Bangkok Travel Guide 2026: A Resident's Honest Guide

I moved to Bangkok from New York City in 2025. I had visited twice before, both short trips where I did the standard tourist loop: Grand Palace, Khao San Road, a rooftop bar, and a lot of pad thai. Living here is a completely different experience. The city I thought I knew from those trips barely scratches the surface of what Bangkok actually is.

Bangkok is one of those places that defies a single description. Within the same block, you will find a 60-year-old street food vendor grilling satay on a charcoal grill next to a gleaming glass mall with Michelin-starred restaurants inside. A Buddhist temple sits across the street from a 7-Eleven. Tuk-tuks idle next to Teslas. The city is chaotic, modern, ancient, loud, and surprisingly efficient all at once.

This guide is what I wish someone had handed me before my first visit, and especially before I moved. It covers what you actually need to know: where to stay, how to get around, what to eat, and what to skip. No filler, just the stuff that matters from someone who lives here full-time.

Why Bangkok

The short version: Bangkok offers a quality of life that is genuinely hard to match anywhere else. You get world-class food at every price point, from a 50 THB ($1.60) plate of khao man gai to a 5,000 THB ($161) omakase dinner. The city has modern infrastructure, fast internet, excellent hospitals, and a level of convenience that makes daily life remarkably easy.

Coming from NYC, the thing that surprised me most was the convenience factor. Everything is on an app. Need a ride? Grab. Food delivered to your door in 20 minutes? Grab Food or LINE MAN. Groceries, laundry, massage, a plumber? All bookable from your phone. The city runs on apps and QR codes in a way that makes New York feel behind.

Then there is the cost. I live in a luxury condo near Lumpini Park. My apartment came fully furnished, including three Dyson air purifiers. The same setup in Manhattan would cost three to four times more. Eating out every meal here is not just affordable, it is the norm. Most Thai people eat out for the majority of their meals because the food is that cheap and that good.

Where to Stay in Bangkok

Bangkok is a massive city, and where you stay matters more than in most places. The wrong neighborhood can mean spending an hour in traffic just to reach anything interesting. Here are the areas worth considering, ranked by how useful they are for most visitors.

Sukhumvit (Asok to Ekkamai)

This is the main expat corridor and the best area for first-time visitors or short stays. The BTS Skytrain runs the length of Sukhumvit Road, connecting a string of distinct neighborhoods. Asok has Terminal 21 mall and the MRT interchange. Phrom Phong has EmQuartier and EmSphere, two of the best malls in the city for food and shopping. Thonglor (between Phrom Phong and Ekkamai) is where you will find Bangkok's trendiest restaurants, rooftop bars, and nightlife.

The advantage of Sukhumvit is density. Restaurants, bars, malls, massage shops, and convenience stores are everywhere. You can walk to plenty of things or hop on the BTS for a few stops. The downside is that it can feel more like "expat Bangkok" than the real thing, and Sukhumvit Road traffic is legendary.

Silom / Sathorn

This is where I live, near Lumpini Park. It is Bangkok's business district, but do not let that put you off. Sathorn and Silom have excellent restaurants, a walkable area around the park, and a quieter feel than Sukhumvit while still being fully central. The BTS Silom Line runs through here, and you are a short Grab ride from anywhere.

I chose this area specifically for the walkability around Lumpini Park. I can walk to Villa Market in Vela for groceries, walk through the park for exercise, and still be 10 minutes by Grab from Thonglor or Siam. For longer stays or if you want a more residential feel without giving up access, this is a strong choice.

Siam / Ratchaprasong

Mall central. Siam Paragon, CentralWorld, Central Embassy, and MBK are all within walking distance of each other. This area is great if shopping and food are your priorities. Siam Paragon in particular has an incredible food hall with Michelin-starred restaurants at surprisingly reasonable prices. Central Embassy's Open House on the top floor is a beautiful coworking and bookstore space worth visiting even if you are not shopping.

Hotels in this area tend to be expensive. It is also not the most walkable for anything beyond the malls themselves. But if you want to be in the center of the action, this works.

