Bangkok was for me, as I expect for most people, the first stop on route after flying into Thailand. Not only do you have to contend with a busy city, new culture, new currency but there is SO much to see.
The best advice my mum gave me before going was to not spend longer than 3 days at a time in Bangkok – it’s an overwhelming city. I’d really recommend splitting Bangkok up if you think you need more than 3 days – I had a couple of days at the beginning of my Thailand trip, a day in the middle and a couple of days at the end.
There’s also SO much to do, see, experience and eat in Bangkok (a Thailand food guide is coming later, don’t worry). This is just an overview of what you ABSOLUTELY can’t miss as a backpacker, some advice on places to stay and sorting your Thailand trip from a Bangkok base.
The Lesser Known Must-dos
Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)
Wat Pho was possibly my favourite temple in the whole of Thailand. It genuinely felt so peaceful, so beautiful and it was so much quieter and less tourist feeling than some of the other temples. There’s a small entrance fee (around 300 bhat) but it’s well worth it and expect to spend an hour here absolute minimum.
A floating market
They are such cool experiences! I think I may have missed Khlong Bang Luang which is the famous market (and apparently a really foodie place too). However, there are so many – the one we went to had an arts district where you can make your own bracelets or paint by the river with a Thai milk tea.
TukTuk Ride
Tuktuk rides are SO fun and you’ll probably be able to do them in plenty of other places but if you’re not then you have to at least do one when you’re in Thailand. Just ensure to agree on the price beforehand and carry cash!
The More Obvious Must-dos
Khao San Road
VERY famous backpacker road – great for haggling at stalls selling clothes and plenty of bars along this street! I know many people see this as the party capital, however I do think you need to prepare yourself for a pretty intense night if you’re going out. In my opinion, there were places that felt a lot safer and better to go out in Thailand than here HOWEVER it is still an experience.
Grand Palace
The Grand Palace has some stunning temples in, and it’s amazing to be able to see the tiny emerald Buddha in here too. The ticket also comes with entrance to a traditional dance in the Royal Theatre so leave time for this in the afternoon too. One other thing to remember for the Grand Palace is that they are so much stricter than other temples on shoulders/knees covered: a cover up is NOT sufficient here you actually need to wear a shirt that covers your shoulders.
Wat Arun
Having a look at Wat Arun over the river is probably one of the most iconic Bangkok sights you’ll see. If you’re massively pushed for time and money, this is probably one that you can get a similar-ish feel looking at it from the outside rather than going into the site. BUT, if you have the resources, I’d still say it’s one to visit.
Street Food
You can’t come to Thailand and not have a street food night – it’s so good, so cheap and you’ll be obsessed with mango sticky rice after the first try. I will have a whole post on food in Thailand but streetfood ‘must tries’ in Bangkok include mango sticky rice, pad thai, spring rolls and pad see-ew.
Chao Phraya River
You can either pay a bit more to go on one of the traditional longboats or you can get a public transport pass and use the bigger boats to get around. It’s not only a great way to see the city but also cuts out a lot of walking especially if you’re looking to see the main places in Bangkok!
Next?
Okay so next me and my friend got a local train (more on that later, I think we were the only backpackers on it and it cost us about 50p) to Ayutthaya to see the old capital for a night before heading to Chiang Mai – seemingly rejoining the backpacker circuit. I will add links here once I’ve got to this!
If you’re interested in other countries (or random travel stories) in Asia, have a look at What Actually Happened at the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea!
