BANGKOK

Thailand has never been high on my list for countries that I’ve been dying to travel to or visit. Sure, it was when I was back in high school. Hot weather, cheap, street food… it all seemed appealing to me at the time. Fast-forward to today and 31 countries later, I would say that my travel tastes have certainly grown and changed. Having nearly visited every Asian country out there, I suppose it was time to visit Thailand.

Out of all cities in Thailand, Bangkok would probably be at the bottom of the list. As much as I love large cities, I just had no appeal for this one. Vast as the eye can see, shopping malls everywhere, and extreme humidity – yikes! How would I be able to tackle this all in two nights?! The answer: you can’t. This is where prioritization comes into play. Pick and choose what you want to see. For me, I mainly mapped this trip according to its food and cocktails… surprise, surprise!

Because the sheer size of Bangkok is ginormous, there are so many different pockets of neighbourhoods to stay in, each of them providing you with unique vibes. I stayed right on the busy Sukhumvit Road, the longest road in Thailand. It’s a stretch where you may find all of the top luxury resorts, hotel brands and shopping malls. I stayed at the Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel and the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok both of which were excellent stays. Location-wise, I think I’d go with the former, although the rooftop pool at the Sheraton was much nicer. And there is also a 24-hour food stall right across from the Sheraton as well which is a plus if you’re arriving super late in the morning!

Bangkok is a bit of a blur. Between the buzzing tuktuks, hot as hell humidity, and rampant amount of people, I was still able to see a bit of the city although in retrospect, I’d probably skip the temples. Nothing wrong with temples or religion, I just believe I am completely templed out! Not to mention there were droves of people at each attraction which drove me mad and the admission alone, I don’t think was worth it.

The main attraction in Bangkok was the food, of course! A pepperhead myself, I was in complete spice heaven; everything was as spicy as I wanted it and I didn’t even have to ask for extra chilies or hot sauce! Sweet, spicy, sour, and savoury – the four points that are pivotal in Thai cooking. From street meats to freshly made som tam right before my eyes to the ever-addicting mango sticky rice, the food was definitely the star.

There is also another major attraction to which tourists visit Thailand for, unfortunately. Yes, I am talking about sex tourism. Not a stranger to this phenomena, sex tourism exists all over the world but is explicitly prominent in Southeast Asian countries. This is one of the reasons I didn’t want to visit Thailand. It is such a rampant problem where it is constantly flaunted negligently to the point where I didn’t even want to go out at night anymore. Places on the main tourist drag like Soi Cowboy and Sukhumvit Road are filled with expats and sex tourists: the typical older white man with a younger Thai female. It’s very unsavoury behavior which left me leaving Thailand with a gritty impression.

I didn’t love Thailand (as a whole) as I feel it’s overpopulated and catered to the Western traveler. Overall, I found Bangkok to be especially seedy. Others will disagree with me but as a seasoned traveler, I would never choose to go here (I was stuck to fly through here as we were to go onto Chiang Mai and ultimately, to Myanmar). But go for the food, the markets and the tuktuk rides for guaranteed fun and delicious eats.

Getting around Bangkok:

Grab – Grab is the best! It’s the Uber of Asia and with so many promo codes available when you first enter a new city, it makes getting around the city even cheaper and easier.

BTS/MRT – Usually I’m a sucker for walking around the city, but with a city as large as Bangkok, it’s nearly impossible, especially in the heat! Taking public transit is incredibly easy. Be sure to get a Rabbit card if you feel like you’ll be relying heavily on using this mode of transportation.

What to see in Bangkok:

Markets – There are so many great markets to check out in Bangkok. Some available in the day and go late into the night. You can expect to find excellent food vendors, local clothing and souvenirs, sandals, and more! I was actually quite surprised to see how diverse and artisanal the markets were. My favourite market would have to be the Chatuchak Weekend Market. Seems a bit out of the way but nothing a short tuktuk ride can’t solve!
Muy Thai – See or take a muy thai boxing class! We actually were able to see a boxing match at Channel 7 Boxing Stadium. Matches take place every Sunday afternoon for free. There are designated seats for tourists but, if you’re lucky like me, you’ll bond with the locals and they’ll take you into the local seating area.
Temples – The two big temple complex are Wat Pho and the Grand Palace. Be sure to wear appropriate clothing – shoulders and knees covered – when entering the temples. As stated before, it was very busy at both of these places. I don’t think this is a mandatory attraction, especially if you’ve visited other Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia. Honestly, they all start to look at the same at the end of the day.
Speakeasies – Like NYC, secret bars are a huge thing in Bangkok! I really enjoyed seeking them out with a friend of mine from highschool and her husband whom I ran into on my last night in the city. Some of my favourites would be #FindThePhotobooth and #FindTheLockerRoom. Excellent, world-class cocktails in some very unassuming locations.
Malls - No, really. There are SO many malls in Bangkok. For me, it was just an easy way to escape the blistering Bangkok heat. For others, it’s a shopaholics heaven. A lot of the MRTs are connected to malls too, so that’s a plus.

What to eat in Bangkok:

Mango sticky rice – You can find this all over Thailand. Sweet, glutinous rice topped with coconut milk and crispy fried yellow mung beans paired with fresh mangoes. You’ll want to eat this over and over again. I walked 45 minutes in the blistering Bangkok heat to Mae Varee to get the best sticky rice in town – and it did not disappoint.
Som tam – Papaya salad was probably one of the best things I ate street-side in a residential pocket when our initial breakfast plans fell through. Great on its own or with a side of sticky rice to dip in the sauce. So good!
Chicken rice – Sure, you might’ve had Hainanese chicken rice, the Malaysian version and Singaporean versions. The Thai version doesn’t fall far off from the tree. Tender, poached chicken, dark sweet soy sauce, and rice. My favourite version was at the 1-Michelin Star Go-Ang Pratnum Chicken Rice. Be prepared to wait in line – thankfully there’s shade and a Thai iced tea joint right beside which makes the line go fast.
Khao moo daeng – Chinese-style roast pork. The Thais put their own spin on roast pork and Thanee Khao Moo Daeng specializes in just that. They also put this sweet, garlicky sauce on top which is strangely addictive. They also have cool combos with pork belly and noodle soups if you’re feeling for it.
Thai iced tea – One of my favourite drinks of all time! The concoction of black Thai tea, condensed milk and evaporated milk on ice is simply sublime. And when it’s 40C out, downing multiple Thai iced teas in a day is no problem.
Fresh fruit juices – So many great fruit juice finds at the markets – and not just your typical juices either. Loved the fresh pomegranate and longan juices – super refreshing!
Thai sausage - Have you ever tried Thai sausage? It’s a little sweet, a little spicy - very Thai! There are tons of make shfit BBQs popping up by the MRT stations. Although delicious, eat at your own risk! I got severe food poisoning hours after eating this which hit me when I was leaving BKK - NOT fun.

All in all, I’m glad to finally have the Thailand stamp on my passport. Although it might sound like I was overly negative in this write up, don’t let that persuade! Bangkok just wasn’t my city but I still very much enjoyed my time here. It’s fast-paced and busy, loud and aggressive. Best food, cheap as hell. Bangkok is a great introduction to Southeast Asia if you’ve never been.

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