Thailand Travel Advice: 9 Memorable Things To Do In Bangkok

Thailand is known for its delectable dishes, vibrant beaches, unending parties and incredible shopping opportunities making it one of the most iconic holiday destinations in the world. When in Thailand you will be able to indulge in some of the most fun and memorable activities which will leave you with a lot of cherishing memories. If you are planning a trip to Thailand then this is an ideal place to spend some quality time with your family and loved ones. People from all over the globe flock here to experience the serene and glimmering blue water beaches along with the opportunity to take you across some of the most majestic tourist attractions. Thailand truly has it all.

Bangkok Travel Advice          

Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand and is famously polluted, congested and hectic. I have lived in Bangkok since 1997 and although there are things I miss from home, and there are plenty of things that get me down about living here, there are some really fun and memorable things to do in Bangkok. In this list I have tried to provide some travel advice on a few things that make the city what it is so that visitors can try some strange things and go home with some experiences that they may otherwise not have contemplated.

Travel Advice: Get Yourself A Good Bangkok Map For Navigation

Getting around in Bangkok is one of the biggest challenges for visiting travellers and long-term residents alike. The ever-changing maze of roads, expressways and alleyways would confuse even the best navigators and a good map is essential at times.

Traffic in Bangkok is famously bad and walking anywhere results in buckets of sweat and being covered in grime after only a few hundred metres, but at least by having a good map by your side you should know where you are going and eliminate wasting even more time by going the wrong way.

If (when) you do get lost or stuck in a traffic jam, the best advice is to just relax and amuse yourself with the sights of whole families on motorbikes, fat policemen in skin tight suits and bad English on shops signs.

1. Take A Tuk-Tuk Ride - It Is Fast, Frantic, Fearful But Fun

When contemplating a Tuk-Tuk ride have a destination in mind, preferably one not too far away, you only want a taste of this experience, and have a rough idea of the price of the same journey in a metered taxi. With these things in mind, stop a Tuk-Tuk and tell the driver your destination and price. He will give you another price but stick to yours firmly but not aggressively. Eventually, by smiling you should get somewhere near your price; then just go for it.

The driver will throw the Tuk-Tuk around curves and other vehicles, stop right behind the exhaust of buses, play chicken with cars and generally do his best to get to the destination as quickly as he can and scare his passengers the most.

Don't attempt to get into a Tuk-Tuk parked near a tourist hotspot such as Patpong Road, Wat Phra Kaew or similar as these guys are waiting for the uninformed tourists who will pay 500 baht for a 50 baht journey.

Tuk-Tuk ride in Bangkok

You can get a taste of what a crazy tuk-tuk ride in Bangkok is like by viewing this short, point of view, video clip.

2. Go On A Shopping Spree At Chatuchak (JJ) Weekend Market

This place is boiling hot, stupidly crowded, noisy, dirty and is a hotbed for the illegal wildlife trade, but there is something about Chatuchak Market that makes it a place that should be visited on a trip to Bangkok.

At Chatuchak Market there are thousands of stalls selling clothes, trinkets, furniture, plants, food and just about anything else you can imagine but whilst bargains can be had here, vendors are getting used to charging high prices for things and it pays to haggle, but don't forget that haggling should be done in good humour and not in a rush.

There are so many interesting things for sale here that you can easily lose track of how long you have been shopping for and amass quite a huge volume of bags full of your purchases. Never mind, there are loads of places selling tasty snacks and meals at low prices to refuel and gain energy for the next shopping session.

Be Careful

One thing to avoid is the pet section of the market. Whilst many of the animals are legally for sale, sych as cats, dogs, chickens, fish, many of them are not. There are many wild birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish for sale here illegally and the vendors know it; you will know which are illegal too by the signs that people have put up saying "No Photos". The illegal trade in animals here tends to involve species that are found in the wild in Thailand.

Here is a photograph of a Golden-fronted Leafbird for sale illegally at Chatuchak Market that I managed to take using my mobile phone. The photo shows the pathetic conditions these creatures are typically kept in after being trapped in the wild. Unfortunately, wildlife crime is still a big problem in Thailand, although not as bad as in some neighboring countries.

Be Careful 2

From time to time there are reports in the Bangkok Post newspaper of pickpocket gangs operating at Chatuchak Market, presumably with the large crowds it is easy for them to operate without being noticed. I have never had a problem of this sort - just be careful where you keep your money/passport/credit cards.

Certainly this is not a reason not to go to Chatuchak, just be watchful.

3. Eat Street Food - Bangkok's Cheap And Tasty Street Food

Bangkok perhaps has more places to eat than any other city in the world due to the profusion of food stalls and restaurants. Here I am talking about food stalls.

