November 17th 2014

One Night in Bangkok

According to the song "One night in bangkok and the tough guys crumble..."

For the average traveller Bangkok is not such a test of endurance and manliness that this pop song implies, nor is it anything like it is depicted in The Hangover series of films (unless you want it to be).

Bangkok is a city where you can have all kinds of experiences. You can be a standard backpacker and go straight to Kao San Rd, and stay in a hostel there, drink beer and party until you leave. Believe me there are much worse ways to spend your holiday.

You can also go straight from the airport to a high rise hotel in the city and spend your holiday bouncing between your air-conditioned room and the rooftop pool.

Or you can head off and explore the city trying to see what Thailand's urban metropolis has to offer, and it has plenty. You will find all kinds of list of the temples and other attractions, but if you literally have 24 hours, then this is what I think you should do.

Take a Water Taxi: Bangkok is covered with a network of canals that allow people to traverse it by boat. Most of these are used by a public transport system. It is an experience workth having.

Visit Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn): This is by far my favourite temple in Bangkok. It looks like it could have been standing for thousands of years, even though it has been rebuilt and modified many times throughout history.

Chill out in Lumpini Park: This Bangkok's central park, huge, green and beautiful. Take a stroll around and enjoy the city.