Your Travel Guide to Thailand
All information & tips to prepare your trip in Thailand
All you need to know to visit Bangkok
Central Thailand
0 km from Bangkok
Province of Bangkok
Thai prononciation : Krungtep
Travel guide to visit Bangkok
The Thai capital is fascinating. It is this mix of asian recklessness and western life. Many say that Bangkok never sleeps and it's true. There is always animation, you will find a supermarket open all the time, night and day. Mostly the famous 7-Eleven. The bustle of the city and its traffic density can sometimes make you want to flee but Bangkok is full of astonishing places, some more peaceful, some really exotic. I really started to appreciate Bangkok only when I started to mainly use public transport (see all information in ''Transports in Thailand" then Transports in Bangkok), especially the subways and Chao Phraya Expres sboats. The "big mango", one of Bangkok's nicknames, is also a fascinating and culturally rich city that offers multiple facets, modern towers and shopping malls among the largest in the world, older and historical districts or rural ones especially along the klongs, the small channels crossing the city.With the Great Palace, Wat Phra Keo and Wat Pho to name only the 3 most famous monuments, Bangkok is an essential stop for those who want to discover the Thai culture and understand the place that the Buddhist religion occupies in the Life of the Thais. Lovely parks, day or night markets, klongs, Chao Praya river, vendor stalls that reduce the sidewalk to a narrow alley, people who smile at you, temples, tuk-tuks, nightlife that shows the best and sometimes the worst of Thailand, massage ... You are in another dimension. Sometimes exhausting, Bangkok, if you let it time, will seduce you.
To see all optiosn to get around in Bangkok, read our dedicated paragraph about getting around in Bangkok.
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Accommodations in Bangkok
In Bangkok, for sleeping, there are thousands of hotels and hundreds of guesthouses. Whatever is the area of the city you choose you will have no trouble finding a room in Bangkok even at last minute. It is however better, especially for a first trip to Thailand, to book at least your first hotel in Bangkok night in advance. The most popular area to stay for travelers is Khao San Road, which is known as the backpacker district. This is where you will find the largest concentration of cheap hotels and guesthouses and also the greatest concentration of tourists of course. Khao San has the advantage of being next to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) and the Great Palace. I recommend to avoid accommodations located in Khao San Road itself. Personally, I much prefer Soi Rambuttri which is a 2 minutes walk away. The second most popular area for tourists is Sukhumvit district. It is crossed by a subway line and an underground subway line so you can easily get around Bangkok. The prices of the rooms are more expensive and there are logically less backpackers. In general, try to stay near a BTS station, the Bangkok skytrain to be able to get around and reach Bangkok airport easily.Find accommodation in Bangkok
My recommandations
Practical information about Bangkok
If getting around Bangkok in a in tuk-tuk is part of the folklore, I advise you to use the subways to get around.You can bargain prices for a lot of things in Bangkok especially for tuk-tuk or motorcycle taxis. For taxis, prefer those with a taximeter and insist that they use it. This is the best way to pay the fair price.
Be careful, some tuk-tuks drivers around Wat Pho or Grand Palais may tell you that the temples are closed and propose to take you elsewhere. In the vast majority of cases, nothing is closed, they just want to drive you to stores that reward them with gasoline vouchers for each customer they bring. Sometimes you'll even end in jewelry store where you will be scammed.
How to go to Bangkok ?
Bangkok is the capital city so it is very easy to connect it by bus, train or plane. There are also many boat + bus packages from the islands of the country. For large and medium-sized cities, buses depart from Bangkok at least every hour in general. From Mochit BusTerminal buses go to Northern Thailand and Isan (North-eastern Thailand), from Ekkamai to Eastern Thailand and from Sai Tai Mai BusTerminal to Southern Thailand (and Kanchanaburi or Damnoen Saduak & Amphawa). Bangkok central train station is Hua Lamphong from which all trains leave except trains to Kanchanaburi which are at Thonburi railway station. Bangkok has two airports, Suvarnabhumi, the biggest and most recent one, where you will most likely land when arriving in Thailand and Don Muang more specialized in domestic flights (there are also some international medium-distance flights) and starting point of most low-cost airlines.My selection of tours & activities in Bangkok
Bangkok Classical Bicycle Tour
Offered in English
Discover the unknown Bangkok on a 3-hour bicycle tour that explores Chinatown and the Chao Praya River. Cross the river by pedestrian ferry and continue through backstreets discovering shop houses and the historic neighborhood of Thonburi.
