Almost 3 years after the pandemic gravely hit the world, finally, here's to international travel again. My last international trip was 6D5N Singapore-Malaysia in 2019 and I'm excited to have my passport stamped again.
Bangkok is known for its gleaming beautiful temples, luxury malls, a sea of fashion boutiques, and its amazing selection of local and exotic dishes that you can find along the streets of Khao San Road, Chinatown, and floating markets. The city is also known for its romantic rooftops and with its diverse selection of food and attractions, you'll never regret spending at least a week in this beautiful city. I must admit, 6 days and 5 nights is not enough to stroll and shop in Bangkok because there’s so much to see. But here’s a summary of our itinerary and expenses if you want to visit Bangkok this year.
Important Things to prepare before your trip:
- Passport should be valid for at least 6 months
- Secure your travel insurance - this is helpful because you can claim a certain amount for any travel inconvenience. I availed of travel insurance via GCash - GInsure. You can also install the Standard Insurance app via iOS/Android in case you are going to file a claim.
- Return ticket - Immigration office is strict when asking for a return ticket to ensure that there will be no illegal immigrants overseas.
- Confirmed hotel booking
- any other supporting documents such as COE, Approved Leaves, etc to support that you can fund your international travel to back you up in case needed.
- Pocket money
SAMPLE ITINERARY
You can be spontaneous and strategize your daily itinerary depending on the proximity of the attractions, but here’s a sample itinerary that you can follow. We didn’t really follow this one and there were additional side trips as well.
Day 0 – January 13, 2023
- Arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport
- Arrive in Hotel (De Prime Rangnam Hotel (SHA Plus+)
• Address : 106/18 Rangnam Road, Rajprarop, Phayathai, Siam, Bangkok, Thailand, 10400
- Rest
- Breakfast
- Visit Wat Traimit
- Visit Chinatown Gate
- Visit Wat Mangkon
- Lunch
- Stroll around Chinatown
- Dinner somewhere in Chinatown
- Swim
- Sleep
Day 1 – January 14, 2023
- Breakfast
- Visit Temple of the Emerald Buddha
- Visit The Grand Palace
- Visit Wat Phra Kiew
- Visit Wat Phra Chetuphon
- Visit Khao San Road
- Lunch
- Visit Democracy Monument
- Visit The Giant Swing
- Visit Wat Saket
- Dinner somewhere in Chao Praya River
- Swim
- Sleep
Day 2 – January 15, 2023 (shopping day)
- Breakfast
- Swim
- Visit Chatuchak Weekend Market (open only during weekends)
- MBK Center
- The Siam Paragon
- Lunch
- Platinum Mall
- Central World
- Dinner
- Swim
- Sleep
Day 3 – January 16, 2023
- Breakfast
- Swim
- Visit Ayutthaya
- Visit Rooftop Bars or Tourist Attraction
- Visit Mahanakhon Skywalk
- Dinner
- Swim
- Sleep
Day 4 – January 17, 2023
- Breakfast
- Swim
- Visit Ingram Micro
- Foodtrip in some famous restaurants in BK
- Swim
- Sleep
Day 5 – January 18, 2023
- Breakfast
- Swim
- Buy pasalubong
- Swim
- Dinner
- Sleep
Day 6 – January 19, 2023
- Breakfast
- Prepare luggage’s
- Off to Airport
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| Victory Monument Station |
Read also: 4D3N DIY Hong Kong - Macau Itinerary
Attractions to Visit
1. Mahanakhon Skywalk - 314M above Bangkok (Purchase 1-day pass via Klook)
- Visit the Mahanakhon SkyWalk to see Thailand's tallest observatory deck.
- Take a multimedia-themed elevator to the 74th floor of the King Power Mahanakhon for a panoramic view of the city.
- Stop by the building's 78th floor rooftop for a thrilling walk across the world's largest glass floors.
- Visit in the afternoon for a spectacular sunset view, or late at night for a sparkling vista of Bangkok.
2. The Grand Palace - The Grand Palace is a building complex in the center of Bangkok, Thailand. Since 1782, the palace has served as the royal residence of the Kings of Siam. Entrance fee is 500 baht for foreign visitors and free for Thai residents
Reminders: Wear comfy shoes when you start your temple tour because you'll surely walk and walk all day.
- Admire Bangkok's most famous monument, the Grand Palace, where the Thai King dwells.
- Visit Wat Phra Kaew, a temple dedicated to the precious Emerald Buddha.
- At the end of the tour, relax with a traditional Thai or foot massage.
- Have comfortable round-trip transportation between the meeting point and these well-known sights.
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This is how intricate the details are in The Grand Palace |
3. Golden Mount Temple (Wat Saket) - Wat Saket is one of Bangkok's oldest temples. A massive gilded stupa enshrines Buddha relics on top of an 80-meter-tall mound. Entrance fee is 100 baht.
