bangkok overview

Bangkok is a unique blend of old-world charm and modern convenience and is incredibly inexpensive compared to Western destinations. As the political, economic, and cultural capital of Thailand, Bangkok has a myriad of attractions. Visitors can enjoy world-class cultural monuments, chic rooftop bars, animated nightlife, or amazing street food, all delivered with the same outstanding Thai hospitality. Bangkok’s four hundred active Buddhist temples are tastefully woven among outdoor markets and gigantic shopping malls. This is a city of non-stop action and can feel a little chaotic for first-time visitors.

bangkok fast facts

Best time To Visit Bangkok

October to February is the best time to visit Bangkok. The climate is tropical cool – humid, yet comfortable. The least ideal time to visit is between March and May when the city reaches its highest temperatures. The peak tourist season is November to May, whereas, May to October is the low season with regular rain showers.

Where to Stay in Bangkok

Bangkok Attractions

River Cruise  – The Chao Praya River is the thread that connects the Grand Palace with nearby temples and is a great way to get to see Bangkok’s skyline. Don’t be shy about avoiding the “official tourist boat” as it makes fewer stops and charges more.

Grand Palace – is one must-see sight in Bangkok. Its opulence, detail, and beauty are first class. Wat Phra Kaew has a Buddha figurine that was meticulously carved from a single block of jade. Male visitors must wear long pants, shirts with sleeves, and no bare feet, and women must be similarly modestly dressed. There is a booth near the entrance that can provide clothes to cover you up properly.

Wat Pho – is one of the largest temple complexes in the city and known for its giant reclining Buddha. Wat Pho was the site of the first public university in Thailand, but it is now known as a school for massage and medicine. Thai massages here are very well reviewed and cost less than $15.

Wat Arun – is one of the most picturesque temples in Bangkok. The temple’s spire stands at over seventy meters high and is beautifully decorated with tiny pieces of colored glass and porcelain placed delicately into intricate patterns. Head into the ordination hall to enjoy a golden Buddha image and detailed murals that decorate the walls.

Khaosan Road – Khaosan is a world-famous backpacker’s mecca. It is loud, chaotic, and crammed with tourists and ex-pats, but it is an experience you will not forget. At night, the streets turn into bars and food hawkers sell everything from pad thai to exotic snacks. You are likely to be approached by scammers, local vendors, and everything in between offering every imaginable experience, edible substances, and second-hand goods. As an alternative, you can try the more attractive, well-behaved brother of Khaosan Road – Rambuttri Alley. Rambuttri gives a taste of how Bangkok used to look before all the skyscrapers were built.

Floating Markets – are fun, cheap, and an exciting way to experience Thai cuisine. Khlong Lat Mayom is the least likely to be overrun by tourists. One side of the market is dedicated to fresh produce, while the other is a smorgasbord of colorful snacks, sweets, and cooked foods. For around three hundred baht, you can also take a boat ride through the neighboring canals. Damnoen Saduak is the most popular floating market in Thailand and is forty-five miles southwest of Bangkok.

Wat Benchamabophit – is one of Bangkok’s most modern temples. It is made of shiny white marble, decorated with beautiful gold carvings, and has multi-tiered roofs. Inside the ordination hall is a large bronze Buddha image, beneath which the ashes of King Chulalongkorn are buried.

Chatuchak Weekend Market – is home to more than 8,000 market stalls and on a typical weekend, more than 200,000 visitors come here to sift through the goods on sale. The main walkway encircles the entire market, and it branches off into a series of numbered alleyways. These alleyways are grouped into twenty-seven sections or categories, including clothing, furniture, food and drinks, art, pets, books, antiques and collectibles. Most vendors do not accept credit cards.

Soi Sukhumvit 11 – is a popular dining and nightlife destination and is busy any night of the week. Here you will find Cheap Charlie’s – a well-known dive bar and local institution and Havana Social Bangkok – a suave prohibition-themed bar. Alternatively, Thonglor is Bangkok’s most popular upscale entertainment street, well known for its classy bars, boutique shops, fashionable clubs, and restaurants.

Loha Prasat Metal Castle – is a Royal temple best known for the Loha Prasat Metal Castle, a thirty-six-meter high castle supporting thirty-seven metal spires – each representing the virtues toward enlightenment. Two other such metal castles have existed in the world, but only the one in Bangkok is still standing.

Jim Thompson House – Jim Thompson was a retired American army officer, a one-time spy, an ex-architect, a silk merchant, and a renowned collector of antiques. He helped revitalize the Thai silk industry in the 1960s, and at the time, was one of the most famous Americans living in Asia. Then one day in 1967, while at the height of his success, he mysteriously disappeared into the Malaysian jungle. The elegant residential enclave he left behind comprises six traditional Thai teakwood houses and showcases his thirty-year love affair with Southeast Asian art and culture.

Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha Temple) – is home to the world’s largest gold seated Buddha, measuring nearly five meters in height and weighing five and a half tons. In the past, artisans crafted the Buddhas in gold and disguised them from invading armies by covering them in stucco and plaster. The true makeup of the Buddha at Wat Traimit was discovered by accident when it was dropped as it was being moved, revealing, under a casing of plaster, a solid gold Sukhothai-style Buddha.

Chinatown – A five-minute walk to the west of Wat Traimit is the world’s largest Chinatown. Visitors should prepare to be assaulted by an array of sights, sounds, and smells here. At night, Yaowarat Road transforms into one of the greatest street food locations in the world.

bottom line

A visit to Bangkok should include both the city’s old-world charm and modern sophistication. It draws more tourists than any place in the world and it doesn’t take long to appreciate why. Bangkok’s countless landmarks combined with its world-class Thai hospitality make the city a truly unique destination.