Bangkok Revisited- Much more than big shopping malls!

I’ve been to Bangkok three times by now, which is saying something—because I’m not, by nature, a big city person. The heat, the traffic, the constant motion usually wears me down quickly. And yet, Bangkok grew on me. Not for the malls or the markets (impressive as they are), but for the layers you only notice once the novelty fades. Technically you can skip Bangkok all together and only visit it as a transfer hub, but honestly, now that I have experienced it three times over the last years, I would recommend a layover of at least 2-3 days.

What I’ve come to appreciate is how much of Bangkok exists quietly alongside the chaos. If you leave the central high rises and shopping mall district (where you may decide to stay) you will find new sides to Bangkok. You can stroll by the Chao Phraya River which feels worlds away from the gridlock, with long-tail boats cutting through the water and temples catching the light of the day. Wat Pho and Wat Arun are obvious stops (more on those later), but even they reveal more on repeat visits—details in the murals, the rhythm of local worship, the way these places still function as living spaces rather than just attractions.

Bangkok also rewards curiosity. Step away from the main roads and the city softens: leafy neighborhoods, hidden cafés, small galleries, and food stalls that feel more like someone’s personal passion project than a business. Some of my favorite moments have come from wandering without a plan—finding a quiet canal walk, stumbling into a neighborhood shrine, or sitting down for a meal where no one speaks English, and the food is unforgettable.

Bangkok may never be a city I fall in love with instantly, but I do not mind going back to. Each visit peels back another layer, reminding me that even for those of us who prefer quieter places, some cities are worth returning to—even if it’s just a stop on the way to a more mindful location (check out some of my best of Asia posts)

Accommodation Tips: There are SO MANY options for you to choose from when staying in Bangkok and it really depends on what you would most like to be close to. If it’s the shopping scene best stay in the Sukhumvit area (Siam/Asok). If it’s a more traditional cultural side you are looking for, try the area close to the river side and China Town. From my perspective the horrible traffic in the city is reason enough to look for a place to stay that is close to the BTS train station and avoid as much as possible using a taxi service. Here were my top three stays with main criteria of: easy access from airport as well easy traveling within the city. They are not the cheapest of choices however they checked all my boxes.

Eastin Grand Hotel Phayathai – The biggest bonus of this accommodation is that its the only hotel in Bangkok with direct access to both the Phaya Thai Airport Rail Link and BTS SkyTrain station. Having traveled for hours, the last thing you wish for are more hours spent in traffic to get to your accommodation. With this hotel based right at the Phaya Thai airport rail link station, getting to your comfortable bed is “easy peasy”. Beyond this major bonus, the hotel has lovely rooms, a rooftop pool and one of the biggest breakfast we have ever seen during our travels. You literally can get lost between the different breakfast rooms (although they do give you a map!) and need a few tummies to consume it all.

Carlton Hotel Sukhumvit- A 5-star luxury accommodation in the heart of the Bangkok shopping area of Sukhumvit. With just a few minutes you can access the BTS station and either walk or ride to your favorite shopping malls. While I did say Bangkok is more than shopping, its also A LOT about shopping and being centrally located can help if this is part of your fun. What I love about the Carlton brand is that it’s completely reliable. You know you get your money’s worth and its just perfect in every way. If you are not looking for a budget option, I strongly recommend booking their “club rooms”. As a solo traveler, you do not necessarily want to go out for a meal and having all the perks of the club lounge allows a stress-free full day of food and drinks.

Park Hyatt Bangkok- Yet another upscale centrally located option is the Park Hyatt. Beyond being another 5-star reliable brand, this one had one of the loveliest views of the sky from the rooftop pool as well their rooftop bar. It had top notch service, excellent breakfast and a super interesting external and internal design. Hard to miss the unique architecture of a “wave shaped” building in the Bangkok skyline.

Excursion Tips: There is no shortage of things to do in Bangkok. Here is a short list of my personal recommendations so its for sure not all of them but ones my partner or myself have tested firsthand and decided they deserve to be on this list:

Jim Thompson House- It is a traditional style Thai house built by an American businessman, Jim Thompson, in 1959.  He was an architect before joining the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) in WWII, which was the precursor to the CIA.  Near the end of the war, he was sent to Thailand, a country he fell in love with, returning later to live for the remainder of his life.  He was involved heavily in the silk industry and was also an art collector, primarily of ancient Thai artifacts.  He built the house to display his collection and what a house it is! Unfortunately, He mysteriously disappeared while on vacation in Malaysia. We booked the short tour walking around the house and beautiful garden and for the short time we were there I could completely forget we were in the heart of Bangkok. Well worth the visit! (credit of info goes to “Wandergliding blog”)

The two popular Buddhist temples -Wat Arun Temple- The temple got its name from the Hindu god Aruna, and Arun means dawn so it is the “Temple of Dawn. Wat Pho- Here you can find the famous and most impressive I must say! The golden reclining Buddha which was 5 meters high and 46 meters long.

A day trip out of Bangkok- On one of my visits I booked a tour with Getyourguide to see a couple of sights I had my eye on, and it was well worth the day trip. The tour included a stop at the famous Maeklong Railway Market as well a boat tour in the floating market of Damnoen Saduak. Being in Bangkok without experiencing at least once a floating market is a big miss! Beyond buying little souvenirs directly from the river boat, its a perfect opportunity also to see the local community and their unique river houses at the back allies of the market. Photography enthusiasts as me would love it.

Gastronomy Tips: Most of the best food in Thailand can be found in the food markets and street food stalls rather than a proper restaurant and in my case to be honest I did not invest too much in finding the best food spots. In the food market category, if you like your environment posher and neater my recommendation would be hitting the Icon Siam. Icon Siam is the most impressive shopping center in Bangkok. It's next to the Chao Phraya River, and has more than 7,000 shops, 100 restaurants and quite a fancy internal floating market (sooksiam).

Akara Sky Hanuman rooftop bar- The rooftop bar scene is quite popular in Bangkok however many of the bars have way overprices food and drinks and after narrowing the options down we landed on the Akara Sky Hanuman bar. Three levels, ten zones immersive art, observation decks, sky dining & bars with 360° Bangkok views. Well worth the cost for a fun night out.