Discover the best of Bangkok in 48 hours. Read this post to plan your trip to Bangkok, Thailand. This how to spend two days in Bangkok post covers all about what to see in Bangkok, things to do in Bangkok, where to stay in Bangkok and what to eat in Bangkok.
Table of Contents
Balance in Bangkok is Important
If you are putting together a two-day itinerary for Bangkok, it makes sense to divide the time into indoor and outdoor activities. This would be spread out among Bangkok sightseeing, shopping, and eating. The cuisine is simply too good to not try at every opportunity! It is also fun to try the different transport modes from taxis to tuk-tuks, to the Skytrain.
Whatever Your Budget Savour Traditional Thai Dishes
Thai food is simply delicious and all sightseeing should be interspersed with plenty of drink and food stops. Popular tourist dishes include Tom Yum Goong which is a spicy Thai soup, Som Tam which is a green papaya salad and Pad Thai which is a fried noodle and vegetable dish, often served with prawns or chicken. Noodles are plentiful in most restaurants, as is fried rice and all are delicious. Restauranteurs won’t be offended by tourists not understanding the language, but any attempt to order in Thai will endear tourists to the locals, especially if accompanied with a broad smile and Thai greeting known as the wai. This is a slight bow with arms pressed together. An expected tip of about 10 percent is welcomed in restaurants. A great way of choosing where to eat is to simply hop on the sky train and see where it takes you!
Somewhere Inexpensive To Stay And Party
There is something for everyone in the city that never sleeps and caters to all budget levels. Well known as a stopping off point for party-goers and island-hoppers Khao San Road continues to be a tourist destination for many travellers.
If you are looking for accommodation in Bangkok city, then it is in the Bang Lamphu area of Phra Nakhon District that budget accommodation in Bangkok can be found. It is worth knowing, though, that Khao San Road is a far more sanitized destination than it used to be even three or four years ago. This is how the Thai locals and the ex-pat residents like it. There are still plenty of cheap street bars to visit and budget hotels to stay at but the area has been, thankfully, cleaned up.
Khao San is about a kilometre north of the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, so quite central, however, there are no longer rows of tuk-tuks waiting to drive tourists around, so do get organized with somewhere to stay before it too late in the evening. The good news is that there are far fewer scammers or touts persuading tourists to buy cheap sapphires and carpets around than there used to be in the 90s, but do still stay alert.
If you are unable to decide and confused with the range of accommodation options that Bangkok offers and are looking for the best hotels in Bangkok or the best place to stay in Bangkok, then please do check out our favourite booking sites here. We have always used these sites to book our stay. Bangkok hotel booking can be done through TripAdvisor or Cleartrip or Agoda or Makemytrip or Priceline to avail huge discounts and save considerably on your stay in Bangkok, Thailand.
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Treat Yourself To A High-End Hotel
At the other end of the spectrum to budget accommodation on Khao San Road are the high-end hotels such as the Sheraton Grande, the Grand Hyatt, and Marriot. Rooms are plentiful but prices are high. It makes sense to book ahead and call hotels directly to ask if they can beat the Agoda or TripAdvisor prices. These hotels seldom disappoint, though staff can occasionally be a little curt when checking in and out holidaymakers, being used to dealing with foreigners travelling through Bangkok on business matters and perhaps less in need of the attentiveness expected of 5-star resorts.
Finding Somewhere Middle Of The Road To Stay
If you are looking for something more middle of the road, then the Novotel chain provides clean, and modest but comfortable accommodation. Novotel hotels and restaurants can be found in all parts of the city with a great hotel being in Silom.
Room With A View
In terms of choosing somewhere to stay, regardless of budget, the best views by far are afforded from the hotels along the Chao Phraya river. Be sure to ask for a room with a view as you don’t want to be looking out at a carpark or be in a room where building work obstructs the splendor!
Time Your Trip With Local Festivals
Incidentally, a good time to take a trip to the Khao San area is during the Songkran festival. Traditionally Songkran is a period when Thai people cleanse themselves by pouring water on Buddha images in order to bring good luck, but these days it is sometimes a case of observing revelers throwing water around and generally drinking and partying hard under the guise of paying respect to the traditional Songkran festival.
How to Spend Two Days in Bangkok – Day 1
Day One AM Morning Markets And Malls
Having chosen somewhere to stay it is time to plan a shopping trip. Back in the day time cheap souvenirs and clothing were plentiful in Khao San, but these markets have by and large disappeared. A place where tourists are more likely to enjoy visiting is the famous Chatuchak market. This market has both indoor and outdoor sections and is a tourist landmark. It has recovered from the large fire in June which destroyed around 180 stalls and is as busy and thriving as it ever was. There is ample to buy ranging from budget clothing to sophisticated artwork and furniture. Be careful if shipping abroad as it is likely vendors will not include the import taxes once back home. The market officially opens at 7.00 am on a weekend but realistically most stallholders don’t’ really get things up and running until about 10.00 am.
If visitors really are early birds then building a visit to the Flower Market into the itinerary is a great call. Here you can watch the locals set up shop for the day from as early as 5.00. If you learn a few words of Thai and learn the respectful Wai gesture then locals will be happy to chat with you. The Flower Market is also quite close to China Town in which all kinds of interesting products can be found and much of old Thailand‘s architecture is still visible.
