18 Things to do in Bangkok

Bangkok is a city filled with temples, museums, malls and some of the best food in the world. It is no surprise that it is the world’s most visited city.

We had asked people about Bangkok before our travels and many had nothing good to say about the city. “You’ll want to leave after three days!” was a typical response.

Most of these people had only visited Bangkok for a short period before moving on to other areas in Thailand. For some, Bangkok is simply a place to arrive in Thailand, and not a place to stay.

There’s More To Bangkok Than Khao San Road!

There is simply no way you can get a feel for the city in such a short space of time. Each district has its own vibe and there are incredible night markets to be found far away from Khao San Road. Unfortunately, a lot of people’s opinions of Bangkok are based solely on their experience in Khao San Road, as demonstrated by a conversation I had with some young expats on our first night in Bangkok, in a bar in the Bang Rak area:

“This is a really cool area.  I’ve never been down here before.  Have you been to Khao San Road?

“Not yet.  How long have you been in Bangkok?”

“Four years.”

We had spent almost 2 weeks in Bangkok before we spent a night on the (in)famous Khao San Road!  Maybe it is because this area mainly caters for tourists, with its endless bars, and also because neither the SRT or the MRT serve this area.  Maybe a lot of Bangkok’s 20 million tourists per year are not interested in anything but drinking and ping-pong shows.  I find that a shame as Bangkok is a wonderful city that celebrates its art & culture and history as much as any other capital.

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Things To Do In Bangkok

This is by no means a definitive list. These are the places and activities we enjoyed during our three stays in Bangkok.

Bangkok Art And Culture Centre

The Bangkok Art And Culture Centre is a contemporary arts centre with exhibition spaces that hold various events throughout the year. Admission is free and there is always something interesting taking place. On our first visit, there was an exhibition by the performance artist Marina Abramovic. More recently, we saw exhibitions featuring art brut and art as therapy.

Bangkok Art And Culture Centre Opening Times: 10 am – 7 pm, Tue – Sun.

Bangkok Malls

This is not something I would ever do in my home country, but the malls are different in Bangkok. First of all, you will be happy for the air-conditioning as the malls offer respite from the humidity of Bangkok. You will find all the big names in Bangkok’s malls and you will also find stores you are not familiar with. Best of all, most malls have a food court where you can buy typical Thai street food for a very slightly higher price but you do get to eat it without melting onto the pavement! ‘Siam Paragaon’ (map) and ‘MBK Centre’ (map) are both worth visiting.

Bangkok Street Food

No trip to Bangkok is complete without eating the street food. In fact, you’d do well to avoid it as it is everywhere. You don’t have to visit night markets to experience the food. Within seconds of leaving your accommodation, wherever you are, you will find vendors selling curries, grilled meat and fish, sweets and just about any food you can imagine. And perhaps some you’d rather not imagine!

Don’t be put off by your western approach to cleanliness. Choose a vendor that has lots of locals eating and you will be fine. I never had food poisoning in my whole time in Southeast Asia. I did have some truly wonderful food.

Bangkokian Museum

Bankokian Museum shows the lifestyles of the middle-classes during World War II in Thailand. This is a great example of an old Thai house, complete with traditional furniture. The staff were so friendly and there is no admission charge. Map.

Bangkokian Museum Opening Times: 9 am – 4 pm. Tue – Sun.

ChangChui Market

We totally missed this on our first visit as it is pretty far out of the centre. We took a bus to get here on our second visit and were so glad we did. This is a night market like no other. See individual post here.

Changchui Market Opening Times: 11 am – 11 pm, every day.

Chatuchak Weekend Market

This is perhaps the most well-known market and with good reason… it is HUGE!  Estimates suggest there are 15,000 vendors in this market. It is very popular with tourists so it is a little more expensive than other markets but don’t let that put you off. It’s a great day out but don’t even try to work out a route around the market. Just enter and get lost in the labyrinth of market stalls.  There’s some great food to be had here too. You can take a sky train to get there. It is called a weekend market but it is open every day except Mondays and Tuesdays. There are also other local markets surrounding the main market which are worth visiting. Map.

Chatuchak Market opening Times: 7 am – 6 pm, Wed. 12 am – 5 pm, Thu. 6 pm – 12 am, Fri. 9 am – 6 pm, Sat & Sun.

Chinatown

Chinatown in Bangkok is one of the most vibrant areas in the city. Yaowarat Road is its centre but the restaurants and shops fill every side street. Once a year, there is a vegetarian festival. It is amusing to walk along hundreds of vegetarian stalls and then immediately come across pigs’ faces as the festival area finishes.

You will simply not find anywhere else in the world that offers as much choice of Chinese food as Chinatown in Bangkok. Whether you can bring yourself to eat shark fin soup, scorpions or grubs is something only you can decide. Map.

Couchsurfing Bangkok Social Events

Every Wednesday night, a couchsurfing social event takes place at ‘Skate Cafe’ (map) on Phayathai road. We visited three days into our trip and then returned right at the end, a year later. There is usually a good turn out for these events and it’s great meeting people from all over the globe sharing drinks, stories, tips and jokes. Look on the Couchsurfing Bangkok facebook group for details.

Grand Palace

It is often said that no trip to Bangkok is complete without a visit to ‘The Grand Palace’ (map). Built in 1782, this royal complex is Bangkok’s number one tourist attraction and it is easy to see why. From the second you enter the complex, you will be amazed at the dazzling buildings and incredible architecture. It is VERY touristy so expect to be herded around like sheep as you reach the grounds. Inside, you are free to take as much time as you need.

