Bangkok: The Ultimate Top 10
In these lines, we offer you the essentials, a luxury, something authentic and something free in the city of angels,
1- GRAND PALACE AND WAT PHO If you are only going to see two temples, let it be these. The ** Grand Palace ** was the residence of the kings of Thailand until Rama IX, the current monarch, moved it to the outskirts of bangkok . This eminently Thai-style complex also combines European influences brought by Rama V, one of the kings of the Chakri dynasty who did the most to open the then kingdom of Siam to the outside world. The Grand Palace includes the revered Emerald Buddha, that it is actually made of jade, and that it changes its golden mantle three times a year in a ceremony carried out by the king himself or the crown prince. **Wat Pho is the oldest and one of the largest temples in Thailand**, with the impressive 46 meter long reclining Buddha and more than a thousand Buddha statues from different parts of the country. In its enclosure there was a school of traditional medicine, so it is also considered the first university in thailand , and still hosts a prestigious traditional Thai massage school.
CN Traveler Tip: try to visit Wat Pho after 6pm, when the crowds have left, and finish with a drink on the terrace across the street at the Hotel Arun Residence, with stunning views of the river and another architectural wonder, the Wat Arun temple.
2- THAI MASSAGE Do not miss the opportunity to enjoy the also called “yoga for lazy” , for the beneficial effects on the body that the interested party obtains without moving a single muscle. The sessions include postures that stretch the muscles, relax the joints and exert pressure - often painful - on 10 key points, the sin or lines of energy, and is applied with hands, forearms, elbows and feet. In Bangkok, it is not difficult to find spas where you can reach this nirvana for just 10 euros. the local chain Health Land , with several establishments scattered around Bangkok, is a good option.
CN Traveler Tip: end a visit to Wat Pho with a massage at your school inside the compound From the temple.
Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho
3- STREET FOOD How many times have we told you that the best food in Bangkok is found in the simplest street stalls? Well, this is one more, because we remain convinced of it, you just have to park your prejudices to verify it. Sit in any small makeshift sidewalk restaurant with plastic tables and chairs that you see with lots of Thai people eating. For example, at soi 38 sukhumvit . Or go to a market where there will always be a section where they prepare fried noodles, rice, and even curries. One of the best, Or Tor Kor market next to the Chatuchak flea market, where you will find Thai high society enjoying the best food in its simple but immaculate facilities.
CN Traveler Tip: Most shopping malls have a “food court” with many restaurants on the sides and tables in the center that simulate street food, in taste and prices.
The best food in Bangkok is found in the middle of the street
4- MUSEUMS Thais are not very fond of museums, his legacy is still in the temples and in the life of the street , which has not changed much in recent centuries. But it is worth going to the ** Museum of Siam **, a modern installation that invites the viewer to interact and have fun to discover the Thai identity. The recently opened Museum of Floral Culture is a tribute to visual and olfactory art in a beautiful teak wood house. Finally, for lovers of strong emotions who want to have something to tell when they return, the Bangkok Forensic Museum does not disappoint. This particular museum is inside the Siriraj Hospital and shows embalmed human bodies and parts in different conditions in its pathological, forensic and anatomical sections.
CN Traveler Tip: Visit the Queen Sirikit Textile Museum , in the grounds of the Great Palace . Opened in May this year, the museum features a whole collection of costumes that belonged to Queen Sirikit, as well as historical textiles.
Museum of Floral Culture: a 100% Thai sensory experience
5- CHAO PHRAYA RIVER The main river artery of Bangkok has marked the history of the country. It was through here that the first European sailors arrived in the Kingdom of Siam passing through on their spice route and today it remains a river full of life, which connects the city of Bangkok with its most monumental part . Take a one-hour tour of its canals to get an up-close look at how Thai people live by the river. You will see them bathing, washing the dishes or sitting on the terraces of their precarious houses on pillars. Let yourself fall on the cushions of the Samsara Cafe or lounge on the terrace of the **Oriental hotel** as you watch the barges pass by on the majestic Chao Phraya, and you'll understand why the city captured early 20th-century writers.
CN Traveler Tip: hop on one of the public ferries that run along the river, stopping at its main piers. A ticket costs you less than half a euro, and an unlimited day travel pass 2 euros.
Chao Phraya River, the River of Kings and the hectic activity of Bangkok
6- MARKETS There is something that the Thais like almost as much as their food, and that competes with it for the little free space on the sidewalks: the markets. They are of all kinds : weekend, stolen goods, flowers, retro, amulets, dentures and even a newcomer, Asiatic night market , that in the style of the shopping villages of Madrid or Barcelona it combines restaurants with shops and open spaces for walking.
CN Traveler Tip: don't miss the Chatuchak Weekend Flea Market . Go in the late afternoon, around 4, and stay for a beer at their lively Viva&Aviv bar in section 8.
An ordinary weekend at the Chatuchak flea market
7- JIM THOMPSON The American who built an empire by unifying Thai silk producers under his homonymous brand disappeared in Malaysia in 1967, giving rise to a mystery that remains unsolved . His teak house in central Bangkok has been turned into an interesting museum and one of the best places to eat and relax by its lotus pond. Jim Thompson has several stores in Bangkok and an outlet with very interesting prices to buy fabrics and household items.
CN Traveler Tip: cross the canal right in front of Jim Thompson's house museum to visit the Ban Krua community , descendants of the silk weavers who worked for Thompson.
Jim Thompson Teak House in Bangkok
8- A LUXURY go see a movie in one of the VIP cinemas in Bangkok . There are sofas for two, reclining leather armchairs like those in first class on airplanes, and even with a bed and blanket or ball cushions. try on the Paragon Cineplex or SF Cinema.
CN Traveler Tip : At the Paragon Cineplex theaters you can dine with the pasta dishes and drinks offered at the entrance.
9- SOMETHING AUTHENTIC Stroll the streets on the other side of the river, Thon Buri , to discover a Bangkok that hasn't changed much in the last 50 years. No skyscraper towers, shopping malls and hardly any traffic , in Thonburi we find wooden houses, children playing Sepak Takraw , the traditional ball game of Thailand and Burma and old men wearing sarongs and flip-flops chatting outside their homes.
CN Traveler Tip: get away from the center and the most touristic areas to discover the real Bangkok. Its streets are among the safest in the world.
Portuguese oven in Thonburi
10- SOMETHING FREE Stop by the **Erawan (BTS Chidlom) ** Shrine, home to one of the most revered Hindu statues by Thais, to admire traditional dances paid for by those who come to pray to the statue to grant their wishes. An ideal hive of activity to observe customs, culture and religion in one place.
CN Traveler Tip: uses public transport in Bangkok, especially the Sky Train or BTS to get around Bangkok. It's cheap, efficient and the best way to beat Bangkok traffic.
*And if 10 tips is not enough, here is the complete guide to Bangkok and a map to eat street food (and luxury) in the city.
Erawan Chapel