Bangkok Things to Do Tips by SWFC_Fan

I hired a longtail boat for a 1 hour tour of Bangkok’s canals on my first day in the city during a visit in September 2007.

I had been told to avoid hiring a boat from the main touristy piers, as I’d likely be charged 2000 or 3000 Bahts, so instead a local man took me to a small wooden dock next to Rachini pier, where I haggled an elderly lady down from 1200 Bahts to 1000 Bahts (approx. 15 GBP). Maybe I was still overcharged – but it was a great trip, and good value for money in my opinion!

I clambered along a rickety wooden platform and managed to get onboard my chosen boat without falling into the river. An hour later I was dropped off at Tha Tien pier, where I was charged 20 Bahts for landing there!

The trip gave me a fascinating insight in to how people live in the canalside neighbourhoods of Bangkok. I passed countless simple wooden homes, some on stilts to keep them above water level, others with flooded backyards, many with washing hanging outside.

I saw children swimming and bathing in the water, despite its polluted, brown appearance, with litter floating by and giant lizards swimming alongside them. Some children were even jumping into the water from bridges. I kept my mouth closed for much of the trip, fearful of swallowing any of the water that splashed up into the boat.

A local lady, wearing a straw hat, paddled up to my boat in a small canoe, selling wooden trinkets and cold drinks. She suggested that I buy a beer for my driver. I figured it would be better to leave him a tip, so he could enjoy a beer when he wasn’t responsible for navigating me through Bangkok’s waterways!

The driver gave me half a loaf of bread to throw to the fish. As I did so, hundreds of large fish gathered around the boat, causing enough commotion to rock the boat.

As we emerged from the canal back onto the Chao Phraya river, there was a great view of the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew on one riverbank and Wat Arun on the other.

A great way to see Bangkok from the water! Very highly recommended!

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Directions: Longtail boats can be hired (with a driver) from piers along the edge of the Chao Phraya river.

I took a ride in a tuk tuk during a visit to Bangkok in September 2007.

I would recommend a tuk tuk ride as a novelty, one-off experience but would not suggest that you rely on them as your primary means of transport in the city.

You’ll have no problems finding a tuk tuk driver willing to take you on a tour of the city – the roads are full of these rather flimsy looking 3 wheel vehicles, and the drivers practically beg you to hand over your 20 Bahts for a sightseeing tour.

I was told to catch the tuk tuks with yellow number plates as they are government regulated but, given the number of lies I was told on the streets of Bangkok, this may or may not be true.

Each tuk tuk has a unique number, and number 1355 was the lucky driver who managed to lure me in to his vehicle for a death defying dash around Bangkok’s traffic clogged roads. With no seat belt and nothing to prevent me from being thrown from the vehicle in the event of a crash, I gripped onto the side rails and prayed that the driver would deliver me safely back to the Grand Palace.

I’d agreed a fee of 20 Bahts (0.30 GBP) in advance with the driver for him to take me to the giant standing Buddha at Wat Intharawihan, the Golden Mount and then back to the Grand Palace. However, Bangkok’s tuk tuk drivers are notorious for making unscheduled stops and failing to deliver passengers where they actually want to go. For more details of my own personal experience of this, see my “Warnings and Dangers” tip.

My tuk tuk ride was certainly exhilarating and offered a unique way to view the city from the road – certainly more exciting than watching the sights pass by from the window of an air conditioned taxi!

I highly recommend a tuk tuk ride…but only as a one-off experience!

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I visited the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew during a visit to Bangkok in September 2007.

I put on a pair of long trousers and a t-shirt which covered my shoulders (a necessity in order to be allowed in) and paid 250 Bahts (approx. 4 GBP) for a ticket which included not only the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, but also the Vimanmek Mansion Museum and The Pavilion of Regalia, Decorations and Coins. I never actually visited the latter attractions, which were located elsewhere.

