City guides
Bangkok
Bangkok is a huge, busy and hot city of golden temples, river boats, giant malls and street food on every corner. It is cheap and full of things to do, with good trains above the traffic, but it needs some care with halal food, scams and the heat.
Good for
- Shopping
- Families
- Good value
- Temples and culture
- Day trips
A good length: 5 days
See one area per day: temples and the river early in the morning, a cool mall or a rest at midday, and markets or the riverside in the evening.
Best months
November, December, January, February
Per person per day
- Budget
- US$40
- Mid-range
- US$90
- Comfort
- US$230
Per person per day, sharing a double room: bed, three meals and travel by train, boat and Grab. Temple tickets, shows and day tours are extra.
Where to stay and spend time
Rattanakosin (Old City)
Worth a visitThe royal island with the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun across the river. Most of the famous sights are here, a short walk apart.
For: Everyone, first-timers
Watch out: No skytrain; come by river boat or the MRT to Sanam Chai station.
Open in mapSukhumvit (Nana to Phrom Phong)
Good baseA long avenue of hotels, malls and restaurants on the BTS line. Around Soi 3/1 near Nana there is a Middle Eastern quarter with Arab and Persian restaurants.
For: Families, mid-range travellers, halal food seekers
Watch out: Nana and Soi Cowboy have red-light bars; families prefer hotels near Asok or Phrom Phong.
Open in mapSiam and Pratunam
Good baseThe shopping heart, with Siam Paragon, MBK and the Pratunam wholesale clothing market. Both BTS lines meet at Siam station.
For: Shoppers, families, first-timers
Watch out: Pratunam streets are crowded and traffic is heavy.
Open in mapSilom and Sathorn
Good baseThe business district beside Lumphini Park with good hotels, a Muslim community and halal eateries in nearby Bang Rak, and links by BTS, MRT and boat.
For: Business travellers, couples
Watch out: Patpong night market area has adult bars.
Open in mapRiverside
Good baseGrand hotels along the Chao Phraya with free shuttle boats to the BTS and ICONSIAM, and river views at night.
For: Couples, families wanting comfort, older travellers
Watch out: More expensive, and you depend on boats and taxis.
Open in mapChinatown (Yaowarat)
Worth a visitNeon-lit streets of gold shops, temples and night food stalls, busiest after dark. The MRT stops at Wat Mangkon.
For: Food lovers, photographers
Watch out: Most food here contains pork; eat elsewhere and come for the atmosphere.
Open in mapKhao San and Banglamphu
Good baseThe backpacker district near the Old City with cheap rooms, tour desks and the airport bus S1 stop.
For: Young budget travellers
Watch out: Very loud at night with bars; not for families or older travellers.
Open in map
Places worth your time
- Sights
Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha
Rattanakosin · 2 to 3 hours
The glittering former royal palace and its temple. Foreigners pay about 500 baht (2026); pay in cash at the ticket office or buy online. Long trousers or skirts and covered shoulders are required. Go at opening time to beat crowds and heat.
- Sights
Wat Pho
Rattanakosin · 1 to 1.5 hours
Home of the giant 46 m reclining Buddha and a famous Thai massage school. Tickets are about 300 baht (2026). Calmer than the palace next door.
- Sights
Wat Arun
Thonburi riverbank · 1 hour
The Temple of Dawn, a tall spire covered in porcelain, reached by a short ferry across the river from Wat Pho. Small entry fee; the view from the opposite bank at sunset is free.
- Views
Chao Phraya Express Boat
Riverside · 1 hour
Public boats running up and down the river past temples and palaces, cheaper than a tour. Board at Sathorn pier next to Saphan Taksin BTS and pay in cash.
- MarketsFree
Chatuchak Weekend Market
Chatuchak · 3 to 4 hours
A giant market of more than ten thousand stalls, open Saturday and Sunday. Go at 9 or 10 am before the heat, pick a meeting point in case you get separated, and bargain politely.
- ShoppingFree
ICONSIAM
Riverside · 2 to 4 hours
A huge riverside mall with an indoor floating market food hall (look for stalls with the halal sign), and a fountain show over the river in the evening. Reach it by free shuttle boat from Sathorn pier.
- With children
Siam Paragon and SEA LIFE aquarium
Siam · 2 to 3 hours
A luxury mall with a large basement aquarium and a gourmet food hall. Easy to reach at Siam BTS station and a good escape from the rain.
- ShoppingFree
MBK Center
Siam · 2 hours
A crowded budget mall for phones, bags, clothes and souvenirs, where bargaining is normal. Check phone accessories carefully before paying.
- Museums
Jim Thompson House
Siam · 1 hour
Traditional teak houses in a jungle garden, once home of an American silk trader. Visits are by short guided tour; a calm break from the city.
- ParksFree
Lumphini Park
Silom and Sathorn · 1 hour
The green lung of the city with a lake, paddle boats and large monitor lizards that wander the lawns. Best early morning or late afternoon.
- SightsFree
Yaowarat Road at night
Chinatown · 1 to 2 hours
Walk the neon-lit main street, gold shops and temples after dark for the atmosphere and photos. Most stalls are not halal, so stick to fruit and drinks.
- With children
Safari World
Northeast Bangkok · Full day
A drive-through safari park and a marine park with animal shows, popular with families. About an hour by car; book a ticket with transfer to save effort.
- Day trips
Ayutthaya
North of Bangkok · Full day
The ruined old capital with brick temples and Buddha heads in tree roots, about 1.5 hours away. Go by train or with a driver, and rent a tuk-tuk there for the hot ruins.