If shopping outdoors seems too hot and sweaty for you then instead visit one of the many excellent shopping malls. The new Icon Siam along the Chao Phraya River is extremely popular and includes both designer brand stores and more traditional products. It is likely the souvenirs in Icon Siam will also be available at Chatuchak at a far cheaper price though! Other great malls include Terminal 21, Central World and Paragon. They are all just a few minutes walk from one of the Skytrain exits on the Sukhumvit Line. On the higher floors of most of these malls are food courts at which you can sample a variety of Thai and other cuisines and take a well-earned break. The shopping opportunities are numerous and can seem overwhelming in their plentitude, so be prepared to shop until you drop or put a time limit on the shopping experience!
Day One PM Afternoon Temples & Wats
If shopping isn’t appealing or if a little more culture is required then there are some marvelous temples, wats, and palaces to visit in Bangkok. It is possible to book tours online and visits can be arranged from the reception of all the hotels, but they are all easy to reach independently. Taxis will take you to the popular Grand Palace or the Wat Arun Temple. If traveling by taxi, here like the rest of the city taxi drivers should use their meters. Taxis start running from 35 baht and then a further 1.25 baht is charged per kilometer with a small surcharge where there are traffic jams. Equally the temples can be reached leisurely by one of the many local boat taxis. All-day tickets are cheap and easy to purchase from the pier of the Taksin BTS station.
The temples are of course wonderful in their magnificence and history and the Thai people are understandably very proud of them. If visiting be sure to dress modestly and act quietly and respectfully. A great approach to temple visiting is to split it over two days so as to not get templed out. Arguably the top six temples to visit are Wat Saket, Wat Arun, Wat Pho, Wat Suthat Wat Traimit and Wat Ratchanatdaram, but attempting to do all of these temples is not for the faint-hearted!
Day One Evening Massage & Cocktails
After a busy day of sightseeing why not enjoy a foot, or oil, massage at one of the many parlors lining the streets. It is a great way to relax before enjoying cocktails and dinner at one of the wonderful rooftop restaurants. The views are magnificent with happy hour coinciding with sunset.
How to Spend Two Days in Bangkok – Day 2
Day Two AM Something Special To Eat
There are various freeflow hotel brunches available at the larger hotel chains. Indeed they seem to have become a feature of ex-pat life in Bangkok and are excellent value for money, even in the high-end hotels. If this is too easy and sanitized then instead sign up for a Thai cookery course. Cooking with Poo (yes, I know the name isn’t ideal) is an excellent and fun way to learn about Thai culture and cookery and includes a visit to the market to buy the ingredients used in the cookery.
Day Two PM Afternoon Gardens & Museums
Gardens aren’t perhaps the immediate thing that spring to mind when visiting Bangkok but they are actually beautiful and plentiful. The gentle and serene atmosphere provides a welcome break from the bustle of Bangkok. Why not wake up and enjoy a lovely walk among the local flora and fauna. Lumpini Park is a great place to meander around as is the Rama 9 park, both with lovely flowers bordering pretty lakes. A morning walk in beautiful light provides wonderful opportunities to photograph local birds and flowers. Tourists may well happen upon a monitor lizard or two, especially if venturing onto the lakes on a pedalo or rowing boat!
There are many more things to do and see in Bangkok. Worthy of specific mention is the Jim Thompson House. This museum was built in 1959 and celebrates the life of American businessman and architect Jim Thompson, an art collector, and Thai Silk exporter. It is a landmark tourist attraction and well worth a visit.
Day Two Evening Adventurous Dining
An interesting dining experience is having a meal at Dine in the Dark, where the food is served in pitch darkness by visually impaired staff. Alternatively, why not end the evening at Paintbar, where you can create a masterpiece, (perhaps the perfect souvenir of a visit to Bangkok) whilst being served food and drink.
Having enjoyed a full weekend of activities, tourists can end their weekend in style by returning to the river and traveling via boat to Asiatique. This tiny haven resort on the edge of the big city is a relaxed place to spend the evening with plenty of very affordable eateries and bars. If in need of a little more luxury then instead visit a rooftop bar such as Vertigo and Moon Bar, or even the famous Banyan Tree. The views are magnificent with happy hour coinciding with sunset.
A wonderful relaxing end to a perfect two-day visit to Bangkok.
Bangkok Tourism
How to Reach Bangkok
Bangkok in Thailand is well connected by air and if you are looking to book cheap flights, you can do it right here. Book through either TripAdvisor or Agoda or CheapAir or Cleartrip or Makemytrip or Priceline and save big on flight bookings to reach Bangkok in Thailand.
Tours/Activities available in Bangkok – Things To Do In Bangkok
Bangkok points of interest and attractions are many and if you are trying to decide on what to see in Bangkok or what to do in Bangkok, then look no further. Bangkok attractions pass are available for the most recommended Bangkok tours. You can now book tours in Bangkok as well as activities in Bangkok.
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We hope you liked this how to spend two days in Bangkok, Thailand post. Have you been to Bangkok? In your opinion, are 48 hours in Bangkok enough? Do share your thoughts in the comments section about how you would like to spend two days in Bangkok, Thailand.
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I wasn’t that big a fan of Bangkok when I first went, but this looks really fun, I’ll have to give it another shot!
I am planning to visit Bangkok so your post would be useful in the future. I am always keen to mingle with locals and to create positive social impact when I am travelling. Any social tours suggestions?
I hope to visit Bangkok soon! Looks so beautiful and these are great tips 🙂
This looks stunning, really capture the country!
Timing your trip to coordinate with a local festival is such a great idea! I have never thought of that before and don’t know why haha