Many food stalls serve a very limited range of foods, many of them only one or two dishes. It is this specialisation that makes what looks like unhygienic cooking conditions actually a great option for tasty, clean and disease-free meal.

Food at these stalls is very cheap, typically 30-40 baht per meal and I highly recommend either a bowl of noodles with pork/shrimp balls or rice topped with an assortment of fresh vegetables and chicken.

4. Watch Thai Boxing (Muay Thai) At One of the Big Stadiums

I am not talking about the trash that is put on for tourists which you will find in Pattaya, Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai etc, I am speaking about the top quality fights at Lumphini and Ratchadamnoen Stadiums in Bangkok.

I don't class myself as a boxing fan but a couple of visits to these places etched themselves into my memory.

Firstly, don't pay for the expensive ringside seats which most tourists get ushered towards. Whilst these seats afford a better view of the boxing, from these seats you cannot see the action in the crowd.

If the above tip leads you to think that the main spectacle is not the boxing then you would be correct. The really amazing thing is the crowd in the "cheap seats" (actually terraces) who bay for blood and cheer every blow. Considering that Thai boxing uses fists, elbows, knees, shins and feet, there are a lot of blows to cheer and this makes for a VERY noisy and excitable atmosphere - something akin to a bad "B" movie, maybe Jean-Claude van Damme in Death Fighter 12 or similar rubbish. As well as the cheering, a band playing traditional Thai instruments accompanies the fighting.

In addition the crowd are widely involved in gambling, with bets being placed amongst mysterious winks and signs, but bets from foreigners are a welcome bit of fun; just make sure you only bet 100 baht or so.

Watching the Thai boxing from behind the cage (this is to protect the boxers from old cans, water bottles etc. being hurled at them when the fight gets slow) is the only way to go and will result in a memorable experience.

In 2010 I tried to get into the cheap seats and was refused entry. Even speaking to the ticket sellers in Thai I was told that white foreigners are not allowed in to the cheap areas - tickets for "whiteys" start at 1500 baht. I complained about this and was told that it was the local police enforcing this and taking their cut of the scam. Not a lot I could do about that and it really took the shine off the evening.

Thai Boxing at Lumpini Stadium

This video was made at Lumpini Stadium, Bangkok and does a good job of giving an impression of the atmosphere at a fight. Listen to the crowd cheering and the manic music in the background.

5. Go To A GOGO Bar - Bangkok's Notorious Entertainment

Many people's initial reaction to this suggestion will be something like, "disgusting", "I am not a sex tourist", "this is for perverts". Well, that's fine if you want to be reactionary but the Gogo bars of Bangkok are something quite odd in an otherwise conservative culture and are worth a quick look to see what all the fuss is about.

There are 3 main areas in Bangkok with Gogo bars that cater to foreigners: Nana Plaza in Sukhumvit soi 4, Soi Cowboy just off of Sukhumvit soi 23 and Patpong Roads 1 and 2 just off of Silom Road. Of these Patpong road is full of tourists of both sexes and indeed contains a night market selling all sorts of counterfeit goods and tourist tat. For those who are curious and would like to take a look into a Bangkok gogo bar, Patpong Road is used to curious tourists.

NEVER go into an upstairs bar in Patpong

No matter how many times the tout tells you that there is no fee for the "ping-pong" show, you will find out to your cost that there is. These upstairs ping-pong, sex show places are rip off venues where a heavily padded bill will be presented by surly bouncers. Do yourself a favour and avoid the upstairs bars like the plague.

Downstairs is quite safe

However, all the downstairs bars are fine. For guys any bar will do but if ladies wish to take a peek then I will make a recommendation; go to King's Corner bar. This is quite a large gogo bar which is used to all sorts of people poking their noses in. Half the gogo dancers are girls and half are ladyboys and anyone can have fun trying to guess which is which. There is no worry of being ripped off here as beer is served and bills signed for as they come.

A quick drink in King's Corner will definitely be an experience you won't forget in a hurry.

Ladies may feel less ill-at-ease at Patpong but if you want to see Bangkok gogos in all their flashiest lights, the most crowded bars and sexiest girls then head down to Soi Cowboy; you will not run into any trouble just taking a touristy look.

6. Go For A Night Of Dancing & Drinking In A Thai Nightclub

I am not talking about tourist venues with western music, what I mean is a real Thai venue with Thai music and customers.