One of my favourite sights was the one that first appeared upon entering Wat Phra Kaew – the golden Phra Siratana Chedi (a large golden spire), standing next to the colourful Phra Mondop and Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn – three impressive spires reaching towards the skies.

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha was undergoing external renovation work during my visit and so was covered in blue tarpaulin. I took off my shoes and went inside for a quick look. Many people, locals and tourists alike, were sat on the floor, cross legged, ensuring their feet were not pointing at the Emerald Buddha. Outside, a queue of people were waiting to light candles.

I wandered around the array of impressive temples and colourful chedi towers, and spent a few minutes looking at a replica model of Angkor Wat.

I then made my way towards the Grand Palace, taking lots of photos of the impressive Chakri Maha Prasat Hall fronted by green lawns and trees. Some sort of “changing of the guards” procession was taking place, as a group of young men in white uniforms marched past me with guns at the ready.

I ended my visit by browsing the Wat Phra Kaew Museum (free entry).

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Phone: 02-224-1833
Address: Maharaj Pier, Chao Phraya, Bangkok
Website: http://www.discoverthailand.com/

The Wat Phra Kaew Museum is located within the grounds of the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew and is included in the ticket price of 250 Bahts (approx. 4 GBP).

I browsed the museum for 20 minutes at the end of my visit to the site in September 2007.

The main exhibits of the museum are overwhelmingly Buddha statues. You will see Buddhas of all different shapes and sizes, made from a variety of different materials (emerald, glass, crystal, silver, gold…) and in a variety of different poses (reclining, standing, meditating, pondering…).

In truth, there is little else to see in the museum. There are a few artefacts and a small model of the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, so you can retrace the steps you have just taken.

One interesting feature of the museum is that you must take off your shoes to visit the upstairs exhibitions. At the bottom of the stairs there is a rack for Thais to leave their shoes, and a separate rack for foreigners to leave theirs.

If nothing else, the Wat Phra Kaew Museum is a good place to cool off in air-conditioned exhibition rooms after lots of outdoor sightseeing at Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace.

Photography is not permitted inside the museum.

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Phone: 02-224-1833
Address: Maharaj Pier, Chao Phraya, Bangkok
Website: http://www.discoverthailand.com/

I visited Wat Pho during a visit to Bangkok in September 2007.

Wat Pho, which is located just a few minutes walk from the Grand Palace, is the largest Wat in Bangkok, and is famous for its huge reclining Buddha.

Entrance costs just 50 Bahts (approx. 0.80 GBP) and tourists must enter through specially designated entrances. I found Wat Pho to be less crowded, more laid back and generally more enjoyable than the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew where I had just come from.

The famous reclining Buddha, housed in a rather humble building, is 46 metres long and 15 metres high. The sheer size makes it impossible to capture the whole Buddha in one photograph, even if you stand in the far corner of the room. Even its feet are enormous, towering above the awestruck visitors, and they are decorated on their soles with mother of pearl decoration.

Along the wall besides the reclining Buddha there are 108 bronze bowls. Visitors are encouraged to place a coin in each of these bowls in order to achieve merit. I didn’t have many coins on me, and only found out later that you can change notes for hundreds of small coins at the temple.

While the reclining Buddha is the main reason for visiting Wat Pho, the rest of the site is also very pleasant to walk around. There are apparently 91 chedis (bell shaped towers decorated with colourful porcelain) on the site and many of them are clustered together like little chedi villages! A small temple on the site contains a handful of golden Buddha icons.

Wat Pho also contains a highly regarded massage school where visitors can either receive a massage or take classes in the art of massage.

After you’ve exhausted the various sights at Wat Pho, you can retire to the on-site souvenir shop and shaded café. You can find fortune tellers sitting at the tables of the café if you wish to know what the future holds…I just bought a cold bottle of Gatorade to quench my thirst.

Wat Pho…my favourite temple in Bangkok…and not just for the giant reclining Buddha!

