Truth be told, I’m really not a city person. Hailing from the midwest of the US, I’m very acclimated to that slow-living lifestyle, surrounded by more trees than people. If you’ve ever been to Bangkok then you would know that those two things do not mix but I feel like I definitely did what I could to embrace it during my 2 days there.
Here’s Bangkok in 2 Days – A Travel Diary:
Getting to Bangkok
Flying out of San Francisco at 1:30 in the morning, we arrive in Taiwan nearly 14 hours later. With a short layover before heading on to Bangkok, I surprisingly had no jet lag whatsoever. By the time we arrive in the city at noon, I was rearing to go! We hop in a cab at the airport and we’re off to our accommodation.
Accommodation in Bangkok
Booking accommodation in Bangkok is quite overwhelming. With a million different districts and an endless amount of AirBnb’s, hostels and hotels, I struggled for a while at where to stay. Since I already planned on visiting the Sky Bar while in Bangkok, the decision to stay at the Lebua State Tower was an easy one.
Upon arrival, they inform us that we received an upgrad to a 2-bedroom corner suite. This place was INSANE. I felt like I was living lavishly and the views of surrounding Bangkok made it even better.
Day 1
Exploring Bangkok
After settling in to Lebua and getting over the initial ‘what did we do to deserve this place’ feeling, we’re off to explore Bangkok by foot. My dad collects Harley Davidson shirts so every place I go I make it a point to get him one. The Harley was a 3 mile walk from Lebua but we thought it’d be a good opportunity to see some of Bangkok on the way.
As soon as we step on to the street, I can instantly see the mayhem that fellow bloggers warned me of. Cars, mopeds and tuk tuks are chaotically blaring past us like we don’t even exist. I tried to avoid crossing non-pedestrian streets but in some areas it’s necessary. Weaving figure 8’s around the backed-up traffic, I’d be happy to not have to dodge those vehicles again.
Business District
The first big place we stumble upon is Sathorn Square. Acting as a large, upscale business district in Bangkok, it’s a polar opposite to the rest of the city. You see a place like this, complete with men in suits and chandelier-decorated Starbucks and think ‘maybe this city does have some normality to it.’ But within 30 seconds of walking down the street again, the remnants of century-old buildings, stray cats and beggars bring you back to reality.
Elevated Pedestrian Walks
I was quite surprised to see Bangkok’s modernism with the elevated pedestrian walks in the busier areas. Truthfully, they could use them throughout the entire city but I was more than happy to climb stairs than dodge traffic. I end up seeking out elevated pedestrian walks during my entire 2 days in Bangkok!
Heading Back to Lebua
After snagging my dad a tee at the Harley store, we take a different route for the 3 miles back to Lebua. On the way, we apparently walk through one of the busiest areas in Bangkok, the shopping district of Siam Square.
We also walk by Wat Phra Si Maha Utama Devi, a nearly 200 year old Hindu temple. The predominant religion in Thailand is Buddhism and the King is required by law to practice this religion. Some Thai practice Taoism, an old Chinese religion and very few are Hindus. There are actually more Christians in Thailand than Hindus but not once did I see a Church.
Night Swim
It’s SO hot in Bangkok. I see 80 degrees on the forecast and automatically assume that’s a mild summer day in comparison to the 95 degrees I get every day here in California but nope. Bangkok’s 80 degrees is like a sauna met a humidifier and decided to have hell fire as a baby. My clothes were constantly drenched so I say I sweated out every ounce of water in my body on that 6 mile round trip walk. Needless to say, I needed that dip in the pool.
Drinks By the Pool
A quick dip and a shower and we find ourselves down by the poolside crimsoned Café Mozu on the 15th floor. The environment feels classy and comfortable as we lounge on cabana-style love seats drinking our Mai Tai’s. ‘Cuz you know, Thailand.
Yaowarat Road in Chinatown
The concierge at our hotel told us the best time to go to Chinatown is at night when all of the street vendors come out. We were less than a mile from it so that was our first stop for the evening. The vibrancy of Chinatown is probably the reason I’d call it my favorite place in the city.
Before we even left for Thailand, Andy claimed he was going to be eating all the crazy stuff. As soon as we stumble upon a scorpion and cricket stand, I call him on his bluff. To my surprise, he’s like OKAY! I try to get him to go for the big boy scorpion but he’s not very receptive to that suggestion. Watching him crunch down into a cricket on a stick was one of our travel highlights but I also don’t think I’ll be kissing him any time soon.
Did I try it? Yeah right! Taking photographs of the stuff was enough for me.
Patpong District
Another lively area we were told is fun at nighttime is the Patpong District. There’s a night market here, which was our original reason for going, but we never made it to it.
As we walk up to the area, a guy stops us and asks if we’d like to see a show. I know what y’all are thinking, these two oblivious tourists have no clue! We’ve been to Amsterdam too many times to count to know this trick! When in Bangkok, right?!
He leads us upstairs into a nightclub (or I guess more of a strip club) and, to keep everything PG here, we’ll just say the girls put on some of the most craziest and bizarre acts. Yep, hellooooo Red Light District of Bangkok!
