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Thais call it Krung Thep, short for a 168-letter ceremonial name — the longest city name in the world. Bangkok holds two cities on top of one another: the one of khlongs, gilded temples and riverside markets, and the one of Sukhumvit towers linked by a Skytrain running fifteen metres above the traffic. It is also the starting point for almost any trip to Thailand, southern islands included.
The old city of Rattanakosin holds the Grand Palace and the major temples; Sukhumvit and Silom hold the towers, the nightlife and the malls; Thonburi, across the river, keeps its canals.
The former capital of the Kingdom of Siam, 90 minutes by train. UNESCO-listed temple ruins, including the Buddha head held in the roots of a fig tree at Wat Mahathat.
Two and a half hours west, the Bridge on the River Kwai and the Death Railway, built by Allied prisoners of war. War cemeteries and museums.
Two hours southeast, the busiest resort on the Gulf of Thailand. Beaches, dense nightlife and the carved wooden Sanctuary of Truth.
Three hours south, the royal family's historic seaside resort. Quieter than Pattaya, with a night market and the Klai Kangwon Palace.
Royal residence from 1782 to 1925 and home of the Emerald Buddha, a 66 cm jade figure whose robes the king changes himself three times a year. Strict dress code: shoulders and knees covered.
The 46-metre Reclining Buddha, covered in gold leaf, with feet inlaid in mother-of-pearl. It is also the birthplace of traditional Thai massage, still taught on site.
The Temple of Dawn on the Thonburi bank, its 70-metre prang encrusted with thousands of fragments of Chinese porcelain. Best at sunset, seen from the opposite bank.
15,000 stalls across 12 hectares, open at weekends: one of the largest markets on earth. Clothes, antiques, plants, street food. Expect to get lost — everyone does.
The river is still the city's spine. The Chao Phraya Express boat serves the major temples for a few baht, and the Thonburi canals show a stilted Bangkok the modern city erased elsewhere.
Tropical monsoon climate, hot all year. Three seasons rather than four: hot, wet and cool — the last being relative, since January still reaches 32°C.
November to February: 25-32°C, drier air, clear skies. It is high season and prices follow.
March to May, the hot season, when the thermometer regularly passes 38°C with crushing humidity. September and October concentrate the rain and the street flooding.
The best window. Loy Krathong in November covers the river with floating lanterns.
Punishing. Songkran, the Thai new year in mid-April, turns the city into a three-day water fight.
Violent but short downpours, usually late afternoon. Fewer crowds and lower rates.
The wettest months. Some streets turn into rivers twenty minutes into a storm.
Bangkok is safe for travellers: violence against foreigners is rare and busy districts are comfortable late into the night. The risk is almost entirely commercial — well-rehearsed scams aimed at new arrivals.
No district needs avoiding as such. Ordinary care in the crowds of Khao San Road and the night markets. Traffic is the real hazard: crossing takes patience, and scooters filter between lanes.
Activate your ZapSim eSIM before you fly — connected on landing at Suvarnabhumi, so you can book a Grab instead of dealing with taxi touts.
Get my eSIMSuvarnabhumi (BKK): the Airport Rail Link reaches Phaya Thai in 26 min (฿45), then connect to the BTS. Metered taxi: ฿300-400 to the centre, plus a ฿50 airport surcharge and tolls. Don Mueang (DMK), used by low-cost carriers, is served by the A1 and A2 buses to BTS Mo Chit.
The BTS Skytrain and MRT cover most modern districts and skip the traffic entirely, which matters — Bangkok's congestion is severe. The Chao Phraya Express boat serves the old city temples. Grab for the rest. Tuk-tuks are an experience, not cheap transport.
The Rabbit card works on the BTS, a different card on the MRT: the two networks do not share ticketing. For a few days, single tickets are simpler and avoid tying up a deposit.
💡 Bangkok offers some of the best value for money on earth when it comes to eating: an excellent street dish costs under ฿100, roughly 3 USD. The gap with hotel restaurants is enormous, often tenfold for food that is not ten times better.
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