Bangkok – The Full 3-Day Guide to Thailand’s Capital
Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is one of the most toured cities in Asia and is well known for its chaos and complexity.
The moment you look beyond the air pollution, busy streets, traffic, and strange scent*, all an inherent part of the city, you discover an unbelievable place with plenty of exciting food, markets in every corner, breathtaking temples, amazing rooftop bars, and crazy malls.
If you’re headed east and have a connection in Bangkok, this guide will definitely make you want to stick around the city for a couple of days, and will save you the hassle of planning a trip.
The last time we visited Bangkok we spent 3 full days there, so you’ll find the attractions in this guide are perfect for a 3 day stay. If you’d like to stay longer, or feel like seeking out alternative things to do, check out the previous guide I published (9 exceptional things to do in Bangkok) and thank me later 🙂
*I’ll save you the trouble of deciphering the strange smell – after three visits to Bangkok I managed to crack it! It's a deadly combination of soot, street food, and the scent of the durian fruit 😵 Not the most pleasant aroma, but you get used to it.
Click here to download my map of Bangkok
To view the Stories I posted while in Bangkok click here (part A) and here (part B)
GET AROUND
Flights to Bangkok
This year, to prepare a 3-day guide to Bangkok, I partnered with ELAL, who offer easy direct flights to the city and back.
The flight from Israel to Bangkok lasts about 11 hours and lands at Suvarnabhumi Airport. On the way there we were seated in the company’s upgraded Economy Plus, with added perks like spacious leg room, more comfortable seating than your classic economy class, and on the way back we sat in the deluxe premium seating in the company’s new Dreamliner aircraft, offering spacious seats, premium service, and a personal advanced entertainment system. Although it was not a short flight, both ways flew by, pun intended 🙂
How to reach Bangkok city center from Suvarnabhumi Airport?
Suvarnabhumi Airport is located 30 km east of Bangkok, and there are three main ways to get to the city from the airport. Train Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link, bus (least expensive though I’ve read it’s not highly recommended), or taxi.
We chose the last option, while costly of the three mentioned above, it is most comfortable, especially when arriving with many suitcases. Certified taxis are found on the airport’s ground floor, and a ride costs around 400 baht {depending on the final destination}. The price does not include an additional 75 baht for highway tolls. The duration of the ride is usually between 45-75 minutes, depending on the final destination and traffic. It is best to set a price before the ride to avoid any discomfort.
How to get around town –
Tuk Tuk – this colorful vehicle is one of Bangkok trademarks and can be found all over town. A tuk tuk is actually a noisy, motorized rickshaw, and while it’s definitely an experience to ride on in Bangkok, I wouldn’t recommend it as my top choice of transportation, especially because of the extreme air pollution in the city, and in general it’s not the most pleasant. If you insist on riding a tuk tuk, be sure to haggle for a good price!
BTS Skytrain – Bangkok’s Skytrains are fast, modern, air-conditioned, and run frequently. At rush hour they are so full of people that riding can be pretty jammed and uncomfortable. The BTS has only two lines, but they reach most of the city’s attractions and since it isn’t affected by the road, it is fast at any hour. One or two day tickets, or monthly plans, can be purchased at the entrance to the stations.
Metro {MRT} – Bangkok’s underground system has only one line, which is why it is less useful than the other sorts of transportation. We only rode the metro one time, to a night market I’ll soon tell you about , and we chose the metro only because it was rush hour and the taxi driver told us we’d be better off underground.
Taxis – Another, always pricier, option, is getting in and out of taxis. This is by no means the simplest and most comfortable way to get from place to place, although rush hour can be rough, and at times the slowest route of all. We mostly used taxis, primarily because of the air-conditioning which feels so good when outdoors is 60% humidity.
HedonisTIP – I recommend downloading google maps to help you figure out the best, most suitable route for you to get from place to place.
STAY
Bangkok was our homebase during our long trip to the east, so we had a couple of nights in between flights to various destinations we visited throughout our trip. We really enjoyed the authentic taste of the city which we felt mostly on our last three days – days that were fully dedicated to Bangkok – which is why we decided to experience them at The Sukhothai Bangkok Hotel, one of the best and most famous hotels in the city.
