Bangkok Guide – Everything you Need to Know
Bangkok has been captivating travellers for years. The city attracts visitors with its vibrant life, fantastic cuisine, incredible Buddhist temples, rich history and culture. In this Bangkok guide you will find useful general informations necessary for having a great time in Thailand’s capital, including food & hotels.
To find out what to do in Bangkok, read our Discover the best of Bangkok – the ultimate experience blog post.
Where to stay
Bangkok is a metropolis with many different neighbourhoods. Choosing the right place for your visit is crucial. Traffic in Thailand’s capital gets very heavy and you don’t want to loose time getting around.
The most popular area with the best hotels is Sukhumvit. It’s new and modern. You’ll find there hotels with high standards and great value for your stay. You can get a 4/5 star hotels with rooftop pool, gym and other facilities for less than 50 EUR a night (for 2 ppl)!
Sukhumvit is connected by the Skytrain, it’s easily reachable from the airport and the city centre. If you need to take a taxi or tuk-tuk expect at least 30 min ride to the Old City, where most of the sightseeing spots are located.
We recommend: Well Hotel Bangkok – Avani Atrium Bangkok Hotel
Staying in the Old City is a perfect idea if your focused on sightseeing. Here you can find many small boutique hotels or B&B.
We recommend: Sala Arun – Baan Noppawong
If you travel on a budget and look for a hostel, then there is no better area to stay in than Khao San Road! This street is a backpackers mekka. If you decide to stay in the area, be aware of the loud nights. There are many bars and parties go on all night.
We recommend: Buddy Lodge – Bed Station
If you are looking for something more special, Bangkok has a great selection of hotels that cannot be found anywhere else 😉
We recommend: Lebua at State Tower – Prince Theatre Heritage Stay
↬ Find all hotels in Bangkok on booking.com
Where to eat
Eating in Bangkok is a whole experience by itself. Thai cuisine is one of the tastiest in the world, rich in flavour and fresh. Thailand’s capital is a foodie paradise and if like us you love trying out new delicacies, Bangkok is the perfect place for you. The city is perhaps best known for its street food markets and roadside vendors, but there also are many western style restaurants and cafes that are worth your visit.
Street food
Raan Jay Fai: as featured in Netflix documentary “Street food – Vol. 1 Asia”, Ms Jay Fai got a Micheline Star (!) for her street food cuisine. She cooks every single order herself with the same love and precision.
↬ Note : Her reputation and success means a very, very long queue. If you want to get a chance to eat there, come from noon to 6PM and drop your name on a list, and then patiently wait. The restaurant is open until midnight, but they will stop taking walkings on the list as soon as they know they won’t be able to serve them… which usually happens around 6PM. The wait can last up to 5hours… But you will get street food cooked by a chef as a reward.
By the way, you can book a table by email! However, you must reserve at least 2 months in advance.
Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok: a perfect place to try a typical Thai rice and curry dishes.
Yaowarat Road: along this street you can enjoy some excellent early evening street food meal.
Phraeng Phuthon Road is located just 10 minutes walk from Wat Pho temple is a great place for lunch after a morning sightseeing.
Jok Pochana close to Khao San Road has a huge selection of street food dishes and offers a rustic and very friendly vibe.
Cafes
Patom Organic Living: a beautiful cafe set in a garden that will make you forget about the fuzziness of Bangkok. They serve organic food and coffee.
(Not Just) Another Cup: a great place for lunch or coffee
Blue Whale Cafe: great coffee and cute ambience.
Restaurants
Eat Sight Story Deck: great Thai food with astonishing view on Wat Arun. The ideal spot for sunset, either for a meal or just a drink.
Soul Food Mahanakorn: serves excellent regional Thai food. Mainly locals go there.
Err: another great, stylish restaurant by the river.
Issaya Siamese Club: for a fancy night out. Set in a tranquil garden and a century old house, this place will make you forget you are in a city.
Bars
Lebua State Tower: having drinks in a sky bar in Bangkok is a must. Try out the sky bar on the 63rd floor with a dome recognisable from the “Hangover” movie (dress code required: pants and closed shoes for men). Beware, drinks are super pricy (25$), but the view trumps it all.
