Things to do in Bangkok | Tourism - Cathay Pacific

The sheer scale of Bangkok can be daunting to newcomers, but persevere to discover the city’s alluring clash of old and new. Known as the Venice of the East, Bangkok’s historic waterways - known as ‘khlongs’ - are still used today by commuters traveling along the Chao Praya River. But such nods to tradition sit alongside the vertiginous skyscrapers, world-class restaurants and glamorous, climate-controlled shopping malls of this modern super-city.

Bangkok cityscape and Chao Phraya River at sunset

Multi-coloured roofs of a Bangkok market from above

Demon Guardian statues at Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok

Bright lights at night in Chinatown, Bangkok

Tourist boat passing by Wat Arun Temple, Bangkok

Visitors at the gold Reclining Buddha in Bangkok

A couple receives a traditional Thai massage together

An outdoor installation at Bangkok’s Museum of Contemporary Art

A delicate beef dish at Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin

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The capital city of the Land of Smiles, bustling Bangkok is modern, exciting and full of colour

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With huge malls, floating markets and eye-catching street stalls, Bangkok’s shopping scene is legendary

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Bangkok’s Grand Palace is home to the stunning Emerald Buddha in Wat Phra Kaew temple, one of the city’s most spectacular attractions

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Eat, shop and wander in amazement along Yaowarat Road in Bangkok’s Chinatown, one of the largest Chinatowns in the whole world

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Take a cruise down the Chao Phraya River, passing by the impressive Wat Arun Temple for a unique perspective on Bangkok

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Wat Pho is the oldest temple in Bangkok and home to the giant and glittering, gold Reclining Buddha

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Bangkok is a fast-paced and sprawling city of skyscrapers and shopping malls

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Enjoy a traditional Thai massage at the Opium Spa in The Siam Hotel

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Bangkok’s Museum of Contemporary Art houses Thailand’s largest collection of modern artwork in a purpose built gallery

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At the acclaimed Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin, traditional Thai cuisine is reimagined through the lens of modern gastronomy

Take a leisurely cruise up the Chao Phraya River from Bangkok and step back in time at the former Thai capital of Ayutthaya. Whilst also accessible by road and train, two-hour day trips on historic barges offer a unique view of this ancient city.

Boats often make a first morning stop at the 17th-century European-style Bang Pa-In Royal Palace, inspired by the French Palace of Versailles. Across the river, Rama V ordered the building of Wat Niwet Thammaprawat in 1878 to resemble an English Gothic cathedral, complete with ornate stained-glass windows. This active Buddhist temple can be reached by a cable car manned by temple monks and strung across the river.

Continue onwards for the short boat ride to the UNESCO Heritage Site of Ayutthaya. The ruins of soaring reliquary towers and monumentally proportioned Buddhist monasteries are all that remains of its past glory. Sadly, the vast majority of Ayutthaya's treasures were stolen, burned or melted down in ages past. Those that survive are on display at the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum. These include a trove of Buddha images found at Wat Ratchaburana that originate from Sri Lanka, Nepal and Java, as well as gem-encrusted gold statues.

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Bangkok is a fast-paced and sprawling city of skyscrapers and shopping malls

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Enjoy a traditional Thai massage at the Opium Spa in The Siam Hotel

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Bangkok’s Museum of Contemporary Art houses Thailand’s largest collection of modern artwork in a purpose built gallery

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At the acclaimed Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin, traditional Thai cuisine is reimagined through the lens of modern gastronomy

Opium Spa

Within The Siam hotel, Opium Spa aims to restore body and mind while using Sodashi products from Australia, which are free of synthetic chemicals. Treatments include access to the hammam-inspired bathhouse and steam and sauna facilities.

Location

The Siam, 3/2 Thanon Khao, Vachirapayabal, Dusit, Bangkok

Phone

+66 2206 6999+66 2206 6999

Eat

Hong Bao

Delectable dim sum restaurant Hong Bao serves up crowd-pleasing Chinese favourites in an elegant, second-floor dining room. After dining on an extensive range of dumplings, loosen your belt further to make room for their famed ‘golden salty egg bun,’ a doughy bun with an oozing, salty-sweet egg yoke centre. Call ahead to reserve a banquet booth.

