The capital of Thailand, and the most visited city in the world – Bangkok is a common checkpoint for anyone traveling around South-East Asia. But, many people leave too soon to really see what Bangkok has to offer, which is actually a lot! From night markets to famous Khao San Road parties, let’s get into some of the best things to do in Bangkok.
Jodd Fairs Night Market
One of Bangkok’s best and newest night markets, located on the east side of central Bangkok on Rama 9 road. The market is open between 4 pm and 12 am 7 days a week!
At Jodd Fairs you’ll find dozens of stalls mostly selling clothing, jewelry, and delicious food. Not only will you find an abundance of different street foods, but also a fair amount of sit-down restaurants and even live music!
You’ll probably also find some more interesting types of food. When visiting myself, I tried a selection of insects such as grasshoppers and crickets, as well as jellyfish, scorpions and tarantulas. They are all full of protein, but I must say, a bit lacking in the taste department!
Khao San Road
Famous for its huge parties, water fights, shopping, and strange snacks, Khao San Road has become one of the most popular travel hubs in the world. It even attracts up to 40,000 visitors a day in the high season! It has no shortage of tourist attractions, whilst being surrounded by guest houses and hostels.
In the daytime you’ll find an abundance of street vendors, selling everything from (slightly questionable) t-shirts to scorpions on a stick! You can even go and grab yourself some of those Thai elephant trousers that everyone seems to buy.
By night Khao San Road becomes a giant party, full of life. By giant party I mean dozens of bars and clubs all blasting loud music, buckets on buckets of vodka red bull, and people dancing on tables!
You will find lots of different vibes and genres of music as you walk down the street, including that of the ONE at Khaosan, as shown in the picture. However, you might have to shout over the noise of the bars trying to outcompete each other on who can play their tunes the loudest!
If you don’t like crowds or extremely loud music I would recommend doing your trip to Khao San Road before about 9 pm.
Bar Yard Rooftop Bar & Lumpini Park
Bar Yard is a Sky Bar atop the 5-star Kimpton Maa-Lai Hotel overlooking central Bangkok and Lumpini Park. A posh setting to enjoy a (rather expensive) drink with one of the best views in the city. The bar is relatively new and features some cool tropical decor and a laid-back vibe.
While you’re out this way, you can take a walk through Lumphini Park which is nearby. The park features an artificial lake in the center, where you can rent boats or simply enjoy the view! This will give you a nice break from the noise of the busy city.
Meet People in a Hostel
After staying at a few different hostels in Bangkok, Bed Station (Khao San) definitely stood out as the best. It’s got decent rooms, a great social scene, a pool, pool table, and even a mini outdoor gym! They run regular social events, drinks deals, and beer pong tournaments!
There are laundry facilities, but on my last visit the washing machines and dryers required coins only to operate. You can also choose to have a double bed, at a slight extra cost, but I would say it’s worth it for the extra space!
The way it’s set out makes it very social, and easy to meet fellow travelers to share the road with! Not to mention it’s right next to Rambuttri Road which is full of restaurants, and two streets down from Khao San Road.
Note, this hostel is usually pretty busy so I would recommend booking somewhat in advance.
Standing Buddha
It wouldn’t be a trip to Bangkok without seeing a temple or a Buddha statue. The standing Buddha (or Luang Pho To) in the picture is 32 metres tall and is at Wat Intharawihan. You can actually climb up to the top and catch a nice little view of the surrounding area. The Wat Intharawihan temple complex predates Bangkok itself, and you can go in and explore for a small admission fee!
If you want an even bigger Buddha statue to see, there is one twice the size at Wak Pak Nam Temple slightly further Southwest.
Renting bikes in Bangkok
If you prefer your own method of transport, you can rent a bike in Bangkok. Most rental bikes you will find are 125cc automatic mopeds, like the rest of Thailand. So, they’re fairly easy to control and won’t eat up petrol too fast.
I rented a bike on my third visit after becoming a bit more comfortable riding. It is definitely a good option if you’re doing a lot of sight seeing, but one thing to note is that Bangkok has some of the world’s busiest roads. So, if you’re completely new to mopeds I would probably avoid this, since the traffic definitely makes it a challenge!
Heading off to an island next? Check out the best island to visit in Thailand here!