11 Amazing Reasons Why You Should Travel to Bangkok This Year

When planning a trip through Thailand, most people will probably either dedicate a few days to visiting Bangkok or skip it entirely.

Everyone has their reasons, but if you’re unsure if the Thai capital ought to be on your itinerary, let us give you our 11 reasons why we believe it absolutely should!

There truly is something for everyone

Bangkok is big, really big. With a surface of 1,569 km², is the second largest city in South East Asia after Jakarta. Because of its massive size, each district has its own identity and characteristics, offering something for any vacation vibe you might be looking for.

Looking for endless, delicious street food and an amazing ambiance? Then be sure to check out Yaowarat Road in Chinatown. Or perhaps you would like to visit Sukumvit and Khlong San for some shopping in Bangkok’s spectacular malls. You can even escape from the chaos of the urban jungle by heading to one of the city’s beautiful parks, such as Benchakitti and Lumphini, to enjoy a day in nature!

From food, culture and entertainment, you can be sure to find that, and much more, in Bangkok!

The iconic Benchakitti Park in Bangkok.

Iconic Megacity

From Murray Head’s iconic “One Night in Bangkok”, to the opening of scene of “The Beach” starring a baby-faced Leonardo DiCaprio, Bangkok and its unique atmosphere have really cemented it in pop culture as a legendary city. 

The feeling of stepping out for the first time into this city is hard to put into words, and the pull to try and discover all of its corners and mysteries is irresistible.  

It’s easy to understand how Bangkok has been inspiring and capturing the imagination of westerners for years.

Great connection hub to explore the rest of the region

Bangkok is the perfect launching point to explore the rest of Thailand and South East Asia.

From the city’s main airport, Suvarnabhumi, you can reach pretty much every destination you can think of, both international and domestic, and it will be here that you’ll likely land when arriving from abroad. Don Mueang International airport, on the other hand, caters more to domestic flights.

Both airports are easily reachable via public transport, making flying in and out of Bangkok a real breeze. 

The connections don’t stop at air travel either, as you’ll find plenty of trains, busses and boats departing to both domestic and international destinations as well. 

In fact, it is likely that your Thailand itinerary will begin in Bangkok, so why not put aside a few days to explore all that the city has to offer?

Street view of Yaowarat, the main road along Chinatown, Bangkok.

Art and cultural centre in South East Asia

If it’s art and culture you’re after, Bangkok will not disappoint you.

Several awesome museums showcase works from both Thai and other Asian artists, such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chatuchak, or the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre in Pathum Wan.

Meanwhile, street art and graffitis from local and international artists in Talat Noi merge seamlessly with amazing Buddhist art, and the beautiful temples are a great, and mostly free of charge, escape from the chaos of the city. Just be sure to follow the appropriate guidelines regarding behaviour and clothing.

A good introduction to South East Asian chaos

South East Asia is known to being rather chaotic. Schedules, traffic, opening hours, everything works according to its own unwritten rules, and you’ll soon find that you need to adapt to the city and its rhythm, not the other way around. 

Nothing will arrive exactly when it says it will, everything will move at a snail’s pace, motorists will run you over if you don’t watch out, and you won’t be able to change any of this, no matter how hard you try. Especially to a lot of western tourists, this can be quite an overwhelming experience, and a chance to learn how to be more humble and flexible. 

Bangkok is a great place to first experience this different lifestyle. As they deal with tourists everyday, people will be much friendlier and open to lend you a hand if you find yourself lost or confused.

A photographer’s and artist’s dream

The architecture of Bangkok varies so much that you’ll constantly have a new background and backdrop to your images.

It is a city living in between two worlds, the iconic traditional and religious vs the ultra modern extravaganza. This clash is really inspiring, and any artist and creative will get a kick out of it.

With the chaos and the traffic of the city, and the constant flow of people, photography opportunities are absolutely endless. Cats sitting on a monument, tourists marvelling at the next stunning sight, locals working and going on with their daily life. Plus, the light is absolutely gorgeous, despite the heavy pollution. 

