Bangkok is indisputably one of the best holiday destinations for people who love cheap shopping, food and massages. However, there’s more to this beautiful city than roaming the streets of Chatuchak and slurping down a cooling cup of Thai iced tea.

Culture enthusiasts who want to enjoy Bangkok beyond just shopping and eating will be glad to know that Bangkok is steeped in a rich, enthralling history that is definitely worth exploring. There are a plethora of landmarks and museums that are open to the public that allows us to dip our toes into the city’s bounteous history and culture, offering a fresh new perspective to the land of smiles.

If you’re keen to explore this side of Bangkok, we recommend that you start off at Phra Nakhon, where you can find a number of culturally significant attractions such as the Grand Palace, Wat Arun and Wat Pho. Aside from that, the area is home to a number of eateries serving up authentic Thai fare to complete the experience.

Photo Credit: my.mdi

HAVE BREAKFAST AT THIAN SONG ROAST DUCK 

This hole-in-the-wall street restaurant specialises in roast duck and they’ve been in the business for over 70 years. Aside from their ambrosial plates of duck rice and noodles, they are also popular for their coffee and toasted bread with orange kaya, a perfect breakfast combination to start your day!

Dinso Road
Sao Chingcha, Phra Nakhon
Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 224 4554
Daily: 8am – 7.30pm

GRAND PALACE 

To properly immerse yourself in Thailand’s rich, cultural history, a trip to the Grand Palace is a must. Located in the old city of Bangkok on the banks of the famous Chao Phraya river, this majestic, sacred landmark is nothing short of breathtaking. It will truly make you feel like you’ve been transported to another era.

Na Phra Lan Road
Khwaeng Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang
Khet Phra Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10200, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 623 5500
Daily: 8.30am – 3.30pm

TEMPLE OF THE EMERALD BUDDHA 

The Grand Palace also houses Wat Phra Kaew, which translates to ‘The Temple Of The Emerald Buddha’. This is one of the most sacred places in Thailand and the small Buddha statue that resides in the temple is believed to be more than 2000 years old. The Buddha was created in India and has been moved a number of times before it was re-discovered in 1434 in a temple in Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand.

Na Phra Lan Road
Khwaeng Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang
Khet Phra Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10200, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 623 5500
Daily: 8.30am – 3.30pm

LUNCH AT THE SIXTH 

Located just a short walk away from Wat Arun and the Grand Palace, The Sixth is a cosy and hip little cafe that is run by a young couple. The quirky and homely decor gives the entire place a very relaxed and chill atmosphere, making it the perfect pitstop after a tiring morning of exploring the Grand Palace. They specialise in wholesome and soulful Thai food which include the likes of Tom Yum Koong, Phad Thai and Thai Green Curry.

Maha Rat Road
Khwaeng Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang
Khet Phra Nakhon
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10200, Thailand
Tel: +66 64 316 6890
Mon to Sat: 10.30am – 5pm
(Closed on Sundays)

WAT PHO (RECLINING BUDDHA) 

Another historical monument that you definitely need to check out is Wat Pho, home of the famous reclining Buddha. Aside from that, it is also the national headquarters for the teaching and preservation of traditional Thai massage. You can get a massage at the Wat Pho Thai Traditional Massage School as well to complete the experience.

2 Sanam Chai Road
Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang
Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 226 0335
Daily: 8am – 6.30pm

Photo Credit: paolo.patricola

WAT ARUN 

Directly opposite Wat Pho is Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of Dawn. You can reach it by taking a riverboat from Saphan Taksin. The compound features a majestic 70-meter-high spire that is intricately decorated with tiny pieces of Chinese porcelain and coloured glass. If you are observant, you’d even realise that the image of Wat Arun is actually printed on Thailand’s 10-baht coins!

158 Thanon Wang Doem
Wat Arun, Bangkok Yai
Bangkok 10600, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 891 2185
Daily: 8.30m – 6pm

DINNER AT THIPSAMAI 

End off a tiring day of exploring by having dinner at the famous Thipsamai. Dubbed to have the best pad thai in Bangkok, this humble eatery has even managed to snag themselves a Bib Gourmand award by the Michelin Guide. The place is constantly flooded with both tourists and locals alike so do try to head on down early to secure yourself a seat!

