Last Updated on September 27, 2026 by Sleepless
Bangkok travel guide: My family and I first explored Bangkok for its river views, temples, markets and memorable meals. This guide combines our family trip notes with practical planning details for a first visit, including places to stay, food to try, transport and current visitor information. Use this Bangkok travel guide to plan a first visit, and check official links below before travelling because entry rules, hours and prices can change.
Updated September 2026: This guide includes current official visa, arrival-card and Grand Palace details, plus indicative hotel, food and transport costs.
Bangkok is an easy city to pair with a beach stay in Thailand. On our family visit, we spent a few days exploring its temples, shopping and riverfront before returning to India. I had been to Bangkok before; you can also read my earlier stories about Bangkok’s canals and orchid farm and Wat Arun, the Sky Bar at Lebua and Asiatique. We stayed at the Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok, where the two-bedroom river-view suite made a wonderful base for our family. Read my detailed hotel review.
Cafe Corgi in the Garden
The first place I want to mention in this Bangkok travel guide is Cafe Corgi in the Garden. My children told me about this Bangkok cafe, where visitors can spend time with the corgis while enjoying refreshments. During our visit, the dogs seemed well cared for, and the cafe used timed sessions with a limited number of visitors. The atmosphere was friendly, and we enjoyed the refreshments too. Sessions often fill up in advance, so check the cafe’s Facebook page for current booking details.
I would recommend the cafe if you or someone in your family loves dogs. It is around 45–60 minutes from the city centre, so I would not turn up without a reservation. Check its Facebook page for booking information and current session arrangements.
ICONSIAM Mall
One of our first stops after landing in Bangkok was ICONSIAM. The riverside mall has several highlights:
- Seven-storey Takashimaya department store
- Indoor floating market, SookSiam
- Japanese cuisine and shopping
- A museum and cultural exhibits
- A musical fountain and cultural shows
Personally, I found the mall a bit over the top and not quite to my taste, perhaps because many of the luxury stores are beyond my budget. There appeared to be an Indian restaurant, Masala Art, on the sixth floor, though I did not try it.
The Grand Palace
I had missed the Grand Palace on an earlier visit, so we set aside a morning to explore it.
The Grand Palace is Bangkok’s most iconic landmark. Built in 1782, it served as the official residence of Thai kings for 150 years. Within the complex, Wat Phra Kaew houses the Emerald Buddha, one of Thailand’s most revered Buddha images.
Allow time to appreciate the ornate roofs, golden spires and detailed mosaics. Dress modestly, covering your shoulders and knees. The palace is in the historic Rattanakosin district, near Wat Pho and the Chao Phraya River. Check the official visitor information for current opening hours, ticket details and entry guidance before you go.
We had dinner at several restaurants. Our best meal was at Sunrise Tacos in Terminal 21. I do not usually go for tacos, but I liked the choice of fillings and portion sizes. Saravana Bhavan in Silom had excellent dosas and North Indian food. We also tried the highly rated Amritsar Restaurant, though the food was spicy and underwhelming for us and the service inattentive; you may have a different experience.
Bangkok Travel Guide: Where to Stay
Staying on the Chao Phraya River puts the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun a short boat ride away, while Sukhumvit and Siam are better for shopping and nightlife. Rates below are indicative starting points from published listings and booking sites.
- Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok (upscale, where I stayed) — My go-to on both trips. The two-bedroom river-view suites are spacious and ideal for families, and a free shuttle boat runs to Saphan Taksin BTS and Asiatique. Expect roughly ฿3,500–6,500 a night.
- Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok (luxury) — A long-established riverside hotel with high-end service and afternoon tea in the Authors’ Lounge. Rates usually start from about ฿18,000–25,000 a night.
- The Siam (luxury boutique) — An art-deco riverside retreat in the quiet old Dusit district, with pool villas and its own boat to the Grand Palace. Expect about ฿15,000+ a night.
- Riva Surya Bangkok (boutique, mid-range) — A small riverside hotel at Phra Arthit, walking distance from Khao San Road and a short boat ride from the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. Typically about ฿3,500–5,500 a night.
- ibis Bangkok Riverside (budget) — Simple rooms with river views and a pool on the Thonburi side, near the Chatrium. Rates often run about ฿1,500–2,500 a night.
Where to Eat in Bangkok: Five Places
The first two are places we loved on this trip; the rest are Bangkok classics worth the detour. Prices are rough per-person estimates.
