The Best Hotels in Bangkok

The cultural, culinary and shopping heartbeat of the country, Bangkok hooks its spicy claws into everyone who passes through and leaves an unforgettable imprint. Whether you’re breaking into a sweat while devouring the ultimate burst of flavor that is tom-yum soup, or trying to relocate your sanity while navigating the many twists and turns at a local market, you never forget your first Bangkok experience.

Hotels in Bangkok

Frequently voted one of the world’s best value destinations for hotels, Bangkok is usually a satisfying experience, whether you’re a backpacker, a shopper, or looking for a comfy bachelor pad. The great secret of the city is to book into a 5 star hotel for the price of a 3 star, complete with spas, skyrise bars and riverfront locations. Try the glamorous Lebua at State Tower if you have a head for heights. The Thais do hospitality fabulously, with their famous smile, graceful service and attention to pampering. Rooms are typically large, lavishly furnished and modern.

Where to stay

The city is huge with some distinct hotel districts. Khao San Road, for example, is budget hostel heaven, close to the historic district but not easily accessible by public transport. Sukhumwit road has the largest choice, suitable for shoppers, night owls, and skytrain convenience. Expats love the area too for its entertainment, trendy eateries and access to malls. Silom is a business district; here you’ll find all the posh hotels with a tad of glamour from the days Somerset Maugham and the like took up residency in the Mandarin Oriental, beside the river.

When are the best times to travel to Bangkok?

The bouncing city of Bangkok operates around 2 seasons – a dry season, from late October to March, and a wet season, from April to mid-October. In the hot wet season, you’ll find and abundance of cheap Bangkok hotels and bargain discount hotels – the temples, museums, and parks are quiet and peaceful during this time, too. For honey-like sunshine and a wealth of fun festivals, travel during dry season. Chinese New Year, a carnivalesque firework-full series of street celebrations, takes place in January.

What are the top must-see attractions in Bangkok?

Stop by the Grand Palace, an opulent riverside royal residence studded with sharp-pointed golden spires and elaborate red-white halls. Inside the complex, you’ll discover the Wat Phra Kaew, a sacred Buddhist temple of stacked pyramid-shaped towers, mosaic-inlaid pillars and green-orange tiled roofs. Inside, see the elegant, enshrined Emerald Buddha statue. Directly south of the Grand Palace, visit Wat Pho, a sprawling Buddhist temple complex covered in cloisters, spires and Bodhi trees – inside the main building, see the enormous statue of a reclining Buddha, inlaid with mother of pearl.

What are the best types of food and restaurants in Bangkok?

Unsurprisingly, Bangkok celebrates traditional Thai food, with 1,000s of Thai restaurants spread across the city – check out the Khao San Road area for budget Thai dishes. As a cosmopolitan city, Bangkok offers plenty of international cuisine, too – in the upscale Sukhumvit district, you’ll find flashy European restaurants, alongside fancy fusion places. For Italian, dine in the Soi Ton Son area near Siam Square. Wherever you’re staying in Bangkok, you’ll find a wealth of street food vendors, serving up stir-fried noodles, meat skewers and Pad Thai.

What are the top things to do in Bangkok?

Visit the Jim Thompson House for some Thai-American heritage. Jim Thompson revitalised the Thai silk industry in the 1960s, spreading silk to America. His former House, a 19th-century timber structure surrounded by palms, is now a museum displaying live silk looming and his collection of Southeast Asian art. Shoppers, meanwhile, can bargain hunt and splurge in CentralWorld, a vast shopping plaza and entertainment complex full of fashion, cosmetics, and electronics boutiques. For a peaceful break, stroll around the lush Lumphini Park, centred around a bright blue lake.

What are some fun facts about Bangkok?

Bangkok’s name is thought to derive from Bang Ko – Bang means “a town situated by a stream” and ko means “island”. This sounds simple enough – but the city’s name gets slightly confusing. It’s full ceremonial name is composed of Pali and Sanskrit root words, and translated into English, reaches 30 words – the longest city name in the world. That’s not Bangkok’s only claim to global fame – the Wat Traimit temple houses the world’s largest golden Buddha statue.

What kinds of public transport are there in Bangkok?

Bangkok’s public transport network has bloomed over the past few years, and boasts an extensive system of buses, a futuristic above-ground BTS Skytrain and an MRT underground metro rail line. The BTS Skytrain will be most useful if you’re sticking to the more centrally located areas. You can also travel in Bangkok via the Chao Phraya Express Boat, a cheap and speedy aquatic bus that runs up and down the river, stopping at all the main riverfront temples and sights.