313 Maha Chai Road
Khwaeng Samran Rat, Khet Phra Nakhon
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10200, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 226 6666
Daily: 5pm – 2am

It is no secret that Bangkok is a food and shopping paradise that is full of dirt-cheap deals, and we always make it a point to come here at least once a year to get our fill on affordable food, shopping and massages.

For those of you who are visiting Bangkok for the first time and you need some ideas for your itinerary, we recommend you pay the Pratunam area a visit. The place is chock full of endless shopping, food and even more shopping and once you’re done with all that, you can give your body a break by heading over to one of the many massage parlours that are scattered around the area.

If you want to visit Pratunam but you are absolutely clueless about what you should do there, here’s our guide to give you some ideas.

WAKE UP EARLY FOR CHEAP WHOLESALE DEALS AT PRATUNAM MORNING MARKET 

You can forget about scrolling through Taobao for the next few months after visiting this gargantuan wholesale paradise. The market is filled with hundreds of vendors selling trendy pieces for dirt cheap prices. We recommend coming here with a group of friends because you can get even cheaper prices when you bulk buy!

Ratchaprarop 1 Alley
Khwaeng Thanon Phaya Thai, Khet Ratchathewi
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10400, Thailand
Daily: 5am – 6pm

HAVE BREAKFAST AT LUNG PRATHUNAM BOAT NOODLES 

There are multiple places in Bangkok that serve up decent bowls of boat noodles but one of our absolute favourites is Lung Prathunam Boat Noodle. Here, they have 6 different broths and 8 different types of noodles to choose from. Each bowl costs a mere 30 baht and an upsized version would be 40 baht. For those of you who are in a rush, you can also do a take away for 50 baht.

960/14 Phetchaburi Road
Khwaeng Makkasan, Khet Ratchathewi
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10400, Thailand
Tel: +66 85 919 1994
Daily: 8am – 5pm

GO SHOPPING AT PLATINUM FASHION MALL OR PANDTIP IT MALL 

It is impossible to not have heard of Platinum Fashion Mall and this shopping paradise is home to a plethora of stalls that sell cheap and trendy clothes, accessories and shoes. With 6 floors housing over 2000 stalls, the place will keep you busy for hours! If you aren’t keen in fashion, you can also head on over to Pandtip IT Mall to check out some of the tech stuff that they have available.

GET A MASSAGE ALONG PETCHABURI SOI 15

While shopping may be fun, it can also be pretty exhausting. To ease those muscles and give yourself a break, we recommend heading over to the row of massage parlours at Petchaburi Soi 15 to treat yourself to a good session of kneading and back cracking. While all the parlours there are pretty decent, our favourite is Number One Massage!

Number One Massage 
1/7-8 Pratunam
Phetchaburi soi 15
Thanon Phaya Thai, Ratchathewei
Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Tel: +65 +66 2 653 9967
Daily: 9.30am – 12am

HAVE LUNCH AT GONG TONG CAFE 

Gong Tong is a charming and quirky cafe that dishes out themed homemade dishes revolving around different historical periods of Thailand. They serve up both sets and à la carte options and each and every dish here will take you to a completely different era. While the prices here are on the steeper end, we can assure you that it is well worth every cent.

Thanon Phaya Thai
Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Tel: +66 64 879 0149
Daily: 10am – 8.30pm

PAY A VISIT TO BRAND NEW MALL ‘THE MARKET’

The shopping scene in Bangkok just keeps getting better and joining the slew of malls is The Market. Located just across the road from Central World, The Market is home to plenty of stalls like boutiques, blogshops, cafes and massage parlours. The prices here are a little on the steeper end as compared to the markets but we feel like the things sold here are of better quality.

111 Ratchadamri Road
Khwaeng Lumphini, Khet Pathum Wan
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10330, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 121 8888
Daily: 10am – 10pm

HAVE TEA AT BOYY AND SON CAFE 

Located conveniently at the recently renovated Gaysorn Village, BOYY & Son is a chic, stylish and incredibly Instagram-worthy cafe that sells coffee, tea and an interesting array of pastries. We absolutely love their croissants which are flaky, buttery and fragrant all at once!