Adhere 13th Blues Bar: small jazz and blues bar with live music.
The Roof at Sala Rattanakosin: a refreshingly relaxed place to rewind at the end of the day. Plus its one of the few rooftops in Bangkok that doesn’t require a dress code.
Havana Social: if you desire a change of scenery, this is the perfect place. Put on your dancing shoes as the salsa nights are happening everyday there.
If you are wondering what else to do, check out our other Bangkok Guide.
What to eat
Thai cuisine is some of the very best in the world and relies on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components. The cooking varies on different parts of Thailand.
↬ Note : Chopsticks are used to eat noodles only. The rest of the dishes are eaten with a spoon and a fork (the fork is used only to push the food onto the spoon). ?
Most Thai dishes are spiced with a lot of chilli peppers. If you do not like spicy food, request it before the order. Otherwise, after only one bite, you might be spitting fire. ?
Thai food classics include Pad Thai (noodles with chicken or shrimp), Khao Pad (Fried Rice), Som Tam (papaya salad), Tom Yum (hot and sour soup), Tom Kha Kai (Chicken in Coconut Soup) and Kai Med Ma Muang (Chicken with Cashew Nuts). Thai curries are made with coconut milk and identified by their colour. There are four main colours: green, red, yellow, and orange and the colour can tell you how hot they are (green the hottest, orange the mildest).
Getting around
Bangkok is a metropolis, but getting around is quite easy. The one thing you must have in mind is that traffic in Bangkok is a big problem. Therefor if you choose to go by car you might get stuck for a while.
↬ Read : 15 Days in Thailand – the Complete Guide Covering the Country’s Highlights
Grab or taxi
Grab is the Asian Uber and works well in Bangkok. It also has competitive prices to the standard taxies. The prices to get around are pretty low, but chances of getting stuck in the traffic are very high. Make sure to agree on price before hand if you take a taxi.
Skytrain and Metro
The Skytrain (BTS) is a perfect solution for those who chose to stay in Sukhumvit or surrounding areas. It’s very a convenient way to travel and fun experience. Metro is well connected as well, but gets very busy in the peak hours.
Tuk-Tuk
We consider it to be the best way to travel in Asian cities. Tuk-tuks are small, cheap and available everywhere. It’s also a very fun way to travel around. Make sure to agree on the price before the trip and don’t be afraid to bargain!
From and to the airport
The main airport Suvarnabhumi is connected with Bangkok by the Skytrain, making the journey easy and cheap. The ticket costs around 1EUR and it will take around 30 min to get to the city centre.
Getting a taxi from the airport is also a good option as the cars are regulated. Thus the trip will be fairly priced. Getting to the centre of Bangkok should cost around 400 THB (11.5 EUR), but the ETA is never certain due to heavy traffic.
Don Mueang airport doesn’t have a Skytrain connection, so you must take a car. Here you can order a Grab, or take regular taxi. The price should be around 350-400 THB.
When to go
Bangkok is very popular year round. The dry season in Thailand lasts from November till March and rain season from April until October. Because of this you will be able to get better flight and hotel deals traveling in the low, rainy season, but be prepared for high humidity and rainstorms.
Sightseeing
Most of the places worth visiting in Bangkok are religious sites, thus there is a requirement for appropriate dress code: both men and women must cover their shoulders and knees.
There is an entry fee at each of the site varying from 40 THB to 500 THB.
As most of the sites are located in the Old City, walking between them is the best option, rather than using tuk-tuk or taxi.
What to bring
It’s hot in Bangkok year-round and gets very humid during the wet season.
Loose long dresses, tops and shorts will be perfect daily outfits. Do not forget to bring a shawl to cover yourself while visiting the religious sites. Comfortable footwear is a must, as you will walk a lot.
Make sure to pack a reusable water bottle with built in filter to avoid need of buying plastic water bottles. ♻️
Do not worry if you forget something. Bangkok is a great place to shop. Visit the Chatuchak Weekend Market where you can find everything from cosmetics to clothing at very reasonable prices.
↬ Read : Discover the Best of Bangkok- the Ultimate Experience Guide