Bangkok is one of the world’s top 10 most visited cities, and it in fact held the top spot from 2016 to 2019. The pandemic might have caused visitor numbers to dip, but they’re rapidly rising again and the city itself has only gotten better in the meantime.
Along with Singapore, Bangkok is recognized as a gateway to Southeast Asia, but it is so much more than just a jumping-off point. The city itself is worthy of several days’ stay on any traveller’s itinerary. This quick guide will explain why so many tourists love it, as well as give you a far-from-exhaustive list of things to do there.
- Some of the world’s best temples: Much of Bangkok is a sprawling mess of concrete and skyscrapers, but buried in there are many stunning colourful temples. Theravada Buddhism is practiced by the majority of the Thai population and has produced some of the most unique and intricate architecture in the world.
You can find examples of this all over the city, but the most popular spots are Wat Arun, the iconic and tall riverside temple whose name means ‘Temple of Dawn,’ Wat Pho, known for its enormous reclining gold Buddha, and Wat Phra Kaew. The latter is located within the grounds of the Grand Palace complex and is home to the famous Emerald Buddha statue.
- Amazing food and drink: Thailand is home to one of the most vibrant food cultures in the world, and it is something the locals are incredibly proud of. There is no better place to sample it than the markets of Bangkok.
Anytime day or night you can find stalls selling food and all kinds of other items. Eating out in Thailand, even in the capital, is far cheaper than it is in many other countries. The same goes for accommodation.
- It’s a travel hub: Exciting though Bangkok is, a population of over 10 million people means that it can be overwhelming. But one of the best things about it is that it is so well connected that it’s easy to make excursions to other major destinations in the country.
There are plenty of hotels near Bangkok airport to choose from, and from there you can catch quick flights to other popular places such as the mountainous Chiang Mai in the north or the picturesque beaches of Phuket in the south. Those flights aren’t even 90 minutes long, so you don’t feel like you’ve wasted much time traveling.
- Excellent public transport: Driving in hot weather can be challenging enough, but Bangkok’s notoriously bad traffic makes it unbearable. Luckily the city has excellent public transport, which includes a monorail, underground trains, buses, and boats.
The museums, malls, and nightlife are all great reasons to visit Bangkok too, but hopefully, this article has given you an idea of why the city has held a special place in so many travellers’ hearts for so long. By continuing to develop and improve, it looks likely to continue to do so for a long time yet.
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