Bangkok, the vibrant and energetic capital of Thailand, is one of the most diverse places a traveler should visit. It is an ideal destination for any type of traveler, whether they are kids, adults, families, and friends. You will get delighted by the variety of foods, hotels, and good surroundings across the city. The trip can be gratified as per your requirements. Here in this article, we’ll explain about the unique attractions, memorable destinations, and the best things to do in Bangkok while you are traveling. Let’s dive in!
1. Visit The Wat Pho Temple: The Temple of the Reclining Buddha
Wat Pho or Wat Phra Chetuphon is the temple of the ‘Reclining Buddha’, located behind the temple of Emerald Buddha and the best place to visit for first-time visitors in Bangkok. The name refers to the monastery of the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, where Buddha is believed to attain enlightenment.
It is one of the largest and oldest temples named after the posture of the statue Sihasaiyas, which means entry to Nirvana and end of reincarnation in Buddhism. The history says Buddha completed 108 positive actions on his way to becoming perfect. The giant Reclining Buddha is 46 meters long, 15 meters tall and is covered with a golden leaf which looks incredible when you get up close.
At the same time, as you are at the temple you can also stop for a while to receive a traditional Thai Massage. Wat Pho is considered as the leading school of traditional Thai massage in Thailand.
The entrance to the temple costs 100 baht and you can visit any time between 08:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
2. Visit Wat Arun Temple: The Temple of Dawn
Wat Arun is one of the most spectacular temples in Bangkok. ‘Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchaworamahaviharn’ is the full name of the temple. The temple is named after the Hindu God Aruna, the god of dawn. The temple looks magnificent during sunset and at night when the lights reflect on the shrine, it looks golden.
The central tower of the complex is called Phra Prang which provides an excellent view of Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. It is 80 meters high and the view is quite impressive with thousands of mosaics stones with which the Prang is decorated. You can get a feel when you have a closer look at the mosaic which represents the path of Buddha’s life from his birth to incarnations.
The entry fee to the temple is 100 baht and you can visit daily from 08:30 AM to 05:30 PM.
3. Spend a moment at the Grand Palace: (Emerald Buddha)
Grand Palace, Sanamchai Road is the most famous landmark in Bangkok. Once upon a time the palace was the king’s home, later administered by the Thailand Government to be carry out their work.
Wat Phra Kaew, the temple of Emerald Buddha (Phra Ubosot) is situated in the ancient grand palace. This is considered as the most important attraction in the grand palace.
The interior of the temple looks extraordinary with its golden Chedi, statues and the chapel of the Emerald Buddha. It is not so easy to describe the temple in words, everyone should visit at least once in life to experience its essence.
The entry fee is 200 baht and you can visit from 8 AM to 3.30 PM.
Moreover, it will take 4 to 5 hours to cover all the three famous temples mentioned above. If you are not travelling through any agency, you can walk to the counter to buy tickets. Don’t get scammed by the guides who present in front of the temples as they charge hefty amount unnecessarily.
4. Travel on BTS sky train – Anywhere in the city in minutes:
The Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS), also known as the Sky Train or Rot Fai Fa in Thai, is the prominent and fastest elevated transport system in the city.
It allows visitors to travel anywhere to avoid traffic, taxi, and bustle. It is the most comfortable public transportation methods in Bangkok. The visitors can cover all parts of Bangkok and make their travel convenient, safest, and easy.
You can buy a day pass which you can use it from morning 6AM to 11.59PM. You can also get the card for 200 baht which is valid and usable up to 1 year for your convenience. If you are planning for a longer days of visit, you just need to add the top up amount for travelling.
5. Take a Boat Ride on River:
Chai Phraya River is flowing as the lifeline in Bangkok and all the little canals feed off it across the city. The river is also called as the lifeblood of Bangkok as many people still depend on the ferries to go up and down on the river.
Taking a boat trip on the river is really enthralling as you will see high rise condominiums and wooden shacks in one part and children playing in the water in other parts along the banks of the river. You can explore the city by taking stops on the ferry to get on and off.
Timing:
River taxis operate to and fro on the river and costs from around 10 baht depending on the length of your journey. However, during the office hours, these boats come every 20 minutes and charges 20-30 baht per person.
6. Go for the Floating Market:
Khlong Lat Mayom is a popular tourist attraction in Bangkok. The visitors get a massive experience during the weekends. The floating market buzzes with the crowds of tourists and the visiting vendors selling bouquets, mementos, fresh plants, and many more on the floating shops. The visitors will also enjoy the beauty of the river during the weekdays with less crowd.