Riverside (Charoen Krung / ICONSIAM Area)

The riverside has some of Bangkok's most beautiful luxury hotels, and ICONSIAM is a massive destination mall. The views are stunning, especially at sunset. But I need to be honest about the drawbacks.

A friend of mine lives at the Four Seasons Residences near ICONSIAM. The building offers a free boat shuttle every 30 minutes, which sounds great until you realize you need that shuttle because there is not much within walking distance. Getting to the rest of the city requires planning. If you want a luxury hotel experience and are fine relying on transport, the riverside is beautiful. If you want to explore independently, stay somewhere more central.

Khao San Road Area

The backpacker zone. Cheap hostels, loud bars, street food, and a party atmosphere. It is fun for a night out, and it puts you close to the Grand Palace and old city temples. But the area is geared entirely toward budget tourists. The accommodation quality is low, and you are far from the BTS/MRT. Unless you are on a tight budget and want the hostel experience, stay elsewhere and visit Khao San for an evening.

Getting Around Bangkok

Bangkok traffic is as bad as advertised. During rush hour (7-9am and 5-8pm), a trip that takes 15 minutes at midday can take over an hour by car. The good news is that you have several options to avoid the worst of it.

Grab (My Go-To)

Grab is the Uber of Southeast Asia, and it is the app I use more than any other. I open it multiple times a day. Two vehicle types matter: Grab Bike and Grab Car.

Grab Bike is the secret weapon. A motorcycle taxi picks you up and weaves through traffic. Most trips across central Bangkok cost 40-80 THB ($1.30-2.60), and they take a fraction of the time a car would during rush hour. I use Grab Bike for almost all my solo trips. It sounds intimidating if you have never been on a motorbike, but the drivers are experienced and they provide a helmet.

Grab Car is what I use when I have luggage, when it is raining, or when I just want air conditioning and comfort. Prices range from 100-300 THB ($3.20-9.65) for most trips within central Bangkok. During rush hour, expect surge pricing and longer waits.

Download the app and set it up before you arrive. It has tips on pricing, tipping, and getting the most out of it.

BTS Skytrain and MRT

Bangkok's rail system covers the main corridors. The BTS Skytrain has two lines: Sukhumvit Line (running along Sukhumvit Road) and Silom Line (connecting Silom/Sathorn to the river). The MRT is the underground metro, intersecting with the BTS at a few stations. Fares run 17-62 THB ($0.55-2.00) per trip.

Honestly, I do not use the BTS or MRT much. Grab Bike is usually faster for the trips I take, and I do not have to walk to a station or deal with the crowds. During rush hour the trains get packed. That said, the Sukhumvit BTS line is genuinely useful if you are going from Asok to Siam or along the main Sukhumvit corridor. It is also the cheapest option.

For station maps, fare info, and travel tips, check the Bangkok BTS and MRT resources available online.

Taxis

Metered taxis are cheap when they actually use the meter. The flag drop is 35 THB, and most trips within central Bangkok should cost 60-150 THB. The problem: some drivers refuse to use the meter, refuse certain destinations, or will not pick you up during rush hour. Grab eliminated most of these headaches, which is why most expats default to it. If you do take a taxi, always insist on the meter before getting in.

Tuk-Tuks

Tuk-tuks are a Bangkok icon and worth trying once for the experience. They are not practical transport. Expect to pay 100-200 THB for a short trip that would cost 40-60 THB on Grab. Always negotiate the price before getting in. If a tuk-tuk driver approaches you outside a tourist attraction offering a cheap "tour," decline. It is almost certainly a scam that routes you through gem shops and suit tailors where the driver collects a commission.

Boats

Two boat routes are worth knowing. The Chao Phraya Express Boat runs along the river and is the best way to reach riverside temples (Grand Palace, Wat Arun, Wat Pho). Buy a tourist pass or pay per trip at the pier. The Khlong Saen Saep boat is a canal boat that cuts east-west across the city. It is cheap (10-20 THB), avoids traffic entirely, and connects the old city with Sukhumvit. It is loud, sometimes splashy, and utterly practical.

