A Travel Guide to Bangkok for Your First Visit
This handy travel guide to Bangkok provides essential details on where to stay and the city’s shopping, nightlife, sightseeing and street food highlights.
Are you planning to visit Bangkok for the first time and not sure what to expect? Here are some useful insights that provide an overview of the city’s highlights that will help you plan your trip.
Where to Stay
While there are many areas where you can choose to stay, a central and well-connected locale that makes an ideal base would be Sukhumvit. Properties here such as SQ Boutique Hotel cater to business and leisure travellers alike and provide modern rooms with contemporary comforts while being within walking distance of Skytrain and subway stations for easy exploration.
Shopping & Nightlife
Those based at a Sukhumvit hotel have access to some of the city’s best retail hubs; these include the Emporium and Terminal 21 malls, while the MBK Centre and Chatuchak Weekend Market located in other areas are popular for shopping too. When it comes to happening nightlife, Sukhumvit with its nightclubs, bars and night market is again the place to go; more nocturnal adventures also await at the area called RCA and backpacker favourite, Khao San Road.
Cultural Attractions
Travellers wanting to take in the city’s rich history can head to the stunning Grand Palace complex; it’s also home to one of the most revered Buddhist sites, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Other top temples in Bangkok include the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, while more captivating experiences are on offer at the Bangkok National Museum, National Gallery, and Jim Thompson House Museum. Don’t forget to explore vibrant Chinatown along Yaowarat Road as well.
Street Food
A quintessential part of any visit to the city is to savour the street food in Bangkok that can range from Tom Yum Goong, a spicy Thai seafood soup to the more exotic offering of deep-fried insects! Don’t worry, if you’re not the daring kind of foodie there are plenty more conventional dishes to try; these include Moo Ping (grilled pork), Kuay Teow Reua (Thai boat noodles) and Pad Thai (stir-fried rice noodles). For dessert, you can look to sample mango sticky rice or some fried banana pancakes.
