Visit Bangkok Thailand
What to see and do when you visit Bangkok Thailand?
Visit Bangkok and you will see it is without doubt one of the most colourful and vibrant cities in Asia.
The Thai capital is home to numerous sights and activities.
Also, if you visit Bangkok you will soon realise that it is the gateway for travel options giving you easy access to all the rest of the places Thailand has to offer.
The noisy and constantly busy streets of Bangkok can be a bit overwhelming at first, but once you get into the rhythm of the city it is only a matter of time before you fall in love with it!
There really is loads to do in Bangkok, including but certainly not limited to street markets selling counterfeit everything, loads of street vendors selling noodles, bugs and everything in between, Tuk Tuk’s flying about, massage parlours, bars, restaurants etc etc. Even the common food chain Mc Donald’s has its own Thai twist.
When night falls it Bangkok seems to get even more crazy, if you head to Khao San Road you will see exactly what I mean, the street markets turn to street bars selling all sorts of crazy cocktails while you are sat in the road on kid’s plastic chairs…
yeah there is something for everyone but a few highlights you may want to see while you are there are covered off below:
The Grand Palace of Bangkok
The Grand Palace was built more than 2 centuries ago.
It stands on the ruins of the ancient city of Ayutthaya, the Grand Palace in Bangkok served as home of the royal family and court for generations.
If you only had time to visit just one tourist attraction in the Thai capital make sure you get to the Grand Palace stat as this is definitely the most spectacular sight around there.
Plus, you will get a chance to see the Jade Buddha, located in the Wat Phra Kaeo, the most sacred location in all of Thailand.
If you play your card right like I did you may even convince one of the friendly monks to pose for a picture.
It’s worth mentioning that if you visit this monument which is a vital part of the Thai cultural traditions, you need to dress modestly or seriously risk offending the locals.
Before you start travelling around and experiencing your journey throughout Thailand it’s a great idea to spend some time researching the local etiquette, the locals will certainly appreciate it and after all you will want to make sure you have a great time while you are there anyways!
Check out our post on Thai Culture for more info.
Visit Bangkok – Khao San Road
This place has to be one of the must visit areas of Bangkok, so much fun can be had here and there is so much random stuff going on all the time too which simply makes it all the more interesting from a backpacking / tourist point of view.
For me you have seen on temple and seen them all, pretty similar to Zoo’s, unless there is something unusual or different to see you don’t want to spend all your time looking at the shame stuff in a different place.
Khao San Road will make sure there is always something new occurring, in the day time you can buy pretty much anything you want albeit it will be a copy of the original product, you can not only get music, games, electronics, clothes, souvenirs but you can also randomly buy a press pass, driving licence etc, kinda crazy but then that’s why you went there right?!?
There are massage parlours, restaurants, bars with sky TV for the footie, tailors, hostels with a pool on the roof and a shit load of people.
At night the markets go and you get stalls selling street food from amazing noodles to crickets and bug, there are makeshift street bars selling Samsung whiskey and red bull buckets and other cocktails, these aren’t your usual drinks, the red bull is crazy strong and along with the whiskey is rumoured to contain amphetamines.
It is quite common to be up partying most of the night and also to see people falling about the street after several of those plastic buckets flowing with Samsung, coke and red bull.
Fun and games indeed and lots of mischief to be had, don’t say I didn’t warn you! ha ha
Visit Bangkok Thailand and see Wat Arun Temple
Wat Arun or the Temple of Dawn is located on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River and another great destination for a visit in Bangkok, amazingly this is just across from the Royal Palace so you won’t have to go too far.
Named after the Indian god of dawn Aruna, the temple was built in the 17th century to commemorate the battles between Siam and Burma. The architecture of the temple allows it to reflect the very first light in the morning making it one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in all of Thailand.
If you want a truly majestic experience, I recommend visiting the temple just before sunset, so that you can climb on top of the “prang” and witness the breath-taking views of the sunset over Chao Praya River.
Damnoen Saduak
Floating markets are not uncommon in Asia, but probably one of the pioneers in this field is Damnoen Saduak, which still offers an authentic Thai experience to this very day.
It’s best to visit the floating market in the morning as you will avoid the afternoon heat and have the opportunity to grab a taste of the fresh local produce including but not limited to fruit, vegetables and traditional Thai meals. I guarantee, once you get a taste of the vibrant local produce, you will never want to eat anything else during your trip!
The best way to visit Bangkok’s Damnoen Saduak is with package tour organized by a local tourist operator as there are many options as well as private tours, check out our travel shop for some fantastic deals.
Don’t forget to bring your camera because you will definitely want to capture the incredible, colourful atmosphere of the floating market.
Wat Pho
Difficult to capture in a picture due to its huge structure, the temple of the reclining Buddha or as widely known among locals the Wat Pho is a must-visit location for first time tourists in Bangkok.
The statue of the reclining Buddha is 46 meters long making it one of the largest in Thailand.
Wat Pho was also the first public university in the country and was primarily dedicated to teaching religion.
Nowadays, Wat Pho is also known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage and medicine.
It’s famous massage school helps to retain and develop ancient traditions to this very day. What better way to visit Bangkok than with easy, relaxing, therapeutic massage to help you relax or recover from your journey through the hectic city to the attraction.
An interesting fact about Wat Pho is that in the area surrounding the temple there were 99 chedis, each covered with ceramics and these are said to hold the ashes of the family of Buddha.
If you want to keep in with the locals its worth dressing conservatively when visiting the temple, even though the dress code is more relaxed in some of parts of the compound.
Take on a Muay Thai Fight – Visit Bangkok Thailand
I really can’t think about any other sport that so well represents Thailand than Muay Thai. It’s virtually everywhere and the locals take it very seriously.
A fighter’s training starts from very early age and can continue for decades until he masters it.
Fights where both participants are just 4-5 years old are not uncommon across Thailand but visiting such an event could be rather a shocking experience for Western tourists.
While most popular tourist resorts on the islands also offer Muay Thai matches, they can hardly compare with the professional fights organized in the capital which are often televised.
If you want to see the art of fighting in action head to Bangkok!
Authentic Muay Thai fights take place at numerous locations in Bangkok and I strongly recommend dedicating a night out entirely to this sport.
Take a wander about you will be surprised how often you will stumble across a training ring with the guys working their socks off in the sweltering heat.
Ping Pong shows
It wouldn’t be Thailand without a mention of the ping pong shows.
Again this isn’t something for everybody but can prove to be a very interesting experience.
The clubs don’t mind if men or women visit and if you feel inclined and up for a laugh the girls aren’t on stage aren’t shy about getting you up there to have a go on the pole dancing while they attempt to pull off your clothes.
On the way in you may well feel a little uncomfortable as there are some tough looking guys who protect the girls and some equally sour looking ladies serving you your drinks.
The shows are fun albeit a little bit odd with girls firing ping pong ball out of the places the sun doesn’t usually shine, blowing out candles using the same area and in some more extreme cases pulling out razor blades and cutting paper into patterns.
While there is nothing left to the imagination, you have got to be fair; those girls they do have some talent! Don’t try this at home….