Top 10 Things To Do In Bangkok

[mongo]

Planning on staying a week in Bangkok, what are the top things you consider unmissable to do or to see, in Bangkok.

[britmaveric]

1. Flat Boat Tour of BKK

2. Grand Palace

3. Reclining Buddah (Lazy Buddah)

4. BKK Zoo

5. Cobra Show

Not the biggest fan of BKK- traffic/congestion kills me personally, but I'm sure others will add to the list.

[Axel]

mongo, britmaveric gave you some very good advice. But you should specify your range of interest.

I mean, do you want to see temples, snake farms, crocodile farms, girlie-bars (personalliy I don't see any difference to the previous two)

Want to meet some nice ladies and talk about cultural differences?

Please specify your interests, otherwise very difficult to help you.

[kenk3z]

I enjoyed the River Taxi tourboat that you can catch from the Saphan Taksin BTS station (end of the line at the river). For a fairly low fee you can ride up and down the river as much as you want that day - get off at interesting places, etc.

When you head to the river from the BTS station, the left boathouse is for the nice tour boat - the right house is a less expensive but crowded taxi that most of the local people take. The tour boat is a bit more fancy. I forget the cost - 75 baht?

I also enjoyed the observation deck at Baiyoke Sky Hotel, the tallest building in Bangkok. There was a combined ticket for a buffet lunch (just below the observation deck) and the deck access itself. Can't remember the cost. You're so high up its hardly scary, more like an airplane ride. You know its high when other skyscrapers look like little models on a play train station.....

In fact, you can see the Baiyoke as it stands on the Bangkok skyline in this picture from the BTS web site:

http://www.bts.co.th/database/gallery/photo/pic_27.jpg

Can anyone tell me if the Bangkok sky ever looks like that, nice and blue with cottony clouds?

It's the tall slender building in the right (distant) quadrant of the picture.

kenk3z

[Axel]

I also enjoyed the observation deck at Baiyoke Sky Hotel, the tallest building in Bangkok....

Great idea. A view years ago celebrated New Year up there. First time ever I was looking DOWN at the fireworks coming up to me.

Blue sky with cotton clouds? Try Songkran, when all the cars are out of Bangkok.

[MadFrankie]

6. ping pong show in patpong

[mongo]

Thanks for all the replys. We're two backpacking 19 year old blokes who want a bit of culture (not art galleries etc) but seeing a few temples and Buddahs, we want to explore the city in an easy way i.e boat. Everything Britmaveric and everyone has said sounds great so along those lines.

[Bluecat]

1. Flat Boat Tour of BKK

2. Grand Palace

3. Reclining Buddah (Lazy Buddah)

4. BKK Zoo

5. Cobra Show

Britmaveric, are you working for a "local" travel agency?

You should include a few silk and gold shops,...

[PvtDick]

My ideas (not in any order):

a longtail boat ride through the klongs on the Thonburi side of the river

Grand Palace/Temple of the Emerald Buddha

a walk through the back alleys of Chinatown

a walk through the Silom/Patpong area at night

Chatuchak Weekend Market

a traditional Thai massage

a Thai meal at a riverside restaurant

an evening walk/pub crawl through Khaosarn Road

an hour or so at either Lumpinee or Rajdamnoen Stadium for kickboxing

a visit to the Pakklong Talad wholesale flower market / night market

[britmaveric]

Hmmm BC- nah far from toure firm when it comes to BKK- just recommend what I've done personally. As far as BKK goes- don't really care for it too much- tolerate it because its a layover spot to/from airport.

[Bluecat]

My ideas (not in any order):

a longtail boat ride through the klongs on the Thonburi side of the river

Grand Palace/Temple of the Emerald Buddha

a walk through the back alleys of Chinatown

a walk through the Silom/Patpong area at night

Chatuchak Weekend Market

a traditional Thai massage

a Thai meal at a riverside restaurant

an evening walk/pub crawl through Khaosarn Road

an hour or so at either Lumpinee or Rajdamnoen Stadium for kickboxing

a visit to the Pakklong Talad wholesale flower market / night market

This is far better (sorry BM,..).

On a short trip, it should give you quite nice memories of Bkk,...

[Bluecat]

just recommend what I've done personally.

Not so sure.

You recommend what you have read in a book.

And you do not recommend what you have done,...

[britmaveric]

BC- well I admit I've pretty much followed the book and sadly I've actually done what I have reported. I dare say you have some better advice? Do share.

Off BKK- BC ever make a trip to Bridge over River Kwai? (biggest disappointment since seeing Robin Hood's tree when I was a tike)

[Bluecat]

BC ever make a trip to Bridge over River Kwai?

No, never.

But some of my Thai friends did it and liked it for the "nature" part.

At least, this is what they told me.

But they never went back there.

Well,...

[britmaveric]

BC- well after watching the William Holden Picture numerous times. Somehow I thought there would be more than a 20ft section on one end. I must admit bad assumption on my part, but when you have visions of a massive bamboo bridge- sort of disappointing. (realize it was blown up, but I'm sure you follow)

[Bluecat]

BC- well after watching the William Holden Picture numerous times.

Jezz, Brit, you have been for too long in Thailand.

Movies are NOT reality,...