Best Things to Do in Bangkok

Temples

Bangkok has over 400 temples. You do not need to see most of them. Three are genuinely worth your time.

• Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew: The top attraction in Bangkok for good reason. Go early morning, before 9am, to beat the crowds and the heat. Dress code is strict: long pants, covered shoulders, no sandals. Entry is 500 THB ($16.10).
• Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn): Across the river from the Grand Palace. Beautiful at sunrise and sunset. Climb the central tower for river views. Entry is 100 THB ($3.20).
• Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha): Home to the massive 46-meter reclining Buddha. Also famous for its traditional Thai massage school. Less crowded than the Grand Palace and arguably more interesting. Entry is 300 THB ($9.65).

You can see all three in a single morning if you start early. After that, skip the temples unless you have a specific interest. They start to blend together.

Markets

Chatuchak Weekend Market is a must-visit. Over 15,000 stalls selling everything from vintage clothing to handmade furniture to street food. Go early (9-10am) before the heat becomes unbearable. The market is outdoors and Bangkok afternoons in any season are brutal. Jodd Fairs is a trendy night market in the Rama 9 area with good food stalls and a younger crowd. The original Train Night Market (Ratchada) closed, but Jodd Fairs fills that gap well.

Malls

Bangkok malls are a destination, not a backup plan for rainy days. I have been to all the major ones, and they are genuinely impressive.

• Siam Paragon: The flagship. Luxury brands, an excellent food hall with Michelin-starred restaurants, an aquarium in the basement. The food alone is worth the trip.
• EmSphere: Opened recently near Phrom Phong BTS. The food floor is a top contender for best mall dining in the city. Modern, less crowded than Siam Paragon.
• CentralWorld: One of the largest malls in Southeast Asia. Good for everything: fashion, electronics, food courts. Not as flashy as Paragon but more practical for everyday shopping.
• One Bangkok: The newest major development. A mixed-use complex that is worth visiting just to see the scale of it.
• Central Embassy: High-end, but the real draw is Open House on the top floor. Part bookstore, part coworking space, part restaurant. Beautiful place to spend an afternoon.

Lumpini Park

Bangkok's equivalent of Central Park, and the reason I chose my neighborhood. It is 142 acres of green space in the middle of the city, with running paths, outdoor exercise equipment, and a lake. I walk through it regularly. In the mornings you will see groups doing tai chi. In the evenings, families picnicking and joggers doing laps.

The monitor lizards are the park's most famous residents. They are everywhere, sometimes two meters long, and completely harmless. They will ignore you entirely. Do not feed them.

Rooftop Bars

Bangkok practically invented the rooftop bar scene. The views of the city skyline at sunset are spectacular, and there are dozens to choose from. A few well-known options: Vertigo at Banyan Tree (open-air, 61st floor), Sky Bar at Lebua (the "Hangover" bar), and Octave at the Marriott Sukhumvit (360-degree views). Expect to pay 300-500 THB ($9.65-16.10) per cocktail. Go at sunset for the best experience. Most have a smart casual dress code.

Day Trips

• Ayutthaya: The ruins of Thailand's ancient capital, about 1.5 hours north of Bangkok. Rent a bicycle or hire a tuk-tuk to tour the temple ruins. Worth a full day.
• Floating Markets: Amphawa is the better choice over the more famous Damnoen Saduak, which is very touristy. Amphawa is a weekend evening market with boats selling fresh seafood. About 1.5 hours southwest of Bangkok. Guided day trips are easy to book online.
• Kanchanaburi: Home to the Bridge on the River Kwai and WWII museums. About 2.5 hours west. Can be done as a long day trip or an overnight.

For day trips, cooking classes, and Muay Thai experiences, GetYourGuide has a solid selection of Bangkok activities with free cancellation on most bookings.