Thai nightclubs are different to western ones in that they are crowded with tables with little or no real dance floor. People claim a table and drink from there and just dance whenever and wherever they feel like it. Typically Thais will order a bottle of whiskey and drink the whole thing with mixers amongst friends; beer is available but not often taken. Prices are usually very reasonable.

Usually, Thai nightclubs have a stage and the music alternates between live bands and music from a DJ and revellers are not at all shy about getting up and dancing.

Thais are very friendly in this situation and if they see foreigners it is likely that they will talk and invite them to dance together. If you are with a group of friends it is highly likely that you'll have a very memorable time in a Thai nightclub and if you are single and looking for a Thai girlfriend/boyfriend, they are very easy to meet in this situation.

There are Thai nightclubs in all sorts of Bangkok suburbs but maybe the easiest one for foreigners to find is Tawan Daeng on Pattanakarn Road.

7. Eat Insects - They Really Are Surprisingly Good

Insects? Come on, be open-minded and try some. Surely you didn't travel half way round the world to eat fish 'n' chips or hamburgers? If you really are a traveller looking for new and memorable experiences then trying some insects is a must.

I actually enjoy the locusts and most people that I have persuaded to try them have agreed - when my youngest sister came to visit me in Thailand she could not get enough of them. The locusts are very crispy and taste of the peppery spray that they are coated in. The grubs and beetles are a bit squidgy for my liking but taste okay.

It is a bit like in the book Green Eggs and Ham "try them try them here or there........... you will like them you will see".

You can find insects for sale on street stalls in a number of places around the city. A few stalls I know of that are always present are one on the corner of Sukhumvit Road and Soi 4, another which patrols the lanes of the markets at Pratunam and there is usually one somewhere in Khao San Road.

Eating Insects in Bangkok

If you decide to take a munch on insects you won't be the first nutter to do so as this video clip shows.

8. Have a Drink/Meal at the Restaurant on the Roof of the Banyan Tree Hotel

The Banyan Tree Hotel in Sathorn Road is one of the most expensive hotels in Bangkok but I am told that it is worth experiencing it just once; something I have yet to do.

However, the restaurant and bar on the roof of the hotel is somewhere that everyone can enjoy and whilst prices are expensive, they are not prohibitively so, and the views from the top are really great, particularly in the dark when all the lights are on.

Vertigo Restaurant

In the open air on the 61st floor, the views from here over the skyline of Bangkok are probably the best in town. The meals are priced similar as they would be in Europe, which is expensive by Thai standards but not too bad for a treat. Watch out in the rainy season though as your meal could get interrupted at any time as there is no roof.

Moon Bar

The Moon Bar is also situated on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel and shares the same excellent view as the Vertigo Restaurant. Cocktails and beers are a little pricey but affordable, and often there are promotions on a pitcher of certian cocktails which makes drinking more affordable.

Although the prices at the Banyan Tree Hotel restaurant and bar are far more expensive than most venues in Bangkok they are still affordable: don't let them put you off having a memorable experience.

Videos of Banyan Tree Hotel, Bangkok

9. Take A Boat Trip Through The City On The Chao Praya River

The Chao Phraya River is the name of the large river that runs through Bangkok. Apparently, many years ago, all life was conducted on the water, in canals and rivers throughout Bangkok; little evidence remains of that now but a ride on the Chao Praya Express boat is a fairly relaxing way of seeing a part of Bangkok that is not otherwise accessible.

The route is quite extensive, running from Ratburana in the south of the city to Pak Kred in the north, but for visitors probably the easiest place to get on the boat is at the Taksin bridge. It is probably best for potential travellers to take a look at the website for the Chao Praya Express where the route is clearly mapped out; Chao Praya Express route; and fares are detailed; Chao Praya Express fares.

A ride on this boat is one of the few ways of getting away from Bangkok's horrible traffic and riding the whole route on the slow boat takes close to an hour. At the northern end of the like there are small boats which take people along tiny canals where you can see something of the traditional life that used to flourish in Bangkok. Just get on one of these and when they get to the end of the canal, they will just turn around and go back.

Longtail Boats on the Chao Phraya River

If you take the Chao Phraya Express you are sure to see some colourful longtail boats like the ones in the photo. Whilst there are a few passenger routes plied by these boats you will have to consult a guidebook to find where they are. However, many of them lurk around the piers near the major tourist sites and can be chartered for sightseeing trips. Fun.

Bangkok Transport - How to Deal with the Infamous Bangkok Traffic

If you are traveling around Bangkok, or planning to do so, and the Skytrain does not service the destination that you wish to get to, there are many other options for transport around Bangkok. The traffic in Thailand's capital city is notoriously bad but by learning the options for traveling around the city, the worst of the jams can be avoided.