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Phone: 02-221-991
Address: Tha Tien Pier, Chao Phraya River, Bangkok
Website: www.watpho.com

I visited Wat Arun during a visit to Bangkok in September 2007.

Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn) is located on the opposite bank of the Chao Phraya river to Wat Pho and the Grand Palace. It can easily be reached, as I did, by catching the cross river ferry from Tha Tien pier (next to Wat Pho); a 2 minute crossing that costs a mere 3 Bahts.

Entry to Wat Pho costs 50 Bahts (approx. 0.80 GBP) and visitors must be respectfully dressed. I wore a pair of long trousers and a t-shirt that covered my shoulders.

The main attraction of this temple over the other temples in Bangkok, in my opinion, is that you can climb the steep staircase to the temple’s upper terrace for breathtaking views of the Chao Phraya river and the city skyline. The main photo on my Bangkok introduction page was taken from the upper terrace of Wat Arun. The climb is a steep one, and be warned that in long trousers on a hot and humid day, it is a sweaty climb to the top!

The total height of Wat Arun’s central praang is 82 metres, but the upper terrace is at perhaps only half that height.

Wat Arun is decorated with colourful porcelain tiles and features small characters who appear to be holding the temple up. As I was climbing up the stairs, these characters looked like little devils to me, but my guidebook describes them as being half human, half bird and named “Kinnari”.

As well as the main temple there is also a chapel, the entrance of which is guarded by two giants. The perimeter of the chapel features dozens of golden Buddha icons, and I witnessed an orange robed monk meditating inside.

You can find stalls selling postcards, souvenirs and food and drink by the exit.

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Phone: 02-466-3167
Address: Tha Tien Pier, Chao Phraya River
Directions: From Tha Tien pier take a cross river ferry to Wat Arun (Cost: 3 Bahts at September 2007).

I visited Wat Intharawihan during a visit to Bangkok in September 2007.

This temple is dominated by the 32 metre high Buddha image that towers over the buildings below it, and is quite a spectacular sight!

Entry to Wat Intharawihan is free and you will have no problem finding a tuk tuk driver willing to drive you there and wait around while you take your photographs. It seemed that every tuk tuk driver and tout that stopped me in Bangkok recommended a trip to see the “giant standing Buddha”.

Surprisingly, the giant standing Buddha received very little coverage in my guidebook and so I was completely unaware of it until the tuk tuk driver offered to take me there.

As well as the giant Buddha, there are a host of smaller Buddha icons standing at his feet.

At the entrance, a man was trying to sell small bird cages with 2 or 3 birds in them (90 Bahts / approx. 1.50 GBP). The idea was to purchase a cage and then stand at the base of the giant Buddha and release the birds. It all seemed a bit cruel to me, and I didn’t like to think of somebody profiting from such practices, so I declined a cage.

Wat Intharawihan….the temple with the giant Buddha!

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Phone: 66-(0)2 2817810
Address: Wat Intharawihan -Standing Buddha Image
Directions: Bang Khun Phrom Sub-District, Phra Nakorn District, near by newly open Rama VIII bridge and Bank of Thailand.

I visited Wat Traimit during a visit to Bangkok in September 2007.

Wat Traimit is located in Bangkok’s Chinatown district, about 5 – 10 minutes walk from Hua Lamphong MRTA station. In all honesty there is only one good reason to visit this temple - the world’s largest solid gold Buddha!

The golden Buddha stands at 3 metres tall and weighs 5.5 tonnes. It was undiscovered until the 1950s, but then an outer layer of plaster began to peel away, exposing the solid gold icon beneath! Apparently, after this discovery, lots of other Buddha icons had their outer layers peeled away, but no others were found to be hiding solid gold figures.

The temple itself was nothing special to look at from the outside, and was in fact closed when I visited. Instead, the majority of visitors pass by to the left of the temple and purchase their tickets to see the golden Buddha (20 Bahts) from a small kiosk. They then climb a flight of stairs to where the famous Buddha is located on the first floor of a modest pavilion.

