A GUIDE ON WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN BANGKOK
A 5 DAYS ITINERARY: BANGKOK, A CITY OF CONTRAST AND EXPERIENCES
Bangkok is a very vibrant city full of life, if the morning, when the hot hours of the day limit daily activities, in the evening, when the sun goes down, the city comes to life and lights up with its neon lights and glowed skyscrapers that surround the city. The music volume increases, the streets become a parade of bikes and tuk-tuks and the stalls get filled with hungry people and fumes coming from the open-air kitchens. Bangkok is also a very well-connected city (for more informations on how to move around and importanto information, click here.) with so much to see and experience.
ONCE LANDED:
Once you’ll land in Bangkok, if like me, you want to stay connected wherever you go, directly go to the baggage claim to buy a local sim. The internet stalls at the baggage claim are the only one that allow you to pay with credit card; or you can also opt to buy an e-sim, you’ll find some at this link. For 30 days (which is the amount of time that i spent in Thailand) I paied 899 Bath.
If you are going to land in Bangkok, and to reach your stay you don’t want to pay for a taxi, you can opt for taking the metro directly from the airport, you just follow the directions to the train, and the ticket to get to the city center is about 1 dollar or so, you can choose to change few dollars before buying a ticket, because the ticket machines only allows cash.
WHERE TO STAY:
If you are looking for a place to stay, i personally decided to stay at True Siam Rangnam Hotel and I found my stay pretty pleasant, almost in the center of the city but still in a quiet area, very close to the BTS and bus stops.
For more accomodations options in Bangkok check down here:
AYUTTHAYA:
Ancient capital of the kingdom of Siam, you feel like been catapulted on a Tomb Raider movie set. It is a must-see attraction to be included in your Bangkok itinerary, from which is far about 2 hours. It is a historical park, an ancient city, which is why the various temples are located at various distances from each other and visiting all of them would take at least a day or you can opt for visiting just the most known ones. Don't forget to bring with you plenty of water and an umbrella to protect you from the sun, trust me, it will save your life.
HOW TO GET THERE: before my trip to Ayutthaya I looked wide and far on how to get there on the internet without much luck, and with the majority of the informations being dated. The best way, that I choose, unless you have a car or a bike, is to head to the Mo Chit bus station, not to be confused with the Mo Chit BTS station, I made that mistake, before realizing that I was in the wrong place and I ended up extending my trip by a couple of hours more. Once you arrive at Mo Chit bus station, cross the road and head to the office stall number 4, from which minivans depart, these are shared taxis, with destination Ayutthaya (the cost is about 70 bath), keep in mind that you may have to wait a little before the minivans fill up.
Once you arrive, to actually reach the entrance of the temples, you can decide to get there by foot or take a tuk-tuk for a few baths. As I said at the beginning, the temples are distant from each other, so the options are to, either rent a bike, there are several places where you can rent one, or book a tour from one of the many tuk-tuks that will be offered to you, or again, if you are risk-taker and want to try your luck, option chosen by me, you can decide to visit them by foot.
Keep in mind that the entrance to each temple requires a ticket of about 50 bath for each one of them.
The most iconic temple is definitely Wat Phra Si Sanphet;
not far away is Wat Mahathat known for the iconic Buddha head intertwined inside the huge roots of a tree. As you walk through the ruins of this ancient city and admire its remains, try to imagine the splendor and grandeur in which these ruins appeared in past centuries at the height of their splendor.
ROYAL PALACE - WAT PHRA KAEW:
It's a huge complex in the heart of Bangkok and there is only one way to describe it: opulence and magnificence. You will be surrounded by frescoes with mythological scenes, brightly colored frames, and gold that shine in the sunlight. It is a very large site, constantly visited by thousands of people who come mainly to visit the royal palace and the temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most famous in Thailand. The entrance fee is 500 bath for foreigners.
There are some things to keep in mind before visiting it, the first is that entry is forbidden for those wearing short skirts or shorts, semi-transparent clothes, tank tops or bare shoulders, so keep this in mind, otherwise you can rent a couple of pants or a shirt in one of the many shops located in front of the entrance. The second thing is, beware of scams, it happened to me as well, and I soon discovered it to be a common thing, to be stopped not far from the entrance by a man who claimed that the palace was closed, with the aim of selling me tours of the city organized by them. Obviously, it was not true that the palace was closed, so if it happens to you, get away from the situation and keep going on your way.
CHATUCHAK WEEKEND MARKET:
It's a weekend market, with more than 15000 stalls and shops, which makes it one of the largest weekend markets in the world. It's so big that looks like a small village in itself, here you can really find everything, for everyone, It's impossible not to find something you want or may be interested in, from food, art, clothes, crafts, souvenirs and so much more. It is so big that you can spend hours and hours strolling among its stalls.
LUMPHINI PARK:
After visiting Bangkok's main attractions, by now you'll probably just want to relax and escape the heat of the city, what better place than one of the many parks that can be found in the city. And if New York has Central Park, then Bangkok has Lumphini Park. It is a really big park, with an artificial lake, it is a great place where many come to work out, take a stroll, or snooze off lying on the grass.
One cannot speak of Bangkok without mentioning its unrivaled culinary scene. From the world-renowned street food stalls to fine dining establishments, the city offers a tantalizing array of flavors to suit every palate.
KHAO SAN ROAD:
Thailand is certainly famous for its food and even more for its street food rich in flavors and spicy, I would be lying if I did not say that one of the things that most excited me before leaving for my trip to Thailand was to try many new foods and flavors that do not exist in Europe and I'm not talking about the classic pad thai known a bit by everyone, but from unique and explosive dishes and flavors. it is not difficult to find some stalls selling food, in every corner of the city you can find food sold and prepared in the street.
The famous and chaotic Khao San Road, in addition to food, if you are looking for nightlife, loud music, lots of people, and fun you are in the right place. In the evening this stretch of road totally changes its face.
JODD FAIRS:
Jodd Fairs, with a much cooler vibe and a more city soul, surrounded by Bangkok skyscrapers, there are so many food stalls, from cheap sushi to international dishes and typical Bangkok dishes, seafood, and mouth-watering desserts, all surrounded by live music and a community atmosphere. It's a great place just to enjoy a refreshing drink and its atmosphere with good music.
CHINATOWN:
If you get here by bus, keep in mind that the actual Chinatown starts a bit more south. It’s the biggest Chinatown in the world, here the atmosphere is so much different, you’ll get overwhelmed with its neon signs in contrast with the nightfall and the crowded streets. Chinatown is definitely an experience not to be missed and as far as food is concerned, there is really everything, where the Chinese cuisine blends in a perfect combination with Thai cuisine.
HEALTH INSURANCE:
If you are planning your trip to Thailand, I do suggest to subscribe a health insurance, there are many on the internet to choose from, this way you can comfortably enjoy your trip to Thailand, and get a cover in case something could happen, like a food poisoning or something else. Keep in mind that hospital fees for foreigners are quite expensive.