Top Things to Do in Bangkok

There are so many things to do in Bangkok that the challenge is fitting everything you want to do into to your schedule. Whether day or night, there is no shortage of fun activities in this lively city. So, let’s take a look at some of the top things to do in Bangkok for a first visit or if you are on a tight schedule.

Take in the Grand Palace Bangkok

The Grand Palace Bangkok is one of the most visited attractions in Bangkok and with good reason. It’s a magnificent complex of buildings that will dazzle and delight visitors and give you a great overview of Thai culture and history. It was built in 1782 and was commissioned by King Rama I, the first of Thailand’s Chakri Dynasty.

Throughout its history, the palace complex has served as the official residence of the Thai Royal Family, however, today, the facilities are used for official functions and it serves primarily as a museum and a venue for state events.

The Royal Family today lives in Dusit Palace, near the Victory Monument in Bangkok. The palace complex is breathtaking to say the least.

The Grand Palace has four primary sections, divided by intricate walls and gates: The Outer Court, the Middle Court, the Inner Court and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

Be Awed by the Great Chakri Palace

Most would agree that the main attraction in the palace complex is the Great Chakri Palace, the specific building where the royal residence is housed. Historically, this was the home of Thai kings and their families. The Palace also houses the throne room, where Thailand’s kings are crowned.

The palace is an interesting structure architecturally. Its lower level was designed in a combination of Italian Renaissance style as well as other 19th Century European styles by English architect John Clunich. This was done at the request of the king, but he later decided to make the upper level be build in traditional Siamese style, with stepped roofs and mondhops, the traditional pointed embellishments on Thai buildings.

All of the rooms of the palace are filled with valuable paintings and portraits of every Thai king in modern history.

In addition to the Great Chakri Palace, another fascinating structure nearby is known as Phra Mandop, which is covered in small gold and green mosaics. It’s floors are made of pure silver. The building serves as the palace library. Within its walls are the Canon of the Buddha, which are sacred writings on palm leaves.

See Wat Phra Kaew, or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha

One part of the palace that is simply a must-see is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, also known as Wat Phra Kaew. This is arguably the most sacred Buddha image in all of Thailand.

The statue measures 26 inches (66 cm) high by 19 inches (48.3 cm) wide at the lap. Despite its name, the statue was carved not from emerald, but rather from a single piece of green jasper, a stone similar in features to quartz, and often used for carving statues and in jewelry-making.

Upon seeing the Emerald Buddha, you may be surprised to see such a small Buddha situated so high on its 30-foot (9-meter) pedestal. The Buddha statue rises above the heads of visitors as a sign of respect.

Wat Phra Kaew is the official royal chapel. Visitors are welcome, and the temple is usually full of both locals and tourists, but no one but the Thai king is ever allowed to touch the statue. Three times a year (one for each of Thailand’s seasons), the King presides over a changing the Buddha’s garments ceremony, which is believed to bestow good fortune upon the nation.

Visit Wat Pho or “The Temple of the Reclining Buddha”

While you are in the area of the Grand Palace, be sure to include a visit to Wat Pho, or “The Temple of the Reclining Buddha.” It’s just south of the palace complex and is only about a 10-minute walk to get there. Wat Pho is one of the oldest and largest temples in Bangkok. It is considered to be among the “highest grade of the first-class royal temples.” It was built even before Bangkok was Thailand’s capital.

There was once an older version of the temple, but it became so dilapidated that King Rama I re-established it in 1782. The name refers to the monastery in Bodh Gaya, India, where the Buddha is believed to have achieved enlightenment.

In addition to being one of Bangkok’s most beloved places of worship, the temple houses one of the top schools for traditional Thai medicine and massage, which was founded in 1955. It remains the national headquarters for traditional Thai medicine and massage to this day.

