Bangkok, Thailand is an amazing country filled with historical wonders, gorgeous temples, amazing food, friendly people and so much culture!

Back in July 2017, I traveled to Thailand where I was immersed in some of the most unforgettable adventures I’ve participated in and visited the most beautiful sites that are authentic and sacred to Thai culture.

During my two weeks in Thailand, I traveled with a group where we visited the cities of Bangkok, Damnoen Saduak, Phitsanulok, Chiang Mai and the island of Koh Samet.

In this blog post, discover everything you must see and do during two days in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Getting to and Around Bangkok:

Since I did a group tour to Thailand, all of my flights and hotels were taken care of beforehand.

If you are traveling to Thailand on your own, I highly recommend setting your desired travel dates into Skyscanner ahead of time and wait to see when the prices are low enough to purchase.

I flew from Newark Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok with a 3-hour layover in Hong Kong. It took us 16 hours to get from Newark to Hong Kong and then another 2.5 – 3 hour flight to Bangkok.

There is a plethora of ways to get around the city of Bangkok. Besides walking, I recommend taking the city’s skytrain or subway.

I also recommend getting the experience of traveling around via a tuk tuk.

Originally used in tropical, developing countries, a tuk tuk is a motorized rickshaw used for taxi services. A few things to note about taking a tuk tuk is that if there is enough room, your tuk tuk driver could pick up other people (similar to being in an Uber pool).

As a foreigner, you may also need to haggle the cost of your ride. (Unfortunately, there have been many times where tourists have gotten taken advantage of financially when using certain services in a specific country.)

In addition, you could also haul a taxi to get around as well. You may also need to bargain with taxi drivers too!

Another great way to get around Bangkok is by using the Chao Phrya River Express Boat. What is great about this boat is that it is an awesome way of seeing some of the city’s temples and sacred sites!

Other ways to get around Bangkok and the surrounding areas is by motorcycle taxi (similar to how Indonesians travel) as well as pubic buses and the Airport Rail Link. 

In addition to getting around Bangkok, it is also easy to get around the country as a whole.

Since I was with a group, we traveled around via private coach, but the country is filled with railroads. Most locals recommend you travel via train as it offers a safer and more comforting experience.

Other ways to get around is by taking the bus, ferry, local transportation or renting a car. Click here to discover the best way to travel around Thailand.

Where to Stay:

During my time in Bangkok, I stayed at Furama Silom located in Silom – Thailand’s major financial center and entertainment hub. This urban hotel offers a great Thai breakfast, has a rooftop pool, contemporary interior and friendly staff.

You could find other great hotels in Bangkok on Expedia. There are also a wide range of Airbnb and Vrbo options and with a growing number of nomads living in Thailand, there is a wide range of hostels as well.

Where to Eat:

Breakfast at Furama Silom: Like I mention above, our hotel had an awesome breakfast buffet every morning.

In Thailand, you usually do not eat pancakes, cereal, waffles, home fries and French toast as you would in America.

Instead, Thai breakfast consists of fried rice; pad Thai; fried noodles with veggies and eggs; exotic fruits such as mangosteens, pomelo, rambutan, durian, lychees, rose-apple, jackfruit and (of course) coconuts as well as a few pastries or bread.

Yai Yaa Thai: Located down the street from Furama Silom is an authentic Thai restaurant that I couldn’t recommend more! The staff at this amazing restaurant was super sweet and the food was out of this world.

I love Thai food and knew that we came to the right place when the chicken pad Thai and spring rolls felt like heaven in my mouth. For dessert, Yai Yaa Thai had the best Thai iced coffee as well as mango sticky rice! (In case you don’t know what mango sticky rice is, it is made with glutinous rice, locally fresh mango and hot coconut milk drizzled on top. It is amazing!)

Overall, Bangkok boasts some of the best Thai cuisine of all time, so it is imperative that you dine at the local restaurants throughout the city.

OPUS Wine Bar: Also located in the Silom area is a beautiful tropical wine bar that offers an amazing selection of Italian wines and good food. I had an amazing octopus salad while I was at this restaurant.

What to do in Bangkok:

The Grand Palace and Sacred Temples of Bangkok:

The Grand Palace:

On our second full day in Bangkok, our first stop was to The Grand Palace, the official residence of the Kings of Siam and later on, the King of Thailand. It is one of the most visited attractions in the country.

Serving as a royal residence since 1925, The Grand Palace is now used for ceremonial purposes.

This majestic site, located in the heart of Bangkok is divided into three main zones: the Outer Court – home to royal offices, public buildings and the Temple of Emerald Buddha; the Middle Court – the most important residential and state buildings and the Inner Court – exclusively reserved for the king, queen and their family.

