Attractions in Bangkok
Grand Palace
This is by far the biggest tourist attraction in Bangkok. The Grand Palace itself is a small town with temples, palaces, museums, parks and much more. The Grand Palace is located in the west of Bangkok, right on the big river Chao Phraya.
The Reclining Buddha
In the Wat Po Temple you will find the Reclining Buddha. The reclining Buddha is 46 meters long. The entire temple area is a fascinating area with over 300 active monks. Here, massage is practiced, and often buy a half-hour softening of stiff muscles. Wat Po is located on Soi Chetuphon Street, which is a side street of Thanon Maharat.
Jim Thompson’s House
At Soi Kasem Sane 2, Rama I, you will find Jim Thompson’s house. Opening hours are at 0900-1630. The house is actually several houses taken from different places in Thailand and put together in Bangkok. Jim Thompson became rich in silk, and there are several myths about this man.
Chinatown
Chinatown in Bangkok encompasses a relatively large area consisting of three major streets and a number of smaller side streets, where there is a bustling public life. If you want to experience the truly exotic, you have come to the right place. Chinatown is located east of the Grand Palace.
The Golden Buddha The Golden Buddha is located in Chinatown, more specifically at Wat Traimit Temple. This Buddha statue is approx. three meters high and made of more than five tons of gold. You’ll find the Golden Buddha and Wat Traimit Temple at the intersection of Charoen Krung and Yaowarat streets.
The snake farm
At Rama IV street you will find a snake farm that has an informative program and shows you how, for example, cobras are milked for poison to make antidotes. Opening hours are normally at. 1030-1400 on weekdays.
Ancient City or Muang Boran
This is a museum that has all the major attractions in Thailand in miniature. The museum is located approx. a half hour bus ride outside Bangkok city center.
Lumpini Park
In Bangkok, parks are not just beautiful to look at, but a must to get away from heat, noise and pollution. Lumpini Park is located at the end of Silom Road, centrally located in Bangkok. Here there are activities for children and adults. It is possible to rent bicycle boats, among other things.
National Museum
Bangkok is Thailand’s National Museum, which displays masks, instruments, weapons and ceramic objects in several beautiful buildings. If you want to learn more about Thailand, this is definitely the place. The museum is located right on Chao Phraya, north of the Grand Palace. It is open Wednesdays through Sundays at 2pm. 0900-1600.
Wat Mangkon
The largest temple in Chinatown is Wat Mangkon. Opening hours are at 0800-1800. If you come in the morning, you will experience incense typical of ancient China. Follow the street New Road or Charoen Krung east and you will reach the temple.
Wat Suthat
Wat Suthat is an 18th century temple. You will find it at the side street Soi Sukhat to Thanon Faung Nakhon. Among other things, you will find an eight meter high meditating Buddha figure here.
Wat Arun
This is a very famous temple in Bangkok. It is old and 82 meters high. Wat Arun is located on the other side of the Chao Phraya River, as seen from the Grand Palace. The tower is influenced by Khmer style and it is decorated with pieces of porcelain. Opening hours are at 0830-1700.
Erawan Museum
Southeast of Bangkok you will find the Erawan Museum. The man behind this museum, by the way, is the same person who created Ancient City. The centerpiece here is the large three-headed elephant that, according to legend, was ridden by the Hindu god Indra. In Thai, the elephant is called Erawan. The museum has many religious objects, but also statues and antiques.
Chatuchak Weekend
Market The Chatuchak Market is located in Kampaengpet Street, right by Chatuchak Park. Every weekend there is a big market here. Some believe it is the world’s largest. Some things are such that you do not believe it until you experience it yourself. The Chatuchak market can be in this category.
Dream World
Children’s biggest attraction is perhaps Dream World. The theme park is located at Don Muang Airport, approx. seven kilometers from Bangkok city. Dream World is open at 1000–1700 on weekdays and until 4 p.m. 1900 this weekend. You can catch a train or bus to Dream World. The theme park also has its own buses that can pick you up at the hotel.
Bangkok Tourist
Bangkok is big, new and foreign and seems confusing to many. Forget about getting to know Bangkok in a matter of days. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with certain areas and get some absolutely mandatory experiences.