BOYY 127 Unit L00-01 GAYSORN Tower2 Lumphini
Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 253 8300
Daily: 8am – 8pm

VISIT CENTRAL WORLD SHOPPING MALL

Like we said, the shopping never ends at Pratunam! Another mall to check out is the famous Central World Shopping Mall. While it is similar to many Singapore malls and the stuff here isn’t as cheap as the markets, it’s still a great place to do some window shopping and enjoy the air-con!

HAVE DINNER AT GO-ANG PRATUNAM CHICKEN RICE

If you want to try a different variation of chicken rice aside from Singapore’s Hainanese chicken rice, we recommend that you pop by Go-Ang Pratunam Chicken Rice. These plates of Michelin Bib Gourmand chicken rice certainly live up to its name and we can see why it’s so popular with both the locals and tourists. Brace yourself for some really long queues!

960 962 Phetchaburi Road
Khwaeng Makkasan, Khet Ratchathewi
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10400, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 252 6325
Daily: 6am – 2pm, 5pm – 2am

CHECK OUT PALLADIUM NIGHT MARKET 

As the sun sets for the day, all the night markets come out to play. Pratunam has its own share of night markets that come alive when the sky turns dark and one of the more popular ones is Palladium Night Market. Here, you can find rows of stalls selling things like clothes, accessories and random knick-knacks.

487 Phetchaburi Road
Khwaeng Makkasan, Khet Ratchathewi
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10400, Thailand
Daily: 6pm – 12am

END THE NIGHT WITH TALAD NEON NIGHT MARKET

If you still have time, you can also hop on over to Talad Neon Night Market for even more shopping and feasting. We prefer this place to Palladium Night Market as we feel that the things sold here are catered more to the youths. They also have a larger array of stalls that sell food so it’s a great supper spot!

1087, 167 Phetchaburi Road
Khwaeng Makkasan, Khet Ratchathewi
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10400, Thailand
Daily: 5pm – 12am

It is no secret that Bangkok is a night market paradise that has something for everyone. Even if you aren’t a diehard shopaholic, Bangkok’s night market scene has everything from food to entertainment to services, making it a versatile destination that should be at the top of everyone’s itinerary.

While many people tend to patronise the more common markets such as Chatuchak Weekend Market, Pratunam Market and Palladium Night Market, Bangkok is home to a plethora of other night markets that are less explored and frequented by tourists.

For the full local experience and significantly smaller crowds, here is a list of 11 less known night markets in Bangkok that you can visit on your next trip to the land of smiles.

CAMP VINTAGE FLEA MARKET

If you want to pop some tags but you only have 20 dollars in your pocket, you can head on over to Camp Vintage Flea Market to go thrift shopping. Not only is this place a vintage paradise, but it is also a very artsy spot to snap some great photos for the gram. We also love how they decorate the place with repurposed planes and other air crafts to go with the vintage theme.

The Camp Vintage Flea Market
482 Kamphaeng Phet Soi 1, Bangkok, Thailand
Tue to Thu: 11am – 10pm
Fri to Sun: 11am – 11.45pm

CHANG CHUI BANGKOK PLANE MARKET 

The term ‘”chui” refers to being disorganised in the Thai language but do not be deceived by its name—the huge lifestyle space is a one-stop destination for everything art-related. Think fashion apparel stalls, concept cafes, food trucks and a vintage cinema for the film buffs. There even is an old aeroplane right smack in the middle of ChangChui market—yes, that is how massive this night market is.

460/8 Sirindhorn Road
Bangpld, Bangkok
10700 Thailand
Tel: +66 81817 2888
Tue to Sun: 4pm – 11pm

HUAI KHWANG NIGHT MARKET 

Huai Khwang Night Market is just a short walk away from Huai Khwang MRT station, which makes it very convenient and accessible. Do not expect rows of tented stalls like what you usually see at night markets in Bangkok; the stalls here are mostly located within buildings along a long winding road and to us, it seemed more like a row of shophouses that function like night market stalls.

