is a fairly big city without a big net of public transportation. The best option is to use the metro or Skytrain, though both do not reach most of the tourist spots. I wouldn’t recommend hiring a bicycle, too risky.

The alternatives are taxis, which are cheap, and tuc -tucs which are bit more exotic, but slightly more costly. Both are a bit slow, because of constants traffic jams, but comfortable and cheap. You can take the Skytrain or metro and then a taxi or tuc-tuc.

Walking around Bangkok is possible, but sidewalks are pretty much occupied during the day, so often you have to step on the street to walk somewhere. It is not one of the cleanest cities in the world, something you will immediately notice by walking down the street, so that’s an extra reason to suggest private transport.

Check out this post if you are heading to Chang Mai.

Is Bangkok Worth Visiting?

What makes Bangkok special is its cosmopolitan spirit. Neighboring cities like Kuala Lumpur or Singapore though much wealthier do not have such an open minded mentality, a necessary ingredient for a city to be a true metropolis.

In Bangkok you can be whoever you want and you can do whatever you feel like. Thai people are simply not judgmental, and apart from that, local residents have probably seen it all.

So if you are looking for a fun place packed with outstanding sites, great hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers, Bangkok is definitely worth visiting!

Check out this post if you only have 24 hours in Bangkok.

Bangkok Travel Guide