As well as the large and impressive centrepiece, there is also a host of smaller Buddhas with fake gold coverings in the pavilion. Next to the golden Buddha there is a counter selling postcards and other golden Buddha related souvenirs.

Wat Traimit – the world’s largest solid gold Buddha!

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Phone: 623 1226
Address: Thanon Yaowarat
Directions: Near Hualamphong Station

I visited the Golden Mount during a visit to Bangkok in September 2007.

The Golden Mount, once the highest point in Bangkok, stands above the small Wat Saket temple.

The Golden Mount is located in the Banglamphu region of the city. I walked there from the Grand Palace (20 – 25 minutes), but you can easily find a taxi or tuk tuk to take you there. The approach to the Golden Mount is along a picturesque palm tree lined driveway.

The climb to the summit is via a rather gentle spiral stone staircase. There are water features and lots of greenery to admire on the upward climb and close to the top there is a row of large bells that can be rung by those visiting for more religious purposes than I was.

There is no sign at the bottom advising of an entrance fee, so I climbed up not knowing how much it would cost to enter – but I knew it wouldn’t be very expensive. At the top, there is a donation box with a suggested donation of 10 Bahts to enter.

You must take off your shoes to enter the Golden Mount. Once inside, wou will find a small staircase that leads up to the roof terrace, with its large golden chedi (a sort of spire) and breathtaking views over the city.

For me, the panoramic views (and the chance to feel a refreshing breeze in an otherwise hot and humid city) are the main reasons for visiting the Golden Mount. You get a great view of the simple neighbourhoods lining the canals of Banglamphu just below the mount and, on the horizon, the high rise skyscrapers that have dwarfed the Golden Mount in recent decades. I spent a while admiring the views and watching dark storm clouds gather in the distance – but alas the rain never arrived!

As with many of the temples in Bangkok, you will find a souvenir kiosk inside the Golden Mount, selling postcards and other trinkets.

Breathtaking views of Bangkok from the Golden Mount!

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Phone: 66-2-233 4561

I stayed in Chinatown for a week when I visited Bangkok in September 2007.

While I probably wouldn’t stay there again if I ever returned to Bangkok (due to the lack of nearby public transport options), I would very highly recommend a visit there and a few hours (or even days) wandering the busy action-packed streets.

Yaowarat Road is the bustling main thoroughfare of Chinatown. It is lined on both sides with hotels, restaurants, Chinese food shops, grocery stores, clothing stores and jewellery shops. The shops and restaurants are only a small part of the shopping and dining opportunities in Chinatown though, as much of the activity takes place out on the streets.

You will find street food stalls all over Chinatown. These sell all sorts of food from simple bowls of noodles and soup to grilled meat, fresh seafood and sweet cakes. Roasted chestnuts are particularly common in Chinatown – you’ll find lots of people roasting them by the roadside.

As well as the food stalls, the streets are full of outdoor markets selling fresh fruit and vegetables, souvenirs, flowers, perfumes, clothing, toys and all manner of household items.

By night, Yaowarat Road is lit up by large neon signs that line the restaurant and shop fronts along both sides of the road. The food stalls are bustling after dark, with thousands of people (mainly locals) sitting on the streets eating cheap meals and watching the world go by. Even if you don’t fancy eating on the streets, it is fascinating just to walk around soaking up the atmosphere and taking photos.

As a tourist, you may want to note that no bars are allowed operate within Chinatown. Nightlife therefore centres around the hotels and restaurants, where you can buy alcoholic beverages to accompany your meal.

The nearest MRTA station to Chinatown is Hua Lamphong (15 minutes walk from Yaowarat Road) and the nearest ferry pier is Ratchawong (10 minutes walk from Yaowarat Road).

Visit Chinatown to soak up an atmosphere that is different from anywhere else in Bangkok!

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Address: Ratchawong Pier / Hua Lamphong MRTA
Directions: Yaowarat Road is the heart of Chinatown