Soi Pracha Rat Bamphen
Khwaeng Din Daeng, Din Daeng
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10400, Thailand
Daily: 24-hours

HUA MUM NIGHT MARKET 

Hua Mum Night Market is considered a hidden gem because most foreigners probably don’t know about it nor wouldn’t discover it on their own—and evidently, that is its main draw. This under-the-radar localised market is not as congested as the other popular tourist attractions and you can shop for absolutely everything such as handcrafted handbags, customised keyrings as well as trendy apparel.

They are also famous for their Seafood Hunks who will provide you with some live entertainment as you enjoy your seafood!

11 Kaset-Nawamin Rd
Lat Phrao, Bangkok 10230
Closed on Mondays
Tue to Sun: 6pm – 12am

INDY NIGHT MARKET DAO KHANONG 

Indy Night Market is heavily frequented by the locals and while it is pretty far out from central Bangkok, the place is well worth the trip down! As the market is catered mostly to the locals, things here are also significantly cheaper as compared to other night markets out there.

Suk Sawat Road
Khwaeng Chom Thong, Khet Chom Thong
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10150
Daily: 6pm – 12am

Photo Credit: agentdeclan

LIAB DUAN NIGHT MARKET 

Liab Duan Night Market is a massive, overflowing market that is a shopaholics paradise for both men and women alike. Aside from that, they even sell pet accessories, homeware and collectables. Do keep a lookout for the massive transformers that are standing in the middle of the market; it makes for a pretty cool picture for the gram!

Thanon Rarm Intra
Khwaeng Tha Raeng
Khet Bang Khen, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10220
Daily: 6pm to 1am

Photo Credit: Hirolink43

MALI MARKET 

Mali Market is more catered to kids and kids at heart. Here, you’ll be able to find old school games and rides that’ll bring you back to your childhood days. Aside from that, they have the usual stalls that sell clothes, accessories and food, making it an all-rounded market that your whole family will love.

111 Moo 5 Pak Kret 39 Pak Kret District
Nonthaburi 11120
Daily: 5pm – 12am

Photo Credit: Bangkok Info Guide 

PATPONG NIGHT MARKET 

Patpong Night Market has made a name for itself with its sheer number of counterfeit goods. The night market is jam-packed with tourists and visitors so do be prepared for some massive crowds! It is important to note that the bazaar is located in a red-light district, hence it isn’t necessarily the most children-friendly area.

Phat Pong 2 Alley
Khwaeng Suriya Wong, Khet Bang Rak
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500, Thailand
Mon to Sat: 6pm – 1am
Sun: 6pm – 12am

RAMKHAMHAENG NIGHT MARKET 

For all you broke university students who are in Bangkok for a holiday, we suggest that you pay a visit to Ramkhamhaeng University Night Market to get a feel of how the local university students shop. As the market is catered mostly to youths, you can expect some super cheap bargains as well as clothes, accessories and shoes that are tailored to a younger crowd.

2345/1 Ramkhamhaeng Road
Khwaeng Hua Mak, Khet Bang Kapi
Bangkok, Thailand 10240
Thu to Tue: 4pm – 11pm
(Closed on Wednesdays)

SAI TAI MAI CENTER NIGHT MARKET 

Sai Tai Mai is another night market that only the locals know about and everything here is dirt cheap. The sprawling space will keep you occupied for hours and there is plenty to see, do and buy for people of all ages. The market is a little inaccessible by public transport so you’ll need to take a Grab or taxi down.

8 Borommaratchachonnani Road
Khwaeng Chim Phli, Khet Taling Chan
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10170, Thailand
Daily: 6pm – 2am

TALAD ROT FAI SRINAKARIN NIGHT MARKET 

Rot Fai Market (Srinakarin) is a dream come true for shopaholics and it is one of the biggest night markets in Bangkok. There are thousands of shops here and we promise you that you will not have enough time to cover all the vendors in one night. It will take plenty of stamina to strike off this attraction in your list but hey, they don’t call shopping Singapore’s national sport for nothing!

