Bangkok – or Krung Thep to locals – is undoubtedly one of the most loved cities in the world. Once you get over the colorful sensory overload of the first few hours in this impressive and beautiful city, it really is very easy to see why.
As cliché as it may sound, Bangkok really does offer something for everyone, and as the Asian economy grows at a blistering pace, Bangkok can actually feel much more futuristic than many cities in the West these days. For instance, the city center is built in layers upwards, with the Skytrain metro weaving its way through the skyscrapers and colorful shopping malls of the city center.
But Bangkok also perfectly balances this futuristic feel with a distinctive traditional culture, with national treasures such as the sacred Emerald Buddha in Thailand, the Royal Palace of the beloved royal family, and a maze of canals with floating markets that have been used by merchants for centuries.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a guide to Bangkok’s numerous attractions; the city where the past and the future intermingle.
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
A village a couple of hours drive from downtown Bangkok, Damnoen floating market is located on canals built by King Rama IV, with the aim of linking the smaller Taachin river to the Maeklong, enabling a trade and transportation network where agricultural goods could be traded with goods from the city. These days, little has changed, with paddle boats rather than motorized longboats being the way to navigate this labyrinth of exotic fruit and souvenir vendors. This is also certainly the place to be if you want to hone your bartering skills! In addition, there are dozens of floating restaurants which can provide a welcome respite when you have had enough of the haggling experience and your fill of boat-centered shopping.
MBK Shopping Mall
Visiting the floating market on one of Explorient’s Far East tour is a half day, leaving several hours in the afternoon free for other shopping experiences in Bangkok. Whilst the floating market gives a glimpse into Bangkok’s past, the MBK shopping mall represents the present and future.
With 7 huge floors to discover, even if you do not intend on doing any shopping, it is still highly enjoyable. Floors 5 and 6 are huge food courts that offer a dizzying variety of cuisines for very competitive prices. The sushi restaurants, in particular, stand out, because they are very authentic, often run by Japanese owners but at a fraction of the price you would have to shell out for in Japan.
Other highlights are the vegetarian Thai restaurants and the steakhouses that usually have buy 1 get 1 free offer. The lower floors include services such as massage parlors and fish spas where you dip your toes in refreshing water and have your feet pedicured by little fish called Garra Rufa that nibble away gently on dead skin.
Electrical goods dominate the lower floors too, with vendors who can repair damaged devices such as phones and tablets, chargers of all shapes and sizes, as well as jewelers. Finally, floor 7 is the entertainment zone, with a large arcade that will delight children and adults alike, along with a theatre showing the latest movies (with English subtitles). You can also get breathtaking views of the surrounding downtown area from here, which is a dazzling multi-colored light show at night.
Ayutthaya
Driving a couple of hours north of Bangkok, Ayuthaya was the former capital of the ancient Siam kingdom, and the ruins found here today are arguably just as impressive as neighboring Angkor Wat in Cambodia, yet much more accessible. The entire historical part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and what remains so fascinating about these ruins are that they are of a very unique design, blending Thai, Chinese and Gothic architecture.
Wat Chai Wattanaram, in particular, is special because when you approach it, looks very much like Angkor Wat, but on closer inspection, you see some major differences in style, with spiraling pagodas in the Burmese style on each wing.
Wat Phanan Choeng – on the other hand – is impressive for its massive 17-meter gold Buddha, whilst further to the north of dozens of these ruins is the Monument of the King Naresuan the Great. This is a memorial to the King who was particularly loved by Thai people under his reign, mainly for freeing the Siamese people from the Burmese who had previously conquered the region. He was also known for being a benevolent ruler and treated his people well and never saw himself as above the laws and traditions of Siam.
The Royal Grand Palace and the Pantheon of the Kings
One of the hottest attractions in Bangkok and a must-see for everyone is the infamous Royal Grand Palace. Built in 1782, it was the home and the royal court and the Thai Kings for 150 years up until 1932, when the royal court moved to its present location further east.
Today, it is wonderfully preserved and a true national treasure to the Thai people, considered to be the spiritual heart of Thailand and a showcase of the Thai artisans and craftsmen who built it.
Comprised of several buildings rather than just a single palace, and includes the aforementioned giant Emerald Buddha within Wat Phra Kaew, which dates back to the 1400s, the palace itself has more of a European feel to its architecture. You can experience this impressive palace compound on almost any of Explorient’s Thailand tours, including the Luxury Thailand Tour Package.
