Visiting Bangkok for the first time: Tips and advice
Bangkok, nicknamed the "Venice of the East", is a must-see during a trip to Thailand. trip to Thailand and Southeast Asia. Many travellers start their trip with a visit to this city, others stop off in the middle or at the end of their holiday. This megalopolis is culturally and humanly rich. There is plenty to do in Bangkok!
For a first visit to Asia, visiting this capital is ideal before starting an itinerary in the region. We suggest you through this city guide of our travel blog OneDayOneTravel to discover with our stories, photos and videos, the sites to visit absolutely in Bangkok, some ideas ofactivities sometimes unusual but also how to move in this huge city and where to sleep.
When you visit Bangkok for the first time, it's not a city but a universe that you discover. You can quickly get lost in the middle of 8 million inhabitants!
The smells of food, the bustle, the smiles, the electric wires and the traffic jams make this megalopolis a unique place on the planet.
See also our Thailand travel itinerary
1. What to see and do in Bangkok?
There is never enough time to get bored in Bangkok. We love this city so much that we always spend a few days there at the beginning and at the end of our trips in Asia. Bangkok is a city that we rediscover each time.
Bangkok is a city that we rediscover every time we visit.
The visits and activities in Bangkok are very numerous. Visit the main Buddhist temples of the city, visit the markets and traditional Thai restaurants and street stalls, visit Chinatown and Lumpini, climb a ghost tower, dine on top of a tower, food tour by night, etc. We now reveal you all our good plans and our favorites in Bangkok. Let's go!
1.1 Which temples to visit in Bangkok?
The Royal Palace is the number one visit during a stay in Bangkok. Visit as soon as it opens as it is crowded the rest of the day.
Wat Arun is one of the temples impossible to circumvent of Bangkok. Ideal at the end of the day when the temple is illuminated.
Wat Pho is one of the largest and oldest Buddhist temples in Bangkok. It houses the famous reclining Buddha. Massages on the spot.
The temple Wat Saket. At the top of an artificial hill, this temple offers an original panorama on Bangkok.
Our several stays in Bangkok confirm us well that our preferred temple is Wat Pho. The famous reclining Buddha can be admired there. A 46m long statue, covered with gold leaves, symbolizing Buddha on his deathbed, at the doors of Nirvana.
We also love spending the end of the day at Wat Arun and then just across the street on a terrace to enjoy the sunset over the Chao Praya River and the Buddhist temple. The colours at the end of the day give a lot of charm to this site, which is impressive by day and by night.
1.2. Night tour of Bangkok's markets, street stalls and restaurants by tuk-tuk
In this new vlog, we take you on a night tour of Bangkok by tuk-tuk, visiting night markets, street stalls and traditional restaurants, both famous and secret. A food tour that allows you to taste Thai culinary specialties but also to visit Wat Pho and Wat Arun temples by night. A very nice evening full of surprises, flavours and emotions that we recommend you if you come to visit Bangkok!
The night food tour, an unusual night activity in Bangkok, that we are not ready to forget. We ended up with a full belly, but this tour gave us the opportunity to wander around Wat Pho at night without other tourists. If you want to know more about this activity and book it:
There are of course more traditional markets to visit in Bangkok such as Chatuchak market. Don't miss the shopping malls that specialise in new technology, clothes, gadgets, souvenirs, etc.
Go to the Siam Square area. Siam is a district with many gigantic shopping malls ranging from the chicest to the cheapest linked by footbridges over Bangkok's congested arteries. Everything is over the top. When it comes to shopping, you'll be spoilt for choice.
If you're looking for a bargain, the MBK shopping centre is the place to be.
With countless cheap shops and international stalls, you can spend the whole day in this gigantic place and also in the nearby shops. The Emporium Mall, located not far from MBK, is one of the most exclusive.
On Sundays, we recommend you visit Chatuchak Market, the largest in Thailand. The nearest metro station is named after it. Everything you can find in Thailand can be found in this market. Handicrafts from all over the country and the latest gadgets are all on offer in this huge market, which is well known throughout the country. Be careful with your belongings during the walk.
After the hustle and bustle of the market, we recommend a break in the nearby park.
The atypical shopping centre Terminal 21, which we visited for the first time in July 2013, deserved its own full article and video. Based on an innovative concept, this shopping centre is more than a shopping centre, it's an airport! We tell you all about it in this article: good shopping in Bangkok: the Terminal 21.
In short, click on the following links to discover our good shopping plans in Bangkok.
