April 2018
We would recommend spending at least 3 nights in Bangkok.
Day 1: Old Bangkok.
Start the day with a ferry ride on the Chao Praya River. Cab to Sathorn Pier (3rd from the bottom on the left bank) or take the Skytrain to Taksin Station and walk a short way toward the river. Ask someone where to get on the ferry to the Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun). When he or she hears the word “Wat Arun,” he/she will be able to point out the right pier to you. There’s a ticket seller by the pier. (Or you pay on the ferry if it’s not the Express.) This may sound confusing, but it will work out somehow when you get there. Bottom line is, someone will make you pay.
Walk around the Wat Arun complex. Tell the people at the pier “Phra Arthit” as your next destination. You either get on the cross river ferry and get on another ferry to get there or there might be a ferry that will take you there. Depending on time of day and what month of the year you are there, different services are available. Someone will tell you at the pier what to do. Basically by pointing.
From Phra Arthit pier, you can walk to the lunch spot, May Kaidee. Or you can get a cab if you want to save energy. It is a wonderful vegetarian restaurant that serves delicious meals. You will not miss the meat.
After lunch, either walk or cab to the Grand Palace. It is a big place and there can be busloads of people, so don’t be too ambitious. See what you can. Built as a royal residence in 1782, it has its own temple, Wat Phra Kaew, where the famed emerald Buddha resides. The royal family does not live there any more, and monks do not live in Wat Phra Kaew.
Next door to this palace complex on the south side is Wat Pho, the temple of the reclining Buddha. Even though these two major attractions are next to each other, it will not be a short walk because of the size of these places. That’s why you will see lots of tuktuk drivers waiting for you. If you do take one, agree on a price before getting in. 50 baht would be a fair price, but they will want more.
By this time you will be ready for another thing Wat Pho is famous for: a Thai traditional massage($10-15/hour.) Follow the signs for “massage,” and you will be treated by a masseur trained by the monks.
If you feel rejuvenated, you can walk to the dinner spot. It is hiding in an alley, but the restaurant at Arun Residence is worth your trouble. You will be sitting across the river from Wat Arun, now all lit up looking pretty. The food is pretty good, too.
Potpong is not really a part of “old Bangkok” but it is not terribly far from the dinner restaurant, and it is one of the things Bangkok is known for: sexy entertainment and more. So you can cab there and see for yourself if you are curious. There’s a night market around there, too.
Day 2: New Bangkok
Start at Jim Thompson’s house that was built between 1958 and 1959. He was an architect, OSS(precursor to CIA) operative, silk merchant, and collector of Asian antiques. Then he mysteriously disappeared in Malaysia at age 61. He put a lot of work into building an authentic Thai wooden house & filled it with his collection. Now the house is a museum.
From there you can walk to Siam Square and the surrounding shopping centers in the area. It is quite a sight to see crowds filling up all these malls of varying sizes and shapes.
Hop on the Skytrain, go to Taksin Station, and then go to Sathorn Pier. This time you are looking for an area reserved for “hotel shuttles.” When the boat that has “Chatrium” written in big letters appears, hop on. This free boat ride will take you to Chatrium Riverside Hotel. Find the elevator that will bring you to the 36th floor, and this is where you are having your lunch. Last time we were there, it was a Chinese restaurant called Silver Waves. Their dimsum was quite good. But you are there mostly for the view. You will see the modern Bangkok skyline in full view. And whatever restaurant is in Chatrium will not charge 5 star prices. So here’s your secret to having a million dollar view without paying a million.
After lunch, you will need a break. Get back on the boat, and, when you reach Sathorn Pier, get off and wait for another free hotel shuttle boat from Anantara Riverside Hotel. Once you arrive at the hotel, go to the front desk and ask for a day pass for the pool. For $15, you can have an all day access to the huge, beautiful riverside pool and a warm, spacious, Jacuzzi. Heavenly!
When you get back to Sathorn Pier, walk to the Sky Bar, not too far from there. This is how hipsters in modern Bangkok enjoy themselves. Watch the sun setting behind the temple while sipping a cocktail.
Cab to Taling Pling for an authentic home style Thai food in a tastefully decorated setting. It is hiding in a narrow street, thus, relying on a cab will be easier than trying to find it on your own.
You will want to get a full scale night market experience tonight, so, after dinner, grab a cab and head out to Ratchada Rot Fai Train Night Market.
Day 3: Markets and Museums
If you are in Bangkok on a weekend, you are in luck. You can go to Chatuchak Market, the biggest weekend market in the world with 15,000 stalls and 11,500 vendors in 26 sections. Take the Skytrain or MRT Blue line and get off at Mo Chit/Chatuchak Park station. Just follow the crowd: 200,000 people will be going there. It is HUGE. You can’t possibly cover all the areas, thus, start from the section that you are most interested in, such as food, art, fashion etc. You can get a map from one of the information booths.
If you end up at Chatuchak, you should eat there. Try different things. Discover what the locals eat.
But you are not there on a weekend, then what? Don’t worry. There’s Pratunam Market, a wholesale fashion market that is big enough to tire you out. There’s morning market, day market, indoor market, outdoor market, night market to fill your day.
Pratunum has food stalls, too. If you want a sit down meal, try Hua Seng Hong a Chinese restaurant a few blocks south of the market.
If you still have energy after a shopping spree, you can fit in a museum, maybe. If you are interested in art, try Bangkok National Museum, Museum of Siam, or Museum of Contemporary Art. If you want to know how people lived in old Bangkok, go to Bangkokian Museum. Royal Barges Museum is another unusual museum that houses 8 royal barges. It is a bit tricky to get there, but you can get a nice little glimpse of Thai culture if you visit.
You have two choices for dinner: a fancy Thai cuisine at Baan khanitha(at Sukhumvit 53 location) or a Greek/Italian/International food at Seven Spoons. Bangkok has so many great restaurants, and most luxury hotels offer top dining experiences. But you don’t have enough time, and these two will give you a chance to justify a splurge on your last night.
Where to Stay & Getting Around:
I’d say stay along Sukhumvit Road a few blocks north or south of the Skytrain track. The light green line on the map above is the Skytrain track on Sukhumvit. Or near a Skytrain station on the dark green line. Having a Skytrain station near by will prove to be be very convenient. Cabs are cheap, but the traffic can be bad. You don’t want to waste too much time sitting in a car.
There is no public transportation available in the old city area(the light brown area on the map above about 2 mile/3 Km radius) where the major attractions are. To reach a place in this area from a Skytrain station, you will have to get a cab or tuktuk. Or just walk. Walking can be wearing due to heat and humidity, though.
Getting In:
Most international flights arrive at Subarnabhumi Airport, west of the city. There are different ways to get into the city, but I think taxi is the most convenient option for first time visitors. It should not cost more than 240-400 Bahts($8-13) to get to the center.
Don Muang is the old airport & is now used more for domestic flights. It is smaller, thus, it can be quicker to go in and out. Some airlines from Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, China, and some others do go there.
The cruise port is 2 hours away in Laem Chabang, a container port. A private van service will be the best way to do this trip, and you can share the cost if you can get together with other cruise passengers. We paid $100 for a 6 passenger van. The traffic can be really bad and that will add 30-60 minutes to the trip.
Out of Town:
If you have more time, you can visit: Ayuthaya(an old capital) or Kanchanaburi(a riverside resort with WWII/River Kwai historic sites)
Small Wide World 