Exotic Bangkok Thailand!

Wat Nak Prok

Bangkok Thailand, exotic to many including us. Growing up, Bangkok was a place you saw in the movies. It was a place that Anthony Bourdain or Andrew Zimmern were eating all of these crazy foods and exploring night markets. So naturally, as travelers, we couldn't wait to experience this city first hand.  

Spoiler alert.....Bangkok is INCREDIBLE. We spent 2 months in this vibrant city and we loved it! The Thai smile is real, the locals are so kind and welcoming. And don't even get me started on the food. Get ready to gain a few pounds unless you have some strong willpower. After a week of exploring and just starting to feel comfortable with our surroundings, one common theme came to my mind. You will never go hungry in Bangkok, it is literally a buffet. Your senses will explode from all of the lights, sounds, smells and tastes. This city is absolutely alive. 

We arrived in Bangkok from Istanbul in mid October. We timed it so we would spend 2 months there, but be all settled in at our next destination (Kuala Lumpur) before Christmas & New Year celebrations. So we did experience Thanksgiving in Bangkok. Luckily for us, prior to our arrival, they had changed the visitor visa rules for US Citizens visiting. When we booked out stay, the time limit was 30 days, but you could extend for an additional 30 days (which was our plan). But, luck was on our side and Thailand changed the visitor visa to an automatic 60 day visa upon arrival. 

Our Neighborhood:
We did a ton of research and watched hours of YouTube videos before coming to Bangkok. We had a hard time deciding where to stay. But, since we travel slowly and really like to get a more "local" experience, we tend to stay outside of the main tourist areas. As always, we make sure we have easy access to public transportation and easy access to grocery stores. We cook a lot of meals at home, yes even in Bangkok. 

Sukhumvit 77/1 Alley - Delicious Street Food Vendors & Excellent Massage Shops

We stayed on On Nut road, near the On Nut BTS Skytrain Station. We were very close to a Big C grocery store and a Lotus's Market. In addition, we had a local market nearby for fruit, vegetables, meat and eggs. It ended up being a very convenient location and an amazing neighborhood. We would stay there again!

Bangkok Sunrise - On Nut Road Below - Incredible City!

The On Nut neighborhood truly had everything. We had excellent restaurants at great local prices everywhere we turned. A block over we had a night market that was loaded with great food options as well. That same street was filled with massage shops, which we took full advantage of. A 1 hour massage was about $10 USD including tip. Of course we got weekly massages! Why not!? We loved our neighborhood.

Our Building Pool From Our 26th Floor Balcony!

Public Transportation:
Having access to the BTS Skytrain is crucial when staying in Bangkok. It's a raised, above ground, metro system. It has multiple lines and different transfer stations along those lines. You can transfer between BTS lines or you can change over to the underground Metro system called the MRT. We didn't take the MRT, but it is also an extensive system. For convenience, we bought BTS Rabbit Cards. We had to show our passports to buy them, and they cost about $3. But, we could easily go to the counter and reload them instead of having to buy a ticket from the machine for each trip. These cards didn't offer and savings, just convenience. The MRT system takes a different/separate card.

BTS Skytrain - Sukhumvit Line

Buses are all over Bangkok. There are older buses with no a/c and manual transmissions that cost about $0.25 to ride. There are new electric buses with air conditioning that cost about $0.60 to ride. The bus stops where nearly everywhere and very well marked. Google maps and the bus routes were very accurate and the buses we on-time for the most part. Traffic gets really bad in Bangkok and the buses are in that same traffic, so that is the only downfall with taking the bus. However, taking the bus has major advantages if you need to go somewhere that the BTS and MRT don't go. We took the bus multiple times and it worked out great most of the time, except when the traffic was heavy. Then, of course, the BTS takes the crown. 

Bangkok Thailand Public Transportation - An Older Bus We Rode, Perfectly Fine, Extremely Affordable!

Then there is Grab & Bolt, they are heavily used in Bangkok. We actually never used either during our time, so I can't speak from experience. What amazed me most what how confidently locals rode on the back of scooters without hanging on, women would even ride "side-saddle". The level of confidence! Another popular means of getting around is by Tuk Tuk, they are colorful and some are "souped up". They look really cool. There is an app specifically for Tuk Tuk rideshare called MuvMi. I downloaded this app but couldn't sign up because they required a local phone number. We were using data only esims, so no luck there. At one point during our stay we tried negotiating with a Tuk Tuk driver, but the price seemed very high for the distance we needed to go, so ultimately we passed on the Tuk Tuk experience. Next time around we'll try to get on one, just for the experience.