SCAM ALERT: As you approach the Grand Palace, you may be approached by tuktuk drivers telling you that the Grand Palace is closed to tourists but they can take you to another palace. They may well take you to another palace or temple but nothing in Bangkok is as impressive as the Grand Palace. The real purpose of the scam though is to take you to a gem store where you will pressured into buying ‘precious’ stones. The tuktuk driver receives commision if you buy.

Ignore the tuktuk drivers. The Grand Palace is open EVERY DAY to tourists. Do not miss out on this incredible sight because of a scam.

Grand Palace Opening Times: 8.30 am – 3.30 pm, every day.
Grand Palace Entrance Fee: 500 Baht.

Jim Thompson House

I admit, I’d never heard of Jim Thompson before. But, regardless of whether you are interested in his story or not, the house itself is the star here. A great example of an old Thai-style house, rebuilt in the heart of Bangkok. The English guide was excellent. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to take photos in the house itself. Map.

Jim Thompson Opening Times: 11 am – 7 pm, every day (last tour starts at 6 pm).
Jim Thompson House Entrance Fee: 200 Baht.

Khao San Road

If there is a place that divides opinion in Bangkok, it is Khao San Road (map). Some people told me it is great fun; others said it was a hellhole that makes Benidorm seem like the cultural capital of the world.

It is clear within seconds of entering Khao San Road that this is entirely for tourists that like to party. You can not walk for a second without being offered beer, laughing gas, scorpions, wooden frogs and the most questionable bracelets you will ever see in your life! However, it IS fun! We found a bar with live music, rather than the pumping cheesy dance music favoured by most of the bars. The beer was cheaper than we had been used to paying and the place was just heaving with people looking for a good time. I couldn’t spend every night here but if you want some drunken, dumb fun in Bangkok, this is the place to be. Behind Khao San Road is Soi Ram Butri which is not quite as full-on as Khao San Rod and offers more live music and food and the beer is cheaper.

The area surrounding Khao San Road has many cool bars and restaurants. You can read about our time staying in the area in the Khao San Road post.

Lumphini Park

Lumphini Park is a pleasant way to escape the city chaos of Bangkok. Located near the Bang Rak area, you can take a boat ride, chill out in the sun or use one of its two free outdoor gyms. The first time we visited, we entered from the south side and it was very quiet. However, when we returned a year later the park was much busier and we spotted many water monitor lizards. Map.

Lumphini Park Opening Times: 4.30 am – 9 pm, every day.

One Bangkok

We visited ‘One Bangkok’ as part of the Bangkok Art Bienalle exhibition was being held there. It is a large air-conditioned building and admission was free. I’m not sure how often the building is used for public events. Map.

Ratchada Rot Fai Train Night Market

We came here on our first visit to Bangkok but the torrential rain meant most stalls were closed and it was very quiet. On our return a year later, it couldn’t have been more different. Every stall was open for business and the place was very busy. Seafood is very popular here. You order by weight and they bring it in a plastic bag and just pour it straight onto the table (covered by greaseproof paper). It’s the strangest thing.

There are also lots of bars in this market so it’s a great place for a night out with friends. Map.

Ratchada Rot Fai Train Night Market Opening Times: 5 pm – 1 am, every day.

Siriraj Medical Museum

We tried to visit this museum on our first Bangkok trip but we got there only to find it was closed. Our second attempt was more successful. The museum is actually divided over three buildings. The first museum shows the effect of disease on the body. There are many fetuses and embryos in formaldehyde in this museum and photos are not allowed. The second museum has many more disturbing displays: severed limbs, conjoined twins, etc. It’s not the most pleasant museum, but it was very interesting. If you have a strong stomach, it’s an unusual way to spend an afternoon. Map.

Siriraj Medical Museum Opening Times: 10 am – 4.30 pm, Wed – Mon.
Siriraj Medical Museum Entrance Fee: 200 Baht (one museum only). 300 Baht (all museums).

Sofar Sounds Bangkok

We had been to Sofar events in Sheffield and seen some great bands in unusual venues. We were excited to hear that there was a Sofar event happening during our time in Bangkok. It was a birthday event too and the acts were more electric than the usual acoustic style that is more associated with Sofar gigs. The bands were great, particularly Chanudom whose glam-pop style was a fantastic finale to the evening. Check the facebook page for details.

Wang Lang Market

Situated at the Wang Lang pier, this market offers some great food at good prices. However, don’t expect to see many English menus here. We ate food at a small cafe by pointing at pictures on the wall as language was not a communicative option here. The food was delicious and was only 30 baht each. We also had a great bubble green tea from ‘Moma’s’ for 20 baht. Map.

Wang Lang Market Opening Times: 8 am – 8 pm, every day.

Wat Phra Chetuphon (Wat Pho)

Just a short walk from the Grand Palace is ‘Wat Phra Chetuphon’ (map), a large temple most famous for its large reclining Buddha. Not quite as grand as the Grand Palace, this temple is, nevertheless, worth a visit. The reclining Buddha is an incredible site. But don’t leave once you’ve seen the Buddha. The rest of the temple is worthy of your time and offers a serenity far removed from the bustle of Bangkok.

Wat Phra Chetuphon (Wat Pho) Opening Times: 8 am – 6.30 pm.
Wat Phra Chetuphon (Wat Pho) Entrance Fee: 200 Baht