15 Things You Have to Do in Bangkok
Bangkok is the very large, very busy capital city of Thailand. There’s plenty of things to do in Bangkok, but figuring out your bearings can be a little overwhelming if you’ve never been and you’re recovering from your jet lag.
There’s a little something in this post for everyone and I hope you can add some things to your own “Bangkok to do list”.
15 Things to Do in Bangkok, Thailand
Visit a Temple
There’s over 40,000 Buddhist temples in Thailand.. WHAT?! And over 30,000 are still in current use. There’s over 40 temples in Bangkok, so take your pick! If the location has “Wat” in the name, then it’s a temple.
Some temples that you should visit are Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) located within the Grand Palace grounds, Wat Saket (Golden Mount) located in the middle of the old city, it takes 344 steps to get to the top (but it’s an easy climb, don’t worry!), Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) is located next to the Grand Palace so it’s easy to do both of those in one day, and Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) located across the river from the Grand Palace, it’s a beautiful temple that has one of the tallest spires in Thailand right on the river banks.
These are the most popular temples to visit in Bangkok and therefore the busiest.
The best time to visit is always at opening time with the exception of Golden Mount which I found better to visit an hour before closing and always wear the proper attire and be respectful!
Visit the Grand Palace
I can’t help but be in awe of this place. It’s a huge temple complex with a palace and the grounds are beautiful. Everywhere you turn there is another building or temple that is so intricately designed and constructed that you don’t believe it’s real.
Also, IT IS BUSY.
Out of every “tourist attraction” in Bangkok, this by far gets the most visitors every year. Make sure you get there at opening on a weekday, although there will still be a ton of people.
This is really just to beat the heat because there is no shade and no air conditioning anywhere in the complex that you are about to spend a couple of hours in.
Once you enter the archway, there is a person there that checks what you are wearing. Make sure your shoulders are covered and you are wearing something that covers your knees.
Be respectful, please!
If you don’t have the proper attire, they will pull you aside and give you a sarong that you can rent for 100 baht (side note: once you exit the complex, it’s very hard to fight through the crowd to get back to where you drop off the sarong and get your money back- so enjoy your new sarong for under $5.00!!).
Visit the Unicorn Cafe
OMG, I LOVE UNICORNS. Who doesn’t?! And if you don’t like unicorns then don’t go here, because unicorns, pink, and glitter threw up everywhere in here. The chairs are grand, pastel-colored couches and you can rent or buy a unicorn onesie to complete your experience.
All the food is colorful and the smoothies are SWEET! Even though you think they are fruity, they have got to add 10 lbs of sugar to them or something, so get the small one, trust me.
If you want to cuddle with a unicorn that’s ok, you can do that too, because every seat has about 5 stuffed unicorns hanging out and every inch of the ceiling is covered with a stuffed unicorn hanging from it.
You can take a taxi here or the closest BTS Skytrain station is Chong Nonsi and it’s a short walk. You cannot miss the giant pegasus unicorn standing out front and welcoming you into this magical cafe.
Go to a Shopping Mall
There’s plenty of shopping to be done in Bangkok and with the shopping district full of multi-level malls, it’s an experience in itself.
My favorite thing about the shopping district is all the massive malls are connected by a walkway above the roads and streets.
It’s like it’s own world of intertwining streets above the streets.
So it’s much safer than taking your chances with the busy roads down below. It’s also the same level as the BTS stations, so getting to the shopping district is as easy as hopping on the sky train system.
You can also take a taxi or a tuk-tuk here too, but it might take a little bit longer and a few more dollars.
The Best Malls in Bangkok
- Terminal 21 (each floor is themed with a different country and there’s over 600 stores- super fun!)
- MBK Center (like a huge flea market of shops and stalls- super cheap!)
- Siam Center (a lot of boutique-style stores and lots of local designers)
- Siam Discovery (more trendy and hipster stores than glammed-up designers)
- Siam Paragon (one of Thailand’s largest malls, there’s an art gallery, karaoke, aquarium, and concert hall here)
- Central Embassy (the top floor is a bookshop that is full of insta-worthy moments and quirky titles for you to take on the plane).
Visit the Chatuchak Weekend Market
This market is something else. It’s the largest market in Thailand (and one of the largest in the world) with over 15,000 stalls and almost 30 different sections.
Yes, it’s overwhelming. Yes, it’s busy. Yes, you will get lost… but oh boy, it is glorious.
The full market is only open on Saturdays and Sundays so don’t be fooled by the other opening times online because it’s very limited the other couple of days it’s open.
They seriously have it all here, from Buddha statues to furniture, from rugs to lamps, from clothes to musical instruments… everything! Literally everything.
The end of the BTS Skytrain line (Mo Chit on the Sukhumvit line) drops you off right next to the market, so that’s the easier (and cheapest) way to get here.
You can also take a taxi, but not a tuk-tuk (they will not drive out that far).
Get here at opening so you can have hours to explore (don’t worry, there’s food carts, beer and fruit juices to keep you going).
Eat Street Food
Thailand has the best street food I’ve ever had in the world. It tastes fresh, there’s a variety, and most carts are clean and safe.
That last one is important.
If the food looks like it’s been sitting out for a while and not made fresh then move onto the next food cart, because there’s tons of them lining the streets.
Look out for the drink carts that have fresh fruit juices… the coconut juice for a few cents kept me going during the super hot days.
Drink a Thai Iced Coffee
I think every person going to Thailand needs to get a Thai iced coffee and you can find it everywhere in Bangkok.
It’s made with espresso, condensed milk, and regular milk, then mixed up to perfection.
I became obsessed with Thai iced coffee and found myself drinking multiple cups every day.
