Travelling Thailand and ready to hit the capital city, Bangkok? We thought we would share our top 10 travel tips to help you with all your wanderlust preparations.
1. Haggle, Haggle & Haggle
We’ve put this tip first because your haggling game is going to be put to the test in this city! Unless you want to pay triple the price for taxis, gifts, boats and excursions, you better sharpen your head shaking and those bartering techniques.
We got most of our excursions and taxis for a third of the price. Have your wits about you, obviously don’t be rude and watch your baht go further as a tourist.
2. Stroll the Night Markets
Packed light for your holiday? Good, as there’ll be plenty of goodies you’ll want to take back with you. The night markets are a great place to shop, stroll or indulge in some delicious street food. You’ll also get a real sense of the city as you explore.
3. Get the 5-star experience
Bangkok is known for its excellent hotel rates for 5-star hotels compared to other destinations. This might not work if you’re on a backpacker budget, but if not, why not experience the 5-star luxury on the cheap?
You’ll get fabulous hotel service and you’ll sleep soundly in your luxurious accommodation. We stayed at The Lebua State Tower. Wow! Our hotel room views were incredible, we had to pinch ourselves every time we caught sight of the outside world. Dining and drinking in the hotel can come at a hefty price though, so if you’re travelling on a budget, look out for that.
4. Gawp at the Skybar
Staying at the Lebua State Tower definitely had its major perks, one of them being the stunning Sky Bar. If you want to feel on top of the world while having a drink, you’ve found your bar.
There’s also an insanely beautiful restaurant called Breeze in the hotel. This is ‘dinner with a view’ goals! We’ll let the images speak for themselves.
5. Party at Khao San Road
This road at night is definitely an unforgettable experience. We’ve partied in all sorts of places in Europe; Ibiza, London and Paris but these places are not close to crazy compared to Khao San Road. Be expected to see things that you most likely haven’t ever seen before (we won’t ruin the surprise!).
6. See the dazzling Calypso Show
We had a brilliant evening watching this cabaret show. This is a ‘ladyboy’ show that shows off the beauty and talents of the Thai transgender artists. They were amazing performers, showcasing old and new favourite show-stopping dances.
7. Awe at the Wat Arun Temple
This Buddhist Temple, also known as the Temple of Dawn, is stunning. Situated next to the riverbank, the building is mostly made up of colourfully decorated spires. We went during a muggy day, even with the overcast skies the architecture still looked magical.
8. Discover the Grand Palace
See the Grand Palace, Emerald Buddha & Reclining Buddha to grab a fantastic dosage of culture. Since 1782 the Grand Palace has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam. These majestic group of buildings are a not to be missed tourist stop!
9. Unicorn Cafe!
Oh, how adorable is this place?! Unicorn fans (and who isn’t one?) will agree this is a place of dreams. However, we get that this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there are so many quirky cool bars & cafes in Bangkok, explore as many as you get a chance to.
10. Take a ride: Tuk-tuks
You’re in Bangkok, an obligatory tuk-tuk ride is a must. This a great way to see the city and experience the hustle and bustle. However, refer back to point one about haggling and watching out for the tourist scams. Tuk-tuk drivers might offer you a super cheap ride only to lead you somewhere where you didn’t want. Our example was that we wanted to head to the river to get a public water taxi, instead, we were taken to a private boat tour operator, to try and lure us into an expensive excursion. No thanks, take our heads up.
BRITISH BINDI 
As a haggling newbie, what’s a reasonable price to counter theirs with?
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Hey Becky, we were haggling newbies too before we went to Bangkok!
I would suggest to always trust your gut, it’ll take a while to suss out the currency of where you’re travelling and how much the standard would be to pay for things. The way to help this would be by asking your hotel for advice on how much approximately travelling (taxis, boats) would cost, so you have an initial idea already – so if someone is trying to rip you off you’ll know.
When purchasing items, if you’re buying multiple items… offer a deal – 2 for the price of X amount. Also, try think of the price the product would cost fairly, and then go lower and they will usually lower or meet you half way- and if not at least you asked, remember if you don’t ask, you don’t get!
Finally, our tip for booking tours and excursions, through an agent in the area, would be to just tell them it’s a little pricey for you. If you show signs that you won’t book, then they’ll most likely offer you something lower. This can differ in places and how busy the season is, we visited Thailand in the low season so we managed to get lots of deals this way. Again there’s no harm trying and changing your mind if the tactic doesn’t work.
Hope that helps!
Kiran, British Bindi
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This is such helpful advice, thank you so much!
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