The problem with these clubs is they have people outside corralling you in, falsely quoting a price. Once you enter, the charges start racking up by the minute. We were trying to pay an initial price so they couldn’t scam us out of more money but they wouldn’t allow it. We had 2 drinks a piece, were there maybe 30 minutes, and our bill came to 4500 Baht or, around $140. Andy tipped them generously on top of that amount but they were still badgering him for more. When I walked up next to him at the bar, the girls were yelling at him and he pretty much started pushing me out the door to escape. We go sprinting out of the club and past all of the night markets that I really wanted to see, thinking for sure that some sort of Thai Mafia was going to come after us for more money.
And that, my friends, is how you don’t party in Bangkok! Although it did make for a great story.
Day 2
Coffee with a View
Never in my life have I had the opportunity to wake up in a highrise overlooking a busy metropolis but how fortunate was I to get that opportunity here!
Complimentary Breakfast
We paid the extra Baht to have breakfast at Lebua for the 2 days we were there and I’m so glad we did. Breakfast was held down in the poolside Café Mozu. It was buffet-style with almost every fruit imaginable, eggs made-to-order and so many muffins, pastries, danishes and scones, along with various types of meat. There was even sushi! They definitely catered to the various cultures of their guests with this breakfast.
Taking a Long Tail Down the Chao Phraya River
For our only open schedule of our 2 days in Bangkok, we knew exactly where we wanted to go. We walk the short distance to the Sathon Pier and pay 5 Baht a piece for a seat on a long tail boat.
Not even going to lie, I’m a pretty adventurous person but this boat ride was a bit terrifying. We were going SO fast with these enormous barges passing by us, creating crazy waves causing the boat to catch air. I couldn’t stop giggling the whole time because that’s what I do when I’m really nervous but needless to say, I was more than happy to plant my feet on the ground at the pier.
→QUICK-TIP!: BEWARE OF SCAMMERS!←
When walking around this area, multiple Thai men approached us with a map in hand. At first, it seems as if they just want to help by explaining the different areas to see around here (Wat Pho, Grand Palace, Happy Buddha, Smiling Buddha, etc.), but then they’ll throw out a lowball number, offering to escort by Tuk Tuk. In reality, they will take you around to these places and then will bring you to a shop where you’re basically forced to buy something before you can leave. Remember, if the price is too low then it’s probably too good to be true!
Wat Pho
Within minutes of walking away from the pier, we stumble upon the beautifully famous temple of Wat Pho.
I could have spent our 2 days in Bangkok alone here in this area. Ultimately though, I decide against going in to Wat Pho for one reason alone: it is way too dang hot. I totally respect the cultures, traditions and religion of the Thai but hot and humid environments and I do not mix. Putting pants and sleeves on to enter a place was out of the question for me. We compromised and took some shots from the outside instead.
The Grand Palace
Located in close proximity to Wat Pho, the area around The Grand Palace is so massive, I couldn’t even imagine having this place as my residence. The intricately-tiled sidewalks, neatly trimmed landscaping and gorgeous golden steeples shining above the white castle-like walls is a far cry from any other area in Bangkok.
Ministry of Defence
This would have to be my favorite building in all of Bangkok. The landscaping is outstanding and the golden details added on to the mustard-yellow columns is so extravagantly stunning.
A Tuk Tuk Ride
I mean, I really couldn’t leave Bangkok without getting a ride on a tuk tuk! While it’s so much fun doing this, next time I would definitely wear a mask like our driver did. I spent most of the ride covering my nose and mouth with a shirt because the smog and emissions while in traffic are nauseating.
Chinatown in the Daytime
I really wanted to see Chinatown during the day so that’s where we asked our Tuk Tuk driver to take us.
We spend some time walking through the markets and, since it’s Saturday, the entire area is bustling with locals. My blue dress and blonde hair makes me stick out like a sore thumb. I receive so many looks and stares but most were smiles, as the Thai people always wear one on their face.
Chinatown’s area is quite big, definitely one of the bigger ones I have been to, and the vibrancy doesn’t dissipate during the day either. The buildings are so beautifully architected, ornate and detailed, I could only assume it would take years to construct these stunning structures.
A Quick Dip in the Pool
Once again, sweating profusely from this unnecessary humidity, we head back to Lebua. Refreshing with some drinks and a quick dip in the pool, we begin to prepare for our last night in Bangkok.
The Sky Bar
One of the can’t-miss things I had planned for Bangkok was the Sky Bar and I wish I would have done it on both of my 2 days there. Rated as one of the best in Bangkok and the highest rooftop bar in the world, the Sky Bar is elegant, classy and overall amazing.
Leaving Bangkok for the Islands
After the Sky Bar, we retreat back to our hotel and to bed for our 5 AM cab to the airport. Those 2 days in Bangkok flew by! Taking a plane from DMK, Bangkok’s smaller airport, we arrive in Krabi and on to a ferry to the Phi Phi Islands.
Read More: Spending 3 Days on the Phi Phi Islands
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Wow, it sounds like you had quite the adventure in Bangkok 😬Loved the in-depth diary style of this post! And your photos are stunning!! I only transitioned through Bangkok before, but this definitely makes me want to spend a day or two exploring!! Not sure if I’m up for insects on a stick though! LOL 😅
Such an incredible adventure in Bangkok! I wasn’t the biggest fan of it in comparison to other cities I’ve been to but the experience made it all worth it. I hope you can make a longer stop there sometime! Bugs on a stick are a no go for me too 😂
Hi. Where should we go if we want to ride a ferry from Bangkok to Koh Chang? Also how long is the travel time?
Hey there, check out this link for more info: https://iamkohchang.com/getting-here/getting-to-koh-chang.html