Be amazed by lively Bangkok
Posted on January 10, 2023
Bangkok is a busy city where you have to process many impressions at the same time. You can eat delicious food, see lots of beautiful things, have a drink at a rooftop bar and take a ride in a tuk tuk. Bangkok is the perfect place to get acquainted with Thailand and to acclimatize for a few days after a long journey. Read our tips and feast your eyes on lively Bangkok!
How do you get there?
We flew from Amsterdam to Bangkok in about 15 hours. Upon arrival at the airport, it is best to immediately withdraw your PIN and possibly purchase a Thai SIM card. You can also do this later at a 7/11. These supermarkets are located throughout Thailand and they also sell SIM cards here. A Thai SIM card can be useful for, for example, arranging a taxi via Grab.
The center of Bangkok is about a half-hour drive from Suvarnabhumi Airport. Have you not arranged transportation yet? Don't panic, because that is very well arranged here! Follow the taxi signs outside and stand in line. You can pick up a ticket at one of the machines and then you will see in which section your taxi is or will be parked. Stand nearby and you will see your taxi arriving within a few minutes. Agree on a price in advance. Our ride to the center of Bangkok cost 600 baht, which is about €17.
Where and how long will you stay in Bangkok?
We stayed in Bangkok twice, at the beginning and the end of the trip. We found this very pleasant, because upon arrival you can recover from the journey and acclimatize and upon departure you do not have to fly straight away. The first few days we stayed in CHERN Bangkok and the last few days in Travelodge Sukhumvit 11 . Both are recommended and have their own pros and cons. CHERN is a centrally located hostel with a swimming pool and spacious rooms. It is close to a metro station and Khaosan Road is just a 15-minute walk away. Travelodge is a good hotel with comfortable beds, a swimming pool on the roof and close to the metro and several restaurants. CHERN is closer to the old center and Khaosan Road and Travelodge is more in the area where there are many restaurants and malls. So it just depends on what you are looking for.
What can you do in Bangkok?
There is plenty to do in Bangkok! We visited temples, made a bicycle tour, sailed across the river and ended the day at a rooftop bar. Below you will find a list of our tips:
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Visit one of the beautiful temples! We visited Wat Pho and Wat Arun. Wat Pho is the temple with the famous reclining Buddha, but there is much more to see. For 200 baht (€ 5.50) you can feast your eyes here. On the other side of the river, you will find the Wat Arun temple. You can visit this temple for 100 baht (€ 2.80). The temple is beautiful and really worth it. This is also a very beautiful place at sunset.
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Take the boat across the river. There are longtail boats as a ferry service and longtail boats with which you can do a tour. We took the ferry to Wat Arun from the Memorial Bridge boarding point and this costs 16 baht (€ 0.44) per ride. You buy a ticket on board or at the boarding point. It is very nice to see Bangkok from the water.
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Drink a cocktail on one of the rooftop bars and enjoy the view! On our last evening we went to the rooftop bar Vertigo. To get here, go to the Banyan Tree hotel and take the elevator to the 59th floor. From there you walk up a few more stairs and then you have a beautiful view of the city!
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Discover the lesser known parts of Bangkok with the Co van Kessel bike tour. You can choose from different tours, such as the three-hour bike tour and the five-hour boat and bike tour. We opted for the three-hour bike tour and really enjoyed it! You cycle through the well-known and lesser-known parts of Bangkok and see how the locals live. Among other things, the guide took us to Chinatown where we cycled through all the hustle and bustle of the market. The bike tour is highly recommended!
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Visit one of the huge malls. In Bangkok you have many large malls where you can walk around for hours. You will not only find shops, but also restaurants, cinemas and game halls. We have been to ICONSIAM, among others. A mall with a food market where you can eat delicious food!
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Take a look at Khaosan Road, a well-known spot among backpackers. A street full of restaurants, bars and street food stalls. When you walk through here in the evening you hear the music from a different bar every ten seconds and you can’t believe your eyes. If you want to party for a night, this is the place to be, but it’s fun to walk through anyway!
Where can you get a good meal?
In Bangkok the choice is enormous when it comes to food and drinks. It is sometimes difficult to find good restaurants. We have listed our favorites:
Madame Musur
A very nice spot near Khaosan Road. The ingredients are listed on the menu, but if you have an allergy it is best to let the staff know. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is very cozy. You can also come here for breakfast, but if you have dinner here we can recommend the chicken satay. The mango sticky rice is also very tasty.
Brekkie Organic Cafe & Juice Bar
Here you can have a good breakfast or lunch. The menu is huge, so there is something for everyone! They have delicious superfood bowls, where the menu states exactly what is in them. The acai bowl is highly recommended and the avocado toast and spicy mango quinoa salad are also delicious.
Roast
For a delicious (but pricey) breakfast, you can go to Roast. A cozy cafe with many options. The ingredients are on the menu and you can create your own breakfast. This way you know exactly what goes into it. Roast has multiple locations, so there is always one nearby.
Bitterman
You will find this cozy restaurant near Lumphini Park. They have many different types of dishes and you can really enjoy delicious food here. We had the truffle risotto and the truffle mushroom bacon pasta. Both were very tasty! The atmosphere in this restaurant is also very good. Highly recommended!
Coffee Club
Coffee Club has several branches throughout Thailand and is a nice place for breakfast, lunch and dinner if you want Western food. They also have delicious iced lattes and the mango passion frappe is highly recommended! You can also take this with you on the go.
Do you have questions about Bangkok? Then reassure them!