The Royal Pantheon is also located in the Grand Palace complex and has quite an interesting story behind its construction. Built on the upper platforms by King Rama IV, it was chosen as the building to house the giant Emerald Buddha, but this required a great renovation project to make it larger to accommodate it. Unfortunately, it actually turned out to be a little bit too small to house the Emerald Buddha, so these plans were abandoned. Instead, Rama VI restored the building and made it the Pantheon of the Chakri Dynasty of rulers. Inside are life-sized statues of all of these Chakrian kings, but on the outside are colorful demons and nagas aligned in a row next to the pagodas, making this a very popular place for taking photos including ‘selfies’.
Editor’s Eclectic Picks
For your free time between Explorient’s tours, Bangkok offers numerous oddities and attractions guaranteed to entertain you.
“Teailily” in the Japanese Village
Just to the north of downtown Bangkok’s Siam Square – easily accessible via the public Skytrain, tuk-tuk or taxi – is what is known as “The Japanese Village”, a small district with some of the architecture convincingly quintessential Japanese-styled and packed with character.
Amongst all the familiar Japanese-chained restaurants and supermarkets (such as UFM Fuji Super, a great place to pick up reasonably priced but high-quality sake amongst other delights), there are a few hidden independently-run gems run by Japanese immigrants.
The finest is undoubtedly the “Tealily” tea house (located on Ekkamai Soi 12), with its interior feeling very much like a traditional Japanese home, and its courtyard with several chairs and tables set up around fish ponds, this is much more than just another Matcha tea house or cafe.
In fact, Tealily even has an adorable and very cuddly cat named Bow, so for cat-lovers, this is the icing on the cake!
It’s safe to say that the atmosphere and ascetics of Tealily are absolutely perfect, but what about the teas themselves? Well, the staff here have sourced the finest Matcha tea in the world from Uji, a town nestled between the ancient cities of Kyoto and Nara, where the soil is considered absolutely perfect for matcha green tea cultivation. In fact, it has been producing it for just over 1000 years, and the leaves sourced by “Tealily” are 100% organic and hand-picked just as they have been since Zen Buddhists arrived in Kyoto and Uji and taught the people how to grow the perfect green tea leaves.
So the prices may seem a little steep, with an Iced Matcha Piccho Latte starting at 185 Bhat (about $5 or $6), but the fact is that this is actually a little cheaper for what you’d pay for the same quality in some parts of Japan. And this matcha is 100% “Ceremonial Grade” that has been used in the infamous Japanese tea ceremony for centuries.
Other than matcha, all the other teas from Japan here are available: Sencha, Kabasecha, Sakura and so on. The options for food are equally as exemplary, with Yuzu orange sorbet, red beans with matcha sauce, as well as the ever-popular matcha ice cream.
Tealily is, in summary, one of the best places in Bangkok to unwind while being a perfect example of how Thai and Japanese cultures work and infuse so seamlessly together.
“Insects in the Backroom”, Chang Chui
Located in the increasingly quirky Chang Chui district with distinctive small-scale eco-businesses, surrealist art galleries and a night-market built around the hull of a disused 1960’s airliner, “Insects in the Backroom” is a restaurant that specializes in fusion food with a twist.
That twist is that it uses insects in lieu of typical meat dishes, which may sound repulsive to foreigners, but the fact is that Thai people (especially in rural areas such as Isaan, but also in Bangkok from takeaway stalls in the evening) have been happily eating insects for centuries.
“Insects in the Backroom” is not a gimmick venture, either; it is, in fact, a gourmet restaurant which is the brainchild of Mai Thitiwat (a Michelin star chef) whose stated goal is to show that insects will potentially solve the problem of global food shortages that are coming with escalating human population growth. He states that in fact around 2 billion people all over the world already incorporate insects into their diet and done so happily for millennia. It is also infinitely more environmentally sustainable since 1kg of silkworms uses up to 100 times less land area and animal feed as opposed to 1kg of pork.
Still not convinced? Well, this attraction is certainly not for everyone, but for those adventurous to try, dishes such as fried cricket salads with silkworm powdered seasoning tastes just like roasted chicken with a slightly sweet salad dressing. Or how about quail with caterpillar which lends a delicious walnut type flavor? Giant water beetle ravioli that tastes similar to lobster?
Whatever you order, it is guaranteed to be at the very least a fun experience with excellent 5-star service and presentation…The rest is just up to your palate!
These impressive attractions are just a mere glimpse of what is on offer in Bangkok. It really is impossible to write a list of even half the things to do in Bangkok without it turning into a novel! Such is the life with the non-stop pace and growth of the city that never sleeps.