The hotel, named for Sukhothai, Thailand’s first capital which is perceived as the golden age of Thai culture, is very different in style and design than any hotels I’ve been to in Bangkok. Unlike many other luxury hotels that take pride in tall buildings and modern interiors, The Sukhothai Bangkok Hotel offers an old world charm, a taste of Siam, and perfectly combines the architecture and landscape with blooming gardens and lotus ponds set between the complex’s low buildings.
The first feeling I had when we stepped into the hotel was that of an oasis, a place to relax and connect with nature in the midst of Bangkok’s bustling urban jungle.
I will soon publish a separate post dedicated entirely to revealing our experience at The Sukhothai Bangkok Hotel ♡
EXPLORE
Bangkok is considered the center of Thai Budhism and is home to over 400 temples, so you’ll probably be surprised to hear that even though this is my third visit to Bangkok, it is my first time paying a visit to the city’s most famous temples. The truth is, previously, I was so over temples after visiting so many others in the north and south of the country, so I wasn’t really in the mood for more, and I’m not one to do things just to check them off my list while I travel 😇.
This trip was different.
This time, our whole trip revolved around secluded resorts, so when we finally reached Bangkok toward the end, I really wanted to check out the temples! And you know what – I’m so glad I did, it was an incredible experience.
Important things to know before visiting the temples –
- Remember you are arriving at sacred places and you should dress accordingly – entrance to the temples requires covering your shoulders and knees.
- Upon entering, shoes must be taken off and placed in the designated area.
- If you’d like to enjoy the temples without the masses of tourists, try and get there early (I think 10am is when it starts to fill up). By that way, that goes for basically every tourist attraction in the world.
Wat Pho – We began our temple day at the largest and most ancient temple in Bangkok, Pho temple, known for its very impressive large-scale statue of Budha. The famous statue represents Budha’s transition to Nirvana. It is 46 meters long and 15 meters high and is completely coated in gold. Besides the famous Budha, Pho temple is huge, and it’s a pleasure to be inside and enjoy the beauty of the unique intricate structures and plant life. The popular temple has over one thousand Budha statues, primarily brought over from Thailand’s previous capitals, Sukhothai and Ayutthaya, making it the temple with the largest amount of Buddhas in Thailand! Alongside the various temples, the Pho Temple also houses monastic residences and a traditional medicine and massage school. The entrance fee to the temple is 200 baht, and it includes a free bottle of water.
Grand Palace – From the Pho temple we went to the Grand Palace nearby, considered one of Thailand’s most important sites. The famous palace was built in 1782 on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok by King Rama I, and served as the residence of the state kings until 1925. To this day the palace is used for official ceremonies and serves as a very popular tourist attraction, due to its beauty and the architectural structures on site. Keep in mind that the royal institution is also sacred to the Thai people and therefore the entrance to the palace is also modest dress, in this case the modesty also applies to men who are required to wear long pants. Entrance fee to the palace complex is 500 baht.
Wat Phra Kaew – The Emerald Buddha Temple, located inside the Grand Palace complex, is considered to be the holiest Buddhist temple in Thailand. In the main building of the temple stands the famous Buddha statue which is considered a protector of Thai society, and a religious-political symbol. It is said that the original of the Emerald Buddha is in India, where Nagasena foresaw that this buddha will bring prosperity and dominance to every country it is placed in. Thus his character was believed to be the protector of Thailand. However, according to historical evidence, the statue was discovered in Chang Rai in the 15th century, and after being placed in numerous locations, it was finally transferred in the 18th century to the GrandPalace in Bangkok, and one of the most beautiful temples in Thailand was built around it.