A couple of my favorites were the little stall at the Asok BTS Skytrain station (they give you a little carrying bag to take it on the train because no drinks allowed- unless it’s in a carrying bag?), Zeno Cafe on Soi Sukhumvit 16 (cute non-tourist local cafe with really strong coffee), and The Coffee Club (yes, it’s a chain) Thai iced coffee.. it’s got whipped cream and ice cream floating on top.. what more could you want?!
Go to The Dome at the Lebua Hotel
The Dome is a collection of rooftop bars and restaurants starting on the 63rd floor of the Lebua Hotel.
You don’t have to go to Sky Bar, you could go to another rooftop bar, but why wouldn’t you want to visit the world’s highest open-air rooftop bar that starred in The Hangover: Part 2?!
Once you get to the 63rd floor, it’s rooftop bar heaven!
There’s also the award-winning restaurant, Sirocco, and a two Michelin star restaurant, Mezzaluna (guys they bring a 5 string quartet to play while you eat!! Mind blown).
Distil Bar is a very bougie cocktail bar with the outdoor area lined with couches (and you don’t have to be a VIP to sit on them and enjoy the views) and Alfresco 64 is a whiskey bar that is lined with a beautiful glass railing, so you can see more of the city skyline!
Be aware that all the outdoor areas (which is pretty much everything) will shut down during a thunderstorm and these bars and restaurants are NOT CHEAP.
One drink is about $21.00!! No joke.
This is a great treat yo’self experience that I think everyone should go to because the views are stunning, but if you can’t fit it in your budget then there’s plenty of other roof top terraces you can check out.
Visit China Town
China Town in Bangkok is something else. However, if you have seen The Hangover: Part 2, you’re not going to get that experience walking through Chinatown.
It wasn’t my favorite place in Bangkok, it’s a little bit different compared to other cities, but you still have to walk around and experience it a little. There are several Chinese temples to check out, a few market streets, and tons of fresh produce.
Ride a Tuk Tuk
If you don’t know what a tuk-tuk is, then get with it!!
A tuk-tuk is basically a scooter with a wagon attached to it that you ride in the back of. Some are colorful, some are decorated, and some will play your favorite K-pop song so that everyone 3 blocks down can hear you coming.
This is not the cheapest form of public transportation in the city because they don’t have meters and they know that tourists want the experience, so a 40 baht ride in a taxi will be 150 baht for a tuk tuk.
You can try to bargain with them but most of the time they will just drive off because they know there’s someone down the next street that will pay it. However, 150 baht is under $5.00, so that’s not bad to get you across town.
You NEED to take a tuk-tuk ride at least once! Just saying.
Visit a Dining Hall
Bangkok has a lot of dining halls. I’m not sure what they actually call them, but it’s basically a food court and there’s a lot of them scattered throughout town.
Most of them are located in the shopping malls and they take up an entire floor – YES, an entire floor of food. It’s also CHEAP food. Definitely cheaper than a restaurant (which is already cheap BTW).
You start out by putting money onto a card and you walk around what seems like hundreds (ok, maybe like 50) of food stalls and pay for your food with your card.
The money doesn’t expire so you can load it up and use it throughout your trip and if you don’t spend as much as you thought you would then you can get your balance back.
The cool thing is you can put 100 baht on the card and get an appetizer, an entree, a smoothie or juice, and dessert. Did I already say that food is CHEAP?!?
My favorite dining hall is at Terminal 21 on the San Francisco level and I ate their coconut ice cream EVERY SINGLE DAY. Oh, and a scoop of ice cream was 15 baht.. that’s under 50 cents!
Go to a Night Market
Thailand is famous for night markets and Bangkok has plenty. What is a night market? Literally a market that is open after 5pm until midnight.
You won’t find a lot of designer shopping here, but you will definitely find entertainment, local items, drinks, and tons of food! Think of it more like a carnival!
There will probably be a night market within 5 minutes of where you are staying and all of them are so similar that it doesn’t matter too much which ones you check out, just make sure you go to at least one! (And eat all of the fooooood!)
Get a Thai Massage
This is not for the faint of heart but YOU NEED TO DO THIS. I thoroughly enjoy a deep tissue massage.
I’m not the person that wants a relaxing hot stone or essential oil massage, I want the tension in my back to go away. (Side note: I don’t have the greatest back, I should probably go to a chiropractor), so in America, I always opt for the deep tissue.
I heard a Thai massage is Thailand’s version of a deep tissue massage with a yoga type aspect, so YES, I want one! You can get a massage for under $20.00 at the really nice spas.
There are no oils involved with a Thai massage, you change into loose clothing (kind of like oversized scrubs or pajamas) and lay on a mat on the floor.
Then for the next hour, you are walked on, pulled, stretched, and compressed to relax your body, get rid of those bad toxins, and increase blood flow.
A Thai massage is said to have many health benefits, including improving your mental well-being.
Get a massage in the morning and then relax for the rest of the day, you might wake up sore the next day ( I DID! I felt like I had spent 6 hours in the gym), and don’t forget to drink lots of water.
Take a Walk Down Soi Cowboy
For those of you that know what Soi Cowboy is, surprised I have it on this list? Yeah, me too.
For those of you who haven’t heard of Soi Cowboy, it’s Bangkok’s red light district.
It literally is a street with about 40 go-go bars all lit up in Vegas-style neon lights and it’s very interesting to walk down, hence the reason it made my list and if you’re into The Hangover: Part 2, scenes from the movie were filmed here.
Of course, there’s so much more to do in Bangkok including day trips out of the city to the floating market or hanging out at the cat cafe, but these are definitely some things that you can’t miss out on!
If you’re in Thailand for a while, make sure to visit an Ethical Elephant Sanctuary!
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