The first three we were in Thailand were spent in Bangkok. A city with at least 10 million people (they aren’t even 100% sure how many live there) that was sprawling. There was so much to see and day in Bangkok.
We arrived around 2am. Had a bit of miscommunication about where we were supposed to meet our bus but ended up finding it eventually and headed straight to our hotel. After almost a day spent traveling we were ready to shower, attempt to get some sleep and eat breakfast.
Spending 3 days of Bangkok here is what we did:
- Canal boat ride
- Wat Arun
- Wat Po
- Flower and Food Market
- China Town
- Grand Palace
- Temple of the Emerald Budha
- Walked the Amulet Market
- Explored Siam Square
- Toured the Jim Thompson House (He was an American we moved their after WWII and reinvigorated the Thai Silk trade, he built an amazing home that is available for tour. He mysteriously disappeared in the 1960’s and was never found)
- Had a few meals at food courts at local malls, this is one of the easiest ways to eat cheaply and have a lot of options. You add money to a card and go to small stands or restaurants and choose what dishes you want to try. One meal was $3 for 2 juices, a pad thai, a spicy soup and mango with sticky rice and cream. So good!
- Wandered local malls, this is a must just for the people watching!
- Sat by the pool for a few hours and relaxed
This is a lot in a few days, but a good pace for us. We had a mix of busy and some down time. An afternoon at the pool and going to bed at 6:30 one night because of the jet lag really did help us slow down.
Since we were in Bangkok during rainy season we had one full day of rain and just a few spotty showers the other days. It was hot and humid. Everyday was around 90 and very thick humidity. We would walk outside and sweat! We spent a lot of time in temples and proper dress was required. What did this mean? Men had to have t-shirts on, no tank tops and shorts at least to the knees or in some cases long pants were required. For women shoulders had to be covered with at least a t-shirt, no short shorts and skirts needed to be at least to the knee. They are strict about this, you must abide by the rules. Most days I had a quick dry or wicking style t-shirt on and a knee length skirt. One day I had a maxi style tank dress and wrapped a scarf around my shoulders. This was a mistake! I was sweating all day long.
What I used in Bangkok?
Thin/wicking t-shirts
Knee length skirts, shorts
1 pair long pants, thin
1 shawl/scarf for temples
Rain jacket
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Comfortable sandals that you don’t mind getting wet if it rains
Cross body style bag that zips and is hard for pick pockets to get at
What I wished I had?
Umbrella. I could have bought a cheap one there but it would have been nice to have a travel sized one. Sometimes it is just too hot for a rain jacket.
More skirts instead of capris
Bangkok was a great experience. It is a city full of culture, great people, delicious food, decent beer and so many places to see. You could easily see most of the sites in 3 days and have a few more days to explore other parts of Thailand.
A few of our favorite pictures-