To see also near Bangkok...
The floating market of Damnoen Saduak is an unusual experience in the visit of a capital but this one can be worth the diversions. Located about a hundred kilometres southwest of Bangkok, near Ratchaburi, Damnoen Saduak is the name of a town that has become a must-see but is a victim of its own success.
This colourful place allows you to imagine what Bangkok was like in the past, when life took place on canals rather than roads. You sail among the boats carrying goods. Everything is sold on the spot, even food en route. It's a busy place!
1.3. Visit Bangkok's Chinatown and end the day with dinner on top of a tower
Bangkok's Chinatown is one of the must-see areas in Bangkok. It can be visited by day for its temples and by night for its markets. Between the confidential lanes and the main shopping streets, the district teems with life, markets and street stalls of all kinds.
We also visited the Golden Buddha temple and its 5 tons of gold which are located just next to the door of the Chinese quarter.
A surprise at the end of the vlog was a dinner with a breathtaking view from Bangkok's tallest tower, the Baiyoke Tower. An activity booked on the Civitatis website.
1.4 Explore Bangkok's Ghost tower (Unique Sathorn tower)
In Bangkok, it's not hard to get a good view of the city. Most tourists visiting the capital go for a drink on one of the many roof tops. As we never want to be like everyone else (lol), we found a tower that is more difficult to access. On the other hand, the view is incomparable.
That morning, we take a little height by climbing the 50 floors of the Ghost Tower. This unfinished tower, the Unique Sathorn, is now abandoned and the site has become exciting to explore but also dizzying for Urbex fans.
Access to the abandoned tower is not guaranteed and you will have to drop a ticket (between 200 and 500 baths/person). We were lucky. We tell you all about it here in this vlog. You too are a fan of urban exploration?
As the tower is not secured because it was abandoned after the Asian crisis in the early 2000s, this URBEX visit is not legal. If you go there, you won't be sure to get in. It will be at the whim of the smuggler. On site, you are solely responsible for your actions. Do not go with children.
See also our TOP 10 must-sees in Bangkok
2. Where to have a drink?
There is no shortage of roof tops in Bangkok. If you really want to indulge during your stay in Bangkok, go to the Vertigo restaurant at the Banyan Tree Hotel on Sathorn Street. The terrace is located on the 59th floor of the hotel. There you can enjoy a 360° panoramic view of the megalopolis. The best time to go there is at the end of the day to enjoy the sunset with a drink. You can also dine there but be aware that the prices are comparable to a nice Parisian establishment.
There are of course other roof tops in Bangkok but we like this one a lot because you can go there just to have a drink and it is located in the heart of the Lumpini district where we like to sleep.
3. Where to sleep in Bangkok?
Tourists often stay on Khao San road. We don't like this area because it doesn't bring anything special and it is not necessarily well served by public transport. Since 2011 and every trip since, we have been staying in the Silom district near Lumpini Park. It is the embassy district. Our recommendation: the Siri Sathorn HotelA good compromise between budget, location, swimming pool, terrace if you're lucky, comfort of the flat, and the optional restaurant on the ground floor where you can have your breakfast unless you prefer to go down to the café on the corner or to prepare it in your kitchen.
The Silom district is made up of high modern towers but also historical houses. And that's what we like here: an amazing contrast between bustle and calm, especially with the Lumpini park which is also one of the lungs of the city.
On the other hand, the district is very well served by metro, skytrain, bus and taxi. Easy to get to from the international airport and to visit the city. We wouldn't change for anything in the world the place to stay in Bangkok.
If you continue your journey to the North, the Hua Lamphong station in Bangkok is a 5 minute taxi ride away. Convenient ^^
As for the address, we have been staying at the Siri Sathorn hotel. From 80€ a night for 2 people, we have a modern flat as we like them. If you talk a bit, you might be able to get the same flat as us, one of the few in the tower to have a terrace open on the neighbourhood. Very nice.
4. How to get around in Bangkok?
Visiting the temples, strolling in the tourist streets like Khao San road, discovering the essential places for shopping and its market, having dinner or a drink, etc. This is all useful information to pick up when preparing your holiday in Bangkok , but you have to get around in this megalopolis of more than 8 million inhabitants!
To conclude this Bangkok city guide
Bangkok is a must-see when travelling in Asia. The Thai capital has even become the most visited destination in the world, ahead of London and Paris. Many people start their trip with a visit to Bangkok, others stop off in the middle or at the end of their holiday. In any case, Bangkok has everything you could want in a city.
