FROM MY TRAVELS
Bangkok
Last updated: September 2026
Bangkok for me has been Songkran with friends, the Grand Palace in a questionable pineapple-shirt outfit and enough rain to make dry socks a serious priority. This seven-day version comes from my New Year travel plan, with evenings out, slower mornings and a hotel move. The Songkran and palace photos are from earlier visits.
Route overview
Stops are approximate. Dashed lines show the order, not the roads. Optional stops are swaps, not extras.
Select a stop below to locate it. Drag to pan; use the controls or arrow keys to explore.
Before you go
- Carry baht in smaller notes for markets, temples and local transport. Cards work best at hotels and bigger businesses. Watch for surcharges.
- A Thai QR sign doesn’t mean your foreign banking app can pay. Keep some cash unless your own wallet app confirms it works.
- Bangkok’s rail operators have separate ticketing arrangements. Outside the capital there’s usually no metro, so sort out local transport ahead.
- Grab works in the cities. Islands, parks and rural pickups usually need a driver booked ahead. Confirm the return journey and waiting time.
- Save addresses in Thai and use an offline translation app. ‘Sawasdee khrap’ is a polite hello for a male speaker; ‘khop khun khrap’ is thank you.
- Buy a registered local SIM or compatible eSIM with the coverage you need. Have your passport available for registration and keep a screenshot of the accommodation address.
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A route for your visit
Includes arrival and departure days, which also link to the next part of the trip.
Day 1 · Arrive and eat near your base
Allow the first evening for the airport transfer and check-in, then find dinner around your accommodation in Silom. Leave any fixed booking for another day so a delayed arrival doesn't cost you the evening.
Find somewhere an easy walk or short ride from the Silom hotel and eat properly. Unpack later if you’re hungry. There is no need for the first meal to be the most researched one of the trip. Save the hotel address in Thai and check how to get back before heading out. Tomorrow is a much better time for a cross-city adventure.
Days 2–3 · A river day and a local day
Use one day for a Grand Palace visit if it interests you, checking current access and dress requirements before leaving. Give the palace area the morning, have lunch nearby and keep any river journey to a route that fits the available services. Keep the other day closer to Silom for a meal, café and rest. Any New Year event needs its own ticket and transport plan; the calendar alone doesn’t put you inside an event. Wat Arun can be a separate riverside choice if the connections and energy fit; it doesn't need to join every temple on the same morning. If you want a guided palace visit, browse Grand Palace guided visits on Klook; check that admission is included and where the walk begins.
The Grand Palace precinct connects royal ceremony, craftsmanship and Buddhist worship in a way that makes Bangkok’s history feel tangible. Look at the building details up close before moving on to the next big view.
The Chao Phraya is part of Bangkok’s everyday transport and trading landscape, not just a scenic break from the roads. Watch the city go by from the water on the crossing.
Ornate temple towers and terracotta details in Bangkok. 
Wat Arun beneath a warm evening sky. 
The steep stone stairway at Wat Arun. Day 4 · A late start
After New Year's Eve, keep the morning free and head out for a late breakfast. A short walk and a café stop nearby will do. If you're skipping the celebrations, this is another window for the palace or river outing.
Whatever you do, don’t book an early pickup today. Have a late breakfast, sit somewhere cool and decide what sounds enjoyable once you're properly awake. If the previous evening was quiet, you can use the spare energy for the river outing instead. Plan New Year around the nights you actually want. Nobody is keen on sightseeing at 8 am the next morning.
Day 5 · Move hotels without losing the whole day
Pack, check out and arrange luggage storage or the transfer to the second hotel. Plan lunch near the new base and add only a short outing afterwards. A move across Bangkok is not spare time between attractions, particularly with bags and uncertain room access.
Ask both properties about luggage storage and room access before choosing a transfer time. Pack before breakfast, move everything in one trip and have lunch near the new hotel if the room isn’t ready. Keep any afternoon plan within easy reach. The advantage of the move is a different base for the final nights; it isn't an invitation to schedule an excursion on either side of checkout.
Day 6 · Chatuchak on the right day
The recorded plan put Chatuchak on a Saturday. For your own dates, check which market sections are operating and swap days if necessary. Pick a few things to shop for. Have a sit-down lunch and leave when the heat or the bags get too much. Keep the evening loose after a long market visit.
Chatuchak’s scale and mix of stalls make it as much a browsing experience as a shopping destination. Pick a few sections that interest you and leave room for food. You won’t see it all.
Day 7 · A simple morning before Đà Nẵng
Have breakfast, complete checkout and confirm the correct airport for the onward flight. A nearby café is a safer final stop than another cross-city attraction. The planner continues to Đà Nẵng, but your actual departure time should determine when the Bangkok programme ends.
The departure morning should fit the confirmed airport and flight, not the other way round. Eat near the hotel, get everything together and leave plenty of time for traffic and check-in. If the next leg is Đà Nẵng, keep its hotel and arrival transfer details saved before leaving Bangkok. You can enjoy another coffee once the essentials are sorted, but I wouldn't add one final attraction across town.
What to budget
Prices checked September 2026. These are for the named ticket or service. Check your date and what’s included before you pay.
- Grand Palace foreign visitor ticket: THB 500 — Published admission includes the listed palace-related sites; transport and optional guides are extra. Price source
Budget THB 80–250 per person for a simple meal. That’s a rough guide. Drinks and nicer restaurants cost more. Price transfers separately, especially private drivers, boats and airport trips.
A few photo tips
- At the river, photograph from a public pier or safely seated aboard a ferry; late light can separate the buildings from the water.
- At the Grand Palace, use permitted courtyard viewpoints and look for repeating roof details; avoid blocking entrances or photographing restricted interiors.
If the weather changes
Use an indoor collection, a seated lunch and a short local outing; swap the river and market portions to a clearer day where the operating days allow.
The final day and your flight
Morning flight: stay within reach of the Bangkok airport named on your ticket the night before, then keep the morning for checkout and the transfer. Allow for the airline’s check-in time as well as the trip.
Afternoon flight: keep the final morning near your hotel and check the Suvarnabhumi versus Don Mueang transfer; Chatuchak is not a quick airport stop. Work out the transfer and bag pickup time before deciding when to finish.
Where to pause for food
I’d make Silom the go-to for breakfast and easy dinners, then have lunch near the river on palace day. Order noodle soup or a rice dish if you want something simple, and ask how spicy it is. Not every version is mild. At Chatuchak, sit down for lunch between browsing sessions. A rooftop drink can be a nice evening choice, but check the menu, booking and dress requirements for the actual venue before heading over.
Getting around
Stay in Silom first, then change hotels for the final two nights before flying to Đà Nẵng. Keep the moving day light and arrange the airport transfer around the actual flight.
Where to stay
The travel plan names four nights at Nantra Silom and two nights at a Pullman Bangkok property. Those are planned bases, not a review of a completed stay or confirmation of a booking. Check which Pullman it is before planning the move. The brand name isn’t an address. If recreating the trip, staying in one hotel is also sensible; use the saved moving time for a local afternoon or another meal with friends. Compare Bangkok stays on Trip.com around the actual Silom or central-city address; the Pullman name alone does not identify a property.
For a shorter day or different weather
For three days, choose the palace area, a local city day and a market day that matches your dates. Skip the hotel move on a short stay. The New Year events belong to the longer holiday version; leave space the following mornings if they're your reason for coming.
Booking checks
Confirm event dates and tickets, Chatuchak opening days and the onward flight. Make daytime commitments only where they fit the late evenings.
Visitor information and official links
Useful booking links (optional)
Connected, from arrival.
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