THINGS TO DO IN BANGKOK, THAILAND

Bangkok is a city that grows on you. It’s chaotic, noisy, hot and sticky, but we fell in love with the life happening all around us. Street food on every corner, intricate Buddhist temples, skyscrapers jutting into the sky, monks collecting alms, and motorbikes whizzing through narrow sois (alleys). Give Bangkok a chance, it offers so much more than meets the eye!

TEMPLES

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

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 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. 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
24. Mali night market (Muang Thong Thani)
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 Mandarin Oriental
30. Hello Kitty House
31. Eat vegetarian at Chamlong’s Asoke vegetarian food court
32. 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. Lebua Tower Sky Bar, famous from Hangover 2

View from Lebua State Tower over the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok at sunset — View from the top of the Lebua State Tower at sunset.

41. Be served by robots at Hajime Robot Restaurant
42. Have drinks at The Iron Fairies
43. Vertigo & Moon Bar at Banyan Tree hotel
44. Nahim cafe and handicraft
45. Relax at the B-story Cafe
46. Catch live music at Saxophone Pub
47. Eat Michelin star street food at Raan Jay Fai

Chef cooking a crab omelette at Raan Jay Fai restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand — Crab omelet at Raan Jay Fai

48. Try Bingsoo (Korean dessert popular in Bangkok)
49. Get drinks or go dancing on Sukhumvit Soi 11
50. Daniel Thaiger Burger (one of the best burgers we’ve ever had)
51. The Jam Factory
52. Unicorn Cafe

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 music
60. Go wild on Khao San Road
61. Learn Muay Thai at a gym, it’s great exercise
62. Take a cooking class at Silom Thai Cooking School

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. See a cheap movie at the vintage Scala Cinema
70. Go to the top of the Baiyoke Tower for a magnificent view

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 Bangkok Forensic 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. Thonburi district
86. Enjoy beautiful Lumphini Park