Bangkok

Things to do

The Grand Palace

The Grand Palace, home of the King for nearly two centuries, is probably Bangkok’s number one tourist destination and a required visit for everyone. It is a vast and intoxicating mixture of temples, shrines, palaces, and heavily jewelled and painted architecture.

A visit here is well worth the 250 baht entrance fee. It’s more than just a mere Kodak-moment, and you’ll likely spend the first 10 minutes walking around in astonishment at the sheer variety and quantity of sights.

The temples are used, so don’t forget how to be respectful. Keep your camera away, your shoes off, and your feet to yourself. Simple!

An audio tour is available, and will be worth the price if you are interested in learning more about the history of the buildings, and the meaning behind the murals that line the walls. A free guidebook is provided, but gives little information

Due to the number of tourists, the Palace is an ideal place to be conned. You may be told that the Palace is closed, but that a special tour (for a special price and/or accompaniment to a shop) can be arranged. Don’t listen to any of this. Unless you are part of a tour organised by a reputable company, you can get tickets from inside the Palace walls on any day after 8.30am (excepting state ceremonies).

You may also be approached upon leaving the Palace and offered special tours around the area (even by the Palace guards!) Again, stick to your original plan and don’t be swayed.

Be aware that to enter the palace you will need to meet clothing requirements, and this is checked before you are allowed inside. Specifically, you’ll need to wear trousers or a long skirt, and bare arms should be restricted to a t-shirt. Sandals should be fine, although bringing some socks will not harm. If you don’t have the required clothing you can rent them from a building inside the walls.

Photography and video cameras are allowed in most places, although not inside temples.

Suan Lum Night Bazaar

Situated on an old army cadet college and supposedly containing over 3000 stalls, Suan Lum Night Bazaar is Thailand’s first official night bazaar. Here you will find clothing, jewellery, antiques, furniture, food, and a good slice of nightlife.

Dotted around the market stalls are numerous restaurants and pubs, as well as street vendors. In addition to this is the Bec Tero hall, a large open-air area surrounded by small food and beer vendors, serving Thai and Western cuisines. At the front of the hall is a stage upon which local Thai singers and dancers shake their thing (not always in tune with the music).

Walking though the hall will have you stalked by mini-skirt wearing Thai girls, trying to convince you to sit down and have a drink. Give your order to a girl wearing your chosen brand, and she will bring your food and drinks, as well as charge you.

The atmosphere of Suan Lum is great. It feels safe, and you are not hassled as much as in other places. It is also heavily frequented with young Thai people, so you can be confident it’s not just for tourists. Bec Tero hall is a lot of fun, and you can sit and enjoy the bad music and just watch the mayhem unfold around you.

Suan Lum is on the corner of Lumphini Park, which can be accessed via Lumphini MRT station. The opening times range from 3pm to 2am.

Lumphini Park

Lumphini Park, donated by King Rama VI, is one of the few ‘outdoor’ areas in Bangkok. It is full of life, yet remains peaceful and quiet, even though the surrounding traffic may resemble a scene from Hell.

The park, not surprisingly, can be found next to Lumphini MRT station. Inside you will find boating lakes, a gym, people practicing Tai Chi, people bouncing to aerobic exercises, ballroom dancing, and people just walking and enjoying the scenery. This is a great place to escape from Bangkok and immerse yourself in the everyday lives of Thai people, without any worry about being swindled.

Siam Paragon

Sitting squarely in the centre of Bangkok this is Asia’s largest shopping mall, and an ideal retreat when you’ve had enough of battling Bangkok, and just want to go somewhere that is clean, cool, and comfortable.

You don’t even have to shop here. There’s the Siam Ocean World in the basement, a multi-screen cinema and bowling alley upstairs, and enough shops in-between to satisfy the ultra-rich.

The food hall is of particular note, serving all kinds of high quality foods at very reasonable prices. In fact, after discovering this place you may wonder if there’s any need to eat elsewhere.

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