BANGKOK, THAILAND
With 8 million residents, Bangkok has no shortage of people or traffic! Be careful when crossing the streets and choose your gaps wisely (cars drive on the left here)! Since the city is so big, plan your days efficiently and geographically - you won’t want to spend all of your time here in taxis taking you across the entire city. While walking around Bangkok, you will come across plenty of eclectic religious structures, lively marketplaces, and mouth-watering Pad Thai!
Attractions:
Wat Pho & Reclining Buddha: For 100 baht ($3 USD), you can see the magnificent reclining Buddha and some other cool wats as well!
Wat Saket: This is also known as the Temple of the Golden Mount. The entrance fee is only 20 baht and will give you a lovely view of the entire city!
Khao San Road: This is the nightlife capital of Thailand! If nothing else, I recommend going to people watch. The things you see here… Plus, you’ll come across some cheap food spots!
Ratchada Train Market: Popular market for both locals and tourists. Great for food and souvenirs. If you stay nearby, definitely check it out!
JJ Market & Chatachuk: Another vibrant marketplace worth visiting if you’re in the area!
Lumpini Park: This park is a bit out of town but is a nice place to bring a book, kick back, and chill!
Giant Swing: Located in front of Wat Suthat, this is one of the main tourist attractions in Bangkok. It’s in between Wat Pho and Wat Saket if you are up for a decent walk!
Other spots to check out include the Royal Palace (500 baht entrance fee), Chinatown, Patpong Market, Siam Center, Sky Bar, and Sukhumvit Road.
Accommodation:
New Road Guest House: Central location for visiting any part of the city. Super friendly staff as well!
Special thank you to my friend, Laura, for letting me crash on her couch during my stay in Bangkok as well!
Transportation:
There are two types of boats that will take you through Bangkok. The boats with blue flags are for tourists and take a shorter route with less stops along the river (60 baht per person). The boats with orange flags are for locals and take a longer route with more stops (15 baht per person). The piers are all clearly marked in English. The boats are quite scenic and can be considered a tourist attraction in it of themselves!
I advise against taking tuk-tuks in Bangkok. They are known for scamming tourists. Take the taxis instead and make sure they run the meter to ensure you aren’t up-charged.
Bangkok has two international airports - Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Muang Airport. By taxi, both airports are about 45 minutes from the city center if traffic isn’t too bad. The fare should be between 250-400 baht (keep in mind that you will also have to pay the tolls for the drivers). If you plan to travel to and from either airport using public transportation, Suvarnabhumi Airport connects with Airport Rail Link (which connects to the BTS Skytrain). Don Muang doesn’t connect with any express rail; you will have to take a 30 minute bus to reach the BTS Skytrain.
Ayutthaya is 2 hours north by bus from Bangkok and costs 350 baht. Ayutthaya is a small town with majestic ancient ruins.
Khao Yai is 3 hours northeast from Bangkok by bus and costs 190 baht.
Kanchanaburi is 3.5 hours west by bus from Bangkok and costs 250 baht. This picturesque town is home to the Erawan Falls! There are 7 levels of waterfalls that can be hiked all day long.
Chiang Mai is 10 hours north by bus from Bangkok and costs 600 baht. This bus will leave from Bangkok’s northern terminal (Mo Chit 2). Flights between the two cities are a little over 1 hour in length and cost between 900-3,500 baht.
Krabi is 13 hours south by bus from Bangkok and costs 700 baht. This bus will leave from Bangkok’s southern terminal (Sai Tai Mai). Flights between the two cities are 1.5 hours and cost between 1,200-5,000 baht.
Thank you to the friendly locals who took the above pictures of me!