Add a spit stop at the beautiful temple of Wat Arun and have lunch at the warehouse-chic contemporary Never ending summer Thai restaurant. Boats can be hailed at Sathorn pier for private hire and cost from £14 an hour. Bypass the waterside negotiation by asking your concierge to book one for you in advance.
Get around like the locals-it’s easy. Few Thai speak English, but streets, transport and attractions are usually well signposted in English. The Skytrain connects most hotel districts to the entertainment hubs or you can download the free Grab taxi app for haggle-free cabs and motorbikes (always ask for a helmet) want a tuk-tuk? Agree on the price before setting off £2 should cover a short journey.
Go to the market and take your camera, floating markets, flower markets, wet markets, vintage markets, night markets, weekend markets- the city offers no end of retail and photography opportunities. Take a fragrant early-morning tour between rainbow rows of orchids, marigolds and gladioli at Pak Khlong Talat indoor flower market. Spend a Saturday or Sunday at Chatuchak weekend market, one of the world’s largest, covering 11 hectares packed with antiques, handicrafts, hill-tribe fabrics, ceramics, silver and clothes. And go retro at Rod Fai, where food trucks, new and pre-loved clothes stalls and vintage Cadilac dealers set up on abandoned railway tracks from 5 pm to 1 am.
Leave luggage space for modern souvenirs too. Stock up under one air-conditioned roof at bargain mega malls. MBK is the one for techy gifts- here you will find purse-sized power banks, patterned laptops covers and bubblegum-pink Bluetooth headphones. The platinum mall is the one for Fashionable clothes and accessories-from unicorn hair extensions to faux pearl chokers.
The city’s famous bargain grub, papaya salad, shrimp noodles, grilled chicken, it is trickier to find since the government’s recent edict banning all street vendors during the day. The situation changes daily, but for now, get your fill in foodie hotspots Khao San Road in China town.
Try Thonglor, Bangkok’s hippest neighbourhood, it's full of arty co-working spaces, salons offering cryotherapy facials, retro barber shops, zany design stores and late-night speakeasies.
Go boutique-hoping on Sukhumvit, hang out at the Commons, a sunlit indoor/outdoor arcade with a dozen cool cafes to choose from. Drink cocktails at the Dickensian Esque Iron fairies and dance under disco balls and carousel horses at Escobar.
Get around like the locals-it’s easy. Few Thai speak English, but streets, transport and attractions are usually well signposted in English. The Skytrain connects most hotel districts to the entertainment hubs or you can download the free Grab taxi app for haggle-free cabs and motorbikes (always ask for a helmet) want a tuk-tuk? Agree on the price before setting off £2 should cover a short journey.
Go to the market and take your camera, floating markets, flower markets, wet markets, vintage markets, night markets, weekend markets- the city offers no end of retail and photography opportunities. Take a fragrant early-morning tour between rainbow rows of orchids, marigolds and gladioli at Pak Khlong Talat indoor flower market. Spend a Saturday or Sunday at Chatuchak weekend market, one of the world’s largest, covering 11 hectares packed with antiques, handicrafts, hill-tribe fabrics, ceramics, silver and clothes. And go retro at Rod Fai, where food trucks, new and pre-loved clothes stalls and vintage Cadilac dealers set up on abandoned railway tracks from 5 pm to 1 am.
Leave luggage space for modern souvenirs too. Stock up under one air-conditioned roof at bargain mega malls. MBK is the one for techy gifts- here you will find purse-sized power banks, patterned laptops covers and bubblegum-pink Bluetooth headphones. The platinum mall is the one for Fashionable clothes and accessories-from unicorn hair extensions to faux pearl chokers.
The city’s famous bargain grub, papaya salad, shrimp noodles, grilled chicken, it is trickier to find since the government’s recent edict banning all street vendors during the day. The situation changes daily, but for now, get your fill in foodie hotspots Khao San Road in China town.
Try Thonglor, Bangkok’s hippest neighbourhood, it's full of arty co-working spaces, salons offering cryotherapy facials, retro barber shops, zany design stores and late-night speakeasies.
Go boutique-hoping on Sukhumvit, hang out at the Commons, a sunlit indoor/outdoor arcade with a dozen cool cafes to choose from. Drink cocktails at the Dickensian Esque Iron fairies and dance under disco balls and carousel horses at Escobar.