The Big Mango: Bangkok

Bangkok is this type of city that makes you want to return. This is my third visit, and I already know it won’t be the last. The Thai people call their capital “Krung Thep” (City of Angels), but the nickname foreigners reach for is the Big Mango, borrowed straight from New York. You’ll understand it the moment you land. Mangoes are everywhere here. Street carts, smoothie stalls, menus, dessert shops. Sweet yellow slices for almost nothing.

The city has over 10 million residents and sits along the Chao Phraya River in the heart of Thailand. Bangkok also holds the world’s longest official city name at 168 characters: Krung Thep Maha Nakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit. Nobody uses it. The city has ranked among the most visited in the world for several years running, and a few days here is enough to understand why. Temples, markets, rooftop bars, canal boats, street food at every corner. Loud and hot and very much alive. Bangkok is very diverse, and that is why I love it.

In this post

Where to Stay
Things to Do
Things to Eat

Where to Stay

Bangkok’s neighborhoods each have a different feel. Sukhumvit is popular with expats and nightlife seekers, the Old City around the Grand Palace suits first time visitors, and Riverside is quieter and more atmospheric. I keep coming back to Silom and Sathon. Both are well-connected by BTS Skytrain, close to Lumpini Park, there are plenty of good restaurants around, and they have a mix of locals and tourists that never feels overwhelming.

On this trip I stayed at Amara Bangkok (not sponsored). It has modern rooms, nice amenities, great views over the city from the upper floors, and a convenient location you can actually walk from. The rooftop infinity pool is the highlight, though I’ll be honest: it’s smaller than the photos suggest. Still, lying there in the evening with the Bangkok skyline in front of you, it’s hard to complain about.

Things to Do

The Temple of Dawn

Wat Arun deserves every photo of it you’ve already seen. The Temple of Dawn stands 79 meters (259 ft) on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, its central spire covered in fragments of Chinese porcelain that catch the light differently all through the day. Photos genuinely don’t capture how detailed the whole structure is up close. Cross over from the opposite bank by ferry for about 5 baht, which is essentially free.

Mahanakhon Tower

For a completely different kind of view, head to the Mahanakhon Tower, an instantly recognizable skyscraper with its pixelated exterior that looks like geometric cubes were carved straight out of the glass facade in a spiraling pattern. The observation deck sits at 314 meters (1,030 ft). There’s a part with the glass floor section near the top. You’re standing on transparent panels with the city below your feet. On a clear day, the views stretch till the horizon from this observation deck.

Ancient Siam

If you have a free day outside the city, Ancient Siam (Muang Boran) in Samut Prakan is worth the trip, around 33 km (21 miles) south of Bangkok. It’s the world’s largest open-air museum, spread across 80 hectares (200 acres) and shaped like a map of Thailand itself. You rent an electric buggy and drive yourself around at whatever pace you like, stopping at scaled-down replicas of famous temples and monuments from across the country. It is more fun than it sounds, honestly.

Lumpini Park

Lumpini Park is good for an early morning walk before the heat becomes serious. It’s also home to wild water monitor lizards, some reaching 2 meters (6 ft) in length, roaming freely around the paths and lake. I came specifically hoping to photograph them, but it was a hot afternoon and most had retreated into the water. Next time.

Other great places

Beyond those, the city has plenty more to fill your days. The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew are Bangkok’s most visited complex for good reason: the grounds cover 218,000 sq meters (54 acres) and include the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, one of the most sacred sites in the country. Get there before 9am if you want any breathing room.

Chatuchak Weekend Market, open Saturdays and Sundays, is one of the world’s largest markets with over 15,000 stalls selling vintage clothing, antiques, plants, and street food.

Chinatown (Yaowarat Road) comes alive in the evening, when the gold shops, seafood stalls and neon signs all switch on around 6pm and the whole street turns into an open-air feast.

If a floating market is on your list, Amphawa is a better option than the more famous Damnoen Saduak: less staged, equally charming, and around 90 minutes from the city.

Things to Eat

Thai food is in my personal top 10 cuisines in the world. The balance of sweet, sour, spicy and savory packed into a single dish is hard to pull off, and Bangkok gets it right at every price point. Street stalls, casual local spots, and proper restaurants are all worth exploring.

This trip I had dinner at Naam 1608, a restaurant right on the Chao Phraya River. The setting alone is worth going for, a lovely riverside terrace with good service and food that delivers. A place I’d return to without hesitation.

For street food, the stalls at Soi Silom 20, locally known as Mama Mia, are the real deal. The tom yum soup and grilled fish I had there are still on my mind weeks later. That’s always the honest test of a meal.

One more recommendation: do a dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya River at least once. Yes, it’s touristy. But watching illuminated temples and bridges reflected in the water while eating and listening to live music on board is a genuinely enjoyable way to see the city from a different angle, especially after sunset.