When I first walked into The Grand Palace, I was awestruck by the intricate gold buildings, temples and beautiful statues placed within the vibrant tile work. I admired all of my surroundings as I knew the builders of this other worldly place spent long hours and hard work to make it the most magical and sacred site in the country.

Proper Etiquette at Sacred Sites in Thailand:

In Thailand, and many other Asian countries, there is a high-context culture. When I first arrived in Thailand, I was quickly informed of the characteristics that separate high-context cultures from the low-context, westernized culture that I am used to.

Some common characteristics of high-context cultures is the use of non-verbal methods to relay information in conversations such as facial expressions, eye movement and tone of voice; people are comfortable standing close to each other and trust must be developed before business transactions can begin.

Instead of reaching out to shake someone’s hand when you first meet them, you place your hands at the center of your chest and slightly bow without losing eye contact of the person you are acknowledging.

It is also important for men, women and children to be covered up when visiting sacred sites in Thailand. It is unacceptable to show your shoulders, chest and knees when visiting the temples and if you go inside, your shoes must be off.

During the day, I visited The Grand Palace; I had to purchase a t-shirt outside of the gates since I did not bring a jacket or shirt to cover my shoulders. Ps. You are allowed to wear Elephant Pants (the famous harem pants of Thailand) at sacred sites throughout the country.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej:

Throughout my time in Thailand, there were large displays of the country’s former king. You will find photographs of King Bhumibol Adulyadej at palaces, temples, sacred sites, in people’s homes, on highway billboards, throughout small towns and cities and so much more.

The King sadly passed away in October 2016 and many people dress in black to mourn his passing.

Ruea Hang Yao:

After our amazing time spent at The Grand Palace, we cooled down by boarding a traditional long-tail boat (called Ruea Hang Yao in Thai) along the Chao Phraya River, which is the main water channel in the city of Bangkok that flows into the Gulf of Thailand.

It was cool looking at the variety of different Thai houses and large and small temples. There were even a few vendors selling fresh produce, spices and other food items on their own long-tail boats. All of these great aspects are what make Bangkok known as the “Venice of the East”.

Wat Arun:

The main religion practiced among Thai people is Buddhism. There is also a large percentage of Muslims along with Hindus and Christians. When you are traveling throughout Thailand’s popular cities, you will mostly find temples that feature gorgeous Thai Buddha statues of all different sizes.

My favorite temple in Thailand was Wat Arun – Temple of Dawn. This magnificent temple is an architectural representation of Mount Meru, the center of the world in Buddhist cosmology. I had such a great time walking through the temple and the grounds. It also made for great pictures!

Outside of Wat Arun is a cute little market that sold beautiful gold Buddha souvenirs and other Thai goodies.

Silom Village’s Authentic Thai Dinner and Classical Show:

During one of the evenings when I was in Bangkok, we enjoyed a Thai dinner and dance show located in Bangkok’s Silom Village.

When we walked into the performance hall, we were asked to take off our shoes before sitting down to enjoy an authentic Thai dinner while being enamored by the mystical dancers.

Being able to experience this dinner show allowed me to understand Thai history and culture. The food that was served was much different than what I had been ordering, so it was great expanding my horizons and trying different dishes.

The show itself was pretty cool and the costumes were beautiful. Even though most of it was in Thai and I didn’t necessarily understand the story, I still appreciated the art and beauty behind it.

Nightlife in Bangkok:

During my time in Thailand, it was easy to say that Bangkok had the best nightlife! All of the nightclubs and bars we went to were so much fun and the music was amazing! I will admit that even though Thailand is very inexpensive, the nightclub scene is probably the most costly.

Some places that you definitely have to check out is the famous Hangover 2 bar called lebua Sky Bar, located in the famous State Tower in Bangkok. It was so exciting being at the same rooftop bar that Bradley Cooper was at during the time they filmed the movie and the views of the city at night were nothing but magical!

Some other fun nightclubs to check out during your time in Bangkok is Levels Club and Lounge as well as Sugar Club, where we enjoyed VIP bottle service.

Basic Thai Words 101:

Sawad Dee Ka – Hi (Feminine)

Sawad Dee Krab – Hi (Masculine)

Kob Kun Ka – Thank you (Feminine)

Kob Kun Krab – Thank you (Masculine)

Aroon Sawat – Good Morning

I hope you all enjoyed reading about my time in Bangkok, Thailand and discovering the best things to see and do during your time there.

If you have any questions about my time in Bangkok or my trip to Thailand in general, please feel free to email me at [email protected]

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Basic Facts of Thailand:

Currency: Thai Baht, Capital: Bangkok, Time Zone: Indochina Time

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