Mini Guide to Bangkok, Thailand

Mini Guide

Bangkok, Thailand

I absolutely love Bangkok. I have been several times and hope to continue visiting much more to come.

In general, I think Bangkok and Thailand as a whole is very safe. I never once felt like I was in danger during any of my visits to Bangkok or anywhere else in Thailand. I would say you do need to keep your typical precautions when it comes to pickpockets and thieves.

Something that must be said for anyone coming to Thailand is to stay hydrated. Go to your local convenience store and get the giant bottle of water for around 10cents USD and carry one around with you everywhere. It gets hot in Bangkok, and the tap water is not exactly known to be good for you. Others will say you shouldn’t even brush your teeth with the tap water. However, this is something I did do and was perfectly fine but if you want to be extra cautious the bottled water is very cheap so buy a lot.

Until I came to Thailand I actually did not realize that it is a constitutional monarchy. The Kings’ face is actually on every single bill which makes it even harder to try and pay correctly.

Everywhere you go in Thailand everyone will smile at you and generally be very happy. Even when you are negotiating with someone they will still be smiling and everyone seems truly genuine even if they are trying to rip you off. While everyone being friendly is a great thing I have seen many tourists be fooled.

As a foreigner you will constantly be asked to buy something, look at something and generally feel like a walking ATM machine. While this is depending on what area you are in, in some places it might not even happen at all.

Public transportation in Bangkok is actually really good. Bangkok has both a sky train and an underground subway. Taxis are super cheap just make sure that you have a metered taxi and if they try to say a set price before the ride always try and negotiate it down because it can typically be cut in half depending on what part of the city you are in. The set price will also generally be faster than metered. While Taxis are great the traffic is horrible in Bangkok and because of that I would only use a taxi for a shorter trip. Another great option is the motorbike taxi or a tuk-tuk. The price for a motorbike taxi or tuk-tuk will always be set before hand and just like the taxi always negotiate it down. The motorbikes generally will be faster than a taxi since you don’t have to worry about traffic as much and can be a rather thrilling experience.

Negotiate and Bargain everything. No price in Bangkok is really set, always ask for a discount in some fashion. Do it with your hotel room to your meal to anything you are thinking about purchasing. This is the number one way to save money in Bangkok, Thailand, and almost anywhere in South East Asia.

Quick Facts

Capital and Largest city of Thailand

Population: 6.355 Million

Land size:606 mi²

Currency: Thai Baht

Language: Thai

My recommendations for things to do in Bangkok

• Get a massage – This is almost a no-brainer. A one hour massage will run as cheap as $6 USD. On one of my visits, I had three in one day.
• Tour the Grand Palace – This place is amazing and covered in Gold.
• Chatuchak Market – This is a weekend only market and it is Huge. Over 35 acres and 8,000 market stalls.
• Visit Khao San Road – This is a relatively small street in Bangkok but a huge destination for backpackers and travelers. During the day, this is a nice shopping street with lots of cool and funky restaurants and cafes. At night, this turns into party central and can get very wild.
• Go and see a movie – You might be asking why would I go and see a movie when I am on vacation in Thailand. Thailand is really really hot and the movie theatre is an amazing retreat from the afternoon sun. Bangkok also has some of the nicest movie theatres in the world and for only around $4 USD. Something rather interesting about the movies in Thailand is that before every single movie a small tribute video for the king will be played and everyone has to stand up during it.
• Visit China Town – Its funny that almost every major city in the world has a China town and just because you are still in Asia, Bangkok is no exception.
• Eat Pad Thai – This food is simply amazing and is extremely cheap.
• Visit a Floating Market – Bangkok has a few in and around the city. These are very cool markets that I highly suggest checking out.

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Cheers!