[britmaveric]

BC- god do I ever know...nothing like reality staring you in the face and in my case a 20ft section of bridge. (contemplating jumping off after wasting my time getting there)

[splitlid]

BC- well after watching the William Holden Picture numerous times.

Jezz, Brit, you have been for too long in Thailand.

Movies are NOT reality,...

they were hardly gonna build such a big bridge again!!

after they blew up the first one.

[MadFrankie]

Thanks for all the replys. We're two backpacking 19 year old blokes who want a bit of culture (not art galleries etc) but seeing a few temples and Buddahs, we want to explore the city in an easy way i.e boat. Everything Britmaveric and everyone has said sounds great so along those lines.

lol.. explore the city via boat.. Your coming to bangkok or venice?

[cutethaigirl]

Go to saphan taksin at the end of the sky train and take the river taxi to nothanburi. 16 baht. cross the river 2 baht. take a bus to ban yai. 4 baht. join the canal back to the golden palace. cost depends on face! tour grand palace and wat po. walk that big street to the left of the GP along where all the lottery tickets are. Finf canal Suan Ruab?? 8 baht back to pratunam. Go up the top of bayoke 410 baht for buffet. Not as nice as it first was and take a coat or three!

Weekend market. Take skytrain to Morchit.

Avoid Patpong!!!!

Walk along sukhumvit after dark between nana and asoke:-)

Stay in a place called River View Guesthouse. Impossible to find but aim for the sheraton on the river and ask / folow signs. Basic but views are better than the sheraton.

walk from there to wat tramit 6 tonnes of gold! and chinatown.

Lumpini park.

siam are for high end tech shopping.

pay 600 bahts to see a movie in a massage chair!!

Pratunam area for clothes copies!

any more and i need wages:-))

DRINK a LOT of water if new in town

CT

[meadish_sweetball]

Sunday afternoon picknicks in Lumpini park are great. They used to have musical performances, I dont know whether they still do. It used to be a good place to meet "normal" locals - i.e. those that dont deal with tourists on a daily basis.

Chatuchak weekend market as some have said. Go early in the morning, because the heat and crowds after 12 are a killer, especially if you're new in town.

If you find something you like there, buy it straight away after some gentle, joking, smiling and relentless bargaining (if you get those three to make sense as a unity, you are close to mastering the art). You are not very likely to find the same place again as the market is a maze. Around Chatuchak are some funky restaurants and bars run by the artist/musician crowd.

Shopping in Pratuu Nam - i.e. World Trade Centre, Siam Discovery Centre (EGV Gold Class Cinema with massage chairs, 600 baht for the experience), Pratuu Nam market, MBK shopping centre.

Chinatown - avoid eating inside the restaurants, buy from the street vendors. Some of the air con Chinese restaurants in there have totally outrageous prices, whereas the street vendors are normally good.

Check out the Thonburi side if you want to escape other foreigners. The area opposite Thammasart University on the Thonburi side (Wang Lang pier) has some nice little pubs and places to hang out, plus a theatre.

For dancing, Silom Road Soi 4 might still be a good idea (for this, my info is 2 years old though). Alright music, slightly expensive drinks, mixed hetero/bi/try-sexual crowd without too much prostitution and ok vibes, as opposed to next door Pat Pong.

[stroll]

4. BKK Zoo

[stroll]

Ride the skytrain from Chatuchak to the end of the line to get an overview and cool down from walking around.

[britmaveric]

BKK Zoo...well I quite liked handling the baby tigers and lings. Other than that it was pretty much a Zoo. Course prob could find the same on a Elephant Reserve- did the same sort of thing in Pattaya.

[Paraglider]

Hi,

i 'm wondering that nobody mentiond a walk along the beautyfull Sanam Luang.

Sometimes the Young Guys are Playing Takrow (unique Thai Ball Game-i can watch them Playing for Hours).In the Neighbourhood of the Park is the famous Wat Pra Keo,the Wat Po and Wat Mahathat.

Another very relaxing Location is Ko Kret in the middle of the Ciao Praya River.There aren't any Cars,Touristic Atractions or Disco's.Its a Quiet Island in the middle of the organisated Chaos.

Don't miss the Sanam Luang,my Friend

Enjoy the Land of Smile

Kind Regards

Paraglider

[bangsaen bob]

The best think is to leave as soon as possible.

[OxfordWill]

When are you both heading out? I am verging 21 and would be happy to give you guys a few pointers if I happen to be there at the same time

wil.

[ka12345]

BC- well after watching the William Holden Picture numerous times. Somehow I thought there would be more than a 20ft section on one end. I must admit bad assumption on my part, but when you have visions of a massive bamboo bridge- sort of disappointing. (realize it was blown up, but I'm sure you follow)

Ehh, where did you go? The entire bridge (steel) is there. The movie was shot in Sri Lanka.

The bridge is not much to see but the train ride (steam locomotive) to the Sai Yok Noi is nice. Arrange with a songthaew to meet you there and then go on to one of the national parks. Stay overnight on a raft on the river (not in the city but out in the jungle).

[Polly]

My mother's big brother died as a prisoner of war on the burma railway, so it was an extemely moving experience for me to be there. Unfortunately my mother had died before I got there, though I would like to believe that he knew that someone had kept his memory alive so well, that her daughter went there because of him.

[Polly]

He was two months short of 23 when he died. She was 15.