Wat Arun– This temple was the last one we visited. The Arun temple is also known as the temple of Dawn, named after the Indian god of Dawn, Aruna. This temple is located on the opposite side of the Chao Phraya river, and the simplest way to reach it is to arrive at the dock and take a local boat (for only 4 baht a person!) You can walk it, although we hopped on a tuk tuk because at this point the heat and humidity were getting to us. The Arun temple is not your typical thai temple, and unlike the bright shiny golden temples, this temple’s main building is ornate with porcelain and ceramic tiles in unique colors. In the past, the temple was home to the Emerald Buddha for a short period, which today is placed in the Grand Palace. Entrance fee to the temple is 50 baht.
EXPLORE
Chatuchak Weekend Market With more than 15,000 booths, Chatuchak Weekend Market is Thailand's largest, most famous market in Bangkok and the world's largest weekend market! Partially open on weekdays, the ideal time to visit it over the weekend, (Saturday-Sunday), when you can enjoy the ultimate market experience. Among thousands of stands you’ll find a variety of souvenirs, clothes (including local designers and boutiques} furniture, electronics, antiques, and basically anything you could think of… The market also offers a variety of Thai street food, fruit stands, shakes, coconut ice-cream served in the coconut, and more! We reached the market in the afternoon, so it was easier to stroll around, but I do recommend you get yourself a small fan, sold at different vendors in the market, because it will really improve your experience.
Bangkok’s Chinatown Like many large cities, Bangkok also has a colorful and famous Chinese Quarter. Established by immigrants from China, the district has become one of the most famous areas in the city thanks to its atmosphere, food, colors and the large concentration of vibrant marketplaces.. Like many other Bangkok markets, there are also booths of all kinds offering clothing, toys, electronics, jewelry, fake merchandise, etc. Of course, the Chinese quarter also has a lot of restaurants, street food stalls, and spice stalls and other staples for Chinese food preparation. Besides the markets, Chinatown is also home to a number of temples.
Malls I gotta admit, when I travel overseas. I spend very little time shopping, especially in shopping malls, but in Bangkok, there wasn't a day we didn't visit at least one mall – and for good reason. Bangkok is a particularly hot and humid city, and as much as I would like to spend all day walking around the city's markets or temples, there is a limit to what my body can handle 🥵 It is practically inevitable not to spend part of the day in the city's malls, if only just to get a break from the heat. But the truth is that Bangkok malls have so much more than just amazing air conditioning – these mega-malls are just about as crazy as Bangkok gets. These malls really have it all – high-end shops, chain stores of all kinds, entire floors dedicated to technology, restaurants and food stalls, hairdressers and grocery stores, and what not … ,The most extravagant and famous malls are CentralWorld, Siam Paragon, Teminal 21 {very cool, because each floor is dedicated to a different city, but by far less connected to it than the previous two} and MBK Mall, which feels to me like a huge marketplace located inside a mall {I liked it less, so we didn't reach it at all this time, But if you're looking for cheap goods – this is the place.
EAT
Thai food You can't talk about Bangkok without referring to the crazy and unimaginable variety of places in the city that serve Thai cuisine – from upscale gourmet restaurants to street stalls located in every corner of the city. This time, we decided to focus on the street food, but if you are looking for a recommendation for a gourmet restaurant in Bangkok, I wrote about an excellent one in a post from a previous visit. We enjoyed the fresh fruit stands found on almost every street corner, ate in small restaurants that serve authentic dishes on plastic tables in the various markets, and tasted a variety of desserts that caught our eyes between the stands. Although I have tasted quite a few Thai dishes in recent years, I admit that my favorite will always be the Som Tam Salad (a spicy papaya salad), pad thai, and for dessert, Mango and sticky rice. So obvious, I know:)
Little C By Cakewalk The first thing I ate on our trip to Bangkok was a dessert called Hokkaido milk cream bun, sold in a small stall at CentralWorld Mall. This bun is like a soft cloud, lightly dusted with powdered sugar, and filled with the perfect milk cream. Really out of this world. I especially liked that this dessert was the perfect amount of sweet. Needless to say that after a short trip around the mall we went back for more. Yep, it’s that good. Don’t miss!
