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Bangkok was the first city that really took hold of me. It was from that first visit that I knew it would never let me go or leave me and I was perfectly fine with that. Whilst some people might see an overpopulated, chaotic and dirty city, I see the beauty that Bangkok offers. I maintain that if you don’t like Bangkok, you simply haven’t spent enough time there. It can be quite overwhelming at first and that is why I feel that people need to work past that to see the city for what it really is – magnificent and mesmerizing. The city is alive, something is always happening and it is never boring, that is what I love about Bangkok. I am writing this Bangkok Travel Guide in the hope that you will find Bangkok as amazing as I do.

Currency Converter – 40THB = €1.08/£0.97/$1.22

Getting In

Most people travelling to Bangkok will be doing so by air. Bangkok is served by two main airports, Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang. Suvarnabhumi is the biggest of the two, flights arrive here around the clock from all over the world. If you are flying long-haul this is almost certainly where you will be flying into. Don Muang is mainly used by low-cost airlines such as Lion and Nok Air. Flights from several destinations in Asia arrive here as well as any internal flights into the city. If you are travelling by train, you will arrive at Hua Lamphong Station, right in the centre of the city. Most buses will leave you just off from the Khao San Road.

If you are arriving by air to Suvarnabhumi Airport, take the easy and inexpensive sky-train to Phaya Thai. It will take you approx 40 minutes but from here you can get to most other areas of the city. If you are flying into Don Muang Airport, a bus leaves quite regularly to most parts of the city. Victory Monument and Lumpini Park are just a couple of the stops available. Tickets are bought on board with cash only.

To get a full understanding of the Thai visa policy, click here.

Where To Stay

This is one of the hardest decisions you will make before visiting Bangkok. Most travellers and backpackers stay near the Khao San Road. This area is lively and never sleeps. The only problem with here is you can be slightly disconnected from the rest of the city. The sky-train does not run as far as here, not yet anyway, so you need to take a bus or the river taxi to get to an area of the city in which the sky-train is available. The other option is a bit more central, somewhere near the more upmarket Maha Nakhon area. This is where you will find most of the shopping centres and pricier, fancier restaurants. Prices for both hostels and hotels are a bit higher here though.

I always stay in the same place though, Born Free Hostel. It was the first hostel I stayed in on my first trip to Bangkok and from that day I would never stay anywhere else. I love the general chilled out atmosphere that seems to be always present among the guests there. It always attracts a nice clientele and is never too full on. Plus, the owners are some of the nicest people you could ever wish to meet. It is near the Khao San Road, about a 5-minute walk. For me, travelling to Bangkok means staying in Born Free.

When To Go

Visitors to Bangkok are quite lucky as the weather never gets too bad. September and October are the wettest months, but heavy showers can happen at any time throughout the year. High season starts in December to February, the rain showers will be less frequent but temperatures have yet to peak. The hot season is March to June. I would suggest avoiding that if you plan on frequent or strenuous activity. I think of November as the best month to visit. There are fewer crowds, less rain and it’s not quite as hot, but in reality, any time of the year is a good time to travel to Bangkok. Thai New Year tends to be a huge party in April so keep that in mind before booking any trip there. This has been on my bucket list for a long time, it looks incredible!

Useful Phrases (Male/Female)

Hello/Good Morning = Sa-Wat-Dee Kap/Kaa

Thank you = Kop Kun Kap-Kaa

Goodbye = La-Gon-Na

I don’t know = Chan-Mai-Roo

Excuse Me/Sorry = Kor Thot

My Name is = Pom Cheu …/Rao Cheu …

Cheers = Chai-Yoh

Do you understand = Khao Jai Mai

Do you speak English? = Kun poot tai daai mai?

Thai is a difficult language to speak and a few words can go a long way. Luckily for visitors to the country, the increasing amount of tourists has led to a massive increase in English language studies. Young people especially, will all speak some amount of English.

What To Do

Grand Palace & Wat Pho

The two most popular tourist destinations in the city. Located right next to each other are the magnificent Grand Palace and the equally stunning Wat Pho. The Grand Palace is bigger and will take up much more of your time. Wat Pho doesn’t have as much to see, but it does have the highly impressive Reclining Buddha inside. These two places are most likely going to be number one and two on your itinerary for Bangkok. They are a great introduction to the city and all it has to offer.