Getting to the Grand Palace Bangkok and Wat Phra Kaew

The easiest way to get to the Grand Palace is to simply take a taxi. Unfortunately, there are no Skytrain or metro stations near the palace. Be cautious when taking a taxi in Bangkok, though, as sadly, so many are dishonest and will try to take advantage of tourists.

Insist that they run their meter and do not accept a set price, as these will invariably be much higher than what it would cost on the meter. However, if you are feeling adventurous, I recommend that you go by combination Skytrain and Chao Phrya Tourist Boat. It’s easy if you just do the following:

1. Take the Silom Line (Skytrain) to the Saphan Taksin station
2. Take the exit from the station which will lead you directly to the boat dock. There is an information stand inside the station where you can ask for directions
3. Just take the riverboat to the Tha Chang stop.
4. From here, it is only about a 10-minute walk to the Grand Palace Bangkok

You can ask for directions at the ticket booths at the riverboat stop.

The palace opens daily between the hours of 8:30 am and 3:30 pm and the entrance fee for the palace complex, including Wat Phra Kaew, is 500 baht.

A Note About Proper Dress When Visiting Palaces and Pagodas

Because they are considered to be Thailand’s cultural treasures and truly revered by the local people, you should follow the dress code for all visitors to sacred or culturally important venues. Men should wear long pants and shirts with sleeves with an appropriate length. Avoid tank tops and shorts. Women should avoid see-through clothes, bare shoulders, short skirts, or shorts that are too revealing.

Visitors who are not properly attired will be asked to place a deposit and borrow clothing to cover up properly. This applies to all government buildings and sacred places throughout Thailand and even Southeast Asia in general.

Take a Stroll through Lumpini Park

When visiting any city, public parks can be a great place to take in the culture and get to see how locals interact. Lumpini Park in Bangkok is certainly a place worth including on your visit to this great city.

Conveniently situated at the start of Silom Road on the other side of Rama IV Road, there is a seemingly never-ending abundance of activity and energy in the park, yet it can be relaxing at the same time. It’s a great way to take a break from exploring the streets of the city. At the front gate just opposite Silom Road is a large statue of King Rama VI, the founder of the park.

The park is named after the city of Lumbini in Nepal, the birthplace of the Buddha. It was Bangkok’s first park. The park is 142 acres but can easily be walked within an hour or so. There is a pleasant lake in the center of the park, which serves as a focal point and provides interesting photo opportunities. There are benches to sit on while enjoying views of the lake. You can even rent paddle boats for a small cost of about 30 baht for a half hour.

Many birds and other wildlife can be enjoyed here as well, and if you are lucky, you will spot one of the park’s large monitor lizards walking along a path or swimming across the lake. For your safety, always keep some distance from them, as they are a bit aggressive and will bite.

Lumpini Park is very popular with locals and every evening hundreds of people come to exercise at organized aerobic classes, to jog along the park’s paths, or to just take a relaxing walk and leave their stress behind.

Visitors can ride bicycles in the park from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on a nicely maintained riding path with plenty of passing room. If you ride there, be sure to ride in a counter-clockwise direction.

The park often hosts special events, such as musical and theatrical performances on its outdoor stage, and even larger-scale concerts. Public toilets are available in the park for a nominal fee (about 10 baht) and you can buy water, tea, juices, and soft drinks from vendors at stations within the park.

Visit Chinatown and the Temple of the Golden Buddha

Bangkok’s Chinatown

The Golden Buddha

First, the Sukhothai Traimit Golden Buddha near China Town is a true sight to behold. It is the largest golden Buddha image in the world, standing at 15 feet, nine inches (4.8 meters) from the base to the crown and weighing 5.5 tons. It is estimated to contain gold valued at US$250 million.

Though the origins of the statue are uncertain, it is believed to have been cast over 700 years ago, during Thailand’s Sukhothai period. Interestingly, at one time, the entire statue was covered with plaster, as a means to conceal its value in order to protect it from Thailand’s enemies.