4. Khao San Road - this short street in central Bangkok is filled with food. Foreign backpackers visit this street for their various selections of exotic street food, boutiques, and nightlife. There are also multiple spas that you can choose from after a long day of strolling around the city.
5. Wat Arun - Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan, also known as Wat Arun, is a Buddhist temple in Bangkok's Yai district, on the Thonburi west bank of the Chao Phraya River. This is by far the most wonderful temple I have seen among all the temples I've visited here in Bangkok. Entrance Fee is 100 baht
Read also: 6D5N DIY Singapore and Malaysia Itinerary
Where to EAT
Raan Jay Fai
• try their crab omelette
• drunken noodles
• email them for reservation: jayfaibangkok@gmail.com
Address: 327 Mahachai Road, Samranras Subdistrict, Phra Nakon District, Bangkok 10200,
Thailand
Operating Hours: 2:30PM-12MN, Tue-Sat
What to Order: Crab meat omelette, Drunken noodle, Stir-fried prawn or crab in yellow curry
Expect to Pay: About THB 1,000 for the crab meat omelette, THB 400-500 for the drunken
noodles
How to Get There: Raan Jay Fai is near the Giant Swing and Wat Saket, just few doors away
from Thipsamai.
Nhong Rim Klong
• try pad kee mao crab
• try galam bee pad nam pla neua boo
• try tod gratiem
Address: 30 Ekkamai 21 Alley, Khwaeng Khlong Tan Nuea, Khet Watthana, Krung Thep Maha
Nakhon 10110, Thailand
Operating Hours: 8:30AM-4:30PM, Mon-Sat
What to Order: Pad kee mao crab, Goong tod gratiem, Galam bee pad nam pla neua boo
Expect to Pay: About THB 300 for the pad kee mao crab, THB 200 for the goong tod gratiem
How to Get There: Take the BTS to Ekkamai Station. It’s a little too far to walk to Nhong Rim
Klong from there, so it’s best you take a taxi or Uber to get to the restaurant.
Pe Aor Tom Yum Goong
• khao goong rad sauce man boo
Address: Soi Phetchaburi 5, Khwaeng Thung Phaya Thai, Khet Ratchathewi, Krung Thep Maha
Nakhon 10400, Thailand
Operating Hours: 10AM-9PM, Tues-Sun
What to Order: Kuay teow tom yum goong nam khon, Khao goong rad sauce man boo
Expect to Pay: About THB 100 for the kuay teow tom yum goong nam khon, THB 60 for the khao
goong rad sauce man boo
How to Get There: Take the BTS to Ratchathewi Station. After exiting the station, make a left on
Petchaburi Road, then a right on Petchaburi Soi 7. Make a left on Petchaburi Soi 5 and the
restaurant will be on your right.
Thipsamai Pad Thai
• pad thai haw kai goong sot
• freshly squeezed tangerine juice
Address: 313-315 Maha Chai Rd, Khwaeng Samran Rat, Khet Phra Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha
Nakhon 10200, Thailand
Operating Hours: 5PM-2AM, Mon-Sat
What to Order: Pad Thai haw kai goong sot, Pad Thai sen jan man goong, Fresh tangerine juice
Expect to Pay: About THB 80 for the pad thai, THB 85 for the fresh tangerine juice
How to Get There: Thipsamai is just a few doors down from Raan Jay Fai. It isn’t near any train
stations so it’s easiest to go by taxi or Uber.
11/40 at Or Tor Kor Market
Here’s a selection of Bangkok’s best rooftops
- The Roof, with a splendid view of Wat Arun
- Vertigo Moon Bar, located on the top of the Banyan Tree Hotel
- Sky Bar Lebua, where scenes from the movie “The Hangover” were filmed
- Red Sky on the 55th floor of CentralWorld
Here’s a summary of our expenses:
We preferred booking Grab for convenience because it is cheaper than taking a cab or tuktuk. But we also tried riding both for experience. I must say that this Thailand trip is a real splurge because almost 20,000 baht is quite expensive when converted to peso. I was kind of expecting that I will be able to save more on clothes, but majority of the expenses are for clothes.
Our flight back to Manila was canceled on the day itself due to an engine malfunction of the aircraft, but we were given a complimentary stay at a 5-star hotel in Bangkok (The Grand Four Wings Convention Hotel) and a buffet lunch and dinner to compensate the 12-hr flight delay.
Going back to Bangkok is one of the things that I want to do because there are a few attractions that I wasn’t able to visit, and I’ll definitely go back for them. We only visited the city of Bangkok but surely, there are still a lot of treasures and attractions in the other provinces and cities in Thailand.
