It is my first time in Thailand and I love everything about it. In comparison to Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur (blog here), Bangkok – the capital city of Thailand is staggering. From Thai Food, to Thai massage and Thai people, it all suits me well. I am aware that Thailand has more to offer than Bangkok but for now Bangkok is my base for my travels. The rest of the country has to wait.
See below my tips to know when visiting Bangkok!
Bangkok
How to describe Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, the best? There are probably many words but the first one that comes into my mind is ‚busy‘! Really busy! With a population of over 8 Million people it is certainly the biggest capital I have ever been too. (Madrid has over 6Mill in the greater area). The traffic is terrible and chaotic but there are plenty of traffic control guys to make it flow as best as possible. I haven‘t seen any accidents in the whole time.
In addition, from high rise towers to poorer backstreets living, it is easy to see that the city is massively modernising. It will take a few years though and I am sure once they put all the phone lines underground it will make a huge difference.
The sky train and pedestrian walkways above the roads are the best. You get to see the city and busy streets from a different angle. And the colourful cabs below make for a great contrast of the otherwise grey and (still) rather dirty city.
The boat-filled Chao Phraya River feeds its network of canals, flowing past the Rattanakosin royal district that is home to the opulent Grand Palace and its sacred Wat Phra Kaew Temple. Unfortunately the river had the same colour as the sky the day I was there so the photos look rather colourless and the Wat Arun Temple (Temple of Dawn) doesn‘t come across as grand as it is in real.
The Temples of Bangkok
I have visited the nearby Wat Pho Temple with the reclining Buddha. The complex is quite stunning and so different to all the European castles and ruins I have visited. They were my first Temple visits on this trip but I am quite certain it won‘t be the last.
Furthermore the people here are really friendly. Unless of course they try to sell you something or you try and bargain with them. Then they can become quite annoying. But if you can handle the hassles and the bargaining, you won‘t have any troubles.
Shopping
I feel that even if I would stay in Bangkok for a month I still wouldn’t be able to visit every store there is. Bangkok is basically full of shops and you can find one shopping centre next to another. From high end to local designers as well as the huge market halls, massive tech and IT centres as well as fake designer shops. Everything exists in immense amounts. One bigger than the other, and all next to each other. Quite fascinating really however I have been only to a few shops, mainly to check out some funky iPhone gadgets.
Food
If you think there are lots of shops, there seems to be double as many food options. Everybody seems to be cooking something on the street and finding something to eat is quite overwhelming. Especially inside the food halls in the shopping centres. Restaurant next to a restaurant, the food sometimes looks or is all the same (at least to me).
In addition there are people everywhere and I never know where to start. In addition there is the challenge to eat clean as even Thai people don‘t mind deepfried options. Plenty of them around! Therefore Japanese and Korean has definitely been my favourite options so far.
Massage
Massages are cheap here and a great way to start or end the day. Or during of course. So obviously I have one every day, alternating between a foot and a traditional Thai massage. Depending on how I feel. Thai massage is the best for me. I love how they jump around on my body, pressure point my muscles and give me a good stretch. It can be a bit painful but I say if it hurts it means they are fixing my body. So the more it hurts the better for me. And trust me when I say, after all the hiking this year the first few massages hurt a lot!
Sorry, no photos as it is relaxing time but here are some picks from Bangkok at night!
Good to know when visiting Bangkok
Are you about to travel to Thailand and/or Bangkok for the first time? Here are a few things you might want to know:
1) stand for the king Maha Vajiralongkorn, in the cinema. Just before the movie starts there is a short tribute to the king of Thailand where everybody has to stand.
2) take a cab ride only with the meter turned on. Don‘t be fooled by thinking you made a bargain when agreeing to a fixed price. Different to other countries here in Bangkok it is much cheaper to turn on the meter. I had to leave a few cabs as they refused to turn on the meter.
3) don‘t throw tissues and/or toilet paper into the toilet. Put it in the bin. Easier said than done however, because as much as I try to oblige to this rule my automatic handmovement sometimes takes over and it is too late. Ups!
4) use the skytrain. It is the easiest and quickest way to get around in Bangkok!
5) make sure you wear appropriate clothing when visiting the temples. That one I am sure everybody is aware of but it is not always easy to remember. Especially when it is hot and humid outside (like always!)
Happy Travelling! Cambodia next xx
