Attractions in Bangkok
Bangkok holds its old city and its new one within a few kilometres of each other, and the contrast is the point. A morning of temples and an afternoon of air-conditioned shopping is not an inconsistency here; it is how the city is actually used. The constraint on any day out is traffic, which is why the order you do things in matters more than the list itself.
The old city
The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew
The former royal residence, and inside its grounds the temple of the Emerald Buddha. It is the single most visited place in Bangkok and it is busy from opening. Go first thing, allow more time than you expect, and dress modestly — covered shoulders and knees, enforced at the gate.
Wat Pho
A short walk away, with the enormous Reclining Buddha and the traditional massage school that has been attached to it for generations. Calmer than the palace and, for many visitors, the more rewarding of the two. You can have a massage on the spot.
Wat Arun
Across the water, reached by a short ferry that costs almost nothing. The spires are covered in porcelain and catch the light, which is why the end of the day is the time to be there. Climbing part of the way up is allowed and the steps are steep.
The river
The Chao Phraya is a working waterway, not a view. A public boat, a long-tail or a cruise all give you the city from the angle it grew along, passing temples, warehouses and towers in the same half hour. For the old city the boat is often faster than the road, which is the argument for using it as transport rather than as an outing.
Things to do rather than see
- A Thai cooking class — a morning at a market and an afternoon at a stove, and the most useful souvenir available
- A Thai massage, from a street-side shop or a hotel spa; the difference in price is large and the difference in quality is not
- A day trip to Damnoen Saduak, the floating market outside the city
Modern Bangkok
ICONSIAM and Siam Paragon are shopping centres on a scale that makes them attractions in their own right, with food halls worth visiting even if you buy nothing. The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre is the counterweight: exhibitions, performances and contemporary work, free to enter and blessedly quiet.
Practical notes
- Dress modestly for temples: shoulders and knees covered, shoes off inside.
- Use the BTS and MRT. Bangkok traffic turns a fifteen-minute journey into an hour.
- Start early. The heat and the crowds both build through the morning.
- Carry water; the city is hot all year, not seasonally.
How to order a day
The old city first, in the morning, when it is coolest and the light on the temples is best. The river in the middle of the day, because moving on water beats sitting in traffic. Indoors in the afternoon, when the heat peaks — a mall, the art centre or a massage. And the markets or a rooftop in the evening. Doing it in any other order means queuing in the sun and then crossing the city at rush hour.