Bangkok - City Guide

All you need to know about planning a visit to Bangkok

Welcome To Our Guide On Exploring Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand and maybe one of the most vibrant cities in Asia (if not the world).

Whether you are visiting Bangkok for the first time or have lived in Bangkok all your life, there is so much to discover and always something new to see.

In this guide you will find a series of articles to help you plan a visit to Bangkok

Featured Articles About Bangkok

The 35 Best Things To Do in Bangkok

Bangkok is a huge city and any list of the best things to do can quickly becomes a very long list! This sprawling, multicultural metropolis, home

11 (+2) of Bangkok’s Best Rooftop Bars

We believe travel should be more than just visiting a location; it should be an experience to cherish for a lifetime. This collection

What to See & Do in Rattanakosin Island – Bangkok’s Old Town

We believe travel should be more than just visiting a location; it should be an experience to cherish for a lifetime. This collection...

Getting To Know Bangkok

Bangkok is an enormous city, and there’s heaps to explore. While the points of interest for most visitors are concentrated in a few fairly central areas, it’s wise to choose carefully which area of the city you stay in, since it can make a big difference to your trip.

Most of Bangkok’s most prestigious historical attractions are located in the old-town Rattanakosin Island neighbourhood, also known as Banglamphu or Phra Nakhon. As well as the notorious Khaosan Road, here’s where you’ll find sights like the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun – so a stay around here, in one of the area’s numerous characterful guest houses or hotels, will put you within walking distance of the action.

Alternatively, stay on tourist-friendly Sukhumvit Road for some of the best shopping, dining and nightlife. Happening Silom and stylish Sathorn are also great for dining, drinking and high-end hotels, Siam is shopping central, bustling Chinatown is packed with unique charm, or you can settle in along the riverside for some of the best vistas Bangkok has to offer. It’s your pick – and wherever you end up staying, you’ll have a blast.
You might like these related articles:

Getting Around Bangkok

Big cities typically aren’t all that easy to get around, and Bangkok is no exception. The Thai capital’s traffic is notorious globally, but fortunately most visitors stay in central locations that are well connected by modern public transport systems either above or below ground, which make it quicker, easier and altogether more pleasant to get where you want to be.

Taxis might be cheap and air-conditioned, but in rush hour they move slowly, so you’re best off taking the BTS Skytrain or MRT subway whenever possible. These are likewise inexpensive and, although they can get busy at peak times, you won’t have much of a problem getting going fast. Taking to the river is also a great idea, since much of attraction-rich old-town Bangkok is otherwise off the public transport grid. Chaophraya Express river boats from downtown Sathorn can have you at the Grand Palace in no time, and traffic-free.

That’s just skimming the surface, though: taking a tuk tuk is top of the list for many first-time visitors to Bangkok, and then there’s the excellent network of local buses, motorbike taxes, and plenty more besides.
You might like these related articles:

Must Visit Places in Bangkok

Bangkok is not a city where you’re about to get bored very easily. There’s a seemingly never-ending list of things to see, do and experience here in the Thai capital, and there’s certainly something for every type of traveller. Those who take a checklist approach to their travels, ticking off the must-sees as they go, will find plenty to keep them occupied in Bangkok – but we’re not that kind of tour operator.

Sure, every visitor should see the Bangkok staples – the Grand Palace, Chatuchak Market, Chinatown – but there are plenty more insights into the local lives of Bangkokians to explore beyond those. We believe that it’s by exploring the unique side of Bangkok that you’ll make your fondest travel memories – so join us as we head down the footpath less travelled. Foodie adventures, serene escapes, historical discoveries, cultural epiphanies – there’s truly something for everyone in the Big Mango.
You might like these related articles:

Things To Do in Bangkok

There’s plenty said and written about Bangkok around the world, and most first-time visitors to Bangkok come here with an idea in their mind about what it will be like. We’re here to tell you to prepare to have that idea blown away, as you discover an intriguing, fascinating and complicated multicultural city that just oozes stories to be told.

Beyond the well-known attractions, there’s so much to see and do in our Bangkok. And it’s not just temples, either: get ready to discover museums, art galleries, parks, markets, quirky neighbourhoods frozen in time, and much more besides. We’ll take you on an urban exploration of Bangkok through the stories of the people who live here.
You might like these related articles:

Eating & Drinking in Bangkok

What can we say about food and drink in Bangkok that hasn’t already been said? This city’s dining scene is in its blood – eating and drinking is what it’s all about here. For foodies and non-foodies alike, there is an incredible amount to learn about Bangkok and Thai culture through the food that everyday people eat, and even how they eat it.