“Damnoen Saduak Floating Market ” is another popular floating market which starts from 6 am and ends a 12 pm. It is 90 kms from Bangkok and takes 1.5 hours to reach. Many Indians usually arrive at Bangkok during 4 AM to 6 Am, plan their itinerary from the floating market and then check in to hotel around 2 PM after having refreshment in floating market.
This is a nice place to experience the floating market, ordering food and shopping while riding through crowded narrow canals on the long tail boat. You will get delicious Thai food to eat, on the go.
7. Eat Out at Chinatown to Experience Food:
Chinatown is an exceptionally popular tourist attraction and a food harbor for foodies. The tourists can explore Chinatown after sunset for vibrant street-side cuisines.
The whole area is packed with market stalls, street foods, and many gold shops you should not miss all those. This area looks more beautiful and attractive during major festivals like Chinese New Year. You will find the true spirit of Chinese foods at good prices.
8. Explore the Chatuchak Weekend Market:
This market is popularly known as JJ Market, has been providing goods and services since 1942. It has become an attractive place of interest for visitors especially among wholesalers and traders over the years.
Approximately 2 lakh visitors can be found on weekends to buy from the vendors. The visitors will get a chance to interact with the locals, try some amazing cuisines, and can also get a wide range of products starting from accessories, home decors, clothes, and many more.
9. Splash out at shopping:
There are many popular shopping malls that house many different stores for high-end fashion designers, shopaholic persons, and also for visitors.
If you’re an Indian and want to go on a shopping spree, then Pratunam fashion mall is a good option for you that specializes in fashion clothes and accessories in retail and wholesale.
MBK mall is a famous mall that has daily visitors of 100,000, half of whom are young Thai people out of which every third person is a foreign visitor. You will find exclusively all kinds of electronic gadgets from the tiniest to drones in this mall.
Fortune IT mall is a great mall for tech purchases starting from selling and fixing computer hardware, including games and software.
Terminal 21 at Asok, Siam Paragon, Siam Square, is a great place for sightseeing pictures and exclusively for fashionable and branded clothes.
10. Take a trip to Siam Ocean World:
Siam Ocean World is situated in the basement of a high-end shopping mall, Siam Paragon. This place is not just for kids but a fun place for adults too.
You can see various sea creatures here. In spite of the tickets being a bit costlier they are definitely worth it. The kids can really enjoy the many fishes and marine lives, freshwater animals, reptiles, snakes, and frogs. You will find numerous aquatic animals through the underwater tunnel. You will find different species of seahorses inside the aquarium.
There is also an option available for adventurous people. You can wear a diving helmet and wetsuit to get in the tank to have a closer look of Sharks. A best place in Bangkok to spend time with family.
11. Visit the Asiatique Riverfront:
This is definitely one of the good places to visit in Bangkok to chill in your vacation. This place gets crowded during the evening time. There are plenty of restaurants around this place to dine in. This place is an expensive area than the mainland. However, the views are amazing and you can experience the refreshing streets of Bangkok. A worthy place for solo travelers and family travelers to sit back and relax before the crowd gets there. And yes there is a big giant wheel (like the London eye) to experience Bangkok city view.
12. Enjoy at Chaophraya River Dinner Cruise:
This is a cruise situated at Asiatique, in which you can experience the heritage imprinted on both sides of the river. The couples will get a romantic atmosphere on the dinner cruises in the heart of Bangkok. You will enjoy the floating restaurant with all its cruises with a lot of tourists.
This dinner cruise is more of an Indian crowd, so you will find a lots of Indian dishes with amazing taste. You will also get Indian buffet, continental and also western sea foods in the cruise. You will roam across the coast for 2 hours and will be able to see the beautiful hotels and malls from the ship.
13. Ancient city:
This is one of Thailand’s greatest architecture. You will find all the major places in Thailand made as small miniatures.
Also called Muang Boran in Thai, commonly referred to as Ancient Siam. You will see Thailand’s several historically significant structures at this place like the replicas of cultural buildings, and temples on the premises.
14. Enjoy the King Power Mahanakhon Glass Skywalk:
If you are keen to know what to do in Bangkok with adventurous activities, then you will enjoy the Mahanakhon glass skywalk. It is the tallest building where you can go to the rooftop to experience glass skywalk.
It is Thailand’s highest observation deck at a height of 314 meters which offers 360° panoramic views from the indoor and outdoor area. It is one of the best things to do in Bangkok and you should add to your bucket list if you love adventure. You will experience the glass trays from the 78th floor.
The tickets to access all levels on the Glass skywalk costs 1050 baht and 850 baht for indoor observatory (74th Floor).
15. Discover Bangkok’s Safari World and Marine Park:
If you are in search of something adventurous, then this is the place to be. Walking is not permitted in the Safari world as animals roam free. You will be roaming through a car in the zoo which is surrounded by lots of birds with variety, wolf, Tiger, lion, etc.