Srinakarin Road Soi 51
Srinagarindra 51 Alley
Nong Bon, Prawet, Bangkok 10250, Thailand
Mon to Wed: Closed
Thu to Sat: 4pm – 1am
Sun: 4pm – 12am

Located conveniently at the recently renovated Gaysorn Village, BOYY & Son is a chic, stylish and incredibly Instagram-worthy spot to chill at after a hectic day of shopping. Many similar cafes that we have come across produce pretty subpar food but that isn’t the case here at BOYY & Son.

The cafe is by the people behind BOYY, which explains its gorgeous and clean interior. For shopaholics, you’ll be glad that right next door, you can find BOYY Boutique which sells handbags, shoes and accessories.

Their simple and straightforward menu consists mostly of drinks and pastries that are pretty affordably priced.

We’ve heard great things about their croissants so we ordered ourselves a Plain Croissant (80 baht) which came with a side of apricot jam. If apricots aren’t your thing, you can choose to have either strawberry or wild blueberry jam instead.

The croissant was the perfect combination of fragrant, crisp and buttery and we appreciate how it wasn’t too oily and flaky. We also love how the apricot jam paired well with the croissant and added a lovely sweet and slightly tart touch to it.

We enjoyed our croissant with a very aesthetic glass of Iced Latte (140 baht). Smooth and rich with a mellow amount of acidity, the iced latte definitely was a mid-day perk-me-up from all that shopping.

If you love pastries and fragrant brews, we highly recommend a visit to BOYY & Son the next time you’re in Bangkok.

BOYY & Son Café BOYY 127 Unit L00-01 GAYSORN Tower2 Lumphini Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand Tel: +66 2 253 8300 Daily: 8am – 8pm Daily

Bangkok is home to a plethora of animal cafes which house all kinds of animals; from massive human-sized dogs to exotic fennec foxes, this place is an absolute animal paradise for animal lovers.

Feline lovers will be glad to know that Bangkok has a really solid cat cafe called Caturday Cat Café that is brimming with adorable, fluffy kitties of all shapes and sizes. With its convenient location near BTS station Ratchathewi, cat lovers have no excuse to not visit this cat heaven.

Caturday Cat Café is not just filled with fluffy feline friends; it is also a pretty aesthetic café with many great Instagram-worthy spots for photos.

Here, the café walls are lined with paintings of cats, murals of cats as well as cat memorabilia. A massive climbing post also sits in the middle of the café and here you can see cats either scooting up or down it or taking a nap.

For the entrance fee, all you need to do is purchase a drink or food item (per pax) from them and you can stay there for as long as you want. We really appreciate this flexibility as a number of animal cafés in Bangkok usually set time limits for their visitors.

We ordered ourselves a Thai-Tea Crepe Cake with Thai Tea Sauce (138 baht) and a Hot Chocolate (118 baht) for the entrance fee.

We honestly were not expecting much from the Thai-Tea Crepe Cake with Thai Tea Sauce and were pleasantly surprised by how it turned out. Here, delicate crepes are carefully layered with a creamy and concentrated Thai tea filling that tasted as good as the actual drink. While the Thai tea flavour was incredibly rich, we like how the flavours were not cloying and did not go too heavy on the palate.

The hot chocolate, on the other hand, was a tad bit too milky for our liking as we prefer ours to be more on the chocolatey side. Nonetheless, it still was a satisfying cup of hot chocolate and it was nice to sip on it as we watched the cats play.

Caturday has cats of all shapes, colours and breeds and we found ourselves cooing over each and every one of them.

We ended up staying here for a solid 2-hours but how long you want to stay is entirely up to you. Some visitors even brought their laptops to do their work amongst the cats which we thought was a pretty good idea too.

All in all, a highly-recommended spot to visit in Bangkok the next time you are there, especially if you love cats!

