Things to do in Bangkok
Teak houses, acclaimed street food, and cocktails the city actually brags about
This is Bangkok for people who want to eat well without performing tourism: mornings in proper neighbourhoods, afternoons that respect the heat, evenings with a real dinner and one very good drink. The budget stays casual until it counts, and it counts twice.
Day 1: Jim Thompson, boat noodles, Coda
Start at Jim Thompson's teak pavilions before the heat peaks, drift through Thai indie fashion at Siam Center, eat boat noodles at Thong Smith, then close the night with Coda's contemporary Thai tasting menu and a rum cocktail at Tropic City.
- 10:00 AM
Jim Thompson House Museum
Six old teak houses that Jim Thompson joined and filled with Southeast Asian art; visits are by guided tour.
Map - 11:00 AM
Gallery Drip Coffee (Bangkok Art and Culture Centre)
Hand-drip coffee bar inside the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, near Jim Thompson House; closed Mondays.
Map - 11:45 AM
Siam Center
Siam Center is the local-designer heartland of Bangkok, browse Thai indie fashion just a short walk from the museum.
Map - 12:45 PM
Thong Smith (Siam Paragon)
Thong Smith inside Siam Paragon, locals' go-to for boat noodles and Thai river classics, great value at $.
Map - 7:30 PM
Restaurant Coda Bangkok
Contemporary Thai tasting menu near Lumphini; book ahead and make it the trip's one long dinner.
Map - 9:30 PM
Tropic City
Rum and tiki-style cocktails in a small neon room off Charoen Krung Soi 28; it stays open late.
Map
Day 2: Old city, river, Chinatown
Hit the Grand Palace early, eat riverside at Tha Maharaj, wind down in Saranrom Park, then dinner at Methavalai Sorndaeng and a rooftop finish at Opium.
- 10:15 AM
The Grand Palace
Thailand's royal complex and the Emerald Buddha; come early, with shoulders and knees covered.
Map - 12:30 PM
Savoey @Tha Maharaj
Top-rated Thai at Tha Maharaj, reliable, casual, right on the riverside after the palace.
Map - 4:30 PM
Saranrom Park สวนสราญรมย์
Former palace garden with a lake and pavilions, where locals jog and stretch as the heat drops.
Map - 7:30 PM
Methavalai Sorndaeng
Old-school Thai dining room on Ratchadamnoen since 1957, with live music and white-tablecloth service.
Map - 9:30 PM
Opium Bar
Rooftop bar above Potong in Chinatown, the perfect late-night cocktail finish, well before midnight.
Map
Day 3: Sukhumvit: park, plate, pour
Browse Emporium, lunch at EmQuartier, walk Benjakitti's wetland skywalk, dinner at Akira Back, then a last cocktail at Bar Us.
- 10:30 AM
Emporium
Browse Emporium for local designers and Thai goods, good air-con afternoon activity right on this stretch of Sukhumvit.
Map - 12:30 PM
Kub Kao Kub Pla @Emquartier
Reliable mid-range Thai at EmQuartier, fresh, well-priced and only a short cab from the park.
Map - 2:30 PM
Benjakitti Park
Walk the elevated skywalk over the wetland forest and look for monitor lizards and herons below.
Map - 7:30 PM
Akira Back
Akira Back's Korean-Japanese menu high up in the Marriott Marquis; the tuna pizza is the signature.
Map - 9:30 PM
Where to stay
VIE Hotel Bangkok - MGallery
VIE sits on Phetchaburi Road, one BTS stop from Siam, with rates that leave money for dinner.
Make Bangkok your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Rajadamnern Muay Thai Stadium: a few days ahead
- Thai Country Club: weeks ahead
- Alpine Golf Club: weeks ahead
- Nikanti Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Siam Country Club Bangkok: a few days ahead
- Hidden Bangkok Tours: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Anyone saying the Grand Palace is closed today and offering a cheap tuk-tuk tour is running the gem and tailor scam.
- Do not follow ping-pong show touts in Patpong or Nana upstairs, where padded bills and intimidation follow.
- Skip Damnoen Saduak as sold by hotel desks and use Bang Nam Phueng or Amphawa instead for a floating market.
- Avoid Asiatique, buffet dinner cruises and gem or tailor factories on tour itineraries.
The full Bangkok travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around