Bangkok Travel Guide
Thailand’s cosmopolitan capital Bangkok can be a chaotic, complex and confounding city – until you cruise the Chao Phraya River, discover the Old City and its glittering pagodas and gleaming spires, and explore the quiet canals. For many visitors Bangkok is little more than a shopping stop punctuating a beach holiday. Yes, there’s cheap accommodation and dirt-cheap street food, but there are also beautiful boutique hotels, heady cafés and buzzy bars, and brilliant restaurants serving inventive Thai food – not to mention new art and design destinations, a rejuvenated riverside, and a rapidly gentrifying Chinatown. Go now.
Bangkok Itineraries
ONE DAY
Itinerary
TWO DAY
Itinerary
Stay in Bangkok
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Best Bangkok Hotel Swimming Pools from Rooftop Infinity Pools to River Views
Best Bangkok hotel swimming pools range from luxury towers with rooftop infinity pools boasting dazzling panoramic vistas of the Bangkok city skyline to charming Chao Phraya riverside boutique hotels offering water…
Luxury for Less in Southeast Asia for Proper Pampering and a Warm Welcome
Luxury for Less in Southeast Asia is possible year-round. While travelling to the region during the low season will get you jaw-dropping bargains on flights, hotels and tours – and…
Accomodation
Insurance
Eat in Bangkok
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New David Thompson Restaurant Aksorn Opens in Bangkok’s Hip Historic Charoenkrung
The new David Thompson restaurant Aksorn is open in Bangkok’s hip historic Charoenkrung neighbourhood. I caught up with the Thailand-based Australian-born Thai chef yesterday to find out what it’s like…
Inspired by Jose Andres Haoma Bangkok Chef Deepanker Khosla is Feeding the Hungry
Chef Deepanker Khosla of Haoma Bangkok is feeding the hungry. Inspired by chef José Andrés his #noonehungry campaign will provide 1,000 meals a day for the jobless. Launching the initiative…
Drink in Bangkok
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Bangkok’s Best Local Bars – Our Personal Favourites
There’s nothing like a few drinks at a buzzy Bangkok bar after a busy week. But we’re freelance travel writers I hear you say! Yes, but we still work every…
Explore Bangkok
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Silom Sathorn District of Bangkok – A Guide to Bangkok’s Buzziest Area
Silom Sathorn district of Bangkok is one of the Thai capital’s buzziest areas right now. Home to a spate of new cocktail bars, sunny cafés, seductive speakeasies and two of…
Best Bangkok Floating Markets for Foodies – Tha Ka, Bang Noi and Amphawa
Best Bangkok floating markets for foodies do not include touristy Damnoen Saduak. These are the mouthwatering markets to explore if you’re a fan of fresh produce and street food. Make…
Experience Bangkok
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Thai Cooking Class at the Mandarin Oriental Cooking School
We like to think that if discovering the food of a destination is a way into the heart of a place, then learning to cook the cuisine is the route…
Book Bangkok Tours
Absorb Bangkok
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Cooking with Poo — A Walking Tour of Klong Toey Markets
“Isaan people eat everything!” Poo tells our small group as we negotiate the muddy paths of frenetic Klong Toey market on a walking tour to purchase ingredients for our Cooking…
Thai Cooking Class at the Mandarin Oriental Cooking School
We like to think that if discovering the food of a destination is a way into the heart of a place, then learning to cook the cuisine is the route…
Shop Bangkok
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Kicking Back in Bangkok: Talad Rot Fai, Weekend Train Market
One of the best spots to spend a Saturday night in Bangkok at the moment is Talad Rot Fai – the Train Market – also known as Talad Dek Naew,…
Bangkok Take-Homes – Homegrown Gifts from Thailand
When it comes to shopping for souvenirs, Bangkok has some terrific shops where you can buy Thai made gifts. Most guidebooks will head you to budget shopping mall MBK or…
Festivals & Events in Bangkok
Bangkok Local Knowledge
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A Chat with Chef David Thompson at Nahm Restaurant, Bangkok
Chef David Thompson’s Bangkok restaurant Nahm was named Asia’s Best Restaurant at the San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards in February this year by the global…
Local Knowledge: Chef Bo from Bangkok
We first met Thai-born chef Duangporn ‘Bo’ Songvisava, better known as Chef Bo and her Australian chef husband Dylan Jones — protégés of the legendary master of Thai cuisine, David Thompson,…
Bangkok Resources
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Asian Travel Etiquette — Greetings, Gestures and Good Manners
Asian travel etiquette is not so complicated to understand, nor is it mysterious. Almost every Asian guidebook, travel website and those free little tourist magazines seem to have a section…
Eating Street Food Safely – Footpath Feasting Street Food Guide to Safe Eating
Eating street food safely is vital when you’re travelling. Whether you’re on a weekend escape, a short holiday or a long journey, you don’t want to spend a day or…
Bangkok Essentials
WHEN TO GO
Nov–Feb The temeratures in Bangkok don’t vary much, it’s the humidity and change of rain that varies, this is the best time to travel and it’s crowded.
Mar–Jun Weather This shoulder season is less crowded but the chance of rain is higher.
Jul–Oct Wet season commences and while it’s a little less crowded, the storms
can be ferocious.
HEALTH
Bangkok has excellent healthcare facilities, in fact it’s where most people in Southeast Asia head for medical treatment if they can afford it and is a medical tourism destination. It’s still of great importance that you get full medical insurance for your visit. Recommended Vaccinations
VISAS
Nationals of most countries can get a free tourist visa on arrrival in Thailand, it’s the length of the visa that varies and can range from 15 days to 90 days. Overstaying visas incurrs daily fines and rules can change overnight so be aware. Some visas can be extended, check the Thai Immigration website.
CURRENCY
CURRENT EXCHANGE RATES
$1.00 USD = 36.21 THB
$1.00 AUD = 24.59 THB
€1.00 EUR = 36.87 THB
£1.00 GBP = 43.18 THB
The Thai currency (THB) is called the ‘Baht’, and it’s the only currency used in the country. In touristy areas they may acccept USD but and give change in THB but you’ll suffer an unfavourable exchange rate. It is, however, easy to change most major currencies into THB.
LANGUAGE
THAI IS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THAILAND.
ELECTRICITY
ELECTRICITY IN THAILAND IS 220 VOLTS. 50 CYCLES/SEC.
LOCAL TIME
Time in Bangkok:Bangkok’s Time Zone is (GMT+7) Bangkok has never utilised daylight saving.
WEATHER
CURRENT THAILAND WEATHER
TRANSPORTATION
AIR/LAND/SEA
There are direct international flights to Bangkok from major international destinations. Domestic flights cover major tourist destinations. Less expensive is bus travel covering all of Thailand, but for major routes minivans are becoming more popular – not great for tall or large foreigners. Within towns and sections of cities, besides taxis and motor-taxis are pick-up trucks with benches in the back that run specific routes.
Bangkok Daily Costs
BUDGET
Daily Budget Up To:
US$30
- Guesthouse dorm room: US$3–10
- Cheap restaurants, street food: US$0.5–3
- BTS Daily Ticket: US$3:60
MID RANGE
Daily Budget From:
US$31–200
- Air-con hotel room: US$20–45
- Good local restaurant meal: US$5–15
- Medium distance taxi ride: US$4:50
LUXURY
Daily Budget From:
US$201+
- Boutique hotel or resort: US$80–500
- Degustation meal without drinks: US$50+
- Private airport transfer: US$80+
