It's crazy in Bangkok. Crazy beautiful. Crazy energetic. Crazy delicious. Crazy affordable. I've gone half mad wandering around this city of life.
Apart from its island tourist attractions and cultural sites, Bangkok City’s streets are also integral in the country's tourism industry. It wasn’t hard to notice how much energy comes off from the city to attract travellers like me.
I would also like to note that I found the city—or a good part of it—really clean and orderly. There may be smaller alleys or places that are not as beautiful as some, but you’ll notice they are disciplined in the city. I rarely saw garbage in the places that I went to.
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Bangkok's Sky train took me to and fro to different parts of the city.
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It was a really pleasant surprise to find that Bangkok is a truly tourist-friendly place. Yes, the language barrier is quite a challenge for most but if you can be resourceful and patient enough, navigating Bangkok is not that hard. Coming from Manila I’ve had really good training in using public transportations--it was fairly easy to get around using their metro rails, taxis and tuktuk's. I didn't try the buses though because I can't read Thai.
The lively Khao San Road is bustling with energy, tourists, loud music, bars, restaurants, street vendors, shops, food, and performers all converging in a stretch that seems to be sucking you in to get crazy and be a part of the chaos. Khao San Road has both local and international establishments to make you feel like you have everything to get you entertained. Its nightlife is popular among backpackers and during the day, it’s never deserted. If you like quiet places, this is not for you.
There are also quite a number of Tattoo shops and specialty stores in Khao San Road in case you are looking for one.
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| Photo Source: Bangkok.com |
Just a few minutes away from Khao San Road is Soi Rombuttri—the backpackers’ area where you’ll find a good number of hostels and inns for budget friendly prices. I happened to pass by the street while looking for Khao San Road. And to my delight found many cheap food stalls; I ate lunch for a mere 60 baht + 50 baht for my favorite coconut juice.
People of different colors, languages and artistic expressions roam the street of Soi Rombuttri. It sort of reminded me of White Beach, Boracay (minus the beach) where people are chill, happy, drinking, eating, and even singing under the hot scorching sun. The next time I go back to BKK, I’ll definitely stay at the energetic street.
There are a number of banks and moneychangers in the area in case you ran out of money.
If you’re going to the Golden Palace and Wat Pho—and you should—try and check out Tha Chang Pier market. It’s a small market with lots of cheap souvenirs and memorabilia to take home. You can also take the Chao Phraya River Express to see the stretch of the river while you’re in the area. Wat Arum is just opposite the pier station, so cross the river and climb the steps of the temple popular for sunset photography.
Visiting the open markets in Bangkok is also a must. Goods and food are fairly cheap, and the night market experience is one for the books. Whether you’re planning to shop or not, the street markets are a truly nice and exciting part of the travel experience in amazing Thailand.
One and a half hour away from Siam is the amazing and world famous Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. This place will give you an unforgettable experience; one that feels like it’s shot from a movie scene. Leaving the city at around 730 am, I spent about half of the day going to and from the floating market. I was grouped with 5 more tourists and rode a paddleboat to go around the market so we can window (river) shop while bumping with other boats. It was a lot of fun, but the best time to go there they said is early in the morning, before 10am. You can check with your hotel if they offer tours to Saduak, there are also a number of tour companies in Khao San Road where you can easily book a trip.
If you’re not into street markets and love the malls instead (boo!) then head to Siam and feast your eyes at BKK Mall, Siam Centre, Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery, and Siam Square. It’s a big complex that’ll leave your wallets burned to dust. From bargains and class-A products to luxury items, they have it all. There are great variety of nice restaurants, too.
And last but definitely not the least, let me say: I love Chatuchak! I really, really loved it… Because there aren't many touristy markets in Manila, Chatuchak kind of blew me away. It is the largest market in Thailand with 8000 stalls divided in 27 sections where you can find all kinds of things: clothes, food, shoes, souvenirs, scents, oils, home décor, home furnishings, paintings, religious arts, sports paraphernalia, and many, many more.
| When you go to Chatuchak, make sure you are equipped with determination, willingness to walk and get sweaty, bargaining skills, a big bag to carry your shopping items and an empty tummy so you can try authentic Thai food and desserts. The fruit stalls were the best! |
Because my hotel is near Hwai Khwang Food Market, I went to get dinner in this market twice. It’s a short road with mouth-watering street food selections—you can even get a full meal for only 50 Baht. I particularly loved the abundance of fruit stalls and coconut ice cream every few feet. Just be careful of their spicy menu cause it's not that easy to eat extra spicy food.
Pork soup
Spicy seafood soup
Grilled meat and seafood
Pork fried rice
There are more than 12 major street markets in Bangkok and I unfortunately didn’t have enough time and money to go see them all. I suggest you allot around 7-10 days in the city. You should also try hopping on the Chao Phraya river express and go down to China Town, Little India, and Flower market.
Four and a half days were not enough to get the best out of my Bangkok trip. My next visit might be to Phuket but I will try my best to roam around the bustling city once more. And for sure next time I’ll stay up all night and party!
I wrote about my temple tour here if you want to see more of Bangkok.