How to get around in Bangkok ?
To get around Bangkok, you are spoiled for choice! While occasional travelers often use tuk-tuks, which remain the emblematic means of transport in Thailand, and Bangkok taxis (insist that they activate the "meter"), traveling in the Thai capital by metro allows you to avoid traffic and be in air-conditioned trains. There are several rail networks in Bangkok: the BTS or skytrain, the overhead metro, the MRT or underground metro, although it now has stations and even entire lines in the open air, and the Airport Rail Link, which connects the capital to Suvarnabhumi airport, not to mention the Red Line suburban trains that go to Don Muang airport. You can also use motorbike taxis or take Bangkok buses, although the lack of line maps and signs in English makes their use a little complicated for a tourist. Fortunately, on the site, I created a Bangkok bus search engine to go to the main places in the city. And otherwise, there is the very practical free ViaBus application.
There are also, and I must say that I use it more and more often, there are smartphone applications to order a taxi or a VTC in Bangkok: InDRIVE, BOLT or Grab. And also Muvmi to order an electric tuk-tuk (I haven't tested it yet)
Another option: take the river shuttles that run on the klongs, the small canals that cross Bangkok or those of the Chao Phraya Express that navigate on the river. The most daring might try the Pun Pun Bikes, the Bangkokian Vélibs. But avoid the main roads! To go to or from Suvarnabhumi airport, I advise you to take the Airport Rail Link at Phaya Thai station (served by the BTS) or to take a taxi or even the S1 bus line, if you are coming from Khao San Road or the Grand Palace area. To go to Don Muang airport where most domestic flights depart and arrive, there are express buses that very regularly connect the airport to the Mo Chit BTS station, the Northern Bus Terminal, Khao San Road or the Grand Palace or even the Victory Monument. Don Muang is also accessible by train but be careful, trains in Thailand are regularly late except for those on the Red Line which run very regularly and also serve Don Muang airport! A free shuttle bus service runs between the two Bangkok airports (from 5:00 to 22:00 - 1h30 journey, more info here)
All the practical information on transport in Bangkok is HERE.
Beware of tuk-tuk drivers who hang around in front of Wat Pho or the Grand Palace and tell you they are closed, only to offer to take you somewhere else. In the vast majority of cases, nothing is closed, they just want to take you to shops that reward them with gas vouchers for each customer you bring. Sometimes you will even find yourself in jewelry stores passing you off as fools.
Festivals in Bangkok ?
Here is a list of the main festivals taking place every year in Bangkok. I mention their dates as soon as they are official on Thai Festivals page.