Gram Pancakes Bangkok Another dessert not to be missed when visiting Bangkok is the pancake tower served in a small cafe called Gram Pancakes Bangkok. As you can see from the pictures, this is not just any standard pancake dish, these are Japanese pancakes, particularly fluffy and airy and perfectly sweet. This little cafe has two branches in Bangkok, one located in Centralworld Mall and the other in the nearby Siam Paragon Mall.
Caturday Cat Cafe We found this cafe on our previous visit to Bangkok, but it is so perfect that it was clear to me that once I returned to the city I would not pass up on paying it another visit. I’ve written pretty extensively about this cafe in my guide 9 exceptional things to do in Bangkok, though I must say that since we first visited this amazing cafe, we set out to experience several more cat cafes on our trip to Japan – and none of them were at the same level of this cafe! A must stop for anyone who is obsessed with cats. We recommend arriving midweek, because weekends are more likely to have to wait in line for a seat.
Pizzaiola by Massilia Whether you're a bit tired of Asian food, or won’t give up a chance for a good pizza {like me} – this pizzeria awaits you! Like many other restaurants, Pizzaiola by Massilia can also be found in the Centralworld mall, and is located in a complex with a unique colorful design. For the first course, we ordered a salad which was super fresh and delicious, and then enjoyed two amazing pizzas made with the most perfect dough. I have to admit, I was also surprised that a mall in Bangkok could have such good pizza 🙂
Evaime Shabu Shabu On the last day of the trip, after eating lots of Thai food and quite a bit of western food, we felt like changing it up. We decided to walk around the Siam Paragon Mall and, by chance, came across Evaime Shabu Shabu, a restaurant specializing in the Japanese Shabu Shabu dish {although the hostess told me it was a Taiwanese restaurant, so maybe it's a fusion of both styles of cuisine}. The whole dining experience at this restaurant is very fun and interactive – you choose a broth {we chose a delicious vegetable and tom yam, though you should know that the tom yum is very spicy} and then selected from a long list of side dishes all different types of vegetables, noodles, rice, meat, and tofu, and everything is served in separate plates – so that each diner can put together the perfect soup and cook it right ther on the table. The restaurant also has a sauce bar with an insane variety and free drinks included the business meal. Not only is it a unique and enjoyable experience, but also a very lucrative rewarding meal.
NIGHT
Coolest Night Market There Is – The New Rot Fai Market Ratchada – We have seen many markets in Thailand, and encountered some good and some better. The best of them all {which is also the best one we’ve ever been to in the whole world, and not just in Thailand} was the weekend night market known as The new Rot Fai Market in the Ratchada. The market has an “older brother” in the suburbs of Bangkok and we’ve been to its other more centrally located branch shortly after it opened on our previous visit to Bangkok. Last time we were here, we visited both markets, and the newer and more central one was in my opinion much better- not only because of the proximity, but mainly because the original was too large and too crowded. Although the new market has grown tremendously since the last time we visited it, about 3 years ago, it managed to retain its special character. It’s a very big night market that combines authentic Thai food stands with a cool, hipster vibe in the form of second hand shops, young designer brands, special accessories, vintage stores, men’s barber shops, and super cool bars {some located on the roofs of the buildings and have a truly great view of the market below}. The combination of vibrant nightlife, excellent shopping, and food and drinks, that all together form a combination of east and west is the ultimate night out in Bangkok.
Octave Rooftop Bar – We decided to spend the last night of our trip at the famous Octave bar, located at the top of the Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit. This chic bar has a breathtaking 360-degree view of the city from 48 stories high. We chose to end the day at the bar, but you should know that from 5 to 7pm the bat serves an excellent happy hour! I highly recommend that you book in advance at least the day before.
Know more about what to do in Bangkok? Leave me a comment below 🙂
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2 Responses
Wow, amazing blog about Bangkok!
I think this is exactly the life which I always want to live in. Food and travel are the best combos ever.
Your style, positive attitude, charisma, and nice soul makes you the Queen of blogging.
There are so many amazing things that I want to learn from you in both personal and professional ways.
Keep traveling, writing and sharing these amazing experiences with us.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your comment and kind words ♥️