Lumpini Park

Created by King Rama VI in the 1920s, Bangkok’s first official park offers the capital’s inhabitants refuge from their city’s unrelenting roar. Featuring a large lake, shady pathways, and carefully tended lawns, Lumpini is enjoyed by all sections of society. As dusk falls, Muay Thai boxers can be seen training at the rickety exercise park while nearby crowds step in time to tinny music at an outdoor aerobics class. Bring a picnic and lounge on the shores of the scenic lake – just beware of the prehistoric-looking monitor lizards, which are often seen swimming through its waters.

See

Chatuchak Weekend Market

The lively weekend market, established in 1982, has more than 15,000 booths with a mind-boggling selection of art pieces, furniture, fashion, ceramics and handicrafts along with delicious food and drinks.

Location

Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road, Chatuchak

Phone

+66 2 272 4440+66 2 272 4440

Jim Thompson House

An American military officer turned silk entrepreneur who made Thailand his adopted home for decades, Jim Thompson rose to international fame for his exquisite textiles. His home in central Bangkok - a traditional Thai-style collection of six teak structures, exquisitely decorated with antiques - has been carefully transformed into a museum, offering a nostalgic insight into what life in Bangkok was once like. Compulsory guided tours around the house provide fascinating detail on the architectural details of the property, as well as further information on Thompson’s unusual life and high-profile house guests. Of particular intrigue is Thompson’s mysterious disappearance in the ‘60s, which is still unsolved by historians.

Eat

Gaggan

Kolkata native Chef Gaggan Anand and his brand of progressive Indian cuisine is fast becoming the stuff of legend. Anand asserts that his critically acclaimed restaurant was born after a drunken night out with friends, but that doesn’t mean his approach to food is slapdash. On the contrary, the molecular techniques he brings to the culinary traditions of his homeland have earned Gaggan the top spot on Restaurant’s list of best restaurants in Asia for the past two years. Book ahead to sample the boundary-pushing innovation of his lengthy tasting menu.

Drink

Issaya Siamese Club

Step back in time at Issaya Siamese Club, a century-old Thai villa in central Bangkok whose jewel-colored rooms are decked out with stylishly mismatched antiques. Owned by Thai celebrity chef Pongtawat “Ian” Chalermkittichai – whose rags-to-riches tale saw him catapult from street food seller to acclaimed restauranteur – Issaya Siamese Club melds traditional Thai flavors with international culinary techniques. Outside, the chef’s garden grows the aromatic herbs that flavor dishes and drinks alike, and a large terrace offers al fresco dining on cooler evenings. Be sure to sample the signature Mussulman lamb shank curry, which sits alongside seasonal specialities and a formidable cocktail list.

Shop

Rajawongse Clothier

Rajawongse Clothier is a favourite amongst diplomats, corporate hotshots, and anyone else lucky enough to stumble across their small shop in central Bangkok. Owners Jesse and Victor are known for crafting bespoke tuxedos, suits, and shirts, using a wide-variety of materials available in-store. Be sure to factor in enough time for several fittings.

Eat

Chinatown by night

Bangkok’s most characterful neighborhood, Chinatown is a charming collection of ramshackle shophouses, narrow streets, colourful temples and fashionable new restaurants and bars. Start the night at Tang Jai Yoo, a traditional Chinese restaurant so famed for its suckling pig that celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain has sampled it. If you’re craving European cuisine instead, tasty Mediterranean-inspired fare and strong cocktails can be found nearby at Seven Spoons Restaurant, a local favourite for its reasonable prices and cosy decor. Once dinner’s done, wander on to Teens of Thailand, a dubious-sounding gin bar discreetly hidden behind a heavy door. When you’re ready for live music, head across the road to Tep Bar, another drinking hole which makes clever use of an atmospheric shophouse. The extensive drinks menu includes flavoured ya dong (local whiskey) shots and cocktails.

See

Museum of Contemporary Art

Bangkok's thriving contemporary art scene is centred near Chatuchak Market around the new six-storey Museum of Contemporary Art. The museum presents a collection of some 400 modern Thai works amassed over two decades by entrepreneur Boonchai Bencharongkul, including surreal nature portraits by Thawee Nanthakwang and the textural paintings of Suchao Sitkanet.