Caturday Cat Cafe
89/70 Phayathai Road
Khwaeng Thanon Phetchaburi, Khet Ratchathewi
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10400, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 656 5247
Tue to Fri: 12pm – 9pm
Sat & Sun: 11am – 9pm
(Closed on Mondays)

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Local Thai delights are a dime a dozen in Bangkok and there is always something to eat at every turn. While we love our pad thai and tom yum soup, we thought that it would be interesting to try something that belonged to a completely different era for a change.

Tucked away along a street at Pratunam is Gong Tong, a charming and quirky cafe that dishes out themed homemade dishes that revolve around different historical periods of Thailand.

You can choose either à la carte options or sets. They have a really thick and extensive menu for you to flip through and we were thoroughly spoilt for choice.

While the prices here are on the steeper end, we can assure you that it is well worth every cent.

After much deliberation, we finally settled on the Rattanakosin Niyom set (255 baht) which comes with a bowl of Chicken Mussaman Curry, Stir-fried Sweet Peas, a plate of rice and Toddy Palm Fruit in Scented Syrup.

We absolutely loved the Chicken Mussaman Curry which featured superbly tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken that was doused in a mildly spicy and full-bodied gravy. Slather the provided rice in all that umami-filled gravy and eat it with the chicken for a flavour bomb that’ll keep you hooked to your very last bite.

We initially thought that there would be nothing special about the Stir-fried Sweet Peas but boy, were we wrong!

Despite being stir-fried, the dish was not very oily and the vegetables still remained surprisingly crisp and crunchy. The sweet peas added a subtle sweetness to the overall dish as well as a lightness that was a good contrast to the bold flavours of the curry.

We ended off our sumptuous feast with a bowl of cooling Toddy Palm Fruit in Scented Syrup which certainly helped to combat Bangkok’s sweltering heat.

Gong Tong 
Thanon Phaya Thai
Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Tel: +66 64 879 0149

Read: Bangkok food guides on the best places to discover in the city.

 
Daily: 10am – 8.30pm

Bangkok is known to be home to a plethora of animal cafes that house all kinds of adorable critters. There’s a husky cafe, a cafe with a resident racoon and the list goes on. Well, there’s one that hasn’t yet blown up all over the internet and that is none other than Corgi In The Garden.

Short-legged, pouty-faced and fluffy, these little pups will have even the toughest human overflowing with happiness. The next time you plan a trip to Bangkok, be sure to include this cafe in your itinerary.

The cafe houses 12 insanely adorable and affectionate corgis who are very eager to meet new people. They even have cute names such as Porkchop, Bean, Salmon and Babycorn!

The entrance fee for each person is 250 Baht (S$10.65), which is pretty affordable considering that you also get a free drink along with it. The cafe also serves up a variety of snacks, drinks and ice cream for those of you who are feeling a little peckish.

Do note that visitors are not allowed to just walk in as and when they like it. To pay a visit, you have to drop by the cafe at specific time slots that last an hour each. This is to ensure that the corgis get regular breaks and are not too stressed out.

Time Slots: 
Morning slot — 10.30am (on weekends only)
Noon slot — 12.30pm
Afternoon slot — 2.30pm
Evening slot — 4.30pm

338/1 Kallapaphruek Road Bang Wa
Phasi Charoen, Bangkok 10160, Thailand
Tue to Fri: 12.30pm – 6pm
Sat & Sun: 10.30am – 6pm
(Closed on Mondays)

We know for a fact that we absolutely do not have to sell Bangkok, because it already is a top tourist destination for Singaporeans, especially. The airfares are affordable, food and shopping are similarly low-priced and everything about Bangkok just boasts an aura of awesomeness.

However, we also know that some people have their qualms about Bangkok and we are here to change that. Bangkok is so beautiful, we want you to see it too. Besides the shopping, food and all the well-known night markets, Bangkok has ancient temples, rich culture & heritage, and more!

Here are 16 Reasons to Love Bangkok, Thailand. You will definitely be booking your next trip by the end of this!

#1 AFFORDABLE MASSAGE & SPA

This is our favourite past-time in Bangkok and we do it almost everyday! Foot or full body massages are so affordable there (approx. S$10 or 250 baht) that we will never skip it when we visit this beautiful city. The masseuses are also very well-trained to really give you the best massages to relax your muscles and make you rid of any tension in your body.

