Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, BKK, remains one of the biggest international airports in Southeast Asia and a regional hub for long-haul flights into East Asia. Easily 60 million passengers flow through this cool and open airport each year, located some 16 miles from city center and accessible by Airport Link and taxi. Among the airlines that fly to Bangkok BKK are: Sichuan Airlines, Air France, Air India , Finnair, British Airways, EVA Air, Air China, China Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Southern Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, Etihad Airways, Austrian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Qantas, EgyptAir, Jet Airways, Garuda Indonesia, Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways, and Oman Air.
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport Amenities: Shopping. There is plenty of duty free shopping here and like many places in Bangkok, goods are less expensive here than elsewhere. Also find a palace of souvenir options, from swank inexpensive pasha pants to exquisite Buddha heads, if time does not allow for much browsing in town. Find a hotel at the airport to rent by the night or hour, plenty of spas for between flight massages, a hair salon, free Wifi, lounges that can be accessed without a business class ticket, postal and data chip services, and café dining with a range of international choices.
Bangkok Travel Guide
Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand and offers lots of exciting and magnificent places to visit. The city is a hive of activity with temples and museums, vibrant nightlife and some of the best shopping to be done in Asia. Some of the top things to do Bangkok are listed below.
Getting around Bangkok
The city has a wide range of transportation networks, including city the metro rail lines. Taxis are quite affordable, tuk tuks or pedicabs that are more often than not motorized these days are a fun alternative. Also, consider taking an Express Boat on the River of Kings, whether to take a tour or to get an orientation.
Best time to visit Bangkok
Bangkok is an ideal vacation spot and an all-year-round destination. November to March is regarded as the peak tourist season in Bangkok with December to February known as the cold months. So, a good time to explore Bangkok by foot might be May to October, as it is also known as the low season with fewer tourists and better hotel and flight rates. March to May are the hottest months in Bangkok, bit this is the time to experience festivals like the Thai New Year and Songkran.
Top things to do in Bangkok
Go sightseeing at Wat Pho
Wat Pho is among the top things to do in Bangkok as it homes the Reclining Buddha, which stands at 15m tall and 56m long. It’s a mesmerizing spectacle as the whole statue is covered in gold leaf. Wat Pho is also a favorite place to get a traditional Thai Massage. A school of traditional massage there offers communal settings where visitors get plied and pummeled into peaceful states with herbal balms that add to the sensations and all for around the cost of a cup of coffee (in New York prices, that is).
Go on a river cruise at Chao Phraya River
The Chai Phraya river flows through Bangkok with all the little canals that feed off the river. The river is also regarded as the lifeblood of Bangkok and going on a cruise here is one of the things that you should not miss while in Bangkok. An Express boat with an Orange Flag is your best bet for simply getting around on the river as it operates all day, usually every 20 minutes or more frequently. Another more comfortable option is as the “Tourist Boat,” although these only come every 30 minutes. The breeze afforded by these jaunts on the river is a welcome contrast to the steaming humidity found in Bangkok most times of the year.
Enjoy magnificent views of the city at Vertigo and Moon bar
Vertigo and Moon bar on the 61st floor atop the Banyan Tree Hotel, is a top place to go for drinks if you want to sip slowly and take in the views. It offers 360-degree view of the city without obstructions. Other top places for view dining and drinking, include the SO Sofitel, the St. Regis Bangkok, and the Tower Club at Leboa. Closer to earth, enjoy drinks and dining at The Peninsula, which has a luscious lawn terrace over the river. Also, the Mandarin Oriental, the Millennial Hilton Bangkok and The Siam offer sublime visions of river life in this golden city.
Watch Kickboxing (Muay Thai)
You are going to find kickboxing stadiums everywhere in Thailand. But the best and biggest fights to be found in Bangkok happen at either Lumpini or Ratchadamnoen stadiums. Muay Thai is the national sport of Thailand involving stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. The skill is called the “art of eight limbs” as it is combines movements of the fists, elbows, knees, and shins.
Experience water fight during Songkran
This festival is celebrated every year in April and is the traditional Thai New Year festival. During this period, nobody is safe from getting wet as it is believed by getting splashed with water will wash away a person’s sins and bad luck. On Songkran, water fights are the theme of the day as the whole country gets involved in it with huge crowds sprinkling water this way and that.
Bangkok Travel Tips
Drink lots of water. You should ensure you drink a lot of water as the weather is quite hot here. Drink vendor everywhere serve cold, bottled beverages.
Check out the street food
Street food has been a staple of this city for centuries, although recent government measures to clean the streets and reclaim them have created concern that this tradition may see its end. For now, while these steaming pedicarts are still around, try any number of well-cooked dishes, especially noodle dishes such as chicken noodles, duck noodles, egg noodles with wonton, pork and beef.
Street Food Recommendations:
Sen Yai (rice river noodle) – long, straight noodles made from rice flour.
Sen Mii (rice vermicelli) – thin, long and dry noodles, made from rice flour.
Sen Lek – medium-sized rice noodles.
Bah Mii – yellow noodles made from egg and rice flour.
Woon Sen – thin, dry, and transparent noodles made from soy flour.
Gieow Wonton) – grilled pork wrapped in thin yellow cake.
Street food to miss: Stay away from Luu Moo, a soup made of pig’s blood; Koi pla, a salad of raw fish; larb leuat neua, a dish made from raw beef and uncooked blood; shark fin soup (for the overfishing of sharks); Yum Khai Maeng Da, which is made from horseshoe crabs that may contain lethal toxins; fried scorpions (make sure the sting is removed!); deep fried foods that use and reuse oil for days; salad and raw foods from unsanitary places; tap water; giant cockroaches (these taste exactly as you think they will).
Be aware of tourist prices and the local prices. Prices of goods and services vary from one area to one another. Goods and services at areas filled with locals tend to be quite low than in the touristy area of the city and you should try to research where to go and compare the prices so that you can save your time and money. At most malls, there will be a basement or a floor where it is possible to buy items, especially brand replications, at a great discount. On weekends hit up Chituchak Market, a massive shopping destination with 15,000 stalls, divided into 27 sections that sell everything from modern appliances to colorful handicrafts to cool clothing.
Plan ahead. Bangkok is not a walkable city and you should try to plan for where to go and what to see and then choose a logical route so as to save your money and time. During rush hour, it can take hours to go four miles. But the city is easily navigable by sections, areas and types of markets that then offer easy walkability within those neighborhoods.
