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Bangkok has so, so many things to offer for travellers, among which I would like to share 5 things to do in Bangkok that I think you shouldn’t miss! Check out what they are below and let me know if you’ve nodded your head in agreement about them. ๐
#1 To Do in Bangkok: Mango, mango and more mango!
First and foremost, I can barely tell you anything about my Thailand trip without mentioning mango fruits. (And I even ended up making a separate post to share the 3 best mango places I’ve visited in Thailand..) I lost count of the number of times I had mango in different forms! The type of mango-based food or drink I had varied from mango juices, mango smoothies, mango sticky rice (Khao Niao Mamuang) to mango with milk and sago! As Bangkok was hot and humid, every time I had mango food or drink was like finding an oasis in the desert.
If you want to try mango desserts or drinks in Bangkok, Mango Tango is a must! I went there every day during my stay in Bangkok and all those times, I didn’t regret at all. Mango Tango is easy to spot with 2 branches available in Bangkok (and one in Chiang Mai). Between the two stores, I went for the Siam Square branch. The shop presented a wide range of options to try. ๐ One of my Singaporean friends told me Thai mango has the best flavour so I should definitely try one… Well yes she was absolutely right.
Mango Tango (website)
- Location Area: Siam BTS Station
- Opening Hours: Every day 12pm~10pm
#2 To Do in Bangkok: Wat Arun and the Sunset
Among over thousands of temples in Bangkok, Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn) is well-known for a great view of it with the surroundings. You may have seen photos of Wat Arun with the sun hanging.
You can watch this breath-taking scene either on a cruise that runs on Chao Phraya River or at the terrace of bar Arun Residence! Arun Residence, near Wat Pho, is a hotel with a restaurant and a bar. As you enter the hotel, use the staircase to go up to the rooftop bar. It’s likely busy and lively due to the special scenery, and the drink menu isn’t most reasonable, but what you see is guaranteed good. ๐
How to get there
To watch Wat Arun in the sunset, get a ferry ticket for the orange or yellow line at Sathorn Pier which are cheaper than some other lines. Getting on a ferry in Bangkok will also give you quite a unique experience in that this transit mode is considered very common here. Locals including monks also seem heavy users of it, not just tourists for sightseeing. To get to Sathorn Pier, get off at Saphan Taksin BTS Station (Silom Line, S6) and take Exit 2. Arun Residence is in a walking distance once you get off at Tha Chang Pier. The closer pier, Tha Tien Pier, was closed at the time of my visit but this is closer to the hotel if it’s open.
Sathorn Pier
- Location Area: Saphan Taksin BTS Station
Arun Residence (website)
- Location Area: Tha Chang Pier (or Tha Tien Pier if it’s open again) / Wat Pho (the Temple of the Reclining Buddha)
- Amorosa Bar Opening Hours:
- Monday~Thursday – 5pm~midnight
- Friday~Sunday – 5pm~1am
#3 To Do in Bangkok: Chatuchak Market Haul
Chatuchak Market is a true haven for shopping, particularly to buy both typical and unique souvenirs at cheaper prices. Open on certain days and times of a week, Chatuchak Market is highly accessible by public transportation using BTS. Get off at Mo Chit BTS Station (Sukhumvit Line, N8) and take Exit 1.
Shopping at Chatuchak Market during the first 1~2 hours of its opening may be most pleasant, since visitors only get more as time passes. Chatuchak Market consists of 26 sections, some of which include clothes, accessories, decorative items and food. No matter how many bags of items you end up carrying on your both hands, you won’t feel bad for spending too much money. Yes most items are that cheap and thatโs what we like! ๐
Chatuchak Market (website)
- Location Area: Mo Chit BTS Station / Kamphaeng Phet MRT Station
- Opening Hours:
- Monday & Tuesday – closed
- Wednesday & Thursday – 7am~6pm (plant section only)
- Friday – 6pm~midnight (wholesale only)
- Saturday & Sunday – 9am~6pm (all sections open)
Tip 1) Chatuchak Market’s handy map
You can get a map of Chatuchak Market from a staff member around the market entrance. Although you can download it from its website if you enter your first name and email address, the map size is too small to recognise anything. (I just tested it for this blog post and it was useless….) The map shows a good presentation of each section, helping you to spot categories of the items that interest you and not to get lost.
Tip 2) Money exchange at Chatuchak Market
If you need Thai local currency, I personally advise you to exchange money in advance or use the Exchange before leaving the Mo Chit BTS Station. The staff who handed out the map indicated a branch at the other end of the market, so I had to walk across the sections to get some money first. More than that, the employee there wasnโt the kindest to put it mildly. Also, if you have USD to convert to THB, youโd better take bigger notes like $50 and $100; because the exchange rate for smaller notes is worse than $50 and $100 notes.
#4 To Do in Bangkok: Get Lost in Shopping Malls
If you want to go shopping for well-known brands as well, Bangkok is the place since it has so many decent shopping malls. Some are themed while others look like typical multi-complex buildings. Terminal 21 Shopping Mall, for example, will make you feel as if you’re at an airport! Each floor of the mall represents different countries like Paris, London, Japan and Istanbul.
Below are some of many shopping malls in Bangkok, which are located within the touristy areas.
Siam Discovery (website)
- Location Area: Siam BTS Station
- Opening Hours: Everyday 10am~10pm
Siam Paragon (website)
- Location Area: Siam BTS Station
- Opening Hours: Everyday 10am~10pm
Terminal 21 (website)
- Location Area: Asok BTS Station (Sukhumvit Line) / Sukhumvit MRT Station (Blue Line)
- Opening Hours: Everyday 10am~10pm
#5 To Do in Bangkok: a Day Trip to Ayutthaya
Now, this activity itself is not within Bangkok, but most international visitors will depart from Bangkok to travel to Ayutthaya. Located 85km north of Bangkok, Ayutthaya (Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya) used to be the 2nd capital of the Siamese Kingdom from the 14th century until the Burmese brutal attack in the 18th century. A lot of sites of the ancient city of Ayutthaya were gone due to this attack. The remaining ruins, however, still showed how thriving the kingdom had been, and became listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Follow the traces of this once flourishing kingdom and spread your imagination on the Siamese heritage!
How to get there
For the sake of your comfort, private transfers are on offer. But if you’re a budget traveller you could consider a train option, because the fare for non-air conditioned trains is unbelievably, shockingly cheap! Although it sounds unpleasant without air conditioners, windows can be opened and the hot weather in Thailand is inevitable anyway. With that in mind, the experience wasn’t too bad after all. This type of fare used to be only for Thai people, but international customers can now get the benefit as well. (Yay!) Get train tickets at the ticket booth at Hua Lamphong Train Station. To get to the train station, get off at Hua Lamphong MRT Station (Blue Line).
I used State Railway of Thailand’s website to get a rough idea on the train timetable. Don’t expect the trains are necessarily punctual all the time though, since I read so many reviews that it would be miraculous if trains depart and arrive on time.
Hua Lamphong Train Station
- Location Area: Hua Lamphong MRT Station
- More information on the historic city of Ayutthaya at UNESCO’s website.
Hope you’ve enjoyed my list of things to do in Bangkok! Along with so many other things you can do in this city, try to tick off these 5 recommendations as many as you can! ๐ Feel free to comment please if you have other brilliant ideas on what to do in Bangkok!
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