- Sunrise Tacos, Terminal 21 (Mexican) — The best meal we had on this trip. I don’t even dig tacos much, but the choice of fillings and portion sizes won me over. About ฿200–400 per person.
- Saravana Bhavan, Silom (South Indian) — Excellent dosas and good North Indian dishes too, a comforting vegetarian meal when you need a break from Thai food. About ฿250–500 per person.
- Jay Fai (Michelin-starred street food) — The famous goggle-wearing chef’s crab omelette and drunken noodles, cooked over charcoal. Expect long queues and about ฿1,000+ per dish; book ahead if you can.
- Thipsamai Pad Thai — A Bangkok institution for pad thai wrapped in a thin egg omelette, plus its fresh orange juice. About ฿100–400 per person.
- Yaowarat Road, Chinatown (street food) — After dark the whole street turns into a food market: seafood, dim sum, noodles and mango sticky rice. Graze for about ฿300–600 per person.
Five Best Places to See in Bangkok
If it is your first time in Bangkok, these are the places I would put at the top of the list. Ticket prices are approximate.
- The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew — Bangkok’s must-see, and home to the Emerald Buddha (see my visit above). Dress modestly. Entry is about ฿500.
- Wat Pho — Next door to the Grand Palace, with the 46-metre Reclining Buddha and Thailand’s traditional massage school. Entry is about ฿300.
- Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn — The riverside temple covered in porcelain mosaics, best at sunset from across the river. Entry about ฿200. I wrote more about it in my Wat Arun, Sky Bar and Asiatique post.
- Thonburi canals and an orchid farm — A longtail boat ride through the old khlongs to see stilt houses, a floating market and a working orchid farm. Private boats cost about ฿1,500–2,000 an hour. Read my full canals and orchid farm post.
- Chatuchak Weekend Market — More than 10,000 stalls selling clothes, ceramics, plants and street food. It is open Saturday and Sunday; go early before the heat.
More from Bangkok
- Bangkok canals and orchid farm: a longtail boat through the Thonburi khlongs, a floating market and a working orchid farm.
- Wat Arun, Sky Bar at Lebua and Asiatique: Bangkok by the river, from the Temple of Dawn to the rooftop bar from The Hangover Part II.
These photographs capture some of the places and moments we remember from Bangkok. Use the practical notes above to plan your own visit, and check opening times and prices before you go.
Bangkok Travel Guide: Practical Information (September 2026)
Here are current approximate prices (September 2026) to go with the stay, eat and see lists above, including Indian food options. Prices change often, so confirm before you go.
- Visa for Indians: From 15 September 2026, ordinary Indian passport holders travelling for tourism or short-term business may enter visa-free for up to 30 days; a further extension is at the discretion of Thai immigration. All foreign visitors must submit the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) within three days before arrival. Check the Royal Thai Embassy visa page and the official TDAC FAQ before departure.
- Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha: 500 baht. Open daily 8:30 am–4:30 pm; tickets are sold until 3:30 pm. The dress code is strict: long trousers or skirt and covered shoulders.
- Wat Pho (the Reclining Buddha): About 300 baht. Wat Arun: About 200 baht.
- Getting from the airport: The Airport Rail Link from Suvarnabhumi to the city costs about 45 baht. A taxi costs about 300–500 baht plus tolls and a 50 baht airport fee.
- Getting around: The BTS and MRT cost about 17–65 baht per trip. Grab taxis are reliable. The Chao Phraya Express Boat (orange flag) costs 18 baht.
- Shopping: ICONSIAM, Siam Paragon and CentralWorld are all free to walk around. Chatuchak Weekend Market is huge and cheap (Saturday and Sunday).
- Hotels (approx. per night): Budget about US$25–60, mid-range about US$60–150 (Sukhumvit, Silom), and riverside luxury about US$250–700+.
- Food: Street food costs about 50–150 baht a dish, mall food courts 80–200 baht, and mid-range restaurants 300–800 baht per person. Indian food: Sukhumvit Soi 11–22 has many Indian restaurants (about 200–450 baht per dish). Pahurat (Little India) has pure-vegetarian places like Radha Krishna and Shree Bhavan (thalis for about 150–300 baht).
- Best time: November to February. It’s hot from March to May, and brief afternoon rain falls from June to October.