Day 1 in Bangkok
After a good breakfast at the hotel, you will travel to the Grand Palace. Here you will see among others Emerald Buddha. This 75 cm tall Jade Buddha is very sacred and an important symbol for the people of Thailand. Notice the many beautiful buildings, including Dusit Maha Prasad, southwest of the Grand Palace. With its nine spiers, this building from 1789 is a perfect example of magnificent Thai architecture.
Temples and Grand Palace
Also visit the reclining Buddha in the Wat Po Temple. Wat Po is a large temple area with many monks. There is also the opportunity to get Thai massage done by experts for a reasonable price. Walking from the Grand Palace to the reclining Buddha is easy. Turn left onto Maharat Street and follow the street until you reach Soi Chetuphon. From here you go directly to the main entrance of Wat Po. This is one of the world’s largest buddha statues.
After the visit to the Grand Palace and the temple area around Wat Po, we suggest you take a boat trip down Chao Phraya. On the road between Grand Palace and Wat Po there is a taxi boat station. Take the taxi boat to the Oriental Hotel. Boating along Chao Phraya is both cool and adventurous. Treat yourself to luxury and enter the Oriental Hotel. Relax in luxurious surroundings while enjoying a delicious lunch.
Shopping at Siam Square
After lunch, take a taxi or Sky train to Siam Square and the many great shopping centers. It can be very hot in Bangkok, so it’s good to be able to stay in the air-cooled shopping centers in the afternoon. We suggest a visit to the shopping centers Siam Center, MBK and King Power. All are located near Siam Square. When you’ve finished shopping and hopefully cooled down, take the short walk to the Jim Thompson House. Walk to Soi Kasemsan II Street, northwest of Siam Square.
In the evening we suggest a dinner visit to the Sea Food Market restaurant. Yes, we know it is a tourist trap, but after all it is a bit of fun to have been to a restaurant where you even pick up the fish, crab or lobster to eat. Also, the food is good and the prices reasonable if you don’t fall for the temptation to pick with you too much. The address is Soi 89 Sukhumvit. The restaurant has a large lobster like logo.
Day 2 in Bangkok
Visit the weekend market at Chatuchak Park in the north of Bangkok, Thailand’s largest of its kind. This is an experience and must be visited if you are in Bangkok Saturday or Sunday. We recommend you go here in the morning before it gets too hot and there are not as many people as later in the day and in the evening. Next to the weekend market you will find the Sunday market, which is the largest aquarium market in Bangkok and a great experience. Here they have everything from animals that live in the sea. Although it is called the Sunday market, it is open every day.
You will find a large park just north of the Chatuchak weekend market. Getting there on foot is no problem. For Chatuchak, take a taxi or use Bangkok’s affordable and fast skytrain. This modern subway system easily takes you to Chatuchak where it crosses Bangkok’s busy streets. The market is located on Kamphaeng Phet street. Follow the main street Phahon Yothin
Chinatown
Chinatown must also be experienced. We suggest you reach the street Thanon Yaowarat. Take the taxi boat up the canal (Khlong Bang Lamphoo) to Yaowarat. In the old days, there were opium houses and nails in this area. Today you will find many stores with all kinds of goods, including products imported from China. Do you follow the street approx. one kilometer, you reach the Wat Traimit Temple. Here is the famous Golden Buddha (Gold Buddha) found in the 1950s. Wat Traimit is where the street Thanon Yaowarat meets the street Thanon Charoen Krung.
Thai Boxing
In the afternoon you must experience Thai boxing. These matches are held every day all week in Bangkok. Either the matches take place at Lumpini Stadium or at Ratchadamnoen Stadium. Thai boxing is much more than a martial art. In Thailand, Thai boxing is culture, and just watching the rituals before the fights and the crowds in the stands is an experience you just have to bring with you. Read more about this in the section on Bangkok and sports.
In the evening we suggest you go to Suan Lum, just east of Lumpini Park. This is a gigantic night market, but with a more relaxing atmosphere than much else in Bangkok. The market is controlled by the authorities, and the product range is huge. Prices are low. There are also dining places here.