You can see birds and animals in Marine Park in a natural environment. You will see an amazing dolphin show in both English and local language with excellent sound effects. You can spend good times with your kids and family. You can also enjoy spy war, monkey shows, zebra shows along with dolphin shows.
16. Relish the Traditional Thai Massage:
You will find Thai massage parlor in almost every corner of the globe. But you can experience a traditional Thai massage only in Bangkok where it originated. The traditional Thai massage will let you feel a revitalized and balanced way of living. You will find some of the best spas in the world in Bangkok.
You should not miss the foot massage, which starts from 100 baht. Footer and shoulder massage, full body aroma massage, and body scrub are another preferred massages that lot of people try. Aroma massage will be done by using liquid gel, normal Thai massage will be used by bare hands, whereas the oil massage will be done by using different types of oil.
There are also several places with special herbal compress massage, where you will get a complete package of steam, sauna, and also the herbal hot compress full body massage.
17. Experience the NightLife:
You can experience great nightlife in Bangkok on the classy rooftop bars, nightclubs, and cocktail bars.
You will experience a budget-friendly nightlife at Khao San Road, Back papers heaven in Bangkok. It is a chaotic and budget hub, especially for Asian people. You will get cheap accommodation, a blooming social scene, and nightlife parties within a reasonable cost. It is the best travel destination for tourists. You will see all being packed with tourists and locals most of the nights of the week.
18. Spend an Evening at Nana Plaza:
Nana Plaza is called as Bangkok’s naughty central. It is interesting as well as a sleazy place mostly for adult entertainment. This place is an exciting, noisy, and very busy entertainment area. You can get delicious Indian, Arabic, and Middle East foods in many restaurants. This place provides a colorful ambiance for tourists.
A great place to hang out with friends. There are lots of bars with live music and a distinct crowd. It is a more popular venue for those in the mood for an exotic visual experience.
19. Climb the best Rooftop Bars:
There are many best things to do in Bangkok. You can go for a drink at the end of the day and enjoy the rooftop experience by overseeing the beautiful skyline of Bangkok. As soon as you reach the edge of the rooftop bars, though you might be afraid of heights, you will be able enjoy a 360-degree view of Bangkok. 
Let’s look at some of the best rooftop bars in Bangkok:
- The Speakeasy Rooftop Bar
- Skybar
- Octave
- Above Eleven
- Three sixty Lounge
20. Enjoy the Soapy Massages:
This is among the top things to do in Bangkok, Thailand. More often bachelor tourists can’t deny this one as 40% of foreigners visit Bangkok to experience this. The best days to visit these areas are on weekends when most of the girls show up for work, or girls who work at night to supplement at their day time job. Remember the massage girls’ have a cheerful attitude even if there is a language barrier.
21. Enjoy the Night Clubs:
Bangkok is famous for the nightlife scene and the night clubs. Exciting nightclubs, rooftop bars, and cocktail bars have grown over the years.
Sugar club is famous for hip hop music and the vibe is certainly not for kids. There is a big stage for dancers and an amazing dance floor. Thonglor area is known as the hippest district of Asia. You will get fashionable things and party scene with world class DJ’s. Shock 39 is a famous club located for pick up girls
22. Take a Walk at Lumpini Park:
Lumpini Park provides the people of Bangkok a much-needed break from their hurry and flurry life. The name of the park is named after the birthplace of Lord Buddha at Nepal. It is the best place for the romantic couple sitting and relaxing by the side of the lake. You will find all sorts of activities by people during the weekends like walking, jogging, aerobics, cycling, rowing, and paddle boating. You will also find a food court, basketball court, library, dance hall, and an auditorium for orchestras and bands. You will find greenery and flowers across the park. The visitors can spend some quality time in the park with their family, friends and enjoy the surrounding jungle.
23. Feel Blissful at the Flower Market:
Pak Khlong Talat is the primary flower market that is open 24*7. The visitors will enjoy visiting the market. Visitors will love discovering the exciting place filled with the sounds of vendors across Bangkok. You will find the fragrance of the flowers and the bright colors of the bouquets in the flower market.
24. Visit Koh Kret Island:
Koh Kret Island is not a natural island. It was formed in 1722 during the construction of the canal which is now known as Om Ket River. If you are a good swimmer, you can swim to the other side of the river.
25. Visit the Erawan Shrine:
It is situated in one of the busiest areas of Bangkok. There is a popular Brahma shrine that attracts many visitors. You can buy a bird here and set it free. You can also buy flowers or even spend more hiring dancers to please Erawan. This is considered as a sacred place where many people come and offer prayers, good fortune, and seek forgiveness of the lord.