The statue, thought to be of minor importance due to its rough plaster coating, was moved to a few locations over the next several hundred years.

It wasn’t until 1955 that a team of movers was relocating the statue from its current location at the old Wat Traimit, where it sat since 1935 under a simple tin roof. While attempting to lift the statue from its pedestal, the ropes broke, and the statue crashed to the ground. This caused some of the plaster coating to break off, exposing part of the gold surface underneath.

This was one of the most remarkable discoveries in the history of Buddhism.

How to Get to Chinatown and the Golden Buddha

The closest metro stop is Hua Lamphong. From the station’s exit, walk to Charoen Krung Road (easily found on any tourist map), then turn right and walk about 1/2 mile to Mittaphap Road. You will see the large, white Traimit Temple just down the road.

It’s only a few blocks from Chinatown, so you can also visit this interesting area of the city after you leave the temple.

Walk Down the Vibrant Silom Road

After your stroll through Lumpini Park, why not take advantage of being right in one of the hearts of Bangkok? From the main gates of the park, near the statue, just cross Rama IV Road — sometime a daunting experience, so be careful! — and you will be in the start of the Silom area.

Silom Road is undoubtedly an adventure not to be missed! There is much to see and do just walking along the street, but one of the main attractions is the famous (or infamous) Patpong Night Market. As the name suggests, the market is open only in the evening, beginning at 5:00 pm on Tuesdays – Sundays.

It is closed on Mondays. The market takes over the entire Patpong I Street off Silom Road. You can’t miss it, but if you have trouble finding it, just ask anyone for directions and they will help you get there. The market has many stalls selling gifts, souvenirs, and knock-off clothing and fashion accessories. Do take note that the market is situated right in the middle of one of Bangkok’s largest and most well-known red-light districts.

Silom Road is also a great place to try authentic Thai street food. In fact, just on the Surawong Road side of the Patpong Night Market, across the street from the Starbucks, is one of my favorite Bangkok street food hawking areas. You can get good curry and rice dishes there and the vendors usually speak decent English. Service is pretty good as well.

You can easily get to Silom Road on the Skytrain; just exit at the Sala Dang station and you will be at the perfect spot. You can also get to Lumpini Park from the Sala Dang station.

The Patpong Night Market is about a 10-minute walk from the station.

Shop in Bangkok’s Elegant Malls

Bangkok has some of the largest, most well designed, and beautiful malls of anywhere in Asia. You will find just about everything you could need or imagine combined with the comfort of elegance.

There are many options to choose from, but the largest concentration of malls anywhere is at the Siam / Central Skytrain stop. Just take either the Sukhumvit or Silom lines to this stop and voila, you have the choice of about six major malls all within walking distance of the train stop. Siam Paragon is a good starting point, as it houses many stores for major international brands.

In our days of ever decreasing bookstores, one of my favorite stops in Paragon is the Kinokuniya Bookstore near the top level of the mall. It’s one of the finest bookstores I have seen, and I have been to a lot of bookstores.

If you are in the mood for a cool and relaxing visit to an aquarium, well, the Paragon mall has a very respectable one of those too!

There is also no shortage of places to eat in the malls. In fact, there is a large food court in the street level, offering everything from Thai to many international favorites. Often, you can get from one mall to the next without having to step foot outside. Tunnels, or at the least, overhangs, will keep you out of the elements as you enjoy your shopping. You may find everything you need at the Siam / Central area, but the prices may not be at a bargain.

If you are looking for budget-friendly shopping, you can’t beat the MBK (Mahboonkrong) Center, just one Skytrain stop (National Stadium) down on the Silom Line. This is the last stop in this direction for the Silom Line trains. Once the largest mall in Asia, MBK Center is the city’s famously frenetic super shopping center offering eight floors of bargain shopping. MBK attracts over 90,000 shoppers a day.

There are so many more things to do in Bangkok, but I hope this post will provide you with a good starting point in planning your trip to this magnificent city.