- Day trips
Maeklong Railway Market and a floating market
West of Bangkok · Full day
Watch traders fold back their stalls as a train passes through the market, then visit Damnoen Saduak or Amphawa floating market. Easiest with a booked tour; the boat rides at Damnoen are overpriced, so agree the price first.
Getting around
From the airport
Airport Rail Linkabout 26 min
Take the escalators down to the basement of Suvarnabhumi and buy a token with cash. The train runs to Phaya Thai, where you change to the BTS, with a stop at Makkasan for the MRT.
about 45 baht to Phaya Thai (2026)
Public meter taxiabout 45 min
Take a queue ticket from the machines on level 1. You pay the meter plus a 50 baht airport fee plus any expressway tolls, in cash. Ignore anyone offering a flat-rate limousine inside the terminal.
about 300 to 500 baht to central Bangkok in total (2026)
Grab or Boltabout 45 min
Book in the app and meet the driver at the official pickup point on Level 1, Gate 4, which works 24 hours. Cash payment is possible.
similar to a meter taxi, price shown in the app (2026)
S1 bus to Khao Sanabout 75 min
A direct airport bus from the ground floor near gate 7 to the Old City and Khao San, during the day only. Pay the driver in cash with small notes.
about 60 baht (2026)
In the city
BTS Skytrain
Elevated trains over the traffic through Sukhumvit, Siam and Silom. Buy single tickets with cash at the machines, or a Rabbit card at the counter with your passport.
MRT underground
The Blue Line links Sukhumvit, Chinatown, the Old City and Chatuchak. Since June 2026 the old MRT cards no longer work; tap a contactless bank card, or buy a single-trip token with cash.
River boats
Express boats with coloured flags stop at piers near the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and ICONSIAM. Pay cash on board or at the pier; the orange flag boat is the cheap local one.
Grab and Bolt
Fixed prices in the app and no arguing about the meter. You can choose cash. Traffic is heavy, so use trains at rush hour.
Taxis and ride apps
Grab and Bolt are the easiest; both take cash. Pink and other coloured meter taxis are cheap, but many drivers refuse the meter near tourist sights; just wait for the next one. Tuk-tuks are for fun, not savings: agree the price first and refuse any stop at a gem or tailor shop.
On foot
Distances are long and pavements are crowded with stalls, broken in places and very hot. Walk inside one area, such as the Old City or Siam, and use trains and boats between areas. Skywalks link many BTS stations and malls.
Food
Halal food: Halal food takes some effort: look for the green Thai halal logo or Thai Muslim restaurants. Mall food halls usually have halal stalls, and there are many halal places around Sukhumvit Soi 3/1, Bang Rak near Silom and Ramkhamhaeng. Much street food uses pork or lard.
Persian food and community: Several Persian restaurants serve kebab and stews around Sukhumvit Soi 3/1 near Nana. The Iranian community is small but well known in the Sukhumvit area.
- Ask 'mai sai moo' (no pork) when ordering from a stall, but this does not make food halal.
- Try halal versions of khao man gai (chicken rice), massaman curry and mango sticky rice.
- Thai food can be very spicy; say 'mai phet' for not spicy.
- Fresh fruit, coconut water and juice from street carts are cheap and safe choices.
Money and phone
Cash: Bring US dollars or euros. Large, new, undamaged 100-dollar notes get the best rate; old or torn notes are often refused. Exchange booths in the city, especially in Siam and Sukhumvit, beat the airport rates by a lot, so change only a little on arrival.
Cards: Iranian cards do not work. Cash covers taxis, Grab, temples, markets and train tokens. Hotels often ask for a deposit; ask in advance if they accept cash. A prepaid international card helps for the MRT gates and online bookings.
SIM and internet: AIS, TrueMove H and dtac have counters in the arrivals hall. Your passport is registered on the spot. Tourist SIMs cost about 300 to 700 baht for 8 to 15 days (2026).
What travellers say
Advice that travellers from many countries repeat, chosen for Iranian visitors.
- If a friendly stranger says the Grand Palace is closed today, it is a scam; walk to the gate yourself.
- Cover shoulders and knees for temples; carry a light scarf or long trousers in your bag.
- Use the BTS and MRT at rush hour; road traffic can turn 5 km into an hour.
- Start sightseeing at 8 am; by noon the heat is draining.
- Never say anything negative about the Thai royal family; it is a serious crime.
- Take off your shoes when entering temples and many homes or shops.
- Carry small notes; drivers and stalls rarely have change for 1,000 baht.
- Drink only bottled water and expect very cold air conditioning indoors.
For Iranian travellers
- Iranian passport holders need to arrange entry in advance; see the visa page on this site.
- At immigration, keep your hotel booking, return ticket and enough cash ready to show if asked.
- The Iranian embassy is on Sukhumvit Soi 49.
- Persian restaurants around Sukhumvit Soi 3/1 are a good first meal for older relatives.
- Many Iranian families book hotels near Nana for the food, then find the nightlife next door; Asok or Phrom Phong are calmer.
- Drug laws are very strict; do not carry packages for anyone.
Stay safe
- Common scams: the 'palace is closed' trick, cheap tuk-tuk tours that end at gem shops, and taxis that refuse the meter.
- At the airport, use only the official taxi queue, the train or a ride app; ignore touts in the arrivals hall.
- Watch bags in crowded markets and on boats; bag snatching from motorbikes happens now and then.
- Avoid Nana, Soi Cowboy and Patpong at night with children.
- Emergency numbers: Tourist Police 1155 (English spoken), police 191, ambulance 1669.
Checked 7 November 2026