Overview
Bangkok was the final stop of our 2026 Southeast Asia trip and our second visit after an earlier Phuket-Bangkok combination.
The city looks like a dystopia: stacked railways, immense towers, and traffic layered in every direction. I still love it. The chaos is sweet, not suffocating like Hanoi.
Airport and Transport
The airport is huge and far from the city. On arrival you take a taxi ticket, find the assigned vehicle, then negotiate. We paid around 600 baht all-in for a small car to the center; a larger one was quoted at 800. Luggage took a while.
On departure, allow serious time. Gates may require an internal train, passport control can be crowded, and the S gates used by Turkish Airlines were extremely far away. Families with babies can use fast-track lanes; paid fast-track may also be worth investigating if late.
Traffic is heavy but drivers are relatively respectful. Motorbikes complicate everything. Google Maps travel times regularly underestimated the trip by about 30 percent, and red lights seemed to last forever.
Tuk-tuks cost more than Grab and are now tourist rides, so use them with that expectation.
The elevated skywalk around the mall district is extensive and useful. Our hotel connected directly to it, something we managed not to notice at first. Skytrains look as futuristic as the rest of the city.
City Life
After Koh Samui, Bangkok felt cheap. Food, clothes, drinks, and massage in the center were almost absurdly affordable.
Walking and stroller access remain bad. Escalators appear and disappear, routes change level without warning, and pedestrian networks are confusing.
Outside tourism and hospitality, many people looked exhausted. It may be the most visibly tired city we have visited. At the same time, people adored our daughter and constantly stopped to engage with her.
Beggars exist in the center but were not aggressive. On March 15 the heat was fierce and initially dry; rain on our final day brought the humidity back instantly.
The area between Lumphini Park and the major malls feels wealthy: expensive cars, groomed dogs, polished restaurants, and more trees than most of central Bangkok.
Rooftop bars often require smart casual clothing. Bring trousers and a shirt or a suitable dress. We packed only for heat and missed some of the best ones.
Sights and Shopping
Wat Traimit houses the Golden Buddha, a roughly 5.5-ton solid-gold statue widely described as the largest of its kind. It spent centuries covered in plaster, and the gold was rediscovered when the coating cracked during a move in 1955.
Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown, is a wild food-focused district and more chaotic than most Chinatowns. Wat Mangkon Kamalawat is a Chinese temple worth entering while there.
Lumphini Park is Bangkok's Central Park and a rare relief from concrete. Its famous "Bangkok dragons" are Asian water monitors, not dragons. We saw enormous ones, plus banana trees, carob-like trees, and Chinese fan palms. The paths felt safe.
CentralWorld and Siam Paragon are enormous conventional malls with almost everything and high prices. MBK is more useful for Thai-made goods. Big C Supercenter on Ratchadamri is the practical alternative; we found even the vacuum bags nobody else sold.
Uniqlo CentralWorld had a broad range, with especially good baby and sports products.
Hotels and Food
Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok was noisy and the room style felt odd. Breakfast, however, was absurdly detailed: döner, sushi, kimchi, hummus, pastel de nata, desserts, and a full salad bar. The hotel was freezing even with our room air-conditioning off.
Sizzler CentralWorld offered an unlimited salad bar for 200 baht. Edamame, Japanese pumpkin, pickles, and baby corn were favorites; even the toast was excellent. The dynamite prawn was identical to Hard Rock Bangkok's Crazy Shrimp. Sizzler MBK was just as good.
KURA Premium Yakiniku and Sushi made good sushi, especially eel and salad rolls. Chicken thigh, edamame, and salads were also good, and staff were attentive.
At Kyo Roll En we tried organic-chocolate, kinako, and yuzu-miso mochi. Only the chocolate worked for us.
DON DON DONKI was not worth the hype and felt painfully chaotic.
Verdict
Bangkok is a city whose energy I enjoy every time. It is chaotic but surprisingly easy to use, superb for eating and shopping, and far cheaper than the southern islands. Just remember rooftop clothes.