A week in Bangkok: More than Khao San Road and Sukhumvit
Bangkok has a reputation (partly thanks to The Hangover) for being a party destination complete with backpacker bars, cheap alcohol and not-so-secret red-light districts. While these exist, Bangkok is a world-class, international city with experiences on offer that you might not expect. It’s a vibrant, cultural and warm (literally) city that truly has something for everyone.
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What to do
Let’s get straight into it, looking for cultural experiences and sightseeing?
Visit Bangkok’s Grand Palace, the Reclining Buddha, Wat Arun, Wat Trai Mit and catch sunset at the Eagles Nest with its spectacular views of Wat Arun across the Chao Praya River.
Not interested in roaming the dozens of malls everyone keeps talking about?
Visit King Power Mahanakhon for 360 degree, glass floor views from 412m above the streets, this puts you close to the Silom area where you can check out some unique shopping malls, restaurants and street markets selling all your low-cost shopping needs. That brand new Louis Vuitton wallet may or may not be real but your friends won’t be able to tell the difference!
Food is an experience!
Immerse in that amazing Thai cuisine, spend a night or two trying as much as you can at the Chinatown night market before booking your very own cooking class. Head to one of Bang Rak’s many rooftop bars like Yao or Sky Bar to experience a few glasses with an unforgettable view.
Bangkok is no stranger to the Michelin star.
If fine dining is your thing, you have the world at your fingertips for Michelin starred, international and local Thai fusion dining, like Jay Fai (street food icon), Sushi Masato or Sorn.
Still want to soak up some nightlife without the backpackers?
Head to Teens of Thailand, this gin-centric cocktail bar has you sorted for original and classic gin cocktails. Sick of gin? Head to the door across the road and enter Asia Today, another city famous cocktail bar with an extensive menu of honey-inspired drinks.
The list goes on and on, so let’s cover some other Bangkok basics that’ll ensure you have the best time in the city.
Where to stay
As you might deduce from the title, the area around Khao San Road and the heart of Sukhumvit might not be our first choice when it comes to spending a week in Bangkok. But they do have a lot to offer for certain travellers.
Khao San Road is the developed backpacker zone of Bangkok, it is close enough to the Grand Palace and a few of the city’s most famous temples that its a great choice for combining some sightseeing with a lot of nightlife. Expect some very loud nights and a constant smell of the devils lettuce.
Sukhumvit is 10km east of Khao San Road. Centred on Soi 11, you’ll find major hotel chains and eateries in this most popular of spots in Bangkok, only two BTS stops from the biggest malls at Siam. Here is where you’ll find a few more of Bangkok’s lively nightlife stereotypes. Western-themed bars and clubs that get busier as the night goes on, with certain streets or Soi’s, that are quite obviously for a particular type of tourist. Sukhumvit does have some amazing dining options and hotels, and its easy BTS connection makes it seamless to visit some of the best parts of the city.
Sathon/Bang Rak is Bangkok’s central district, here you’ll find modern skyscrapers, offices and upmarket condos with views to the Chao Praya river that bisects the city. This could be the best location to find accommodation for a short stay in Bangkok if you’re looking to mix sightseeing, high-end dining and street food and some nightlife. Chinatown isn’t far by taxi and there are many BTS connections, access to the rivers efficient ferry services and plentiful rooftop bar choices. Don’t miss breakfast at Sarnies, one of our favourite cafes in the world!
Khlong San is an up and coming district of Bangkok on the opposite side of the river as places like Bang Rak, Khao San Road and Sukhumvit. This is our pick when we stay in Bangkok, with its good quality local street food, quiet atmosphere and more relaxed feeling. Apart from the city’s most famous mall, IconSiam, this district feels a lot less touristy than others I’ve mentioned and is in our opinion the perfect base for exploring all the city has to offer.
How to get around
Bangkok doesn’t have the best public transport options available. If your hotel or accommodation is close to the BTS or MRT (subway), you can get around to a few places conveniently, but otherwise prepare to make use of Grab taxis or bikes and river ferries.
Single use tickets for the BTS can be purchased at kiosks in the station, simply tell the attendant where you want to go and they will load a single use ticket for you. We recommend not getting a rabbit card for short stays as the savings aren’t really worth it for us. The MRT can be paid for with credit or debit card at the turnstile when entering. River ferries can either be paid in cash for local independent boats such as river crossings, or at kiosks for larger ferries like the one from Sathorn Pier to IconSiam and the temples along the river.
Use grab! If you’ve travelled in Asia you’ll be familiar with Grab. It is cost-effective, easy to use and secure in Thailand just like other parts of Asia and is our primary means of transport when in Bangkok.
Food,food,food!
We could write an entire ebook on where to eat in Bangkok, the variety and quality of the food is incredible and Thai cuisine is definitely our favourite, so here’s our thoughts on how you can get the most out of eating in Bangkok.
Don’t fear the street food! Thai food can sometimes be hard to understand, the best, busiest and freshest places will often be packed with locals and only display menus in Thai. Thankfully its 2025 and we have every language in our pockets, take a picture of the boards on vendors stalls or restaurant entrances and translate to understand whats available. A lot of young Thai’s speak English so you could try to ask for information as well, but our rule is that the more people eating it and the quicker they’re preparing the food from scratch, the better it’ll be! If truly authentic and handmade food is a priority for you, avoid large mall foodcourts like IconSiam and Siam Paragon. The food is overpriced and often subpar quality and portions.
Don’t skip Chinatown! The glowing neon heart of Bangkok needs to be on your itinerary if bustling street markets interest you. It’s cramped and you’ll be shuffling down the small sidewalks, but one of our favourite crispy pork roll noodle stalls in Thailand can be found here along with a whole range of other famous restaurants and vendors. There’s a lot more than just Chinese specialties. The sea of taxis reflecting the bright neon Chinese characters is a unique experience we’ve never had anywhere else!
Night markets. Bangkok is famous for its night markets, with some focusing on stalls selling clothes, souvenirs and trinkets while others focus on food. These are often located on the outer ring of the city, serving locals outside the city centre and can be a great way to enjoy even more authentic local food and markets. We don’t recommend visiting Asiatique as its just an open-air mall and not really a night market.
That’s It!
If you’ve made it down here, thank you so much for reading!
That covers everything you need to know for up to a week in Bangkok! This vibrant city is one of our favourites for a reason, and we hope you love it too!