Chao Phraya River - Hop-on, Hop-off Boat:
The Chao Phraya River is iconic to Bangkok and many of the main attractions and temples are right off of the Chao Phraya. There is an extremely convenient and affordable option to get up and down this river and to easily access a plethora of Bangkok's attractions. The Hop-on / Hop-off boat only costs about $5 per person and your ticket is good for the whole day. Wat Arun, The Grand Palace, The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Pho (The Reclining Buddha), Chinatown, ICONSIAM, Asiatique, Talat Noi, and Khao San Road; to just name a few. We took this boat for the day and were able to see and do so much in a short period of time because of the heavy concentration of attractions in the area and because we cut out the transit time, no traffic on the water. The boats were plentiful and always had space. We highly recommend taking a day (or two) to take this amazing and affordable boat. 

Sunset on the Chao Phraya River From One of the Hop-on, Hop-off Boat Stops

Massages...now I want a massage:
We had heard from fellow travelers that we MUST get massages while in Bangkok (Thailand in general). The On Nut neighborhood is an amazing place to stay if your goal is to get affordable massages. There are so many massage shops and the pricing was consistent across them. The going rate was about 300 Thai Baht for a 1 hour massage. We stuck to 1 hour massages, but you could definitely request longer services. 

While we were there we tried a few different types of massage; Head, Neck & Shoulder, Thai Sassage, Leg & Foot, and Oil Massage. The oil massage felt great, but the oil didn't allow for the pressure. This could just be me, but I like firm pressure and a more deep tissue massage. Honestly though, we loved them all and felt like a king & queen after each one. Very professional and so relaxing. We were definitely spoiled after our time in Bangkok. As it were, we ended up getting a massage nearly every week. 

Of the services we tried, the oil massage was the most like what westerners have experienced if they ever had a massage in the US. My personal favorite was the Thai Massage. This massage was all about stretches and pressure points. No oil or "Tiger Balm" was used. The Head, Neck & Shoulders massage was a very close second favorite. Again, a lot of stretching and pressure points, but they used Tiger Balm. Think Icy Hot. It's balm made in Thailand and leaves a hot & icy tingling feeling as it soaks in. It has a camphor & cinnamon odor, it's actually very soothing. The Leg & Foot Massage was great too. I could absolutely go for a Thai Massage right now. 

I slept wrong one of our last nights in Istanbul prior to arriving in Bangkok (welcome to my 40's). I had a nasty knot in my shoulder/trap area. We opted to get a Head, Neck & Shoulder Massage first to alleviate the knot and tightness I was experiencing. This massage was just what I needed. As we soon discovered, all of the massages ended up being full-body, even the Leg & Foot Massage ended with a Head, Neck & Shoulder Massage. No complaints, you absolutely get your money's worth. In addition to the 300 Thai Baht for the service, we always made sure to tip our masseuse after the service. It's a kind gesture and they really do work hard making sure you have a good experience. It's a craft that requires a lot of skill and a ton physical work on their part. We know Thailand isn't necessarily a tipping, but we felt it was a king gesture for this type of service.

Gym - Fitness24Seven:
When booking our Airbnb in Bangkok we put a lot of emphasis on getting a place with a gym. Somewhere that had all of the amenities. Upon arrival we inspected our gym and it ended up lacking in some key areas so we opted to get gym memberships for our stay. Luckily we had an amazing option right down the street. Fitness24Seven is a chain in Bangkok with multiple locations. It's not often that chain gyms will offer a month to month contract, but we lucked out in Bangkok. Although it is a bit more expensive, Fitness24Seven has a the option of paying month to month. We paid 2000 Thai Baht per person, per month. That's about $58. We had 24/7 access to all of their facilities. The gyms were beautiful with new, high quality equipment. They also had great music and free wifi. We loved that gym felt like we made great progress during our time in Bangkok. No regrets, but we learned our lesson in putting so much emphasis on a gym in the building only to be a bit disappointed.

Fitness24Seven - On Nut Road

Malls:
In a word, the malls in Bangkok are INCREDIBLE! If you go to any mall in the US you'll notice a lot of shuttered stores and fairly barron parking lots. This is not the case in Bangkok. The malls are a minimum of 6 stories and they are never not busy. Mall culture in Bangkok is alive and well. One of the big reasons is the air conditioning. Bangkok has a dry season and a rainy season, but both of them are very warm. So malls are the perfect escape. Not only do the malls have an abundance of stores, but affordable food is readily available as well. Another reason is the rising middle class with disposable income. Regardless of the reason, I'm here for it. I'm not a big shopper per se, but I love walking around these gorgeous modern malls. It is wonderful to see everyone our enjoying themselves and socializing. 