#2 AFFORDABLE SEAFOOD MEALS

Seafood is generally pricey in Singapore. However in Bangkok, we can have a very big and satisfying full seafood dinner for about S$10 or so each. You can never find seafood prices like these in Singapore.

#3 AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION

We all love Bangkok for this reason. Whether you’re grabbing a taxi or tuk tuk, they’re all extremely inexpensive. However, remember to insist on them turning on the meter to not get conned!

#4 AMAZING STREET FOOD

We don’t know about you, but the street food in Bangkok is to-die-for to us! Everything is so tasty and flavoured so well that we sometimes skip meals just to eat a variety of street food (so much so that it fills our tummy up!). Quail eggs, deep-fried squid, roadside Phad Thai – we are hungry just thinking about it.

#5 BEST NIGHTLIFE VIBES

Bangkok boasts one of the richest nightlife in South East Asia. Besides pubs and clubs, the overall feel strolling down places like Khao San, taking in the vibes, is the perfect feeling to end your long night of shopping and activities. Grab a drink or beer here and just party the night away!

#6 BREATHTAKING ROOFTOP BARS IN BANGKOK

We love the fact that Bangkok has many breathtaking rooftop bars and they are all extremely beautiful. Some of our favourites include – Vertigo & Moon Bar at Banyan Tree (always packed, but you should still go anyway), Red Sky Rooftop at Centara Grand and Baiyoke Sky Rooftop Bar (highest point in the city).

#7 CONVENIENCE STORES

Strangely enough, we visit the 7/11 in Bangkok, more often than we would admit. Do you know a delicious pre-made and packed Thai Basil Chicken Rice is only barely S$1 there? And it’s really good too, trust us on that! Everything else from bottled drinks to snack are all generally much cheaper than in Singapore.

#8 COOL CAFES & COFFEE HOUSES IN BANGKOK

Bangkok is also no stranger to the cafe scene with popular destinations such as Karmakamet and its iconic candy floss desserts, and others such as After You and Mr. Jones’ Orphanage, offering affordable and delicious cafe fare.

#9 EVERYWHERE IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE

We like that it is easy to get to anywhere in Bangkok. Not once, were we ever lost. The roads might look messy but all the cab and tuk tuk drivers we’ve had, never had a problem.

#10 FRIENDLY LOCALS

Of course we will bump into rude and uncouth people any where in the world, but we are sure that Bangkok has some of the nicest and most polite locals around who will take the time to chat with you, even if they are not proficient in English – something that really warms our heart.

#11 INCREDIBLY GOOD SHOPPING DEALS

We know of friends who do their entire year’s worth of shopping on one trip to Bangkok—that’s how good the shopping deals are. With so many great night markets, weekend markets and shopping centres in the city, it is every shopaholic’s heaven.

#12 MELTING POT OF INTERNATIONAL CUISINE

Other than amazing Thai food, Bangkok offers great food from around the world. We’ve had authentic American diner fare in Khao San Road and Japanese food in the shopping centres that were more than up to standard.

#13 SKIN CARE & MAKEUP

This is for the ladies out there. Brand such as Snail White and Cathy Doll, are so much cheaper in their home country, of course! Grab all these amazing skin care and make up while you’re there and you’ll save a ton!

#14 WAT PHO & OTHER GORGEOUS TEMPLES

After the hustle and bustle of city life, take a break by visiting Wat Pho, home of the famous reclining Buddha. This temple is gorgeous and so tranquil inside, it is the perfect vacation ending you need to have.

#15 WELL-CONNECTED TRAINS

Whenever we spot a traffic jam, we would definitely head on down to their train. It is both affordable and very well-connected to all the major places in Bangkok. It served us really well when we want to get to somewhere fast when there is horrible traffic during peak hours!

#16 THE BEST NIGHT MARKETS IN BANGKOK

Ask any Singaporean which Asian city is their favourite for shopping and most would tell you Bangkok.

For the Thais, night markets are a way of life. The congregation of local vendors is a common sight and for many natives, their livelihoods depend on these bustling night bazaars.