From the humblest and most delicious of authentic local Thai street food, to the most refined fine dining experiences you’ll ever come across – and we hope you’ll join us for a bit of both – Bangkok is a city that is brimming with new ingredients, dishes, flavours, textures and aromas for us all to discover. Thai food is some of the best food in the world, and there’s no better place to experience the real thing than right here in Bangkok.
You might like these related articles:

Markets & Shopping

Bangkok is the city that never sleeps, and that’s certainly true with its shopping scene. Everyone expects to check out a few shopping malls on their visit here, but there’s so much more than even that. You’ll certainly be wowed by the Thai capital’s unbelievably extravagant high-end shopping centres – with their designer brand boutiques, lip-smacking food courts, and flamboyant cinema complexes – but that’s only half the story.

Wander the local fresh markets and find out how to cook with exquisite local Thai ingredients you didn’t even know existed, then browse unbelievable bargains alongside local grannies at retail and wholesale markets around Chinatown and beyond. Paddle a boat along a rural canal and pick up a delicious, freshly prepared lunch from a floating market vendor, and then as dusk falls hit up Bangkok’s notorious night markets and send your retail impulses into overdrive. You haven’t shopped until you’ve shopped in Bangkok.
You might like these related articles:

Where To Stay in Bangkok

There’s so much to see and do every day in Bangkok that you need somewhere relaxing to rest your head and recoup your energy for what’s next. Bangkok has comfortable, affordable accommodation options for every kind of traveller, from local budget guesthouses and hostels with private rooms and dorms, through chic independent boutiques all the way up to the ultimate luxury of five-star hotels bearing the familiar names of renowned international chains.

Where you choose to stay will play a part, too: do you want to gaze out at stunning skyscraper views downtown from your 60th-floor penthouse suite, feel the waves beneath you on an individually conceptualised room floating on the mighty Chaophraya River itself, or nestle into a charming local abode at the heart of the historic Rattanakosin Island neighbourhood? Creative and inspiring opportunities abound when it comes to your choice of where to stay in Bangkok.
You might like these related articles:

Day Trips and Short Escapes from Bangkok

There’s so much to see, do, explore and experience in Bangkok that you could never possibly have enough time in this fascinating city. But there will come a time when you need to or want to move on somewhere new, and when that time comes we have good news: there are countless places nearby that you can visit for a day trip or short escape.

Whether it’s an evocative local train ride to a former capital of Thailand from times gone by, or a cycle around a mangrove island renowned for being a green lung just outside a city full of skyscrapers, there are experiences to be had just on the fringes of Bangkok that will open your eyes and show you something brand new. Discover a local market that has a train pass right through its middle, scale a seven-tiered waterfall, walk among heart-rendering World War Two history, or surf on mud flats as you wave to monkeys – there’s really no limit to what you can see or do in and around Thailand’s capital.
You might like these related articles:

Getting To Know Bangkok

Bangkok is an enormous city, and there’s heaps to explore. While the points of interest for most visitors are concentrated in a few fairly central areas, it’s wise to choose carefully which area of the city you stay in, since it can make a big difference to your trip.

Most of Bangkok’s most prestigious historical attractions are located in the old-town Rattanakosin Island neighbourhood, also known as Banglamphu or Phra Nakhon. As well as the notorious Khaosan Road, here’s where you’ll find sights like the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun – so a stay around here, in one of the area’s numerous characterful guest houses or hotels, will put you within walking distance of the action.

Alternatively, stay on tourist-friendly Sukhumvit Road for some of the best shopping, dining and nightlife. Happening Silom and stylish Sathorn are also great for dining, drinking and high-end hotels, Siam is shopping central, bustling Chinatown is packed with unique charm, or you can settle in along the riverside for some of the best vistas Bangkok has to offer. It’s your pick – and wherever you end up staying, you’ll have a blast.
You might like these related articles:

Getting Around Bangkok

Big cities typically aren’t all that easy to get around, and Bangkok is no exception. The Thai capital’s traffic is notorious globally, but fortunately most visitors stay in central locations that are well connected by modern public transport systems either above or below ground, which make it quicker, easier and altogether more pleasant to get where you want to be.

Taxis might be cheap and air-conditioned, but in rush hour they move slowly, so you’re best off taking the BTS Skytrain or MRT subway whenever possible. These are likewise inexpensive and, although they can get busy at peak times, you won’t have much of a problem getting going fast. Taking to the river is also a great idea, since much of attraction-rich old-town Bangkok is otherwise off the public transport grid. Chaophraya Express river boats from downtown Sathorn can have you at the Grand Palace in no time, and traffic-free.

That’s just skimming the surface, though: taking a tuk tuk is top of the list for many first-time visitors to Bangkok, and then there’s the excellent network of local buses, motorbike taxes, and plenty more besides.
You might like these related articles:

Must Visit Places in Bangkok

Bangkok is not a city where you’re about to get bored very easily. There’s a seemingly never-ending list of things to see, do and experience here in the Thai capital, and there’s certainly something for every type of traveller. Those who take a checklist approach to their travels, ticking off the must-sees as they go, will find plenty to keep them occupied in Bangkok – but we’re not that kind of tour operator.