Where to Eat in Bangkok

Food is Bangkok's superpower. The city has more Michelin-starred restaurants than most people realize (over 30 at last count), but the real magic is that you can eat incredibly well at every price point. A 50 THB ($1.60) street food dish can be just as memorable as a 3,000 THB ($96.50) tasting menu.

Street Food

Still the backbone of Bangkok eating, and still remarkably cheap. Most dishes cost 40-80 THB ($1.30-2.60). Yaowarat (Chinatown) has the best concentration of street food vendors and is especially lively at night. Silom Soi 20 is a packed lunchtime spot popular with office workers. The single best quality indicator: look for crowds of Thai people. If the locals are lining up, the food is good.

A few dishes to seek out: khao man gai (chicken rice), pad kra pao (basil stir-fry with rice and fried egg), som tum (papaya salad), and boat noodles. Skip anything marketed with English-language tourist menus at inflated prices.

Mall Food Courts

This surprised me. Mall food courts in Bangkok are not the sad pizza-and-Sbarro situation from American malls. Siam Paragon's food hall has Michelin-starred restaurants serving dishes at reasonable prices. EmSphere's food floor is equally impressive. For budget options, MBK food court has been a reliable spot for years. You buy a prepaid card, load it with cash, and eat from any stall. Refund the balance when you leave.

Restaurants

The range is enormous. Solid local restaurants with air conditioning serve full meals for 150-300 THB ($4.80-9.65). Mid-range restaurants with good ambiance run 500-1,500 THB ($16.10-48.30) per person. Fine dining in Bangkok starts around 2,500 THB ($80.50) per person and goes up from there. Compared to NYC, where a decent dinner for two easily costs $150-200 before drinks, Bangkok is a revelation.

Food Delivery

I use Grab Food and LINE MAN regularly. The selection is huge, covering everything from street food stalls to high-end restaurants. Delivery usually takes 20-30 minutes and the fees are minimal. On days when the heat or traffic makes going out unappealing, I order everything to my door. It is one of those conveniences you get used to fast and miss immediately when you travel elsewhere.

Practical Information

Arriving at BKK (Suvarnabhumi)

Immigration lines at Suvarnabhumi have gotten long in recent years. If you do not have a fast-track option, budget 45-60 minutes just for immigration, sometimes longer during peak arrival times. I have the Thailand Privilege visa, which gets me into a dedicated fast-track lane that takes about five minutes. That alone makes the visa worth considering for frequent visitors.

The Privilege visa includes airport fast-track and other perks. See the Thailand Privilege visa guide for details on cost and benefits.

Once through immigration, you have two good options for getting to the city. The Airport Rail Link runs to Phaya Thai station (connecting to BTS) for 45 THB ($1.45), taking about 30 minutes. Or book a Grab from the arrivals level for 250-400 THB ($8.05-12.90) depending on your destination and traffic. I always book a Grab. Avoid the unofficial taxi touts in the arrivals hall. Use the official meter taxi queue on the ground floor or Grab.

Money and Payments

Thailand has moved heavily toward QR code payments. PromptPay, linked to a Thai bank account, works almost everywhere. Malls, restaurants, 7-Elevens, even many street food vendors accept QR payments. I have an SCB bank account with PromptPay set up, and I rarely carry cash.

For tourists without a Thai bank account: ATMs charge a 220 THB ($7.08) fee per withdrawal for foreign cards, on top of whatever your home bank charges. Bring a Wise debit card to minimize fees and get the real exchange rate. You will still need some cash for smaller street food stalls, market vendors, and tuk-tuks. Withdraw a few thousand baht at the airport to start.

SIM Cards and Internet

The three major carriers are AIS, True, and DTAC. Tourist SIM cards are available at the airport for 300-600 THB ($9.65-19.30) with generous data packages. If you want to skip the airport SIM counter entirely, buy an eSIM before you fly.

Home internet in Bangkok is fast and cheap. I have AIS Fibre at 1Gbps for around 900 THB ($29) per month. Even budget apartments usually have fiber internet available.

Weather

Bangkok has three seasons, and they matter for trip planning.