Vijit Chao Phraya - Bangkok Illuminations
This festival generally takes place in the month of December
Spectacle de théâtre masqué Khon gratuit
This festival generally takes place in the month of Several times a year
Bangkok Thai Short Film and Video Festival
This festival generally takes place in the month of September
Thailand Tourism Festival
This festival generally takes place in the month of January
Chinese New Year in Chinatown
This festival generally takes place in the month of February
Bangkok International Motor Show
This festival generally takes place in the month of March
Phra Pradaeng Songkran Festival
This festival generally takes place in the month of April
Anniversaire de la fondation de Bangkok
This festival generally takes place in the month of April
Bangkok Water Festival
This festival generally takes place in the month of April
La Fête (French-Thai Festival)
This festival generally takes place in the month of June
Bangkok River Fair
This festival generally takes place in the month of August
Samut Prakan Temple fair
This festival generally takes place in the month of October
Tak Bat Phra Roi Tradition
This festival generally takes place in the month of October
Golden Mount Temple Fair
This festival generally takes place in the month of November
Bangkok River Festival
This festival generally takes place in the month of November
Grand Loy Krathong Ceremony
This festival generally takes place in the month of November
Thailand's New Year Countdown Celebrations
This festival generally takes place in the month of December
Bangkok annual Red Cross Fair
This festival generally takes place in the month of December
Suan Luang Rama IX park Flower Festival
This festival generally takes place in the month of December
Bangkok Street Show
This festival generally takes place in the month of December
Bangkok International Motor Expo
This festival generally takes place in the month of December
Bonjour French Fair
This festival generally takes place in the month of December
Bangkok Amazing Countdown Festival
This festival generally takes place in the month of December
Must-visits in
Wat Pho
วัดโพธิ์
Wat Arun
วัดอรุณ
The klongs
คลอง
Wat Phra Kaew
วัดพระแก้ว
Great Palace
พระบรมมหาราชวัง
Golden Mountain
ภูเขาทอ
Klong Lat Mayom Floating Market
ตลาดน้ำคลองลัดมะยม
Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen
วัดปากน้ำภาษีเจริญ
Talad Noï
ตลาดน้อย
Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre
โรงมหรสพหลวงศาลาเฉลิมกรุง
Royal Barges National Museum
พิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาติ เรือพระราชพิธี
Chinatown Street Food Area
โซนอาหารริมถนนเยาวราชOther places to see in Bangkok
Wat Benchamabophit
one of our favorite temples in Bangkok. Peaceful with its small watercourse, it is pleasant to be. In the main bulding, the sitting Buddha with its blue background is beautiful on photographs.
Muang Boran (Ancient City)
at about 70 km from Bangkok, this park includes replicas at larger or smaller scales of the most famous temples in Thailand and some of Cambodian, Burmese, Laotian or Chinese temples. A suprising visit that can be a introduction to your stay in the country.
Wat Ratchabophit
not far from Wat Pho and Grand Palace, this architecturally refined temple is rarely visited but really worth a visit
Jim Thompson House
turned into a museum, the house consists of old buildings from different provinces of Thailand that Jim Thompson had made rebuilt here. You can see many pieces of his collection of art objects and learn the basics of silk work in Thailand. Jim Thompson was an American businessman who helped revitalize the Thai silk industry in the 1950s and 1960s
Taling Chan Floating Market
small market held on weekends. The floating portion is quite small but is a nice place and still quite unknown among tourists. It is also a good starting point to visit the klongs, the small canals running through Bangkok. Prices are lower and tours offered interesting.
Koh Kret island
this small island outside of Bangkok is an exotic and charming place. Here you will be away from the noise of the city. The inhabitants are Mon. They are famous for their pottery.
Phutthamonthon
about thirty kilometers from Bangkok, this huge park is known for the big Walking Buddha statue standing at its center which is reportedly the largest in the world. Around it, monuments recall the main stages of the life of Lord Buddha and a temple houses the sacred texts of Theravada Buddhism carved in marble stone.
Siam House of Bizarre Creatures
little funny museum especially interesting for curious people who will love its collections of weird animals such as two-headed turtles. Don't come especially for the museum but it can be nice to see it when visiting the Taling Chan Floating Market next door.
Wat Traimit
known for its 3 meters high golden Buddha. It is the largest solid golden statue in the world. It stayed hidden under a layer of plaster for a very long time. Rediscovered in the 50s, it is now exposed at Wat Traimit.
Chatuchak Week End Market
is the largest market in Bangkok. It is held every weekend. You can find and buy almost everything. The Chatuchak Market is such a phenomenon that it has become a tourist attraction even though the Thais remain by far its main customers.
Wat Suthat
temple in front of which stands the big swing. Its courtyard is very nice and pretty. It is not far from the golden mountain.