Apple Store With a View, Right Under it....Porsche! ICONSIAM Mall

A few of my favorite malls in Bangkok are ICONSIAM, Emsphere, EmQuartier, CentralWorld, Terminal 21, MBK Center, and Central Embassy. There are many many more, but these were the malls we frequented for one reason or another. And if you are an Apple fan, the Apple stores at CentralWorld and ICONSIAM are gorgeous. If you find yourself at ICONSIAM, make sure to go to the Starbucks Reserve and enjoy your drink on the patio with amazing views of the Chao Phraya River.

Terminal 21 Mall

Hot tip floor, start at the top floor of the mall and work your way down. You'll get your steps in without even realizing it!

Food:
I don't even know where to start here, and I'm going to keep this section short. Bangkok is literally a buffet. Seriously. Prior to visiting, if I had been asked what the national dish was, I would have said Pad Thai. You realize quickly that Pad Kra Pao (Holy Basil Chicken) is the local favorite. Yes, you can get Pad Thai and it is delicious, but Pad Kra Pao is much more commonly ordered from our experience. It can be ordered with your choice of protein; chicken, pork or beef. If I had to pick, I would say this is my favorite dish. Another favorite was Papaya Salad. Fresh, cool, spicy, tasty, and leaves your lips tingling. Don't worry, yummy milk tea will soothe that. Of course you need to finish off with Mango Sticky Rice. 

Phed Mark - YouTuber Mark Wien's Restaurant - Pad Kra Pao (With a Fried Duck Egg)

Before our trip, I said that I was going to get "Mango Sticky Rice Wasted", mission accomplished. I can't even count how many times I had this delicious sweet and salty dessert. I'm guessing at least 2 times per week. I loved having smoothies in Bangkok too. With so much fresh tropical fruit it was hard to turn down. My go-to was an Avocado/Coconut Smoothie. Of course, I have to mention Durian too. I know there's controversy around this "forbidden fruit". We loved it! For some people, it's the smell that is off-putting, for some people it's the texture & taste. I guess it could even be both, it is a very unique fruit. We would have eaten more of it were more affordable. 

Delicious Mango Sticky Rice From Mae Varee - Thonglor BKK

Nhong Rim Klong is a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand Restaurant not far from the Phra Kanong BTS line stop. We saw this place on an instagram reel and instantly knew we had to try it. It is known to be very busy with a line to get in, so we timed our visit wisely. We showed up at about 1:15pm on a Tuesday and instantly got a table. We ordered a Crab Omelette and a Crab Fried Rice along with a couple of milk teas. The food came out quickly and the service was excellent. The crab meat chunks were HUGE and delicious. This was not only our favorite meal during our time in Bangkok, but also our most expensive. We spent just under $50, expensive by Bangkok standards, but worth every single baht. OMG, this was a delicious meal and it will be on our rotation when we return to Bangkok. 

Nhong Rim Klong - Michelin Bib Gourmand Restaurant - Delicious Fresh Crab Dishes

We at so much delicious food in Bangkok. It lived up to ALL of the hype and then some. We truly enjoyed everything we ate and it was very affordable. We cannot wait to go back to enjoy more amazing food.  I really could have made a whole blog post about the food, but I'm going to wrap up here. Just go to Bangkok and try the food, you'll be hooked. Buy the ticket, book the airbnb. JUST GO!

You'll See These Michelin Signs Everywhere, Yet Your Meal Will Be Under $10!

Temples:
This was our first time in SE Asia and our first time spending time in a Buddhist culture. Exploring and discovering the temples were an absolute highlight of our trip. One of our most memorable days was one where we just went out "Temple Hopping". One day, while visiting ICONSIAM, I noticed a couple of huge temples off in the distance. After some google maps investigating, I found a cluster of 5 or so temples in a concentrated area. 

Phra Ubosot Wat Suthat - One of SO Many Gorgeous Temples

Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram

We planned a day and went out to that area which was easily accessible thanks to Bangkok's incredible transit system. We took the BTS Line to the Phasi Charoen stop. Just north of the BTS line there is a great little neighborhood with Temple galore! We spent the day wandering around this area and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The area was quiet and the people were friendly and welcoming. We saw so many beautiful and unique temples. It was a really special day for us that we'll always remember. Experiences like these are the ones that stay with you forever. What a life we live, just incredible.

Wat Khun Chan

Bangkok was truly unforgettable for us. We loved our time there and we get it now. We get the hype surrounding Bangkok. Like I said; buy the ticket, book the airbnb. JUST GO!