Bangkok: 12 must do’s

Arriving in Bangkok was overwhelming. Bangkok is a city with a population of over 8 million people. Belgium has a population of 11 million. So Bangkok is basically Belgium.  How are we going to explore a city that big, in just 3 days?

The following 4 temples can be done on 1 day.

1) Grand Palace in Bangkok

First of all, you must visit the Grand Palace. The Grand Palace was once the king’s home and the place where the government of Thailand worked. Matt, who’s already been to Thailand several times, told us we could spend 2 hours in the palace rather easily. Unfortunately for us, the royal gardens and several buildings were under restoration (rain season means restoration time). We eventually spent over 1 hour at the Grand Palace. First impression? Wow.

Admission price:  500 Baht.

Tip: Knies and shoulders must be covered. 

Warning: I’ve heard about scams outside the palace. The palace is open, don’t believe people who tell you otherwise. 

Chapel of the Emerald Buddha

Furthermore, you must visit the Emerald Buddha. Wat Phra Si Rattanasasadaram, is the original name of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The Emerald Buddha is the palladium of the Kingdom of Thailand. It is a figure of a meditating Buddha made of green stone. The temple of the Emerald Buddha also houses a special room for the royal family. That room is their personal chapel.

Warning: You must leave your shoes outside and you’re forbidden to take photos of the meditating Buddha. 

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Pantheon

The Royal Pantheon is the largest building. It was built next to the Phra Mondop. Originally the Emerald Buddha was to be housed in the Pantheon but the building ended up being to small. The building is only open one day a year, the 6th of April. The Pantheon houses life-sized statues of each of the kings of the Chakri Dynasty.

The Pantheon is flanked by two gilded chedis or pagodas (the golden ones). One of the pagodas is devoted to the father of King Rama I, the other one to his mother.

Phra Si Rattana Chedi and Mondop

The Phra Si Ratana Chedi (gold) was built around the same time as the Royal Pantheon. The chedi looks like the old pagodas of the old capital in Ayutthaya. The chedi houses a piece of the Buddha’s breastbone.

The Phra Mondop (right side of the chedi) was built upon the remaining of an old library that burned down.  It houses the revised edition of the Buddhist Canon. The Phra Mondop is never open to the public.

Details

There is also a wall around the buildings. The walls contain some beautiful paintings. You can also spot many demons that are guardians.

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2) Wat Pho temple (reclining Buddha)

A visit to Wat Pho is a must for any traveler to Bangkok. Wat Pho contains a fifteen meters tall and 46 meters long Reclining Buddha. The whole statue is covered in gold and is incredible to behold. There are over 100 bowls in the temple, where you can donate your coins in order to have good fortune in the future. Really remarkable to see some people throwing coins in every bowl, not missing one.

If you have the time, you can also take a special traditional Thai Massage at Wat Pho. This massage is only given in Wat Pho and is nowhere else to be found. After visiting Wat Pho you can visit the other buildings. You can find hallways filled with golden buddhas or you can find several pagodas. Unfortunately, several buildings were once again under construction.

Admission price:  100 Baht.

Tip: Knies and shoulders must be covered. 

3) Wat Arun

Wat Arun temple, named after the God of Dawn is situated on the bank of the Chao Phraya River. The temple is 79 meters tall- and is covered in ceramic tiles and porcelain. We couldn’t climb to the top of Wat Arun which you can normally do.

Admission price:  50 Baht.

Tip: Knees and shoulders must be covered. 

Tip: You can take the ferry to cross the river. We did the palace first, followed by Wat Pho, taking the ferry to Wat Arun, taking the ferry back to end up driving to Wat Saket. 

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4) Wat Saket

Wat Saket ‘The temple of the Golden Mount’, is one of the city’s oldest temples. The temple is situated on an 80-meters high mountain, which can be climbed in 340 steps. The top allows you to have a 360-degree view of Bangkok. You can even see the palace and Wat Pho.

Admission price:  50 Baht.

Tip: Knees and shoulders must be covered. 

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5) Lopburi ~ 1 day

We didn’t have the chance to visit Lopburi but would have if we had the time. Lopburi is known for its monkeys, climbing the temples and even people. Lopburi is one of the oldest cities in Thailand and is worth a visit when seeing photos.

6) Ayuthaya ~1 day

Ayutthaya was once the capital city of Siam (Thailand). Only ruins show us what it once was. When visiting some sites, I was impressed by its structure and beauty but found Angkor Wat more beautiful. Angkor Wat is bigger and better preserved. Nevertheless, the ruins in Ayutthaya were magnificent. On one site, there is a Buddha statue covered in the ground with only its head sticking out of the ground. When you come near this Buddha’s head, you must sit down because it’s not appropriate to stand above Buddha. So taking selfies must be taken from below.  

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There is also a reclining Buddha in Ayutthaya which is much smaller than the one in Wat Pho.

Option: When booking a tour to Ayutthaya make sure to take the one with the boat ride on the Chai Phraya River. You’ll pass several temples and mosks, golden bridges and even Wat Po, the Palace and Wat Arun. 

10) Chinatown

You can pay a visit to the Sky View 360 restaurant in Chinatown of Bangkok. The restaurant is in the Grand China Hotel on the  25th floor. The restaurant is on a platform that is slowly moving, allowing you to view the whole city during your meal.

Warning: The food is rather expensive. This was the most expensive meal of the whole trip. 

11) Rooftop bars

One must do in Bangkok is visiting some rooftop bars! Bangkok has over at least 20 rooftop bars. We chose to visit the Speakeasy rooftop bar and the Vertigo rooftop bar.

The Speakeasy

The Speakeasy rooftop bar is in the building of Hotel Muse. The house style is the roaring 20s. Liquor was prohibited then. Luckily for us, this rooftop bar has no prohibition on alcohol, but you can sense its 1920’s vibe.  It reminded me of the movie The Great Gatsby.

Tip: Make sure to try one of the local beers. I tried the beer Singha and it didn’t taste that different from the ones in Belgium but it had a lesser taste. 

The Vertigo ~ Moon bar

This rooftop bar is on the 61st floor and offers you an amazing view of Bangkok’s skyline. Bring your wallet, this one is expensive.

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12) Asiatique the riverfront

The Asiatique riverfront is a mix of a night bazaar and a mall. You can shop in the many boutiques, you can eat something in a restaurant or you can watch the Calypso ladyboy show.

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Life of a Passion