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Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is the best place to start a trip in Southeast Asia. Some connect Bangkok with a love-hate relationship because it can be noisy but also very charming. Bangkok offers everything your heart desires, from historical buildings, cultural landmarks, and numerous shopping options to vibrant nightlife. We present to you the 7 best places that you can check out while you are in Bangkok on a trip.
Paying a visit to Bangkok without seeing the Grand Palace is like visiting Sydney and not checking out the Opera House. Any travel guide to Bangkok will undoubtedly include this beauty in their must-see list of places in Bangkok. The superb construction of this traditional Thai architectural masterpiece awes visitors with its divine decorations and its enormous size. It has a combined area of ​​218,000 sq. meters, encompassed by walls that extend for two kilometers. The numerous palace buildings and 95 pagodas will astonish everyone. Visitors praise the high-class design of the halls and frescoes that display scenes from the life of King Rama the First.
The easiest way to get to the Grand Palace is by water boat. Take the Chao Phraya Express Boat to Ta Chang Pier (N9), and walk out from the pier area until you see the white wall. The Grand Palace is accessible from 08:30 to 16:30. The entry fee is 500 Baht. When visiting, wear a long sleeve shirt and trousers or a skirt that covers the knees.
Lumpini Park is named after Lumbini, the homeland of Siddhartha Gautama, later to become Buddha in Nepal. It spans over 500,000 sq meters. At midday, if you get tired of shopping and the searing heat, you should stop by here. It has a few sculptures and a lot of natural beauty. There's a considerable amount of fun activities for anyone to do, such as strolling, duck boat, running, gym, workouts, Chinese exercise, swimming, feeding fishes, etc. There are even dumbbells accessible to visitors. You can even use the free showers where you can have a bath and come back home clean.
The pedal boat is also available at 40 baht for 30 minutes with a 40 baht deposit that you will get back once you return the paper ticket at the office. It's good to know that sometimes vendors don't communicate effectively in English.
The stunning murals of the Bangkok National Museum tell the story of wars conducted in the past. Terracotta warriors statues are also displayed along with grand royal chariots. Many statues and traditional artworks can be observed along the way. You'll probably spend around 2-3 hours seeing everything in the museum. The architecture gives a well-rounded impression of the Thai culture, and the historical facts are presented in English so you can read more about the thousand-year history of the country. Lots of different things to see, such as the Sukhothai period gallery hall and the Gallery of Thai History in Siwamokkhaphiman Hallthat. If you've got a chance, you should definitely check out this place.
The ticket fee is 200 baht, which is not expensive at all. Thai residents who are 60 years old and up can enter free of charge. The museum closes at 4 pm. Getting to the Bangkok National Museum by BTS Skytrain or MRT can be tricky. You can take the BTS to the Saphan Taksin station, then board a river taxi and go north on the Chao Phraya River.
There's no better way to experience Bangkok than diving deep into the vibrant, stormy nightlife of Thailand. When the sun goes down, the road becomes a real Babylonian pandemonium! Tourists from around the world, loud music, bars, restaurants, shops, everything is to be found here. Even if you are not an admirer of loud parties, you should definitely visit this famous street. It's just fun to walk along Khao San, buy yummy street food, listen to music, or just wander around. It's also the best area to Stay in Bangkok if you want to enjoy the real backpacker experience.
Khao San Road is situated in the Banglamphu area. You can get there by buses No. 15, 65, 82, 2, 32, 47, 59, 60, and 70.
The Thai capital is usually compared to Venice because of its canals and rivers. Follow the locals' example and go explore Bangkok on your own. This allows you not only to see the city from an exotic viewpoint for mere pennies but additionally to avoid paying excessive prices for canal excursions.
You can take a river taxi to the old city to see its best sights, and after that, head to the business area of ​​the capital. You can check out the Wat Pho, the Grand Palace (pier No. 8 Tha Tien), and the temple of Wat Arun. The ferry departs from pier No. 8 across the Chao Phraya River.
If you have some time to see non-touristy Bangkok, catch a green flag boat and travel to Chao Phraya north. Step off at any pier after No. 24 (for instance, Ko Kret Island), and you will discover how Bangkok was in the old days.
Santa Cruz is a Portuguese Catholic church built during the rule of King Taksin in 1770. It is among the oldest Catholic churches in Bangkok, and it's also referred to as Kudichin village. When King Taksin relocated his capital from Ayutthaya to Thon Buri, he gave the territory to the Portuguese community to construct a wooden church on the Chao Phraya River's bank. The church is just stunning with the combination of white and red colors and a small art gallery inside the temple. There is worship on Saturday and Sunday morning and evening. Getting there by ferry boat is easy as it is close to the Chao Phraya River. The ferry departs from Sanam Chai MRT.
Samut Prakan Zoo is also known as the crocodile zoo as it is home to over 100,000 crocodiles. Other animals that visitors can see are elephants, lions, tigers, monkeys, parrots, and more. The daily crocodile show, where the performers do dangerous stuff like putting their heads and arms inside the crocodile's mouth, is a spectacle that attracts many tourists. It takes place every hour from 9:30 to 16:30. Other activities include feeding animals and gently taking pictures with them. You can even feed the crocodiles daily from 16:30 to 17:30. Entry is 80 thb for locals and 350 thb for foreigners.
Thailand is a totally different and unusual world. Many visit Thailand for beach holidays on the islands, but Bangkok is a great opportunity to get familiar with the unique Asian culture. You should certainly spend at least a couple of days in Bangkok, enjoy the vibrant nightlife, and learn about its rich history.
Kim is a travel blogger based in Bangkok. He is also a Computer Engineer and a dreamer. He often writes Bangkok related content. If you want even more help planning your trip to Bangkok (or want to learn more about the best places to stay in Bangkok), you can read his content on his blog bangkoktravelpoint.com . He loves assisting visitors in planning their trips.
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We are Jacob and Taylor. Travel is our passion and we love sharing our experiences here at The Travelling Souk. Our hope is that you would be inspired by this little blog to try something new, embrace an adventure, and live life to the fullest.