The Golden Mount

This temple is actually called Wat Saket but got the name ‘The Golden Mount’ from the large golden chedi that sits atop the hill. There are certainly better temples in the city, but none that offer such a good view of the surrounding area. The temple is at the end of a 300 step climb, something visitors must be prepared for. At one time, Wat Saket was free to visit but since its popularity has risen, a 50THB entrance fee has been introduced. This small fee is definitely worth it for the view of Bangkok alone.

Wat Arun

My personal favourite, Wat Arun is known as the Temple of the Dawn. It is on the opposite side of the Chao Phraya River to the Grand Palace. The temple is made up of colourful spires, each decorated with small pieces of Chinese porcelain. When visiting, you can climb the steep stairs for a fantastic view of the city across the water. Be sure to head to the waterfront after dark to see Wat Arun all lit up and in its full glory.

Chatuchak Weekend Market

This is the biggest market in all of Thailand. The Chatuchak Weekend Market opens on Friday evening and stays open through Saturday and Sunday. 15,000 stalls divided into 27 sections make up this market. Food, souvenirs, electronics, art, clothes, there is not much that you cannot find here. This market pops up almost out of nowhere every weekend in a very central location. It is a great way to spend a few hours, walking around this maze of market stalls. I always visit this market when I am in Bangkok.

Yaowarat

Bangkok’s Chinatown is one of the most interesting areas of the entire city. During the day it is a bustling business district but then, once the sun sets, the food stalls come out and the area becomes a totally different place to be. A visit here in the late afternoon is a must. At this time you can look through the market stalls, the flower market included, and then treat yourself to some of the best food in the entire city.

Lumpini Park

A quiet haven in the middle of chaotic Bangkok. This 142-acre park is the perfect place to get away from it all. This is the fitness epicentre of Bangkok. Locals visit here all day, every day to run, jog or partake in open air exercise classes. I prefer to use the space to people watch, maybe bring a picnic with me and relax for an hour or two. Nowhere else in Bangkok offers a peacefulness like Lumpini Park.

Cruise down the Chao Phraya River

Seeing Bangkok from the water is a must. You can, of course, rent a boat or take a river cruise for an inflated price. Instead, take the river taxi used by locals on a daily basis. The view is just as good. Plus you can get off in some random area and go explore before returning on the boat to your original starting point. Tickets for the river taxi only cost 40THB per journey, a bargain considering it is practically the same as a river cruise and you get the opportunity to see the city from a different perspective.

For a full list of my Top 20 Things to See and Do in Bangkok, click here.

Where To Eat

Paa Yak Boat Noodles @ Boat Noodle Alley

I could not imagine anyone ever trying boat noodles and not liking them. Boat noodle alley is one of my favourite places to head to for lunch in the city. There are 4 restaurants here all selling pretty much the same thing. I usually head to the last one as I like their outdoor seating next to the river. Boat noodles are small portions of rice noodles covered with a rich, dark and peppery broth. Then there is a choice of meat, usually pork or beef, some Thai meatballs, herbs and green vegetables. A bowl will never fill you, but the idea is to eat bowl after bowl stacking them empty on top of each other and then paying your total at the end. This is a Bangkok institution and you must eat here during your time in the city.

Kuay Jab Nay Lek

This street stall sells what is the most popular bowl of food in the Yaowarat area. This one-dish stall serves up Kuay Jab Nam Sai, which is delicious crispy pork, all the organs with wide rice noodles in a broth made from pigs bones. The broth is also heavily flavoured with black pepper, which gives it a little extra kick. You might have to wait a while for a table but the wait is only a testament to how good the food is.

Areesaa Lotta Dee

I love this place. It is a stone throw from Khao San Road and yet no tourists tend to go in. There are a few dishes on offer from one of the three food stalls there but none serve better food than Areesaa Lotta Dee. They serve Khao Mok Gai – Thai style biryani. The perfectly cooked and spiced rice is full of flavour and every piece is evenly coated and perfectly cooked. You then get either beef or chicken. The beef was my favourite, a tender piece of meat stewed in a tomato sauce. On the side is the perfect sauce to accompany the dish. This is my breakfast spot in the city (they run out of food before dinner). To get there, go to Tani Road, a street over from Khao San and look for the red signs above the entrance.