Asiatique The Riverfront
this night market located in old docks of Bangkok along the Chao Phraya river, provides shopping and dinners in quality restaurants. It is a unique place in Bangkok and getting more and more famous. Asiatique is more Hi-So compared to night markets we are used to see in Thailand.
Wat Intharawihan
interesting for its 32 meters hight big Buddha image decorated with glass and gold mosaics. Oddly little known, Wat Intharawihan worth a visit ofr its unique in Bangkok statue.
Bang Krachao, Bangkok's green lung
Also called 'Bangkok's green lung', this little area of nature is a good option to escape the bustle of the city. You can have some nice bicycke rides there, discover a floating market and relax in a beautiful park. A good getaway for weekends (the floating market is only open on weekends).
Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market
This small floating market is held on Saturdays and Sundays near Bang Krachao, just on the outskirts of Bangkok. This is one of the best floating markets in close proximity to Bangkok even if it is not actually ''floating''. It is interesting to add it to your tour in Bang Krachao the green lung of Bangkok.
Wat Bowonniwet
A 5 minute walk from the famous Khao San Road, this temple is however not much visited by tourists. It is a very important place in the royal and religious history of Thailand. Several kings were monks there, including the late King Bhumibol who died in October 2016. The temple has a superb chedi and magnificent Buddha images in its main hall.
Wat Pariwat
Even if its nickname is the David Beckham Temple, it is more for the small statues of various comic and manga characters that are among the statues decorating the exterior of one of the halls of the temple that it is fun to visit Wat Pariwat. It is a curiosity still little known by tourists and a unique temple marrying Buddhism, super heroes and cartoons.
Khlong Bang Luang Floating Market
This is not a floating market but a small part of a sympathetic canal (klong in Thai language) sometimes on the programme of in tours on the klongs of Bangkok especially for the show at the Artist House. Exotic and only a few metro stops from the Grand Palais.
Artist's House (Baan Silapin)
Also known as Baan Silapin, this teak canal house in Bangkok is home to a puppet and traditional dance school that gives a show every day.
Wat Bang Chak
This amazing temple opposite Koh Kret island on the outskirts of Bangkok is in my opinion a must see place when you go visit the island on the Chao Phraya river.
Chinatown
Bangkok's Chinatown has a life of its own. It is one of the busiest and most commercial area in the Thai capital city and also a convenient base for exploring Bangkok and discovering the famous Thai Street Food in the evening.
Erawan Museum
This large museum is one of the most interesting and well known in Bangkok although it is a few kilometers outside the city. You can't miss it with its huge statue of Erawan, a 3-headed elephant.
Santa Cruz Church
It is one of the churches, if not the most famous Catholic church in Bangkok. Ideally located in the Thonburi district, 50 meters from the banks of the Chao Phraya river, it was built by the Portuguese who settled here.
Neon Market
This fairly new night market is one of the nice places to dine or shop in Bangkok in the evening. Its weak point remains its location a little far from the metro.
Lhong 1919
This small center located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River is interesting for its Chinese architectural style warehouses dating back almost 2 centuries and its murals. But having never found its public it is now deserted, doomed to be closed but remains open to the public for the moment.
Amphawa
Especially interesting for its floating market installed on weekends on a canal, the surroundings of Amphawa Floating Market which is a 1h30 drive from Bangkok are also interesting with boat tours, several other floating markets, the surprising Mae Klong Railway Merket less than 10 kilometers away, its countryside, its crafts... A destination more interesting to visit on weekends.
Ayutthaya
Even if it is more interesting to sleep there and stay at least 2 days, Ayutthaya, former capital of Siam Kingdom can be visited very easy in one day from Bangkok. It is the nearest historical destination from the capital. Tourists come here to explore its ruins of temples classified as World Heritage by UNESCO. They get here by themselves by train or hire a guide who organizes everything for them.