Location

499 Kamphaengphet 6 Rd., Ladyao, Chatuchak, Bangkok

Phone

+66 2953 1005-7+66 2953 1005-7

Drink

Vertigo-inducing rooftop bars

Bangkok is a city of skyscrapers so it’s little wonder that the after-hours scene has taken advantage. Located on the 30th floor of the Sofitel, the Hi-SO rooftop bar offers private cabanas on the outdoor deck for groups of friends to party in privacy. If that’s not high enough, Banyan Tree Bangkok’s dizzying Vertigo Bar offers al fresco drinking and dining on its 62nd floor. On the other side of town, Above Eleven’s 33rd-floor bar has a particularly unforgettable feature – their toilets, whose floor-to-ceiling glass means they serve as stunning observatories of the skyline. A few kilometers further up Sukhumvit, The Marriott’s Octave Rooftop Lounge and Bar serves up sensational, 360-degree views.

Chez LeeZ Thai Cooking Class

Thailand is enormously proud of its cuisine and quite rightly so. The complex subtlety of their cooking – from sweet and sour to spicy hot – has enchanted many a pharang looking to emulate these flavours back in their own kitchen. At Chez Lee’s acclaimed Thai cooking school, a four-hour class will introduce novices to national favourites like pad Thai and green papaya salad. Afterwards, enjoy eating the fruits of your labour – and look forward to impressing future dinner guests back home.

Shop

Shop ’til you drop

A shopper’s paradise, Bangkok is filled to the rafters with upscale malls large enough to get lost in. CentralWorld, which scoops the prize for sixth largest shopping complex in the world, is the most notable, with more than 500 stores, 100 restaurants and cafés, and an ice skating rink. At weekends, the infamous Chatuchak Market breaks another record for one of the world’s largest markets, covering a whopping 35 acres. If the thought of that gives you palpitations, head instead to Paya, a family-run business that sells beautiful home furnishings and textiles handwoven by artisans in northern Thailand. Fine craftsmanship can also be found at Maison Takuya, a leather goods brand that hand-stitches its elegant bags, wallets, and iPhone cases.

Drink

Viva & Aviv

Its prime perch along the Chao Praya River would be enough to put Viva & Aviv on the map. Extra incentives to pay a visit are the laid-back vibe with DJs spinning on the outdoor deck and an all-day drinks menu featuring beachy sips, such as the St. Tropez Smash with watermelon, passionfruit, lime and Stolichnaya vodka.

Location

Unit 118, 23 Trok Rongnamkhaeng, Yota Road, Talad Noi, Sampantawong, Bangkok

Phone

+66 2639 6305+66 2639 6305

Eat

The best brunch spots

Bangkok’s thriving coffee scene has resulted in an abundance of trendy cafés on every street corner – making it difficult to decide where to head come brunch time. The much-loved Roast, with two locations close to Sukhumvit, is always packed with diners happily scoffing hearty portions, washed down with the restaurant’s renowned coffee. Rocket Coffee Bar, a bright and airy Nordic-inspired café, nods to Scandinavia with Swedish meatballs, potato waffles, and open-faced sandwiches. And at trendy vegan restaurant Broccoli Revolution, egg and meat may be off the menu but that doesn’t dull the flavour. Try their wide range of cold-pressed juices or snack, guilt-free, on a dairy-free dessert.

See

Wat Chanasongkhram

The chaotic Khao San Road is nearby, but Wat Chanasongkhram Ratchaworamahawihan is a place of striking calm. This Ayutthaya-period temple sees a steady stream of devotees who come to pay their respects; if you visit in the early morning, you may overhear chanting Buddhist monks.

Eat

Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin

At Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin, traditional Thai dishes get an avant-garde twist from Michelin-starred Danish chef Henrik Yde Andersen. Sample ‘The Journey’s’ ten-course menu, with re-imagined dishes such as salt-baked carrot with tamarind and pan-fried foie gras with ginger and plum wine applying modern gastronomy to familiar flavours. Keep space for dessert, which brings particular pizzaz to fruity treats.

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