11 places · Thailand
Thailand's top sight and home to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Gold, mosaics and fairy-tale demon guardians.
Price: Paid entry for foreigners (check the official website)
Insider tip: Strict dress code: long trousers or a skirt, shoulders covered. Scammers at the gate will say "closed today". Don't believe them.
A temple with a 46-metre Reclining Buddha and a Thai massage school: you can get a massage right on site.
Insider tip: For luck, people drop coins into 108 bowls along the wall. Get change at the entrance.
The Temple of Dawn on the Chao Phraya River, covered in porcelain mosaic.
Insider tip: The best view is from the opposite bank at sunset, from a rooftop café.
In the evening the street turns into one huge open-air restaurant: seafood, noodles and sweets.
Insider tip: Come after 19:00: during the day, half the stalls are closed.
One of the biggest markets in the world: thousands of stalls selling clothes, décor, plants and food.
Time: Main days: weekends
Insider tip: Get there at opening time, before the heat. Save the section number of any stall you like on your phone, or you'll never find it again.
Thailand's first major contemporary art museum, opened in December 2025 in a converted warehouse. Thai and international artists, huge installations.
Insider tip: A great place to escape the midday heat. There's a bistro inside.
A temple on a man-made hill in old Bangkok. 344 steps spiral past waterfalls and bells, and at the top there is a golden stupa with a 360° view of the city. The climb takes about 15 minutes.
Price: 100 ฿
Insider tip: Come an hour before sunset: it is cooler and the city lights up. You can ring the bells on the way up for luck. Khao San Road is a 10-minute walk away.
A green park among the skyscrapers: a lake with swan boats, joggers and huge monitor lizards calmly strolling across the lawns and swimming in the canals.
Price: Free
Insider tip: The best time is 6–8 am or after 5 pm, when the heat eases. At 6 pm the national anthem plays and the whole park stands still for a minute. Do not feed the monitors or get closer than a couple of metres.
Thailand’s highest observation deck at 314 metres. On the 78th floor there is a glass floor with the streets below, and all of Bangkok spreads to the horizon. There is no time limit at the top.
Price: Daytime (until 3:30 pm): about 880 ฿; sunset: about 1,200 ฿
Insider tip: The cheapest option is a daytime ticket online: arrive around 3 pm and wait for sunset on the roof. BTS Chong Nonsi, exit 3. You walk on the glass in soft overshoes they hand out.
The ancient capital an hour away, home to the famous Buddha head in the tree roots.
🔒 Secret spot: details and the map pin are in the full guide
Boats piled with fruit and noodles, and how to skip the "tourist market".
🔒 Secret spot: details and the map pin are in the full guide