THINGS TO DO IN BANGKOK, THAILAND

It’s a city that many travelers dislike at first, but it grows on you. It’s chaotic, noisy, hot, and sticky, but we fell in love with the life happening all around us. There’s street food on every corner, intricate Buddhist temples, skyscrapers jutting into the sky, monks collecting alms, and motorbikes whizzing through narrow sois (alleys). Be sure to give Bangkok a chance, it offers so much more than meets the eye! There are so many things to do in Bangkok!

TEMPLES

1. Wat Phra Kaew (Grand Palace & Temple of the Emerald Buddha)
2. Wat Pho (huge reclining Buddha)

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Wat Pho temple in Bangkok, Thailand — Our favorite temple in Bangkok and you can even get a massage here!

3. Temple of the Golden Mount (Wat Saket)
4. Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun)
5. Wat Benchamabophit (Marble Temple)
6. Wat Traimit (world’s largest solid gold Buddha)

Solid gold Buddha at Wat Traimit temple in Bangkok, Thailand — See the largest piece of solid gold in the world at Wat Traimit temple.

CULTURE

7. Watch Buddhist monks collect their morning alms
8. Walk through the Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC)
9. Go see a live Thai boxing fight (Muay Thai)

Muay Thai fight in Thailand — Round 1 – FIGHT! Photo by: Travis / CC BY / cropped from original

10. Get a Thai massage
11. The Artist’s House
12. Giant Swing
13. Jim Thompson House
14. Erawan shrine
15. Go see Victory Monument

Long exposure taken at night near Victory Monument in Bangkok, Thailand — Night views of Victory Monument – Photo by: Adam Lai / CC BY

16. Royal Barges Museum
17. Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
18. Sathorn 11 Art Space

MARKETS

19. Eat and shop at the world’s largest market at Chatuchak (weekends only)
20. Yaowarat/Chinatown night market

Long exposure shot at night along Yaowarat road in Bangkok, Thailand — No visit to Bangkok is complete without wandering Yaowarat Road and the Chinatown night market.

21. Visit a floating market – Khlong Lat Mayom
22. Or Tor Kor Market (one of the world’s best fresh markets)
23. Explore the busy Khlong Toei Market (largest in SE Asia)
24. Mali night market (Muang Thong Thani area)
25. Shop for oddities at Rod Fai vintage market
26. Walk around the 24 hr flower market – Pak Khlong Talat

EAT, DRINK, & BE MERRY

27. Sip on Tom Yum soup
28. Eat at Soei restaurant

Wasabi soaked Thai style ceviche at Soei restaurant in Bangkok — Wasabi-drenched Thai-style ceviche at Soei restaurant.

29. Drink at the historic Bamboo Bar inside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel
30. View Rooftop Bar for drinks
31. Eat vegetarian at Chamlong’s Asoke vegetarian food court
32. Visit the Caturday Cat Cafe
33. Havana Social
34. Dine in the Dark
35. Eat breakfast at Roast in EmQuartier
36. Try the famous Pad Thai from Pad Thai Thip Samai
37. Eat delicious Indian or Halal foods on Sukhumvit Soi 3
38. Have a cold brew coffee at Elefin

Cold brew coffee at Elefin coffeeshop in Bangkok, Thailand — Cold brew coffee is nice in a sweltering hot place like Bangkok.

39. Support a great cause, eat at Cabbages & Condoms
40. Get a cocktail at the Lebua Tower Sky Bar, famous from Hangover 2

FUN & ENTERTAINMENT

53. Check out Chang Chui creative space
54. Shop the OTOP Show at Impact Arena
55. Catch some live music at Adhere the 13th Blues bar

Musicians play at Adhere the 13th Blues Bar in Bangkok, Thailand — This bluesy bar makes for a chill night out in BKK.

56. See a 4DX movie at Paragon Cineplex
57. Jesada Technik Museum
58. Get a foot massage
59. Brown Sugar for live jazz music
60. Go wild on Khao San Road
61. Learn Muay Thai at a gym, it’s great exercise
62. Take a cooking class in Sukhumvit

Pad See Ew Thai noodle dish with chopsticks — Learn to cook Thai food!

63. Snake Farm
64. Ride go-karts at Easykart Bangkok
65. Calypso Cabaret Show
66. Soi Cowboy Go-Go bars
67. Surfing or boogie boarding at Flow House Bangkok
68. Safari World
69. Go on a Night Bike Tour of Bangkok
70. Go to the top of the Baiyoke Tower for a magnificent view of BKK

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Night view from the top of the Baiyoke Tower in Bangkok, Thailand — Night views of Victory Monument – Photo by: Matt Madd / CC BY

71. Escape Break Game Room
72. Go to a Thai soccer game
73. See mummified murderers at the Siriraj Medical Museum

SHOPPING

74. Asiatique The Riverfront
75. Shop for used books at Dasa Book Cafe
76. Terminal 21 and foodcourt
77. Shop used camera gear and collectibles at Mega Plaza
78. Shop for new books at Kinokuniya
79. Siam Paragon
80. EmQuartier

WANDER

81. Admire the street art around the Bang Rak neighborhood
82. Walk down Sukhumvit
83. Upscale Thonglor area (BTS)
84. Walk around the Ari neighborhood and visit the bars and cafes (Ari BTS)
85. See the Thonburi district
86. Enjoy beautiful Lumphini Park

A guy sits near the lake on a sunny afternoon in Lumphini Park in Bangkok, Thailand — The best park in all of Bangkok! Keep an eye out for the large monitor lizards

GETTING AROUND

87. Take a boat ride down the Chao Phraya River
88. Ride in a tuk-tuk
89. Ride the BTS and MRT trains

BTS Skytrain pulls into a station in Bangkok, Thailand — A great way to cool down, avoid traffic, and explore the city! Photo by: nakhon100 / CC BY

90. Hop on the back of a moto-taxi
91. Take a day trip to Ayutthaya

Sunset at Wat Chaiwatthanaram in Ayutthaya, Thailand — Take a day trip to Ayutthaya and see this ancient Thai kingdom

92. Take a khlong tour through the backwaters of Bangkok
93. Bike or walk around the Green Lung and get some exercise

OTHER IDEAS

94. Have a look around the Mandarin Oriental Hotel

The Author's Lounge in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok — The Author’s Lounge inside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel

95. See the King Power MahaNakhon (Thailand’s highest building) at 314m/1,030ft tall
96. Cross the Rama VIII Bridge
97. Ko Kret – Bangkok’s river island
98. Go see the Ghost Tower
99. Airplane Graveyard (recently closed)

Hope you enjoyed this list of things to do in Bangkok, Thailand 🙂