Bangkok Metropolitan Region · Thailand
Bangkok
A delta city of eleven million on a river that still works, where a gilded royal compound, a Chinatown that cooks in the street until two in the morning and a skytrain running above eight-lane traffic all occupy the same few kilometres. It is the most visited city in the world in most years, and it is not remotely worn out by it.
Bangkok's full ceremonial name runs to 168 letters and is in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest place name on earth; Thais call it Krung Thep, and only foreigners say Bangkok. That gap is a good introduction to the place. It looks, from a taxi on an expressway, like any large Asian city — and then you walk into a lane behind it and find a shrine with dancers being paid to perform for somebody's answered prayer, a woman who has cooked one noodle dish on that corner for thirty years, and a spirit house on the forecourt of a bank with a fresh strawberry Fanta in front of it. The city is not the towers; it is what is going on underneath them.
Plan your trip
Bangkok Tour Itineraries
Timed, walkable day plans — plus the best season to go.
Where to shoot
Bangkok Photo Spots
High crowdEntry Free
Chatuchak Weekend Market
- Best timeThe first hour after it opens, before the aisles fill and while the light still reaches down between the tarpaulins — by noon it is a crowd in a tunnel
- ColorsWhiteDenim blueRust
Medium crowdEntry Around ฿200 for adults, with a discount for students
Jim Thompson House
- Best timeLate morning, when the light comes through the garden onto the dark teak — the interiors are dim and the contrast between the shaded verandas and the green outside is the shot
- ColorsJadeCreamIndigo
Medium crowdEntry Free
Lumphini Park
- Best timeFirst light, when the mist is on the lake and the exercise groups are out under the towers — and again at the hour before sunset, when the skyline goes gold behind the trees
- ColorsWhiteSageLilac
High crowdEntry Around ฿500 for foreign visitors, including Wat Phra Kaew
The Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew
- Best timeThe first entry of the morning, at half past eight — the gold takes low light beautifully and the compound is genuinely walkable before the coaches arrive around ten
- ColorsWhiteCreamDeep blue
High crowdEntry Around ฿200 for foreign visitors
Wat Arun
- Best timeSunset from the opposite bank, when the prang is lit from behind and then floodlit after dark — the name says dawn and the photograph is the evening, which is the joke of the place
- ColorsWhiteCoralSky blue
High crowdEntry Around ฿300 for foreign visitors, which includes a bottle of water
Wat Pho
- Best timeEarly morning, before the Grand Palace crowd walks down — and late afternoon, when the chedi field goes warm and half of it is in shadow
- ColorsSaffronWhiteTerracotta
For the feed
Trending Wear in Bangkok
Modern, Instagram-friendly looks
Dressed for heat, then for a wall of rain
฿800–3,000
Songkran, and being soaked on purpose
฿300–1,000
The temple-day outfit
฿500–2,000
Rooted in the city
Bangkok Traditional Wear
Local, cultural, handcrafted outfits
Taste the city
Food to Eat in Bangkok
Trusted tables
Where to Eat in Bangkok
Or Tor Kor Market
Kamphaeng Phet, opposite Chatuchak
The morning grill carts
Outside BTS stations and office blocks, city-wide
The old-city noodle shops
Around Tha Tien, Phra Nakhon and the palace district
The street kitchens of Yaowarat
Yaowarat Road, Chinatown
The Tha Tien riverside terraces
Tha Tien pier, facing Wat Arun
Questions
Bangkok — FAQ
What is Bangkok famous for?
The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho's reclining Buddha, Wat Arun across the river, and Yaowarat, the Chinatown that cooks in the street until two in the morning. It is the most visited city in the world in most years.
How many days are enough for Bangkok?
Three days: one for the Grand Palace and the old-city temples, one for the river and the markets, and one for Chinatown at night — plus Chatuchak if you are there on a weekend.
What is the best time to visit Bangkok?
November to February, when it is dry and merely hot. April is the hardest month — Songkran in mid-April shuts the city down.
How do I get around Bangkok?
The city is spread out, so ride rather than walk: the metro and the skytrain above the traffic cover the long distances, and the river boats are the fastest way to the old city.
What should I wear to visit the temples?
Shoulders and knees covered — the Grand Palace enforces a dress code at the gate, and working temples expect the same. Our Bangkok wear guides show temple-day outfits that photograph well.