Sure, every visitor should see the Bangkok staples – the Grand Palace, Chatuchak Market, Chinatown – but there are plenty more insights into the local lives of Bangkokians to explore beyond those. We believe that it’s by exploring the unique side of Bangkok that you’ll make your fondest travel memories – so join us as we head down the footpath less travelled. Foodie adventures, serene escapes, historical discoveries, cultural epiphanies – there’s truly something for everyone in the Big Mango.
You might like these related articles:

Things To Do in Bangkok

There’s plenty said and written about Bangkok around the world, and most first-time visitors to Bangkok come here with an idea in their mind about what it will be like. We’re here to tell you to prepare to have that idea blown away, as you discover an intriguing, fascinating and complicated multicultural city that just oozes stories to be told.

Beyond the well-known attractions, there’s so much to see and do in our Bangkok. And it’s not just temples, either: get ready to discover museums, art galleries, parks, markets, quirky neighbourhoods frozen in time, and much more besides. We’ll take you on an urban exploration of Bangkok through the stories of the people who live here.
You might like these related articles:

Eating & Drinking in Bangkok

What can we say about food and drink in Bangkok that hasn’t already been said? This city’s dining scene is in its blood – eating and drinking is what it’s all about here. For foodies and non-foodies alike, there is an incredible amount to learn about Bangkok and Thai culture through the food that everyday people eat, and even how they eat it.

From the humblest and most delicious of authentic local Thai street food, to the most refined fine dining experiences you’ll ever come across – and we hope you’ll join us for a bit of both – Bangkok is a city that is brimming with new ingredients, dishes, flavours, textures and aromas for us all to discover. Thai food is some of the best food in the world, and there’s no better place to experience the real thing than right here in Bangkok.
You might like these related articles:

Markets & Shopping

Bangkok is the city that never sleeps, and that’s certainly true with its shopping scene. Everyone expects to check out a few shopping malls on their visit here, but there’s so much more than even that. You’ll certainly be wowed by the Thai capital’s unbelievably extravagant high-end shopping centres – with their designer brand boutiques, lip-smacking food courts, and flamboyant cinema complexes – but that’s only half the story.

Wander the local fresh markets and find out how to cook with exquisite local Thai ingredients you didn’t even know existed, then browse unbelievable bargains alongside local grannies at retail and wholesale markets around Chinatown and beyond. Paddle a boat along a rural canal and pick up a delicious, freshly prepared lunch from a floating market vendor, and then as dusk falls hit up Bangkok’s notorious night markets and send your retail impulses into overdrive. You haven’t shopped until you’ve shopped in Bangkok.
You might like these related articles:

Where To Stay in Bangkok

There’s so much to see and do every day in Bangkok that you need somewhere relaxing to rest your head and recoup your energy for what’s next. Bangkok has comfortable, affordable accommodation options for every kind of traveller, from local budget guesthouses and hostels with private rooms and dorms, through chic independent boutiques all the way up to the ultimate luxury of five-star hotels bearing the familiar names of renowned international chains.

Where you choose to stay will play a part, too: do you want to gaze out at stunning skyscraper views downtown from your 60th-floor penthouse suite, feel the waves beneath you on an individually conceptualised room floating on the mighty Chaophraya River itself, or nestle into a charming local abode at the heart of the historic Rattanakosin Island neighbourhood? Creative and inspiring opportunities abound when it comes to your choice of where to stay in Bangkok.
You might like these related articles:

Day Trips and Short Escapes from Bangkok

There’s so much to see, do, explore and experience in Bangkok that you could never possibly have enough time in this fascinating city. But there will come a time when you need to or want to move on somewhere new, and when that time comes we have good news: there are countless places nearby that you can visit for a day trip or short escape.

Whether it’s an evocative local train ride to a former capital of Thailand from times gone by, or a cycle around a mangrove island renowned for being a green lung just outside a city full of skyscrapers, there are experiences to be had just on the fringes of Bangkok that will open your eyes and show you something brand new. Discover a local market that has a train pass right through its middle, scale a seven-tiered waterfall, walk among heart-rendering World War Two history, or surf on mud flats as you wave to monkeys – there’s really no limit to what you can see or do in and around Thailand’s capital.
You might like these related articles:

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We believe travel should be more than just visiting a location; it should be an experience to cherish for a lifetime. This collection

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We believe travel should be more than just visiting a location; it should be an experience to cherish for a lifetime. This collection

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We believe travel should be more than just visiting a location; it should be an experience to cherish for a lifetime. This collection...

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