Bangkok never stops, and just when you think you’ve seen it all, night falls and the city shows a completely different face. Pack a few extra memory cards, you’ll need them!

One of many street food stalls along the chaos of Chinatown, Bangkok.

Delicious and readily available street food

Bangkok truly is a street food capital!

We were amazed by how many street food / night markets there were, and the variety of deliciousness that the stalls offered. And you don’t have to go too far to find them. Most streets will have at least a few stalls, and several are located inside shopping malls. As a result, in the week we spent in Bangkok we only ate a few times in an actual restaurant. 

With that said, use your best judgement when choosing a place to eat. We always went to busy stalls, followed our instincts and never got sick, but the term “Bangkok Belly” exists for a reason. 

Street stalls are not as regulated as restaurants are, and the risk of food poisoning is unfortunately always a possibility. 

Affordable and reliable public transport

Bangkok is a massive city that is very luckily connected with a very efficient and affordable transport system.

The BTS Skytrain and the MRT metro are likely to be your main form of transport, so we would recommend booking your accommodation not too far from one of the stations.

Boats are also another form of transportation that really surprised us! They connect most locations along the river, are extremely affordable and depart, mostly, at regular intervals. Some provide a free shuttle service to cross to the other side of the river, such as the one going to and from the ICONSIAM shopping mall. 

If everything else fails you can always rely on a veritable army of tuk-tuks, taxis, motorbikes, Grab (Uber) and Bolt drivers.

However, we found the public transport system to be more than enough and much more affordable. It might take you a moment to figure out how to use it, but trust us, it’s worth it!

The friendliness of locals

For a city so large, we found people to be incredibly nice, helpful and friendly.

We left with many fond memories, such as a sweet hotel waitress that hugged us both as we left and asked to stay in touch. It also doesn’t hurt to learn a few Thai words, it will really help break down the cultural barrier! 

Be, however, wary of overly friendly strangers: We were almost led into a scam by a seemingly nice old man, and managed to pull ourselves out on time. Embrace the friendliness of the locals but always raise a red flag and keep your wits about you if someone is suddenly being too nice for no apparent reason.

Beautiful and not so well know Buddhist temple near the neighbourhood of Talat Noi: Wat Maha Phruettharam Worawihan.

A really safe city overall

Bangkok is an extremely safe city, arguably safer than many western cities, even at night.

Because of this, you can allow yourself to step out of the beaten path and get a little lost. We always felt very comfortable doing that, and had a great time exploring all the little alleyways, especially in Talat Noi. The Thai Tourist Police is also always reachable via an emergency number (1155), adding another layer of safety to this amazing city.

With that said, there are a few things to watch out for:

• We backed out of small streets that were too poorly lit and isolated, which made us a little uncomfortable.

• Another thing to watch out for is dogs, especially at night. You’re unlikely to come across aggressive ones on large streets, but dog bites do happen. Many are sadly Rabies carriers, another reason to steer clear.

• Finally, watch out when crossing the road. Traffic in Bangkok is not a joke, and car accidents are the most prevalent cause of hospitalisation among tourists. Motorists drive fast and according to their own unwritten rules, and it matters little whether you’re crossing at a zebra path or a traffic light. 

Chaos can be a beautiful thing

Unlike most people, we fully embraced the chaos of Bangkok.

We absolutely loved experiencing that surge of adrenaline that comes from rushing across the street while motorbikes zipped around us, the never ending stream of people and vehicles, all with the backdrop of giant skyscrapers and ancient temples.

We quickly got used to the fact that, tourist or local, you move with the flow of Bangkok or Bangkok steps on you. We allowed ourselves to get pulled, curious to see where we would end up next. 

In the end, the main reason we recommend you visit Bangkok is because it is an untamed beast that still reflects the Thai way of living without much external influence. Sure, many parts of the city cater only to tourists, but head for just a moment in the opposite direction and you’ll see the real heart of Bangkok.

Chaotic, messy, unpredictable.. but amazing!

There is a reason why Bangkok is one of the most visited cities in the world.

Give it a chance, step off the beaten path and we promise you won’t forget it!

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