Things to do in Bangkok, splurging
Jim Thompson's house and the Grand Palace, with Jay Fai, Potong and Sorn to eat.
This is three days for the traveller who wants Bangkok at its most considered: fine-dining tables most nights, serious coffee in the morning, boutique shopping in the afternoon, and rooftop bars that actually deserve the climb. The plan runs from the cultural core of the old city through the polished corridors of Siam and out to the design-forward restaurants of Sukhumvit, with just enough green space to make the indulgence feel earned.
Day 1: Siam, Ratchaprasong, and a tasting menu
A morning of teak and silk at Jim Thompson sets the tone before Gaysorn's boutiques, a fine-dining lunch at Saneh Jaan, and Restaurant Coda's Thai contemporary tasting menu close the day properly.
- 10:00 AM
Jim Thompson House Museum
Start the morning at the Jim Thompson House, stunning teak pavilions packed with Southeast Asian art, cool and beautiful before the heat builds.
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 - 12:30 PM
Saneh Jaan
Royal-style central and southern Thai in the glasshouse at Sindhorn; the lunch set is the gentle way in.
Map - 2:30 PM
Gaysorn Village
Browse Gaysorn Village for luxury Thai and international design boutiques, the neighbourhood's best curated mall for a splurge shop.
Map - 7:30 PM
Restaurant Coda Bangkok
Contemporary Thai tasting menu a short walk from lunch; book ahead and take the full menu.
Map - 9:30 PM
Above Eleven Rooftop Bar & Restaurant
Rooftop Nikkei bar on Sukhumvit Soi 11; pisco sours and ceviche with a long view over the city.
Map
Day 2: Old city, street legend, rooftop finish
The Grand Palace in the morning, a queue at Raan Jay Fai for the crab omelette, a late walk in Saranrom Park, then Potong for dinner and drinks on its rooftop.
- 10:30 AM
The Grand Palace
Thailand's royal complex and the Emerald Buddha; come early, with shoulders and knees covered.
Map - 12:30 PM
Raan Jay Fai
Jay Fai cooks every crab omelette herself, in goggles, over charcoal; put your name down early.
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
Potong
Chef Pam's progressive Thai-Chinese tasting menu in her family's century-old Chinatown building.
Map - 9:30 PM
Opium Bar
Rooftop bar above Potong in Chinatown, cocktails with a skyline finish, swear-by late-night spot.
Map
Day 3: Phrom Phong: park, boutiques, Bar Us
A skywalk through Benjakitti's wetland forest, refined Indian at Indus, a browse at Emporium, then Sorn's southern Thai tasting menu and a nightcap at Bar Us down the soi.
- 10:30 AM
Benjakitti Park
Walk the 1.67 km elevated skywalk over the wetland forest, spot monitor lizards and herons at their most active.
Map - 12:30 PM
Indus
Acclaimed Indian on Sukhumvit, refined subcontinental cooking that punches well above its price.
Map - 2:30 PM
Emporium
Phrom Phong's luxury mall, linked to EmQuartier across Sukhumvit; an air-conditioned afternoon browse.
Map - 7:30 PM
Sorn
Southern Thai tasting menu built on produce from the south; reservations open far ahead, so book first.
Map - 9:30 PM
Where to stay
Rosewood Bangkok
Rosewood Bangkok puts you a short ride from every stop on the plan and matches the design-forward, high-spend sensibility of these three days.
Waldorf Astoria Bangkok
Waldorf Astoria Bangkok sits squarely in the Ratchaprasong corridor, walking distance from Day 1's lunch, dinner and shopping, with rooms that hold their own against the itinerary.
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