Khao Kluk Kapi Niyngow

One of the rarest yet most interesting dishes you can find across the city. Khao Kluk Kapi is a crazy combination of rice, stir-fried with shrimp paste, then topped with marinated grilled pork, Chinese sausage, mango, egg, red onions, dried shrimp, chillies and cucumber with some cilantro and spring onion. There is so much flavour going on, each bite has combinations working together that make it a constant rotation of different, strong flavours. For some, it can be too strong and overpowering but I love it. This stall is the only place that I have ever seen selling it and I never pass up the opportunity to visit it when I am in the city.

Thipsamai Pad Thai

I wouldn’t be a big fan of Pad Thai. I think what annoys me more than the dish itself, is the fact that some people travel to Thailand and eat nothing but it. Its popularity with tourists make it an easy and safe meal for certain travellers and believe me, this happens more than you think. However, if I was to eat it, this is where I go. The queue speaks for itself as does the hugely impressive speed and turnover that each plate is cooked at. You might have to wait a while to get a seat here but when you do, it is worth the wait.

Grilled Meat

I always find that these are best found outside schools or universities. A small stall will sell all different kinds of meat grilled over hot coals. My favourites would be either Pork or Thai meatballs. They are a cheap snack to grab on the go and are hugely popular all over Thailand. The busier the stall, the safer they tend to be, so make sure you are buying them in a busy area of the city.

Wattana Panich

Think, a ginormous jacuzzi of stewed beef and that is pretty much exactly what Wattana Panich is. When you arrive here you are greeted by this pot of meat, fat, juices and spices. It is then up to you to decide what way you want it served. The beef noodles are the most popular. Noodles which are covered in all the meat and juices from that pot you have just seen. It is a little out of the way but Wattana Panich is worth making an effort to visit. It also gives you a chance to explore the Ekkamai area that it is located in.

What To Avoid

Scams

Bangkok is full of them. There is the ‘Grand Palace is closed today’ scam which I still don’t fully understand the purpose of. Then the ‘Buddhist Holiday’ scam where the Golden Mount is “only open one day a year and today is your lucky day.” This then turns into a 2-hour tour of Bangkok for 20THB. You will be dropped off at suit shops, travel agencies, souvenir shops, all in exchange for the fuel card the driver will receive. You don’t get forced into buying anything, but it can still be a frustrating few hours. Be polite and calmly decline any unwanted attention.

Khao San Road

Khao San is infamous among backpackers. Most people who travel to Bangkok tend to end up there at some point. Prices are higher, the street is kind of tacky and it can wear on you pretty quick. But to be honest, it’s not a bad night out, especially the first time. . Go there for a drink, maybe near the end of the night, but there are plenty of better bars to be found in the nearby areas. The key thing is to never, ever, ever eat there. Do not waste the chance of a good meal in Bangkok by eating mediocre to bad food on the Khao San Road. From the odd dodgy breakfast trying to cure a hangover, to ordering fries when the group I was drinking with ate there, only for the waitress to go and buy them from McDonald’s, I learned my lesson!

Taxis who don’t use the meter

Chances are, at some point in Bangkok you will have to take a taxi. Legally they are all required to use their meter but most don’t. Pull the taxi over, ask them if they will use the meter if they say no, close the door. It might take a few minutes to get an honest taxi driver but eventually, you will. For the same reason, don’t use Tuk-Tuks. None will use the meter. If the price has to be negotiated, I can guarantee it is not for your benefit. Tuk-Tuks might look fun but they are not worth paying extra for.

Salesmen

On certain streets, Khao San Road included, you can expect to be hassled by salesmen. They usually sell suits, tattoos and even fortune telling. Common sense will hopefully prevail. If they were that good at their job they wouldn’t need to try to get business on the street. The same goes for restaurants. A good restaurant will always sell food but a bad one needs to try and convince potential customers to come in off the street.

The city is too often visited by tourists and travellers on their way in or out of the country. It’s too often used as a stop-gap before going north or down south to the islands. People will spend a day or two there before moving on to their preferred destination. Bangkok needs time to reveal itself to you. Once you get over the busy, polluted streets, you begin to notice little things that make the city so special. It is only then that the process of falling in love with Bangkok begins. Ignore the scammers and instead see the millions of friendly and happy, welcoming people. Eat the delicious street food that is some of the best in the world. Get lost in different areas, make every day a new adventure and then you will see the real Bangkok. It truly is a city that you will never forget.

To read more of my blogs on Bangkok, click here. Alternatively, check out my Thailand Travel Guide, to do that, click here.

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The Roaming Irishman

roamingirishman@gmail.com

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