• Hot season (March to May): Brutal. Temperatures hit 35-40°C (95-104°F) with high humidity. April is the worst. Unless you have a specific reason, avoid this period for your first visit.
• Rainy season (June to October): Afternoon downpours, sometimes heavy. Mornings are usually fine. The rain cools things down, and it is low season, so hotels are cheaper and crowds thinner. Not a bad time to visit if you do not mind getting wet.
• Cool season (November to February): The best time to visit. Temperatures drop to 25-32°C (77-90°F), humidity is lower, and the skies are often clear. This is peak tourist season, so book hotels in advance.

For month-by-month breakdowns and packing tips, research the best time to visit Thailand based on your travel dates.

Safety

Bangkok is generally safe, even late at night. Violent crime against tourists is rare. The main risks are practical: traffic (look both ways, and then look again), heat exhaustion (drink water constantly), and scams.

The classic scams: a friendly stranger telling you a temple is "closed today" and offering to take you to a gem shop. Tuk-tuk drivers offering suspiciously cheap tours that route through commission shops. Jet ski rental damage scams on the islands. All of these are avoidable if you know they exist.

For detailed scam breakdowns and neighborhood safety info, do some research on Thailand safety before your trip.

Language

Most people in tourist areas and malls speak basic English. Outside those areas, English drops off quickly. Learn two phrases: "sawasdee krap" (hello, male speaker) or "sawasdee ka" (hello, female speaker), and "kob khun krap/ka" (thank you). Thai people appreciate the effort. For menus and signs, Google Translate's camera mode works surprisingly well for Thai script.

Renting an Apartment

If you are staying for a month or longer, renting a condo is significantly cheaper than hotels and gives you a much more authentic experience. The process is remarkably easy compared to Western cities.

Most Bangkok condos come fully furnished. I am not talking about a bed and a desk. My apartment came with a full kitchen, washer/dryer, furniture, and three Dyson Big+Quiet Formaldehyde air purifiers (these are expensive units). Even mid-range condos include appliances, furniture, and linens. You show up with a suitcase and you are set.

There are no background checks, no credit checks, no income verification. Communicate with landlords on LINE (download this app, everyone in Thailand uses it for everything). Typical lease terms are 1 year with a 2-month security deposit, though shorter leases of 3-6 months are negotiable at slightly higher rent.

For a full breakdown of rent, food, transport, and other expenses, see the cost of living in Thailand guide.

Bangkok vs NYC (My Perspective)

I get asked this constantly, so here is the honest comparison from someone who lived in Manhattan for years before moving to Bangkok.

• Rent: A fraction of NYC prices for dramatically more space and better amenities. My building has a pool, gym, concierge, and 24/7 front desk. In Manhattan, this tier of building would cost three to four times more.
• Food: Better and cheaper at every price point. Bangkok street food has no NYC equivalent. And the fine dining scene here is world-class at a fraction of the cost.
• Transport: Grab Bikes beat the subway for most trips. No waiting underground, no weekend service changes, no rats. Just open the app and go.
• Convenience: Everything delivered to your door. Food, groceries, laundry, anything. The delivery infrastructure here is years ahead of the US.
• What you give up: Walkability varies by neighborhood (which is why I chose the Lumpini Park area). Air quality is not great, especially during burning season in March and April (the Dyson purifiers help at home). Bureaucracy for anything official can be slow. And you are far from family and friends back home.

How Long Should You Spend in Bangkok?

• 3-5 days: Enough for the highlights. Temples, street food, a market, a rooftop bar, and some mall time. This is the standard tourist itinerary and it works.
• 2 weeks: Enough to actually understand the city. Explore different neighborhoods, find your favorite restaurants, take a day trip, and settle into a routine. You will start to see Bangkok as more than a tourist destination.
• 1 month or more: If you are considering living here, a month gives you time to test neighborhoods, look at apartments, and figure out whether the lifestyle fits you. Many people come for a month and end up staying much longer.

For longer stays, you will need the right visa. Check the Thailand visa guide for all your options, from tourist visas to the digital nomad (DTV) visa.