Welcome to Bangkok: The Complete Guide

A historical lifeline of Bangkok. The river provides a unique opportunity to see Bangkok from another viewpoint, escaping the hectic traffic on the streets. Express ferries pass next to high-end hotels, old temples, and modern constructions, whereas long-tail ferries take visitors through the small Thonburi canals with the original wooden stilt houses that have never changed their look since.

Bangkok is famous for its nightlife scene, which smoothly flows from low-down to high-class.

The city of Bangkok is famous for its organized adult entertainment zones that are well known for their colorful neon lights, fast dance music and safe environment.

• Soi Cowboy: An incredible 150-meter-long neon passageway just beside Asoke intersection. There are more than 40 highly condensed Go-Go bars along both sides of this Soi. Renowned for its super-active and friendly atmosphere outdoors, places such as Baccara and Shark have gained fame because of their multi-storey structures and transparent pricing system that attracts both tourist and expatriate crowds.
• Nana Plaza (Soi 4): The “World’s Largest Adult Playground” is a three-story U-shaped concrete atrium that caters only to adults at nights. This entertainment complex includes famous Go-Go bars such as Spankys and Straps and themed Ladyboy cabarets as well.

The undisputed capital of all backpacking around the world. During the daytime, it serves as a normal market road; however, during nighttime, Khao San Road turns out to be one of the busiest nightlife roads in Bangkok. The neon lights on both sides of the road create a lively atmosphere as DJs compete against each other in the nearby bars.

Amongst the most prominent features of Khao San Road is its live entertainment. Several bars feature live performances of bands playing classic rock, pop songs, reggae, and Thai music. Street musicians add their skills to entertain passers-by until late into the night. Moreover, fire performers, break dancers, and other street entertainers contribute to the festivities; it means that even walking around the road is exciting in itself.

Food forms an indispensable part of a visit to Khao San Road. Various restaurants offering visitors a choice between traditional Thai street food and foreign cuisine are located on the same stretch of road.

It goes without saying that the visit to Khao San Road would not be complete without trying the Bangkok Street food. Food stalls serve cooked meals all day long, offering visitors an opportunity to enjoy authentic Thai cuisine at affordable prices.

• Pad Thai
• Mango Sticky Rice
• Chicken Satay
• Som Tam (Papaya Salad)
• Grilled Pork Skewers
• Coconut Ice Cream
• Banana Pancakes
• Tropical Fresh Fruits
• Thai Milk Tea
• Seafood Skewers

One of the advantages of staying near Khao San Road is that it is located conveniently close to the most famous attractions in Bangkok.

These attractions include:

• The Grand Palace
• The Temple of the Emerald Buddha
• Wat Pho
• Democracy Monument
• The Golden Mount
• Bangkok National Museum
• The Chao Phraya River
• The Phra Athit Pier
• The Sanam Luang Square
• The Pak Khlong Talat Flower Market

Khao San Road is one of the cheapest tourist places in Bangkok.

Estimated daily costs:

• Budget hostels: 300–800 THB
• Mid-range hotels: 1,500–3,500 THB
• Meals in street food stalls : 60–150 THB
• Restaurant meals: 200–600 THB
• Beer: 100–180 THB
• Cocktails: 180–350 THB
• Thai fruit smoothies: 60–120 THB
• Traditional Thai massage: 250–500 THB/hour

The most appropriate time to explore Khao San Road is from 7:00 PM to midnight when everything is at its busiest. Visitors should be in comfortable shoes as one spends more than a few hours exploring the area. Personal items should be taken care of in crowded places, carrying only that amount of money that is needed for the day and using licensed taxi rides when going out late at night. One must respect local customs and keep in mind the residents when having fun in the nightlife of Bangkok.

Bangkok is an epicenter of traditional healing culture, mixing historic school-certified therapies with modern luxuries.

An esteemed day-spa establishment providing professional standard massages in immaculate, minimalist paradise. It is the best urban retreat for tired travelers seeking relief after an exhausting walk around the city.

• Treatments: Four-Hand Thai Massage, Warm Oil Massage, and Aromatic Hot Stone Massage.
• Environment: Modern luxurious design with soothing aromatherapy smells and private therapy rooms with sound insulation.
• Luxury Tier: Mid-tier; clear and reasonable prices that allow receiving luxury experience at affordable price.

Referred to as “Mother of All Malls,” this impressive riverside mega-complex unites luxurious shopping with authentic Thai culture. Its first floor hosts the unique creation of the indoor floating market – SookSiam, which features local food, architecture, and handicrafts of all 77 provinces of Thailand.

Apart from the cultural offerings at the center, ICONSIAM provides premium shopping and entertainment options with luxury brand stores, great restaurants, art spaces, and exciting experiences. The impressive riverside setting and modern architecture make the mall have a unique ambience where customers can have a perfect blend of modern luxury and traditional Thai culture.

ICONSIAM is an innovative, cultural, and entertaining landmark which makes the mall one of the most iconic places in Bangkok. Whether the customers visit the designer stores or experience the Thai culture, they will have a truly memorable place that combines both modern and traditional elements.

An exclusive lifestyle fort situated in the retail center of Siam. It includes flagship stores for the most luxurious fashion brands in the world and supercar brands, along with a huge gourmet food court, luxury multiplex cinemas, and the expansive Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World aquarium situated underneath the lower deck.

Siam Paragon offers you a complete package of luxury lifestyle with its fantastic combination of premium shopping, entertainment, and dining. You can have a look at exclusive designer collections, experience delicious international cuisine, and visit many more world-class attractions all in one of the best places with beautiful and modern interior.

With its amazing architecture, attractions, and ambience, Siam Paragon is truly representative of the modern way of living of Bangkok. It is the place to do luxury shopping, to eat exquisite cuisines, to meet the marine life at Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World and much more.

It includes from the Michelin-starred street food stands to the finest regional restaurants, Bangkok is the culinary capital of the world.

• Somboon Seafood (Surawong Branch): It has been in operation since 1969 and is famous throughout the world because of its invention of the famous dish of Bangkok i.e. Poo Pad Pong Kari (stir-fried crab in creamy yellow curry egg sauce).
• Thipsamai Pad Thai: Considered to be the most famous Pad Thai outlet in the world. Still using the traditional methods of cooking with charcoal fires, the signature dish of Thipsamai Pad Thai is Pad Thai Sen Jan Sen Goong Sod – thin rice noodles cooked in a blend of the tasty shrimp paste and fresh prawns in a wrapper of the delicate egg omelet paper.