Kundeejeen Community
This small hamlet along the Chao Phraya River in Thonburi district in Bangkok is a place steeped in history and tradition. It was first the Portuguese immigrants who came to settle there after the sack of Ayutthaya by the Burmese when the capital of the Kingdom was moved here. Today, the community perpetuates its historical and culinary traditions there.
Thonburi district
This district located just opposite the most visited monuments in Bangkok, on the other bank of the Chao Phraya river, has a very pleasant small village atmosphere and is full of interesting places to visit to discover both the history and the diversity of Bangkok culture. It can be visited very easily by wlaking. Especially following my Walking Tour itinerarytinerary.
Bang Kapi floating footbridge to cross the canal
This ingenious floating footbridge installed with a system of pulleys and pedals to move it in one direction or the other is one of the little curiosities of a Bangkok off the beaten track. Not a visit to put on the program if you are in a hurry but if you take the time to discover Bangkok in a different way.
ICON SIAM
Yes, it's a shopping center but it has almost become a monument to visit in Bangkok. For its architectural style, the fact that it illustrates the splendor of Bangkok's large malls or at least just for the view of the Chao Phraya river that it offers from its 6th floor terrace. By the way, you can also go shopping there ;)
JODD FAIRS Rama 9
This is one of the nicest night markets in Bangkok. Large selection of food and clothing and craft products including jewelry. A great place to eat well and shop especially as it is right next to a large shopping center.
Children's Discovery Museum
This museum, which is more of a small amusement park for children with educational aims, is really an interesting option to keep your children busy in Bangkok, on a rainy day for example. Large, with many activities on offer, it also has the big advantage of being completely free for both Thais and foreigners.
Wat Prayoon
This Buddhist temple, located on the Thonburi side of the river, across from the Grand Palace, is rarely visited by foreign tourists despite its unique architecture and small Zen garden that I love. It can be part of a pleasant walking tour of this peaceful Bangkok neighborhood.
Khao Mo
This small garden, which artificially reproduces in miniature Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Hindu cosmology, on a small artificial island surrounded by a pond, is a calm and Zen place attached to Wat Prayoon in the Thonburi district.
Wat Kalayanamit
This royal Buddhist temple, located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in the Thonburi district, is one of the most important and popular temples in Bangkok. While architecturally, it doesn't stand out from many other temples, it's interesting to see the Buddhist rites performed there, and the entire area is worth a visit.
Bangkok Flower Market
I'm talking about the one in town, a few minutes' walk from Wat Pho and its reclining Buddha. While it's smaller than the new flower market, it's still impressive and worth a visit. Especially to see the vendors at work creating necklaces and floral arrangements for the temples.
Ong Ang Canal
This pedestrianized canalside promenade, cleaned and rehabilitated, is quite pleasant, with numerous magnificent works of street art. There are also stalls and restaurants, particularly Indian ones, and a night market on weekends, which unfortunately is losing momentum due to its lack of visitors.
Wat Ratchanatdaram Worawihan & Loha Prasat
This unique seven-level architectural feature, adorned with 37 peaks, is worth a visit for its maze-like feel, its photogenic appeal, and the views it offers from its summit. Uncrowded, it's often peaceful, making the visit even more enjoyable.
Song Wat Road
This popular and trendy street is worth a visit, even though it attracts a lot of people. It's a 10-minute walk from Chinatown, Bangkok's Chinatown.
Weather & climate in
Bangkok has a tropical savanna climate. There are three seasons: the warm season, the rainy season and the cold season, although the temperatures remain quite high. The rainy season begins with the arrival of the south-west monsoon in mid-May. September is the most raining month, with an average rainfall of 334.3 millimeters. The rainy season lasts until October, when the dry, cool northeast monsoon takes over until February.The best moment to go to Bangkok is in November, December, January and February. The least favorable months, due to the monsoon, are from June to September until mid-October. September is the month when it rains the most, there can be some flash floods in some parts of the city.
How to ask in Thai to go to Bangkok ?
I want to go to Bangkok / Yak paï ti Krungtep.Where is Bangkok ? / Krungtep you ti naï ?
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